Chapter 18 Settling Accounts and Dividing the Family

Lin Shulan slammed the table and stood up angrily, “Second son, you’re something! I’ve always known you were scheming, but I didn’t expect you to calculate your own brother so clearly!”

As she spoke, she went into the room and brought out an abacus.

“Since you want to calculate, let’s calculate properly! The third son went to the army in 1966. In 1967 and 1968, he sent three yuan home each month, a total of seventy-two yuan in those two years.

From 1969 to 1971, the third son was promoted to company commander, sending ten yuan home each month, three hundred and sixty yuan in three years.

From 1972 to 1973, the third son was deputy battalion commander, sending fifteen yuan home each month, three hundred and sixty yuan in two years.

From 1974 to now, the third son is battalion commander, sending twenty yuan home each month, one thousand and eighty yuan in three years.”

“In these ten years, the third son has sent a total of one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two yuan home,” Lin Shulan said, rapidly clicking the abacus.

“Now let’s calculate yours. When the third son returned home on leave the year before last, he found a job at the lumber mill through someone.  It was originally meant for your older brother, but your older brother gave it to you. You earn fifteen yuan a month at the lumber mill, giving ten yuan to the family.  Until now, a total of twenty-eight months, you’ve given two hundred and eighty yuan.”

“Before, you and the eldest brother worked in the village and earned work points. You both earned full work points, but before 1970, the harvest was poor, and the village only distributed grain, no extra money.

From 1971, the harvest improved. In 1971, besides grain, we received eighty-six yuan and thirty cents. That year, we paid off the debts from the famine years, and there was no money left at the end of the year.

In 1972, we received one hundred and twenty-five yuan and eighty cents. The eldest brother’s family had three daughters that year, and the second brother’s family had twin sons.  The eldest and second daughter-in-law didn’t work for three months due to confinement, and they needed to supplement nutrition for breastfeeding, borrowing grain from the team to exchange for eggs.  At the end of the year, after paying off their work point debts and famine debts, eighty-three yuan and twenty cents remained.

In 1973…”

Lin Shulan was about to continue calculating when Zhou Jun became restless.

He quickly grabbed Lin Shulan’s hand, “Mother, don’t calculate anymore, I was wrong, I won’t say such things again.”

Xia Yue’e quickly helped her husband, “Mother, the second son was just momentarily confused. Don’t be angry, we don’t need to calculate, we won’t divide the family.”

Lin Shulan stopped calculating but glared at Sun Fengjiao, “Eldest son, do I need to calculate your family’s accounts for you?”

She knew her sons well. The eldest was simple-minded, and the second was shrewd.

Therefore, when choosing daughters-in-law, she had carefully considered it. She matched a shrewd woman with the eldest son to prevent him from being taken advantage of.

She matched a simple-minded woman with the second son to prevent them from scheming against each other and making their lives miserable.

Although she asked the eldest son, her gaze was on the eldest daughter-in-law.

Zhou Jiakang quickly waved his hands, “Mother, no need to calculate.  Fengjiao and I earn work points in the team, and we have no other income.  If we don’t divide the family, I’ll be taking advantage of the second and third brothers!”

Although Sun Fengjiao didn’t dare confront Lin Shulan, she angrily twisted Zhou Jiakang’s waist.

He knew their family had no other income.

The lumber mill job was originally meant for him, but he foolishly gave it to the second son.

Now, the third son was an army officer, earning a high salary.

The second son could save five yuan a month, but they had nothing.  Their life was unbearable.

Zhou Jiakang cried out in pain from Sun Fengjiao’s twist.  He touched the back of his head, looking at his wife in confusion, “Wife, why did you twist me again?”

Sun Fengjiao was no longer embarrassed, only speechless with anger.

Lin Shulan looked sternly at Sun Fengjiao, “Eldest daughter-in-law, speak up.  No matter how much you twist the eldest son, he won’t understand your schemes.”

Sun Fengjiao knew that Zhou Yubai had already mentioned dividing the family, and their family would eventually split.

She had to secure some benefits for her family before the division, otherwise, their life would be difficult.

