Gu Shoufu nodded, "Yes, dividing the family."
He had always turned a blind eye to the minor schemes of his family members. But now, for such a petty gain, they were plotting against their own kin and even resorting to underhanded tactics. He absolutely would not tolerate it.
"Dad, why are we talking about dividing the family? Is this little matter worth it?" Gu Xingmin and Liu Yuemin panicked when they heard him.
Dividing the family would bring them no benefits.
Currently, they were living with and being fed by the elderly couple. Although they had to pay a portion of their expenses, they could still save some money. If they were to split, with just the two of them and taking care of the children, cooking and washing clothes would be chores. Dividing the family was not at all cost-effective for them.
Seeing that they still considered this a minor issue, Gu Shoufu felt his heart grow cold.
"Dad, the family has been living harmoniously. Why bring up dividing the family? Perhaps you could reconsider?"
Gu Xingguo, the eldest son, naturally did not want things to escalate to this point. Considering the feelings of the elderly couple, he spoke up to persuade them.
"Yes, old man, why are we dividing the family?" Li Xiulan was also a bit overwhelmed by the suddenness of the situation.
"Yes, Dad, perhaps you could reconsider."
Although Chen Lishu detested Liu Yuemin immensely, she did not want Gu Shoufu and Li Xiulan to be upset.
This was why she had kept quiet about the matter after returning from town. If the two branches of the family were to quarrel, the elderly couple would be caught in the middle and find themselves in a difficult position.
Teaching Liu Yuemin and Gu Xingmin a lesson was too easy for her. If she didn't have scraps of fabric, she could spend more money to buy fabric. She wasn't short of money anyway, and she had a sewing machine, so her efficiency would naturally be much higher. All she had to do was wait for Liu Yuemin to finish making all the hair accessories, then take her finished hair accessories to town and lower the price to the minimum. Their little plan would be completely foiled.
Alternatively, she could find someone to raise the price of fabric scraps at the garment factory, or perhaps not even raise it. Since Liu Yuemin would definitely know when she went to town, if she could cut off her supply source in advance, any of these methods would be better than causing a direct confrontation.
"When branches grow from a large tree, the children grow up and have their own ideas. When their wings are strong enough, I can no longer control them. I am old and can no longer keep a close watch. Before a great disaster occurs, it is better to divide the family. Then, you can all bear your own fortunes and misfortunes."
Gu Shoufu sighed, his mind made up. Today, the family had to be divided, no matter what.
The third son's wife usually appeared quiet and unassuming, but that was when she was not provoked. Just by looking at what she had done since entering the house, it was clear that she was a young woman who dared to fight Liu Dabao and dealt with Chen Mancang and Widow Liu without any hesitation. The second son and his wife were noisy, but that was because they were mindful of the elderly couple and did not argue with them.
Last time, when the second son's wife did something with her maiden family, the third son's wife had mentioned it. This time, if it weren't for the fourth son, she probably wouldn't have brought it up. Not wanting them, the elderly couple, to know about such a major event, why? Because their child was sensible and filial!
How aggrieved the child must have been to experience such a significant event and still endure it without speaking. They, as parents, could not let their child's heart grow cold.
"Fourth, go and call the village secretary and the team leader, as well as your second and third uncles. Have them come over to bear witness."
"Dad..." Gu Xingye tried to persuade him again, but Gu Shoufu glared at him, and he had no choice but to turn and go out to call for them.
"Over the years, we haven't saved much money for marrying off your brothers. Now, we have about three hundred yuan left. Last time, the third son returned five hundred yuan to us, making a total of eight hundred. Each of your three families will get two hundred. The fourth son and Xingping are not yet married. We, the elderly couple, can still work and help them for a few more years. When we can no longer work, whoever is more filial will inherit what we have."
Gu Shoufu said, gesturing for Li Xiulan to take out the money.
"You've seen the grain. We only have one pot at home. For now, we will continue to eat together. When the grain is distributed at the end of the year, each family will have their own share. As for housing, if anyone wishes to move out, I will give them an additional two hundred yuan when the money is distributed at the end of the year."
"Dad, how do we divide the pig and chickens at home?" Liu Yuemin, seeing that dividing the family was inevitable, decided to ask for clarification.
Gu Shoufu glanced at her lightly, "We'll sell them for money at the end of the year and then divide it. Do you want cash now?"
Liu Yuemin saw that he was displeased and forced a smile, "We'll do as Dad says. We'll wait until the end of the year."
Gu Shoufu looked at the others, "If anyone has any questions, ask them now. Don't say anything useless later. At that time, no one will be able to get help from me. Don't say I didn't remind you."
The others all shook their heads, indicating they had no questions.
"Dad, you decide," Gu Xingguo said in the end.
Soon, the village secretary, the team leader, and Gu Shoufu's two brothers arrived. Upon hearing that he wanted to divide the family, everyone sighed and tried to persuade him a few times. Seeing his determination, they had no choice but to comply.
Since everything had been agreed upon beforehand, everyone had no objections, and the family was divided quickly.
After sending the guests away, the atmosphere at home was somewhat subdued. No one said much, and they each returned to their respective rooms.
When everyone had left, Chen Lishu's gaze fell on the somewhat lonely faces of Gu Shoufu and Li Xiulan. After thinking for a moment, she took out the two hundred yuan she had received from the division and pushed it towards them, saying softly, "Dad, Mom, Xingdong and I can both earn money, and we are not short of money. With my fourth brother reaching the age for matchmaking, and my younger sister needing money for her studies, please take this money."
Li Xiulan looked at the money in front of her, her eyes slightly red, "You are a good child, but your father and I cannot accept this money. We agreed to give it to you when we divided the family. The other two families have it, so it's just this much. Please take it back."
"Mom, you must take this money. Even if Xingdong knew, he would agree with me doing this."
"Your mother and I know that you and the third son are good children, but we can still earn. You should keep it for yourselves."
Originally, the second son and his wife had wronged the third son's wife. How could they accept this money?
Seeing their persistence, Chen Lishu hesitated and then accepted the money. She then counted out forty yuan and gave it to Li Xiulan, "Mom, this is the money I earned from selling hair accessories these past two times. Please accept this."
"Okay." Li Xiulan did not refuse this time. She accepted the money, feeling more and more that she had married the right daughter-in-law.
The next day, everyone went to work as usual. Gu Xingye also went through the procedures for leaving his job and obtained a certificate from the team before reporting to the materials bureau in town.
When the villagers heard that Gu Xingye had found a job in town, although it was only a temporary job, he could learn to drive a car. They were all very envious.
This even attracted several people who wanted to arrange marriage proposals for him, which delighted Li Xiulan and Gu Shoufu. For a while, this significantly diluted the oppressive feelings brought about by the family division.
After careful consideration, Chen Lishu decided to go to the provincial capital.