“Then, you’re saying that I bullied your wife and children?”
The Han family’s eldest sister-in-law also hurried to smooth things out, “Mother, Old Three had always been reluctant to talk, so he isn’t good at coaxing people. He didn’t mean to disrespect you; he just doesn’t want to divorce.”
“Why not?” Old Lady Han almost jumped up.
The Han family’s second sister-in-law was afraid that she would be spreading false truths, so she hurriedly persuaded Han Qingsong to explain.
Han Qingsong said, “I am indeed ashamed that as a child, I haven’t been able to take care of you two, who are now old.”
He felt guilty towards his parents, but the same guilt applied towards his wife and children as well.
“Father and I are considerate, so we won’t argue about that. You just need to listen to your mother’s words and send back this woman who can’t seem to settle for a day of peace.”
Han Qingsong nodded, “For the sake of mother’s health, let’s live separately.”
By living separately, they would not eat from the same wok nor would they meet in the same courtyard. Naturally, things would be better as the anger would decrease as well.
The Old Lady Han opened her mouth. She was talking about divorce; how did it end up becoming a problem of living separately?
Old Three was always stupid when he was younger, but it appears that he was even more dense now.
“Old Man? Listen to him-“
Old Man Han also said, “This is also a way,” He knocked the cigarette pot on the edge of the kang vigorously, “Separating the family, but not dividing our work. This way, everyone would contribute to working for the family and we can also split the rations accordingly.”
Without the Old Three at home, a wife and so many children were hard to feed; she naturally had to earn her share of work as well. Of course, the allowance for the Old Three had to be sent to the extended family as well.
The second sister-in-law and the second brother’s brains processed the information quickly as they immediately asked, “What about the Old Three’s allowance?”
The Old Lady Han said sternly, “Of course it will be sent to me!”
After she finished speaking, she immediately said to him, “What sort of nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean ‘live separately’? There’s not a place for you out there, so what are you trying to do? Live on the streets?”
She had forgotten she once mentioned that she would drive out Lin Lan and the children, making them sleep in the shack under the wall. Her thoughts now were preoccupied because if they truly lived separately, the shrew would have more of a reason to knock on their doors for money.
But the Old Lady Han refused to ask her son to send the allowance to the shrew instead of her!
She wouldn’t ever allow Lin Lan to bring the children over to the army site as well. That was because they wouldn’t have to worry about eating, sleeping and spending money over there. The entire family would be complete, so there wouldn’t be a need to send money back here.
This was her own son and she went through all the trouble before finally getting promising results. Now that he had the potential, naturally, he should be repaying them.
It was only right and proper for a son to repay his parents.
Han Qingsong said, “I will apply for the residence from the Company Revolutionary Committee.”
“There’s not enough materials for that!” Old Lady Han disagreed. At this sort of time, how could they build a house casually? There were so many families who crammed more than ten people into three rooms, even more so in tinier and cramped spaces.
Although Han Qingsong had not done farm work at home these years, the troops often went to the countryside, so his knowledge about this wasn’t all that shallow either.