In the Lu family compound of the Rongcheng Machinery Factory, one topic had everyone talking over the past few days.
“Hey, did you hear? Team Leader Lu’s family is making a fuss about splitting the household.”
“Which Team Leader Lu?”
“Who else? Lu Aiguo from the foundry workshop!”
Just as Hu Xing got off work and walked past, she happened to overhear the conversation. She stopped in her tracks, leaned closer, and suddenly asked,
“Zhao Jinlan would actually agree to that?”
Her abrupt interruption startled everyone.
When Aunt Wang recognized her, she clutched her chest and swallowed the scolding she had been about to unleash.
Forget it. There’s no winning against her. Better not invite trouble.
The woman who had started the gossip was the neighborhood’s famous loudmouth. Seeing people interested, she eagerly beckoned them closer.
“I heard both the eldest daughter-in-law and the fourth daughter-in-law of the Lu family are demanding a split!”
“What? Are you sure? Isn’t Zhang Lijuan always obedient to her mother-in-law?”
Hearing someone question her, the gossipmonger puffed out her chest indignantly.
“They argued so loudly last night the whole street could hear them! Why would I make something like that up?”
The moment Hu Xing heard the news, she couldn’t hide the smug delight on her face.
“Hmph. Lin Xiyun never looked like the obedient type. But even Zhang Lijuan, who’s always been so meek, wants to split the family now? Zhao Jinlan must’ve bullied her terribly.”
Serves her right.
She dared make trouble for me over Lin Xiyun back then. Look at them now—turning against each other.
In an excellent mood, Hu Xing smiled broadly and headed to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some meat.
Meanwhile, inside the Lu household, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Bang!
Lu Aiguo slammed the table.
He looked at Zhang Lijuan and Lu Jiandong with disappointment.
“So what? Are you all trying to drive your mother and me to our graves?”
It was a familiar guilt trip.
Zhang Lijuan merely wiped away her tears, unmoved.
Lu Jiandong, whose resolve had never been particularly firm, began wavering again.
Seeing this, Lu Aiguo pressed on.
“Your mother and I struggled so hard to raise you. Back then, when we didn’t even have enough grain to eat, I went door to door begging people to lend us food. We prioritized getting you married first, so your second brother’s wife barely received any bride price. Did I raise you just to have my own children become unfilial when I’m old?”
“Exactly.”
Li Zhaodi, who had always opposed splitting the household, quietly chimed in.
She genuinely believed the Lu family had emptied their savings marrying Zhang Lijuan, the city bride, which was why they couldn’t afford a proper bride price for her.
Lu Jiandong was completely persuaded.
Looking at his aging parents, he felt overwhelmed with guilt.
“I… ah!”
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Lijuan viciously pinched and twisted his thigh.
He winced in pain.
Only after he was too busy grimacing to continue did she let go.
With a sharp look in her eyes, she beat her simple-minded husband to the punch.
“Father, Mother, we’re asking to divide the household—not abandon you. Every month, Jiandong and I will provide grain and money according to local custom. Isn’t that how plenty of families around here do it?”
They’d already had the huge fight last night.
What was the point of pretending now?
She looked around, only to realize Lin Xiyun wasn’t there.
Confused, she thought, Wasn’t Lin Xiyun the one who first brought up splitting the family? Where did she go?
But this wasn’t the time to look for her.
Thinking back to last night only made her laugh bitterly.
Her mother-in-law had come home late from work after doing who-knew-what, then whispered with Father-in-law behind closed doors. At dinner, the two of them acted strangely.
She’d thought they weren’t feeling well.
Instead, they were perfectly healthy—they had simply decided to infuriate her.
How could her mother-in-law shamelessly suggest spending 700 yuan to buy a job for the youngest son?
She’d been stunned.
She’d expected favoritism, but not to this extent.
Seven hundred yuan!
Where would that money come from?
The fifth son had never contributed a single cent to the household.
He’d never even brought home a stalk of vegetables.
So naturally, the money would come from the household contributions collected from the other branches every month.
Since last night, Zhang Lijuan had only one thought.
This family had to split.
“Dad, let’s divide the household. Return the money that belongs to our branch. After that, whether you want to spend seven hundred or even seven thousand yuan on Little Fifth, I won’t say another word.”
Her expression was utterly resolute.
“I seriously don’t get it, Sister-in-law.”
Lu Yezhong frowned.
“That’s Mom and Dad’s salary. I’m their son. If I spend my parents’ money, why does it bother you so much?”
He looked displeased at his sister-in-law, who had been making a scene since the previous night.
Standing impatiently, he said,
“Big Brother, are you really going to let your wife keep acting like this? Will you only stop once she sends our parents to the hospital?”
“How dare you speak to your sister-in-law like that?”
Lu Jiandong glared at him darkly.
Lu Yezhong instinctively swallowed.
Though tall and broad, he was soft from years of idleness.
The muscles Jiandong had built through years of hard labor were in an entirely different league.
Hearing his younger brother disrespect his wife, Jiandong suddenly stood.
“Jiandong, what are you doing?!”
Seeing things escalating, Zhao Jinlan immediately shouted.
But Jiandong ignored her.
He’d tolerated this younger brother for far too long.
Taking two large strides forward, he stopped in front of Lu Yezhong.
Mindful of their parents’ presence, he restrained himself.
Instead, he kicked a nearby stool flying across the room.
The crash startled Lu Yezhong into stumbling backward.
Pointing at him, Jiandong roared,
“Out of everyone in this family, you’re the last person who has any right to lecture us!”
Only after frightening him did Jiandong return to his seat.
Resting his elbows on his knees, he turned away and fell silent.
Zhang Lijuan sighed softly and patted his broad shoulder reassuringly.
She knew exactly how miserable he felt.
When the youngest brother insulted the couple, Mother-in-law said nothing.
Yet the moment Jiandong merely questioned him, Mother-in-law rushed to protect her precious youngest son like a hen shielding her chicks.
“Little Fifth.”
Zhang Lijuan looked at him steadily.
“Don’t look at your brother and me like that.”
“Every cent your brother has earned over the years has gone straight to Mom and Dad. Not one penny has ever reached me.”
“Our son and daughter couldn’t even rely on their own father’s wages to pay for school.”
“It was my salary from the textile mill that supported them.”
“Your brother has worked like an old ox for this family all these years.”
“He buries himself in sawdust under the blazing sun, working himself to exhaustion.”
“And while you only have to sweet-talk Mom a little, she happily hands you money to go out and have fun.”
“Did you ever once think about your own brother?”
“Did you ever care that he was working himself to the bone?”
“I could tolerate the favoritism before.”
“But now, just because you don’t want to be sent to the countryside, Third Sister has to pull strings through her husband’s family, and this family wants to spend 700 yuan on you.”
“What about your brother and me?”
“Aren’t we people too?”
“Aren’t our children children?”
“Are they supposed to give up on life?”
“Never find jobs?”
“Never get married?”
Sitting there expressionlessly, Zhang Lijuan calmly laid bare the life she and Lu Jiandong had endured all these years.
If she hadn’t been earning her own wages at the textile mill and receiving the city’s grain ration, she’d have ended up exactly like Li Zhaodi.
Her own children wouldn’t even have been able to attend school.
Today, she would not back down.
The entire family fell silent.
Lu Jiandong lowered his head further and further.
His heart ached.
After all these years, the only person who had ever truly cared about him was his wife.
His parents only ever cared about one thing—
Money.