That is the bakery of Mrs. Vo Thi Lanh's family (79 years old), also affectionately called by customers as Aunt Hai Lanh's bread, located on Provincial Road 10 (Binh Tan District).
Mrs. Hai Lanh raised 8 siblings.
In the afternoon, I stopped by Mrs. Hai Lanh's bakery but the owner was not there. Seeing me, Mrs. Vo Thi La (63 years old), Mrs. Lanh's 10th sister (according to the Southern way of calling), warmly welcomed me. Mrs. La said that her sister was at the house of her 4th sister on Tan Hoa Dong Street (District 6), not too far from the shop.
Mrs. La inherited the shop from her sister, Mrs. Hai Lanh.
Letting her eldest son make bread for customers, Mrs. La told me the story of her family. Accordingly, her family has a total of 10 siblings (8 girls, 1 boy), Mrs. Hai Lanh is the oldest sister in the family. Her father died early, when Mrs. La was only 3 years old, so Mrs. Hai Lanh and her mother, Mrs. Tang Thi Lien (died in 2018, aged 92) did all kinds of trading jobs to support her 8 siblings.
Before 1975, Mrs. Hai Lanh and her mother sold all kinds of things, from fruits, wet rice cakes, vermicelli soup with crab soup, bread... to earn money to support the whole family. At that time, the owner's food stall was just a small stall, then it became a table, then developed into a cart.
“It wasn’t until 1988 that my sister saved enough money to buy a house and open a spacious shop to sell. That’s the shop that my children and I are selling now. At that time, this place was still deserted, and the land price was cheap, not as high as it is now,” Hai Lanh’s 10th younger sister smiled gently.
A loaf of bread costs 15,000 VND, sold before 1975.
Later, seeing that customers liked banh mi, Mrs. Hai Lanh's family decided to switch to selling this dish as their main dish. Luckily, at that time, they received a lot of support from customers. Mrs. La said that when she was 14 years old, she started helping her sister and mother sell bread. Her brothers and sisters joined forces to sell bread and did not do any other jobs.
Mrs. Vo Thi La, sister of Mrs. Hai LanhTo Mrs. La, Mrs. Hai Lanh is a "great sister and father", because without her, she certainly could not have the complete life she has today. Mrs. La said she will never forget her sister's kindness.
What did the owner say about the rumor of buying 9 houses in Saigon?
I went to see Mrs. Hai Lanh in the house on Tan Hoa Dong Street. At that time, the owner was chatting with her fourth younger brother. When I asked about the rumor that she bought a house in Saigon for her younger siblings, the owner calmly confirmed:
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lanh, owner of the sandwich shopMrs. Hai Lanh said that since selling bread, thanks to her frugality and saving, she has bought 9 houses in Binh Tan, District 6, Binh Thanh District... Among them, some are for her siblings and children in the family to live in, and some are for rent.
“I am currently living with my 10th younger brother in a house I bought on Ten Lua Street (Binh Tan District). Every day I still go to my bakery to look after it, helping with whatever I can, not passing it on to my younger brother or grandchildren and then quitting,” the owner added.
Mrs. Hai Lanh was fulfilled at the age of 79 after dedicating her whole life to her children.
[CLIP]: Pre-1975 bakery: The truth about the owner buying 9 houses in Saigon?
Pointing to the bakery across the street, also called Hai Lanh bakery, Mrs. La said that was the house her second sister bought for her youngest sister, Mrs. Vo Thi Lien (60 years old). Mrs. Lien said that Hai Lanh had devoted her whole life and youth to her eight younger siblings. She arranged for her siblings to have a stable and fulfilling life before she could rest in peace in her old age, so she only felt gratitude and love for her sister.
No longer has the old appeal
Mrs. La, who inherited her sister’s bakery, said that the shop is no longer as attractive as it was a decade ago, as many other bakeries have sprung up around the area. However, the family members are still happy to welcome customers in and out every day.
“I think every restaurant has its time, mine is no exception. Now I have a steady stream of customers, many of whom have been regulars for decades and come to support me, and I am happy. I will try my best to develop this bakery, not letting down the efforts of my mother and sister,” the owner said.
Affordable bread, suitable for working people.
Here, each loaf of bread costs between 10,000 and 15,000 VND, depending on the type. The owner said that seeing people in need, they are willing to sell for 3,000 VND, or even sell for less so that they can have enough to eat. The dedication in cooking and the affordable prices are what make the bread here so attractive, according to Ms. La.
At the age of 80, with gray hair, Mrs. Hai Lanh is happy that her siblings and children all have a stable life. She wants nothing more than to go to the shop every day, to go to this house or that house to talk and confide in her siblings...
Source link
Comment (0)