Tao Fu didn't sleep much that night. The next day he found an excuse to ask for leave from the team leader and went straight to the town.
When Tao Xin heard that his eldest brother was looking for him, he was quite puzzled. What was going on? After the younger brother looked for him, the eldest brother came. Could it be another matter of splitting up the family?
Tao Xin quickly ran out the door, "Brother, why are you here? Is there something wrong at home?"
Tao Fu waved his hand, frowning, "Second brother, did the third brother come to see you yesterday? What did he say?"
"They didn't say anything, just that the family might be splitting up, and asked me to go back and express my opinion. Big brother, you know me, I work in town and can't go back often, so the family relies on you and my younger brother to take care of my parents, and I have no opinion on what happens at home. It's just that the third brother thinks that if the family is to be split up, everyone must be present to avoid future reconciliation, so I'll go back. Don't worry, I don't want anything from the family, I'll just go and listen." Tao Xin expressed his attitude directly, as if it was none of his business.
Tao Fu handed him a cigarette, and the two of them puffed away in silence. After a while, Tao Fu asked, not quite convinced, "That kid told you he agreed to split up the family? Do you think he meant it?"
Tao Xin looked at him and suddenly laughed. "Brother, what does it matter if it's true or not? If it's true, we'll definitely break up. If it's false, then it's just like now, right? How can you still be at a disadvantage? You rushed to me just to ask about this? I'm not saying anything bad, but you're a little too anxious. Brothers, talk it out without getting into any fights."
This made Tao Fu's face turn even uglier. He looked at Tao Xin unhappily and snorted, "You're just talking nonsense. If you have the ability, you can support him. He's eighteen years old this year, quite a grown-up, and will soon be getting married. Why don't I support him, but also his wife and children in the future? Don't I owe him that?"
Tao Xin took a puff of his cigarette. "Brother, I know I shouldn't get involved in family matters when I'm not home, but since you two have come to me, you're not asking me to be silent, are you? I'm just saying things are getting a bit awkward now. Since the third brother has agreed to split up, let's just do it this weekend. Mom and Dad are still around, so let's be friendly. You'll still be living in the same courtyard, so you'll see each other every day. Why bother arguing anymore?"
"That's easy for you to say. Just try living with them." Tao Fu narrowed his eyes and stared at him. "Second brother, I hear you sound like you're on the side of the third brother. You know how partial your parents are to you. You've basically not been home in the past two years. Isn't it because of their partiality?"
Tao Xin quickly waved his hands, "I'm not like that. Hey, why are you talking about me? Big brother, it's really not because of this. To tell you the truth, it's true that my parents favor the third child, but they didn't treat us badly. When grandma was alive, didn't she give all the good things to us? Back then, my parents and the third child couldn't get any.
In this family, the third child is favored, and we're not much worse off, just the ones favored are different. Think about it, neither of us is close to Mom, and she's not close to us either. It's pretty fair, don't you think? I don't go back often because we're not that close, so there's no need to force it together. I don't care about Mom doting on the third child, and I won't argue. If you want to argue, don't bring me in. I've always been good to whoever treats me well. No one owes me anything, and I don't owe anyone anything, right?"
Tao Fu was not able to refute Tao Xin's words, but he disagreed in his heart and could not help complaining, "It's easy for you to say you've escaped the fire pit. Every day I see the old lady taking care of the third child like a child. How can I not feel uncomfortable? You don't know that the old lady works two jobs just to share the food and daily necessities with the third child. My daughter is her own granddaughter, the youngest in the family, and she doesn't even show any love for her.
This time, the third child got a little bruised, and that was a big deal. He was given two eggs a day and his meals were brought to the house every day. The third child was also the same. He couldn't listen to anyone loudly, no one was allowed to speak loudly. Tsk, even the emperor was not as precious as him.
I respect my parents, that's fine, but why should I respect him? My parents don't agree to split up the family, so they want me to worship him as my ancestor, right? "
Tao Xin smoked in silence as Tao Fu complained about trivial matters. Honestly, they didn't affect anything. As for whether they affected his mood, that depended entirely on how he thought about it. He hadn't come to town to stay, and it wasn't really because of the third child. He had always believed that relationships were mutual. He wasn't that close to his parents, and they weren't close to him either. It was perfectly normal.
