"Whenever my wife and kids get a little sick, I have to give them money. You can’t even support a small family; why did you get married in the first place? You’d be better off being a bachelor. And to think you’re an official, I wonder how you even managed to get that position. You can’t even protect your own wife and kids, letting your own mother bully them, and you just muddle through in the background, playing Tai Chi. That’s foolish filial piety. I’ve told you countless times, how many times did you listen? Year after year, you’re getting old, do you know that? I raised a delicate daughter from childhood, only for you to bully her . You’re a grown man, and I’m embarrassed for you. Back when Xiaoqing had Lijuan during her postpartum period, your mother didn’t care and even caused trouble with Xiaoqing. What did you promise me then? You said you’d split the family once the kid could attend preschool. Fine, my daughter and I believed you. But what happened after that? Nothing came of it. When Xiao Dung was born, you went away for three years to study, not at home. Your mother was even worse, making Xiaoqing, who hadn’t even finished her postpartum recovery in the cold winter, wash clothes and cook for the whole family. What were your mother and sister-in-law doing then? One was sleeping soundly and the other was leisurely cracking melon seeds. If I hadn’t checked on my daughter, who knows how you would have mistreated her. What did you say then? You said after the New Year’s you’d split the family. But what happened afterwards? Your mother just sweet-talked you, and it came to nothing. Your mother’s bias has seeped to her core, and you can’t distinguish right from wrong, just indulging her. It’s not your mother who is scary; the scariest thing is someone like you who can’t see right from wrong. My daughter is also foolish, always feeling guilty for you and silently swallowing her anger. She keeps some things from you and our family out of pride. Don’t think just because she doesn’t tell me that I don’t know—I see things clearly. You later promised me to split the family once Xiao Dung graduated elementary school, and now Xiao Dung is about to start high school. Today, I’m saying it: I’m taking my daughter away, either divorce or split the family, you decide."
Han Ying’s words left Hu Bin mortified; he was quite aware of these things, but he goes soft in front of his mother. He knows he owes his wife and children. But when it comes to these domestic issues, he doesn’t know what to do.
Hu Bin hung his head in shame. The most outrageous thing his mother did was when Xiao Dung was born. He was not at home at the time, and by the time he returned, before he could even warm up with his wife and kids, his two brothers-in-law dragged him out for a beating. They even didn’t spare his mother. The older brother-in-law was more reasonable, but the younger one wasn’t easy to deal with. They were schoolmates, and he knew how protective he could be. No matter what the relationship, if his family was hurt, he’d make anyone suffer. That time, he was beaten up pretty badly, even his elder brother and mother were warned several times. After that, his mother became more cautious and stopped being so harsh to Xiaoqing. Seeing this, he knew his wife wasn’t happy, and his kids were suffering. He suggested splitting the family, but his mother still refused. Seeing him determined and about to move out, his mother staged a suicide attempt at the suggestion of his sister-in-law. At the time, if they hadn’t responded quickly, his mother might really have died. He had no choice but to coax Xiaoqing, asking her to wait.
Seeing their determination to split the family, his mother thought of taking back control of their finances. Using the excuse of taking care of two children, she needed money and took both their salaries. She promised to save their salaries for them and give each of them only five bucks a month for personal expenses. The rest, after household expenses, she’d save for them. She said that the elder brother had given her his, too. With no choice, they handed over their salary cards, thinking their mother was usually so thrifty and unlikely to spend money frivolously. Eight years had passed since then, and both had been promoted many times; the savings should be substantial by now.