Chapter 13: Splitting the Family

 

"Are we eating or not!" Han-laotaitai eavesdropped outside for a while, and finally, unable to contain her anger, shouted at the top of her lungs.

Han Qingsong responded.

He placed the medicinal wine on the wall shelf. "You two go bring the food for your niang and younger brother."

Hearing this, Erwang laughed exaggeratedly. "Die, you don't know our family's rules, do you? My mama said if you don't eat, you starve. What's there to bring!"

Outside, Han-laotaitai was so angry she asked someone to bring her a stick again.

Han Qingsong: "No being unruly."

Erwang stuck out his tongue. Anyway, as long as his die knew what his mama had said, it was fine.

He pulled Maisui and ran out. Reaching the main room, he quickly asked his daniang to serve porridge, took two flatbreads, scooped a bit of each dish into a bowl, and then brought it back to the east wing.

Han Qingsong led the two children to the main room to eat, and Lin Lan finally felt relaxed and comfortable, eating with Xiaowang.

After the meal, the old lady quickly sent all the children out. The older ones went to look for cicada nymphs, and the younger ones went to sleep. She was going to host a family meeting.

She specifically roared, "Whoever dares to eavesdrop outside, I'll break their legs!"

Erwang was so scared he pulled Maisui and quickly ran away.

The old lady waved her large palm-leaf fan and gave an opening speech, recalling the hardships of the past, the difficulties of raising children, the suffering during tough times, and so on.

In short, she wanted to evoke Han Qingsong's heartache and guilt toward his parents. After all, everyone thought that for so many years he hadn't been home to serve the two elders, hadn't shared in their illnesses, hardships, and exhaustion. According to the old lady, he had been enjoying life in the army, eating well and never going hungry. Letting him become a soldier was a sign of her favoritism toward him.

Of course, at this moment, she didn't mention a word about how back then, the higher-ups required conscripts to go to war. The eldest son had to stay home to support the family, and she couldn't bear to part with the sweet-talking second son, so she had no choice but to send the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old third son.

Naturally, she also didn't think about how Han Qingsong had risked his life numerous times in the army, or how difficult it was with new injuries piling on top of old ones.

She especially didn't think about how Han Qingsong going out to be a soldier and sending back his allowance subsidized this entire large family.

She only felt that she had raised her son, pulled him up through hardship, and now that he was grown and successful, he should repay her, and she should enjoy life.

Children's repayment to their parents should be endless and unconditional.

Whatever she told him to do, he had to do it. If she told him to divorce his wife, he had to divorce her!

"Laosan, tell me, is what niang said right? For so many years, while you were outside, whenever your die and I were sick or tired, it was your dage, erge, and younger brother who served us, and they did all the chores at home. You were far away, and niang knew that, so I didn't ask you to exert effort. While you weren't home, I also asked everyone to take extra care of her and the children. I'm not afraid to say something against my conscience, I truly favored her and the children. But look at her, a dog biting Lu Dongbin!"

"Old man, I'm making the decision. Let them divorce."

Laosan was a military officer. If he divorced, what kind of good xifu couldn't he find?

If she had her say, he should find a commander's guinv, well-matched in social status, worthy of laosan, and able to help and promote him.

Educated people knew better how to be filial. They wouldn't come back to anger her and would even send money home. How wonderful.

Han-erge and ersao clapped their hands in agreement. "Niang is right. Third brother, you must think about it carefully."

Han-dage and dasao looked reluctant. "Die, niang, to be fair, this third sister-in-law isn't that bad, it hasn't reached the point of divorce. With so many children, if they divorce, when laosan remarries later, will the new wife treat them well?"

"What's there to worry about the children? Just leave them at home. With me and you all here, could we let the children suffer?" Han-laotaitai didn't care.

She kept poking Old Man Han, urging him to speak.

Although she could make a lot of noise, the one who truly had the final say was still the male head of the household.

Old Man Han had been silently puffing on his pipe. To be honest, he felt a bit guilty about driving the third xifu back.

After all, the third xifu had given birth to five children and put effort into her work; she wasn't the treacherous, lazy, gluttonous, or slippery type.

He actually felt it would be better to split the family. They could eat and live separately but work together, saving her from not getting along with her zhouli and popo.

"Old man, enough, I know you can't bring yourself to say it, so it's settled." Han-laotaitai waved her hand. "Laosan, go back and tell her. Tomorrow, go to the commune revolutionary committee and get this divorce done, and tell her to hurry back to Linjiatun herself..."

Han-ersao added fuel to the fire from the side. "Someone who beats her popo and sister-in-law like this is truly rare." She touched her head, crying out in pain with "aiya, aiya."

Old Man Han didn't speak, just looked at Han Qingsong.

The old lady also pressured him. "Laosan, hurry up and give a straightforward answer."

The atmosphere in the room had been somewhat stagnant. No voices were heard, and even the rustling sound of the palm-leaf fan stopped. There was only the sound of breathing and the buzzing of mosquitoes mixed in.

Everyone looked nervously at Han Qingsong's mouth.

