I Quit My Job to Care for My Mother During the Last 5 Years of Her Life — I Was Devastated When I Read the Name on Her Will

I once believed that love and sacrifice would always be rewarded — until the day my mother revealed her will…

Five Years of Caring for My Elderly Mother and a Shocking Will

As the eldest of three siblings, I had carried the burden of responsibility since childhood, standing in for my parents to care for my younger siblings.

After finishing middle school, I dropped out to work early and help with the family finances. Thanks to my father’s introduction, I started working at a textile factory — where I later met my husband and got married.

Unlike me, my youngest brother received full support in his education. He graduated from college, and my parents poured all their savings into buying him a house and funding his wedding. Life was peaceful for a time. My aging parents took care of each other — my father often ill, my mother by his side day and night. Whenever I had free time, I would rush to help.

When my father passed away, my mother was left alone. I saw the loneliness in her eyes. I asked my younger brother to take her in and care for her, but all I got in return was indifference and the excuse that his wife was difficult and couldn’t get along with the elderly.

Without hesitation, I discussed it with my husband and brought my mother to live with us. I cared for her myself, without complaints.

When my mother turned 80 and her health declined severely, I made the decision to quit my small business entirely so I could devote all my time to caring for her.

For five years, I managed her care — her medications, hospital visits, expenses — all by myself. My younger brother was nowhere to be seen, despite the many times I called for help.

But what shocked me the most came during my mother’s final days…

She called her children together, took out her will, and handed over the land ownership certificate along with 100,000 yuan to the youngest son.

And no one else but me—the daughter who sacrificed her entire youth for the family—was left out of the will.

Although heartbroken and deeply disappointed, I remained silent. After the funeral, I handed over all the property, respecting my mother’s final wishes. My younger brother didn’t even say thank you, nor did he stay to help with the arrangements.

A Lesson From a Biased Will
What I thought would be a final gesture of recognition turned out to be a devastating blow to the daughter who had fulfilled her filial duties.

But for me, the only comfort is knowing that my conscience is clear. The neighbors all know I was the dutiful and selfless child, always caring and never calculating.

My story may leave many feeling sorrowful and questioning: In many families, is the value of sacrifice still considered less important than gender and old prejudices?

The Issue of “Son Preference” in China

Not long ago, Chinese media reported the case of Le Le, a 22-year-old young woman who was sued by her own parents for refusing to raise her 2-year-old younger brother. In the end, she lost the case and was forced to take over the responsibility of raising him until he reaches adulthood.

According to Sohu, Le Le was known for being bright and academically ambitious. Due to her family’s difficult financial situation, she managed to cover all her university expenses through scholarships and government support.

However, just as she graduated, all of her future plans had to be put on hold due to her parents’ demand that she “raise her younger brother until he comes of age.”

Despite being over 50 years old and having limited financial means, her parents were determined to have a second child in hopes of having a son.

Not wanting to bear the burden of her parents’ irresponsible decision, Le Le refused.

“Why do I have to raise my younger brother? When my parents decided to have him, did they ever ask for my opinion?” Sohu quoted the young woman.

The argument over who should take responsibility for raising the 2-year-old boy escalated tensions within Le Le’s family. In the end, the elderly couple filed a lawsuit against their daughter.

According to China’s Marriage and Family Law, if parents are no longer capable of supporting their children, then the siblings are obligated to provide care. Therefore, in this case, the court ruled that Le Le must take responsibility for raising her younger brother until he turns 18.

The outcome of the lawsuit sparked a wave of heated debate on Chinese social media platform Weibo and in the country’s press. While a few comments criticized Le Le for being selfish, the vast majority expressed sympathy for the 22-year-old woman.

“The story may sound ridiculous at first, but there’s nothing funny about it. It’s a tragedy. Le Le had just graduated, had no experience in the real world, yet was treated so cruelly by her own parents,” one netizen commented.

In Le Le’s family story, many online users believed that the deeply ingrained mindset of “valuing sons over daughters” in Chinese society was the root cause of the tragedy.

Despite their old age, poor health, and financial struggles, the elderly couple insisted on having a son to “carry on the family line.” However, they shifted the burden of raising and supporting the “precious boy” onto their eldest daughter.

In China, gender discrimination has pushed millions of families into hardship. In 2017, the country was shaken by a case where a woman died after undergoing four abortions in one year—simply because all the fetuses were female.

At the end of July 2018, Chinese social media was once again in an uproar over a video and photos of a family with 11 daughters and 1 son — all biological siblings.

After the one-child policy was relaxed, their parents kept having children and only stopped once they had a son. Due to poverty and the burden of raising so many children, only the youngest — the son — received a full education.

These stories are prime examples of the severe gender imbalance in China, especially in rural areas. Currently, the number of males in the country exceeds females by 33 million, with a birth ratio of 115 boys for every 100 girls.

This gender disparity has led to serious socio-economic consequences, such as a growing number of men unable to find wives and a shortage of female labor.

In fact, many studies have pointed to a link between gender imbalance and rising crime rates in China — particularly crimes such as sexual assault, the abduction of women, and human trafficking.