Xiang Laoshi’s mother is still alive. She is 89 years old this year and is a well-known centenarian in Xiaoqiu Village.
In the past few years, the old lady had been living alone in the old house, making matchboxes to earn work points, and trying not to cause trouble to the children. The children begged her countless times, but she just refused to live with her son. It was not until these years, when she was too old, that she moved in to live with her eldest son. Xiang Laoshi would send some food rations to the old lady on time every year.
Old Lady Xiang gave birth to three sons and two daughters in her life. Except for the youngest son who died young, the other four children were all very filial and sensible. Whenever people in Xiaoqiu Village mentioned Old Lady Xiang, they couldn't help but give her a thumbs up, saying that she was a kind old lady who knew how to teach her children.
The second year after Xiang Qianjin was born, his mother got pregnant again. He had four older brothers and sisters. Xiang Qianjin was tougher than other children since he was young. His cry was loud and his legs and feet were strong. His brothers and sisters couldn't stand his crying. So the day after he was weaned, Xiang Qianjin was taken to be raised by old lady Xiang. He didn't return to his parents until he was five or six years old.
The Xiang family's old house and Xiang Laoshi's house are only about the distance between the head and tail of the village. They often meet each other on weekdays, but they never live together. Therefore, their relationship is a little weaker than that of other brothers and sisters.
People in the village often say that the reason why Xiang Qianjin is so successful is all because of the good teaching of the old lady.
Tonight, all of Xiang Laoshi's sons and daughters-in-law were called over. Even Xiang Laotai, who had difficulty moving, came to the Xiang family with the help of her eldest son. It can be said that except for the married daughter, all the members of the Xiang family have come.
"Second brother, why did you rush to call me and your eldest brother here? What's your intention?"
Most of the old lady's teeth had fallen out, and there were no more than six intact teeth in the upper and lower rows, so she spoke with a lisp. But despite her old age, the old lady was still in good spirits. Her sharp eyes swept over the young people in the room with different expressions. When she saw Yin Hong, who was fidgeting, she paused and looked away.
The second daughter-in-law is stupid and is often used as a tool by the other daughters-in-law. But this is the second daughter-in-law's family affair, and it is better for her, an old woman with one foot in the coffin, not to interfere.
I'm old now, why bother to offend the younger generation?
"Mom, brother, I have been dreaming about my younger brother these past few nights. He told me that he is all alone underground and has no children. It is really desolate." Xiang Laoshi said with a sad face.
The "little brother" he mentioned was Mrs. Xiang's youngest son. Life was really hard back then. Mrs. Xiang was fleeing while taking care of five children. The youngest son died painfully from hunger and disease. He was only seven years old that year. This was also a knot in Mrs. Xiang's heart.
"The copper coin appeared in your dream."
When talking about her youngest son, Old Lady Xiang couldn't help but get excited. Her skinny hands trembled as she reached out to Xiang Laoshi.
A trace of guilt flashed across Xiang Laoshi's eyes, and he kept nodding.
"Second brother, what did I say to you? Is there anything you need? I'll give it to you..." The honest elder brother stopped talking halfway. Now this old custom is being criticized everywhere. Temples and Taoist temples have been demolished one after another. In some radical places, graves have been dug up. No one dares to burn paper or incense for their ancestors during Qingming Festival or New Year.
Xiang Laoshi shook his head: "I don't ask for anything else, I just hope that we can adopt a child to him to carry on his family line." Xiang Laoshi's eyes shifted to Xiang Qianjin who was standing aside, his heart heavy with sadness.
Forget it, he and the child are destined not to be father and son in this life.
"Adoption!"
Everyone present, except Xiang Laoshi, exclaimed and looked at each other, especially the males who might be adopted, who seemed a little anxious.
Uncle San has nothing. If he is adopted, he won’t be able to get any of the family’s belongings in the future.
"That's right." Xiang Laoshi replied, "My younger brother said he likes Qianjin, so I plan to adopt him. Let's go through the formalities. When mom came to do the population census, she registered Qianjin for me. We'll move Qianjin's household registration out of the house someday. From now on, he will be my younger brother's son and my nephew. Our family's affairs will have nothing to do with Qianjin anymore."
