“What? Mom, what did you saay?” Xu Dagen was completely stunned.
“At the hospital, Duoduo said she was the one who filed the police report. Unless she withdraws it herself, nobody else can do anything about it.” Sitting cross-legged on the kang bed, Old Madam Xu repeated Xu Duoduo’s exact words. “And for her to withdraw the report, her condition is that the family splits up. Your branch has to move out with nothing — not even the house — and your father and I will live with the second branch.”
“Mom! It’s only natural for the eldest son to support his parents. That’s the rule handed down by our ancestors!” Xu Dagen protested immediately.
“And I even gave you and Dad four grandsons! Next year Dayou will be old enough to marry, and you’ll get to hold great-grandchildren too!”
Chen Hehua hurried over to Old Madam Xu’s side and wrapped an arm around her while acting spoiled.
That little money-losing brat really had big ambitions.
Which neighbor around here didn’t envy the Xu family’s house?
A standalone courtyard with three main rooms and three side rooms each on the east and west wings.
Old Xu, Old Madam Xu, and Xu Xiaomei lived in the three main rooms.
Their eldest branch occupied the three east wing rooms.
The second and third branches lived in the west wing rooms.
Though it wasn’t exactly spacious, it was still far better than most families, who had entire households crammed into one room with only curtains dividing sleeping spaces.
And now the second branch wanted the eldest branch to leave empty-handed while taking over all these benefits for themselves?
Dream on.
She had four sons. Every one of them would need a house to marry.
If they were truly kicked out empty-handed, where would she find housing?
But then another thought crossed Chen Hehua’s mind.
If the second branch were separated instead, and the house used as leverage, wouldn’t Xu Ergen obediently withdraw the charges against Eryou and Sanyou?
And even after the separation, with Old Madam Xu’s personality, she could still keep squeezing the second branch dry and making them work like oxen.
Once the family split, Chen Hehua herself would no longer need to constantly flatter Old Madam Xu or worry every day that the old woman would suddenly demand her wages.
Next year, Old Xu’s security job could even be passed down to Eryou, meaning he wouldn’t have to go to the countryside.
And once Dayou got married, she could use excuses to pocket Xu Xiaomei’s wages and future bride price as well.
Later, when the boys grew older and needed more space, they could simply use the excuse that the family had already split and kick the second branch out completely.
The more she thought about it, the more beneficial this “family split” seemed.
“Dad, Mom, if anyone’s moving out empty-handed, it should be the second branch!” Xu Dagen hurriedly declared. “They don’t even have a son — they’re basically a dead line! How could you possibly live with them? You and Dad should naturally be supported by us!”
As expected of a couple sleeping under the same blanket — husband and wife truly thought alike.
“You and Hehua are the filial ones,” Old Madam Xu said comfortably while enjoying Chen Hehua’s leg massage. “That second son never listened since childhood. And the wife he married is a useless hen that can’t lay proper eggs, giving birth to three worthless girls in a row. He made himself into a family without descendants.”
“Dad, Mom…” Chen Hehua’s hands massaged even more diligently. “How about we pretend to split the family first? Use the house to pressure the second branch into withdrawing the case and bringing Eryou and Sanyou home. Once Duoduo recovers and the matter dies down, we can reunite the family again.”
“Dad, Eryou and Sanyou absolutely can’t spend the night at the police station,” she added quickly when Old Madam Xu remained silent. “If word gets out, our family reputation will suffer. Dayou still needs to start meeting marriage prospects.”
Chen Hehua knew Old Xu cared most about saving face.
“Eldest Son, what do you think about a fake family split?” Old Xu finally asked.
As long as he was still alive, a real division of the family was unacceptable.
“It works! Of course it works!” Xu Dagen agreed immediately. “This family is ruled by you. If you say split, then we split. If you later say reunite, then we reunite.”
His bootlicking skills were first-class.
He knew his wife clearly supported the idea, so all he needed to do was follow her lead.
