The issue of dividing the family was indeed a bit chaotic, and everyone thought that I didn't want to divide the family, but that's not the case.
I feel uncomfortable because my mother is partial to me alone. I always feel guilty towards my younger brothers. After the family is divided, they can make their own decisions for their own families and no longer have to rely on their mother.
But mother is still our biological mother after all. When everyone wants to split up the family and doesn't support her, how sad she would be if even I, her most favored son, stood against her.
So I tried my best to act like I didn't want to split up.
I didn't expect my mother to be so harsh in dividing the family property. Even though I didn't know why she wanted to send the fourth child away, she was usually nice to the second and third children.
Why does it suddenly seem like you don’t want these sons anymore?
I certainly have no objection to her living with me in her old age. After all, I am the son she loves the most, and I have to take on the obligation and responsibility of providing for her in her old age.
In order to eliminate my guilt, I gave the money I got from the division of the family property to my younger brothers without my mother's knowledge. As soon as I gave the money that day, I returned home and saw my mother sitting in the main room with a gloomy face.
"Where have you two been?"
My wife quickly said, "I saw that my fourth brother's wife was working hard to teach the children, so I went to help her cook. No matter what, I can't let the children go without books, right?"
Her words made my mother's face look a little better. I know that my mother's greatest obsession is education. Even if it is a grandson she doesn't like, she still hopes that the child can study. No matter who it is, as long as there is an opportunity to study, she hopes that person can study.
Taking advantage of her better mood, my wife quickly ran back to her room. Since the separation, she has been trembling with fear every day, fearing that my mother would cause trouble for her.
I am the one you can leave behind with a clear conscience, after all, my mother would never hit me no matter who she hits.
But this time my mother was really angry. She stared at me and asked, "Did you give all the money in the house to your brothers?"
"No, mother." I shook my head. "I only counted the portion you gave me. After all, our division is not fair. As the eldest brother, I have to take care of my younger brothers."
My mother was so angry that her heart ached. She pointed a trembling finger at me and said, "You! You! Qingsong, who did I do all this for? You insisted on pushing away the things I left for you. Why are you just like your father who died early?"
Facing her accusations, I could only remain silent. After she finished scolding me, I quietly said, "Mom, if you dislike my dad so much, why did you marry him in the first place?"
She was speechless after hearing what I said. Her eyes gradually became empty. After a long while, she looked at me with tears in her eyes, "Mom...Mom did this all for you!"
For me?
I couldn't understand what she meant by "for me". Did she know she could give birth to me before she married my father? Did she marry my father just to give birth to me?
"Mom, are you confused? I'm going to call my wife to cook. The children should be back from school. You should go back to your room and rest first."
I don't want to argue with my mother about this issue. Logically, she is my mother and I should respect her and give in to her. But in this matter, I think she did something wrong.
Normally, as sons and daughters-in-law, we cannot say much when it comes to housekeeping. But when it comes to dividing the family business like this, I feel uneasy.
If I didn't show some expression, I might have really broken up with them.
I remember that before my father passed away, he held my hand and told me to take good care of my younger brothers, and I have taken care of them to the present day.
I don't want to use the excuse that everyone has his or her own small family. If I didn't take good care of them, I just didn't take good care of them. I promised my father that if I cut off ties with my brothers when the family is divided and they no longer have any contact with me, then I will not be able to see my father after I die.
After talking to my mother that day, she never mentioned it again, as if she approved of my behavior.
Not long after, my wife was still whispering in my ear in bed, "I knew that your mother would never say a harsh word to you. Fortunately, I married you. If I had married your brothers, I don't know what your mother would have done to me."
"It's not that scary." I was amused by her joke: "Look at my second and third sister-in-law, weren't they living well before the family split up? I didn't see mom beat them."
"What are their personalities? What is my personality?"
My wife curled her lips and said, "Second brother's wife is a taciturn person. She is rarely seen saying a word all day long. Third brother's wife is just like the third brother. They are both good at playing tricks. How can mother catch her to beat her?"
She speaks bluntly, but I know she has no ill will towards either of her siblings.
I joked as we were chatting, "It seems like you like your fourth brother's wife more. Why do you only say good things about her?"
"Who wouldn't like her? She's pretty, clean, and well-mannered. She never swears. She can even teach my kids to read. I like her and feel grateful to her."
I thought this little episode of separation was over.
My mother doesn't like the second and third children. After the family is divided, she will probably find fault with them occasionally and go to their house to take some things. I thought I would give them some subsidies later.
Who would have thought that because of the second son's momentary confusion, he actually locked up Jianhui and didn't let him go to school. This made his mother crazy.
She wanted to go to school so much but she couldn't. How could someone who can go to school not let their children go?
After my mother settled down in my second brother's house, I went to see him privately and asked him to be as accommodating to my mother as possible. I would find a reason to bring her back in a few days.
I know the second brother's temperament. In fact, he is not as honest and simple-minded as he looks. I have seen him beat his second brother's wife. It turns out that he can get angry too.
When he slapped my second brother's wife, her face became swollen, which showed how much force he used. Later, my second brother's wife rolled sweet potatoes for a long time but the swelling didn't go away. She also said that it was blisters inside her mouth that caused the swelling.
Before we separated, they all thought that I knew nothing but working, they all thought that I could only work hard, they all thought that I only had a bit of strength but a dead brain.
Everyone has his or her own little thoughts, except me.
In fact, I am not like what they think. It is impossible for me to have such a problem. It is just that I have seen too much. I can only numb myself with work and tell myself that as long as I work hard enough, my family will be harmonious, I will take care of the whole family, and I will do what my father asked me to do before he died.
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