Chapter 88 Stirring Up Trouble
But now that they heard he was about to return to the military region, everyone's expressions became exceptionally relaxed.
Even Qiao Wanyin's three sisters-in-law found this once troublesome sister-in-law much more agreeable.
Qiao Wanyin's temperament seemed much calmer than before, no longer as willful and flamboyant as she used to be.
They also showed more consideration and a greater sense of the bigger picture in their words and actions.
The main reason was the exciting news that Fu Li'an was about to leave the village and return to the army.
The news has only spread among a few of the closest people so far.
But for the sisters-in-law, it was already a very exciting event.
The "military officer" who used to run rampant in the village is about to leave, and I feel relieved just thinking about it.
Especially Chen Xiaoping, the third sister-in-law, acted the most exaggeratedly.
"Hey, did you hear? My sister-in-law is leaving! We can finally breathe a sigh of relief!"
Before anything even happened, they were already imagining life decades from now.
Chen Xiaoping sat on the threshold, rubbing the hem of her clothes with her hands, her mind already drifting to decades into the future.
"Once they leave, the house will definitely be quiet again. Then our youngest son can focus on his studies and maybe even become a cadre, bringing honor to the family."
She smiled and said, "Little sister, you're about to go back to the army with your husband to enjoy your retirement. Don't forget to take care of our children then!"
Her face was full of smiles.
"My son is smart and quick-witted. If you have any connections outside, you could recommend him for a good job. We'd be so grateful!"
These people won't amount to much in their lives.
But the younger generation of the Qiao family still has plenty of opportunities!
As she spoke, she slapped her thigh, as if Qiao Wanyin could arrange it immediately.
Hearing her say that, Li Hongmei, the second sister-in-law, couldn't hold back any longer.
She quickly added, "Little sister, my Miaomiao is very sensible and especially smart. If you ever get a connection, don't forget about her!"
She nodded repeatedly as she spoke, afraid that her daughter would be left out.
"I wasn't very nice to you before, please don't be angry. I was just like that because...because..."
Her voice gradually lowered, her eyes darted around, and the smile on her face became slightly awkward.
The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't quite get them right.
Li Hongmei was ultimately unable to give a complete reason.
After all, among the three sisters-in-law, she was the most troublesome.
She once argued with Qiao Wanyin in public over her son being scolded, and even dragged her husband to her in-laws to seek justice.
Those arguments are embarrassing to think about now.
But it's too late to regret it now.
Qiao Wanyin looked at the different expressions on her sisters-in-law's faces and knew exactly what they were thinking.
Some people are eager to please, while others are humble and subservient.
Others simply listened silently.
“I’ve been busy collecting herbs these days, and I’ve been quite lucky, often encountering rare species.”
Qiao Wanyin spoke gently and slowly.
"At first, I just wanted to supplement my family's income, but the more I harvested, the more money I made from selling them became."
"So I saved up some money and thought it through. If my sisters-in-law want to live separately in the future, I can give you money to build a new house."
She paused.
“Our family has grown up now, and it’s not a long-term solution for us to all be crammed together.”
“I’ve done the math, and building a new house costs about 300 to 400 yuan, so I’ll give you 500 yuan, that should be enough.”
"I just hope we won't argue over trivial things anymore."
The three sisters-in-law couldn't help but exclaim in unison.
"What did you say?"
500 yuan per household?
That's a total of 1,500 yuan!
That number alone is frightening enough.
For ordinary farmers, it's not easy to save even a few dozen yuan a year, let alone five hundred yuan.
That's an astronomical price!
Has my sister-in-law gone mad?
Where did she get so much money?
Did you secretly borrow it from somewhere?
Does she even know what 1,500 yuan means these days?
The thought popped into the minds of the three of them almost simultaneously.
"Sisters-in-law, I didn't lie to you!"
Qiao Wanyin spoke earnestly.
Qiao Wanyin knew they definitely wouldn't believe her.
For an ordinary farming family, five hundred yuan is not a small amount.
Even if a family works hard for several years, they can't save that much.
So she didn't rush to defend herself, but just stood there quietly watching her three sisters-in-law.
Moreover, she also demanded that each family give five hundred dollars, which is a considerable sum.
“I’ve saved enough,” Qiao Wanyin paused, then said seriously, “When I get back to my hometown, I’ll have a good talk with my parents, and I think they’ll agree.”
This is a large family, with more than a dozen people living together in the courtyard.
Various frictions and frictions are naturally unavoidable.
Even disregarding past misunderstandings, various minor conflicts occur every day in life.
Actually, all my older brothers are quite good, and their wives are also quite nice.
It's only because the family is really struggling financially that everyone is so focused on even the smallest gains.
If they could live their own lives separately, each family could live their own lives.
Only then can one have a clear understanding of everything one has worked hard to earn and given, thus avoiding many unnecessary conflicts.
Qiao Wanyin genuinely hoped that her brother and sisters-in-law could live separately.
"Wanyin, are you... are you serious?"
Li Hongmei still had doubts in her voice.
Qiao Wanyin nodded solemnly at her.
"Of course it's true! As long as you're willing to share, I'll cover all the costs of building the house, including materials and labor!"
What did you just say?
Just then, Qiao Cunliang's voice came from the courtyard gate.
"You want to split up the family?"
"Father, I want to."
"Shut up!"
Before Qiao Wanyin could finish speaking, her father rudely interrupted her.
Qiao Cunliang held the old pipe tightly in his hand and paced back and forth in the yard.
"You think you've grown wings? You even dare to bring up dividing the family property? Our Qiao family has never had such a precedent! How dare you break the rules set by our ancestors?"
They've only been quiet for a few days, and they're already stirring up trouble again!
The eldest daughter-in-law, Niu Chunqiao, stood silently to the side, her head bowed, her expression unreadable.
The second daughter-in-law, Li Hongmei, looked completely unconvinced.
The third daughter-in-law, Chen Xiaoping, turned her gaze to her youngest sister-in-law, hoping that this younger sister-in-law would stand up and say something.
The sons all turned their gazes toward their wives.
Zhu Junxia quickly stepped forward and handed a steaming cup of tea to the old man sitting in the chair.
"Old man, please don't get angry. Wanyin was just saying it casually, don't take it seriously."
"This isn't just a casual remark!"
Qiao Wanyin immediately raised her voice and retorted without hesitation.
"Father, there are reasons why I brought up the idea of dividing the family property. Please let me explain the benefits of doing so, okay?"
Qiao Cunliang snorted coldly, his face terribly gloomy.
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