Old lady Xiang was afraid that her son would have no household registration and become a wandering ghost in the underworld, so she used her connections to register her younger son who had died young as an independent household when the higher-ups came to compile the list of names. The household registration was registered in the old house where the old lady had lived before.
He slowly told Xiang Laoshi his decision, his expression unusually serious.
The excitement in the old lady's heart had just subsided a little, but when she saw the expression on the second son's face, she immediately guessed the whole story.
The second son's wife didn't react at all to such a big thing as adopting Qianjin away. She must have caused some trouble and finally made the second son unable to bear it.
But the temptation was too great. When she thought of her youngest son who had no children and no one to inherit her family line, Grandma Xiang could not refuse her son's decision.
At first, she had thought about adopting one of her two sons to her youngest son, but every child is the apple of his or her parents' eyes. If she gave the child to the youngest son, her biological son would call her uncle and aunt in the future. Which parent could accept that?
Therefore, the old lady pondered this matter for a long time and never mentioned it to her children.
"Second brother, why are you thinking of adopting the third brother out?" Xiang Laoshi's elder brother was a little puzzled. Xiang Qianjin was the most promising child in his younger brother's family, and no one else could adopt him.
"My younger brother told me in person that he wanted Qianjin to be his son."
As soon as Xiang Laoshi said this, even the eldest brother who was a little puzzled had nothing to say. The second brother had the best relationship with the younger brother when they were young. Maybe it was really the younger brother who came to him in a dream, so the second brother wanted to adopt Qianjin out.
"Dad, how can you give my third brother away as an adoptive child?"
Yin Xiuli kept winking at her mother-in-law, but Yin Hong kept her head down and said nothing. Yin Xiuli's eyes were blinking so hard that they almost cramped, but she didn't attract the other party's attention. Seeing that the matter was about to be finalized, Yin Xiuli could no longer sit still.
Most of Xiang Qianjin's salary over the years has been handed over to his mother-in-law. Once the money is in his mother-in-law's hands, it is in her hands. But now that Xiang Qianjin has been adopted, he is nominally his uncle's son, and his mother-in-law has suddenly become his aunt. She has no reason to ask him for money.
The most important thing is that my father-in-law plans to move my third brother’s household registration out as well. This way, everything is completely cut off, without any constraints at all.
"I'm just informing you now that it's not right for you, a daughter-in-law, to butt in on the affairs of our elders." Mr. Xiang was now fed up with Yin Xiuli, the daughter-in-law who had been trying to sow discord between his wife and son for years, and he didn't intend to give her any face at all.
"As long as I'm alive, you have no right to interfere in this family." Xiang Laoshi slammed the table so hard that the tea bowls on it shook.
No one present had ever seen Xiang Laoshi so angry. Yin Xiuli, who was being scolded, turned her face purple with shame. She was filled with evil spirit and dared not say a word. She could only pinch her husband's thigh with her hand to barely control her anger.
"Mom, big brother, I asked you to come here just to be witnesses. I have already written the agreement in duplicate. Qianjin keeps one copy, and you keep one copy too."
Xiang Laoshi took out two pieces of paper from his pocket, both of which he had written early in the morning.
The honest eldest brother finally understood that something seemed to have happened in his younger brother's family and now he had to be adopted.
The content of the agreement is very simple. It is nothing more than adopting Xiang Qianjin to Xiang Tongqian. From then on, Xiang Qianjin has no relationship with Xiang Laoshi's family. Xiang Qianjin has no right to inherit the property of Xiang Laoshi's family. Similarly, no one in Xiang Laoshi's family is allowed to ask Xiang Qianjin for money for any reason. The support of the two elders of the Xiang family has nothing to do with Xiang Qianjin.
"Second brother, have you thought it through?" The honest eldest brother asked again worriedly.
He nodded silently.
"Qian Jin, you don't have anything to say, kid?" Xiang Lao Shi's elder brother looked at his nephew standing beside him.
Xiang Qianjin looked at his father, then at his mother, finally made a decision and nodded.
