My uncle’s family fell apart 10 years after he took his brothers’ inheritance

Reading another reader’s story on how two brothers went bankrupt trying to take inheritance from their sisters, I feel inclined to share my father’s story as he went through very similar circumstances.

My father's family consists of three brothers. The eldest and my father have been living away from their rural hometown for a long time. However, the two brothers still frequently return to pay homage to their deceased parents. The youngest uncle, who lives in the countryside, somehow managed to transfer all the land and property under their parents' name to himself, effectively taking the shares of his older brothers.

When the eldest brother and my father questioned him about this, he responded with insults and even threatened violence. My father did not want to escalate the situation, so he said: "We only wanted a small piece of land to house the ancestral altar to honor our parents, grandparents, and ancestors. We do not need an equal share."

However, the youngest brother dismissed his request. Naturally, my oldest uncle and father relented, not wanting to drag the matter to court and embarrass our family.

However, 10 years later, my uncle's family completely fell apart. My uncle's wife fell sick and passed away soon after. One of his sons also suffered from a severe illness and died at a very young age. The remaining son, having lost several close family members in just a few years, fell into severe depression and suffered from unstable emotions.

My uncle's daughters also did not fare any better, each facing very difficult circumstances. Thus, despite my uncle's efforts to acquire wealth and land for himself, no one in his family can live in peace.

Inheritance is a sensitive and difficult matter to discuss. If children speak up, they are accused of being greedy, but if they do not, the results can be tragic. Learning from the story of my youngest uncle, my parents decided to divide their houses, land, and assets equally and early among their children to avoid conflicts.

However, I still observe that many families only pass down land to their sons. For instance, my wife's parents left everything to her elder brother without assigning him any responsibilities. Fortunately, my wife's sister-in-law is kind and understanding, so she willingly takes care of the parents when they are weak or sick.

I often think back to the story of my youngest uncle. What was his greed for, if happiness was not attained in the end?

Reader IP

*This opinion was translated into English by AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.