Back to 1979: Sending the Educated Youth’s Wife Back to the City

Chapter 191 Preliminary Accounting
After a slight hesitation, Lingzi told Fang Mingche about Yingzi's experience at her great-uncle's house, including how she was almost raped by that thirty-something-year-old man.

She believed that Teacher Fang would not tell anyone, and she needed to describe the whole thing in detail so that he could see the full picture.

Moreover, it was an attempt after all!

Fang Mingche sighed when he heard that Yingzi herself didn't want to come back. America, paradise!

Yingzi has been abroad for 10 months, and although she hasn't sent a single penny back to Lao Zhou's family, the neighbors, while jokingly mocking Lao Zhou, secretly envy his family for having someone who has already established themselves abroad. Once Yingzi obtains legal status, she can arrange visitor visas for her parents and brothers to go abroad as well.

Everyone has seen what the situation is like for overseas Chinese returning to China today.

As for Qiu Yin and Wu Mingju, who went abroad to work openly and honestly, that's certainly more enviable. But barring any unforeseen circumstances, they'll be back after two years. They'll just be out there making a lot of money for two years.

Amidst such envy, Yingzi's experiences in America were constantly romanticized and idealized by everyone's imagination. Who knew that she was actually living such a life!
Oh, it's not entirely imagination. Nowadays, Chinese people have already watched two imported American TV series, "The Man from Atlantis" and "The Dirty Dozen." They do have some understanding of America.

Last year, when these two TV series were aired, everyone in the courtyard, young and old, came to watch. Everyone was so curious about foreign countries, especially America. The west wing was too small to fit the TV, so they had to move it under the eaves so everyone could watch it in the courtyard.

Fortunately, people these days don't use electronic devices much, so everyone has pretty good eyesight. Otherwise, those sitting in the back really wouldn't be able to see what's displayed on the 14-inch screen.

Even if one of these films is science fiction and the other is about World War II, they still help people understand America. Let's not forget, Americans were already doing very well during World War II.

Our living standards in the 80s were really not as good as theirs back then. In terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation, we were behind in every aspect. At least, we couldn't keep up with what was shown to us on television.

Nowadays, if Fang Mingche tells people that there are slums in the United States, many people probably won't believe him.

Speaking of Yingzi's situation, thankfully her great-uncle was still a man of principle. Of course, there was also a reason why he needed Yingzi. His own children and grandchildren simply couldn't provide him with the traditional Chinese way of caring for him in his old age.

Although he only suffered a mild stroke, according to American retirement culture, he would definitely be sent directly to a nursing home. Visiting him once a month would be considered good.

Only after Yingzi came did she take care of the old man at his bedside every day. She also massaged him daily to help him recover. Every day, she pushed him in a wheelchair to the Chinese medicine clinic in Chinatown for acupuncture. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have recovered to the point where he can walk slowly with canes now.

If it weren't for her great-uncle needing Yingzi, her situation would certainly be much worse now. But her great-uncle couldn't possibly leave the small supermarket to her instead of his children and grandchildren. Once her great-uncle is gone, she'll be of little use to her cousins. She won't be much better off than any of the undocumented immigrants who can be hired anywhere.

If that guy bullies her again, will they stand up for her? Their previous handling of the situation has already clearly shown their bias.

The key is that Yingzi didn't go there just to work in a supermarket, hiding and doing odd jobs for wages far below the local average.

In my previous life, President Reagan issued an amnesty in 1986. That time, millions of undocumented immigrants across the United States received green cards.

Na Yingzi still has five years to endure! Hopefully, her great-uncle will remain half-dead and need her care.

Fang Mingche looked at Lingzi, "We must keep enough reserve funds in the account, otherwise we can't withstand any storms. Who knows when or where something might go wrong? Our debt ratio is actually quite high now because of buying the commercial vehicle."

Reiko said sadly, "I know."

"However, it's not impossible if you want to go earlier. Like Qiu Yin, you can go a month or two in advance to familiarize yourself with the environment. When it's time to open the shop, you'll know where to rent a storefront and accommodation, and where to find the people and things you need to deal with. To put it bluntly, you need to get familiar with the area first. Wu Mingju did this by working illegally in Tokyo, Japan for two years. Okay, you can start preparing. Fly over as soon as your visa comes through. From now on, you'll only receive your basic salary until the new shop becomes profitable."

Lingzi nodded, "Every day sooner is better than one day later."

