20 years in the job of waiting for the hot sun to come out as if pouring fire to make a living

PHƯƠNG ANH | 30/03/2025 06:30

Soc Trang - Drying rice for hire is a job of "eating" the sun. Workers are worried about floods, sweating on the dry land to earn an income to cover their living expenses and raise their children to study.

While many people are looking to avoid the harsh sunshine at the end of March, workers who dry and carry rice for hire at the dry yard in Ho Dac Kien commune (Chau Thanh district, Soc Trang province) are looking forward to sunny days like fire. Because for them "having the sun is having money".

“Co nang la co tien” la cau noi cua nguoi lao dong lam nghe phoi lua. Anh: Phuong Anh — "When there is sunshine, there is money" is the saying of rice drying workers. Photo: Phuong Anh

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tu, who has been involved in the hired rice drying profession for more than 20 years, shared: "Every 20 minutes, I have to go out to dry, and dry the rice well. The dry rice is scooped into bags and tripled together. Each bag of dried rice will be paid 5,000 VND. If the weather is hot, I earn 200,000 - 300,000 VND per day. If it rains, it will be at least 100,000 - 200,000 VND.

Ms. Tu said that the work was hard, the sun was on her skin, and the sweat was soaked on her shirt, but in return, she had a source of income. Just like that, the work of drying rice has become an indispensable part of her life for decades.

Voi cong viec phoi lua thue chi Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tu co thu nhap 200.000 - 300.000 dong/ngay. Anh: Phuong Anh — With the job of drying rice for hire, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tu earns 200,000 - 300,000 VND/day. Photo: Phuong Anh

Ms. Pham Thi My Lua, another worker at the drying yard, quickly wiped away the long drops of sweat on her forehead, saying: "Drying rice is a job that is afraid of rain and loves the sun, because only the sun can help the rice dry quickly. Every time it rains, we have to put our efforts in to cover the rice so that it is not wet. It takes a day to dry when it rains, and we have to wait until it is sunny to continue."

Ms. Lua said that her family does not have land for production, the rice drying yard has become a place to make a living, helping her have a stable income, not having to work in other countries. "Although it is hard, I just hope my children have the opportunity to study well, and have a stable job in the future, not have to work for hire like their mother," Ms. Lua confided.

Nhung san phoi lua o Soc Trang la noi giai quyet viec lam cho nhieu lao dong tai dia phuong. Anh: Chi Kong — Rice drying fields in Soc Trang are a place that creates jobs for many local workers. Photo: Chi Kong

Mr. Pham Dinh Toan - a hired rice carrier at the drying yard - said that thanks to this job, he has raised his children to study at university. For Mr. Toan, heavy bags of rice are not only a burden of livelihood but also a hope for a bright future for his children. On hot days, he still works hard, helping his family overcome difficulties.

"Every day when it is very sunny and the rice is dry, I carry more. Sometimes 9-10 tons of rice, the income is about 300,000 - 400,000 VND".

PHƯƠNG ANH