After Tao Fu finished complaining, he expressed his opinion again, "The things that my parents favored for the third child, in my opinion, are all theirs, not something they took advantage of us two brothers. As long as the old man is still alive, these are not considered inheritance, they don't belong to us, they can spend them however they like. Big brother, if you think like me, you won't be so unhappy."
"Why are they all his? Aren't we his sons?"
Tao Xin smiled, "Brother, don't be so petty. You are the eldest son and grandson of the family. When grandma was alive, you were the most favored one in the family. If you say it's unfair, then the third brother and I also felt it was unfair. How can we seek justice in this matter? You can't just take advantage of it and say nothing, and then quit when you don't get any benefit. To be honest, the division of the family has no effect on me, I don't care, but if you and your sister-in-law make a fuss about the division of the family, I'm afraid your reputation in the team will be bad, so you should think it through.
If you don't have anything else to do, I'll go back to work. The third child wants to split the family business anyway, so we'll finish it off by the weekend. Don't worry about anything else."
Thinking of the eldest child's fussy nature, Tao Xin added, "If Mom and Dad give more to the third child, then they can give you the portion they gave me. That way, you won't lose out, okay?"
Tao Fu's face turned ugly. "What are you talking about? Am I just greedy for that little thing? I just said that the old lady is biased."
Tao Xin waved his hand. "Okay, work hard in the future. When you have money, move to a new house. Then, if you stay away, out of sight, out of mind. That's it for now. There's no better way."
Tao Fu could tell Tao Xin didn't want to talk anymore, and thought to himself, this guy has really become a townie, looking down on him. He'd just lash out at every complaint he made, as if he were always wrong. Since they weren't on the same page, Tao Fu casually agreed and turned to leave. Tao Xin shook his head and went back to work, not taking it to heart at all.
Tao Fu, on the other hand, went to the town once and was in a bad mood when he returned home.
He thought of the two fish and the box of vanishing cream. The second and third brothers were interacting with each other and giving each other good things. He had nothing to do with it.
After discussing with Xiao Lizhen, he and Xiao Lizhen both set their sights on the room that originally belonged to the second brother.
There are three brothers in the family, each with his own room. The second brother is in town, but he'll come back for holidays, so his room remains untouched. Since the second brother has offered to give him his share of the property, why not just take the room? Wouldn't it be reasonable for my daughter to have her own room now that she's grown up? This is how it should be divided.
The couple had agreed that they would inevitably bring up some of the issues when talking to Wu Xiufen these past few days, hinting at their desire to split up the house. Even their daughter, Tao Yuanyuan, would occasionally peek out the window at the room, as if trying to figure out how to pack after moving in, leaving Wu Xiufen so irritated that she couldn't sleep at night.
This feeling is like... she is still alive, but the eldest brother's family is worried about how to divide the inheritance after her death. It is so painful.
Wu Xiufen privately said to Tao Rui, "The eldest brother is really blinded by greed. Why didn't he tell him that he gave him all the money your grandmother saved before she died? And he still has the nerve to ask for a house? What a wishful thinking!"
Tao Rui smiled and said, "Mom, second brother will be back this weekend, let's divide the house. We can divide it into three, one for eldest brother, one for second brother, and you and dad will be with me, so we can count as one. When the time comes, if second brother wants to give his room to eldest brother, just give it to him. It's their business, don't worry about it. It's really annoying for you to care so much."
You haven't slept well these past two days, and your complexion doesn't look good."
Wu Xiufen took a deep breath and said, "I'm just furious." She pursed her lips and swallowed back the complaints she wanted to say. She realized that her youngest son didn't like to hear these complaints, nor did he care to care about them.
Tao Rui said seriously, "Mom, listen to me. When we divide the family property, list all the things we own, including the money. They are your sons, so it's okay to give them a little more. It's not a loss. You don't want to live your whole life with the reputation of being partial, do you? Why not be generous this time? We don't have much anyway, and I don't want to cause any more quarrels at home."
Wu Xiufen looked at Tao Rui and touched the bump on the back of his head. "Ah, are you scared by your big brother's beating? How could you say such words before?"
"No, who am I to be afraid of him?" Tao Rui said nonchalantly, "I just find him annoying, as if I owe him something. Since we're going to divide the family, let's just divide it in a way that no one can find fault with. We'll just take a little loss, and I promise to make sure you live a good life in the future, a thousand times better than you have now! Do you believe me, Mom?"