She blurted out, “Mother, I’ll be direct. You said that the lumber mill job was originally meant for our family.  The second brother has worked at the mill for almost three years and earned a lot of wages. Shouldn’t the job be returned to our family so that we can save some money?”

Hearing Sun Fengjiao’s words, Zhou Jiakang anxiously pulled her, “Fengjiao, what are you saying! The job belongs to the second brother, how can we ask for it back?”

“Father, Mother, Second Brother, don’t mind her. The lumber mill job belongs to the second brother, let him keep it.”

Zhou Jiakang pulled Sun Fengjiao back into the room.

As soon as she entered the room, Sun Fengjiao cried, throwing pillows at Zhou Jiakang, “You’re such a good person, you gave the job to the second brother, so we’re poor!”

Zhou Jiakang said helplessly, “Isn’t the second brother our family? We’re brothers. If the second and third brothers become wealthy, won’t they help me? Why talk about yours and mine?

Besides, the lumber mill is so far from our home. If I go, I can’t go home all day, and I can’t see my daughter. I’d be miserable!”

Zhou Jiakang said, picking up his daughter Zhou Xiaolian, who had just returned from playing outside, “Oh, my precious daughter, quickly ask your mother not to be angry.”

Zhou Xiaolian, four years old, was very cute and obedient. Hearing her father’s words, she quickly wiped Sun Fengjiao’s tears, coaxing her in a childish voice, “Mother, don’t cry, don’t cry, Nannan will blow on you and you won’t be angry.”

She puffed her cheeks and blew on Sun Fengjiao’s chest.

Seeing her father and daughter like this, Sun Fengjiao couldn’t stay angry.

The Zhou family had never treated her differently because she had three daughters, and Zhou Jiakang cherished his three daughters.

The eldest and second daughters were at school, only the youngest daughter was at home.

Looking at Zhou Jiakang playing with his youngest daughter, Sun Fengjiao sighed.

Marrying such a carefree and honest man, she didn’t know whether it was good or bad.

Fine, she would wait until the family division.

On the other side, Zhou Jun and Xia Yue’e also returned to their room.

Zhou Jun sat silently on the bed, frowning in thought.

Xia Yue’e touched Zhou Jun, “Zhou Lao’er, what do you think?  Saying those things to Mother, weren’t you courting trouble?”

Zhou Jun frowned and glared at Xia Yue’e, “You don’t understand anything! The third son is getting married, our family will eventually split!  If we don’t get more before the division, what will we do with three sons after the division?”

The eldest brother’s family had three daughters, but he wasn’t as worried as he was.

Daughters didn’t need to go to school, and they could choose a good husband when they got married without spending much money.

Sons were different.  Sons needed to support the family, and they needed to study hard.

Getting married, building a new house, giving dowries, everything required money. If he didn’t plan early, he would be in trouble.

Xia Yue’e muttered unconvinced, “I think you don’t understand. Your third uncle is capable. When Dazhuang, Jinhu, and Yinhu grow up, as long as your third uncle helps, they’ll be capable, and we won’t have to worry about their marriages.

But if you fight for these things now and offend your third uncle, and your children are not successful, we’ll work ourselves to death and still won’t earn much.”

Zhou Jun didn’t speak, only frowning tighter.

In the main room, Lin Shulan asked Zhou Yubai, “Third son, you were serious about dividing the family, right?”

“Mm.” Zhou Yubai nodded.

“Sigh!” Zhou’s father sighed, “Big trees have many branches, big sons have separate families. Old woman, let’s divide the family after the third son’s wedding!”

Lin Shulan snatched Zhou’s father’s pipe angrily, “Divide, divide, you only know how to divide! Look at the eldest daughter-in-law, the second son is doing the eldest son’s job, will the eldest daughter-in-law agree to divide the family?”

Zhou’s father glared at his wife, who didn’t give him face even in front of his sons, snatching back his pipe, “The second son took the job, so he should give more to the eldest son when we divide the family. If the second son doesn’t agree, let him return the job to the eldest son!”

Zhou Yubai listened quietly to his parents’ argument before standing up, “Father, Mother, I’ll go now.”