Anti-theft label

  Gu Anan used to be an only child and had never had any siblings. This kid's messy words made Gu Anan feel warm inside. She said, "Dongdong, close your eyes."

  Gu Dongdong listened most to Gu Anan's words, as soon as she said it, Xiaodouding immediately closed his eyes.

  Gu An'an suddenly had a piece of candy in her palm, she unwrapped the wrapper and stuffed it into Gu Dongdong's mouth, saying, "Close your mouth, don't spit it out."

  Suddenly a sweetness burst in her mouth, and Xiaodou immediately wanted to spit it out and planned to share half with her sister.

  Listening to his sister's fierce scolding, he shut up, his mouth conditioned reflexively.

  Gu An's big eyes smiled into a line, curved like a crescent moon. She was delighted and asked, "Is it sweet?" She felt happier seeing the little kid eating sugar than she did when she ate sugar herself.

  Gu Dongdong couldn't bear to open his mouth, afraid that the sweetness inside would run away, and his words were unclear, "Mmm... really mmm..."

  This little appearance made An An laugh, and the siblings had a big fight.

  "Dinner is ready!", Wang Da Ying shouted outside in a loud voice.

  Gu Anan jumped out of bed as soon as she heard, and before leaving the door, she didn't forget to let Gu Dongdong open his mouth to see if the sugar had melted, instructing, "Don't tell anyone else, you ate sugar!"

  Gu Dongdong nodded his head like he was pounding garlic, licked his lips and said, "I haven't eaten, I haven't eaten anything."

  "Very clever."

  The brother and sister went hand in hand to the main house, where the table was already filled with people.

  Apart from the four houses on this side, three people are missing. Tang Lan Zhi took Gu Wanwan to the provincial city, and Gu Weiqiang disappeared after leaving the west house, and his family is used to him not being at home.

  Others were there.

  Oh! That's right, Gu An'an's third uncle Gu Weimin and his family are not in Gujia Village, they now live in the county town, doing carpentry work. Gu Weimin had exceptional manual skills since he was young, after graduating from elementary school, he didn't have the heart to continue studying, so he went to the county town to learn carpentry with a master carpenter. He was clever and diligent, very much liked by his master, who treated him like half a son. Later, when his master passed away, he made a request, hoping that Gu Weimin could become the son-in-law of the Li family.

  The reason is that he has only one daughter at home, and he has saved money for a lifetime. If he lets his daughter marry someone else, he will not be at ease. Only this closed-door disciple of his own can make him feel most at ease.

  Gu Weimin cherished the kindness of his teacher Fu, and also secretly developed feelings for Fu's daughter Li Yue'e. It was only natural that they ended up together. At the time, it was said that becoming the son-in-law of the Li family caused a sensation throughout Gujia Village.

  After all, in this day and age, any family with a slightly better condition would not let their own son become a live-in son-in-law.

  Especially since Old Gu's family is considered a respectable family in Gu Village, this has really lost face for Old Master Gu.

  But Gu Weimin was a romantic, and in order to marry Li Yu'e, he made a big fuss at home for a long time. Later, Zhou Aijuan took pity on him and finally agreed.

  However, after the marriage, Gu Weimin settled down in the county town. The old Li carpentry shop was famous for generations, and the family had a solid foundation. In the best location of the county town, there was a small courtyard that was bright and spacious to live in. Those who originally looked down on Gu Weimin as a son-in-law were envious when they saw how prosperous he became after marriage.

  So, the Gu family had dinner together, with only Old Master Gu and Zhou Aijuan, Eldest Brother Gu Weiguo, Zhao Junyan, and their youngest son Gu Ping'an, who was ten years old this year, two years older than Gu Dongdong.

  Logically, Gu Lao Da's son, Gu Wei Guo, should be the oldest among his fellow apprentices. However, when he was young, he fell from a tree while stealing bird eggs and broke his leg. He didn't receive timely treatment, so he became lame. As a result, no one wanted to marry him when it came time for matchmaking.

  It wasn't until Gu Weiguo was over thirty that he met Zhao Junyan, who had escaped from disaster, and then married a wife and started a family.

  Gu Weiguo was dull and taciturn, Zhao Junyan also didn't like to talk usually. The 10-year-old Gu Ping'an was taught by the two of them to be somewhat introverted, not daring to see people, and even afraid to speak loudly. The three of them sat at the edge of the table, each holding a bowl, and the old man hadn't spoken yet, nor did they dare to start eating.

  Sitting in the position under Old Man Gu's hand was Lao Er and his family, Gu Weifu and Wang Da Ying, as well as Lao Er's three sons, Eldest Son Gu Shu, Second Son Gu Dan, and Third Son Gu Shuang. The eldest, Gu Shu, is twenty years old this year and is attending high school in the county town, but he has been held back a grade.

  Gu Dan and Gu An'an were the same age, both sixteen. However, Gu Dan was not cut out for studying, just like Gu Wei Min, he liked to work with his hands. The tables, chairs, and stools in their home were basically all made by Gu Dan after he went on a trip to the county town and came back to figure them out himself.

