Mrs. Lan is 70 years old, living with her eldest son and his wife in a spacious house in the middle of the city. During the day, she often sits on the porch watching traffic, occasionally chatting with the neighbors. Everyone thinks she has a happy, leisurely life. But behind closed doors, the truth is completely different.

Her daughter-in-law, Ms. Hanh, often grumbled and complained that she was a “dependent” and “old age is just more trouble.” Her son was busy with work and often kept quiet. Ms. Lan wanted to leave many times, but because she loved her children and grandchildren, she endured it.

One night, she vaguely heard her son and his wife arguing loudly:

– “If Mom stays here, who will pay for the nursing home later? You have to figure it out!”
– “Or sell the land of Mom’s hometown to save money to take care of her.”

After hearing that, she trembled, her heart ached. That piece of land was where she spent her childhood, and it was also the legacy she kept for her children. She never expected them to calculate to such an extent.

That night, around 2am, she decided to escape. The door was locked, so she had no choice but to follow the back wall. With the last of her strength, she tried to climb out. Her hands were shaking as she held onto the edge of the wall, her knees were bleeding from the rocks, but she gritted her teeth and kept going.

She didn’t know where to go – just that she had to leave the place she once called “home.”

Ironically, at that moment, a thief was lurking nearby. Seeing the old lady’s shadow, he rushed forward to snatch the small bag she was holding to her chest. She panicked and fell to the street, just as a flashlight beam swept over – it was Uncle Tung, a neighbor driving a truck to work early.

Uncle Tung rushed to chase the thief away, then helped Mrs. Lan stand up. When asked, she just choked up and said:
– “I have no place to stay anymore, uncle…”

Uncle Tung was shocked and immediately took her to his house to rest. The next morning, the news spread throughout the neighborhood. People went to her son’s house to question him. Her son turned pale and ran to ask his mother to come back, but Mrs. Lan refused. In front of dozens of people, she burst into tears and told the whole truth about the days of being looked down upon, and the pain when she heard her son was planning to sell the land to take care of a “nursing home”.

The atmosphere was silent. Many people could not hold back their tears. Her son fell to his knees and apologized, regretting his silence while his wife insulted his mother. Ms. Hanh bowed her head, not daring to face the public.

The story shocked the whole neighborhood. Everyone shuddered at the thought: a mother who had sacrificed her whole life for her children, in her old age, had to climb over the wall and escape from her own house.

Finally, her son decided to take his mother back to the countryside and rebuild a small house on the old land. He promised to take care of his mother from now on and not let her suffer any more harm.

From then on, Mrs. Lan could smile peacefully. And the story of the night the 70-year-old woman climbed over the wall and passed away became a heartbreaking lesson for the whole neighborhood – that filial piety is not only in words, but in the daily treatment of parents.