The rabbit was not so easy to catch, so Tao Rui set up the trap, concealed the surroundings and planned to go down the mountain.
He hadn't been faking heatstroke before. The original owner's body was truly weak. Besides, he'd lost so much blood and absorbed so little spiritual energy, making him incapable of hard work. He was exhausted after working so hard for a while and needed to go home and rest.
"Tao Rui."
Tao Rui was walking down the mountain when he heard someone shouting. He looked over and was surprised to see Su Jiahui, who seemed to be waiting for him. He glanced around and saw that there were no people around. He told the system to keep an eye on the area and slowly walked over.
Su Jiahui clutched the hem of her clothes uncomfortably, lowering her head. "I...I saw you go up the mountain, so I waited here for you. Are you healed?"
Tao Rui subconsciously touched the bump on the back of his head and nodded, "It's almost healed. Nothing serious."
"Oh." Su Jiahui pursed her lips, not knowing what to say. In the past, whenever they were together, Tao Rui was the one who talked endlessly.
Tao Rui looked at her and pointed in the direction of the river. "Let's go sit over there for a while and see if we can catch any fish. I just happen to have something to tell you."
Su Jiahui suddenly became nervous. She remembered that Tao Rui had hinted that she was dating before the incident, and said that he would know her answer the next time they met. Could he be talking about this?
Seeing her hesitation, Tao Rui smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone is busy in the fields at this time. If no one comes over, I'll just say a few words."
Su Jiahui nodded, and then followed him to the river. There were many small stones by the river, small enough to sit on without hurting anyone, but rather comfortable. The two sat about a meter apart, neither looking at the other. Tao Rui thought about Su Jiahui's life and asked, "Su Zhiqing, what are your dreams?"
Su Jiahui was stunned. She never expected Tao Rui to ask this. She said self-deprecatingly, "What kind of dream can I talk about now?"
"Do you have any?"
Su Jiahui was silent for a moment, fiddling with the stones and whispering, "I want to study and become a useful person to society. Maybe a nurse, a journalist, a writer, or even a teacher. I don't want to farm in the village..."
She paused, feeling she shouldn't have said this, but seeing Tao Rui didn't show any special expression, she continued, "What I really want is to be a doctor. My grandmother has always been in poor health, and I really hope I can cure her, but I don't have the chance. No matter what I do, there's no chance. It's useless for me to have a dream."
"How could that be? For society to function, it needs talent at all times. The country will definitely continue to allow us to study. Otherwise, who will take over when this group of talented people grow old?"
Tao Rui's words left Su Jiahui stunned. This was the first time she'd heard such a theory, and she knew it made sense without having to think too much. It was just that the country had canceled the college entrance exam and sent these students to the countryside to farm. They really didn't see much hope, and no one had thought about it the way Tao Rui had.
She looked at Tao Rui, waiting for him to continue. For some reason, she felt a little bit of anticipation in her heart.
Tao Rui lowered his voice and said to her, "I received some news. I'm telling you, don't tell anyone. Even if you do, I won't admit it."
Su Jiahui opened her eyes wide and lowered her voice, "What news?"
Tao Rui leaned closer and whispered, "The country will resume the college entrance examination at the end of this year."
"What did you say?!" Su Jiahui stared at him in surprise, unable to believe what she heard.
Tao Rui looked around and said affirmatively, "In a few months, around December, the college entrance examination will be resumed. The higher-ups are already discussing it, but it hasn't been announced yet."
December is four months from now. If the country really has such a major policy, then it would be almost time for discussion now, but...
"How did you know? Didn't you say it wasn't announced?"
Tao Rui smiled the same smug smile as the original owner. "Of course I have my sources. Don't worry about it. I'm just telling you, if you want to realize your dream, study hard and don't miss this great opportunity. This is your first college entrance exam in ten years, so it doesn't have to be that difficult. If you prepare early, you might even get into a good university and become the doctor you want to be."
Su Jiahui's heart was pounding, and her face flushed with long-lost excitement. If this was true, she would be one step ahead of others. If it wasn't true, then what? At most, she had reviewed in vain, and she didn't lose anything!
Thinking of being at a disadvantage, she suddenly became alert and looked at Tao Rui hesitantly, "Why are you telling me? Didn't you say...say...that before? What do you want to do now?"
