Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Chapter 18: Zhang Family Second Branch

Lin Juhua was already back in the room outside the west wing. When she saw Zhang Guoqiang, the second son, come in, she smiled, dusted off his clothes, pulled him to sit on the kang, and then looked at him with bright eyes. The curiosity and questions in her eyes were impossible to hide. Knowing her wife couldn’t keep things to herself, and seeing her smile like a flower made him love her even more. He didn’t mind that she was lazy; as long as she was pretty and obedient, that was enough. His requirements weren’t high; what he couldn’t do, he would manage it, making her understand what it was like for a husband to be the sky.

Lin Juhua nudged her drowsy daughter to move inward, "I vaguely heard mom saying about separation, is it really happening? What did dad say? Why did the three of you brothers look upset? I heard talks about separating, what’s going on?"

The second son lay on the kang, shifted the quilt back, and leaned against it, "Do you want to separate the family? After the separation, there will be a mess at home with no one to help but yourself. At that time, with raising pigs and chickens and managing household chores, plus no one to look after the kids, how will you go to work? If we separate, it would be just me. I’m just worried."

Listening to him, Lin Juhua also grew worried. Her family wasn’t reliable; it would be a blessing if they didn’t hold her back. She also thought about her mother coming over, afraid that the house would be left empty.

"I’ll listen to you; whatever you say goes. But I do want to separate the family. You know your mom doesn’t like me. Keeping some distance won’t change our obligation to show filial piety. Although she always scolds me, I know she’s much better than my own mom, and better than the grannies in the village. In front of others, she never scolds me and even protects me. I know it in my heart."

"My mom has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Compared to the eldest sister-in-law, you’re indeed lazier. I don’t want to say much, but think about how much you worked at your mom’s home compared to now. At home, you just feed the pigs; even washing clothes is done separately. Meanwhile, the eldest sister-in-law is busy non-stop from dawn to dusk."

The second son knew his wife was selfish, saying everyone has their own interests. He didn’t enforce too much, but being lazy won’t do. After separation, the man would work outside, and the woman inside. If things stayed the same, it wouldn’t end well.

Lin Juhua knew she enjoyed blessings after marriage, especially compared to her sisters, who lived like beggars. Her eldest sister looked as old as her mother, with kids at home crying out from hunger. Her second sister’s mother forced her into marrying a divorced man for the bride price, and the earlier children always bullied her nephews. Food was already scarce, and the younger ones cried to her for something to eat. Her third sister fared slightly better, marrying well for a high price, but could only manage half-full stomachs.

She often stole food, not for her own mother. Her mom received 500 yuan for the bride price, making her enter the Zhang household naked, forever unable to lift her head in front of her sisters-in-law. Once married, she cut off ties. Except for festival occasions, she avoided visiting. Everyone knew the Zhang family had better living conditions and gossiped that she had entered a blessed nest. Since then, she never resented her mother-in-law and was grateful to her father-in-law. She felt that if she were a stone’s wife in the future, she would drive her son out along with his wife.

The second son found his wife amusing, as she had finally grasped the main point amidst the chatter.

"Dad said he’d buy materials to build the houses in the coming days. Each family will budget 150 yuan based on elder brother’s current yard. I came back to discuss with you how big the house should be; if it’s more or less than 150 yuan, that’s our business. After exiting the main house, I stopped Xiao Wu to talk about hiring strong laborers from the village to cut bluestone. We’ll pay a bit more than regular worker points. We’ll also buy some tiles, get a few beams, and chop some wood from the mountain along with our own. This way, we can save a lot. Xiao Wu suggested all three families have the same size yard. We were just discussing how to save money. How big do you want it? Leave the other matters to us."

"Alright, whatever you say at home goes. But it’s going to cost not just a little if it’s as big as this place, isn’t it? There’s just four of us; it feels wasteful to leave it empty. You say now building each house is only 150 yuan, what else will be given at the family separation? Should we build it smaller? Then we’d have extra money and no worries after the separation." Lin Juhua was thrilled, never expecting such good news. The 150 yuan from her father-in-law was beyond her imagination, which confirmed the Old Zhang’s family was indeed affluent.

Zhang Guoqiang knew his wife was daydreaming, needing a reality check, "You’re thinking too much. Just 300 yuan for both families; you think Dad and Mom have how much? These years, earnings from work points have saved up a bit, just enough for a few years of extra. The dowries for our and Xiao Wu’s weddings took a big chunk, same with our little sister’s marriage. Perhaps even the money for their coffins is gone. At the separation, they might distribute a few chickens from the backyard, a couple of bowls, or a pot. What else do you see around here?"