As night fell, in the kitchen, Zhang's mother and her daughter-in-law prepared the feast. The invited guests were about to arrive, and after the division of the family, they were invited to drink. They were all listening in, so they had to prepare first.
Two oil lamps lit in the Zhang family's main hall, and the table was laid out with writing brushes, inkstones, yellowed account books, and an abacus. After the village chief, the elders, the old team leader, and Uncle Zhang and his brothers took their seats, Father Zhang called over his three daughters-in-law to sit in on the conversation.
The Zhang family and their children all gathered together, sitting quietly waiting for Father Zhang to speak.
Father Zhang looked at his children and grandchildren with a smile on his face. He cleared his throat and said, "Since everyone is here today, I'll say a few words first. As the saying goes, a tree branches out when it grows tall, and a son splits up when he grows up. Your grandfather said before that the children would split up and live on their own a year after they grow up and get married. The second child should have split up and lived on his own a long time ago, but for various reasons, it has been delayed until now. Fortunately, you brothers love each other and your sisters-in-law get along harmoniously, and you never quarrel over trivial matters. As for father, I asked an elder to come over today to act as a go-between and divide the family for you. Splitting up the family is not about feelings. You are brothers, connected by blood. No matter what happens, you must help each other and unite together, so that you can go further in the future."
"Dad, don't worry. Even though we have separated, we are still brothers. We will definitely take care of each other." Zhang Guofu said.
Father Zhang nodded with a smile. "Big Brother, Second Brother, and Fifth Brother, you are all married and have children now. From now on, you will use the money you earn yourself. The rest of the journey depends on you."
Seeing the three nod, Father Zhang continued, "Before we divide the family, let me first tell you about our situation. Our family depends entirely on you three brothers helping our parents. The eldest brother works from dawn to dusk, without stopping for a year. The second brother is smart and looks for work everywhere to supplement the family income. As for the fifth brother, he goes hunting in the mountains to help support the family. After so many years of working together, our family has finally saved some money.
Speaking of savings, I have to say one thing first. The division of the family is about dividing up our parents' property. Dad can't treat the money you hand over after you get married as your parents' property. I will return all the money you hand over after you get married according to the amount recorded in the account book. After we divide this money first, we will start dividing the rest of the family property."
Father Zhang took a few notebooks and handed them to the elders for review.
Several notebooks were put together and handed to the old captain. He used an abacus to calculate the total number, and when he found that there was no mistake, he nodded.
Zhang's mother stepped forward and handed the old captain an unlocked wooden box. On the top were three red envelopes with names written on them and sealed with red paper.
The old captain took it, pressed it, and nodded. He admired Zhang Laoer and his wife for their meticulousness and thoroughness. With this approach, it wouldn't be clear how much his sons paid after they got married. He returned the money to Zhang Guoqing and his three brothers according to the names on the letter.
Father Zhang waited for them to collect the red envelopes, then said, "Okay, now it's time to divide the family. All the money is in the box. According to the rules passed down by our Zhang family ancestors, Xizi is the eldest grandson, so he deserves a share of the money. I will also divide the family money into four parts according to the rules. You keep Xizi's money, and return it to him when he gets married."
Seeing Lin Juhua staring at Xizi, Zhou Jiao hurriedly squeezed her hand and winked at her. "Don't make a mistake at this critical moment and make a fool of yourself." The Zhang family always divides their family property this way, but don't be so blunt as to say that the later the division, the better for the eldest grandson.
Lin Juhua smiled at her, and when no one mentioned it, she said silently, "Retirement money."
Zhang Guoqing didn't care much about the division of the family. He kept an eye on everyone. As soon as he saw Lin Juhua, he knew that his father had forgotten to save money for retirement. "Dad, you haven't saved any money for retirement yet."
The old captain laughed and teased Zhang's father, "Other people divide up their property first and then divide up the money. But your father is different. He divides up the money first and doesn't mention support. He has become a god, and he doesn't need you three brothers to support him anymore. You guys take the money and leave quickly."
His words made everyone laugh.
Patriarch Zhang said, "The second son has three wonderful sons and daughters-in-law. He's not afraid of being disrespectful to them. Otherwise, they'd be anxious a long time ago. Tell me, how much should you leave for your retirement?"
The elder of the clan next to him hadn't looked at the box the whole time. He glanced at the box in front of the old captain and was shocked. "Everyone, don't rush to help him divide the property. Zhang Laoer, why do you have so much money?"
The old captain smiled and didn't interrupt. He knew the Zhang family's financial situation best. The three Zhang brothers had earned a fortune hunting in the early years, allowing them to build a large compound. By the time the children grew up, they would all be able to earn money. How could Zhang Guoqing, who often went up the mountain for a few days, be broke? Even if he didn't have money, he wouldn't have paid exorbitant prices for all three daughters-in-law.
Father Zhang explained, "There's less than a thousand here. It's all in Mao Zedong's notes, so it seems like a lot. We earn quite a few work points every year. Over the years, we haven't had any major expenses, so we've slowly saved up."
Patriarch Zhang had no interest in prying into other people's privacy and asked, "How much do you plan to keep?"
Father Zhang had already made plans and said, "Two hundred yuan each, four shares of eight hundred yuan, and the rest will be given to the child's mother. Okay, now let's talk about support." After saying this, he laughed.
