In front of Dong Xuan market gate (Hanoi City), Mr. Vu Hai (from Ninh Binh province) has been attached to a bicycle selling beef jelly and cotton candy for more than 10 years.
Before that, he used to do many general labor jobs such as construction worker, porter, but due to poor health, he could not pursue heavy jobs, so he had to choose the profession of street vendor in a foreign land.
Every evening, from about 6 pm to midnight, Mr. Hai roamed the market area hoping to sell a few more portions of goods. On average, he earned about 200,000 - 250,000 VND per session, after deducting raw material costs, the profit was not much left. On cold days, with few customers, income decreased even more, making Tet worries piled up.
The closer to Tet, the more spending, but it's too cold, so sales are much slower" - Mr. Hai shared. Along with his wife who works as a worker in his hometown, he has to save every penny to cover daily living expenses and take care of tuition fees for his son who is in his 3rd year of university in Hanoi.
Not only is his income precarious, the cold weather also directly affects his health. Many late nights selling goods, he catches a cold but does not dare to go for an examination.
I only dare to suck on ginger and drink ginger tea to relieve stress, saving as much as I can for Tet" - he said.
Mr. Hai's story is also the common situation of many freelance workers around Dong Xuan market area in the days leading up to Tet.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien (60 years old, from Vinh Phuc) although old and weak, every night she sits until 1-2 am to sell balloons, hoping to have more income to take care of her family. The weather is getting cold, and bone and joint diseases are causing her health to decline day by day.
Meanwhile, Ms. Chu Thi Lyn, from Thanh Hoa, has many underlying diseases such as salivary gland inflammation, knee arthritis. Every night when she returns from selling goods on the street, she feels painful and sleepless.
Coming to Hanoi to earn a living with the desire to earn some money to prepare for Tet, take care of medicine for herself and her blind husband in her hometown, but the cold weather and reduced purchasing power made her work even more difficult.
Near Tet, the joy of reunion is approaching many families, but for freelance workers in the city, it is still a series of hard days, quietly struggling to make a living in the cold of the end of the year, just hoping for a more fulfilling Tet for their loved ones in their hometown.
