On the evening of 20/11, Nguyen Thi Bich Ha, 28, stood selling fish on Le Thanh Nghi street, Quy Nhon ward, feeling distraught. Over one ton of fish she was selling was her last remaining asset, salvaged after a flash flood swept through Cu Mong lagoon the day before.

"Customers were numerous. As the crowd thinned, I reached into my pocket to secure the money, only to find it empty," Ha recalled. "Over 50 million dong from fish sales, earned from morning until late evening, had vanished. I panicked, breaking into tears amidst the heavy rain."

Ha selling fish on Le Thanh Nghi street, Quy Nhon ward, on 20/11. Photo: Truc Ly

Ha's family raised over 20 fish cages in the area bordering old Phu Yen province, with an estimated yield of around 500 million dong, planned for sale during Tet. However, a flood on 19/11 killed more than half of their fish, forcing her to rent a truck to transport the remainder to the city for a distress sale to recover capital.

Le Thi Truc Ly, the owner of the shop where Ha borrowed space, recognized the family's difficult situation. She took photos and posted the story on social media. "I only hoped friends would share it so the thief might feel sympathy and return it, or that whoever found it would give it back," Ly said.

The post quickly went viral. On her way home on the evening of 20/11, Ha's phone continuously notified her of balance changes. The amount transferred by generous strangers reached 102 million dong.

Upon checking her account, Ha was startled. She immediately asked Ly to hide the post and stop accepting donations. "I lost over 50 million, and now people have helped me with double that amount. I only want to keep the exact portion of my loss," she stated.

She transferred 45 million dong back to Ly, asking her to share it with other local families in need. A portion of that was donated to an 80-year-old woman in Phuoc An who is raising four mentally ill children alone.

Ha and her family continued to salvage and sell the remaining fish. They are also cooperating with the police to review camera footage to find the culprit.

"In misfortune, there is often good fortune. I lost money, but I gained both financial help and human kindness. That is the greatest asset," the fish vendor concluded.

Nga Duong