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Chapter 164: Chapter 158: Dividing the Family (Part 2)
Old Li was so questioned by his daughter-in-law that his brows furrowed. He had no answer and could only look to his wife.
Qiu Shuping said calmly, "Where did the money go? Do you only eat white flour and rice without salt? Doesn’t everything in and out of the house cost money? Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, you’re only thinking about eating and wearing well. Today you have a headache and want bones, tomorrow your butt hurts and you want meat. Where do you think all that money went?"
Qiu Shuping wasn’t really foolish. She could see that the elder daughter-in-law was inciting her to split the family with ulterior motives, but she just went with the flow.
"Mom, look what you’re saying, isn’t this how all families live? Besides, we’re raising chickens. Just selling the eggs is enough for everyday oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar. What’s more, in the past few years my second brother has been sending money home every month, over a hundred yuan a year. Where did all that money go?" Wang Dan had already worked it out in her mind.
"Isn’t Hongqi still in school?" Qiu Shuping glared at her eldest daughter-in-law. She was usually so sweet to her, but now her true colors were showing. Hmph, daughters-in-law were all of the same ilk.
Shen Yunfang got carried along in the resentment while sitting there as well.
"Don’t pretend I don’t know. Hongqi’s schooling costs only a little over ten yuan per semester, and the rations he eats are still carried from home. Where’s all that money gone? The food and drink are shared among everyone in the family, and even though there’s no exact figure, I have a rough idea in my heart." Wang Dan didn’t back down. No one could take advantage of her hard-earned money. "Mom, I know you’re careful with money, but you should also consider your grandchildren. If you don’t give us a penny, how are we supposed to live? Isn’t this driving us to death?"
"What are you talking about? Who’s trying to kill you? I simply have no money on hand. Do whatever you like." Qiu Shuping didn’t bother any further and started to create a scene.
"Captain, what do you think we should do about this?" Wang Dan hadn’t expected that her mother-in-law would be unwilling to give even a cent, which was far from what she had anticipated. However, it wasn’t wise to fight with her mother-in-law at this time, so she directly sought Captain Li’s judgment.
Captain Li also sucked on his cigarette, looking somewhat troubled. It was a difficult matter to handle, and any way he intervened would offend someone. In the end, he could only offer a few words of advice. "Old sister-in-law, money is indeed good, but after all, it’s lifeless. What you bring into life, you can’t take out of it. When we’re old, we still rely on our own children and grandchildren to take care of us, don’t we? Why don’t you make everyone happy right now by treating them well?"
"Hmph, they can argue with me over a couple of yuan. Can I count on them when I’m old? They all have hearts of wolves and lungs of dogs. No matter how much money I have, you wouldn’t be happy," Qiu Shuping rolled her eyes, ignoring Captain Li’s face completely.
Captain Li’s face showed some embarrassment, "Heh heh, since sister-in-law has already made her mind up, I won’t interfere anymore. You can decide for yourselves." After that, he got up to leave.
"Hey, Captain Li, Captain Li, don’t go. You can’t leave; if you leave, how can we even split the family? Don’t stoop to the level of an old woman." Old Li saw Captain Li was about to leave and hurriedly asked him to stay. Then he turned back and scolded Qiu Shuping, "You old woman, just figure out how much money you have. What’s the use of talking nonsense?"
Qiu Shuping was not pleased either, but she knew Captain Li was not someone to be offended. She then unwillingly mentioned that she only had a hundred yuan left on her.
Wang Dan, of course, didn’t believe her and started back-and-forth with her. In what year and how much money the family had divided, on what day and how much had been spent. In the end, she made Qiu Shuping so frustrated that she pulled out another hundred yuan, claiming she had no more after that.
Wang Dan knew her mother-in-law certainly had a hidden stash, and it wasn’t small. With her character, if she could bring out two hundred yuan, she surely kept at least another two hundred for herself. But it wasn’t good to press on at this time; she could only think of other ways later in private.
Thus, the two hundred yuan was divided into four parts. The eldest and the second each got a share, while the old couple held onto two shares for themselves and their son and daughter.
