"True enough. Shun Yao isn't technically a son of the Fourth Branch, so returning to the Third Branch is only right." Aunt Lian smiled. She genuinely liked Xie Xinlian, so she was happy for her now that Shun Yao’s family had improved.
In Gǎn'ēn Village, many people were discussing this. Some even mocked Zhu Guifu behind his back, saying his family was blind to have driven away someone so blessed.
News reached Zhu Guifu’s home. Hearing this, he felt deeply depressed. He puffed on his dry tobacco pipe, feeling uneasy. The outside rumors were harsh, but partly true. When Shun Yao was here, he handled many chores. Now that Shun Yao had returned to the Third Branch, those tasks fell to them. They had hoped Xiang Yao could help, but he worked at the police station every day and seemed too busy to ask.
"I didn't expect the Third Branch to have an heir so soon." Gan Juhua sighed. She was jealous that Shun Yao had a son, but there was nothing she could do. It just meant her wife was capable. Looking at her only daughter-in-law, Zhang Qiaolian, Gan Juhua suddenly felt annoyed. "If you had the ability, you would have given me a grandson by now."
Zhang Qiaolian dared not argue with her mother-in-law. After all, she had only given birth to a girl. She also wanted a son. It seemed she needed to try harder. No matter what, a son was her future support; daughters belonged to other families. "Mother, I will try my best. I will definitely give the Zhu family a son."
Gan Juhua nodded, satisfied with Qiaolian’s sensible response. "You must work hard." She spoke as if saying this would make Qiaolian give birth to a son immediately.
Zhu Guifu frowned from the side. "That might not be wise. I heard Lei Yao say recently that the government issued a document. Starting this December, family planning will be strictly enforced. Xiang Yao works for the state. If he breaks the rules, he might be punished."
"It’s just a fine at most. We can save more money these days and pay the penalty later. No amount of money is worth more than a son. A son is very important." For the older generation, a son was crucial for carrying on the family line. They hoped their daughters-in-law would bear sons, forgetting that if everyone had only sons and no daughters, how would their descendants continue?
"It seems we have no other choice." Zhu Guifu also valued having a son. If Qiaolian could really give birth to one, he felt he could close his eyes in peace when he died. "We can’t rely on Shun Yao anymore. So, the continuation of our Fourth Branch depends on you."
Zhu Guifu rarely spoke to Qiaolian with such seriousness. Qiaolian was actually a bit flattered. "Father, please rest assured. I won’t let you down." It’s just having a son, she thought. I’m not infertile. She secretly decided to try hard in the coming days and aim to get pregnant.
Shun Yao had no idea that having a son would cause such trouble. He felt his life was complete. He hadn’t minded not having a son before; a daughter was fine too. He had even considered taking a live-in son-in-law, like the Qi family did with Anyang. He never expected to have both a son and a daughter.