Ye Oldest sat beside Ye Father, “I listen to my parents.”
Ye Qiu stood up and placed his arm around Ye Oldest’s shoulders, “If Dad wants to separate, then let it be. They say an elder brother is like a father; I will take care of you and my elder brother.”
Ye Xia frowned at Ye Qiu’s words, “If we’re going to separate, let’s do it properly. What do you mean by singling me out? If this gets out, I’ll become a joke…”
Before Ye Xia could finish, Ye Qiu continued, “Second Brother, Mom and Dad, along with my elder brother, will follow me from now on. I will be the only one to support them in their old age. You won’t need to spend a single penny or lift a finger. I can’t live without Mom and Dad and my elder brother; wherever they are, that’s where I will be. You need to consider carefully; if we separate, it can only be into two families.”
“If you’re worried, we can write everything down in the separation agreement. No one should expect to take advantage of the other.”
Ye Xia felt his hidden anxieties exposed by Ye Qiu’s words, “Third Brother, how can you say that? Am I that kind of person?”
“Eldest Brother, say something! Do you agree with Ye Qiu’s plan to separate the family? Are you going to be bound to him?”
Ye Oldest nodded, “I listen to our parents and Third Brother.”
Ye Father observed the reactions of the three and sighed, not speaking further.
When Ye Mother arrived with the village captain and the village head, Ye Father wasted no time, “The reason for asking the village captain and village head to come today is to witness the division of the family. All three sons have grown up, and it’s time.”
The village head advised, “Brother Ye, you really need to think carefully. What family issues can’t be resolved? Even if the kids are not outstanding, life has to go on!”
“We have already made our decision.” Ye Father shook his head.
The village head simply indicated he needed details about the separation agreement.
Ye’s Mother did not hold back, organizing all the family assets and laying out all the money they had. Ye Xia looked suspiciously at the amount Ye’s Mother presented and nudged Ye’s Second Sister-in-law.
Zhou Caiyan understood, “Mom, with so many crops in the fields each year, how could there be so little money? It wouldn’t be…”
Ye Mother, noticing Ye Xia and Zhou Caiyan’s little gestures, took a deep breath to suppress her anger.
“Second, think about it with a clear conscience. How much did I give you when you entered the factory? Who helped you when you got married and had children? Do you really think the family made that much money? How can you treat me like this?”
Ye Qiu quickly soothed Ye Mother, “If we’re going to separate, then it must be clear-cut. Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Mom, why don’t you take the sisters-in-law to the house and check all the cabinets for anything hidden?”
Ye Mother, along with several sisters-in-law, searched every possible hiding place in the house. The sisters-in-law exchanged glances at Zhou Caiyan’s ugly expression. They had only come to witness the proceedings; going through the family’s belongings seemed inappropriate. After searching the house, Ye Mother really had not hidden anything. All of the Ye family’s assets were laid out on the table for the village captain to tally, and they recorded the remaining grains, tools, pots, and pans one by one.
Ye Father, seeing that the village captain had finished recording, signalled for his turn. After clearing his throat, he spoke, “Everything has been recorded in the separation agreement. Over the years, I believe I have been fair to the three children. The assets will be divided into ten parts, with each child receiving three parts. However, since Ye Qiu is still young and not married, his mother and I will regard him as having four parts. If you want to stay, you can live together without taking extra advantage.”
Ye Xia was still dissatisfied upon hearing this. He frowned, thinking how Ye Qiu consistently got his way, being provided for until they grew old when they would then jointly take care of the parents. What a plan!
Ye Qiu continued in line with Ye Father’s words, “From now on, I will be solely responsible for our parents’ care; Eldest Brother and Second Brother won’t have to worry about anything.”
The village head frowned and disagreed, “You taking care of them alone? What kind of arrangement is that?”
Ye Xia hypocritically chimed in, “Exactly! How can that be? Mom and Dad worked so hard to raise me, and I must repay them. Ye Qiu, you and Mom and Dad dividing into one home for old age is fine, but how can I not visit and care for them during festivals?”
The village head and village captain immediately sensed Ye Xia’s intention and turned to Ye Oldest.
“I listen to Mom and Dad. Our family will continue living as we always have.”
This effectively isolated Ye Oldest and Ye Xia’s family. The looks directed at Ye Xia were filled with disdain.
The village captain finalized the family division according to everyone’s wishes, pressing their red handprints on the agreement to signify understanding.
Ye Mother felt a pang of heartache, having raised her children with such hard work, believing she had been fair to each. Yet now they ended up in this situation. She had taken care of every aspect of Ye Xia’s life – from his schooling to entering the factory, and even his marriage. He was now unhappy, but she had invested the most time and money in him.
Ye Xia pressed his handprint, receiving one room, a chicken, some food, and a large portion of the money. They didn’t even take farming tools as Ye Xia did not work the land, and Zhou Caiyan, after giving birth, thought she had done enough and wouldn’t work either.
“Eldest Brother, you’re really foolish. You don’t realize that now is the time to separate. Don’t wait until later when you can’t work and can’t even afford to eat! Mom and Dad favour Third Brother; you need to learn to think for yourself!”
The witnesses understood the situation well, seeming to ignore Ye Xia’s entire family while they enjoyed the separation feast. Even Ye’s Second Sister-in-law didn’t hold back, pulling Ye Xia and their son to sit at the table and eat and drink as they pleased.
Chapter 4: Era of Division
Ye Mother looked at Ye Qiu, who was humming a song and playfully tapped his forehead, “You truly don’t know the cost of running a household until you’re managing one yourself. You seem so carefree.”
“Mom, do you really not believe in me? Separating is just perfect. Once we sell pancakes for a profit, I wouldn’t want to share with them!”
Ye Qiu made arrangements at home to make pancakes the next day, filled a canteen typical of the 70s and 80s with food, and then made a pancake to take out. He used this to thank the educated youth, and Ye Mother reminded him to give them a proper thank-you.
He lightly tapped twice on the window where the educated youth was, paused for three seconds, and tapped twice again; this was their agreed signal.
“I heard your family separated today; are you alright? They went too far by singling you out like that. Isn’t that bullying?” Ji Chen said, noticing the smile on Ye Qiu’s face under the tree and came to his defense.
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