Honestly, no one wants to leave their homeland to go to another land. But at that time, the countryside was flooded all the time, the sun was scorching, and the few dry fields at the foot of the mountain were not enough to feed their hungry children. He and his wife took their children with them and left with many other Quang Nam compatriots. Sweat poured down, the strange land yielded sweet fruits. And then from being immigrants, they became the real owners of this land.
My uncle (striped shirt) and fellow Quang Nam people in Tan Phu, Dong Nai
One rainy afternoon, the bus stopped at the Tuong Mountain intersection. I came from Ho Chi Minh City to visit my aunt and uncle. Looking at the curtain of rain outside, I blurted out that it would be great to have a bowl of Quang noodles like in the countryside in this rainy season. My aunt said, "Why, Quang noodles are so easy." I put on a raincoat and followed my aunt to buy noodles. I was touched, surprised, and strange to see in the middle of a strange land a Quang noodle factory with hand-rolled noodles like in the countryside. Each white, soft noodle sheet was taken out on a cloth stretched over a pot of boiling water. The house was warm and filled with the smell of the countryside. The woman quickly made the noodles and asked me, "Are you new here?" I said I was from Saigon. She said she had been here for nearly thirty years. She made noodles in her hometown, and also made noodles here to sell. There are many people from my hometown, and the locals also like to eat Quang noodles, so there is no fear of the noodles going unsold! Around here, there are three Quang noodle shops like this. I understand that no matter where they go, some people carry the soul of their hometown with them.
Quang noodles in the middle of Dong Nai
There were a few fellow countrymen who were acquaintances of my aunt and uncle who came to visit. They chatted happily. Although their voices had a slight Southern accent, they still could not hide their hometown roots. Some fried shallots with peanut oil to make chicken stock, some peeled bananas to make raw vegetables, some peeled garlic and pounded fish sauce. A Quang noodle dish exactly like the one in the countryside was served. My aunt said it was not difficult to have a basket of raw bananas, green chili peppers or crispy rice paper grilled over hot coals here... Eating a bowl of Quang noodles, hearing "what's wrong", I felt like I was in the countryside and not in the middle of Dong Nai. They recalled their departure more than thirty years ago and were grateful that back then they had chosen this land of Tan Phu to entrust their aspirations to change their lives.
My uncle said that not only here but also outside Dinh Quan district, there are many of his fellow Quang people. Outside Trang Bom, there is a hamlet named Quang Da, which is shortened from the name Quang Nam - Da Nang . Back then, the whole village migrated to Dong Hoa commune (Trang Bom) to establish a village. The hamlet at that time was still wild and densely forested. They were the ones who opened up and built houses. Having left their homeland, the name Quang Da always reminds them and their descendants of their birthplace. Up to now, the third generation was born and raised here. My uncle used to visit there. The old men and women still kept their native accents, the Quang noodle ovens still had hot fires day and night just like here. Following the footsteps of people, Quang noodles also made a very long journey. Wherever there are Quang people, there are Quang noodles. Quang noodle shops in foreign lands have changed and seasoned to suit the people and the situation.
Far from home, I have never felt lost or lonely. Sometimes when I miss home, I go to Ba Hoa market to eat Quang food, to meet Quang people, to laugh and speak with a pure Quang accent.
Well, in the East, everywhere you look is home!
He said, back then, he took a bus for a day and a night to get there. Standing at the Tuong Mountain intersection with a few sets of clothes, he wondered how he would live in this strange land. Then a tiny grocery store with bottles of cooking oil, fish sauce, and a packet of MSG was set up. Day by day, the store grew bigger, with more goods. He sold more fertilizers, pesticides, and opened a building materials store. Now right at the Tuong Mountain intersection, there is a very large grocery store named Khanh Dung... Taking a sip of tea, he said that this Eastern region is so easy to live in, the people are honest and kind. And he is not the only one who came here. Here, we hear accents from Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Hanoi, all of them. People, like all species, choose a good place to settle!
The East is forever a gentle land. There is no scorching sun, no storms, no endless floods like the Central region or the biting cold like the North. The land is fertile, the trees are green. From the hands of people grow rubber gardens, pepper gardens, cashew gardens, fruit gardens full of fruit... Of course, in the struggle for survival, there are times of failure, but the land is always tolerant and always gives people the opportunity to start over.
The land is gentle, the people are generous. My uncle said that almost no one cares about their origin, hometown or regional distinction. Under this sky, everyone is the same. There are drinking parties where on the table there is Thanh Hoa sour sausage, a plate of boiled intestines with shrimp paste in the Northern style, a plate of dried mango salad with the Western flavor. Everyone contributes something, clinks glasses, happily talks and laughs, treating each other like brothers, close friends. My uncle said he has also made many Quang noodles for everyone to eat. Everyone nods and praises the rich Quang flavor.
And I, after finishing school, chose to dedicate my life to this Eastern land. The love, the loyalty, the tolerance throughout my youth have kept me here. Far from home, I have never felt lost or lonely. Sometimes when I miss my hometown, I run to Ba Hoa market to eat Quang food, to meet Quang people, to laugh and speak with a pure Quang accent.
Well, in the East, everywhere you look is home!
Deadline for receiving entries for the writing contest "Eastern Spirit" extended to November 30, 2023
In response to readers' interest and love for the writing contest "Eastern Spirit", Thanh Nien Newspaper has decided to extend the deadline for receiving entries until November 30, 2023, giving authors more opportunities to participate.
Officially launched on July 21, the writing contest "Eastern Spirit" organized by Thanh Nien Newspaper in collaboration with Phu My 3 Industrial Park received hundreds of entries from authors from all over the country. Each entry is imbued with love, attachment and the desire to contribute to the increasingly prosperous and strong provinces of the Southeast region.
According to the original plan, the contest would stop accepting entries on November 15, 2023. However, in the final days, the organizing committee continuously received many quality entries. The number of works increased sharply in the final stage, showing that the heat of the contest is still very high. Many readers shared their desire to participate and were very enthusiastic about this contest.
Therefore, Thanh Nien Newspaper has decided to extend the deadline for receiving entries until November 30, 2023, 2 weeks longer than the previous scheduled deadline. This is a suitable move to help authors who love the "Eastern Spirit" writing contest submit their "brainchild" and have the opportunity to receive attractive prizes with a total value of up to 120 million VND as well as appear in the collection of quality articles after the contest.
The Editorial Board of Thanh Nien Newspaper hopes to receive support from readers and authors with the above changes. Hopefully, authors will take advantage of the opportunity and continue to contribute good and emotional entries to the contest in particular and to readers nationwide in general.
Adolescent
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