Tao Rui looked at her face and said with a smile: "I actually lied to you before. I'm sorry. I just thought you were pretty, prettier than all the girls in the village. So when I saw you were in trouble, I tricked you into marrying you."
Such words were too blunt in this day and age. Su Jiahui turned around in embarrassment and annoyance, with her back to him.
Tao Rui sighed, "You must have heard that I'm a lazy person and the best at slacking off. When I help you with work, I'm just talking to you. I don't do much in total. The way you see me is just an act."
Su Jiahui thought of the scenes when they were together and asked in confusion: "Since you lied to me, why are you telling me this now?"
She was ready to agree to him, and he should have been able to see that. Especially since she had come to him today, it was basically a statement of intent. Why did he suddenly confess? He even said something about letting her realize her dream. If she really got into college, wouldn't it be impossible for them?
Tao Rui laughed twice, stood up, rolled up his trouser legs and sleeves, went down to the river, and said while catching fish: "When I first heard the news, I didn't want to tell you. I thought if you knew, you would definitely not want to be with me. It's better to hide it from you and marry you first, so that you can't run away when the time comes. Who knew that I would have a bloody head the next day. When I lay on the kang dizzy, I thought, this must be retribution, how could I do such a bad thing?
You're from the provincial capital, unlike us peasants. You definitely have a better future, you just lack an opportunity. Now that opportunity has arrived, I can't lie to you anymore. I'll get you a set of books later, so you can use them as an excuse to study hard. If there's anything you don't understand, tell me and I'll find someone who knows how to explain it to you. If you do pass the exam, just remember me."
Su Jiahui was a little angry when she heard the first part, but her eyes turned red when she heard the second part.
How long has it been since she met someone who was so nice to her?
She took a deep breath to prevent her voice from choking, and asked with her back to Tao Rui, "Why are you so nice to me? Is it because I'm pretty?"
"Of course not." Tao Rui didn't catch any fish, so he stood up and took a few breaths. "Maybe it's because I see your bright future. I've had poor health since I was a child, and my parents love me, but my brother and sister-in-law bother me. I also want to do something and be a useful person, but this is particularly difficult. I almost got heatstroke when I went to the fields this morning. In the eyes of others, I am a waste. So I particularly like the word 'bright future'. I see your future and don't want to hold you back. Instead, I really want to help you achieve success.
Su Zhiqing, don't overthink it. I'll find the book for you as compensation for deceiving you before. I'm sorry."
How could Su Jiahui accept his apology? She should be thanking him for the great news. Even if the news about the college entrance exam was false, the fact that Tao Rui no longer lied to her made her look up to him.
Su Jiahui stood up, patted her clothes, looked at Tao Rui and said, "I don't blame you, I should thank you. You...you should review too. If there are any questions you don't understand, we can study together."
Tao Rui waved his hand. "I don't like going to school. It's okay. The country is developing. If you have opportunities, I will definitely have them too. When I meet the right person, I can get rid of my current life. I have confidence." He smiled at Su Jiahui. "I will send you the books when I get them. You go back. If someone sees me, it will be misunderstood. I will wait a while before leaving."
"Yeah." Su Jiahui responded, and felt her heart beat for a moment when she looked at Tao Rui. Then her heart became confused, and she turned around and ran away.
She was going to take the college entrance examination, go back to the city, and go to college. She couldn't stay here for Tao Rui. They were impossible, and she couldn't fall in love with him.
Tao Rui had no idea what she was thinking, but he was quite happy that the matter had been resolved. He analyzed Su Jiahui's life and concluded that love was extremely unimportant to her. Her biggest regret was not being able to return to the city and go to university. So, why not help her achieve her goals and let her embark on a completely different path?
This made the task much more difficult. He would have to keep an eye on Su Jiahui in case she got down on her luck or was bullied. If she married someone else in the future, it would be inappropriate for him, a friend of the opposite sex, to show too much concern.
However, since the two of them haven't confirmed their relationship yet, he doesn't want to marry her home in such a muddle. Let's talk about this matter later. For now, the right thing to do is to have enough food and clothing and work hard to make progress.
Tao Rui fished for another half an hour and finally caught two fish, both as big as a palm, which was not small.
He looked at the string of birds and two fish on the ground and was very satisfied with today's harvest. After resting for a while to dry his wet clothes, he went down the mountain carrying his "harvest".
He met two older women on the road. They came up to him in surprise and stared at the thing in his hand. "Tao Rui, did you catch this?"