Shen Yunfang unexpectedly received fifty yuan.
Next to be divided was the house, and this time it was old Mr. Li who spoke, "There are a total of five rooms in the house; the wing room is uninhabitable, so it won’t be divided."
Shen Yunfang looked up at Li Hongjun, knowing well that the wing room was unfit to live in, yet it had been fixed up for her son’s bridal chamber. Truly remarkable.
Li Hongjun always remained expressionless, listening but not voicing any opinions.
"Your mother and I will live in one room. The eldest son’s family has many children; one room is not enough, so the two rooms on the east side will go to them. The remaining one shall be for Hongqi. Xianghe will live with us for now. Once Xianghe is married off, when your mother and I are gone, our room will also go to Hongqi. That way, each of you two brothers gets two rooms, fair and square. As for Hongjun, you’re a soldier stationed elsewhere, and your wife has to follow you, so even if a room were assigned to you, you couldn’t live in it. Hence, it won’t be divided to you either," said old Mr. Li.
Now Captain Li took the initiative to speak up, "Big brother, this division seems somewhat improper. Is Hongjun’s leg completely healed? Can he return to the army? If he can no longer be a soldier in the future, what are they supposed to do?" The news of the second son of the Li Family getting injured had spread throughout Taoshu Village. Of course, there were various versions of the story.
Captain Li was particularly fond of the Li Family’s second son. It’s often said that the mischievous child turns out well, and this kid was capable even when he was at home and didn’t do badly in the military either. So now that he was sticking his neck out for him, it could be considered as building good karma.
"Isn’t the second sister-in-law quite content living in the wing room?" Li Xianghe suddenly interjected.
This time, it was old Mr. Li’s turn to struggle to save face. He had just mentioned the wing room was uninhabitable, and now the young girl had blurted out that the second son’s couple had their wedding in that very room. If this got out, he would lose all his dignity.
In fact, old Mr. Li was only deceiving himself. Without Li Xianghe saying it, hadn’t all those who came for the banquet seen it? They simply hadn’t mentioned it in front of old Mr. Li.
"Uncle Captain, we don’t need a house. Once the New Year passes, I will go with Yunfang to Gaijiatun to live there for a while. If my leg doesn’t get better, I’ll just farm with her. We can get by just the same," Li Hongjun finally spoke up.
"You, you’re moving to Gaijiatun?" That would mean marrying into the wife’s family. Captain Li looked at old Mr. Li in disbelief, "Big brother, do you agree with this?"
Li Wangcai’s face reddened with shame, unable to even lift his head, but he nodded nonetheless.
Captain Li could only laugh awkwardly, "Ha ha, big brother’s thoughts are indeed unique, enlightened thinking." Sending away such a good son to another family, has old Mr. Li’s mind been kicked by a donkey?
Since Li Hongjun agreed to the division of the house, of course, no one else had any objections. The conversation moved on to the division of household items, pots, pans, and the like. Li Hongjun and his wife wouldn’t get any and thus didn’t participate.
Having completed all this, they finally discussed the problem of providing for parents in their old age. Old Mr. Li outlined the plan he had agreed upon with his wife; the eldest son’s family was responsible for providing food rations yearly, the second son’s family for providing money monthly, and the third son would be responsible for taking care of the elderly parents in the future, including all their needs from living to illness and death.
Wang Dan was somewhat unhappy; her own son didn’t even have enough to eat, why should they provide food for the mother-in-law annually, effectively helping to support her younger brother-in-law? But seeing that Li Hongjun, who was supposed to provide the money, did not object, she swallowed her dissatisfaction.
Finally, Captain Li drafted the family division agreement on the spot. Everyone signed and affixed their fingerprints, and with that, the family division was completed.
The agreement stated that Li Hongjun would pay the elderly couple a hundred yuan every year for their living expenses. Great. Shen Yunfang had barely warmed the fifty yuan in her hand before she had to take it out again, and on top of that, pitch in another fifty. 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝑝𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
