Just moments ago, Lu Yezhong had been loudly insisting that he wasn’t spending a single cent of his brothers’ money. Now he wilted.
Still unwilling to admit defeat, he muttered,
“But Mom and Dad earn so much every month. Who says they’re spending your money?”
He failed to notice the guilty looks that flashed across Lu Aiguo and Zhao Jinlan’s faces.
Zhang Lijuan laughed in exasperation, tears still glistening in her eyes.
“Fine. Then let’s split the household. Give us our share, and you can spend the rest however you like.”
This was only about buying him a job so he wouldn’t have to go to the countryside.
Later, Lu Yezhong would get married and have children too.
Was she supposed to support this idle brother-in-law for the rest of her life?
When Lu Yezhong heard that, he actually thought it made sense.
If the family splits, I can ask Mom and Dad for money openly without worrying whether my brothers and sisters-in-law approve.
The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded.
He slapped his thigh.
“Split the family!”
Lu Aiguo: “…”
Before anyone else could react, smack!
Zhao Jinlan slapped him on the head.
“You little fool! Who asked for your opinion?”
The silly boy couldn’t even tell friend from foe.
“Ahem, I…”
“Dad, Mom, I’ve invited Director Han from our factory.”
Just as Lu Aiguo was about to make up another excuse to brush the matter aside, a voice interrupted from the doorway.
Everyone looked up.
Walking into the courtyard was one woman and two men.
Lin Xiyun wore a light yellow button-front knit cardigan with a turned-down collar and blue trousers that accentuated her slender waist, making her look youthful and eye-catching.
The two men beside her wore neat blue factory uniforms.
Leading the way was Director Han from the factory’s Security Department, a slightly heavyset man with thick eyebrows and calm, steady eyes.
Behind him followed a tall, thin clerk carrying a notebook.
Lu Aiguo reacted first.
His face blossomed into a smile before his brain had even caught up.
“Director Han! What brings you here? This is rather unexpected.”
As he spoke, he shot Lin Xiyun a dark glare.
After exchanging pleasantries, he hurriedly invited the guests to sit.
Li Zhaodi rushed to pour water.
Zhao Jinlan hurried inside to fetch sugar.
Soon they were serving sweetened water, apples, fruit candies, and even sunflower seeds.
For once, they were surprisingly generous.
“Director Han, please have some water.”
Having been summoned so suddenly at noon, Director Han wasn’t exactly thrilled.
Still, the Lu family knew how to treat guests.
After taking a sip of the sweetened water, he turned to Lu Aiguo.
“Old Lu, I hear your family is splitting up?”
“No, no, nothing like that…”
Embarrassment flushed Lu Aiguo’s face, though his dark complexion concealed it well.
Before he could finish, Zhang Lijuan interrupted.
“Yes, Director Han. We’d like you to witness it. After the household is divided, we’ll still support our parents exactly as we should.”
Director Han looked around the room.
“So… does everyone agree?”
The eldest branch and the fifth son had no objections.
Li Zhaodi hesitated.
She had originally wanted to stay together because her in-laws earned high wages, and even after retirement they’d still receive pensions. Living together meant she could continue benefiting a little.
But now she’d changed her mind.
If her in-laws could casually spend 700 yuan to buy the youngest son a job, then they clearly had even more savings.
Seven hundred yuan!
Each branch would receive several hundred yuan after dividing the assets.
She’d pinched every penny since marrying into the Lu family and had managed to save less than ten yuan herself.
Just imagining life after the split—
Being mistress of her own household.
No longer serving an entire extended family every day.
Holding several hundred yuan in her own hands.
Would she still have to envy the old woman’s one or two pieces of pork?
No.
This family had to split.
Having made up her mind, she declared loudly,
“I have no objections.”
No one even needed to ask Lin Xiyun.
She was the one who had brought Director Han here.
Director Han looked awkwardly at Lu Aiguo and Zhao Jinlan.
