"Brother Changlei, you really came. I thought you didn't want to see me~" Two tear marks fell on Song Xiulan's pretty face, which made the honest man Sun Changlei very anxious. He was at a loss and wanted to comfort sister Xiulan, but he didn't dare to really do it. It was Song Xiulan who took the initiative to pull Sun Changlei's hand, put it on her smooth face, and wiped away the tears.
Song Jiayu, who was hiding in the dark and seeing everything, said: Cousin, you are so good!
"Xiu Lan, you, I, we shouldn't--" Sun Changlei withdrew his burning hands, his heart beating very fast. He liked Xiu Lan, and there was no young man in the village who didn't like Xiu Lan, but his mother had arranged a marriage for him and Xiu Lan's cousin Jiayu, and he couldn't do anything to let others down.
"What do you mean you shouldn't? Brother Changlei, don't you like me? Do you like my sister Jiayu?"
Seeing the hurt expression on her face and the expectation in her big eyes, Sun Changlei found it difficult to say something against his will. "Xiu Lan, I do like you, but it's too late. Jia Yu and I have already agreed to get married, and we can't let Jia Yu down. Didn't you also mention a worker in the county town?"
"Brother Changlei, I don't want to marry someone in the city, I don't want to marry anyone else, I just want to marry you and be with you. I just like you, is there anything wrong with that?"
"Xiu Lan, but—"
"No buts. Jiayu can marry in the city. We are both granddaughters of the Song family. It doesn't matter who we marry. Brother Changlei, can you go back and talk to Auntie about it? You don't want me to be with another man, do you? Feel my heartbeat?"
As Song Xiulan spoke, she held Sun Changlei's hand and placed it on her chest.
Feeling the softness, Sun Changlei's neck turned red. The young boy had never experienced such a scene before.
He murmured, "Okay, okay..."
Catching an adulterer in pairs, it was her turn to appear. Song Jiayu had originally planned to jump over the small slope and make a handsome appearance from the bamboo forest, but she overestimated herself, slipped, and fell on the muddy ground. However, she was dedicated to acting. She pointed at the two people, opened her mouth twice but couldn't say a word, and then yelled: "Cousin Xiulan, and Sun Changlei, you, you, are too bullying!" (Imagine a groundhog yelling)
Sun Changlei immediately let go of her hand and said anxiously, "Sister Jiayu, it's not what you see. It's all my fault. It has nothing to do with Xiulan."
Song Xiulan went all out and took Sun Changlei's hand, saying, "Brother Changlei and I are in love, just as you saw."
…
In the main hall of the old Song family, only the old Song family was present at the moment. The old couple of the Song family sat at the top, and the families of the first and second branches sat on the long benches on the left and right sides respectively. The atmosphere was not so good, but a bit solemn. No one spoke, only Song Jiayu's crying could be heard from time to time.
Two minutes later, Old Man Song spoke: "Jiayu, don't cry. Grandpa will take care of this matter for you."
Song Jiayu was still crying. She raised her head. Her little face had become much whiter, and her facial features were now delicate and pretty. Her eyes were red. "Grandpa, you have to keep your word. You really have to make the decision for me, otherwise this matter will get out tomorrow."
Old Madam Song couldn't help but say, "Jiayu, you're also a girl from the Song family. Xiulan's bad reputation doesn't mean it's good for yours. We should forgive others when we can. We're all family. Why make such a fuss?"
Such a smooth-talking attitude would have been very sad to hear, but fortunately Song Jiayu didn't care at the moment. She buried herself in her mother's arms and burst into tears: "It was obviously Xiulan who did the wrong thing. It was Xiulan who stole my fiancé and did such a shameless thing. How can she be blameless? And she still wants me, the victim, to forgive her? Wuuuuu... It's too bullying..."
Wei Meihua said a few words for her daughter: "Jiayu, don't say such harsh words. Xiulan and Changlei just like each other at most. Besides, your family has agreed to a marriage swap, so Xiulan can't be considered to have stolen your sister's partner."
Zhao Qiuqin said with a cold face: "I'm afraid that sister-in-law has forgotten that the condition for our marriage exchange is the division of the family. This family hasn't been divided yet, so the marriage exchange naturally doesn't count."
Zhao Demin: "My daughter has suffered such a great injustice, I can't just let it go."
Zhao Quanqing: "Second brother, what else do you want to let it go? Xiulan has already apologized. If your family had agreed to the marriage swap earlier, would this have happened?"
Zhao Qiuqin: "Bah! Why should Jiayu take what your Xiulan doesn't want? And you expect my daughter and son to work like slaves for you? Impossible!"
Wei Meihua: "Second sister-in-law, you are being too serious. What does it mean to be a slave? We are all members of the Song family. We are helping each other!"
Seeing the main room about to turn into a battlefield, Old Man Song knew that this family was doomed and everyone was scattered. He slammed the table hard and shouted angrily, "Stop arguing! Look at what you have become! Big Brother, do you still remember that you are brothers?"
The two sons were speechless after being questioned by their father.
One has been spoiled by his parents since childhood and is fearless, and doesn't care about his brothers; the other has been asked to give in to his elder brother since childhood, and the brotherhood has been worn out over the years.
"Let's split up!"
Old Mrs. Song looked at the old man in surprise. This was different from what they had discussed last night.
"I'll ask the village chief to divide this family tomorrow. My husband and I will sort out our belongings tonight. Jiayu, Xiulan has let you down this time. I'll give you some compensation when we divide the family tomorrow. I hope that after the division, there will be less friction and that both of you can live well. That's better than anything else. Let's just break up!"
Old Man Song didn't want to look at his two sons anymore. At this point, the two families stopped arguing and went back to their rooms.
In the main hall, Old Lady Song didn't understand. "Didn't we agree last night that we wouldn't split up the family and that we would compensate the second son's family from somewhere else?"
Old Man Song took a drag from his pipe in frustration. "There's nothing I can do, my dear. You've seen it too. Quanqing and Demin's families are arguing like this. If they continue to fight, I'm afraid the two brothers will become enemies. Now that they've split up, at least there's still some brotherhood left."
"With us suppressing the second son, how could he dare to do anything? Besides, it is the eldest son who will take care of us in our old age!" Old Mrs. Song did not care. She believed that sons were born to be filial to their mothers.
Old Man Song continued, "We can suppress the second son, but what about the grandchildren? Tianshun is in his third year of high school this year, and there are still two months to go before the college entrance examination. After he passes the college entrance examination and is assigned a job, the eldest son's family, Chengjiu, wants it. Do you think we should force the second son to give it to him?"
"...Yes." Although she was reluctant to admit it, Mrs. Song still nodded.
"You see, even a rabbit will bite if it is pushed into a corner. The second brother's family has been pushed to that point. Do you think the second brother will sprinkle a bag of rat poison and send us all away?" A worried look appeared on the wrinkled face of Old Man Song.
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