At this moment, his already stern face looked even more serious, and his deep eyes were exceptionally dark and bright.

Han Qingsong: "No."

...

What?

The old lady didn't understand. What did "no" mean?

This answer was straightforward, but it didn't comply with her wishes; it made her unhappy.

The old lady's face instantly fell. "Laosan ah, now that you're a military officer, your wings have hardened, and you no longer have your old folks in your eyes."

Han-dage quickly nudged Han Qingsong, urging him to explain a bit. Han Qingsong said, "Niang, I don't."

Han-laotaitai was so angry she almost fainted. She knew he hadn't known how to speak since he was little, and his words were always annoying, but at his age, he should have learned by now, right?

"Then you mean I bullied your xifu and children?"

Han-dasao quickly tried to smooth things over. "Niang, third brother has never liked to talk, his mouth doesn't know how to coax people. He didn't mean that, he just doesn't want to divorce."

"Why won't he divorce?" Han-laotaitai almost jumped up.

Afraid she would start repeating herself like a broken record, Han-dasao quickly urged Han Qingsong to explain.

Han Qingsong said, "As a son in the army, I cannot take care of the two elders and the children, and I feel guilty in my heart."

Guilty toward his parents, and guilty toward his poniang and children.

"Your die and niang understand you and won't hold it against you. You just need to listen to niang and send back this woman who doesn't live properly all day and only knows how to anger niang."

Han Qingsong nodded. "For the sake of niang's health, let's split the family then."

Living separately, not eating from the same pot, and not bumping into each other in the same courtyard would naturally lead to less anger.

Han-laotaitai opened her mouth. She had said divorce, how did it become splitting the family?

Laosan was foolish when he was little, and he seemed even more foolish now.

"Old man? Listen to this—"

Old Man Han said, "This is also a solution." He forcefully knocked his pipe against the edge of the kang. "Split the living and eating, but not the work. This way, the family still works together to earn work points and distributes grain rations per capita."

With laosan not at home, a woman with children couldn't earn enough to eat, so naturally, they still had to help out a bit.

Of course, laosan's allowance still had to be sent to the large family.

Han-ersao and Han-erge's minds worked fast, and they immediately asked, "Then what about laosan's allowance?"

Han-laotaitai said sternly, "Of course it's sent to me!"

After saying that, she immediately added, "What nonsense are you talking about, what splitting the family? There's no house, no furniture, how can we split the family? Sleep on the street?"

She had already forgotten that she had previously said she wanted to drive Lin Lan and the children out to sleep in the shed by the wall.

Now she thought that if they really split the family, the third branch's wife would have even more reason to come asking for money and making a fuss.

But to have her son send the allowance to that shrew instead of her, Han-laotaitai would not accept it!

One must know, she hadn't even been willing to let Lin Lan take the children to accompany the army, because accompanying the army meant they would be eating, drinking, and spending money with him, and the allowance couldn't be sent home.

That was her own son, whom she had painstakingly raised. Now that he was successful, of course he had to repay her.

A son repaying his die and niang was perfectly justified.

Han Qingsong said, "I will go apply to the company revolutionary committee for a place to live."

"There are no materials for that either!" Han-laotaitai disagreed. Who could casually build a house nowadays? How many families still had over a dozen people squeezed into three rooms, with men, women, old, and young all on one kang?

Although Han Qingsong hadn't done farm work at home these years, the army often went deep into the countryside, so he understood quite a bit.

"Niang, we'll just build two small rooms to make do for now, it won't take much material." They would make do for these two years and build a new house later.

"What new house are you building?" Han-laotaitai said. "Your third daye's family has a shed outside their wall, usually used for storing firewood. Just borrow it to live in."

Han-dage said awkwardly, "Niang, that's not good, is it."

"What's not good about it? When the second son of the old Liu family got married and had nowhere to live, didn't he go live at your Yongshun dada's house?"

Han Qingsong: "I'll go ask the party secretary daye first."

Previously called the party secretary, now it was the director of the company/village revolutionary committee, but the family was used to it and felt calling him party secretary rolled off the tongue better.

Han-dasao quickly said, "They're all cooling off at the brigade headquarters."

At this time, the men were basically all chatting at the brigade headquarters; going there to find someone was a sure bet.

Han Qingsong nodded, told his die and niang, and was about to head over.

The old lady still wanted to forbid it, but Old Man Han said, "Let him go. He's not a child of a few years old, he can make decisions. Besides, since he's back, he has to go speak with the party secretary and the captain."

Han-laotaitai was still unhappy, pouting angrily, thinking about the allowance and the backpack.

Han Qingsong returned to the room and saw Lin Lan on the kang, doing needlework while telling stories to the children. He couldn't help but be stunned.

In his impression, this scene was even more impossible than the enemy surrendering without a fight.

He took a glance. "I'm going to find the party secretary daye."

Lin Lan nodded. "Then you should take something with you."

Coming back from so far away, he couldn't go see the party secretary and the brigade captain empty-handed.