Wu Xiufen was amused by him and nodded repeatedly, "I believe it, I believe it. I'm waiting for my youngest son to let me live a good life. Okay, Mom will listen to you. I'm also very happy that you think so. We are all brothers, so don't quarrel in the future. Just divide it according to your decision."
Tao Rui successfully persuaded Wu Xiufen and let the matter go.
He had been looking for an opportunity to meet Su Jiahui alone these two days. He finally met her in private and gave her the book.
Su Jiahui was delighted and astonished. "Tao Rui, you... you actually went to look for the book?" She flipped through it. "So comprehensive? There's even exercise materials!"
She felt a little hot holding a pile of books, and said with her head down, "I don't know how to thank you..."
"Study hard, get into a good university, and become a useful member of society in the future. That's all you need to do. We all help each other, so why thank us so much?" Tao Rui said indifferently, urging her to go back quickly. "Take some time to go to town. If someone asks, just say you found this book yourself. I don't need to teach you these things, right?"
"I understand. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Su Jiahui thanked Tao Rui again and hurried back to the educated youth site.
In any case, it is not appropriate for her and Tao Rui to have any involvement now, and their connection probably ends here.
Tao Rui waited for Su Jiahui to disappear, and then left after making sure no one saw him. Su Jiahui was different from the previous mission objects. The previous mission objects were very dependent on their partners and needed time to grow and become independent. So the best way to make them happy was for him to help them grow up.
This process was not short, and since the relationship was basically confirmed, he naturally chose to be their strongest supporter and always be by their side.
But Tao Rui, judging by Su Jiahui's life, felt that she might not need his support, but rather an opportunity. Returning to the city after the college entrance exam was clearly more appealing to her than a man. The timing was particularly delicate: Su Jiahui was about to go to college, while Tao Rui was still just a village idler, a man he couldn't rely on. Anyone with a brains-dead mind wouldn't choose him.
Tao Rui put the opportunity firmly in Su Jiahui's hands, and felt that the task was much easier. He went to the mountain to check the trap he had set, but when he got there, he saw the fool sitting next to the trap with a rabbit in his arms.
Tao Rui paused and walked forward slowly, "Um... this rabbit is mine."
The fool was a girl, the same age as Tao Rui, named Tong Yan. Tao Rui thought of the childish ways in which the original owner had bullied Tong Yan, and felt a little uncomfortable in front of her. He was truly wicked, hitting her with stones, pouring cold water on her in the middle of winter, mocking her for being a fool, and even giving her the nickname "stinky crow" and calling her a jinx. Now that Tong Yan had seen him and didn't hit him, she had really improved her temper.
Tao Rui touched his nose, pointed at the trap and said, "I made this trap to catch rabbits and eat them."
Tong Yan looked at him with her dark eyes, somewhat wary, and said slowly, "Evidence."
Tao Rui guessed she didn't believe him, and rightly so. Anyone in this situation would have suspected he was trying to snatch the rabbit. But how could he prove the trap? There was no name on it.
Tao Rui thought about it and decided that Tong Yan was one of the people the original owner owed someone, so he should compensate her. He simply said, "Forget it, I'll give you this rabbit. Take it home. You can keep it or eat it."
Tong Yan said seriously, "It's not mine, I don't want it. I'm waiting for my master."
Tao Rui saw her holding the rabbit in one hand and grabbing its ears with the other. She didn't look like she loved the little animal. Instead, she looked like she wanted to hold it tightly and not let it run away, and was ready to pick it up and hand it over to someone at any time.
Tong Yan's family has only a frail grandmother. Thinking about it, it seems the two of them have always refused help from the villagers, insisting on relying on themselves. Perhaps Grandma Tong fears that Tong Yan will be cheated in her absence, so she taught her this way? This way, at least Tong Yan won't just follow someone for a little good stuff. She's quite principled.
Tao Rui rolled up his sleeves. Tong Yan immediately stood up and stared at him. He said awkwardly, "I'm not going to hit you. I set a trap for you to see. Don't you believe it?"
Tao Rui turned his back, moving a little further away from the trap, and quickly set up a new one. He turned around and waved, "Come and see, is it exactly the same as that one?"
