Tian Jing's eyes flashed with a glimmer of light. Since Sister-in-law Niu had been implicated by her, she ought to pay attention to Sister-in-law Niu's affairs.
"Sister-in-law Niu, it's not your fault regarding Xiao Shan's mother and Xiao Jiang's mother."
"Lin Wan Niang, while in prison, sent a message through a fellow inmate to Lin Wan, telling her to trick some women in the village into leaving Kushan."
"Lin Wan Niang's goal was to exploit these women's vanity to make money from them."
"Before Xiao Shan's mother and Xiao Jiang's mother divorced, they planned to find Lin Wan Niang because Lin Wan boasted that her mother had met someone from the capital in prison."
"She said this person from the capital was a high-ranking official with several companies, and that as long as her mother said the word, she could arrange work for as many people as they brought."
"If Xiao Shan's mother and Xiao Jiang's mother hadn't divorced, they would have ended up being tricked by Lin Wan Niang to entertain guests."
Sister-in-law Niu was stunned. "Really?"
"Really," Tian Jing nodded. "I asked them myself, and they were so ashamed they didn't know where to hide."
"Then what about them now?"
"I've arranged for them to work in the factory."
Sister-in-law Niu sincerely thanked her, "Thank you, Tian Tian."
Tian Jing waved her hand, "Why are we being so formal between us? I'll come to your house tomorrow morning at nine."
After crying it out and learning that her two former daughters-in-law were on the right path, Sister-in-law Niu felt much relieved.
With Tian Jing's assurance, she left to invite Deputy Village Head Ou and Party Secretary Yang from the Ou and Yang families.
After seeing Sister-in-law Niu off, Tian Jing called Yuan Man and asked him to find Sister-in-law Niu's prenatal check-up records. She wanted to know if Sister-in-law Niu was carrying a boy or a girl.
Yuan Man entered the courtyard with Li Zhengguo, who was also returning from work.
Li Zhengguo sat beside his wife, listening in. He also wanted to know what the troublesome Sister-in-law Niu was carrying.
When Sister-in-law Niu first went to the clinic for a prenatal check-up at five months, Grandma Niu had asked the ultrasound doctor if Sister-in-law Niu was carrying a boy or a girl.
The ultrasound doctor could not reveal the fetus's gender to the parents.
The second prenatal check-up was at over six months. Sister-in-law Niu sent Grandma Niu away, gave the ultrasound doctor a red envelope, and told him that she was already this old and wouldn't have an abortion even if it was a girl.
She wanted to know the fetus's gender just to have peace of mind. After all, her pregnancy at this age was only to comfort her mother-in-law.
The ultrasound doctor did not accept the red envelope, nor did he reveal the fetus's gender.
The ultrasound doctor said he remembered Sister-in-law Niu's expression changing then, suggesting she had guessed the fetus was a girl.
Tian Jing raised an eyebrow, "So, was it a boy or a girl?"
"It was a girl," Yuan Man produced two ultrasound reports.
"These are Sister-in-law Niu's two prenatal check-up records, one from mid-November and the other from the end of December last year."
"The ultrasound doctor told her to come back for another scan at eight months, but Sister-in-law Niu never returned."
"The ultrasound doctor worried that Sister-in-law Niu might have had an abortion. When I asked him, he immediately told me the truth."
"I don't know why you're suddenly concerned about Sister-in-law Niu's baby's gender, but I asked that ultrasound doctor to retrieve the records from both check-ups and print these reports."
Tian Jing took the ultrasound reports and listened to Yuan Man's words. Her expression was calm.
"I have my reasons. Tell that ultrasound doctor not to talk about it, and you don't need to worry about this matter."
Yuan Man nodded, "I will tell the ultrasound doctor."
After Yuan Man left, Li Zhengguo looked at his wife. "What's your purpose?"
He didn't believe his wife would suddenly care about Sister-in-law Niu's offspring.
Tian Jing recounted Sister-in-law Niu's tearful account to her husband. "... I will definitely help Sister-in-law Niu."