Tao Rui nodded and held it up for them to see clearly. "I can't do any work, right? I have to find something to do, so I went to the mountains to try my luck. I didn't expect that I was lucky enough to catch all of this!"
The two of them were amused by the pride on his face. "Then you have to catch it every day. Otherwise, what's the use? There are several people in your family. If everyone has a bite, it will be gone."
"Oh, by the way, why did we hear that your sister-in-law is trying to split up the family business? Is she thinking you're too lazy?"
Tao Rui looked puzzled. "Dividing the family? How come I didn't know about it? I didn't hear them talk about it."
"Come on, forget it. Your sister-in-law and your mother had a quarrel a few days ago. The neighbors heard it, but they still said nothing happened."
Tao Rui shook his head. "I really don't know. I think it doesn't matter whether it's divided or not. What's the impact? I don't understand these things. I think it's all good. There are no other houses anyway. Whether it's divided or not, we live in the same courtyard. It's all the same."
The two wanted to talk to him, but Tao Rui was not interested in chatting about his family's gossip. He raised his hand to block the sun and said, "Aunt, I'm going home first. The sun is making me uncomfortable. I even got a heat stroke today."
"Heatstroke? Oh, you're so small, go back quickly, don't faint on the way, walk quickly."
Tao Rui returned home at their urging. He first put the fish in a basin and then boiled water to pluck the bird.
When he ran a farm stay, it was fun to do these things occasionally, but it would be uncomfortable if a farmer had endless work to do every day.
Tao Rui sat on a small stool in the kitchen and looked into the yard. He found that the yard was clean and even the benches were tidy. It must have been Wu Xiufen who did it while he was taking a nap, for fear that he would do too much work at home.
A loving mother often spoils her children, but when this motherly love falls on oneself, no one will fail to cherish it.
While the water was boiling, Tao Rui went back to the mountain. This time, he didn't go inside the mountain, but instead gathered a bunch of wildflowers. The colorful flowers looked particularly pretty when they were arranged together. When he got home, he found an unused broken bottle, cleaned it, filled it with water, and placed the flowers inside.
You know what, it’s really beautiful!
He hid the flowers in the house, and when the water boiled, he began to pluck the bird's feathers. He also dried another pot of water and added a little sugar to it. When he finished plucking the bird's feathers, the water in the pot had cooled, so he took it to the fields to bring water to his family.
Wu Xiufen was the first to see him. She hurried over, looked him over, and asked, "What have you been doing at home? Are you tired?"
Xiao Lizhen came over and curled her lips when she heard this, saying sarcastically, "Mom, you've done all the work, what else can he do? If this can tire him out, he might as well just lie down every day."
Wu Xiufen raised her eyebrows. "How can you say that? You're the one who lies down all day. Is that a nice thing to say?"
Tao Rui pulled Wu Xiufen and whispered, "Mom, I have a headache."
Wu Xiufen's face changed. "Can't you listen louder? Mom forgot. Mom won't make any noise. Come, sit down and have some water."
Wu Xiufen pulled Tao Rui to sit down and poured him a bowl of water before pouring some for herself. Tao Rui had drunk enough at home and was not thirsty at all. When he saw Tao Guodong coming over, he handed him the water to drink.
Tao Guodong took a sip and was stunned. "Add sugar?"
Tao Rui smiled and said, "It must be hard to work in such a hot day. Drinking some sugar water will make you feel better. I only added a little bit so it won't be wasted."
Tao Fu and Xiao Lizhen also tasted the sweetness of the drink and felt uncomfortable immediately. They looked at Tao Rui with suspicion.
Xiao Lizhen asked, "Do you know how much sugar costs? It's so hard to buy. We only make sugar water when we greet customers. What are you doing?"
They were just angry because they hadn't split up the family business. They were unhappy with Tao Rui and his parents, and they had nothing good to say. Wu Xiufen said angrily, "This water is for us to drink. What kind of trouble is it?"
Tao Fu laughed and said, "Mom, I don't know how much the third child drinks at home. He stays at home all day, who knows what he does?"
Tao Fu's words were almost like calling Tao Rui a thief. Wu Xiufen immediately became angry. "This candy was given to me by my sister from my mother's family. What's wrong with it? Is it annoying you again? You guys keep arguing all the time, but you should remember that not much of the money in this house is earned by you two. Do you really think we, the old and the young, are taking advantage of you? You two work two jobs, and we, the two old people, work three. How are we taking advantage of you?"