Tong Yan walked over, took a look, then went back to look at the original one. She repeated this process three or four times before she was done. She then handed the rabbit to Tao Rui and said simply and clearly, "It's yours. Here you go."
Tao Rui thought that even if he gave it to her again, she would not accept it, so he took the rabbit. Tong Yan went down the mountain without saying a word, as if she really didn't want to stay in the same place with him.
[Brother Rui, it seems like you are being disliked.]
The system came out to join in the fun, and Tao Rui said speechlessly: [If someone bullied me like this, I would not only hate him, but also retaliate.]
He picked up the rabbit, looked at it, and said with a smile, "They're quite fat. Let's take them home and raise them. When we catch another one, we'll let them give birth."
Tao Rui was carrying the rabbit all the way home when everyone was getting off work. Many people saw him and asked him in surprise how he caught it. He didn't hide it and said that he just used a trap and was lucky.
It's true that some people set traps, but those who don't understand this thing really can't do it. You can't catch prey just by digging a hole. Someone said, "Tao Rui, how did you do it? Teach us so we can have some meat too."
Tao Rui chuckled, "If I teach you, what else will I eat? I can't work in the fields, so I rely on catching some live animals in the mountains. Oh, and I plan to raise rabbits to give birth. If you want them later, you can bring me something to exchange for them."
Everyone knew he didn't do anything. Hunting was a skill he had learned with great difficulty, so if he wanted to learn it, wouldn't he have to give others a reward? However, no one blamed him for being stingy. They joked with him cheerfully, saying that they would trade their cubs with him in the future and then let him go.
Tao Yuanyuan came back from picking pig grass and saw the excitement from afar. She ran home and whispered to Xiao Lizhen, "Mom, my uncle isn't as useless as you say. He brought back some rabbits and said he wants to raise them for puppies. If we don't split up, can we eat rabbit meat every day?"
Xiao Lizhen was stunned, looked out the yard, and shook her head. "It happens once or twice, a blind cat meets a dead mouse. I'm telling you, this is a rare opportunity to divide the family business. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You're just a kid, so don't get involved."
"Oh." Tao Yuanyuan lowered her head, feeling unhappy. The bird stew her uncle made that day was delicious, but she couldn't eat it anymore after the family split up.
Seeing this, Xiao Lizhen rolled her eyes and whispered, "Are you stupid? He's your uncle, and there are your grandparents over there. If you want to eat it in the future, just ask them. How can they not give it to you?"
Tao Yuanyuan was delighted to hear this and ran out happily to see the rabbit.
Tao Rui got a cage to hold a rabbit and said in front of everyone, "Now we have two chickens and a rabbit, that's enough to share. The chickens go to my eldest and second brothers, and I'll take the rabbit."
Wu Xiufen's heart ached immediately, but when she met Tao Rui's gaze, she remembered their agreement to take a small loss, so she said nothing. Xiao Lizhen, on the other hand, was quite happy. What was the point of having a rabbit? It would be gone after you ate it, and it might even run away and die. Chickens were different. You could order them every day, and you didn't have to worry about raising them.
Now that the division of the family was out in the open, the atmosphere at home actually improved. After the two elders accepted this result, they were no longer as anxious as before. All three sons wanted to divide the family, so what else could they say?
By the weekend, the whole family changed into clean clothes, and Tao Xin and his family of three came back early, bringing some snacks and eggs for the two elders.
Wu Xiufen gave the snacks to Tao Rui to eat. Tao Rui took a look at them and saw that they were so dry that crumbs fell off when he took them. He thought they were not tasty and said, "Mom, I don't like them. Let's give them to whoever likes them."
Wu Xiufen immediately took two pieces and gave them to Tao Yuanyuan from the eldest son and Tao Yonghui from the second son, and wanted to put the rest away.
Tao Rui felt that if this thing was left out any longer it would probably expire, so he quickly stopped her and said, "Mom, aren't the captain and his men coming over soon? We don't have anything good to offer them, so why not just cut this up and put it on a plate? It'll look nice."
Wu Xiufen hesitated and said, "Okay, I'll make some more tea."
Wu Xiufen asked her two daughters-in-law to go to the kitchen to help, and the children went to play nearby. Only Tao Guodong and his three sons were left at the table.
Tao Guodong took two puffs of his cigarette and looked at them one by one. "Have you made up your mind? Do you really want to split up? Do you regret it?"
