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When Han Shiguo said this, both Han Zhishu, his uncle, and the brigade leader were very pleased.
After all, the fieldwork for the year had been completed, and how much money had been divided?
Han Shiguo’s promise of one hundred yuan per year for eldercare was something that no one could criticize.
Considering that, with the current price of rice outside, the best rice costs 0.17 yuan per jin, one hundred yuan could buy 588 jin of the finest rice.
But in these times, who among the common folk only ate rice as their staple food?
There was plenty of sweet potatoes and corn to alternate with.
If they switched between coarse and fine grains, that one hundred yuan could probably be stretched to cover half the cost!
And it would be impossible to even spend it all.
So, even Li Xia was left speechless. She hadn’t expected that her younger brother-in-law, Han Shiguo, would be so generous and willing to spend so much!
Han Shijun chuckled and asked, “Shimin, what about you? How much are you planning to contribute each year?”
Han Zhishu knew that Han Shimin couldn’t afford to give that much, so he turned to Han’s father and asked, “How about having Shimin contribute a hundred jin of grain every year instead?”
Han’s father replied, “We’re still capable of working, so there’s no need for the eldest to provide grain. After we turn sixty, both of you can give us a hundred jin per year. For now, there’s no need for that one hundred yuan, either. We’ll wait until we’re sixty, and then you can send it. We don’t need you brothers to take care of us just yet.”
“I’ll still give mine!” Han Shiguo quickly responded.
Han Shimin opened his mouth, wanting to say that he would provide the grain, but Li Xia stopped him.
Li Xia was very dissatisfied with the division of property and felt like their family had been at a disadvantage. The fact that her father-in-law had agreed that they wouldn’t need to provide any grain for now was the only thing that had satisfied her. She wouldn’t let her husband ruin that, though!
Han Shimin, thinking of their four children, wanted to say something but swallowed his words. He felt a bit ashamed, but there was little he could do.
Seeing that his eldest son hadn’t spoken up, Han’s Father wasn’t disappointed. After all, the eldest son’s situation was different from the second son’s. The eldest was relying on the farm work, and he still had four children to support. Han Shiguo didn’t want to add any more burden to him.
Just as he said, he was still able to work.
Han’s father then turned to his youngest son, saying, “I know you’re being filial, but we’ll talk about it after we turn sixty. This division of property already put you at a disadvantage, so there’s no reason for us to just take money from you to support us.”
Seeing that his father was firm in his decision, Han Shiguo didn’t argue.
As for Jiang Qian, the new daughter-in-law, she didn’t need to say anything. Unless it was something particularly unfair, she wouldn’t involve herself in such matters.
“Any objections?” Han Zhishu, the eldest uncle, asked.
“No objections,” both Han Shiguo and Han Shimin replied.
Han Zhishu nodded in agreement and proceeded to write up the division and pension agreement. He prepared two copies for the brothers to sign.
Once this matter was settled, Han Zhishu would handle the separation of their households, including the work points book and everything else, making sure everything was clear.
However, to ensure a smooth process, Han Shiguo had already moved his household registration out beforehand. He had his own separate household registration book, so there was no need to make further divisions for him.
It was only Han Shimin’s household that needed to be sorted.
These matters didn’t require Han Shiguo’s attention. After Han Zhishu and the others left, Han Shiguo moved all the rice, flour, and cookware they had been given into their own room.
The fact that the Han family had married off a daughter and, at the same time, completed the family division became a topic of conversation throughout Zhao Family Village.
When Jiang Xiaogu heard the news, it was still early, so she made a special trip to visit Jiang Qian.
“What happened? They just got married, and they couldn’t even wait a day before dividing the family,” Jiang Xiaogu asked.
Jiang Qian then explained the situation, telling her about Han Jiayue causing trouble.
Jiang Xiaogu scolded, “Both mother and daughter are cut from the same cloth. It’s just as well that they’ve been separated!”
She had heard about the division from her father-in-law and whispered, “Although one hundred yuan a year after sixty is a good amount, with Han Shiguo’s high salary, we don’t need to worry about it. The main thing is, we can’t let the villagers talk behind our backs.”
This was in case Jiang Qian thought that one hundred yuan was too much.
But the truth was, it might not even come once a year. If the money wasn’t sent after the family division, people in the village would call them ungrateful.
However, with the one hundred yuan, no one could say anything bad about Han Shiguo. This was a sign of respect for his parents!
It would also be beneficial to Han Shiguo’s future!
Jiang Qian smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Xiaogu. I’m not so naive. Filial piety toward parents is only natural, and I have no objections to this arrangement.”
Han Shiguo had already explained this to her, and she had no intention of interfering with matters like this.
Hearing this, Jiang Xiaogu smiled, “I knew you’d understand!”
If it were Jiang Yue, she might have disagreed and caused a fuss, feeling like she was being taken advantage of. But this niece of hers was broad-minded and had a good perspective!
It might seem like a small loss on the surface, but the reputation of filial piety would belong to their couple.
Reputation was important in the village—if you had a good name, people wouldn’t easily believe anything negative that happened. But if your reputation was bad, people would start rumors based on nothing.
Moreover, her niece, Jiang Qian, was married into a family that was focused on career advancement. If rumors of being unfilial spread, his career would be in jeopardy!
With nothing else to discuss, Jiang Xiaogu smiled and said, “Live a good life with Shiguo. Your future blessings are still ahead of you!”
She looked at her niece with increasing satisfaction. She had the appearance of one who would bring fortune to her husband!
Jiang Qian smiled and nodded, then saw her aunt out.
Han Shiguo had just been chatting with his childhood friends outside. After finishing the conversation, he followed his wife back into the house.
When Jiang Qian met his gaze, her face flushed. “I want to take a bath. Could you heat some water for me?” Although it was a bit chilly outside, since today was their wedding day, she wanted to freshen up.
“Alright,” Han Shiguo replied, but remained standing still.
“Hm?” Jiang Qian was confused.
“Don’t I get a reward?” Han Shiguo pointed to his face.
Jiang Qian’s face turned red, but she stayed seated. Han Shiguo leaned in, and as she glanced at his handsome face, she couldn’t help but be drawn to him.
She leaned in to give him a kiss, but Han Shiguo turned his face at the same time, and she ended up kissing his lips.
Han Shiguo, pleased with making his wife blush, went to heat water for her bath.
When Li Xia found out, she went back and said to Han Shimin, “Look at your younger brother! He’s already heating water for his wife’s bath, and I haven’t seen you do anything for me!”
“How could I not have? When we first got married, didn’t I heat water for your bath? You’re just too lazy to want to wash!” Han Shimin replied directly.
Li Xia: “…”
But honestly, taking a bath in the freezing cold winter was quite a struggle.
Once the water was ready, Jiang Qian was cleaning herself up in her own room. Han Shiguo wanted to stay in the room, but she sent him out.
“There’s a bathhouse in the army. In winter, we all go there to bathe; it’s not cold at all,” Han Shiguo said, once she was done cleaning up. He entered the room to refill her water.
Jiang Qian smiled as she looked at him. “Will you take me there when the time comes?”
“Mm.” Han Shiguo smiled in response.
When Han’s mother came out to fetch the footbath water, she saw the sweet couple heading back to their room, both with smiles on their faces. A gentle smile also appeared on her own face.
The one big concern in her heart was finally settled!