I don't know what your wife told you. Ask her yourself. Since she married in, has she ever helped in the kitchen on regular days? She does no work, yet eats well, wears well, and lives well. Now look at our home." Zhu Shunyao pointed at his own house. "A thatched hut with mud walls. Cold in winter, hot in summer. Only those living here know the taste of it."
Zhu Shunyao looked at Zhu Xiangyao. His tone was very calm, with no sign of excitement. "Actually, as Father and Mother say, we divide the property but not the family. But it is no different from splitting the family. We live here and take care of ourselves. There is only one point: it does not matter if others do not care for my wife and daughter. I care for them, and that is enough. But because I care for them, please do not speak sour words. I care for my own wife; it is none of anyone else's business."
Zhu Xiangyao was stunned. He had been in the army for years and did not understand the situation at home well. He only knew a little from his family letters. He had known since childhood that his older brother was capable. As far as he could remember, his brother had always been working. Back then, the family did not let him go to school, fearing gossip. He only attended primary school. He had passed the entrance exam for middle school, but the family refused to let him continue, saying they had no money. In truth, he knew the family had the money. He just did not understand why his parents would not allow his brother to study.
Because they were his parents, he did not dare to speak out, so he stayed silent. Later, he joined the army, and the years passed. This time, back home, he heard from his wife that his brother and sister-in-law were bad people. He felt a knot in his heart. But they were brothers, so he came to talk. If there was a misunderstanding, he hoped to clear it up. He never expected to hear Zhu Shunyao say these words. Only then did he clearly realize that his brother was not unaware of being treated unfairly. He had been enduring it all along. The ones making him suffer were their parents. But now, involving his wife and children, he would no longer yield.
As a man of military background, Zhu Xiangyao admired Zhu Shunyao for this. At the same time, he felt a bit guilty. If he had been there, perhaps the family situation would not be like this.
Zhu Shunyao smiled again. "Xiangyao, you are my brother. It is good to chat when you have time. For some things, you must feel them yourself." He added, "Father and Mother are building a house for you now. You should pay attention to some matters. Since you are back, I will not go over there often. The weather is slowly turning hot. I plan to buy materials in the next few days to build a house. Your sister-in-law is due in the eighth lunar month. She cannot sit the month here again."
Zhu Xiangyao nodded. He knew about his parents building a house for him. Since he was back, he indeed had many things to do himself. He could no longer trouble Zhu Shunyao.
After leaving Zhu Shunyao’s home, Zhu Xiangyao returned to his own house. He had just taken a sip of water when he heard Zhu Guifu calling him. He went over and listened to what Zhu Guifu said, slightly stunned.
"Father means a real split of the family?" Zhu Xiangyao asked, shocked.
Zhu Guifu nodded. "Yes. But your mother and I will live with you. Of course, according to our old rules here, since you have two brothers, each of you must support one parent. Your mother and I have been together all our lives. In our old age, we naturally cannot be separated. So we plan to live with you. However, the eldest son cannot be exempt from support money. I am thinking of having her pay five yuan a month and fifteen jin of grain. What do you think?