Tao Fu was the first to speak up: "Think it over. Even if we split up, we're still a family. Don't overthink it, Dad. The three of us brothers will definitely be filial to you as we should be. A tree grows taller and branches out, right? We have to split up sooner or later, so the sooner the better."
Tao Xin drank water without saying anything. Tao Rui moved a stool closer to Tao Guodong and said, "Dad, it's good to break up. If you really regret it later, you can get back together. It's okay."
Tao Fu glanced at Tao Rui, pondered for a moment, and said, "Dad, I'm the eldest son. You and Mom must follow me, otherwise people outside will poke me in the back..."
Before he could finish, Tao Rui interrupted him and said, "Brother, my parents will be with me for the rest of their lives. Taking care of them is my sole responsibility. You and my second brother don't have to worry about it. I can't live without my parents. I have to be with them all the time. If you don't want to, then I'll be wherever my parents are. Think about it carefully."
My parents don't have much savings, so I'll have the captain's aunt and mom go in and get it later. I'm sure no one will be kept in the dark, so you won't suffer any loss. All of this has been written down clearly in the separation documents. I definitely won't use my parents to ask you for money or things in the future."
Tao Fu asked his parents to follow him because he was afraid that they would give all their money to Tao Rui. Now that Tao Rui had exposed his little trick, he immediately became angry and asked, "What do you mean by that? Who do you think I am?"
Tao Rui was too lazy to argue and knocked the table with his cup. "That's all I'm saying. Either we do it this way today, or we don't separate. Anyway, I don't care. It's you who's anxious to separate."
Tao Fu was about to say something when Xiao Lizhen quickly stepped out, put down the kettle, and gave Tao Fu a kick. "The family is about to split up, so don't make things complicated. If Tao Rui, that idiot, really doesn't split up, it'll be hard to split up later."
Besides, what Tao Rui meant was good for their first wife. They would gain more than they expected. How could they quarrel just for the sake of face?
The couple had similar personalities, and they understood what the gesture meant. Tao Fu immediately drank some water to calm down his anger, looked away and said nothing.
Tao Guodong saw the reactions of the three brothers and sighed.
When the captain and the uncle of the Tao family came over, Tao Guodong no longer hesitated. "As the tree grows, branches branch out. My three sons have grown up, and it's time to separate. I'd like to ask you to help bear witness."
The captain heard about their family's affairs and advised, "Brother, you'd better think it through carefully. It's normal for families to quarrel. How can you just split up the family? A single chopstick will break easily, but a bunch of chopsticks will not. A family can only live a good life if they work together."
Tao Guodong shook his head. "We've already discussed it and made a decision."
Uncle Tao glanced at the three brothers. No matter what the reason was, brothers splitting up the family was something he couldn't stand. He said in a deep voice, "The third brother hasn't gotten married yet. It won't be too late to split up after he gets married."
Tao Rui laughed and said, "Third Uncle, who would want to marry me like this? Marriage is still a distant possibility. It's time to divorce. This is a good thing."
Uncle Tao snorted coldly and glared at Tao Rui. The witnesses all felt he was a bit ungrateful. After all, in their opinion, the one who had the worst luck with the Tao family split was Tao Rui. This kid couldn't do anything, was lazy all day, and was so weak and spoiled. Without his older brothers to take care of him, wouldn't he be finished when his parents got old?
But since Tao Rui didn't appreciate it, they didn't try to persuade him much. They just chatted for a while and asked how the Tao family planned to divide the property.
Wu Xiufen took a deep breath and politely invited the captain's wife and cousin's wife who were present to come into the house. She also called her two daughters-in-law and took out the money and tickets in front of them. Then she opened all the places where things could be hidden and asked her two daughters-in-law to search through them.
Even Xiao Lizhen was confused at this moment. She asked in surprise, "Mom, what are you doing? How could we go through your things?" She looked at the captain's wife and hurriedly explained, "Mom, you're so likely to cause misunderstandings. When did we ever want your things?"
Wu Xiufen stood aside and said, "You don't want it, but I think dividing the family property is a lifelong matter, so it must be clear and there can't be any ambiguity. Just consider it a favor for me and search everywhere you can, on the beams, in the cabinets."
