Afraid of rising food prices, many poor workers could not have a good and cheap breakfast, so Ms. Ngang only dared to increase from 0,1$ to 0,2$ a loaf of meatloaf.
At more than 4 am, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ngang (86 years old) was driven from her home by her youngest son to Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong to sell bread. A pair of light burdens, a bag of bread, and all kinds of cake fillings were transferred from the car by the son. Ms. Ngang started to clear the goods in a small corner opposite the children’s play area of the Cultural Center of Hiep An Ward.
Nearly 40 years ago, the people of Hiep An ward are no strangers to the burden of bread with enough pork, canned fish, and shumai… but sold at super cheap price, only 5,000 – 7,000 VND/loaf for the old woman. The poor save money and can buy bread without chan with gravy, Ms. Ngang sells it for 2,000 VND/loaf.
Selling 150 drives a day costs only a few thousand dongs. Even though Mrs. Ngang’s bread has only a few simple ingredients, it still has an incredible attraction because of her friendliness.
Although old, Ms. Ngang’s hands are still quick to make cakes. The old woman also remembers all the hobbies and works of her patrons. The hands just picked up the food and put it in the loaf, but the mouth was always quick to talk and ask people.
Mrs. Tam (72 years old), a regular customer and also a friend from her youth, said: “I have been eating her bread since I was a merchant. I used to sell meat at the market, now I used to sell meat at the market. Then I “retired”, and she still refuses to take a break from work to take care of her children and grandchildren.
Many people blamed Ms. Ngang for not taking a break when it was late in the afternoon. Some people wonder, why not increase the price to make more profit? Every time like this, she happily smiled and said: “Selling profitably enough for me to use every day, my children and grandchildren don’t need to worry. Before the epidemic, I sold 3,000 VND / loaf. Now the price of all ingredients is increasing. , I also have to sell it for up to 5,000 VND to see that it is high. If the price goes up, it is very difficult for poor workers to eat.”
After 7 a.m., Ms. Ngang’s 150 loaves of bread ran out. Sold out of goods, a light burden, so Ms. Ngang walked home by herself. At noon, her son will drive her to the market to buy ingredients to prepare for tomorrow’s session. She personally prepares minced pork and rolls it into balls to make shumai. Bacon is cut into small pieces and mixed with pork skin to make the filling.
Although the price is cheap, the old woman still prepares a variety of spices and vegetables to eat as well as tens of thousands of bread sold on the market. All ingredients are prepared by Mrs. Ngang, neatly displayed on a tray, and placed on a light burden.
Around 2 a.m., she would wake up and reheat all the ingredients to prepare to sell. Although there were many times when she was tired, she overslept, she never dared to stop selling because she was afraid of regular customers, especially the poor laborers who did not have enough food to go to work early.
“Unless the rain is too heavy, I will take a break. If it rains a little, I hide under the porch of someone else’s house and sell it again. There was a time when the rain wet my back, and a customer bought all the goods so I could go home early,” said Ms. Ngang.
Mr. Doanh (69 years old), a bricklayer and a regular customer for more than 30 years said: “In the past, I went to work far away in Saigon, but I still miss the bread here. Diving everywhere and then also coming back here to work. , eat a loaf of bread that is so cheap but delicious.”