Since the officials were arguing with each other, Hong Khanh, putting the old congee tube to his eyes, looked out the window at the strikers. The congee tube moved back and forth and stopped. Cam and Huong's figures were clearly visible, the two girls were sitting in the middle of the crowd, sharing bowls of congee. Cam's eyes were shining brightly, Huong was gulping down mouthfuls of delicious congee. Hong Khanh lowered the congee tube, turned around and called out to the officer Bong who was sitting in the corner of the room:
- Cai Bong!
Cai Bong bowed:
- Your Excellency!
Hong Khanh:
- Do you see the girl in the brown shirt and scarf leaning against the goal post?
Cai Bong shook his head:
- Yes... too crowded!
Hong Khanh snapped:
- Here, look at the watch.
Cai Bong fumbled around following Hong Khanh's instructions, after a while he shouted:
- Yes sir, I see it!
Hong Khanh:
- Who is it?
Cai Bong:
- Cam, you're a scoundrel! She was an accomplice in the flag planting incident on Pooc Tich bridge years ago.
Bellas was sitting inside and stood up, he was angry with Ac Ma, the Northern secret agent, and shouted "it's terrible", Bellas grabbed the demen from the hand of the chief Bong and looked. Cam stood out in the crowd with his brown clothes and crow-beak scarf. Hong Khanh whispered to Bellas, understanding the meaning, he turned and nodded as if giving orders to the chief Bong. The chief Bong bowed his head and stepped back:
- Yes!
Three secret agents, including Toan's son Vau, pretending to be a miner, sneaked towards the goalpost and stood in front of Cam. Vau said:
- Miss! Please save my family. My baby's mother is in labor or something!
Cam asked quickly:
- Oh, where is your aunt?
Name:
- Over there, please.
Cam hurriedly stood up and hurried after the three strange men. Huong and Binh ran after them, but he pushed them away. They reached the house on Tay Street, which had a path leading to the mine owner's house. The three men pushed open the door, brought Cam in, pressed her down, and tied her up. Terrified, her whole body trembling, Cam looked around the house, seeing something creepy and disgusting. The sound of the lock opening, Cam cowered, standing in a corner. Hong Khanh appeared, laughing slyly and savagely:
- The world is round, do you recognize me, Miss Cam?... Don't be afraid... I'm so lucky... You thought I died that day, right? No, we're still destined to be together!... Sit down, I'll untie you.
Serious face:
- Don't touch me.
Hong Khanh:
- I won't touch you, but I have one request.
Outside, the strikers shouted: "No arrests, no beatings... Release our people."
Hong Khanh:
- You heard me. You want to go back with them, right?
Cam firmly said:
- Let me go, what crime have I committed?
Hong Khanh laughed out loud:
- I know you're innocent, but I want you to tell those miners...
Cam replied timidly:
- Say what?
- Tell them... Hong Khanh spoke each word like a teacher: Everyone go back to work, and the boss will treat you well... Is that all? This is also my atonement for you all those years ago.
- No, I have no right to do that!
- Then you will be happy, have a big house and beautiful clothes... Let's start. Go upstairs, open the window and everyone will see you, they will cheer you like a queen.
Outside, the shouts were still loud, echoing into the house. Hong Khanh held the long dress and walked towards Cam, flatteringly saying:
- Come on, put it on... my lovely fairy...
Cam was angry, stepped back and shouted:
- Don't touch me, get out!
Hong Khanh laughed mockingly, like a wild beast, he pounced on Cam, she kicked him hard in the groin, his private parts were in sharp pain, he fell to the floor. Kicking open the door, Cam ran down the stairs, two steps, three steps like jumping, to the door, two guards held her back. Just then, a group of strikers rushed in. Luc lifted Cam up and ran, then passed her around to take her out. Losing the delicious bait, Hong Khanh struggled to stand up, grabbed a bottle of foaming beer, gulped it down in one gulp, then threw the empty bottle into the fireplace in the middle of the house. Speaking as if giving an order:
- Soldiers? Shoot these barbarians. Shoot!
He pulled out his pistol, but before he could pull the trigger, a hairy hand grabbed it and shouted:
- Shut up, shooting now is a failure.
The faces of the officials, distorted looking at each other...
Another day passed, night fell, no miners went home, the Terain de Sports yard and the streets were still crowded, lying and sitting everywhere. No one knew who opened the door to the Czech House, since its establishment, miners had not been allowed to enter, it was reserved for foreigners, women drinking and dancing. Cam lay on the cushioned chair, slowly opening her eyes after a panic attack. Huong, Binh and Mrs. Van sat beside her, wiping away their tears. Ms. Tram brought a bowl of steaming onion congee, feeding Cam spoon by spoon. Mr. Soan and two or three others stood guard outside the door, watching out for bad guys causing trouble. After finishing the congee, Cam's eyes, from surprise and sadness, gradually became bright and full of faith and hope.
