NOVPUB
Chapter 313: Chapter 303: Every Family Has Its Own Hardship
"Can you believe that? I’ve practically raised my son for nothing—what a complete waste. He really has proven that old saying, ’Once he gets a wife, he forgets his mom.’ He used to send money home every month, but now? I’ve sent him one letter after another, and there’s just no response at all, as if his dad and I are dead to him," Qiu Shuping sat on the kang bed, fuming over the two letters she had sent to her second son without even seeing a penny or a piece of paper in return. "This sorry excuse for a son, I should have never given birth to him—should have strangled him the moment he was born to spare myself all this anger now."
"Oh, you’re just never satisfied, are you? Look around our village—everyone would be jealous of you. When other families divide their properties, they bleed the old folks dry, making deals that aren’t even clear. But in your case? When it came to dividing up the family property, you and your old man didn’t have to fork out a dime, and now the sons are taking care of all your expenses, whether it’s money or food, and you’re still complaining," Old Madam Kong, sitting on the floor, couldn’t take it anymore and grimaced. Wishing death upon such a son, by that logic, what should they do with their own children—throw them away?
Humph, that Old Qiu probably never had to deal with a tough daughter-in-law. If she had been the second son’s wife, she’d have turned the Li Family’s house upside down. Why the hell should they divide the family property as soon as I marry into the family? What, you look down on me? Fine, if the Li Family is willing to pay me off, I’d roll up my bedding and go back to my parents’ home this instant; otherwise, from today onwards, they can forget about living in peace—I’ll make their life a misery! And why, when dividing the properties, do all the children get a house except for the second son? What, is he not your flesh and blood? If the Li Family truly doesn’t care for the second son and his wife, then let’s settle it cleanly—cough up all the money he’s sent home over the years. Putting everything else aside, just that money alone is enough to build another house."
Qiu Shuping was quite pleased with herself after hearing those words, and upon reflection, she had to admit that it was true—compared to the other families in the village, hers was indeed at the top of the list.
Even though the Li Family had divided their property while the old man was still around, nothing really changed for the elderly couple. Their eldest son and his wife might infuriate them behind closed doors, but at least they showed respect on the surface and lived nearby, so there was no worry about being left alone in sickness or disaster. Their second son and his wife might be somewhat disobedient, but Qiu Shuping knew her second son well—he wouldn’t neglect the annual support for his elderly parents. And when it came to their third child’s education and Xianghe’s marriage, the second son had also contributed financially, which was quite commendable compared to other villagers. Then there was her youngest son, who had gone off to university, earning the elderly couple quite a bit of respect among the neighbors. Once he graduated, he’d be a government official, a city dweller. This meant that the best days for her and her husband were still ahead of them.
"Heh, it’s not as good as you make it out to be. Every family has its own difficulties. You know, we’re not the kind to be obsessed with money; his dad and I don’t care about their petty cash—it’s just the principal of the thing. Ah, you wouldn’t believe how good my second son used to be. When he was in the military far away, he’d still think of me and his dad. But now that he’s got a wife, things have changed. Instead of coming home to see his parents right after leaving the army, he just showed up once before New Year’s and never again during the whole holiday season. Tell me, does he have no conscience at all? We might as well not have raised him at all," Qiu Shuping ranted about her son’s faults, spitting with indignation as she spoke.
"Oh, look on the bright side will you? We always used to say raising a daughter is for nothing, eventually she’ll belong to someone else. But now look, raising a son seems to be for nothing too. They eat our food, but their hearts are with their in-laws. If we weren’t still holding the fort, they’d probably be moving their fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law in to replace us old folks," Old Madam Kong said, her face reflecting a similar bitterness.
She had two sons herself, but neither was as promising as those of the Qiu family’s three. Her family hadn’t even divided property yet, and her two daughters-in-law were already at each other’s throats, leaving her heartbroken. But she wasn’t one to be taken lightly—no daughter-in-law would dare cross her without facing consequences.
"Humph, the second son would indeed like that—even if it was just for show, too bad his in-laws are long gone and he wouldn’t even know where to find their graves if he wanted to." The words came out a bit too harsh, but Qiu Shuping didn’t care at all. "No, I won’t let those two inhuman creatures off the hook. If they won’t send me a letter back, I’ll go to the army base and find them myself. I simply refuse to believe I can’t sort them out as their mother." Qiu Shuping was getting more and more agitated by the minute. She was waiting for her second son to send her money so she could go visit her youngest son, who had invited her to come and visit, thinking fondly, at least her youngest son was considerate.
With that in mind, she decided to go home and discuss it with her husband, "I can’t stay and chat anymore, I’m heading back home." With those words, she got down from the kang, put on her shoes, and headed out.
"Hey, why are you leaving just like that when we were having a conversation? Stay a little longer," Old Madam Kong called after her as she walked away, "Geez, the older she gets, the more arrogant she becomes. She even dreams of going down south—does she even know which way is south? Pah!"
At the Shen Family’s home in Gaijiatun.
"Wuuu, it’s all a travesty, those old devils at the Fang Family all deserve to die, my poor Yunxiu." Old Lady Shen sat on the kang, slapping her thighs and sobbing.
Old Man Shen squatted on the ground, drawing on his dry pipe, his brows knitted tightly together.
"Old man, if I had just listened to you back then and called off their match, I would rather bear Yunxiu’s resentment for the rest of my life than see her like this now, what are we supposed to do, my poor Yunxiu, wuuu..." Old Lady Shen, with one hand balled into a fist, pounded it against her chest, her heart aching with sorrow.
Old Man Shen smoked one pipe after another, waiting until Old Lady Shen’s crying gradually died down before he finally tapped out his pipe and said, "Alright, stop crying. We’re just guessing wildly based on the letter Yunxiu wrote; it might not even be what we think. She’s thousands of miles away from us now, there’s nothing we can do even if we fret ourselves to death; we can only hope for the best."
"What do you mean it might not be what we think? Since she left, Yunxiu has sent four letters, and not one had anything good to say. Just look at what the Fang Family has been doing, my daughter has fallen into a den of wolves... wuuu..." Old Lady Shen, her words trailing off, couldn’t help but burst into loud cries again.
Old Man Shen sighed and squatted down to fill his pipe with more tobacco. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Not long after Shen Yunfang went to join the military, Shen Yunxiu also left with her child and Fang Chengjian to return to the city. Although Old Man Shen disagreed at the time, he couldn’t stand against the combined insistence of his wife and daughter.
Fang Chengjian hadn’t planned on taking Shen Yunxiu with him immediately, but he couldn’t withstand the relentless pressure from the Shen mother and daughter. In order to return to the city as soon as possible, he had to compromise. Finally, holding her child, Yunxiu stood tall and followed Fang Chengjian confidently onto the road back to the city.
They had thought their daughter would live a good life in the city, but the letter Shen Yunxiu sent back a month later was filled with nothing but complaints. She wrote about how the elder couple of the Fang Family, as well as the siblings of Fang Chengjian looked down on her, how they kept her busy with chores, she portrayed herself as a helpless little cabbage.
And that wasn’t all. Two months had passed, and Shen Yunxiu had sent a total of four letters, each one more sorrowful than the last, detailing how the Fang Family would eat their fill while she and her son could only have watery meals. The Fang Family would sleep in beds, while she and her son had to make do with a makeshift bed on the floor (as for where Fang Chengjian slept, the letter didn’t say).
Each time Old Lady Shen received a letter from Shen Yunxiu, it meant another round of tears for her. This time, she had received the fifth letter from Yunxiu.