Li Zhengguo held Tian Jing's hand. "Wife, since Sister-in-law Niu guessed it, and she's still so arrogant about dividing the family property, she must have made other arrangements."
Tian Jing nodded. "We need to investigate that in advance. Then I'll take the opportunity to get this little girl into my hands."
"Wife," Li Zhengguo worried, "just taking the child away would be illegal."
"Do you think I'm ignorant of the law?" Tian Jing glared at her husband. "I'm definitely a good citizen."
...
The next day, when Tian Jing arrived at the old Niu family residence, Brother Niu, Sister-in-law Niu, and Grandma Niu were also there.
Seeing Tian Jing, Grandma Niu gestured for her to sit.
Sister-in-law Niu, however, looked up her nose.
Tian Jing sneered inwardly. She had already taught Sister-in-law Niu a lesson at Da Niu's wedding before the new year. Even before that, Sister-in-law Niu hadn't been this arrogant. Was she emboldened now?
Using a male heir as her backing?
Heh, Tian Jing sneered inwardly. She truly didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.
Shortly after Tian Jing sat down, Zhou Chengbiao, Deputy Village Head Ou, and Party Secretary Yang also arrived.
With the four witnesses present, Brother Niu stated his plan for dividing the family.
"Da Niu and Er Niu will each receive the businesses they are currently operating. The villas they live in will also belong to them."
"From the date of division, each brother will pay us one thousand yuan per month, meaning we each receive five hundred yuan from them."
"If either of us needs to be hospitalized, the expenses will be shared equally by the brothers. When we are completely unable to take care of ourselves, the brothers will be responsible for our old age."
"We do not wish to be cared for separately. The brothers will either take one of us in or hire someone to look after us."
"As for Xiao Shan and his siblings, their father will take them back to raise. From their birth, they have been primarily raised by my wife, myself, and Mother."
"We have raised Da Niu and Er Niu for over thirty years, and their children for ten years or a few years. It is enough."
Da Niu and Er Niu remained silent; they did not want to divide the family.
Er Niu's wife looked at Da Niu's wife, who was also silent, and stepped forward to say, "I disagree."
Everyone in the Niu family hall looked at Er Niu's wife.
Er Niu grabbed his wife back, his eyes red. "Shut up! I don't care if we get divorced again!"
Brother Niu waved his hand. "Er Niu, let her speak."
Er Niu gritted his teeth and released his wife, his face indifferent.
Er Niu's wife shrunk her neck, took a step back, and remained silent.
"Heh!" Brother Niu sneered. "You just think the new village store is inferior to the hot spring valley store? If you're not satisfied, then take them all back. I don't owe anyone anything!"
Er Niu's wife looked flustered.
Da Niu's wife, however, appeared calm.
Sister-in-law Niu, who had been lowering her head and stroking her belly, now looked up.
"Eldest Brother, you are not qualified to allocate the hot spring valley and new village stores, because we also have a share in both."
Brother Niu looked coldly at his younger brother. "What do you mean?"
Under his elder brother's gaze, Brother Niu took a step back and mumbled, "Eldest Brother, it's a bit early for you to divide the family now. Let's wait."
"Fine!" Brother Niu nodded. "Then we'll wait for your son to be born, and we'll divide this family again, which was already divided over twenty years ago."
"However, if we divide it again, you must also share the expenses I have incurred in raising Mother alone over the past twenty years."
"This division of expenses will not be equal; it will be redivided according to the proportion you left me with last. If I gained nothing, then I will claim nothing for Mother's expenses, and you will bear them all."
"Don't worry, Eldest Brother knows your character well. I have kept a detailed record of all the expenses used for Mother over the past twenty years."
Eldest Brother kept an account of Mother's expenses over the past twenty years?
Brother Niu was shocked, and a cold chill ran down his spine.
Was his elder brother still the dull elder brother he remembered?
Sister-in-law Niu was also somewhat shocked, but then she dismissed it. How much could an old woman spend in over twenty years?
As long as she got all the dividends and stores from the hot spring valley, nothing else mattered.