"Thank you, Professor Fang!" Preparing in advance under such a reason is reasonable and will not arouse suspicion.

Fang Mingche said, "However, you should also be prepared for both possibilities. After all, it should be easy for the authorities to find out that your younger sister went to the United States to visit relatives and stayed there without returning. It's hard to say whether this will affect your passport and visa."

Lingzi's face stiffened; this wasn't impossible. Moreover, since she couldn't leave because of her family, she certainly couldn't harbor any resentment towards others.

The only good thing is that travel agencies are currently experiencing rapid growth. Even if each position is filled by someone else, she can always find another one! Actually, if she stayed in China, her financial prospects would likely be quite good.

Fang Mingche continued, "You should apply for my US visa at the same time. I'll go visit during the summer vacation. Oh, and let's apply for visas for the whole family. For me and my spouse, it would be best to get long-term business visas."

This way, after a period of time, there will be no need to apply for visas again. This is mainly due to their status as an organization under the Ministry of Culture. Furthermore, their bank savings should also help with visa processing. As for Yan Yan and her siblings, it should be convenient for their parents to apply for tourist visas if they want to visit.

Fang Chang will be thirteen or fourteen months old by summer vacation, which is when he can fly. Before six months old, his eardrums couldn't withstand the pressure at high altitudes, so he really couldn't fly.

Grandpa Wang had asked him before if he had filed a record, and he said yes. But with so few people now, where could he find any capable generals to send out? He could only go out himself during the summer vacation.

As for who to manage the store once it's opened, there's still plenty of time until the end of August, enough for other people to step up. If that doesn't work, we can look among the local overseas Chinese and Chinese communities.

"Ok."

Upon returning from Shanghai, Lingzi and Hanmei didn't hand over office matters. Everyone knew Lingzi was waiting to open a shop in the US and then go abroad. So, for the past few days, Hanmei has been handling the specifics. This remains the case: Hanmei manages administrative affairs, while Lingzi mainly deals with matters related to her trip abroad.

After Lingzi left, Fang Mingche called Han Mei in using the scoring machine.

“You’ve been acting as the office manager for a month now, and you’re still capable of handling the job. Starting April 1st, Reiko will step down, and you will officially assume the position of office manager.”

In other words, starting from April 1st, Han Mei received the office director's commission. Lingzi mainly handled the paperwork for herself and Fang Mingche's family to go abroad, and received the same basic salary.

Han Mei's face lit up with joy. "Okay."

She'd only been with the company for ten months, and she was already earning around 300 yuan a month. No wonder she was so happy!
When Lingzi returned from Shanghai, she was a little uneasy. But since her brother-in-law didn't mention the handover of their work, she felt much more at ease. But it certainly wasn't as gratifying as getting confirmation now.

Fang Mingche said, "Can you handle your family matters? Don't let them affect your work."

I heard recently that Han Mei's mother-in-law and brother-in-law have had a bit of a falling out with her over whether or not to have a baby. They're probably hoping that Ayan can put pressure on Han Mei or reassure her.

Fang Mingche was quite bothered by these kinds of incidents. Lin Yan also deeply regretted interfering in her family's affairs.

Han Mei sensed the subtle warning and quickly assured her, "Teacher Fang, I won't let family matters affect my work. Besides, I'll handle it myself and won't let my family bother me anymore, Sister."

"Alright, get out. Our unit is different from state-owned or collective enterprises. There's no such thing as succession, and you can't be guaranteed a lifetime of employment unless you make a major mistake. We can be promoted or demoted, appointed or dismissed at will."

"I see."

That evening, Han Mei went home and said that she would be promoted and receive a raise in a few days.

Neither Lin's mother nor Lin Yi spoke for a moment. They had indeed gone to Lin Yan hoping she could pressure Han Mei to put having a baby on the agenda. However, they also didn't want Han Mei's future at the travel agency to be too negatively impacted.

But Lin Yan refused, saying that they weren't running a welfare organization. Furthermore, to better manage the team, she couldn't show favoritism to anyone. If they weren't satisfied, they could look for other opportunities.

Mr. Lin said, "So you'll be able to get 300 a month starting next month?" He still couldn't quite believe it!

Han Mei said, "It's like this, Dad, Mom, Lin Yi, today Teacher Fang told me not to let family matters affect my work. Please don't go looking for my older sister privately anymore. If you do, it blurs the lines between public and private matters, and it's very bad for me! I just got promoted, and the travel agency is still growing rapidly. It's really impossible for me to have a child in the short term. Lin Yi and I are only 23 years old; let's talk about it in five years. Anyway, I promise you, I will definitely have a child."