The old captain hurriedly stopped him and said, "The division of the property has not yet been completed. There is still the yard, the household furniture, the pigs, chickens and ducks, and daily necessities that need to be divided."
Father Zhang slapped his forehead and laughed. "I agreed with them privately, but I've forgotten now. This courtyard belongs to the eldest brother, and the two neighboring courtyards have already been divided. I'll give each of them a set of bowls and chopsticks, and ten chicks each next spring, and I'll also distribute food per head. All the things in their house will be moved out. There's a pig left at home for them to warm their homes. I won't give them the chickens and ducks. Uncle, can you check if there's anything left out? If it's divided, then I'll move on to the support."
The old captain looked at the clan leader and saw them shaking their heads. He said, "There's nothing to divide. Dividing the family is really simple. You have three good sons, so it's good that you don't care about these things. Dividing the family is afraid of arguing over even a bowl."
Father Zhang smiled and continued, "We two will follow the rules and live with the eldest brother. We can stay at the home of whoever we miss for a few days. No matter where you are, whether we go or not, you must prepare a room for the two of us."
Zhang Guoqing said hurriedly, "Second brother and I have already discussed it. You and mother can live with whichever family you want. You don't have to follow eldest brother. Dad and mother don't belong to eldest brother alone."
Zhang Guoqiang said, "That's what I mean. Are you and mother really planning to take care of Big Brother and ignore the two of us brothers? There's no need to talk about maintenance and stuff. Xiaowu and I have already discussed it privately. He gives the money and I give the food. Let's discuss it between the two of us brothers."
Father Zhang shook his head. "You can't do that. If you divide the family, you have to write it down clearly. Otherwise, what's the point of dividing the family? Apart from the literal meaning, you can give whatever you want in the future."
Everyone present rolled their eyes at him. He still needed to clearly state the details of the division? The one who was least clear about the division was Zhang Laoer. His sons, daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law were filial and obedient to him. How could he not divide up a dozen chickens?
Father Zhang smiled at everyone and explained, "The four of us, father and son, had already discussed this. Before we moved, the child's mother was in charge of the household, so it was difficult to sort out the small things. We can only wait until they move out, and then we'll see."
The patriarch nodded. He had no objections, as long as the family was happy with them. He spread out a piece of white paper and began to write the letter of separation.
Seeing him pick up the pen, Zhang's father quickly said, "The support issue will be handled by my eldest brother's family. I'll ask them for money when I run out of money. I'm not afraid of them being unfilial."
Zhang's father's words once again made the elders burst into laughter. They knew before they arrived that Zhang Laoer's family would be easy to divide and there wouldn't be any major problems. They hadn't expected it to be so simple, seeing as how his three sons and their wives all smiled and had no objections. Everyone was happy for the old couple.
"Uncle, you have to add that in the future, the medical expenses of the two of us will be shared by you three brothers, and the three families will take turns to take care of the elderly. A hundred years later, when we are gone, the expenses will also be shared."
Seeing that they were ready to write the separation agreement, Zhou Jiao knew the separation was final. She tugged at the hems of her two sisters-in-law's clothes and pointed toward the kitchen. The three sisters-in-law quietly went to the kitchen to prepare the dishes.
Zhang Guoqing saw his mother was in a low mood, not smiling the entire time. He knew the separation of the family was a heartbreaking event for her. Parents had worked tirelessly to raise their children. Then, as their sons grew up, they separated, one by one, splitting the family into several parts. For his mother, the separation meant distance; her sons now belonged to her daughter-in-law, and her money was gone. She was left with nothing.
Zhang Guoqing picked up Ping'an and took Zhang's mother back to the bedroom, saying with a smile: "Mom, just think of this as a game. It's just to fool everyone. I don't take it seriously. What's the point of dividing the family? You're just trying to make Dad happy. Your son won't separate from you. We're all in the same group. My eldest brother is already in his seventies and eighties, so why does he need parents? Your son is only eighteen, don't let Dad fool you. You have to stay with your son!"
After saying that, he put Ping An down and laid him on the kang. Zhang Guoqing took out the two red envelopes he had just received from his trouser pocket and stuffed them directly into Zhang's mother's pocket.
Zhang's mother took out a red envelope and placed it under his pillow. "Take it. I'll ask you for money when I run out." Then she whispered in his ear, "Your father and I are not short of money. We've already hidden some away."
Zhang Guoqing smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. How much money could his parents leave behind? The old couple were desperate to sell everything they had to raise money for their son to buy a house in the county town. Even if they had some private money, it was limited. He didn't refuse, and promised to give it to them before returning to the county town.
Zhang's mother was delighted by her son's coaxing. After all, her family's division was different from others'. She wasn't worried about retirement, and with her son around, who would dare to give her a hard time? If she was unhappy, she could just go with Xiaowu.
"Silly son, don't worry about me. I'm fine. It's better to break up now. I feel relieved when I have nothing to worry about. From now on, you can go to your uncle's house whenever you want."
Zhang Guoqing nodded in agreement. "That's the right way to think. Tell me where you want to go, and I won't let you walk, I'll drive you there. If you want to chat with your old friends, your son will go and bring them home to keep you company. See how great it is! You don't have to be stuck in the kitchen all day. In a few days, our family will return to the county town, and before the New Year, your son will accompany you two to explore and have fun."
Zhang's mother laughed out loud at what he said. As expected, her husband had guessed it right and really wanted to kidnap them.
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