My Older Brother Wants to Claim 3,000 Square Meters of Land for Himself and Change Our Parents’ Will—Should I Fight Back or Let It Go?

The older brother I once admired has turned into someone unrecognizable.

Our parents owned a sizable plot of land. On several occasions, my father considered selling a portion to fund his retirement, but we siblings disagreed. We assured him we could financially support him and our mother in their later years. After discussing it, my older brother and I decided to contribute equally to our parents’ monthly living expenses.

Whenever our parents needed medical care, we split the costs and took turns looking after them. Seeing us united and devoted made our parents happy, giving them peace of mind in their final years.

Before my mother passed away, she left behind a will dividing the land equally between my brother and me. After her funeral, my older brother outright rejected the terms of the will. He claimed that as the eldest son, he bore the responsibility of maintaining ancestral traditions and the family property, so he refused to split the 3,000-square-meter land equally.

He argued that as a daughter married into another family, I had no right to dispute the inheritance. My efforts and money spent caring for our parents, he said, could be repaid with cash—he offered $40,000.

The land I am entitled to is currently valued at $200,000, yet he wants to claim the entire property. I refused his offer and demanded he honor our parents’ will, threatening legal action if necessary.

My Brother’s Outburst

He exploded with anger, hurling insults at me and forbidding me from entering our parents’ home. He even threatened to cut ties with me if I didn’t comply with his wishes.

Upset and frustrated, I went home and confided in my husband, hoping he could help me reclaim the inheritance I rightfully deserved. To my surprise, he advised against it:

“Your brother is stubborn, greedy, and calculating—he won’t share the land willingly. Let him have it. We don’t lack money, so why fight for something that will only create family conflict? Think about what this teaches our children. Would you want them fighting over our inheritance someday? Show them the value of forgiveness and generosity.”

Torn Between Justice and Harmony

His words hit me hard. He was right—our actions today will set an example for our children. If we fight over this land now, what’s to stop our kids from repeating this cycle? But at the same time, part of me still feels the urge to fight for what’s fair.

Should I let this go for the sake of family harmony, or stand my ground to claim the inheritance my parents intended for me?