Chapter 163 Li Aiyun VS Zheng Guoqiang
Zheng Guoqiang is not a real fool, on the contrary, he is a very shrewd person.
In the past, he gave all his salary to his mother because he thought that this was the easiest and least troublesome way to do it.
If a person is not with his parents to fulfill his filial duties, sending all his money back to support them can help him build a good reputation in the army.
After all, even in a time when ethical norms have completely collapsed and publicly severing ties with parents is now permitted, the concept of "filial piety being the most important virtue" remains ingrained in many people's DNA, serving as an implicit standard for measuring a person's moral character. Honoring one's parents is a sign of affection and loyalty, earning them greater respect and trust.
He has no money and doesn't spend money on a daily basis, yet he still manages to establish an image of a frugal person.
Moreover, if he sent all his salary home, others would know that his family was struggling. Sometimes, when they were trying to find ways to help fellow soldiers in real need, they would avoid him and not ask him to donate. More importantly, his superiors would also pay him more attention. After all, the poorer you are, the more glorious it is.
Back home, sending his salary home would also help him gain a good reputation and make his family more prestigious within the brigade. He believed his parents wouldn't go too far and would at least provide him with basic arrangements, such as finding him a wife. That way, he would have no worries while striving outside.
When he becomes successful and famous in the future, and then he properly supports his children, then Zheng Guoqiang will have truly risen. As for his wife who is filial at home and has given birth to children, she should also be satisfied if he raises the children into talents, because those are her children.
But he didn't expect that after all his plans, there would be problems during the marriage proposal. Not only did he not get married, but the good reputation he had built up over the years was ruined.
If his marriage with Xu Wumei had gone smoothly, perhaps he would not have been arranged to change his career, but would have been promoted, had a wife and children, and gained status and position.
Whenever he thought about this, Zheng Guoqiang's resentment towards his mother and sister would deepen. If it weren't for the two of them messing around, Xu Wumei would have married him long ago. How could it have come to this?
Besides being busy with their farmwork, rural residents are always gossiping. His breaking off of the engagement had caused such a big stir that everyone in the surrounding villages might have heard about it. He was returning now, and no one knew what others would say about him.
Now, his future and reputation are gone, and his thoughts on many things are different.
Zheng Guoqiang didn't answer Li Aiyun's question. Instead, he asked, "Dad and my older brothers are all at work. Where are the children? Are Xiaomei and Xiaoju out playing? Have the nephews been named yet?"
Li Aiyun sighed and said, "Don't mention it. We separated during the autumn harvest. Your eldest and second sisters-in-law always quarreled with me, complaining that I didn't help them with the work. I helped look after the four children at home, and they kept crying or making a fuss, which gave me a headache. They also complained that I wasn't doing enough. Your second sister-in-law and I had a fight. I was too old to beat her, and she beat me so hard that I had to stay in bed for several days.
She even complained first, going to the brigade and using a loudspeaker to say I was bullying her and calling me a wicked mother-in-law. I was so angry I almost choked. So I divided the house and everything in it into three parts, and they each took one. Originally, the wing room was going to be theirs, but they didn't want to live there, so they sold it to me. From now on, the wing room and everything else are yours."
Zheng Guoqiang smiled and said, "Did you also divide the money I sent back earlier?"
Li Aiyun sighed, "I didn't get any, but it wasn't much either. You know, in the past two years, we've built a house, bought bicycles, and had more people. The work points I earned weren't enough to eat, so I had to add a little. I don't have much left. They wanted to share, but I said it was the third son's gift to his parents, so how could they have the nerve to share? I scolded them a few times, and they let it go. I just gave them the grain that was allocated to us at home and the money from selling the pigs."
Zheng Guoqiang: “…”
In his first year, he received a monthly allowance of 6 yuan, his second year 7 yuan, and his third year 8 yuan. For those three years, he sent home 60 yuan each year, for a total of 180 yuan. In his fourth year, he was promoted to platoon leader, earning a 23rd-grade salary of 52 yuan per month. For three consecutive years, he sent home 600 yuan annually, for a total of 1,800 yuan. Starting in February of this year, he has been sending 25 yuan each month, for a total of 225 yuan in nine months.
He sent more than 2,000 yuan home in total, but now his mother told him that she didn't have much left.
Even if you build a house, buy a bicycle, or supplement household income, how much can you spend?