"Third brother——" Yin Hong glanced at her son, her tone containing reluctance and grievance.
"Shut up." Xiang Laoshi was so angry when he saw his wife behaving like this that he wanted to divorce her immediately. Look at what she had done. She was so cruel that she wanted to destroy the girl's innocence because she was afraid that her son's money would be controlled by his future wife. When he thought about this woman who had been with him for decades with a kind and innocent demeanor, he felt a chill all over his body.
As expected, the barking dog never bites. This woman, who usually advocates fairness and justice, is the most terrifying when she goes crazy.
Brother Xiang Laoshi sighed, seeing that the matter was doomed, and at the signal of Old Lady Xiang, he put away one of the agreements.
"Third brother, son, this is the last time dad will call you." Xiang Laoshi, with tears in his eyes, called Xiang Qianjin with trembling hands.
Xiang Qianjin also fell to his knees in front of Xiang Laoshi with a thud.
"You must hide this thing well. If anyone dares to trouble you in the future, you can take it out. Now you are just moving forward, towards the son of copper coins and the honest nephew. In the future, you will make money to support your family and marry a wife. It is your own business. No one can help you. But if others have problems, they can't trouble you."
Xiang Laoshi wiped the tears from his son's face and said, "Don't cry. Life will always get better and better. Find a good girl, have a few children, and carry on your father's legacy. That will be the fulfillment of my wish."
By the time Xiang Laoshi finished speaking, he was already in tears. His son, his most outstanding son, was sent away by him with his own hands.
Xiang Qianjin's heart was full of ups and downs. He felt sad because of his father and relieved because of his mother.
He looked at the agreement in his hand, his vision obscured by tears and seemed a little blurry.
He knew in his heart that the thing his father had asked him to hide was another agreement, the one that had slipped into his pocket at some point. As long as that thing was there, his mother would not dare to cause trouble for him or Dani.
As for the eldest sister-in-law, without her mother, how could she have the confidence to boss him around.
"dad--"
Xiang Qianjin shouted loudly, then knelt in front of Xiang Laoshi and kowtowed three times. Although in his heart, Xiang Laoshi would always be his father, once he was adopted, he would never be able to call him "Dad" in front of everyone again.
Xiang Laoshi watched his son's actions with tears in his eyes, but did not stop him.
After three kowtows, Xiang Laoshi's sons and wives were confused. If the third brother and the third brother were adopted, wouldn't their lives be difficult in the future? Yin Hong was even more heartbroken, regretting that she had been bewitched and left such a big handle. Now, everything was gone, and this capable son was completely gone.
But what's the use of regretting? The note was in her son's hand, and the old lady dared not make a fuss at all, for fear that the matter would get out. Being pointed at would be a small matter, but trying to destroy someone else's innocence would bring her to jail.
******
That night, Xiang Qianjin packed up his things and moved to the old house where the old lady had lived. The old lady originally wanted to divide the house between her two sons after a hundred years. Now Xiang Qianjin was adopted by her youngest son, so the old lady decided to give the house to Xiang Qianjin. All the procedures were done at the same time when the household registration was transferred.
The old house consisted of three adobe rooms, which had fallen into disrepair and were worthless at all. The old lady's two sons had no objection at all.
Xiang Laoshi's eldest brother felt that his nephew had suffered a great loss. He could not get back any of the money he had given to the family over the years, and he had no share in the new house built with his money. He could only live in a mud house during the New Year. As an uncle, he was so distressed that he could not be dissatisfied.
Xiang Qianjin made quite a lot of noise when he was moving things, and that night many people saw him going in and out of Xiang Laoshi's house. The next morning, the news that Xiang Qianjin was adopted by Xiang Laoshi's younger brother who had died young spread throughout the village.
Everyone thought Xiang Laoshi was stupid for adopting his most promising son away. But at the same time, everyone was also eyeing Xiang Qianjin, the golden opportunity.
A good partner who has a house, money, a job, no parents, and no ties is hard to find. In the following days, people who wanted to introduce their daughters and granddaughters to Xiang Qianjin almost broke the door, and Xiang Qianjin was so scared that he hid back in the city before the factory started working.
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