“Old Lu… your children are all grown up now. They’re married and have families of their own. As for dividing the household…”
“Who says everyone agrees?”
Zhao Jinlan glared fiercely at the culprit beside her.
“The fourth daughter-in-law! My fourth son never agreed to split the family!”
Zhang Lijuan’s expression changed slightly.
Could something still go wrong?
She quickly added,
“Fourth Brother isn’t home. Fourth Sister-in-law can make the decision on his behalf.”
“Why should she?”
Zhao Jinlan’s eyes widened.
“My fourth son came out of my womb! Why should an outsider with a different surname make decisions for him?”
Lu Aiguo’s eyes flickered.
“In that case… we’ll wait until—”
“Dad.”
The voice that made Lu Aiguo’s eyelid twitch sounded once again.
Everyone turned toward it.
Lin Xiyun sat quietly on a stool.
Her fair, rosy face looked perfectly gentle and well-behaved.
Unhurriedly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a telegram.
She slowly unfolded it and placed it before Director Han.
Smiling faintly, she said,
“Director Han, please take a careful look. I received this telegram from the military last night.”
The military?
Who in the military?
Lu Yanbei.
A terrible feeling settled deeper and deeper in Zhao Jinlan’s heart.
She had just called her fourth son yesterday afternoon to complain about the household division.
At that moment, she wished she could bite off her own tongue.
It couldn’t be this much of a coincidence… could it?
Everyone craned their necks, eager to read the telegram.
Director Han squinted at it.
Then he looked rather embarrassed.
How did the military even agree to send a telegram like this?
“Ahem…”
He cleared his throat.
“It says…”
‘I listen to my wife in everything. — Lu Yanbei.’
Simple.
Direct.
Blunt enough to make people blush.
The room instantly became awkward.
“Impossible!”
Zhao Jinlan completely lost her composure.
“It’s fake! My fourth son would never say something like that!”
Lin Xiyun smiled serenely.
She was very satisfied with everyone’s shocked expressions.
Holding up the telegram, she practically shoved the official telegraph office stamp, date, time, and sender information into Zhao Jinlan’s face.
“Mom, it’s understandable if your eyesight isn’t what it used to be. I’m a filial daughter-in-law, so I’ll hold it closer for you.”
“Can you see it clearly now?”
“The time, the place, the sender’s information—everything’s right here.”
“An express telegram costs six cents per character.”
“I paid forty-two cents for this one.”
“Would you like to reimburse me?”
“I… I can see it clearly.”
Grinding her teeth, Zhao Jinlan turned her face away.
Lin Xiyun nodded in satisfaction, folded the telegram back up, and tucked it away.
“Good.”
“No more objections, then.”
“Let’s split the family.”
With everyone except the elderly couple agreeing, there was nothing Lu Aiguo and Zhao Jinlan could do.
Under Director Han’s witness, the paperwork was drawn up, and the household was officially divided.
There wasn’t much to divide.
The house belonged to the factory’s residential compound, so no one could claim ownership. Each branch would simply continue living in its own room.
The cooking utensils, bowls, pots, and pans were divided.
The family’s two laying hens, however, were claimed entirely by Zhao Jinlan.
The biggest issue was the money.
Everyone stared eagerly at Zhao Jinlan.
Lu Aiguo cast her a meaningful glance before sighing dramatically.
“Old woman… since grown children can’t be kept forever, go get it.”
Receiving the signal, Zhao Jinlan suppressed the curse words she wanted to shout because Director Han was present.
She stomped into the main room.
When she returned, she was carrying a cloth bag.
More than a dozen pairs of eyes immediately fixed on it.
Her rough hands slowly unwrapped layer after layer of cloth.
Inside were crumpled small bills and thick stacks of ten-yuan notes.
“My goodness…”
Li Zhaodi’s eyes grew enormous, practically glowing green.
She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the glittering bundle of money.
Even Zhang Lijuan struggled to remain calm.
“There are a little over 1,500 yuan here.”
“This is the total savings our family has accumulated over all these years.”