FATHER LEAVES “LAND FULL OF WEEDS AND FORESTS” TO HIS YOUNGEST SON WHILE THE BROTHERS GOT THE MANSION — BUT THEY REGRET IT WHEN THE YOUNGEST STARTED DIGGING AND DISCOVERED THE REAL WEALTH

Don Gustavo had three children. Rico (the eldest a businessman), Selina (the second who loved luxury), and Mateo (the youngest who was simple and always in the fields with his father).

Before Don Gustavo died, he gathered his children for a Last Will and Testament.

“Children,” said the lawyer as he read the letter.

“To Rico, I give the Commercial Building in Makati and the 50 Million Pesos in cash.”

Rico was overjoyed. “Yes! This will make me even richer!”

“To Selina, I give the Mansion in Forbes Park and all the Jewelry and Antiques.”

Selina exclaimed. “Omg! I love it! Thank you, Daddy!”

The lawyer looked at Mateo.

“And to Mateo… I give the Mountain of Ligaya to the province.”

Rico and Selina laughed.

“Mount of Ligaya?!” Rico was pissed. “Mateo, that land is all jungle! All grass, rocks, and snakes! You can’t get anything there. You can’t even plant crops because that’s rocky soil!”

“Yes,” Selina added. “Poor little one. What Daddy gave you is like a garbage dump.”

But Mateo wasn’t angry. He accepted the title. “Thank you, Papa. I know that mountain is important to you. I’ll take care of it.”

After the funeral, they went their separate ways.

Rico enjoyed life. He gambled, partyed, and built businesses that quickly failed due to lack of strategy.

Selina sold the mansion and spent the money traveling to Europe and buying branded bags.

Meanwhile, Mateo went to the “Mountain of Happiness.”

What his brothers said was true. The land was rugged. Full of tall thornbushes, large rocks, and tough tree roots. No one wanted to help Mateo because the workers said, “that land is a waste of labor.”

But Mateo did not give up.

“Father gave it to me,” Mateo told himself as he held the pick and shovel. “He had a reason.”

Every day, Mateo woke up before sunrise. He cleared the grass himself. He tilled the soil. His hands became calloused and covered in sores. His skin became sunburned.

After six months, he had cleared half of the mountain.

One afternoon, while he was trying to remove a large rock in the middle of the land, his pickaxe hit something hard below.

CLANG!

It wasn’t the sound of rock. It was the sound of steel.

Mateo was surprised. He dug deeper.

He discovered a Man-made Tunnel covered with rock and earth. It looked old, probably from the war.

Mateo entered with a torch.

Inside the cave, he was exposed to hundreds of steel boxes. They had their family’s name on them.

He opened one.

He was almost blinded by the sparkle.

GOLD BARS.

Not just one. Not just two. The cave was full of gold, old coins, and precious stones. It turned out that this was the treasure his grandfather had hidden for a long time, and only Don Gustavo knew where it was buried.

On top of a box, Don Gustavo had a letter.

“For my son Mateo,

I know you will be the one to read this. Because of your siblings, you are the only one who has the patience to dig the ground and clean up the dirt. Wealth is not just given; it is earned.

Your brother wants a building that is already built. Your sister wants a house to live in. But you, you accepted the forest.

This gold is for the person who is willing to sweat. It is yours, son. Use it for good.”

Mateo fell to his knees and cried. The “trash” land was the richest inheritance.

The news spread. Mateo became a billionaire. He was richer than his siblings combined.

Rico and Selina arrived. Rico’s building had been foreclosed on by the bank. Selina was drowning in credit card debt.

“Mateo!” Rico shouted, panting as he climbed the mountain. “We’re your brothers! We’re your brothers! Don’t we share the inheritance?”

“Yes, Mateo!” Selina cried. “Daddy’s trickery! Why did he give you the gold? We should share it!”

Mateo faced them. Calm but firm.

“When I was given the land, you laughed at me,” said Mateo. “You said it was trash. You said it was worthless. Now that I’ve worked hard to clear it and found the wealth, do you want to share it?”

The two bowed their heads.

“I won’t abandon you because you’re my brother,” said Mateo. “But I won’t give you money.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Mateo took out two shovels and a shovel.

“I’ll give you a job. There’s still half of the mountain that hasn’t been cleared. If you want money, work at my Gold Mine. Your salary depends on your sweat.”

Rico and Selina had no choice but to accept the offer.

From then on, people saw the once arrogant brothers plowing the land under the hot sun, while Mateo managed the wealth that the father had reserved for the son with the purest and most hardworking heart.