Seeing her resolute expression, the three members of the Lin family exchanged glances and said nothing more.

After Fang Mingche and Lin Yan finished their mid-term exams, Fang Chang entered the eleventh month. He spent all his time climbing around the small courtyard wearing knee pads and wrist guards. If the half-moon gate and the outer gate hadn't been closed, he might have even gone out to visit other people's homes.

Yes, he was also wearing an apron, so he only needed to change the apron, knee pads, and wrist guards. In addition, to make it easier for him to crawl, Lin Yan bought an old carpet, washed it clean, and laid it on the path.

But the brat is always ready to 'cheate', so he still ends up all dirty.

But it's impossible to carpet the entire yard. In the end, we just let him crawl around, and when he stops to rest, we change him into a clean set of clothes.

That day, Fang Mingche rode his bicycle home from school. As soon as he opened the door, his youngest son climbed onto his feet. Then, he pulled on his pants and slowly stood up.

She's almost eleven months old, and she can stand steadily while pulling things.

Fang Mingche said, "Oh dear, you're all dirty. Well, you've dirtied my pants too."

The clothesline was half full of this kid's stuff. That's about the same amount as the four of them combined.

After Fang Chang regained his balance, he freed one hand and looked outside. He made "ah ah" noises, drooling, which dripped onto the bib tied around his neck.

"Want to go out? Okay, let Dad change his pants, and I'll change yours too. We'll go to the big courtyard house so you can climb all over, okay?"

Fang Chang can now understand some of what is being said, and he nodded.

"Nod your head, nodding means you agree. Okay, go inside and change your clothes—"

The interior decoration of the courtyard house is almost complete. He and Lin Yan had agreed to go and take a look after the midterm exams.

After that, Master Lei's construction team will come over and help them demolish and rebuild the west room. That crossbeam will definitely be replaced with a new one.

The furnishings in the west room were all acquired later and were first moved to the living room of the main house.

As for the crossbeam, Fang Mingche preferred to chop it down and use it as firewood. The kitchen in the small side courtyard was rather small and was built later. It only had a honeycomb briquette stove.

But there's a large stove in the courtyard house; they chop it into firewood and transport it there by tricycle to burn. If the Gu family has any ideas, they'll probably speak up. But he doesn't think the father and son would want to keep this main beam.

Perfect timing! We can renovate the west room before the old man and woman officially move to Beijing for a long stay, so they won't feel uncomfortable.

The elderly couple will arrive in Beijing in mid-May. Fang Chang is having his first birthday celebration on May 18th. He hasn't met his grandparents since he was born. So Fang Mingche told them a while ago not to wait until summer vacation and to come in May.

As for the three siblings, he could simply have Han Ping or Fang Mingcheng make the trip. He would pay for their travel and wages out of his own pocket, and have either of them go back to pick them up. They could also bring their second uncle's family of three along. This way, Minghui would have an easier time.

After some persuasion, they were finally convinced. They decided to entrust their family affairs to their elder brother and sister-in-law and come to the capital ahead of schedule.

Fang Min was making a new bib for Changchang under the eaves. When she heard that they were going to go to the courtyard, she got up to change Changchang's clothes.

Fang Mingche carried his son inside. "It's alright, I'll change him. By the way, I'll cover your travel expenses before summer vacation so you can go back and play for ten days or half a month. Then you and Minghui can take Fang Jian and the others to Beijing."

Oh right, how could he forget about Xiaomin? Although she's only sixteen or seventeen, she came to Beijing alone back then. Going back again and having her bring her back shouldn't be a problem. That's good; this way, there's no need to arrange for someone to cover for Han Ping or Fang Mingcheng anymore.

Fang Min nodded, "Okay. Thank you, Uncle Jiu—"

Fang Mingche quickly carried Fang Chang into the house to wash his hands. Otherwise, he could continue to use dirty water to "stamp" his hands everywhere. There were two little handprints on his trouser leg at this moment.

Then I changed his apron, knee pads, and wrist guards. Oh, and a 'helmet' too. I was worried he'd fall; he's so active. What if he hit the back of his head? So Ayan made a 'helmet' out of cotton cloth wrapped around foam and put it on him.

"You stay in bed for a while, Dad will change your pants and carry you out. Your mom and sister will be back soon. When they get back, we'll go to the courtyard house together."