Tao Fu refused to give in. He stared at Wu Xiufen and said, "My parents' things belong to all the children, right? Why should you give all your share to the third child just because you work an extra job? I'm not your son? And you still think you're right..."
"Boss!" Tao Guodong frowned and scolded, then stood up and said, "Stop talking nonsense with your mother and do your work!"
Tao Fu saw that there were many people watching around, and saw that Wu Xiufen's face was ashen. He muttered a few words and pulled Xiao Lizhen away.
Tao Rui patted Wu Xiufen on the back to calm her down, and whispered, "Dad, Mom, I want to separate too. You two should live with me. I'll definitely make a lot of money in the future and let you live a good life. What's the point of quarreling every day now? I don't like quarreling anyway. Separate the family and be free. How great is that?"
Wu Xiufen was stunned for a moment, then patted his hand. "You don't understand. Look at any family in the village that has split up. It's usually the younger generation who split up when they're in their thirties or forties. Let's talk about houses, for example. It's easy for a large family to own a house, but if they split up, how can the younger family save anything? They're penniless, unable to even afford a house. Pots, pans, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, all that's a hassle..."
"Even if it's a little harder, it's still more comfortable than now, right? I just don't want to argue every day. They don't like me, and I don't like them either. Anyway, I want to separate from the family. If you, Mom and Dad, don't want to follow me, then I'll separate myself. Talk to the team leader and I'll move into that empty house at the end of the village."
"Nonsense! What are you talking about?" Tao Guodong frowned and paced back and forth in front of him with his hands behind his back. It was obvious that he was very anxious.
Tao Rui cannot be OOC, and his speech must be consistent with the original owner's personality, changing little by little. It would be better to just cheat and let them separate to save trouble.
He also said, "I've been really good today. I went to the mountains and shot a bunch of birds and caught two fish. When I get home tonight, you can try the food I cooked. I guarantee it's better than anyone else's."
Wu Xiufen patted him nervously and said, "Why did you go into the mountains, kid? There are wild boars and poisonous snakes there. Although we haven't seen them much in recent years, what if you run into one? Don't go there again!"
Tao Rui nodded casually and said, "Don't worry about me. Just think about it. If we don't split up now, none of us will be happy. We might even start fighting one day. If we split up, and then we regret it later, we might end up living together again, right? What's the big deal?"
The two of them instinctively did not want to separate, as they always felt that doing so would make them alienated and no longer a family.
They still had work to do, so after thinking for a few minutes, they waved their hands and urged Tao Rui to go home.
Tao Rui was not in a hurry. He believed that the two elders would seriously consider what he said. After all, they really loved him.
He went home and stewed the bird, adding a lot of potatoes. One pot of dish was enough for the whole family. He also boiled two eggs, peeled them and put them in the stew together. They were tasty and full of flavor.
The villagers have always been very sensitive to the smell of meat. When everyone came here after work, they smelled it and found that it came from the Tao family. They were all surprised.
The neighbor's aunt even pulled Wu Xiufen aside and asked, "Is your second son back? Did he bring any meat? It smells amazing!"
Wu Xiufen was even more surprised than she was, and said hesitantly, "No, it seems like my third son is stewing meat. He went into the mountains today and said he shot a bird. It was a small bird, not much meat, but it tasted okay. But this kid hasn't cooked many meals, so I'm going back now, don't burn the house down."
Wu Xiufen hurried home and saw Tao Rui sitting under the eaves of the kitchen, fanning himself. She asked hurriedly, "How's the meal you cooked?"
Tao Rui pointed it out to her and said, "It's all ready. You can eat it right out of the pot. Go wash your hands quickly."
Wu Xiufen walked around the kitchen anxiously, her expression unable to conceal her surprise. It was indeed all ready, though a bit wasteful. There was a bit more oil, salt, and seasoning, and the steamed buns were much larger. She felt heartbroken just looking at them.
However, her youngest son rarely took the initiative to cook, so she didn't blame him even though the words were on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she asked everyone to wash their hands and eat.
Xiao Lizhen curiously dragged her daughter to the kitchen to get some rice. Seeing so many birds, her first reaction was, "Third brother, who have you tricked again? Where did this happen?"
Tao Rui frowned and said, "I hit it myself."
He stood up and didn't want to listen to her sarcasm. He went over to Wu Xiufen and said, "Mom, come with me. I brought you a gift from the mountains."
