Tian Jing went to the mess hall. Lin Duo'er was sitting on a small stool, lazily picking vegetables. Seeing a shadow beside her, she looked up and then stood up in surprise, "Captain Tian."
Tian Jing nodded faintly, "Lin Duo'er, I've come to warn you, once you enter here, you'll never get out. If you make a mistake here, your whole life might be over."
"This is not just a warning, but also advice."
"Your laziness and slacking are minor issues. Don't be foolish enough to try any petty tricks, hoping for luck. If you calm your mind, this might not be a bad end for you."
After speaking, Tian Jing went to the counter and talked to Wang Huan behind it, asking Wang Huan to pay more attention to Lin Duo'er, especially whether Lin Duo'er communicated with anyone outside. She said she would come back in a few days to check on the situation.
Wang Huan nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."
Tian Jing left the mess hall and headed directly down the mountain back to Kushan Village.
...
In Kushan Village committee, they were collecting land fees for the shops in the Hot Spring Valley scenic area.
Let alone that the land fee was only 200 per square meter, even if it were more expensive, they would still buy it. The income from a shop in the scenic area was not much less than their household dividends.
Brother Niu went to his younger brother's house to ask if his mother and younger brother were still competing for the shops in the Hot Spring Valley scenic area while paying the fee.
If they were, he wouldn't pay. If they weren't, after paying, the land and shop would be his, and they would never be able to compete for it again.
Younger Brother Niu waved his hand, his eyes hazy with drink, "No, I don't want it, I don't compete, I don't snatch. It's all yours, take it!"
Mother Niu, holding her little granddaughter, said to her elder son, "The shops in the Hot Spring Valley scenic area belong to you, and it will never change again."
Brother Niu glanced at his hunched mother, "What about the new village shops?"
Mother Niu looked at her younger son, who was completely drunk, and said, "If the second son can get through this hurdle, get married properly, and have a son, the new village shops will belong to the second son. If he's a disappointment, he won't be eligible to take the new village shops."
Brother Niu turned to leave. At the doorway, he stopped and asked without turning his head, "Mother, do you regret getting involved in the affairs of the second son's family?"
Mother Niu just sighed deeply, not answering her elder son.
...
After Brother Niu paid the land fee for the shops in the Hot Spring Valley scenic area, he told his two sons, who had been following him, to go home that night to divide the household.
Daniu and Erniu exchanged glances and left the village committee office.
On the way, Daniu asked Erniu if he had figured out the answer.
Erniu shook his head, "After Father became the branch secretary, I felt uneasy. I couldn't guess why Father suddenly wanted to divide the household."
Daniu thought about the day the household division failed and what Aunt Tian had said to them. He replayed everything in his mind since childhood and still couldn't understand:
"When Father proposed dividing the household, it was about the matter Auntie mentioned."
"When we were looking for our first wives, Mother disagreed, and we agreed ourselves. Father didn't seem very satisfied then either, but he asked Mother to agree."
"For the current wives, Mother didn't care, and Father didn't say anything."
Erniu continued, "Although Father didn't say anything, we could tell he was very dissatisfied with us. But what did Aunt Tian mean? Did she know any secrets about our family?"
Daniu nodded, "She must know. She's also very disappointed in us. Erniu, if this time the wife isn't managed well..."
Something suddenly flashed in Daniu's mind, and he stopped talking.
Erniu slapped his hands together and said, "Father has always disliked us for only caring about making money and not managing the family well. Although our family seems to be managed by Mother, Mother always listens to Father."
"Right!" Daniu agreed, "Father's inner thoughts are definitely not what he shows. We've all been deceived."
As Daniu spoke, he suddenly shivered. For decades, had Father always been two-faced?
Erniu also broke out in a cold sweat. Father was truly good at hiding things. He wondered if Grandma and Mother knew.
He asked his elder brother.
Daniu pondered, "Mother must know, otherwise how would Mother be controlled by Father? Grandma definitely doesn't know, otherwise, she wouldn't dare to act out."
"Father investigated everything that Auntie secretly did. The reason was that Auntie wanted to get her hands on what he had."
Erniu's cold sweat increased, "Brother, Father is so terrifying."
Daniu shook his head, "These are probably not the reasons Father wants to divide the household. It's probably because he sees no hope in us, and no hope in Xiao Shan and Xiao Jiang either. He's not only disappointed in both generations of us, but he also despises us for being stupid, and he despises Xiao Shan and Xiao Jiang for being stupid too."
Erniu squinted his eyes, "When Father divided the household, he didn't mention the scenic area dividends, nor did he mention his savings in old age."