Fifteen minutes later, the family of four and Fang Min went over together. Yan Yan was still riding her mini bicycle with her younger brother on the back. Fang Chang was sitting more steadily, his two clean little hands tightly gripping the hem of his sister's clothes, looking around.

When I went to check, after more than two months, the initial repairs were indeed completed. They're truly professionals!
However, the main reason is that although the previous residents had illegally added to the buildings, making it look messy, they hadn't actually damaged the house's actual structure. Only someone with a screw loose would damage the load-bearing capacity and structure of the house they live in. Master Lei said, "We replaced some of the distressed wood, and replaced a lot of the bricks and tiles. Several of the roof ornaments were also replaced. We also replaced any missing or incomplete pieces of furniture."

Even the beds used in the guesthouses are in a traditional style.

Lin Yan said to Fang Mingche, "It looks perfectly integrated to me."

Looking at the gray bricks and mahogany, this is the house of a wealthy family from the Qing Dynasty. It's quite simple and unpretentious, without any extravagance. This probably reflects the aesthetic taste of the original owner, and it also suits her taste. She liked porcelain fired in the imperial kilns during the Yongzheng period and didn't particularly like those from the Qianlong period.

"So professional matters should be left to professionals." Fang Mingche was quite satisfied.

"There are still some finishing touches left, but we should be able to complete them by the end of April as originally planned."

"Thank you for your hard work!" Fang Mingche said sincerely.

Master Lei waved his hand, "Teacher Fang, you trust us, so let us do our own thing. It's not hard work at all; we've been learning this since we were kids. I have a favor to ask: could I take some photos before you check in?"

This was intended to be filmed for widespread dissemination. If it weren't for setting an example, he probably wouldn't have been able to finish it so quickly and well.

"can."

Yan Yan said, "I think this place is so nice, the lotus flowers are about to bloom."

The lotus pond was also prepared.

Fang Mingche said, "We'll open a bed and breakfast later, but the rooms definitely won't be fully booked every day. If you want to stay there, you can come and experience it."

We'll keep a few rooms vacant unless we're fully booked. People can come and stay anytime. Otherwise, we've spent over 140,000 yuan on this place, and we won't even have a chance to enjoy it.

Yan Yan nodded vigorously, "Okay."

Lin Yan had Fang Min bring Changchang's two playmats over in a tricycle. They were laid out on the road. "Come on, look how eager you are to use them."

Once they finished climbing one page, she and Fang Min would move to the front. This way, they could repeat the process and keep using it.

Moreover, with his mother around, Fang Chang didn't dare to "stray" and just kept climbing on top of her. This way, he could keep himself as clean as possible.

But the courtyard house was too big for him! He started panting as soon as he crawled into the yard. So he changed from crawling to sitting and sat on the playmat to catch his breath.

Fang Min took the baby bottle and formula that she had been carrying for him, went inside to find hot water, mixed the formula, and brought it out for him to drink.

Lin Yan was quite satisfied with this large courtyard. Before, when she came to see it, it was either full of illegally constructed buildings or still under renovation and looking dusty. In short, it didn't look very good.

But today is different; it's already taking shape. Such a beautiful and large yard—it's worth taking on a debt of 100,000 yuan for it.

Exactly 100,000! Of the loan I took out, I paid back 30,000 to the travel agency, leaving 70,000. But that's the final payment to the original homeowner, due in eight months. Mingche hasn't touched that 70,000 yet; it's just sitting in a current account at the bank.

Although she felt that this meant losing interest for nothing, and the interest on their 100,000 yuan debt was considerable, the money might be needed at any time, so it was better to leave it as it was.

Next, some members of the construction team stayed behind to finish up the work, while others went to the small side courtyard to demolish the main house and west wing.

Before the demolition, Fang Mingche still told Grandpa Gu. On the day of the demolition, the father and son came to see it. Zhu Wenjuan also brought Gu Wenle along.

Gu Wenle is two months old, and you still have to support his neck when you hold him. He looks at the scene in front of him and grins foolishly.

The father and son of the Liang family didn't say anything, and Fang Mingche, as planned, asked Fang Mingcheng and Han Ping to help chop the wood. This part of history was considered completely over in the Fang family.

Meanwhile, back in their hometown, Mr. and Mrs. Fang were also beginning to hand over household chores to others. Mrs. Fang looked at the vegetables she grew around her house, the chickens, ducks, and geese she raised, and the pigs in the pigsty, and felt a little reluctant to part with them. These days, it doesn't matter how many you raise; no one's going to try to stop the capitalist remnants anymore. So she raised quite a few of them.

