In late July, following a family meal to honor ancestors at their ancestral home in Hung Nguyen Commune, Dai brought out a black cloth bundle with frayed edges. Inside were numerous gold pieces and red envelopes. He called each child, grandchild, and great-grandchild one by one to hand over the gifts directly.
“This gold and money were saved from my pension, war veteran benefits, and gifts from my children and grandchildren when I was sick. Now that everyone has gathered together, I am passing it on while I am still of sound mind,” he said.
|
Le Van Dai, 92, from Hung Nguyen Nam Commune in Nghe An Province, distributes cash and gold among his children and grandchildren in July 2026. Photo by QC |
He said he enlisted in the military while young, and fought on the Lao battlefield during the two resistance wars. After leaving the military, he and his wife worked as farmers, raising two sons and three daughters.
Now, all their children have moved out, while he and his wife still live in the old house. At 92, Dai manages all household tasks himself, from cooking and laundry to reminding his 87-year-old wife, a stroke survivor, to take her medication.
The couple decided to divide their assets earlier this year when her health began to deteriorate. Dai said he wanted to distribute the assets while they were both still alive so that they could witness the family gathering together.
Dai gave the gold to his three daughters, believing they were struggling more financially than his two sons. He also handed cash envelopes to more than 40 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, asking them to keep them sealed until returning home. The money was divided equally by generation.
“I am an only child and don’t have any siblings. Witnessing a five-generation family living in harmony and supporting one another is all I could ever ask for,” Dai said.
Dai divides assets among his children and grandchildren in July 2026. Video by Giang Chi
Le Giang Chi, 26, his granddaughter, said the family filmed the gathering to save the memory. The video was posted on social media and received hundreds of thousands of shares.
Chi’s father, Dai’s eldest son, works in the military, while her aunts and uncles are self-employed. On the day of the gathering, no one complained about Dai prioritizing the gold for his daughters.
Chi explained: “He has always treated everyone fairly. Everyone treasures the gift because they know it represents the fruits of his hard labor for decades”.
h