Daniu raised his leg and kicked his brother, "Do you believe it, the contents of the household division today will change again?"
...
Tian Jing returned to the quadrangle courtyard and saw Daniu and Erniu waiting for her in the living room. She couldn't help but frown and ask, "Do you two need something?"
Daniu said, "My father said we're dividing the household tonight. We're worried he'll change the previous arrangements."
"Oh?" Tian Jing raised her eyebrows, "Do you think your father will give you more or less?"
Daniu glanced at his brother, "We think he'll give us less."
"Reason?"
"Grandma and Auntie's actions."
Tian Jing asked faintly, "Then what do you want from me?"
Daniu lowered his head, "We don't know. We feel uneasy, with no certainty."
"If you don't covet, you won't be uneasy." After speaking, Tian Jing waved them away, "You can go now, I'm tired."
Daniu pulled Erniu out of the quadrangle courtyard and walked home in silence.
At the door of their house, Daniu made up his mind, "However Father divides it, I'll agree."
Erniu nodded, "I'll talk to my wife first."
...
Li Zhengguo had already returned to work for a few days. He spent his days drinking tea and reading newspapers in his office. The resettlement matters had also been suspended.
His current position was a staff member in the Economic Development Office. He commuted to and from work on time every day.
The new town mayor was appointed by the county. He greeted Li Zhengguo politely when they met and didn't assign him any other tasks. He felt it was good, entering the retirement phase in advance.
He got off work on time and went home. He looked towards the kitchen and saw his wife busy inside. He walked directly into the kitchen, "You're back?"
"What?" Tian Jing turned her head and asked, "Do you expect me to stay there for the night?"
"No." Li Zhengguo shook his head, "Because I didn't know how long you would be away this time, I felt a bit uncertain. Seeing you back feels like a surprise."
Ouyang Meihua shivered and looked at Li Min.
Li Min pursed her lips, "Hmph! I won't say anything."
Tian Jing glanced at her husband, "Go wash your face and help Mother with her hands."
"Okay." Li Zhengguo replied and left the kitchen.
After Li Zhengguo disappeared from sight, Ouyang Meihua asked her sister-in-law, "Why aren't you talking anymore?"
Li Min rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law, "Little Brother said he felt uncertain, and his tone was somewhat low. This shows that being dismissed and expelled from the party still has a great impact on him. Why should I speak carelessly?"
"Am I so heartless? He's complaining and acting spoiled to his little sister-in-law, and I'm just causing trouble?"
"That's right, that's right." Ouyang Meihua nodded vigorously, "I think your little brother's only consolation is that after this incident, his sister has completely opened up."
"Go!" Li Min waved her sister-in-law away impatiently and said to her sister-in-law,
"This peak period has passed. In the waiting period ahead, my little brother will still be under a lot of pressure. You should persuade him. If you have to go out for work, try to come back at night."
Tian Jing looked at her sister-in-law in surprise, she really seemed to have opened up, "Okay, I'll remember."
The three of them were busy in the kitchen when Sister-in-law Niu came in, "Tiantian, come to my house tonight."
Tian Jing nodded, "I'll come after dinner."
Sister-in-law Niu said a few casual words and then left.
Li Min talked about the news she received today, "I heard that many of Sister-in-law Niu's relatives have returned. Sister-in-law Niu's mother and eldest sister haven't returned yet. Sister-in-law Niu's father and elder brother are looking for people everywhere and pulling strings."
Ouyang Meihua quickly asked, "Who did you hear that from? How come I don't know?"
Li Min asked her sister-in-law in surprise, "Didn't you go home this afternoon?"
Ouyang Meihua shook her head. She had been watching Xuanxuan with her mother-in-law all afternoon.
"Hmph!" Li Min snorted, "You lied to me, saying you'd be home soon, but you stayed to play with Xuanxuan."
Ouyang Meihua said dismissively, "Could you have stayed? Your two children were crying, wanting to find their brother."
Thinking of the scene in the afternoon when her sister-in-law took away the two older children and the two younger ones cried non-stop, Li Min's head ached.
"Sister-in-law Niu's father and elder brother came to ask Brother Niu for help, saying that whoever they asked, they were told to report the case to the police and withdraw it, so they came to ask Brother Niu for forgiveness this time."
"Did Brother Niu agree?"
"Brother Niu just said he would consider it. Sister-in-law Niu's elder brother immediately tried to stuff him a red envelope. Brother Niu got angry and drove them away."
Tian Jing didn't know if Sister-in-law Niu's elder brother was stupid or deliberately framing Brother Niu.