Yuan Shufen smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry, I will take good care of her." Anyway, she and Fang Fang usually cut various kinds of grass to feed her.

Fang's mother casually hummed in agreement.

Fang's father gradually handed over the farm work to his eldest son.

After May Day, they prepared to set off. The whole village knew they were going to the capital to enjoy a life of luxury, and they were all very envious.

Mr. Fang just smiled and said, "Actually, we farmers still can't leave the land. However, both of them are going to university, so they really can't take care of five children. So we have to go and help look after them."

"Yes, Minghua and Shufen are so lucky. All three of their children are going to study in the capital. I heard that Fangtong is studying at a high-priced school, with a selection fee of 200 yuan per year. So for your three children, that's 600 yuan per year. How much will it cost after they graduate from university?"

Mr. Fang said, "Mingche said that the education level in the capital is much better. Climbing from a higher place is always easier than climbing from a lower place. So his efforts in the capital were not in vain."

When they got home, Mr. Fang took out two ledgers he had kept by hand. One was from before the implementation of the household responsibility system, and the other was from after.

Then he called the old woman, her eldest son, and his wife for a family meeting. The three grandchildren were also called in to watch.

Fang Jian seems to have matured a lot since last year. He just finished his mid-term exams, and this time he scored over 80 in both math and Chinese. With these scores, getting into junior high school shouldn't be a problem.

The teachers at school all say that boys are all like this; they used to be mischievous, but now they've matured. Some are late bloomers, not until junior high.

Some people say that since his uncle is such a good student, he certainly couldn't be bad at it.

Fang Jian didn't care much about these comments. He just felt that his grandfather was right; there was no such thing as someone who wasn't cut out for it.

In order to study in the capital, he has been studying very hard these past two semesters. When he encounters problems he doesn't understand, he goes to the teachers' offices to ask questions, and they are all very responsible in answering his questions. That's why he has made such great progress.

Uncle said on the phone that things were going well. But once they got to the capital, not to mention him, even Fang Fang's grades might become just average. That's because elementary school students in big cities, especially the capital and Shanghai, are far more worldly-wise than the two of them.

Forget about others, my own little cousin Yan Yan has already been to Tokyo and Shanghai. She can also speak basic English and Japanese. There's really no comparison.

Perhaps only Fang Kang, who has never been to school before, would be able to integrate the fastest, starting from the senior class. But it's alright; he and Fang Fang are only elementary school students after all. Fang Fang is only in second grade, and he's only in fourth grade, graduating in fifth grade next year. They won't fall too far behind; there's still room for them to catch up.

As for Fangfang, her initial thought was that she didn't want to finish second grade and then go home to work, spending her days cutting pig feed and tending the fire. She imagined that after ten years or so, her parents would marry her off again, and she would continue working in another family.

Now her uncle is giving her a chance; not only can she continue her studies, but she can also study in the capital. Moreover, her uncle said that, like Yan Yan, the family will support the three of them as far as they can study. The debts can be remembered and repaid later when they start working.

Fang Kang didn't care about anything. All he knew was that there would be good food and fun things to do in the capital. And he was going with his older brother and sister, living with his grandparents. He would stay at his uncle's house, and his aunt and second sister treated him very well.

He's the only one without any burden. Even though he's going so far away, he'll inevitably miss his parents.

But his parents said they'd go to the capital in a couple of years. So he wasn't worried at all. Sitting next to his older brother, suspended in mid-air, he asked his father, "Grandpa, is there anything to eat?"

Mr. Fang was both amused and annoyed. "I called you here for a tea party, didn't I?"

My grandson only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun all day long. Without strict discipline, he probably won't amount to much in the future. However, as long as he can support himself, that's fine.

He turned to look at Fang's mother, "Do you have any peanuts or melon seeds? Also, grab some of the hard candy we weighed earlier, so Kang Kang can have something to eat."

No, that's not the grandson. The grandson is Fang Chang from the capital. I haven't met him yet, so I can't comment.

He used to think Fang Jian was pretty much ruined and could only pin his hopes on Fang Kang. But after Fang Jian's trip to the capital, he seemed much more sensible. At least he knew to study hard now.

Hopefully, Fang Kang will grow up and become more sensible. Right now, he's most hoping for Fang Chang, whom he's never met. Because he's never met her, there's the most room for imagination.

