Chapter 10: Better to Separate

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Listening to his eldest son's suggestion of bringing his wife and children to the factory, the old man furrowed his brow but remained silent.

Tang's elderly wife was taken aback. Was her eldest son trying to take his wife away? They say a daughter-in-law becomes a mother-in-law through time, and she had only been a mother-in-law for a few years. If the daughter-in-law left, who would she exert her authority over?

Furthermore, if the daughter-in-law left along with the grandchildren, she wouldn't have to take care of the children anymore. Her second son was only fourteen years old. How long would it take for him to get married and have children? She would only be in her fifties by then. She still had to work, right?

She had been taking care of children at home for so many years. Asking her to go back to work again, how could she bear it?

She had been supporting her family for so many years. If her daughter-in-law left, her son's family would lose their source of income. Without money and people, who would support the family? With no income, her daughter-in-law would have to work, and she couldn't handle it.

Tang's elderly wife didn't hesitate to object, "No, I disagree with letting Xiujuan go with you!"

As if she felt she spoke too quickly, she immediately turned to the old man for support, "Father, who doesn't want their grandchildren around? We can't let them go. I disagree with them leaving!"

Tang's eldest son saw his mother's opposition but wanted to make his case, "Mom, before Xiujuan married me, she had a proposal from the factory to marry someone else. She could have married and gone to the factory right away. She chose to marry me, and now she's been married to me for so many years. Letting her go to the factory now is already unfair to her."

He continued, "Besides, if they go to the factory, it won't be a burden on you. You won't have to rely on Second Brother to raise my children."

His mother wasn't pleased, "Your younger brother just made a casual remark. You're already this old, and you're still competing with your own younger brother?"

Tang's eldest son lowered his head and remained silent. He was usually very filial to his parents, but today, he felt uneasy. He was more than ten years older than his younger brother.

Tang's elderly mother, sensing that her eldest son was against her, was furious. She immediately turned her anger towards Liu Xiujuan, "It's because of you, isn't it? You're the one who's trying to drive a wedge between my son and me. You want to enjoy a comfortable life and leave your parents behind, don't you? You ungrateful woman, you're not afraid of divine retribution!"

Liu Xiujuan was at a loss for words. She hadn't said a word!

Tang's eldest son, becoming impatient, said, "Mom, it's not Xiujuan's fault. It's my decision. She has been eating only half a meal every day and still has to work. She can't eat properly, and our daughter doesn't have enough milk. I can't bear it."

Liu Xiujuan sighed, "How about we separate then? If we do, we won't need Second Brother to help raise my children."

In reality, Liu Xiujuan didn't want to separate. Her husband worked at the factory, and he only came home once or twice a year. She had three children to take care of, one of them only a month old. If they separated, her eldest daughter would have to carry her younger sister to school, and her son would have to take care of the cows. But she felt that life would become even harder if they didn't separate.

Without separating, she had to endure her family eating only half a meal every day. And now, her second brother-in-law had even mentioned helping to raise her children. She felt deeply hurt by his words.

Proposing a separation was actually not in her best interest.

Previously, Liu Xiujuan had been eating only half a meal every day to maintain their family. But now, with her second brother-in-law openly discussing raising her children, she felt even more burdened.

If they separated, at most, her eldest daughter would have to carry her younger sister to school, and her son would have to take care of the cows. She couldn't leave her one-month-old daughter to her husband's care.

Tang's eldest son considered it for a moment and said, "Alright, if Mom doesn't want you to go to the factory, let's separate. With separation, everyone will take care of their own, and each person will raise their own children. Second Brother won't have to help me raise my children anymore. What do you think, Dad and Mom?"

The old man, who had remained silent until now, suddenly darkened his face and shouted, "Who's talking about separation? You three brothers, two of you aren't even married yet, and you're talking about separating? Huh?"

He glared at Liu Xiujuan, "As long as I'm alive, no one can separate this family!"

Tang Ailian was taken aback. The old man rarely got angry, but when he did, he exuded a powerful presence. It was no wonder people said that the team leader wasn't the scariest; it was Tang's old man. When he got angry, no one in the village dared to oppose him.

Tang's eldest son was at a loss. His mother strongly opposed going to the factory, and his father didn't agree to separation. But not going to the factory and not separating would make him feel guilty towards his wife. What should he do?

Liu Xiujuan's face showed despair. She couldn't go to the factory, and she couldn't separate either. What was she going to do? She felt deeply hurt by Tang Erlong. She also harbored resentment towards the old man and his wife.

Hadn't she sacrificed enough for this family?