To fool the enemy, Luc and Tai Phong constantly changed their appearance, reminding the people that silence was golden at this time, sharing the sweet and the bitter, giving rice to those who had no rice. One had to eat well to have the strength to fight. It was unknown if victory would be achieved in seven or ten days. All were disciplined, united, steadfast, and tightened their ranks.
The weather was cold, the northeast monsoon was blowing, the mountains were covered with thick fog. People gathered in groups of three or five, warming themselves by piles of coal and firewood. In the midst of that hardship, suddenly hundreds of people from Mong Duong led by Mr. Chung and Mr. Su traveled dozens of kilometers to join the struggle, they brought with them a lot of sack clothes, raincoats, and pineapple sack clothes to distribute to each person. Everyone asked, but no one said clearly, only whispered, it was from Mrs. Tang...
Hearing the news of the strike, the headwoman of the village, Mrs. Tang, was at Hon Hai pagoda selling all the remaining fabric and asked Mr. Chung to bring some to Su and the people in Mong Duong, so that each house could quickly make clothes and distribute them to everyone. She told them to keep it a secret. Giving roses to people leaves a scent on their hands.
Early this morning, new leaflets appeared. Everyone gathered around to look and ask. How did they get them so quickly from above? Who wrote them here? Yes, there are many secrets, no one talks about them. But in fact, everyone knows that Hoang Tho Tap, Hoang Tho Tien and Bui Duc Thanh from the Friendship Association used bamboo as pens and Chinese ink to write on yellow paper to make leaflets and spread them everywhere. The leaflets called for:
"You!
Our strike is almost over, the mine owners are about to give in, let us persevere in our struggle and not be overcome by grief. Today, or tomorrow, we will win!"
At the same time, domestic and foreign press reported the news. In particular, Le Travail (Labor Newspaper) always stood side by side with the miners, updating the news daily.
On November 20, 1936, on the front page of Le Travail newspaper, there was an appeal: "Workers remain calm, be vigilant against the provocations of the mine owners, organize the struggle in order and discipline". Then on November 27, 1936, it was written: "The struggle takes place in calm and discipline... from now on, no one will dare to say that the workers of Indochina are not a heroic class, an organized and disciplined class".
The strike of the Camfa Min miners spread to all over the Northeast Coal Basin. From Mr. Duylieng Danno's coal mine in Dong Trieu, to Mr. Lori's Ke Bao island coal mine, there were up to thirty thousand people. The rice dealer Mai Quynh was meditating on Cai Bau mountain, and with more than ten Buddhists, hurried back to Camfa Min. Hearing that the miners had run out of rice and had to share bowls of congee to fight despite the ban of Chief Secret Agent Bellas, Mrs. Mai Quynh opened all her rice stores, everywhere in the controlled area of the Northeast Coal Basin. The Ke Bao Buddhists divided themselves to distribute rice. The strikers were happy to have rice, giving them more strength to fight for victory. Chief Secret Agent Bellas was furious. Mai Quynh's son joined hands with the miners, destroying their plot. Bellas hurriedly got into a car with two soldiers supporting him and drove straight to the dealer. Entering the door, Bellas pulled out a gun and shot Mai Quynh dead, his wife's blood dyed the pure white rice grains red.
Horrible, creepy, hearing the news, everyone was mourning. Mrs. Van and Ms. Tram held the rice cake made by Mai Quynh, tears welling up in their eyes. The Ke Bao Buddhists gathered around to chant sutras, praying for the soul to soon be liberated, to peacefully return to the eternal world...
Bastard. Brainless. Devil's hand. Shot his wife dead.
The miners' tricks of deception and suppression of the strike were all foiled. Early in the morning of the tenth day, agent Bonnet invited the brothers to his desk. A delegation of over a hundred people came to meet him. The political inspector of the Governor's Office of Tonkin, Denselle, was also present. He pretended to listen attentively and to understand the demands of the miners. The chief Hamza Thomas made a statement:
"Accept an average three cent pay raise.
Pay half the price for hoes and shovels.
The mine pays for the grease to lubricate the trolley.
No penalty for absenteeism, for any reason".
The strike was a success. Tens of thousands of people jumped up and cheered, shaking the mountains and forests of the Northeast Coal Basin. Cu Chuan lit dozens of meters long firecrackers, lining the entire Terain de Sports football field. Someone held firecrackers and threw them through the gate into the main field, exploding like gunshots.
The main house and the dealer's house shook with cheers and firecrackers...
Le Travail newspaper wrote: "For the first time in Indochina, the proletariat has won a brilliant victory. For the first time, discipline and unity have overcome the resistance of the mine owners and their henchmen."
Nui Troc Church and Hon Hai Pagoda ring out long bells that echo throughout the mountains and forests.
Bai Tu Long Bay is stormy, with large waves crashing over large rocks.
The brilliant rays of morning sunlight penetrated through the thin blinds into the dilapidated houses of the miners, poor and dark for years...
(Title of excerpt given by Lao Dong)
