A couple in Vietnam's central province of Nghe An have raised 10 children, and four of their daughters ended up marrying men from the same village, living just 50-100 meters from their childhood home.
A family built around togetherness
Thai Viet Tri (born in 1972) and his wife Pham Thi Sam (born in 1971), from Van Tu Commune, Nghe An Province, have 10 children - six sons and four daughters.
Their eldest daughter is now 35 years old, while the youngest son is only nine.
Thai Nhuan, the couple's eldest child, said she has always felt fortunate to grow up in a large and loving family where siblings remain close and supportive of one another.
Although the family was never wealthy, she never questioned her parents' decision to have many children. Instead, she and her siblings did whatever they could to ease their mother's burden.
"Our family believed that children are blessings. My parents often told us not to worry because life would always find a way," Nhuan recalled.
The extended family of Thai Viet Tri and Pham Thi Sam.
The family relied on farming for a living. Tri and Sam spent years working the fields to raise their children, ensuring they grew up with strong values despite financial hardships.
There were times when more than a dozen family members shared a small tiled-roof house stained by age and weather. Several children slept together in cramped rooms, and food was sometimes scarce.
"I remember periods when rice was limited and we shared every meal. Looking back, we don't remember hardship as much as we remember the love and sacrifices we made for one another," Nhuan said.
Life has improved significantly since then.
"Now every household has enough. Whenever we talk about those difficult years, we become emotional because they shaped who we are today."
Her younger sister, Thai Tinh, said all the siblings understood how hard their parents worked.
"We tried to be responsible from an early age. The older children helped care for the younger ones, and everyone contributed however they could," she said.
Despite limited resources, their parents encouraged all the children to continue their education as far as possible. Several siblings later chose to work overseas, helping improve the family's financial situation.
The couple with their 10 children.
One of the family's most memorable stories occurred when mother and daughter experienced motherhood almost at the same time.
In 2010, Nhuan welcomed her first child. Just six months later, her mother gave birth to her ninth child.
In 2016, Nhuan had her second child while her mother was pregnant with the family's tenth child.
That year, Sam underwent a cesarean section.
"My brothers, sisters and brothers-in-law all traveled together to the hospital. The doctors were amazed when they saw such a large family arriving to support my mother," Nhuan recalled with a laugh.
Four daughters, four marriages close to home
Nhuan (second from right) and her three sisters all married men from the same village.
Six of the couple's 10 children are now married. Remarkably, all four daughters married men from the same village.
According to Tinh, the eldest sister married in 2009 and lives about 100 meters from her parents' house. Tinh married in 2011 and lives only 50 meters away.
The third daughter married in 2015 and settled about 40 meters from home, while the youngest daughter married in 2018 and now lives just three houses away.
All four daughters remain in My Khanh Village, Van Tu Commune.
"We always hoped we could stay close to our parents after marriage, but none of us expected all four sisters would end up living in the same village," Tinh said.
Their parents are equally delighted that their daughters can visit almost every day.
Among the four sisters, only the third daughter and her husband currently live in Germany. The other three continue to run small businesses locally.
"Because we all live so close, we see each other many times a day. Whenever our parents need help, we simply call one another and walk over," Tinh said. "I feel incredibly lucky that our family has been able to stay this close."
Nhuan with her children.
The tradition of large families appears to be continuing into the next generation.
The eldest sister has four children. Tinh has five. The third sister has three children, while the youngest recently welcomed her second child.
As a result, family gatherings have become even more lively, filled with the laughter of children and grandchildren from several generations.
"Many people think having a large family is difficult, but for me it is something to be proud of," Tinh said. "Having many siblings means there is always someone to share life's joys and challenges with. Even now that we each have our own families, that bond has never changed. Whenever everyone gathers together and we see our parents surrounded by children and grandchildren, we feel grateful to have grown up in such a warm and loving family."
Vietnamnet.vn
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