An ancient elevator with two iron doors that had to be opened and closed manually took us to the 2nd floor, where evidence of the family of Independence Palace contractor Mai Hong Que (real name Tran Van Lai - Nam Lai) is displayed. ), a famous rich man in Saigon 70 years ago and also a courageous commando soldier.
The story of his life was partly shown through the character Hoang Son, owner of Dong A Paint Company in the movie Saigon Rangers, a classic work of Vietnamese Revolutionary Cinema.
Welcoming us were Ms. Dang Thi Tuyet Mai (aka Dang Thi Thiep) - his second wife and Mr. Tran Vu Binh - Mr. Nam Lai's son. Mrs. Tuyet Mai and Mr. Binh are the ones preserving the last remaining evidence of their husband and father.
Mr. Tran Van Lai's house, which was once used for secret meetings of the Saigon special forces, has now become a museum.
Reunion through photos
An old lady, nearly 100 years old, wearing an old faded blue outfit, wearing a hat, her steps were no longer steady and had to be helped, but she still tried to reach out and touch the photo of Mr. Nam Lai hanging above. high, mouth shouting with joy: “Here comes Year Lai, here comes Year Lai!”.
She is the head nun Thich Nu Dieu Thong (real name is Pham Thi Bach Lien), a female special forces officer in Saigon - Gia Dinh city, a teammate of Mr. Nam Lai nearly 70 years ago. During a particularly fierce period of the war, when they were heavily pursued, they worked together in disguise among the enemy. The courier girl Dieu Thong, with a small figure and always in the middle of the crowd, was treated like the youngest child in the family by Mr. Nam Lai.
Now, the war has receded, the country has been unified for nearly half a century, they reunite through... photos.
Nun Dieu Thong (right) and Ms. Tuyet Mai in a rare reunion.
Nun Dieu Thong could not hide her emotions: “He is a billionaire, a contractor tycoon. The contractor always did the interior work for the Independence Palace. At that time, he had many houses, many cars... He was rich but he loved me very much, he gave me anything he asked for. Now where are all the houses? Where are all the dozens of houses?"
It seemed like the mundane life and memories that had passed nearly 70 years ago had been drowned in the sound of early evening prayers, but no, the photo on the altar brought Nun Dieu Thong and Ms. Tuyet Mai back to their memories. about the man they always admire and are attached to.
At that time, Mr. Nam Lai was known as billionaire Mai Hong Que: hundreds of kilograms of gold, dozens of houses, dozens of cars... That was due to his business talent and unique ability to create cover. and his diligence to contribute to the revolution.
Even now, when they remember, the two women still say: "It's truly a perfect cover, helping the revolution a lot and especially ensuring the safety of those working with him."
In the past, the image of Ms. Tuyet Mai was not very beautiful in the eyes of Saigon's rich people. In the eyes of everyone, including Head Nun Dieu Thong at that time, Ms. Tuyet Mai was just a "mistress" old enough to be the daughter of billionaire Mai Hong Que. Because of money, that comes.
Head nun Dieu Thong, Ms. Tuyet Mai and Mr. Tran Vu Binh next to the photo of Mr. Tran Van Lai.
From "living boy" to contractor tycoon
Before becoming billionaire Mai Hong Que, Mr. Nam Lai was just a poor boy in Vu Dong commune (Kien Xuong district, now Thai Binh city, Thai Binh province). To escape poverty, at the age of 13, he left Vu Dong for Hanoi. Alone in a strange city, he applied to be a housekeeper for wealthy families.
When the French boss had business to return to the country, the teenager Nam Lai was sent back to judge Pham Gia Nung with the introduction: “This is the one who can get the job done.”
From then on, Mr. Nam Lai closely watched. He was agile and intelligent, so he was led by the judge on many occasions to meet guests. Even the mandarin's concubine proudly showed off to the guests that he was her husband's grandchild, treating him like a child in the family.
Coming from the Tran Dong A family, he was enlightened about the revolution very early. At the age of 16, he officially joined the revolution and became a special forces soldier. With a trustworthy background as a descendant of the judge Pham Gia Nung, he was sent to Saigon to operate. However, living righteously in Saigon is not easy.
According to the organization's arrangement, he became the husband of Ms. Pham Thi Phan Chinh (real name Pham Thi Chinh), also a female commando living as the grandchild of the owner of the Phu Xuan gold shop, one of the richest tycoons in the city at that time.
After becoming husband and wife, thanks to the support of Mrs. Chinh, the reputation of his wife's family with the government at that time as well as his own ingenuity, under the guise of Mai Hong Que, "the one who was able to work" today. Who was trusted to be the contractor responsible for interior decoration of the Independence Palace?
After receiving the Independence Palace contract, business deals then came to him one after another. From here, billionaire Mai Hong Que became famous throughout Saigon. Under the guise of a billionaire, Mr. Nam Lai successively built secret bases and political struggle bases in Saigon.
The remaining evidence of the family of the "owner of Dong A paint company".