  Let's talk about Gu Shuang, the youngest son of Gu Weifu, who is the most favored one. He is like a little overlord in the Gu family, and everyone wants to give him the stars from the sky. Today, Gu Weiguo went to the riverbank and broke a hole in the ice, catching two big grass carp. It's rare for the family to have meat, and Gu Shuang's eyes are fixed on the fish in the big basin, swallowing every delicious part clean.

  When Gu An'an led out Gu Dongdong, there were still two empty seats on the old lady's right side, which was obviously left for Gu An'an and her siblings.

  She roughly scanned the positions on the dinner table and also counted them in her mind.

  Apart from her parents and Gu Wanwan, there were also Third Uncle's family, but this table of people was not small either, with twelve people scattered around. The variety of dishes on the table was not many, but they made up for it in quantity. A big bowl of winter radish, plus a large bowl of sour fish, and the sour vegetables were all pickled by Zhou Aijuan herself, with two large jars stored in the kitchen, enough to serve as side dishes for a year. As for the snow pears used to pickle the sour vegetables, they were all picked from the mountain by An'an alone. The sour taste of the pickled vegetables was particularly good, and it had a nice chewy texture.

  No wonder, that big bowl of sour fish, made Anan drool, and her mouth was filled with a lot more saliva.

  As soon as the sister and brother appeared in the main room, Wang Da Ying's mouth opened, "Ah ah, it's not me saying this, but how can you say that everyone sitting here is a senior, and yet you two siblings make all these seniors wait for you? It's too rude. Can't you see, as soon as your mom left, you both forgot the most basic respect for elders?"

  In Gu Anan's impression, Wang Da Ying always thought that Tang Lan Zhi was a cultured person, suppressing her team leader's wife and favoring Zhou Ai Ju's family, including the children of the fourth house, making Wang Da Ying not even bother to see them.

  Gu Dongdong was small, but he knew that Er Bao's wife wasn't saying anything good, so he subconsciously hid behind Gu Anan.

  Gu An'an pinched the small hand of Xiao Douding, not even looking at Wang Da Ying, and turned to Zhou Aijuan with a flattering face. "Grandma, I'm late with Dongdong, it's our fault, this biggest fish is for you as an apology from your granddaughter." As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks and directly took a piece of fish with the least bones and the most meat from the bowl and put it in Zhou Aijuan's bowl. Of course, Gu Lao Yezi didn't fall behind either. If she remembered correctly, the old man liked to eat fish belly, especially with some fatty tissue on top, which was extremely fragrant when bitten into.

  She smiled and said, "Grandpa, you should eat some more too. This fish belly is tender and delicious." This was indeed true, as the old man had lost most of his teeth and couldn't chew hard food, so this soft fish belly was just right for him.

  The old man's displeasure, which had been stirred up by Wang Da Ying, dissipated a bit, and his complexion looked slightly better.

  As for Wang Da Ying...

  An'an never took her seriously from start to finish.

  As expected, Wang Da Ying, who had been ignored, was about to make a scene. Zhou Ai Ju put down her chopsticks and said, "If you're going to quarrel, then get out." The old lady's temper wasn't something to be trifled with. All the family's money was in her hands, and if she were to take sides, who knows how much would leak out from her fingers for the Fourth House.

  Wang Da Ying had forgotten that the old lady's money was basically all given by Lao Si Gu Wei Qiang and Lao San Gu Wei Min.

  The four brothers of the Gu family, the eldest has been working at home as a farmer for many years and doesn't have much money. The second brother is the team leader, but Gu Shu is studying in high school in the county town and is also repeating a grade. On top of that, he needs to pay for tutoring, and there are two younger brothers, one who is an apprentice in the county town and another who is still in school. The money earned by the second brother, Gu Weifu, alone is not enough to cover Gu Shu's expenses, let alone the other two younger brothers.

  Gu Shu was able to attend high school in the county town thanks to the financial support of his uncles.

  This is also without dividing the family, everyone lives together, if one day they are divided, where will there be such a good life?

  Wang Da Ying wanted to mutter a couple more sentences, but was kicked by Gu Wei Fu sitting next to him and scolded, "You stinky woman, you're talking nonsense, be careful I'll beat you out."

  Gu Shu lowered his head, as if he hadn't seen it, but forgot that normally Wang Da Ying was most fond of him and Gu Shuang.

  Luckily, Gu Shuangxiao was there, and he knew how to take care of Wang Da Ying. "Dad, I want to eat fish, the biggest piece."

  Gu Weifu loved this little girl the most, clever like him, would cry, he directly picked up a big piece of fish from the bowl and put it in Gu Shuang's bowl, "Eat."

  Gu Shuang sucked up the snot that was about to drip into the bowl, making a loud slurping sound.

  An An's appetite was gone in an instant.

  Even the sour soup fish that I used to find appetizing now seems a bit dull.

  An'an has lost his appetite, but others haven't! After the meal started, everyone was like a thief, competing to see who could swallow the fastest and whose chopsticks were the most accurate.

  Especially Wang Da Ying, with a look of guarding food, made Gu An An stare in shock.

