Caring for My Over-70 Mother-in-Law for 10 Years; Just as She Received a 5-Billion Compensation for Land, She Left—I Went Looking and Discovered an Unbelievable Scene

My mother-in-law left without saying a word, and as a devoted son-in-law, I rushed to find her—only to uncover an astonishing truth.

 

 

The story began when my wife's father passed away. At that time, my wife’s two elder brothers gathered and agreed that they would take turns caring for our mother-in-law, with each assuming responsibility for one year to keep things fair.

I thought the idea was reasonable, although I had a fleeting thought that things might not be as simple as they seemed.

Sure enough, after just one year, the two brothers gradually withdrew. The eldest claimed he was busy with business, and the second said he couldn’t handle it due to having young children at home. Thus, the responsibility fell on my wife and me.

I didn’t blame them or harbor any resentment. My wife, the youngest daughter, is gentle and loves her mother, so she didn’t mind taking on the task.

Out of love for my wife, I couldn’t bear to let her shoulder the burden alone. We welcomed our mother-in-law to live with us—taking care of her daily by preparing meals, cleaning, taking her for walks, and accompanying her to medical appointments.

She was advanced in age, and her health had deteriorated after suffering a stroke 10 years ago. Although our lives were hard, as we worked tirelessly to raise our child, there was a peaceful rhythm to our daily routine.

I always believed that caring for one’s mother was a duty that required no praise or reciprocation.

Then everything changed when my mother-in-law’s old family home was compensated—a large sum of 1.5 million New Taiwan Dollars (over 5 billion VND) from land clearance for building a factory in the countryside.

The Compensation Money Upended Our Household

From the moment we heard the news, I noticed that my wife’s two brothers suddenly changed their attitudes. They began to visit our mother-in-law frequently, bringing gifts and asking about her well-being, yet not a single word was mentioned about dividing the money.

I watched quietly, secretly hoping that after ten years of dedicated care, my wife and I might finally receive some recognition for our efforts.

After all, she was living with us, witnessing our daily devotion. I had hoped she would share a portion of the compensation—nothing extravagant, just something fair. But I dared not broach the subject; I only gently suggested to my wife that she subtly inquire with her mother.

On the day the compensation money was credited, my wife went to the bank with her mother’s card to check the balance, returning with a bright smile.

I immediately knew the money had reached her hands. My mother-in-law sat there, silently taking the card and tucking it under her pillow without a word.

I was anxious, not knowing what she was thinking. I even worried that perhaps her traditional mindset might compel her to leave all the money to her two sons, forgetting that her youngest daughter had cared for her for so many years.

I urged my wife to talk to her, but before we could do anything, the next morning an unimaginable event occurred.

I went to work as usual, and my wife went shopping. When she returned, our mother-in-law had vanished without a trace. In a panic, my wife called me, her voice trembling. I dropped everything and raced home, my heart in turmoil.

We searched everywhere—in the house, in the alley, even in the nearby square where she usually sat—but she was nowhere to be found.

I immediately suspected that perhaps she had taken the money and gone to her sons, so I called them. Both of them insisted they knew nothing and even scolded me for letting her “disappear.”

For half a day, we split up and scoured every corner. Finally, a neighbor called to report that she had seen our mother-in-law near a nursing home. We hurried over, and when I saw her sitting at the reception desk inside the facility, carrying a small purse in her hand, I was completely stunned.

It turned out that my mother-in-law hadn’t run off with the money, as I had feared. Seeing me, she quickly explained, “I came here to check on my situation. Soon, I plan to move into a nursing home so that my children won’t be burdened anymore.”

It became clear that she hadn’t left because of the money but because she didn’t want us to struggle any further.

Tearfully, she told me, “I’m leaving two-thirds of this money for my children—this is my gift to you. Just keep it for me. The remaining one-third, please deposit into the fund for my care at the nursing home.”

Upon hearing this, my wife’s two brothers erupted in anger, arguing and demanding an equal split. But my mother-in-law was adamant, dismissing all their objections. Witnessing her unwavering resolve, I was both astonished and deeply moved.

In the end, after discussing it with my wife, we agreed to accept half of the money that our mother-in-law offered, on the condition that she remain at home to be cared for by her grandchildren. The remaining money was divided equally between her two sons, since we did not want her to witness any family discord. It took considerable time and persistent persuasion before my mother-in-law finally agreed.

This heartfelt confession, shared by Mr. Vuong on NetEase, has attracted significant attention from the Chinese online community. Many were touched, praising the filial devotion demonstrated by him and his wife, and believing that good people will always reap sweet rewards.