Gia Dinh Haha - Uncle and Aunt Chín Cường and the Beloved People of the Mekong Delta

Episode 11 of “Gia Dinh Haha” closed the nearly 10-day journey in Giồng Trôm - Bến Tre (now part of Vĩnh Long). It wasn’t a long trip, but it left lasting echoes in the hearts of viewers about the warmth of the Mekong Delta people.

The journey began with a small wooden boat rowed by “Chị Đẹp” a simple, sincere local woman who welcomed “Gia Dinh Haha”. She was also the one who later guided the cast into the kitchen to make “bánh xèo” together for their farewell party.

That beginning and ending felt like a warm, complete greeting from this land of kindness. Though they appeared only briefly, people like Uncle Linh, sisters Nhiều and Kiểu, and Uncle Sáu also touched viewers with their honesty and simplicity.

But the people who left the deepest impression were Uncle and Aunt Chín Cường - the family with whom the cast lived, worked, and bonded. With loving eyes, “Anh Cả Thuận” Jun Phạm described them as “the image” of Mekong Delta farmers.

Uncle Chín is a gentle, diligent beekeeper with a slightly stooped figure. Even in his later years, he still works bareheaded, tending to his bees with care. Each time he is asked about them, his eyes light up like a father proudly talking about his smart children. Though quiet, he always patiently guided the cast through each small task, from collecting honey to cutting grass for goats. “His calm, steady breathing seemed to blend with the buzzing of the bees, like a sweet symphony with Uncle Chín as the quiet conductor,” Jun Phạm wrote.

If Uncle Chín is the “keeper of bees,” then Aunt Chín is the “keeper of the kitchen,” her gentle smile always ready with laughter. Viewers were touched when Jun Phạm casually praised her banana cake. She remembered it and made a fresh batch so that everyone could enjoy it right after returning from clam harvesting. She was always ready to fulfill every “order” from her unfamiliar guests.

Before the farewell, Aunt Chín shared a hand written note listing each cast member’s name along with her impressions: Jun Phạm stung by a bee, Ái Phương unintentionally cutting her hand, Thanh Duy with a stomach ache… As “anh cả Thuận” wrote: “For Aunt, Mekong Delta love is gentle yet generous when she cares for someone, she gives all her heart, treating every guest like family.”

“Big brother” couldn’t hide his emotions about the people’s way of expressing affection: “Instead of saying ‘I love,’ they often say ‘I care for you,’ ‘I adore you,’ or ‘I feel for you’ words that show love from the gut, adoration with all the heart, and sympathy that reaches the core.” Thanh Duy was choked with emotion, saying this place felt like home where he could feel small again, loved and protected like a child in the family.

Surely, the members will miss Aunt Chín’s banana cake, cocoa drink, sticky rice with braised pork… dishes overflowing with love.

Perhaps this journey is not just a beautiful memory, but also a reminder of the meaning of family bonds. Wherever they go, the members of “Gia Dinh Haha” will always carry a piece of their hearts left in the Mekong Delta where they were free to be themselves and live in affection as if with their own kin.