"What? A gift?" Wu Xiufen wiped her hands and followed him into the house in confusion.
When Xiao Lizhen heard this, she immediately winked at her daughter and raised her chin towards Tao Ruiwu.
The little girl Tao Yuanyuan was already twelve years old. She nodded and ran to the wall, pretending to look for something. She peeked into the room through the window to see what Tao Rui and the others were doing.
The system told Tao Rui immediately, but Tao Rui didn't care because he didn't do anything secret.
He took the vase of flowers out from behind the quilt, handed it to Wu Xiufen, and said with a smile, "Mom, these flowers are for you. Do you smell them? Are they fragrant? Aren't they beautiful?"
Wu Xiufen was really stunned. She had never received flowers in her life!
She slowly reached out to take it, lowered her head and smelled it. Her eyes were red, but she smiled widely. "Fragrant! Really fragrant! Mom has never seen such beautiful flowers. My son is really amazing. The flowers he picks are more beautiful than others."
"Of course, Mom, if you like it, I'll pick some for you when I have time. There's plenty of it in the back hills. It'd be nice to put it in the house to fumigate the air. Besides, seeing it makes you happy, right?"
"Yes, everything my son says is right!" Wu Xiufen touched Tao Rui's head happily, turned around and put the flowers in her room.
Xiao Lizhen had a very bad impression of Tao Rui. When she heard about this, she muttered to Tao Fu behind his back, "Your third son must have done something bad again. Otherwise, why is he trying to curry favor with your mother? He's a man who doesn't do anything without profit. He's a bit clever, so he's probably trying to get money from your mother, right?"
Tao Fu was furious. "The old lady only has eyes for him as her son. She might even have given him the money for her coffin. We are just outsiders. What can we know?"
"Why else would we talk about dividing the family? We can at least get a share now. You're the eldest son, so you deserve the main house. If the old couple really lose everything in the future, won't they have to be supported by our family then? Why? All the benefits go to the third son, bullying us because we're honest?" Xiao Lizhen was throwing things around, and her excitement at the sight of the bird meat had faded. She said disdainfully, "When has he ever been nice to us? Who knows, he might be eating some delicious food like chicken legs behind our backs. Bring us some bird meat to chew on."
Tao Fu frowned and said, "Alright, alright, what's the point of talking here? What's the point of making a fuss if our parents don't agree? I'll find some time to go to town and find the second brother and ask him to help talk to them."
Xiao Lizhen sneered, "The second son is the most cunning. He ran away early and didn't even come home for the New Year. He was just given some money and that was it. He just eats every day. What can he do with that little money? He doesn't care about the family affairs."
"We have to take care of it, no matter what. Dividing the family is a major event for the whole family, and we have to express our opinions. If he says he doesn't want to divide it, then I'll have a good talk with him and ask him to give more money." The more Tao Fu talked, the more he felt that he had to go to town. He urged Xiao Lizhen to serve the food quickly. These matters could be discussed after he returned from town. The bird meat smelled strange, but it was better to eat first.
When Xiao Lizhen was serving the food, she noticed two eggs in the pot and placed one directly in her daughter's bowl. Tao Rui saw this without saying anything, but took out the other egg, split it in half, and placed it in the two elders' bowls.
Wu Xiufen hurriedly tried to give it to him, "Mom doesn't like it, you eat it, it will nourish your body."
Tao Rui stopped her and said, "Mom and Dad, you two should be replenishing your bodies. How long has it been since you last had eggs? It's a pity that we only have two chickens at home, and they only laid two eggs. You and Yuanyuan should eat them."
Xiao Lizhen felt uncomfortable after hearing this. Tao Rui was being a filial son, which made her seem unfilial by giving her daughter eggs. Was this kid doing this on purpose? Why didn't he usually give the goodies to the parents?
Tao Yuanyuan looked at Xiao Lizhen anxiously. Xiao Lizhen said, "Eat it. Your uncle told you to eat it."
Tao Yuanyuan then lowered her head and started eating, wolfing it down. She had never eaten eggs stewed in broth before. They were so delicious!
Tao Rui picked up more bird meat for the two elders and said as he ate, "I've been thinking about this for the past two days. My eldest brother is worried that I'll become a waste in the future. No matter how you look at it, it's for my own good. I plan to find something to do. Hunting is not a sure thing. I was lucky to catch something today, but I'm not sure about it in the future. I plan to go to town tomorrow to see if there are any good opportunities."