The cousin's wife came to persuade her, but Wu Xiufen was very persistent. She even turned over her pillowcase and quilt to show them clearly that there was nothing inside.
Xiao Lizhen and Zhao Yaxiang had no choice but to go over and look through the things. Zhao Yaxiang was upset; she had never expected anything from her in-laws, and now they had to get involved in the division of the family property. Her expression was not very pleasant. Xiao Lizhen took this opportunity to carefully look through the things and found that Wu Xiufen had indeed taken out all her belongings. She was quite surprised and a little confused about what Wu Xiufen was thinking.
After searching the house, several people put the property on the table outside, counted it and recorded it on paper by the team leader. Then they recorded how many kinds of food there were in the house, how much there were, what tools and kitchen utensils there were, chickens and rabbits, etc., no matter how big or small, they wrote down everything that could be divided.
Tao Guodong then said, "Over the years, Xiufen and I have preferred our youngest son, but we feel we haven't treated the eldest and second son unfairly. Now that the family is splitting up, we're living with the third son. You all know him, and we're worried about him. We want to help him as much as we can while he's still young and unable to move. In order to avoid being accused of favoritism, from now on..."
Tao Guodong was at a loss for words. He looked at Tao Rui, feeling that this wasn't a good idea. Tao Rui would provide for their retirement? How would he support them? If they got sick again, wouldn't Tao Rui be crushed?
Tao Rui came over and continued, "From now on, my parents' retirement will be my responsibility. My eldest and second brothers don't need to interfere. This must be written down in the family division documents as evidence."
The captain and Uncle Tao were both shocked and looked at him in disbelief, "Don't you need your elder brothers to support you in your old age?"
Tao Xin hurried over and said, "You don't need to write this. Retirement is the responsibility of the three brothers. It's not calculated this way. I must contribute to the well-being of my parents as they grow old."
Tao Fu also frowned and said, "Don't make trouble, Third Brother. There's no such thing. I will definitely do what I should do. I'm the eldest son, so of course I will be filial to my parents."
Tao Rui waved his hand, "These are two different things. If you want to be filial to your parents, it's up to you to buy them some delicious food. But this must be written, because it means that your parents don't need you to spend money or effort, and they won't ask you for things in the future. This is for fairness. Who asked my parents to live with me?
By the way, today's division of the family is also because of this matter, so I want to give more to my eldest and second brothers."
Tao Rui had calculated that everything would be divided into five parts: the eldest son would get two, the second son would get two, and he and the second son would get one. This way, the eldest and second son would each get twice as much as he did, but actually more than twice, because his share was shared by the second son, leaving him with less than one share.
It can be said that he was the one who suffered the most from this division.
Wu Xiufen placed the paper on the table where Tao Rui had written the details of the division and said, "Captain, take a look. If this is correct, let's divide it this way. We've already thought it through. Let's not talk about whether we're partial or not. Everyone is partial, and it's normal to like one younger generation or another. All I can do is not be partial when it comes to these things at home. Give more to the eldest and second oldest children so they don't blame me."
Zhao Yaxiang hurriedly said, "Mom, don't overthink it. We will never blame you, right, Tao Xin?"
Tao Xin nodded immediately. "Mom and Dad, don't worry. I will never ignore you. If you think I didn't do well before, I will come back more often in the future."
Tao Fu also said: "Mom, don't say that. Who would blame you? Just don't blame us. Dividing the family is also for the sake of living a good life. It's a good thing."
Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen harbored no resentment towards their sons, and certainly wouldn't let them be branded as unfilial. After clarifying the situation, Wu Xiufen emphasized that she tends to overthink things, so she had to clarify every little detail when dividing the family property, or she wouldn't feel at ease.
Since the purpose is to reassure the elderly, the younger generation has no choice but to cooperate. They cannot be blamed.
After the team leader and Uncle Tao confirmed again and again that this was how they wanted to divide the property, they wrote several documents for division of the property and asked them to each take their own things and put their fingerprints on them.
While doing this, the yard was very quiet and no one wanted to talk.
Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen were heartbroken. They had worked so hard for most of their lives to maintain their family, and now it was broken up. From then on, they were left with only their young son. It was like losing something very important. Although they had decided to leave some time ago, at this moment, they still couldn't accept it and felt a little sad.