Fang's mother brought out a tin box containing snacks from inside the house, opened it, and placed it on the table. Inside were peanuts, melon seeds, candied winter melon, and hard candy.

She gestured for her grandchildren to help themselves. The family is much better off now. The fields have yielded a bumper harvest, and the 600 yuan investment in the village-run factory has also paid off well. She's now willing to share what's there with Fangfang.

This is the empty box Fang Mingche bought for them when they came back by train last time. It was perfectly preserved; not a single scratch of the paint was missing.

Fang Fang was somewhat flattered. From childhood to adulthood, whenever she wanted to eat something nice, her grandmother's eyes would always be fixed on her.

Fang Kang was the first to act, grabbing a candied winter melon and eating it.

Fang Jianhe grabbed some peanuts and melon seeds. He didn't like sweets; only women and children ate sweets.

Fang Fang then peeled a hard candy and put it in her mouth.

Fang Minghua said, "Dad, what exactly did you call us to talk about? Aren't you still half a month away from leaving?"

"It won't be long," said Father Fang, picking up the first account book, the one from before the household responsibility system was implemented. He then began counting off figures while simultaneously using an abacus.

Fang Minghua and Yuan Shufen listened, mentally calculating along with the old man. The old man then used the abacus to calculate the result, allowing them to compare it with the abacus.

Upon hearing the first account book, Fang Minghua said, "Before the household responsibility system was implemented, our family only earned a little over three hundred yuan a year."

Father Fang said, "You think I forgot to remember? Tell me, what did I miss? It's just over three hundred yuan this year, and another one hundred and fifty or sixty yuan was given by Mingche. Ten yuan a month, then there's the New Year's money for the three children, and the money for my and your mother's birthdays. So, it's clear how much we actually earned from farming. Actually, I don't even need to calculate it today; you should have known by now when we calculated work points at the end of each year. Our net income from farming is less than two hundred yuan a year."

"Then why bother calculating this?" Fang Minghua asked.

"This will help you remember, and also let the three children know. Otherwise, they might forget over time. Okay, next up is about what happened after the household responsibility system was implemented."

After another flurry of abacus beads being manipulated, Fang Jian and Fang Fang couldn't help but exchange a glance. It turns out, farming really doesn't make much money!
No wonder so many people envied my uncle when he taught at the village school. He earned over thirty yuan a month!
Even my aunt is in her twenties. Aunt Minghui was also in her twenties after she became a full-fledged employee. However, Aunt Minghui's family is wealthy, so she doesn't live off her salary.

After finishing the second calculation, Mr. Fang continued, "The thousand in investment belongs to the second son, and the remaining six hundred belongs to me. The dividends will be deposited directly into our account in the future."

Fang Minghua's face stiffened. So this meant that the old man was separating from him? Moreover, aside from the 1,600 yuan and the few hundred yuan in the old man's savings account, the family was practically penniless.

He understood what the old man meant: to let him know exactly how much he had earned over the years. He didn't want everyone to pool their earnings and then feel so good about themselves.

"We'll be going to the capital in half a month. Mingche said he'll arrange for someone to come back and pick up the three children. They'll go to Beijing with your second uncle's family. Here's one hundred yuan, for the eldest son and his wife to live on. After all, there are still a few months until the harvest. As for this old house, lock up our rooms and your brothers' rooms. That's all we have at home! As for the three children going to school in the capital, you'll need to contribute at least 300 yuan a year. Based on last year's bumper harvest, you should be able to make ends meet after contributing that."

Father Fang understood perfectly well that it was best to make a clean break first to avoid future trouble. If his second son were still a village school teacher, and the gap between rich and poor narrowed after the household responsibility system was implemented, then there would be nothing more to say; they could simply support each other and make a living together. At worst, his second son would get a stable job, and the old house would eventually be his.

But the second son has clearly become wealthy, and it seems he'll only get richer. So, the eldest son and his wife, as well as Fang Jian and Fang Kang, need to know exactly what businesses the family owns. His share can be given to them later, but the second son's share has nothing to do with them.

"Eldest brother, eldest brother's wife, we two old folks are going to the second brother's place. He should be filial to him. Others can't say anything! But some people might come to you and say things like that. Just remember, they're all just envious, jealous, and hateful. That's why they hurt you in a way that doesn't benefit them! You, the second brother, and Lin Yan are siblings, but you've already separated from the family. If they're willing to help, you should be grateful."

(End of this chapter)