From a marriage arranged by the organization, becoming husband and wife in name only, through days of hardship and hardship, Mr. Nam Lai and Mrs. Phan Chinh developed love and became a real family. However, the relationship didn't last long before they had to separate.
In 1964, the enemy decided to release two of our high-ranking officers (named Phan Trong Binh and Pham Quoc Sac) who were being held at Con Dao prison on the condition that someone in Saigon must stand as guarantor. According to the organization's orders, Mr. Nam Lai and his wife took over the procedures to receive people, using the reason that they were related to Ms. Phan Chinh. After bail, two high-ranking officers were secretly taken to the war zone.
A few days later, the enemy discovered that the two people Ms. Chinh sponsored had "evaporated". They called her in to interrogate her for many days but could not get any information. Helpless, they had to release her. Some time later, Ms. Phan Chinh passed away. Many people believe that she died due to injuries from brutal interrogation by the enemy.
Suppressing the pain of separation, Mr. Nam Lai still works silently, continuing his cover as billionaire Mai Hong Que.
Together with his "mistress" he dug a cellar to store weapons
We feel the respect of Mrs. Tuyet Mai when talking about Mrs. Phan Chinh, her husband's previous wife. The two women got married to billionaire Mai Hong Que according to the organization's arrangement. However, without a righteous name like Phan Chinh's "first wife", Ms. Tuyet Mai had to play the role of "mistress" with the billionaire, and was despised by people.
"At that time, I was 18 years old, he was 20 years older than me. When he played the role of a lover and concubine, everyone immediately believed it." Ms. Tuyet Mai said.
Born into a family with a revolutionary tradition in Quang Ngai, Ms. Tuyet Mai joined the revolution very early. At the age of 17, she went to Da Lat as assigned by the organization, then was sent to Tay Ninh.
One day, in the Tay Ninh war zone, she and Mr. Nam Lai met for the first time. She called Mr. Nam Lai her uncle, and thought he had a wife and children to match. As for Mr. Nam Lai, he clearly said that he needed her to coordinate the implementation of assigned organizational tasks: buying a house and digging a bunker to store weapons.
Reunion photo of Mr. Tran Van Lai's family after the complete liberation of the South.
According to the organization's arrangement, she followed him to Saigon. To operate smoothly, she and he agreed to make everyone believe that she was the mistress being taken by the boss to buy a house and take care of her. The bad news spread far and wide and her affair with the rich boss reached everyone's ears. Wherever she went, people ridiculed her, despised her, and even beat her.
That is also the goal that both she and Mr. Nam Lai discussed in advance to achieve.
“Back then, we were just following along to do missions. I still think he has a wife and children at home. One day, while passing through the cemetery, he took me to visit her grave. Only then did I know the whole story." Mrs. Tuyet Mai recounted.
Knowing the situation, she opened up more to him, and the two developed feelings. In 1966, after a period of joint activities, the organization approved the two to become husband and wife. However, to people, she is still a mistress who has an affair with a rich man and is happily cared for. Although the image of a generous boss taking his mistress to buy houses all over Saigon was not very good, it did not cause any suspicion to the enemy.
The houses Mr. Nam Lai chooses to buy must be deep enough to dig long tunnels. In a short time, he bought 7 houses near the Independence Palace, the US Embassy, the Radio Station..., which were strategic military locations of the enemy. House 287/68-70-72 Tran Quy Cap (Nguyen Dinh Chieu, District 3 now) is a cluster of 3 adjacent houses, chosen as the place to dig the most special tunnel.
To ensure secrecy, the grandparents used knives and small spades to roll up the soil, a little each day, then disguised it and transported it outside. After nearly a year, the tunnel was dug and completed, becoming the largest weapons bunker of the special forces in the inner city of Saigon - Gia Dinh, accommodating about 3 tons of weapons and 10 people.
Memorial stele of the Saigon special forces at Mr. Tran Van Lai's house now.
In order to keep up with the schedule for the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of Mau Than 1968, Mr. Nam Lai quickly arranged for his superiors to go down to the underground for inspection. The bunker meets the requirements, the schedule for transporting weapons to the bunker is also planned immediately.
During the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of Mau Than 1968, Mr. Nam Lai's weapons bunkers were all effective. Weapons were transferred to clusters to attack the Independence Palace, the General Staff, the Embassy... This is also the reason why Mai Hong Que's cover was exposed. Mr. Nam Lai was closely pursued by the government of the Republic of Vietnam and offered a reward of 2 million VND, a very large amount of money at that time, to anyone who caught him.
After many days of hiding in the trash of Ben Thanh market with the intention of continuing to work in Saigon, he was ordered by the organization to withdraw to Quang Ngai (Tuyet Mai's hometown) to temporarily take refuge.
After liberation, he worked at the War Summary Department (Ho Chi Minh City Command), and retired in 1981. In June 6, he passed away.
In 2015, the Party and State posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces, recognizing and honoring his indomitable spirit, bravery, blood sacrifice, and dedication of many assets and material to the revolution. grandfather.
