My mother-in-law often complains to us that raising a son is useless; sons never care as much as daughters and sons-in-law. But when it comes to money, she gave all her assets to them without hesitation, even without consulting us.
I replied, “Mom, do you think that once a daughter marries, she is no longer part of your family? So why has she been living with us for the past 8 years? According to your logic, shouldn’t my wife and I be obligated to support and care for you?”
My wife also said, “Mom, you’ve always favored my brother. You’ve always thought of him for everything good. I never cared about anything, even when you were kicked out of his house. That house was bought for him and his wife by you. Your heart is truly cruel. If you see me as an outsider, then go live with him, and let him take care of you.”
After saying that, my wife told me, “Honey, today we should help Mom pack her things and take her to my dear brother’s house.”
I didn’t want my mother-in-law to stay any longer, so I helped my wife pack her belongings. My mother-in-law definitely didn’t want to go to my brother-in-law’s house, but I didn’t know how to tell her this in a more delicate way.
When we took my mother to his house, my brother-in-law and his wife happened to be there. At first, they smiled, but when they saw my mother and the luggage, their smiles quickly disappeared.
My brother-in-law asked worriedly, “What’s going on? Why are you bringing mom back?”
My wife replied, “You both should take care of mom together.”
My sister-in-law raised her voice and said, “She’s been living fine with us, why send her back without asking us first? Our house is too small, she can’t stay here.”
I immediately responded, “Didn’t mom just give you the land compensation money? If the house is too small, then buy another one. After all, you’ve taken so much money from her, don’t try to avoid your responsibility.”
My sister-in-law argued, “Mom can distribute her assets however she likes, but you as her daughter still have the obligation to take care of her in her old age.”
My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are both unreasonable, and I didn’t want to waste time arguing with them. After saying what needed to be said, my wife and I left.
Later, my brother-in-law came to see us several times and said that my mother was unhappy living at their house and asked us to bring her back. I told him, “If you want me to take Mom back, then you need to share half of that money, or there’s no point in discussing this.”
However, he always prioritizes his own interests, so there was no way he would agree to my request. When he realized he couldn’t change our decision, he never came to our door again.
In the following time, we heard that my mother wasn’t doing well at their house. Every day, she was very upset. She wasn’t beaten, but she was frequently scolded and mistreated by her children.
I felt quite sad, but I never thought about bringing her back because, after all, this is the consequence she has to face.
In my opinion, parents’ favoritism is inevitable, but we must maintain a strong sense of balance. Otherwise, it will affect the relationship between parents and children, and sometimes children’s ingratitude stems from the parents’ inability to handle the situation harmoniously.
