It's the story of a young woman, facing poverty and illness, who, in desperation, left her elderly, ailing father's body in front of a temple in Hai Phong , along with a few lines of writing asking the temple to take care of him. She was a young woman born in 1997, whose mother had passed away, who lived in rented accommodation, had recently given birth, and was suffering from kidney failure requiring treatment, relying solely on her husband's meager factory worker's salary…
So many painful situations are silently concealed and covered up by those involved, only to erupt at the last moment, revealing heartbreaking tragedies.
I often read news about newborn babies abandoned at temple gates or in front of people's houses, with a note left behind. It breaks my heart. "I'm a student, I accidentally gave birth but I can't raise the child. Please have mercy and take care of this baby..."
The young mother was heartbroken. And she must have secretly been paying attention, saving pictures and information about the landlord, hoping to find traces of her beloved child someday.
Returning to the case of the daughter who left her father at the temple gate, which recently caused a stir in public opinion. Filial piety between father and daughter is undoubtedly a heavy burden, but perhaps the burden has reached a point where she can no longer bear it, that she has reached a dead end, and must let go. She can't afford to put her father in a nursing home with monthly costs reaching tens of millions of dong. Getting him into a social welfare institution is also not simple, and she might not even meet the criteria. So what can she do, when she and her daughter don't even know how they will survive?
Fortunately, the truth was soon revealed, and public opinion expressed sympathy and sorrow instead of the initial outrage. The daughter later returned to the temple to bring her father home. But how will this small, suffering family live on in the days to come?
I recall one of the most famous lines in Vietnamese literature: " Who agrees that Dad should die? Raise your hand ." This was when the brothers in the family ("No King" by Nguyen Huy Thiep) were discussing whether they should treat their dying father. It's chilling, like an echo from hell. It reveals the cruelty and horror of human relationships in this money-driven society.
But, if you read carefully and calmly, you'll see that this is Nguyen Huy Thiep's life-saving poison. It's like a cold, gleaming steel blade, but it's a scalpel used to dissect and heal humanity. Ultimately, the children in that impoverished family exclaim, "Life is hard. It's humiliating... But it's also very pitiful."
I feel so sorry for this life, with all its painful circumstances, hardships, and torment.
My heart aches for the poor girl's family, who, in their desperation, tried to get her father thrown out onto the streets. Will anyone care about them tomorrow? When people are constantly drawn into new controversies every day.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/dem-cha-gui-chua-post1843855.tpo
