Rebirth of the Fierce, Pampered Wife

Zhang Wei Qiang gave a wry smile. "I couldn’t figure it out for a long time, not until your sister-in-law secretly told me something she’d overheard. Apparently, she once heard your second and third sisters-in-law talking. They said that as long as I was bringing money, grain, oil, and all sorts of cloth and industrial coupons home every month, they would get a share if we didn’t split the family. But once we did split, what would any of that have to do with them? So they’d have to be fools to agree to separate."

Gu Nuan Nuan: "..."

Zhang Minzhen: "..."

Gu Nuan Nuan looked at her mother’s silence and recalled her strange expression from before. ’It seems Mom knows my second and third uncles pretty well, huh?’ She suddenly remembered that her mother was close in age to her second and third uncles, yet strangely, they hadn’t been close at all, not in her past life or this one. She slowly fell into deep thought...

"For all these years, I’ve kept these words to myself. At the time, I told your sister-in-law not to overthink it and to try and be at peace, because they are my own brothers, after all. But everyone’s a little selfish. Honestly, even I felt uncomfortable hearing it sometimes, so just imagine how your sister-in-law must have felt. That’s why later, when our family’s situation improved a bit and our parents refused to take any more of my money, I didn’t insist."

Zhang Wei Qiang wasn’t surprised by his little sister’s silence; he figured he wouldn’t know what to say either. This was the first time he had ever spoken his heart like this in front of family. If he hadn’t felt much closer to his little sister recently, and if he hadn’t seen her tossing and turning all night, seemingly lost in deep self-blame, he would never have said things he hadn’t even told his parents or his wife. But having said it, he felt a great weight lift from his shoulders. He couldn’t help but say self-deprecatingly, "Little sister, after hearing all that, do you think I’m not such a good big brother after all?"

"Big brother, in my heart, you are the best big brother there is. That will never change."

The words tumbled out of Zhang Minzhen. After she said them, she blushed, feeling a little embarrassed. She wasn’t used to being so direct. But when she saw how moved Zhang Wei Qiang looked, she cast aside her shyness and said with great seriousness, "You can’t just expect others to give all the time. Forget siblings—even the parents who raised us don’t owe us anything. We can’t force them to give and give without getting anything in return. So, Big brother, you’ve really done more than enough. From now on, aside from our parents, you need to think more about your wife, Zhang Su, and Zhang Kai’s feelings. After all, they are your closest family now, the ones who need you to be responsible for them."

’Only when they are well will Big Brother be well in the future.’ Zhang Minzhen said silently in her heart. She sincerely hoped her big brother could have a happy and complete little family of his own. She didn’t want to see him incur the resentment of his wife and two nephews because of his so-called brothers, who didn’t know the first thing about gratitude, only to end up with his own home not feeling like a home at all... Thinking of this, her own inner turmoil suddenly resolved itself—

’Isn’t it precisely because Big Brother stopped giving his all to the ’big family’ that our second and third sisters-in-law were so resentful yesterday, and that Father was so disappointed it led to splitting the family? None of this was my fault. My bicycle and the money I had were just excuses for Second and Third Sister-in-law to stir up trouble. If that’s the case, what was the point of blaming myself this whole time? No wonder they say the bystander sees more clearly than the one involved.’

She instantly relaxed.

Zhang Su and Zhang Kai were Gu Nuan Nuan’s two cousins on her eldest uncle’s side. Her mother’s words made Gu Nuan Nuan nod repeatedly. Having lived through it before, she immediately understood the hidden meaning in her mother’s words. Seeing the sudden look of relief on her mother’s face, she knew that some of the things she’d been worried about might no longer be a cause for concern. There are some things that, if you can’t figure them out for yourself, a million words of advice from others won’t make a difference.

"You’re right." Zhang Wei Qiang nodded. His little sister’s words had struck a chord with him, instantly dispelling the guilt he’d felt for being "selfish" toward his brothers. He finally understood—that’s right, he had an undeniable responsibility to his parents, his wife, and his children. But as for his adult siblings, while he should help them out if they were in real trouble and he had the ability, it was just as the old saying goes: help the desperate, not the perpetually poor. He had no binding obligation to them.

The brother and sister shared a look and smiled, everything understood without a word.

--

Changliu Village, a mere five or six *li* from Zhang Family Village, was where Fang Juxian’s family lived. Her family home was right at the village entrance. Seeing her daughter return, Fang Juxian’s mother, Yang Qiao, asked with a wide grin, "Didn’t you just visit two days ago? What brings you back so early today? Yesterday, I cooked that half of a smoked duck Wei Hong brought over last time for your younger brother. He absolutely loved the taste and couldn’t stop praising his brother-in-law."

"Oh, so he likes that flavor? I actually find the smoky taste a bit much. Since my little brother likes it, I’ll talk to Wei Hong when I get back. If we get any more smoked chicken, duck, or meat, I’ll have it sent over to him," Fang Juxian said casually.

"If you don’t like it, then just bring it all over from now on. No matter how much there is, your brother can eat it all." Yang Qiao’s smile grew even wider. Her son-in-law was a cook, and people from the surrounding villages would often call him to help with weddings and funerals. And a cook helping out, how could he not end up with some chicken, duck, fish, or meat? Her daughter was capable and knew how to handle her husband, so whenever he got good food, he would usually bring a share directly to her house. Sometimes, right after the son-in-law delivered something, the daughter would follow up with a little more. Having such a daughter and son-in-law who brought her such prestige made her look good in the village and in front of her son and daughter-in-law. That’s why, among her three daughters, she naturally doted on this eldest one, who had married close by, was the most filial, and was always running home.

"Mm."

Fang Juxian nodded vaguely. She had no interest in small talk right now, afraid that if she let her mom keep talking, the subject would wander off to who-knows-where. She quickly got to the point, "My father-in-law and mother-in-law suddenly announced last night that they want to split the family. It’s really rushed. They just brought it up yesterday, and tonight they’re going to formally call the clan elders to witness it. I thought about it over and over, and I figured I’d better come tell you and discuss it."

"Splitting the family? That’s great! What, is your mother-in-law actually willing to give up the power she holds?" Yang Qiao clapped her hands and laughed. She knew that her eldest daughter’s in-laws had brought up separating the family years ago, not two years after her daughter had married into it. But back then, life was hard for everyone. The money and goods her eldest son-in-law brought back from helping out as a cook were limited; it was barely enough for the young couple to treat themselves in private, and what they brought back to her family was nothing compared to now. Back then, her daughter’s eldest brother-in-law was the one sending back money and goods every month. *That* was the main income.

Those two old folks were so calculating. What good would splitting the family have done for her daughter back then? That’s why she had privately told her eldest daughter that they absolutely could not separate. But things were different now. Not only had the land been divided among households, but no one cared what you grew on it anymore. You could even openly sell your grain, the game you hunted in the mountains, or even the wild vegetables you dug up for money. Life was getting better. The old couple had always favored their eldest son, but then they stopped taking as much of his money, and just at that point, they stopped mentioning splitting the family...