“Yes.” Song Shulin’s tone was firm.
Song Dajiang was utterly astonished. “Dad, why would we want to split the family when everything’s fine? Grandma is old, Uncle’s legs aren’t good, and Second Uncle is always sick. Who’s going to take care of them after the split? Besides, aren’t you afraid the villagers will say you’re ungrateful and call our family a bunch of heartless wolves?”
Song Shulin and Shen Xiuzhen exchanged a glance. They both understood that their eldest son’s words were entirely the result of the long-term brainwashing they themselves had endured.
In the past, Old Mrs. Wang, along with the eldest and second branches of the family, had constantly brainwashed them, insisting they had to care for the family and support their nephews and nieces. Over time, they had forcibly instilled this mindset into their own children as well.
From the looks of it, the eldest son was the one most deeply poisoned by this thinking.
“Dajiang, how old are you this year?” Shen Xiuzhen asked.
Song Dajiang looked at his mother in confusion and answered honestly, “Twenty-four.”
Shen Xiuzhen sighed, trying to reason with him. “That’s right, you’re already twenty-four. Weimin is three years younger than you, and he’s about to get married and start a family. What about you? Where’s your wife?”
Song Dajiang frowned. “Mom, we’re talking about splitting the family now. Why are you bringing up marriage?”
“Let your mother finish,” Song Shulin interrupted Song Dajiang.
“Oh!”
Song Dajiang obediently fell silent, and Shen Xiuzhen continued, “To get Weimin a wife, your grandma, your eldest uncle’s family, and your second uncle’s family all want to use our Dani for a marriage exchange for Weimin. But did any of them consider that Dani has an older brother who’s already twenty-four and still single? Even if there’s to be a marriage exchange, Dani should be exchanged for her own brother. Why should she be exchanged for a cousin?”
“What?” Song Dajiang’s eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. “They want Dani to be exchanged for Weimin’s marriage?”
Shen Xiuzhen sneered, “It’s not just a simple marriage exchange. That man, Wu Dawei, is over thirty and lame. Of course, that’s not even the biggest problem.”
Song Dajiang’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. This man could be Dani’s father, and that’s not a big problem? Then what is?
As he was thinking, he saw his mother grit her teeth and say, “The biggest problem is that he once beat his former wife to death. That bastard Song Weimin knew the truth but deliberately kept it quiet, wanting to push our Dani into a living hell. Dajiang, you’re Dani’s own brother. Can you stand by and watch your own sister jump into a pit of fire?”
“Of course not!” Song Dajiang was so angry his fists clenched.
His younger sister was just as straightforward and sincere as he was. Since they were little, she had always fought to help their parents with the chores. The rooms they brothers lived in and the dirty clothes they changed out of were all cleaned and washed by her. How could such a wonderful sister be married off to a divorced murderer?
“Dad, Mom, I’m going to beat that bastard Song Weimin to death!” The more Song Dajiang thought about it, the angrier he became. He wished he could fly home right then and give Song Weimin a good beating.
Seeing that her good son wasn’t beyond saving, Shen Xiuzhen felt a bit more at ease. “Don’t rush. This matter has already been resolved. Your grandma decided that Song Hongxia will be exchanged for Song Weimin’s marriage instead.”
“But your uncle’s family has to give your second uncle’s family a thousand yuan, and also have the Wu Family find a job in the city for Dabao as compensation.”
Song Dajiang’s brows furrowed tightly:
“How can that be? That Wu Dawei is a murderer. Doesn’t Grandma worry that Hongxia might be beaten to death if she marries him?
No way! Dad, Mom, we have to find a way to stop this.”
Stop it?
Shen Xiuzhen would love nothing more than to beat drums and gongs to send Song Hongxia straight into Wu Dawei’s bed. How could she possibly stop it?
It’s true that Song Weimin is an out-and-out villain, but this niece of hers is no saint either.
In her past life, she also married into the city.
But it was a case of pregnancy before marriage, forcing the man to marry her.
Afraid of being looked down upon by her in-laws, Song Hongxia not only didn’t ask for any bride price but also demanded six hundred yuan as dowry from her family, along with the “three rounds and one sound.”
Naturally, this money also came from her and Song Shulin, the two big fools.
Later, Song Hongxia would return to her parents’ home every now and then, and whenever she saw something good, she would take it back to her in-laws’ place without even asking.
Every time she visited, the house would be stripped bare, as if locusts had swept through.
Even so, her in-laws still found fault with her, saying her cooking was terrible, her housework was sloppy, and they regretted letting their son marry her.
Whenever she felt wronged at her in-laws’, Song Hongxia would run back to her parents’ home to complain.
Later, Shen Xiuzhen, feeling sorry for her as a pregnant woman constantly mistreated by her in-laws, suggested that if anything happened, she could ask Dani for help instead of always running back home, lest she risk harming the baby.
Who would have thought that after that, Song Hongxia would treat Song Dani like her family’s maid.
The two families lived close by, just a ten-minute walk apart.
Every day, Song Dani would finish the household chores at the Wu Family’s place, then rush to Song Hongxia’s in-laws’ home to help clean, do laundry, and cook.
It could be said that Song Dani treated this cousin with all her heart.
However, after Song Dani was beaten to death by Wu Dawei, Song Hongxia not only failed to remember her kindness but also helped the Wu Family hide the truth.
Thinking of this, Shen Xiuzhen gritted her teeth in anger.
A thankless wretch like Song Hongxia deserves to marry a scumbag like Wu Dawei.
The inhuman torment Song Dani suffered in her past life should now be experienced by Song Hongxia in this one.
“Dajiang, your father and I won’t stop this because if Song Hongxia doesn’t marry, then Dani will have to marry instead.
You can call us selfish or ungrateful, and we’ll accept it. But we will never agree to let Dani marry Wu Dawei.
If you want to stop it, your father and I won’t stand in your way. As long as it doesn’t harm Dani, you can do whatever you want to stop it.”
Song Shulin said coldly, “Dajiang, think carefully. This isn’t something you can stop just because you want to.”
“But we can’t just stand by and watch Hongxia jump into a pit of fire!” Song Dajiang scratched his head helplessly.
Shen Xiuzhen shot him a glare. “If she doesn’t jump, then you jump. After all, it’s about marrying a spouse—whether it’s a female or male spouse, it’s all the same.”
With that, Shen Xiuzhen had no patience left to argue with Song Dajiang and strode ahead.
Song Dajiang was dumbfounded. “Dad, what did Mom mean by that? I don’t understand.”
Song Shulin coughed awkwardly. It seemed his wife was truly furious, saying whatever came to mind.
After a few seconds of silence, he said coldly:
“Your mother means that you should mind your own business. If the girl’s own parents don’t care whether she lives or dies, why should you, as a cousin, worry yourself sick all day long?
If you really have that much free time, hurry up and find a partner, get married, and have children. That way, your father and I can hold our grandson sooner.”
Song Dajiang: “…”
Was that really what Mother meant?