Over the past few days, the home of Thai Dinh Hoang, 76, and his wife, residing in Dong Xuan hamlet, Van Hien commune, Nghe An province, has been constantly crowded with visitors sharing in their joy. Neighbors and relatives are all thrilled for the family as the youngest son, Thai Dinh Hung, 48, has returned after decades.

Hoang and his wife have three sons. Year-round, the family relied solely on a few plots of rice fields and a tea hill. Tragically, their second son was paralyzed on one side of his body in childhood following a prolonged fever.

"Back then, the family could barely afford basic meals, so we didn't have the means to seek medical treatment for him," Hoang recalled.

Flipping through his youngest son's old documents, he tenderly held a photo taken during a longevity celebration for the parents. It was a rare, clear image of Hung.

In 1997, after graduating from high school, Hung went to HCMC in hopes of finding a job and worked as a bricklayer. Over a year later, he suffered a traffic accident that fractured his left arm. His parents rushed to the South to bring him back to their hometown for treatment.

In June 2001, with his health recovered, carrying a desire to escape poverty and build a career, Hung quietly left home. With only VND8,000 in his pocket, he walked to the national highway, and a bus driver took pity and gave him a ride to the south.

At first, Hoang and his wife thought their son was struggling to make a living and could not return yet. But as years passed, their waiting was met only with silence.

Reunion after 25 years

In HCMC, Hung continued working as a builder. In 2004, he met Vu Thi Hoang, from former Quang Nam, who was then a footwear factory worker. The two married, had two children, and after many years saved up to buy a small plot of land to settle down.

Throughout years of living together, Hoang always encouraged her husband to return home to reunite with his family. But Hung felt ashamed of his rash decision years ago, “afraid of burdening his parents.”

"Everyone makes mistakes in their youth. My wife kept urging me to take the children back to meet their paternal grandparents and know their roots. We planned it for last year, but it wasn't until this year that we could make it happen," he shared.

In the early hours of June 24, Hung and his two children boarded a coach from HCMC to Nghe An. After a journey of over 1,000 kilometers, on June 25, when he was just about 3 kilometers away from home, he got off the bus and could barely recognize his birthplace. The dirt roads of the past were now concreted, and houses stood closely packed together.

Arriving at their old house, he learned that his parents had moved to a home left behind by his grandparents. His sister-in-law rushed over to break the news to them.

Hearing that their youngest son had returned, Hoang and his wife ran over in a hurry, yet they still could not believe their eyes. The man standing before them was much darker and thinner than the one in their memories.

"Looking from afar, I didn't recognize him. It wasn't until I held him in my arms, rolled up his sleeve, and saw the long scar on his left arm that I was certain it was Hung. Neither of us could utter a single word; we just held each other and wept," Hoang said.

Hung's mother, whose vision had blurred with age, had to stare intently for a long time before recognizing her son. After 25 years of agonizing waiting, the entire family was finally reunited.

"In the twilight years of my life, my family is finally whole again," the elderly father said.

According to Hung, he and his two children will stay in their hometown until the end of August before returning to HCMC. During this time, he will work on reissuing his personal identification documents. Once his wife can arrange her work schedule, the whole family will return to the village to host a reunion dinner, inviting relatives and neighbors to join in the celebration.

Tran Tuyen