At 38, So Y Tiet lives in Van Canh Commune in Gia Lai Province, formerly part of Binh Dinh, where he spends his days raising cattle and cultivating rice. His peaceful life today stands in stark contrast to the hardships that defined his childhood.

Tiet lost his mother to tuberculosis at the age of six. He and his younger sister then wandered with their alcoholic father, begging for food and living without a permanent home. Their father often beat them when they failed to bring back enough money. After he also died, Tiet was cared for by relatives before being sent to an orphanage to attend school.

His education ended after he contracted tuberculosis himself. Weighing only 38 kilograms at 25, he struggled with poor health and eventually had to leave his factory job. Returning to his hometown, he made a living herding cattle for local farmers.

“There were times I only wished I could live to see 30,” he recalled.

Long hours alone in the fields sparked his interest in music. Using YouTube and Google Translate, he taught himself basic English and practiced singing while watching over cattle.

In 2020, he uploaded a video of himself counting in English to a melody. The clip quickly spread across social media, with celebrities including Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown and Justin Bieber sharing it. His TikTok account soon gained millions of followers.

The unexpected fame brought media attention and advertising income, allowing him to afford medicine, buy household items and improve the home of the aunt and uncle who had raised him.

“My phone kept ringing nonstop,” Tiet said.

“Journalists, YouTubers and fans all wanted to meet me. I couldn’t understand why singing a few words in English had made me famous around the world.”

The unexpected fame disrupted his quiet routine but also transformed his finances. Income from online content and advertising allowed him to buy medicine, purchase a television and build a proper bathroom for the aunt and uncle who had raised him.

“I finally had money to buy medicines, buy a television and build a proper bathroom for my aunt and uncle,” he said.

His online fame also brought him together with Nguyen Ngoc Lan, a woman from Cao Bang Province whom he met through an online community for orphans.

Lan had endured a difficult childhood herself. Her father died when she was young, and her mother later remarried overseas, forcing her to become independent early in life. Having both grown up without stable parental care, they found comfort and understanding in one another.

So Y Tiet, his wife, and their son. Photo courtesy of Tiet

When the Covid-19 pandemic prompted people to leave Ho Chi Minh City for their hometowns, Lan had nowhere to go. Tiet invited her to return with him, despite having neither savings nor a home of his own.

“I’ve been used to poverty and loss since I was young,” Lan told him. “I wasn’t afraid of being poor. I was only afraid that you wouldn’t like me, or that loving me would stop you from pursuing your talent.”

Tiet’s answer came without hesitation.

“Then come back to Binh Dinh with me. Let’s get married. We’re not getting any younger.”

The couple began their new life in a rented room. Every day they rode into the surrounding hills to film videos—the same hills where Tiet had once grazed cattle. Lan filmed and edited the videos, managed customer messages and sold local specialties and merchandise featuring her husband.

Tiet also recorded personalized versions of his signature counting song for customers in Europe, the U.S. and Australia. The requests ranged from birthdays and pets to new cars and even divorce anniversaries, with each video earning between VND1 million and VND2 million (US$38-76).

“Maybe because Western culture is more open-minded, I’ve been receiving these orders consistently for the past six years,” he said.

The couple saved nearly every dong they earned.

In 2022, they bought their first plot of land and built a house worth more than VND1 billion. Behind it, they created a large garden and a traditional stilt kitchen with a wood-burning stove. They later purchased more forest land to grow timber trees, raise cattle and cultivate rice.

In October 2024, they finally held their wedding ceremony. Carrying their two-year-old son in his arms, Tiet broke down in tears.

“My dream of having a real family has finally come true,” he said.

For Lan, walking down the aisle beside her husband and son while receiving blessings from neighbors became “the most beautiful moment of my 30 years.”

Today, the “counting cowherd” no longer commands the same global attention, but he and his wife continue creating online content to supplement their income while he devotes much of his time to raising cattle and learning to grow rice.

Although he grew up in the countryside, he only recently became a landowner, making rice cultivation an entirely new experience.

“My biggest concern now isn’t online fame,” he said.

“It’s learning how to grow rice and store enough food so my small family can stay secure through whatever challenges may come.”

Nguyen Xuan Viet, chairman of the Van Canh Commune People’s Committee, said Tiet’s family lives a simple, wholesome life and is well respected in the community.

“If someone hires him to herd cattle, he still goes.”

So Y Tiet with his wife and son on the family’s forest land in April 2026. Photo courtesy of Tiet

Lan says Tiet’s love and protectiveness have given her a sense of security she never experienced growing up without a father. In return, she becomes his strongest support whenever his old illness returns, taking over the heavy work while caring for him.

“When we first moved in together, we often held each other and cried in the corner of our tiny rented room,” Lan said.

“But eventually we wiped away each other’s tears and decided to live with the innocence of children, making up for the sadness we had carried for so many years.”

On a June afternoon, Tiet stood smiling beside his young rice field. The man who once doubted he would live to see 30 now has a home, a wife, a son and future harvests to look forward to.

“Even if social media disappears one day, I’ll still be out herding cattle and tending the garden with my wife and son.”