Tao Fu glanced at him and said, "Third brother, we have to know ourselves and not just dream of getting something for nothing. If there's a good opportunity in town, will it be your turn? Besides, you don't know anything and you're not in good health, so what can you do? Stop imagining it. Get some exercise and work in the fields. Do as much as you can. Even if you earn fewer work points, it's still money."
Tao Rui ate his meal without looking up and said, "I'll give it a try."
"Try it, how long?"
Seeing that the two brothers were getting angry again, Tao Guodong knocked on the table with his chopsticks and said with a stern face, "Eat well!"
Tao Fu and Xiao Lizhen both felt that Tao Guodong was helping Tao Rui, and they felt very uncomfortable. Xiao Lizhen saw the two fish in the basin and said, "I haven't been back to my parents' home for a long time. I want to go back. It's not good to go empty-handed, so I'll bring two fish."
Tao Rui rejected it directly, "I have a use for the fish. I want to trade it with my second brother for something else."
"What? For the second child?" Xiao Lizhen looked at him in surprise. "What are you exchanging for?"
The others were also surprised. Tao Rui said, "Let's go and see what he has. Let's exchange it for something we don't have at home."
Tao Rui was exchanging things, not giving them as gifts, and he caught the fish himself, so Xiao Lizhen couldn't say anything more.
The food on the table smelled delicious, but the diners were not in a good mood. After they had finished eating, Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen praised Tao Rui for his delicious cooking.
Tao Rui had run a farm stay before, after all. His cooking wasn't as good as a big restaurant, but compared to the countryside at the time, it was still quite good. He even thought that bringing vegetables to his second brother might be a better option than bringing two fish.
But fish can be given to others, but vegetables cannot. He still took two fish to town the next day. What if his second brother wanted to ask someone for a favor or give him a gift? Fish is convenient. In addition to fish, he also shot ten birds and put them in a cloth bag.
He went to town and found a place to sell the bird. The best thing about this place was that it was already a place where he could set up a stall, so he didn't have to go to the black market. After he got the money, he went to a junkyard and found a set of books and some exercise materials.
Ten years after the college entrance exam was canceled, no one wanted these things. There were many scrap yards, many of which were incomplete. Tao Rui searched for a long time before finding a complete set. Then he went to the factory where Tao Xin worked.
Tao Xin is a printer in the workshop of a printing factory. When Tao Rui came to find him, Tao Xin was very surprised. He told the director and ran out quickly.
A few days ago, Wu Xiufen asked someone to bring him a message. He knew that Tao Rui had a head injury caused by Tao Fu, and she also asked someone to bring back a can of food as a token of her gratitude. How come Tao Rui came to see him just a few days later?
Tao Xin kept wondering what might happen to Tao Rui, but unexpectedly he saw Tao Rui and the two fish in his hand.
Tao Rui smiled at him, "Second brother, what time do you get off work? I have something to talk to you about."
"I still have an hour. What's wrong with you? Is your injury healed?" Tao Xin pulled him to the shade of a tree and found a stone to sit on.
Tao Rui showed him the back of his head. "It's fine. There's just a bump. It hurts when it bumps, but it's usually fine. I wanted to ask you if there's any job openings in town. I also caught two fish, but I don't like them. I'd like to trade them with you for something delicious or something you can use, anything you don't have at home. By the way, I want to talk to you about dividing the family property."
Before Tao Xin could react to his previous words, he was shocked by his next words, "Separate the family? Who wants to separate the family?"
"My elder brother, his wife, and I all want a share. What about you? Do you want one?" Tao Rui looked at him and said, "Actually, you've already been divided. You haven't been home much since you got married. But it's not officially announced. If the family is divided, you'll definitely get a share."
Tao Xin thought about it and said directly: "I don't want anything. You can divide it however you want."
Tao Rui shook his head. "That won't do. As the second oldest, you have to express your opinion. Second brother, actually, it's a good idea to split up the family. You're not helping anyone. Let Mom and Dad stay with me. They love me the most. I'll be the one to take care of them in their old age. You and Big Brother won't have to worry about it."
Tao Xin didn't believe what Tao Rui said. He just listened and said with a smile, "Mom and Dad are the parents of the three of us brothers. They have to take care of us and provide for us in our old age. If you want them to live with you, then talk to your eldest brother. Parents usually live with the eldest son, so it doesn't matter to me. Just talk to him."