Tao Xin and Zhao Yaxiang felt that taking these things was too hot to handle, and always felt like being unfilial. They were used to using what they earned, and they didn't want it from the bottom of their hearts. But the eldest couple was in a trance. Their dream came true in an instant. Not only did they divide the family property, but they also got a lot of things.
Before, they were wary of Tao Rui's tricks, always keeping a vigilant eye on him, afraid that he would take the two elders' things and take advantage of them. But Tao Rui seemed to be eager to separate from them, and even offered to give them more things and take over the two elders.
No matter how you look at it, Tao Rui suffered a great loss. It was beyond their expectations and made them at a loss for words.
After Tao Xin pressed his fingerprints, he had a house and a chicken, as well as some farm tools, kitchen utensils, some food and some money.
He and Zhao Yaxiang discussed it in a low voice, and then said to Tao Guodong, "Dad, we're in town and don't come back often, so we can't take care of you. I don't want these things, just consider it my filial piety to you."
Xiao Lizhen pulled Zhao Yaxiang aside and said, "Second son's wife, didn't we just agree? You gave the house to Yuanyuan. She's grown up now, where else would she live if she didn't have a room?"
Zhao Yaxiang pursed her lips and sneered, "I didn't know it was divided like this back then. Sister-in-law, you obviously didn't suffer any loss, so we don't need to compensate you, right? It's not good to be too greedy."
Xiao Lizhen said angrily, "Who are you calling greedy? You're the only one who's aloof. You've had a good life in town, so of course you can say such sarcastic things here. Aren't you just looking down on these little things from the countryside? If I give you a gold bar, it depends on whether you want it or not!"
Their voices were so low that the captain couldn't hear them. Wu Xiufen happened to hear them as she was adding water to the teapot. She paused and said loudly, "Second brother, what was distributed to you is yours. Keep it and live a good life. Don't you even want the gift your parents gave you?"
Tao Xin hurriedly said, "That's not what I meant."
"Then keep it. Your father and I are in good health, so don't worry about us. If you think it's troublesome to keep it and don't want it, you can sell it to someone else for something else. It's up to you."
Wu Xiufen never thought of asking for anything back after giving it away, and since the eldest and second sons had already agreed, she was even less likely to ask for it. Just like Tao Rui said, she didn't want to be known as biased. She was healthy and able-bodied, so she just had to do more work after giving it away.
The Tao family's separation looked unhappy. The team leader and his men said they wouldn't stay for dinner and all went back. Wu Xiufen's family ended up eating the meal they had prepared. It was a rare occasion for everyone to gather together, yet it turned out to be a farewell dinner.
However, the two elders were in a much calmer mood at this time. Now that the dust has settled, they can live a good life from now on.
When Tao Xin and his family left in the evening, Tao Fu went to see them off and kept talking to Tao Xin on the way.
That day, Tao Xin said that he would give him whatever he got. Why is he going back on his word now?
Tao Xin didn't want to argue with him any more, and since he didn't want anything anyway, he simply gave him everything he got.
All of a sudden, Tao Fu got four-fifths of the Tao family, while Tao Rui and the two elders only got one-fifth.
In the small courtyard of the Tao family, Tao Fu and Xiao Lizhen suddenly felt wealthy, because by comparison, most of this house really belonged to them!
Tao Rui boiled water for the two elders to wash their feet that night. Wu Xiufen saw that he was so cheerful and patted him. "You are so heartless. What do you call this? We are almost being squeezed out of the yard!"
Tao Rui smiled and said, "Mom, you and Dad got the best deal. They divided things, but you got me. Come on, let me give you a massage to relax your bodies. After we divide the property, don't think about anything else. Just follow me and enjoy the best food and drinks."
Both of them were amused by him and enjoyed his massage. They felt that this small house was full of warmth, and the sadness of their broken home was soothed.
Tao Guodong sighed and said, "We two don't expect you to do anything big. Just stay healthy and see what you can do in the future. Work hard and don't mess around with those irrelevant people."
Tao Rui immediately assured him, "Don't worry, Dad. How many days have I not contacted them? I have figured it out. I can't let others look down on me. Just wait and see."
"Okay, I'll wait for my son to succeed."
Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen both laughed, feeling much happier. Tao Rui was right about one thing; they felt truly cared for by his presence, and they didn't feel so much regret. They just hoped that after the separation, they could all live happily ever after.
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