At 2am, Loan turned over and saw that the place beside her was empty. Looking over, Loan did not see her husband. Hoang had not yet gone to bed. Loan went to the living room and saw Hoang sitting on the balcony. Under the pale yellow streetlight, looking through the glass door, Loan saw Hoang sitting deep in thought. He lit a cigarette alone and his eyes stared absently at the smoke.
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Illustration: Tran Thang |
- You haven't gone to bed yet? It's late and you're still sitting here?- Loan spoke, her voice soft, full of worry.
- Oh, I'll drink a glass of water and then go to sleep. You go ahead and sleep.- Hoang replied, but his voice sounded low, as if something was weighing heavily on his heart.
- Well, if you don't do this job, then do something else. If you can't get a high-paying job, then you can work for a low-paying job. Just calm down, it's only been 2 weeks. - Loan gently encouraged.
Hoang looked at Loan, sighed, then fell silent again. His eyes looked into the distance, it was unclear what he was thinking.
- Actually, if I only cared about myself, I wouldn't have to think much. But now I have to worry about you and the kids too.- Hoang said, his voice dropping.
Hearing her husband say that, Loan felt sorry for him. Loan is 35 years old this year, and Hoang is 40. Both husband and wife are from the same hometown, and came to the city to study and live since their student days. Both families, parents are civil servants, so they only supported their education but could not help with anything else. Loan and Hoang had to rent a house for the first 5 years after getting married. Like many students who leave their hometown, the couple determined their purpose of staying in the city. Both wanted to work to earn money, fulfill their dream of buying a house, a car, and then have money to take care of their family in the countryside. But in reality, making those dreams come true is not easy.
Loan and her husband have been in the city for more than 15 years. From the time they graduated from school until now, they have been working for a salary. They also invested for a while but failed. After that, they did not dare to invest anymore, so they just saved up for a reserve fund. After 10 years of marriage, they were able to buy a small apartment of less than 60 square meters, which is enough for the couple and their two children. It was like that before they got married, but after getting married, there were so many things to worry about. Food, school fees, housing, gas, and phone bills. Spending in the city is getting more and more expensive. Living a little "luxurious" means that there is no money left to spend every month.
One day 3 weeks ago, Hoang came home in a bad mood. Loan asked her husband what was wrong, but he simply said:
- The company changed its structure. Now they let him go.
- You did a good job. Why did you fire me?
- I see people say that the young generation is more agile, works better, and is much better at technology than us.
And Hoang was fired. Although he was mentally prepared, he was still sad. Hoang had also prepared documents to submit to many places, but there were many reasons, including age. It is really difficult to apply for a job at the age of 40. Meanwhile, the labor market now has a surplus of many people, especially young people, who are very dynamic and capable. Therefore, many things need to be renewed, and so do people. We cannot continue to work leisurely in the old way forever.
Since the day he quit his job, Hoang has been restless. He called all his friends, relatives, and connections to see if there was a place that had a stable job for him. But some places weren't hiring, some were just looking for new things, and some places couldn't be contacted. Suddenly, Hoang realized how important it was to have a stable job at this age. Once, while lying down with his wife, Hoang said:
- I am unemployed now, will you support me?
- Of course. I'll take care of both you and the child. Don't worry, we still have some savings.
- No, I have to find another job to continue supporting the family. Who would let their wife support them?
For the past 2 weeks, Loan saw that he was tired, haggard, and smiled much less. Hoang was like a completely different person. Perhaps the pressure of life, work, and the burden of money had weighed down on his shoulders. Even though Loan spoke and encouraged him, perhaps Hoang's words, actions, and face could not hide his fatigue and worry for his family when he was unemployed.
During the holidays, the whole family decided to return to their hometown. Partly to visit family, partly to temporarily put aside daily worries and find some peace in the cool countryside. Over the past few days, the tension in Hoang's heart has been like a dark cloud that has been lingering, never ending.
They got on the bus to go home early in the morning. The children chattered on the bus, Loan sat next to them, always looking at Hoang with loving but also worried eyes. Hoang was tired, occasionally looking out the window, listening to the car horns and the noisy space outside, but his heart was still heavy with thoughts about work and the future.
When they arrived, the familiar countryside scenery made Hoang feel like he was returning to a time of youth long gone. The peaceful countryside with red tiled roofs, bumpy stone-paved village roads, and green rice fields. Loan looked at Hoang and saw that he was more relaxed. They spent a whole day relaxing with their family, and in the afternoon went to the beach together to cool off.
The countryside beach, although not as magnificent as the beaches of tourist areas, is not crowded, has a rustic, gentle beauty. The whole family stands on the sandy shore, letting the sea breeze blow through, the waves lapping at their feet as a way to soothe their fatigue. Loan laughs loudly when the children jump out of the waves, happily calling each other. Hoang looks at the endless waves, seemingly without end, his heart suddenly calms down. Thoughts about work, about the pressure of food-clothing-rice-money suddenly become small in front of the immense ocean.
Hoang stood alone looking out at the sea, the waves lapping against the shore gradually calming his mood. He recalled his days working in the company, he used to be the leader of many projects, able to make important decisions, helping the company achieve significant achievements. And now, he could do it again, but instead of working for a big company, he would do it for himself.
While lost in thought, Hoang suddenly realized that there was someone standing next to him. He turned around, and was surprised to see that it was Minh, his childhood friend, whom he had not seen for a long time. Minh was still the same, with bright eyes and a bright smile, but perhaps Minh's life was now very different from before.
Oh, Hoang, are you going back to your hometown?- Minh laughed and patted Hoang's shoulder hard.
Hoang was startled and then smiled back, he also felt happy to see his old friend again. They chatted for a while, Minh told about his current life. After having worked many jobs in the city, Minh now opened a small business in the countryside, although not big but enough to stabilize his life.
- Are you still in the city? How is work? - Minh asked.
Hoang looked out to sea, then sighed.
- Yeah, it's fine, but recently... the company cut staff, I was laid off. Now I'm looking for a new job but it's so hard, I'm 40 years old.- Hoang said.
Minh was silent for a moment, then said:
- Being an employee and getting a pay cut is also passive. Have you ever thought about starting a business? I opened a store, it's not easy, but at least it gives me a sense of initiative. It's like my own child.
Hoang listened and felt that Minh's words made sense. He remembered the days when he worked in the company, when the economy was booming, work flowed like water, his team won many big projects, the bosses and everyone was happy. But at this moment, what Minh said echoed in his mind: why not try to start a small company, decide everything yourself?
- Thank you, Minh. Maybe I will think again about what you said.- Hoang smiled, feeling a little lighter.
After the trip back to his hometown, Hoang returned to the city with a different mood. He was no longer stuck like before. He had a new direction. Not to look for a job in a big company, but to return to his expertise, build a freelance job, provide consulting services to technology companies or startups.
Hoang began to build a detailed plan for his new job. He contacted small technology companies and young entrepreneurs who needed support in product development, process optimization, and technology strategy. He also attended online seminars where he could meet people in the same field, exchange experiences, and seek cooperation opportunities.
Less than a month later, Hoang received a collaboration offer from a startup company that needed a technology consultant to develop a product. Hoang felt like he had found a new path, a path that he was confident and could master.
Loan looked at her husband and saw that he was happy and full of energy again. She smiled, feeling reassured. Finally, they had found a path for the future, and although there were many challenges ahead, Hoang knew that with determination and effort, he would overcome them all.
LE NGOC SON
Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/tac-gia-tac-pham/202506/truyen-ngan-con-duong-moi-22b06b4/
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