Selling a piece of land worth tens of billions in his hometown, the father pretended to be poor to go to the city to test his children’s hearts and the ending was unexpected…
Mr. Raghav Singh sat huddled on the side of the road in Mumbai, his shirt worn out, his plastic sandals about to break. People hurriedly passed by, and in the midst of that bustling life, he looked like a lost shadow. A young girl walked by, her eyes briefly stopped… then turned away. But just a moment later, she turned back — and that action almost made him cry.

Mr. Raghav, 68, is an old farmer in the outskirts of Uttar Pradesh. All his life, he worked hard, saving every penny from his fields, fish ponds, and a few plots of land he bought when they were dirt cheap. In recent years, land prices have skyrocketed — his total assets amount to nearly 10 crore rupees, but few people know about it.

His wife died early, leaving him to raise three children: Arjun, Priya, and Anika alone. When they grew up, he gave each of them a piece of land as “capital”, and he kept the remaining few fields and the old house. He still joked:

“I am saving it for my old age, I am not in a hurry to go to heaven.”

But in recent years, “saving it for my old age” has become lonely. The three children rarely return to their hometown, and when they do, they only rush to do so. When calling, one is busy with work, one is busy with children, one makes excuses about “the epidemic, it is dangerous to travel far away”. One night, he tossed and turned.

“I have money, a house… but why do I feel so cold? I wonder if my children still love me, or just my wealth?”

And so, he came up with a bold idea — to go to Mumbai, pretend to be poor to test his children.

. A visit to Arjun – the eldest son

He wore worn-out clothes, left behind his smartphone, and only brought along his old phone. The first destination was Arjun’s house, the director of a construction company in Bandra district.

He stood in front of the gate of the three-story villa, rang the bell. The maid poked her head out, her voice doubtful:

– “Who are you asking for?”
– “I’m Arjun’s father, let me see him.”

A moment later, Arjun walked out, wearing a white shirt and a black tie, his face slightly confused.

– “Dad… why didn’t you call first?”
– “Dad missed you, came to visit, it’s so boring in the countryside.”
– “Yes… but I’m busy with a meeting, the house is very cramped now, my wife doesn’t know anyone from the countryside…”

Mr. Raghav looked around — the villa was huge, cars were parked all over the yard. “Crowded”? He pursed his lips. Arjun called a taxi, slipped a few hundred rupees into his hand:

– “Dad, stay at the hotel for now, I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.”

But the next day, his son was nowhere to be seen.

A visit to Priya – the second daughter

Priya is a teacher at an international school in Bandra West, living in a luxury apartment. When she saw her father, she was a little surprised but quickly invited him in:

– “Dad, the apartment building has a rule that outsiders are not allowed to stay overnight… If the security guard finds out, I will be fined.”

– “Dad, I only plan to sleep on the sofa for a few days.”

– “Okay, Dad, let me book a motel nearby for convenience.”

The dinner was luxurious, with both European and Indian dishes, but the whole meal she did not ask him “are you okay?”. When seeing him off to the taxi, she also told him:

– “Next time, call ahead, don’t go far alone, it’s dangerous.”

That night, he sat quietly in the cheap motel, with a thin blanket and the wind whistling through the crack in the door. For the first time in his life, he felt… redundant.

. A visit to Anika – the youngest daughter…read the whole story in the comments
Anika, the youngest daughter, is a freelance designer and rents a room in Thane. Vy lives simply, everyone says “the youngest child is not as smart as her older siblings”. He came to the old boarding house, with mottled walls and rusty doors.

Just as Anika returned, she saw a familiar figure and stopped:

– “Dad? What are you doing here?”
– “Uh… Dad came to visit the kids, but… no one let him stay.”

She held his hand and pulled him into the room:

– “Come in, Dad, my room is a bit cramped, but warm.”

The room was about 15 square meters, with a single bed, an old wooden table, and a small kitchen corner. Anika cooked noodles and brought a hot bowl to him:

– “Dad, eat, I’ll make breakfast.”

Here, despite being poor, he finally saw a sincere look.

4. The test of heart and the unexpected ending

A week later, he called all three children to the boarding house. The atmosphere immediately became dead silent. He slowly said:

“I have a few acres of land on the road, someone paid more than 10 crore rupees. I want to know if you still love your father.”

Quan jumped up:

– “What you did was unfair! You are the eldest son, you have been sending money home for years!”

– “The money I sent, you have never touched. I need love, not money.”

Thu cried:

– “Dad, we are not evil, we are just… not ready…”
– “My child, loving your parents does not require you to be ready.”

Anika was silent, and said softly:

– “Dad, if you give it to me, I promise to take care of you for the rest of my life. As for the property… I will keep it as you told me.”

He held his youngest daughter’s hand, smiling gently:

“I don’t need you to be rich. I just need you to have a good heart.”

A month later, Mr. Raghav and Anika returned to the village and repaired the old house. Every morning, father and son went out to the garden together, listening to the rooster crowing, smelling the scent of mango flowers in the wind. The news of his “pretending to be poor” spread throughout the family. Quan and Thu came back repeatedly, hoping to make up. He received them, but only with a pot of cold tea and a quiet smile.

One day, Anika asked:

– “Dad, are you angry with your brother and sister?”
– “No, you’re just sad. Because sometimes, people are not poor because they lack money — but because they lack love.”

Anika remembered those words forever. And until the end of his life, Mr. Raghav lived peacefully in his garden house, surrounded by the most precious asset in life – the sincere love of a child.