Han Qingsong brought the backpack over, untied the knot, and took out two bottles of malted milk extract, plus two handfuls of candy.

Lin Lan looked at it, pulled a piece of cloth from the clothesline at the head of the kang, and gave it to him to wrap them in, so it wouldn't be too conspicuous.

In this day and age, malted milk extract was a rarity, not something just anyone could bring back. Even if Han Qingsong came back, he couldn't give it to just anyone; he definitely had a favor to ask.

Han Qingsong bundled the things up and said, "I came back in a hurry, the backpack is stuffed messily."

Lin Lan looked at him. What does that mean, asking me to tidy it up?

Isn't he afraid I'll take the things inside?

Han Qingsong picked up the cloth bundle, placed the backpack near Lin Lan's hand, glanced at the children, and said, "Eat one piece of candy each, too many will ruin your teeth."

After saying that, he left.

"Niang—" Erwang and Maisui got excited. Was their die letting them eat candy?

Lin Lan, however, quickly called out, "Don't forget to call Dawang and Sanwang home."

Those two brats were definitely at the brigade headquarters listening to the men chat. Some men specifically told dirty stories, and she was afraid Dawang would be influenced.

Listening to Han Qingsong's footsteps fade away, Lin Lan hesitated for a moment, but still opened the backpack and reached in to feel around. As a result, the backpack was too deep, and she had to reach her entire arm in to touch the bottom.

The three children looked at her expectantly.

Lin Lan cleared her throat and pulled out a large handful of candy. Just as she was about to scatter it to them according to her lavish habits from her past life, she suddenly remembered this belonged to Han Qingsong, not her.

He might have other uses for it; she couldn't just scatter it like this.

She counted them, put most of them back, and under the children's eager gazes, distributed one piece to each.

"Niang~~" Maisui acted spoiled in a sweet voice.

Lin Lan couldn't stand it and had to give them one more piece each. "Alright, your die still has other uses for it. Hide them well and eat them tomorrow. If you eat them at night, bugs will crawl into your mouth and rot your teeth."

Xiaowang stuffed the candy into Lin Lan's pocket. "Niang, keep it for me."

Erwang and Maisui couldn't wait and had already stuffed a piece into their mouths. The poor and tense large family had taught them that only what went into their stomachs truly belonged to them.

Keeping it would lead to unexpected changes!

"Niang, I'll close the door." Erwang nimbly went to close the door.

Lin Lan: "It's quite hot, and your die and the others haven't come back yet."

Erwang: "If I close it, my mama can't come in."

With their die not home, who knew if she would come to snatch the backpack.

Sure enough, the old lady soon came to push the door. Finding it wouldn't open, she started cursing, demanding that the things laosan brought back be sent to the main room.

Erwang immediately tugged at Lin Lan's sleeve.

Lin Lan understood. "Aiya, it hurts to death, my arm has been crippled from the beating."

"Niang, let my die take you to the county hospital to get it checked tomorrow," Erwang said.

With candy in her mouth, Maisui also mumbled that she would rub it for her niang.

Seeing she couldn't control them, the old lady went out huffing and puffing to find Han Qingsong.

After searching around and not finding him, she had no choice but to return and grumble to Old Man Han and her two sons at home.

Unwilling to waste kerosene, she made them listen to her nagging in the dark. As a result, Old Man Han was soon snoring like thunder, making her so angry she kept punching him.

Just then, Han Qingsong's deep voice sounded outside, along with Sanwang's reluctant muttering. The old lady immediately scrambled up. "Laosan is back, tell him to come over quickly!"

Old Man Han woke up at this point. "It's the middle of the night, go to sleep, we still have to go to the fields tomorrow."

The old lady: "No, if we don't make things clear, I won't be able to sleep."

Han-erge took the initiative to call Han Qingsong over.

Dawang usually slept with his yeye and mama, but right now they were holding a meeting in that room, and children weren't allowed to listen. The other children had returned to their parents' kang, but he didn't want to go back and face his niang.

He turned and walked out. "I'm going to sleep at Zhuzi's house."

Sanwang was intimidated by facing his die and also shouted, "Dage, wait, I'm going too."

The two children slipped away in the dark. Hearing Sanwang bump into a tree outside and cry out in pain, along with Dawang scolding him for being clumsy, Han Qingsong felt a strange and novel sensation, an indescribable feeling.

A feeling he had never experienced before.

Perhaps this was life, this was family?

"Third brother, niang is calling you."

Han-dage yawned. Day after day, it was too exhausting.

Han Qingsong responded, placed the cloth in his hand on the windowsill of the east wing, and then followed him into the main house.

Han-laotaitai said straightforwardly, "Laosan, if you want to split the family, fine. Your die, your brothers, and I discussed it. We'll just split their mother and children out. They'll still go to work like before, and when grain is distributed, we'll look after them. However, your allowance still has to be sent to your die and niang, you can't give it to her. You know her temper, she goes crazy at the drop of a hat. If you give it to her, she'll just waste it."

Han Qingsong hesitated for a moment, but still decided to tell the truth. "Niang, there might not be an allowance in the future."