During the 2 years we lived together, I didn’t dare send a single penny to my parents because my wife controlled every penny, until my mother became ill and bedridden.

I am the only son in the family. My wife is an accountant, good at keeping money, so good that  she even controls my salary like a public account book . Every month when I come home from work, I get “pocket money” like a primary school student.

In two years of living together,  I did not dare send a single penny back to my parents.  Every time I mentioned it, my wife would sulk:

“With a salary of 13 million, raising children, paying tuition, renting a house, and eating out is not enough, and you still want to send money back to your hometown? Has there been any money made for you there?”

I just kept quiet.

My mother occasionally called, her voice still soft as if afraid to disturb:

“It’s okay, son. Mom and Dad can still grow vegetables, don’t worry.”

But then  my mother fell ill and was paralyzed from a stroke. At that time, I could only beg my wife:

“Go home to visit your mother. I can go back alone…”

I don’t know if it was out of pity or fear of outsiders’ gossip, but  my wife drove me back to my hometown, as a ‘favor’.

When she got home, her face was cold as money, she stood a distance from my mother’s bed,  didn’t light incense, didn’t ask questions , just said to me:

“I’ll wait in the car. Call me if anything happens.”

Mom lay in one place, her hands still shaking as she searched for something in the pillow and gave it to me:

“Tomorrow the whole family will come… Mom wants to divide the land and house… or else it will be too late.”

I swallowed my tears. My mother was poor, but the land on a 6m wide road, near the market,  was worth more than 5 billion VND.

The next day, relatives and siblings gathered together.

My mother pointed to each person, dividing the land clearly. Everyone nodded in gratitude, without dispute.

When it was my turn, my mother suddenly pulled out a red book – not the land we were living on, but another plot of land 1km away, brand new.

The whole family was surprised. I was bewildered. Mom said:

“I bought this with my savings when I was still healthy. I intended to leave it to my youngest child. But now… I changed my mind.”

Mom pointed straight at my wife:

“Daughter-in-law, come here.”

My wife walked over, somewhat confident — thinking her mother-in-law loved her, but who would have thought…

“Do you know that for 2 years T. didn’t dare send me a single penny for fear of being scolded by you? I was bedridden and you only came back, standing there like an outsider. If you don’t think of me as anything, don’t even think about receiving anything from me.”

Then she turned to me, choking:

“I’ll leave it to you. But not now. When she’s no longer your wife — come get her.”

My wife  stood there, frozen . Her face pale. Relatives were  in an uproar . I  didn’t dare look up at anyone.

After that day,  my wife completely changed her attitude , cooking, asking about her, and demanding to take her to Hanoi to take care of her. But I knew — my mother would not be so easily moved again.