"ah?"
Wang Tianzhong looked at Wang Tianxiao in surprise, "Why? I'm not home, and you're the second oldest, so you have to take on the responsibilities at home..."
“Every family should just live their own lives. There’s no need for anyone to take charge. You know, eldest brother, I’m not interested in this kind of thing, and I’m not good at it either. Fourth brother has always been very proactive, and he’s a village cadre, so he’s perfect for this kind of thing. Whatever he says, I’ll support him.”
Actually, he was thinking that he would be moving away soon, and he couldn't be bothered with those trivial matters in the courtyard.
These trivial matters are hard to distinguish right from wrong, and he didn't want to get involved in them anymore. He preferred to live his own comfortable life.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Don't you have any sense of hierarchy? You and I are both here, what kind of parent are you, Fourth Brother?"
Traditionally, large families like the Wang family would have a patriarch in charge, who would convene everyone to discuss important matters.
Normally, the eldest son in the family would take on this role, but if the eldest son was unable to, it would be passed on to the second son.
Wang Tianxiao remained silent, his stance clear: he wouldn't take on this mess. He'd rather cut ties with his family and live their own lives. Whoever gets along with whomever they can, they can continue to maintain their relationship.
If we can't get along, it's best to never speak to each other again.
"Second brother," Wang Tianzhong said earnestly, "Our Wang family is not a small family in the village. Including collateral relatives, there are dozens of households. If something happens to us, who knows how many people will be waiting to laugh at us. As descendants of the Wang family, we can't let our ancestors be disgraced."
Wang Tianxiao chuckled inwardly.
It seems that among the entire family, only Wang Tianzhong still considers it a family.
Everyone in the family can see that the clan exists in name only. They can only maintain basic contact for the time being because their mother is still alive. But after their mother passes away in a few years, who will still care about brotherly affection?
Wang Tianxiao knew that Wang Tianzhong really wanted to maintain the unity of this big family, but he had been away from home for a long time and no longer understood the actual situation at home.
Every time he goes back to his hometown, people don't want him to worry and will say nice things. They would never say anything like the backstabbing and scheming they usually do, or how they wish the other person's chimney would never smoke.
He looked into his brother's eyes and said calmly, "Brother, whether it's a joke or not, I can't control that. Since we're all destined to live separately, let's just live our own lives. The third and fourth brothers are married, they can find time to separate and move out. The fifth brother went to join the army, and even if he comes back, it will be several years later. The sixth brother is still studying, I will take care of him."
As for my younger sisters, Xiaozhu is still young and needs me there, so I'll do my part. Xiaomei is married, and Xiaolan works far away; I rarely see her. Everyone has their own life, and we brothers shouldn't interfere too much, right?
He paused, noticing that Wang Tianzhong's face had darkened slightly. He didn't back down and continued, "As for Mother, I will naturally take good care of her. In short, I'm just an ordinary person. I won't shirk my responsibilities in the slightest, but please don't impose on me what I can't do, brother. I can't bear that burden."
After saying that, he picked up his enamel teacup, took a small sip, spat out the tea leaves, and smiled.
Wang Tianzhong stared blankly at his second brother.
He was momentarily dazed, as if the person sitting in front of him was not his second brother, but a familiar stranger.
He struggled to recall his second brother's past, his mind filled with images of his honest and simple nature, with no trace of the image before him.
Not at all.
So what exactly is this person in front of us?
How could he have become like this, saying such irresponsible things?
This was still the Wang Tianxiao he knew, his second younger brother.
He couldn't believe it.
They also refused to believe it.
a long time.
He asked in a deep voice, "Wang Tianxiao, do you know what you just said?"
"Of course I know."
"Are you sure those are all the things you wanted to say?"
"certainly."
"What's on your mind?"
"Yes, that's what I really think."
"Smack!"
Wang Tianzhong suddenly slammed his teacup on the table and roared, "Wang Tianxiao, you heartless and unjust bastard!"
Wang Tianxiao was slightly taken aback.
He expected Wang Tianzhong to get angry, but he didn't expect him to be this angry, to be so outspoken.
That's good, it saves him from having to hide it.
He had long considered the possibility of breaking ties or becoming indifferent with his elder brother.
He had thought carefully about the root cause of the family's division, which was that his eldest brother always hoped that the family could be united and that everyone should serve the family's interests.
However, not everyone has this awareness.
In his past life, he listened to those words, and so did the fifth brother. But what about the others? They stood up when it came to enjoying the benefits, but ran away faster than ghosts when it came to making sacrifices.
They might even do things that harm each other for the sake of profit.
If that's the case, why not separate from the beginning? Everyone can live their own lives, and whoever wants to be friends with whomever wants to be friends can be friends, and if not, they can simply not associate with each other.
He's destined for a better life, but there's no way he'll influence the entire family.
I will definitely remember my elder brother's kindness and never forget it.
But that doesn't mean we'll completely listen to him.
Sometimes, maintaining a certain distance may be the best way to preserve a relationship.
Wang Tianxiao smiled faintly, "Brother, getting angry at me won't help. This is my opinion, and it won't change. You know my temper; once I've made up my mind, nothing can change it. This matter is settled. If you want to maintain the harmonious atmosphere of the family that you cherish, you can do so. I won't get involved."
As he spoke, Wang Tianxiao stood up. "It's getting late. My friends are waiting to go back. How about we call it a day?" Wang Tianxiao maintained a gentle tone. Looking at his brother's still young face, he thought about his glorious yet tragic later life and felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Brother, you need to take care of your health and think more about yourself. Everyone has their own way of living, and you can't control too many people. Try to control your temper and get your heart checked when you have time."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door.
"Tianxiao!!"
"Hmm?" Wang Tianxiao stood at the door with his back to Wang Tianzhong.
"Why have you become like this? You weren't like this before. Did something happen at home that I don't know about? But none of you told me."
“It’s nothing,” Wang Tianxiao said calmly as he opened the door. “Even if some things have happened, not all of them are things you can solve. As I said before, everyone should go their own way.”
After saying that, he walked out of the office.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
