The previous night, the couple had discussed until midnight. Lao Liu hadn’t fulfilled his filial duties toward the old lady all these years, so it was only right that his money went to the collective. But their branch of the family was different—not only did they contribute a formal worker’s salary to the common pool, but they also earned a substantial amount of work points throughout the year.
Even if they made a fuss about it now, it was entirely justified. Most importantly, Liu Aijun felt she was at a great disadvantage, handing over her monthly salary to support such a large family. She wanted to establish her own household. With her family connections, they could build a few adobe houses after the family division. With her salary plus the share from the division, their branch would live a carefree and comfortable life.
“Wife, I’ll definitely listen to you. I did some calculations—Lao Liu’s allowance over the years wasn’t spent much, and adding his retirement pay to that, wow, it must be several thousand!”
Liu Aijun shot her husband a disdainful look. What did a mere farmer know about calculations?
Based on her years of experience as an accountant, if the old lady were to reveal the amount she had tucked away, it would probably shock everyone to death.
The more she thought about it, the more tempted she became. She had to strike first; otherwise, others would surely benefit instead.
As evening fell, wisps of cooking smoke rose from every household in Hongxing Village. Su Qing sat at the entrance of the courtyard, gazing outward—the mountains and forests, the fields, people returning home after a day’s labor, and the old yellow ox grazing on the ridge.
Scene after scene resembled a landscape painting, beautiful and dreamlike.
She took a deep breath—the air was incredibly fresh. If this were the 21st century, building a farmhouse in such a pastoral setting would surely make it a popular check-in spot.
The Wang family had cooked meat today, and the aroma drifted far and wide. Many passersby couldn’t help but pause, inhaling deeply as if each extra whiff was a small gain.
Wang Yongqiang dashed home at full speed. He had wandered around the village all afternoon, not wanting to return for dinner. His mother had never scolded him harshly before, but today she not only yelled at him but also hit him with a broom handle—something he couldn’t tolerate.
He had to make his mother understand that he wasn’t so easily appeased. If she didn’t personally come to invite him for dinner, he would go on a hunger strike.
So, after seeing smoke rise from the chimney at home, he loitered near the intersection close to the house.
Who would have thought his mother would play dirty? Tonight, she actually cooked meat.
If he delayed even a moment, it would be disrespectful to the meat.
Once everyone was home, Zhou Chunxia fetched water and placed it by the water vat. Together with Juxiang, Second Brother Wang Jianjun, and Zhang Xiulan’s youngest daughter Wang Zhiying, they brought all the dishes to the table.
The old lady held the status of the family matriarch in the Wang household, so her meals were the best. Zhou Chunxia set aside a portion of each dish on a separate plate for her. The sweet potato soup was the same for everyone, but the old lady ate two-flour steamed buns.
This was arranged by Juxiang in the afternoon—Zhou Chunxia ensured Su Qing had the very best.
Su Qing accepted it without a second thought.
With so many people and so many chopsticks, her old arms and legs wouldn’t stand a chance. If she ate with everyone else, the dishes would be gone before she could even reach for them.
After Liu Aijun and Wang Weidong sat down, they were also taken aback. Exchanging a glance, they decided to eat the meat first and discuss the family division afterward.
With the old lady’s command of “Let’s eat,” the room immediately filled with the clattering sounds of everyone scrambling for food. The Wang family children were no weaklings; despite their young age, they fought fiercely for the dishes. The youngest, Sanbao, grabbed a handful of scrambled eggs with chives and stuffed them into his mouth. If his mother, Chen Yuzhen, hadn’t held him back, the child would have climbed onto the table.
Su Qing had originally planned to distribute the fabric scraps in the house after the meal, as they were taking up space and getting in the way. But before she could even open her mouth, Wang Weidong and Liu Aijun stood up and faced her directly.
Fengzhi, Lihua, and Shufen from the third branch, along with the couple Wang Zhenhua and Yang Aihua, as well as Wang Guoqing, were utterly bewildered by their parents’ actions. Yet, instinctively, they sensed trouble.
Sure enough, the next moment, they heard their parents say, “Mother, Weidong and I have something we’d like to discuss with you.”
The couple’s intentions were clearly hostile, as if they had been brewing a major move.
“Speak.”
“Mother, I’ll be straightforward. If I say anything you don’t like, please bear with me. I have no other choice. I’ve been married into the Wang family for decades now. Our eldest is already married, and soon I might even become a grandmother. Guoqing is about to get married too. Our house simply isn’t big enough for all of us. The thatched hut hasn’t been repaired in years, and it’s stifling. I was thinking, perhaps we could divide the family? Our third branch could move out. That way, everyone would live more comfortably.”
As soon as Liu Aijun finished speaking, Su Qing could hear the suppressed, startled breaths around her.
Wang Weidong glanced slightly at his mother’s expressionless face, feeling suspicious. He held his breath nervously, waiting. His mother, who had always held everything tightly in her hands, would surely jump up and make a scene upon hearing about dividing the family—that would make it easier to proceed with their plans.
Liu Aijun, who had been suppressed by her mother-in-law for so many years, was so tense she nearly forgot to breathe. No matter how fiercely she had spoken to Wang Weidong in private, standing before the old lady, she couldn’t help her legs trembling with fear.
No one else in the Wang family dared to speak, and few were willing to stand up for the old lady. Even Wang Haiyang, who had felt somewhat moved the night before, now held his wife’s hand to stop her.
His original plan had been to first settle his wife and children’s household registrations. Once the military helped Zhou Chunxia find a job in town, their family would move there. If the third brother’s family took the lead, it would make it much smoother for their branch to split off later.
Su Qing scanned the faces of the Wang family members. For a moment, she felt an overwhelming urge to just throw in the towel. Damn it all—she didn’t want to play this game anymore. What kind of rotten bunch had she raised?
“Third Brother, what nonsense is your wife spouting? Is this something that should be said?”
Wang Weidong shuddered at Wang Baoguo’s roar. Good, good—finally, someone was speaking up. He turned and glared furiously at Liu Aijun.
“Liu Aijun, Mother is still alive and well! What are you babbling about? How can you even mention dividing the family? What’s wrong with the house? Are you trying to break up? If you don’t want to be part of this family, just say it outright. Don’t give me this nonsense about dividing the family!”
“Wang Weidong, open your eyes and look! The Wang family’s daughters are still crammed together sleeping on one heated bed, pressed against each other like pancakes in hot weather, unable to even get off the bed when it’s cold. Your son and daughter-in-law just got married – don’t you want a grandson? All these years I’ve handed over my entire salary, I’ve been more than good to your Wang family. I’ve given you my whole heart, yet you still yell at me. This life is unbearable! What do you want from me? What more do you want from me?”
After Liu Aijun finished shouting, she raised her hand and slapped Wang Weidong hard across the face. The couple grew increasingly agitated as they argued, and would have started fighting right then if not for their son and daughter-in-law holding them back.
……..
This is how women are – even if the argument starts out pretend, as they keep talking the anger becomes real, and fake irritation turns into genuine rage.