Mr. Bai is over seventy years old, his wife died early, and he alone raised his son Lam Khun. After many years of working on the land left by his father, he built a decent house for Lam, and married a decent daughter-in-law. He still thinks that his life is very happy, as long as he is old and has children and grandchildren to pick up his pants.
But unexpectedly, people’s hearts change.
When returning to become a bride, Thao – Lam’s wife – always shows obedience and respect to her mother-in-law. But when she gave birth to her first child, her personality completely changed. He often whispered to Lin:
“Brother, my land is so big, but it’s all in my father’s name. If something happens to him in the future, will it be a problem?”
At first, Lam said this:
“That’s my father’s land, I’ve worked for it all my life. If you die later, leave it to me, what’s your concern?”
But Thao refused to stop. She sowed sweet but calculated words into her husband’s head:
“You are so naive. What if Dad changes his mind, sells it or gives it to someone else? People are old, sometimes one person provokes another and everything is lost. It would be better if I first asked my father to change his name first.
Every day, that whisper became a thorn in Lam’s head. He began to look at his father differently, instead of gratitude, suspicion and calculation.
One afternoon, while eating, Thao bluntly said:
“My father is a godfather, how can he manage the land if he lives alone? Or maybe my father has completely transferred the land to my wife and me so that we can worry.
Mr. Bai, put down the bowl, and looked sad and lazy:
“This land is a memory left by my grandparents, and I keep it until I close my eyes to be comfortable. You can rest assured, I will not sell anywhere.
But Thao couldn’t bear it, he whispered to his wife, using tears to force it. Finally, Lam – the only son that Mr. Bay loved with all his heart – spoke a sentence that hurt him to the core:
“Dad… Or maybe my father went out to live alone for a while, this house and land are for my wife and children to take care of.”
Mr. Bay was stunned. After many years of raising his children, he never thought that one day his own children would want to let their father out of the house. He quietly gathered some clothes and walked out of the house he had built with his own hands. There was not a single tear, not a single word of pulling from the son-in-law, only a cold silence held his heart.
Mr. Bay moved to a small hut on the edge of the field. All the neighbors were sad, but he could only smile sadly:
“This is my son, what am I to blame for?”
But just a week later, the story suddenly took a different turn.
One morning, commune officials and people from the court went to Lam’s house. They brought documents proving that the land where Lam and Thao lived was under planning to expand the inter-district road. Many years ago, the government conducted the surveying procedures, but because Mr. Bay was in his name, all the payments were reported to him. The papers were still complete, there was still no deadline for clearance, so he had not told his son yet.
The official said in a stern voice:
– According to the regulations, the full amount of compensation and resettlement land will be given to the person named in the red book – that is, Mr. Bay. You and your wife have no right to complain.
Upon hearing that, Thao’s face turned pale, and Lam fell. They kicked his father out of the house, thinking that they would occupy the entire land, but unexpectedly pushed themselves out.
In just a few days, the news spread throughout the village. People whispered:
“Children are not filial, heaven is not forgiving.
“The land cannot be taken care of, but it also loses its goodness.
Thao cried bitterly and apologized to his wife for his “dirty plan”. Lam stood in front of her father’s thatched hut, knelt down and begged him to come back, tears welling up in her eyes: “Father, I made a mistake. I was foolish to listen to my wife’s urging, begging me for forgiveness…
Mr. Bay looked at his son who was bowing and crying, his heart was both painful and sad. He said slowly:
“I don’t blame you, because you are the only one. But I remember, the sandy soil is only temporary. If you lose filial piety, you will never get it back in your life.
After that, he still agreed to accept the compensation and bought a small house near the market to live in old age. As for Lam and Thao, they had to comb their hair, rent a guesthouse outside, and experience deprivation.
Everyone in the village said that this was a bitter end of greed and dishonesty. And Lam himself was also touching: a week of mistakes, at the cost of both honor and friendship.