“My life is filled with sad notes, more tears than smiles. The most valuable thing and my source of life to this day is none other than my son, who grows up on the thin but strong shoulders of his mother.”
This is the opening line of the Facebook post by Dương Thị Cường (mother of Dong Van Hung, the Cooking Channel). The post was publicly shared in a food forum as part of an online contest.
Continuing, Ms. Cường wrote: “My whole life has been tied to the hard work of farming, single-handedly dealing with the fields, gardens, raising pigs and chickens, managing household affairs. I think I am a Dragon. People say Dragons are very successful, but maybe I am just an earth dragon, a worm, so I only live close to the land, dealing with all kinds of heavy and light tasks myself.”
Here, the heartfelt message reveals a little-known story about the mother-son duo of this nearly 900,000 follower YouTube channel. Specifically, Ms. Cường shared that she is a single mother, had her child at 32, and has “fought” against the world around her to have, keep, and raise her child:
“Back then, things weren’t as open as they are now. The neighbors whispered, harshly judging, but I just stayed silent and lived, turned a deaf ear to the gossip, as if my ears didn’t hear anything, letting them talk among themselves. Hung’s grandmother was very opposed to my pregnancy at that time. I could only sweet-talk her, saying that I was over 30 now, I asked her to let me just have this one child, so that when she passed away, I would have someone to rely on.
But she still wasn’t pleased. But I let it be, she is my mother, even if she scolded me, she wouldn’t abandon me. As for the neighbors, I just kept silent and worked hard to ensure no one could look down on me or my child.”
The days of giving birth and raising a small child: taking care of him when he was sick, protecting him from being bullied by friends, were all memories filled with sadness and tears for this YouTuber in her 50s: “When I gave birth to Hung, my whole household had only 30,000 dong. After giving 10,000 to the midwife, the remaining money was just enough to buy a big pig leg and a cabbage to nourish during my postpartum period. After eating all that, I had to forage for wild vegetables to steam and eat with rice.”
…
After days of hardship in a life of being both a mother and a father, woman and man, it has all passed, and during that time, I never thought about needing a man by my side. To me, Hung is my only happiness and consolation.”
Although circumstances often pushed Ms. Cường to the brink, this farming woman remained resilient and strong, overcoming everything. After many years of her son working away, they finally reunited, working close together, creating a warm family atmosphere:
“Since Hung returned to film videos about our daily life and meals under the name ‘Cooking by Mom,’ my and my son’s life has turned a new page.
I don’t hope for fame. In the end, I’m just an ordinary rural person. Making YouTube was just to indulge my son’s interests. The greatest joy is that we can work together and share our daily joys and sorrows. Seeing my son succeed makes me very happy.”
I hope my story can inspire and motivate many other women, especially those living in rural areas. Always strive and be persistent, and your hard work will be rewarded!”
This touching message resonated with readers. Under the post, netizens expressed empathy for these memories and shed tears for everything this petite woman has gone through, while also sending many wishes for health to the mother and son.
Finally, Dương Thị Cường clarified that the post was made by her son, YouTuber Dong Van Hung, and the content is based on her previous statements to the media. He hopes fans will support both of them and the post.
