Chapter 2996 Family Banquet
Old Zhou was sitting on a small stool cutting medicine, and he sighed halfway through.
Qian ignored him and was still cutting medicine, so Old Zhou sighed again.
Qian raised her eyelids and glanced at him, then asked, "What's wrong with you? The fifth wife said that these medicines are for emergency use and will be ground into powder to make ointment later."
Old Zhou then sped up his cutting of the medicine, but he couldn't help but ask, "Do you think we really need to split up?"
Qian didn't say anything.
Old Zhou was unwilling in his heart. He muttered, "We are still alive..."
I always feel that the family will fall apart after the division. Now that there is no division, it is natural for the fourth brother and others to use Manbao's official cards, and it is also natural for Manbao to share the profits every year. Whether it is more or less, we are still a family. We can just muddle through and no one will take it to heart.
But if the family were to split up, all these matters would have to be discussed again. Otherwise, if too many things were divided, it would be hard to avoid feeling uncomfortable.
Old Zhou knew he wasn't as smart as his wife, so he asked her, "Let's put it this way. If we split up the family business, the ointment business would belong to the fourth and fifth sons and Man Bao Lijun and the others. The two of us would cut the ointments for them every day at home. How could they not have any complaints after a while?"
Therefore, as long as the elderly in the village are still alive, they will not split up. The main reason is that they have to serve and pay taxes, and the second reason is that it is difficult for the elderly to do things.
After the family was divided among the brothers, would the elders help the eldest brother with work, or would they help the second brother's family? What about the third brother's family?
Especially since they have six sons.
He could just throw up his hands and say that he would live with his daughter in the future, but he couldn't run to Qingzhou to be with Manbao right now. So, it would be too difficult to help this family but not the other.
And… Old Zhou muttered, “I just want to cut some medicine…”
For example, the eldest son can't do the work in the kitchen. The second and third sons are doing farm work in the fields. He can help, but he doesn't want to do it. It's too tiring. He is old and can enjoy his life. Why should he work in the fields?
So it would be great if the family did not split up. There would still be one labor service every year. If there was someone free at home, they would be sent to serve. If there was no one available, they would just have to pay money.
No matter what work he did, it was eventually done by all his children, because part of the money he earned was handed over to the public treasury for everyone to share.
Seeing that he sounded so aggrieved, Qian said, "Ask the children first."
"Why ask them?" Old Zhou said, "We're still alive, so we'll make the decision. Let's listen to Manbao and register all the family businesses under Lijun's name. Aren't those shops in our family registered under her name now?"
Qian said, "Now that the family has money and the children have their own livelihoods, I don't know what they think. I have to ask them. I also think it's best not to divide the family, but they have to be willing to do so."
She said, "It would be bad if they were unwilling to hand over so many properties to Li Jun all at once."
Old Zhou grumbled, "Didn't you throw a tantrum before and say we couldn't split up the family?"
Qian was furious. She stabbed the knife on the chopping board and asked, "When did I throw a tantrum? Did my family ever talk about splitting up the family? When was that time? When is it now? Back then, our family had nothing. Splitting up the family was tantamount to seeking death. Even if we split up now, they can each live well..."
"Okay, okay, you are right." Old Zhoutou felt that Manbao learned the habit of forgetting things from her.
Zhou Silang received a letter saying that something big had happened at home and asked him to come back to discuss the matter. So he handed the caravan to his third son and asked them to continue waiting for people from the Western Regions in Xiazhou. He then took two people and hurried back.
Zhou Erlang and Zhou Sanlang entrusted their family affairs to the village chief, and then found a caravan going to the capital to travel with them.
The two groups arrived in the capital one after the other, but they had been there for two days and Old Zhou didn't say what the matter was.
Of course, the Zhou family had no secrets, and they soon learned the reason from their wives and children.
They have been feeling very anxious these past two days. They all have their own ideas, but they don't know what the other brothers think.
Qian felt that since everyone was already there, there was no need to delay. After they had rested for two days and recovered, and their respective families had discussed the matter, she asked Xiao Qian to cook early and called the three married sisters Zhou Lixin, Zhou Lijun and Zhou Liru back home to discuss the matter together.
Mr. Zhou’s family is large, including young children, and they sat at three tables.
Qian sat in the first seat. Seeing that they had almost finished eating, she turned to look at Old Zhou.
Old Zhou put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth.
Seeing this, the younger generations also put down their bowls and chopsticks.
Seeing his younger grandchildren, Old Zhou waved his hand and said, "They can't sit still either. Let them go out and play. Since everyone is at home today and the grandsons-in-law are here, let's talk together."
Fang immediately asked Liutou to take his younger brother and nephews and nieces out to play.
Liutou's face tightened, and he led the group of children out with a serious look, "Stop making noise, grandpa and the others have something important to say, let's go play in the garden."
"Then can I go play with Grandma Zheng?" Zheng loved children very much and always gave them snacks. The children in the Zhou family used to like their aunt the most, but now they like Zheng the most.
Liutou also liked Zheng, so he nodded and said, "Come on, I'll take you there."
Inside the house, Old Zhou said, "You all should know why your families asked you to return to the capital."
The letter was originally read in front of Zhou Dalang, Zhou Wulang, and Zhou Liulang. Old Zhou was mainly speaking to Zhou Erlang, Zhou Sanlang, and Si Silang. He said, "Your sister said that she and your brother-in-law are doing something that is offensive. The family business is growing, and trouble could happen at any time. So we have to find a way to avoid it."
"In the eldest family, Sanniang is an official. Li Zhong will have to go back to Luojiang County to take the county government exam. Li Xue has already been appointed an official, so he can't have anything to do with Shang. As for the second family, Li Ru is married, so this matter won't affect her. But Li Wei's children will have to study and take the exam in the future, right?"
Now Old Zhou has two grandsons who are officials, as well as a granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law who are also officials. He has grown up a long time ago. He feels that his family is rich now and can afford to send his children to school. In the future, his great-grandson will definitely also study and take the examination.
"And Manbao wrote that Liwei is now following his uncle, and he might have a good future, so Erlang's family should also be on the lookout," Old Zhou said. "And the third family, needless to say, Li Gu is an official, and his younger brother is still learning to read. He plans to study medicine with Manbao in the future."
After Old Zhoutou finished speaking, he looked at Wutou and asked, "Wutou, is what Grandpa said right?"
The five nodded blankly, "Yes."
Old Zhou was satisfied and looked at his three remaining sons. "Your children are still young, but they must all be planning now. Fourth son, you are the main person in charge of the family business now. Tell me, do you want to start a business or something?"
Zhou Silang immediately said, "Of course we can't settle down in a merchant house."
See you at 10pm
(End of this chapter)
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