“But… how exactly should we split it?” Old Xu asked after a long silence.
“Dad, Mom,” Chen Hehua began cautiously, “normally a daughter-in-law shouldn’t interfere in matters like this. But Eryou and Sanyou need your help now, so I thought of a possible arrangement. See if you approve.”
“Go ahead.”
Old Xu felt irritated. Looking at the unopened cigarettes he had failed to gift away earlier, he tore open a pack, lit one, and took a deep drag.
Liu Liguo truly didn’t know how to appreciate good things.
These were filtered cigarettes!
“First,” Chen Hehua said smoothly, “we absolutely cannot let Third Brother know the split is fake. Otherwise he’ll definitely tell Second Brother.”
“Second, the house on paper should all belong to our eldest branch. Since Second Brother’s family will still rely on their nephews to support them when they’re old, they don’t need to move out. They can continue living there for now. Once both of them pass away, the rooms return to our eldest branch.”
“And as for money, Dad and Mom can just symbolically give the second branch a little. Duoduo’s hospitalization already costs money anyway. If you don’t give them anything, they’ll still come asking you for it.”
“Most importantly, the third branch absolutely cannot receive either house or money. With Third Brother’s personality, if he got property and cash, even if he knew the split was fake, he’d never agree to reunite later.”
“And there’s no need to distribute money to our eldest branch either. Since we’ll reunite eventually, moving money back and forth would just be troublesome.”
In just a few sentences, Chen Hehua finished dividing up the entire family.
Even the medical fees they had intended to spend could now conveniently become “separation money.”
She knew she couldn’t appear too eager for assets, or her true desire for a permanent split would become obvious.
First secure the house for her own family.
Xu Dagen looked at his wife with sparkling admiration.
His wife truly was incredible.
Not only had she given him four sons, she had practically tricked the entire family fortune into their hands.
What “fake split”?
Seeing how serious she was, he knew perfectly well this family would never reunite.
“Once the split happens,” Chen Hehua continued, “the eldest brother is still generously letting his younger brother’s family stay in the house. Wouldn’t Second Brother immediately hurry to the police station and bring Eryou and Sanyou back? Then once the situation calms down, we can simply reunite the family again.”
Seeing Old Xu and Old Madam Xu still hesitating, she pushed harder.
“During the fake split, Second Brother’s family will still pay household expenses and continue helping with work at home. Isn’t that basically the same as not splitting at all?”
She switched to massaging Old Madam Xu’s other leg.
“And once Eryou and Sanyou return home, we can tell Third Brother about the fake split too. Surely he won’t become estranged from you over something like this.”
She knew perfectly well Old Madam Xu treasured her youngest son most.
“Old man, I think this plan works,” Old Madam Xu finally said after thinking it through carefully. “This way Ergen won’t let Duoduo keep causing trouble.”
Old Xu silently smoked his cigarette without speaking.
The room fell quiet.
Meanwhile, the entire Xu family sat together enthusiastically plotting how to deal with Xu Ergen’s family.
The more they discussed it, the more excited they became.
No one even remembered dinner.
Meanwhile, over at the hospital, Xu Duoduo’s family was eating patient meals together in an atmosphere so warm it almost felt unreal.
“Second Sister, hospital food tastes so good!” Xu Ting said happily while chewing half of a mixed-grain steamed bun.
Xu Ergen silently set down his chopsticks and turned away to wipe his tears.
From now on, he swore he would make sure his three daughters could eat their fill.
“Heavenly father…” Zhou Rong’s eyes reddened too.
The first full meals her daughters had ever eaten in their lives had actually come from a hospital.
As a mother, she was at fault too.
From now on, she would protect her daughters properly.
“Mom,” Xu Duoduo comforted them softly, “Grandpa and Grandma will come to the hospital this afternoon to discuss splitting the family. After that, our family will be able to eat until we’re full every single meal.”