Tao Rui rubbed the back of his head. "What do you think we can discuss? Second brother, let me be honest. I really want to support my parents. I know I wasn't very reasonable before, but everyone has to grow up, right? I fell hard this time, but I was scared. I saw my parents crying so sadly, and I felt that I couldn't die. I have to be filial to them."
"What are you talking about? It's unlucky! Stop talking nonsense!"
Tao Rui smiled nonchalantly and made an excuse for his change of heart. "Anyway, I feel that if I have to say sorry to anyone in my life, it's definitely my parents. They've been so good to me, but now that I'm this old, my mom still has to work two jobs to support me. That's all I want to say. I really want to separate from my parents and live alone. I'm not doing this for their savings.
So I thought, you should take some time to go back. The three of us brothers, and yes, bring my sister-in-law too. Everyone must be there, and then we can find the team leader and the elders in the family to witness the division of the family property. This way, it's fair and open. Mom and Dad should bring out everything they have, no hiding anything. If you don't believe it, you can go and look it up. After the division, no one should complain about this or that, or complain about anything. Even if I get less, it's fine. I just want the family property to be divided."
Tao Xin initially suspected Tao Rui was up to something, but after hearing his long speech, he realized he was serious. This younger brother really wanted to split the family business. Why? Logically, Tao Rui couldn't do anything, and wouldn't be able to accomplish anything, so wouldn't he be able to take advantage by dragging the eldest brother along? Did he think that by splitting up the family business, he'd have his parents do all the work for him? But what's the difference between now and now?
Tao Xin frowned, puzzled.
But whether the family split up or not didn't really affect him. He still didn't want to get involved. He actually had no interest in these family matters at all. He lived a good life in town.
He sighed, "Why do you have to ask me for help? If my parents agree, that's fine with me. But if they don't agree, what can I do?"
Tao Rui spread his hands. "We are the only three children they have. If we all agree to split up the family business, how can they not do it?" He stood up and patted Tao Xin on the shoulder. "Don't worry, second brother. I'm not asking you to go back and persuade them. My parents love me the most. I promise to convince them. I just want you to go back. You and your sister-in-law must be present. Otherwise, how can we divide the family? You don't mind, but I think it's inappropriate. If we have to split up, we should do it properly and clearly."
Tao Xin hadn't seen Tao Rui in a long time and thought he'd changed a lot. But thinking back to how the boss had beaten him to a pulp, and how spoiled he'd been since childhood, he must have been furious and didn't want to spend a single day in the same house with the boss, right?
He didn't want to get involved in the conflict between the eldest and third sons, but since it was a family affair, he should be present. He thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll go back in a couple of days during the weekend and bring your sister-in-law and nephew with me."
Tao Rui nodded. "Okay, it's settled then. Can you give me something in exchange? I'm going back."
Tao Xin glanced at his fish, feeling somewhat helpless. Who would bring something to exchange for something? Shouldn't it be a gift? But this really suited the Third Brother's personality. If it were a gift, he wouldn't have dared to accept it, fearing there might be some trap.
Tao Xin's home wasn't far from the factory, so he ran home and brought him a box of vanishing cream. It was new and unused, his wife had bought. He figured Tao Rui seemed to be looking for a partner, so this would definitely be a good choice. As for the fish, it came just in time for the factory director's mother's birthday.
After Tao Rui returned home, he gave the vanishing cream to Wu Xiufen, "Mom, I changed this for you. Just put some on your face and hands when you have nothing to do. My second brother said it works well."
"Oh, why would I need this precious thing?" Wu Xiufen smiled widely.
Tao Guodong laughed and scolded: "You little bastard, where did you learn that? All you know is to coax your mother!"
Tao Rui smiled and said, "Do I need to learn this? My mom loves me so much, if I don't coax her, who else can I coax? Don't worry, Dad, you love me too. When I get some good cigarettes and good wine, I'll treat you to them, too. Don't worry."
“Who’s anxious?”
Tao Rui added, "My second brother and his family are on holiday this weekend. They said they haven't been home for a long time, so the whole family came back to visit."
Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen were naturally happy to hear this, as they hadn't seen the second brother's family for a long time.
Tao Fu and Xiao Lizhen exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat puzzled. Did the third child go to the second child to discuss something? They should hurry to town to see what was going on.
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