It's not like he hasn't lived in the countryside before and he knows nothing about the cost of living in the countryside. How dare she tell him such lies? Does she think he won't fall out with her like her elder and second brothers did?
I had thought about giving her some money every month, but now it seems that's no longer necessary. He already gives her enough.
"Then how much filial piety do the eldest and second brothers give every month?"
Li Aiyun: “…”
In order to restore her reputation and let everyone know that she was not a wicked mother-in-law, nor a partial mother who did not care about her son's life or death, she did not ask for their filial piety money and agreed to give it to the old man when he turned 60.
"They're having a hard time right now. They just moved out and bought a vacant house in the brigade. They also have children to raise, so I'm afraid they're in debt to the brigade. I didn't ask them for filial piety money. I'll wait until your father is too old to work. No matter what, your eldest and second brothers were born from my womb. I love them as much as I love you and Lan Ping. They can make things difficult for me, but I can't make things difficult for them. After all, I'm a mother."
Zheng Guoqiang smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Mom. My eldest and second brothers are too much. Over the years, I've sent more than 2,000 yuan home, and Mom has always supported them, but they're still not satisfied! They don't even think about how comfortable their lives would be without Mom's help. They even find fault with Mom! They're such ungrateful people!"
My mother helped them find wives, gave them betrothal gifts, hosted wedding banquets, and helped with confinement care and childcare after their births. Although the large tiled house at home was built with the money I sent back, my mother also made sure they didn't have to worry about living insecurely when they got married. Each of them had two small rooms. It was better than most, but better than most.
What were their conditions when they first got married? What were they like later? Life is getting better and better, but they're becoming increasingly unsatisfied. People are truly greedy. If you're greedy, you'll end up bloating yourself.
I used the money I sent back in my first year of promotion to build a house. They have lived in a big tiled house for three years. Now they come to make trouble with my mom. It’s really outrageous.
It's good that the family has split up. Mom can now enjoy a more peaceful life. Dad doesn't have to work too hard. Even if we use the two thousand yuan to build a house, buy a bicycle, and supplement the household expenses, there should be a lot left. I won't say much more, but there should be more than a thousand yuan. In the countryside, it's enough for my parents to support themselves in their old age.
I'm in my twenties now, so I can just worry about my own affairs. My parents don't need to worry about me. Worrying too much can make you sick. As a son, I can't bear to see my parents suffer like this.
Since the family business has been divided, and my eldest and second brothers have already received theirs, let's consider it my share as well. I don't want anything from this house, nothing at all. My share will be considered as a tribute to my parents. From now on, I'll do the same as my eldest and second brothers, and after Dad turns 60, I'll give him a monthly tribute. I won't give less than a cent.
My parents can spend the family money however they want, and I don't interfere. Even though I earn the money, once I give it to them, it belongs to them. For the past seven years, I've been serving in the military, eating in the army cafeteria and wearing the uniforms they provide. I've barely spent any money myself, and I send all the money I save to my parents.
Li Aiyun was shocked!
She looked at her third son in front of her, as if it was the first day she met him.
This person is hitting her!
Okay, okay!
Li Aiyun had been wrong. She had always thought that the third child in the family was the most cowardly and easily bullied and the easiest to control. Unexpectedly, he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Now, he had shed his disguise, baring his sharp teeth and aiming them at her.
The eldest and second sons still let their wives fight in the front, while they hide behind their women and enjoy the fruits of their labor. But the third son is different, he does it himself.
How could she refuse?
cannot!
If she didn't agree, this guy would go to the brigade and settle accounts with all the members for the money he had sent back over the years.
She was sure that he must have kept every remittance slip! Even if she wanted to distort the facts, she couldn't!
No matter how this matter is discussed, no one will say anything bad about him.
By then, everyone would just call her greedy, biased, and clueless, saying she'd broken her son's heart. It wouldn't matter to her, but Lan Ping's reputation would surely be tarnished even further, and the two ungrateful eldest and second sons would surely side with the third son and accuse her of bias.
It felt like there was a big hole in Li Aiyun's heart, with wind rushing in.
How did she end up living like this?
From then on, she could no longer control the child. She had to cooperate with him in a nice way, try her best to play the role of a loving mother and a filial son, and help him maintain his image, so that he could give as much help as possible to the family.
However, she still wanted to struggle a little longer.
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