  She's a mother figure, fighting with kids over food? ?? ?

  But everyone else also got used to it and didn't think it was strange anymore.

  Gu An'an took the fish that Zhou Aijuan had given her and divided it into two portions, one of which she put in Gu Dongdong's bowl, and the other she gave to Gu Pingan.

  To say, the fish on the table was caught by Gu Weiguo who braved the cold to go to the river and brought it back for his wife Zhao Junyan and An'an to nourish their bodies. However, their son Gu Pingan's eyes were fixed greedily on the bowl, swallowing saliva but not daring to pick up a chopstick. Gu Weiguo and Zhao Junyan thought they were adults and didn't need to fight with the children for fish, so they just drank a bowl of fish soup instead. When Old Lady was distributing the fish, each person got one piece. Gu Pingan, being over ten years old, was at an age where he needed to eat more to grow, but the little bit of fish he got was barely enough to fill his teeth!

  So Gu Ping'an suffered.

  Gu Wei Qiang held back a sigh, his face still forcing a smile. "Mom, don't worry about this matter, Lan Zhi wanting to leave, I've known for a long time. There's something that Second Brother said that is indeed correct - since the feet belong to someone else, if she wants to leave, who can stop her? Even if we could stop her temporarily, we couldn't stop her forever. Moreover, this proves that it was me and Second Brother who colluded, letting him take the blame, it has nothing to do with Second Brother." The discord between brothers should be resolved by themselves, they cannot let their elderly parents get sick from worrying.

  Even if her little son said so, Zhou Aijuan still felt uncomfortable in her heart.

  She pulled her little son's ear and almost shouted, "Your wife has left, gone to the big city, can she still come back? What if the child loses his mother?", several educated youths in the village had left, but not one of them came back.

  Gu Wei Qiang smiled bitterly, his words firm. "Since Lan Zhi has left, you should act as if she never existed. From now on, I will be both father and mother to the children. As for Wan Wan, I will treat her as if she were not my daughter." Wan Wan had grown up following Lan Zhi since she was young, and her personality was most similar to hers. She loved to take charge and be strong-willed. In this rural area, it was only a matter of time before she would leave too.

  Upon hearing this, Zhou Aiju became annoyed and kicked her youngest son on the buttocks, "Get out! Don't come crying in front of me again. It's hard being both mom and dad..."

  It's all about spoiling one's own son, losing his wife, and now he's acting like a mother, nagging nonstop. No big deal, in the future, he can just spoil the two younger ones from his fourth marriage even more.

  Gu Wei Qiang smiled and pinched his own mother's shoulders.

  Just out of the door.

  The eldest, Gu Weiguo, was a man of few words but took action. He patted Gu Weiqiang's shoulder and headed out the door to check on the snowfall in the fields. The farmers were counting on this snow to ensure next year's harvest. Along the way, he would stop by the river to break the ice on its surface. His wife had just gotten her period and needed some nourishment, and his fourth brother's eldest daughter was recovering from an illness and also needed some extra care. He planned to catch a couple of fish to improve their meals. Gu Weiguo didn't like to talk much but got things done, and he didn't let the heavy snow outside stop him. He grabbed his bamboo hat, put it on, and headed out the door.

  Lao Er Gu Weifu stood at the door and didn't leave, he knew that Lao Si would come to ask him.

  As expected, once they were out the door, Gu Wei Qiang's cheerful face disappeared, replaced by a scowl. The two brothers went to the self-cultivated land outside the courtyard, where a vast expanse of white stretched out before them and snowflakes danced in the air. But Gu Wei Qiang didn't feel the cold; instead, he was consumed by a burning anger that shot straight to his head. He got straight to the point: "What benefits did Lan Zhi give Second Brother that made you rush to issue the certificate?"

  If it weren't for the fact that his truck broke down on the road today, he wouldn't have been able to rush back so coincidentally. You know, a trip like this usually takes at least a week.

  He set out yesterday, but after his car broke down, he simply turned back.

  But didn't expect to run into Lan Zhi on the way.

  An'an fell with a thud and got her face covered in dirt, Dongdong cried until his heart was torn apart. He remembered all of these things clearly.

  Or rather, what kind of person is Er Ge, others may not know, but Gu Wei Qiang should be clear.

  Gu Weifu patted his pocket, pulled out a half-smoked cigarette from inside, carefully lit it up, took a big drag, and blew out smoke rings. It wasn't until he finished blowing out the smoke rings that he slowly said, "Fourth brother still understands my temperament."

  "The conditions that my fourth brother and sister-in-law offered were indeed very tempting, promising that no matter whether our eldest son was admitted to university or not, they would get him a job at the steel plant in the provincial city." He paused for a moment, his expression somewhat agitated, even a little frantic. "Fourth Brother, do you know what it means to work at the steel plant in the provincial city? This is eating supplied grain, this is a height that I, Gu Weifu, could never reach in my lifetime."

  Gu Weifu was twenty-seven years old when he became the team leader of Gujia Village. This position as team leader for over a decade has made him somewhat arrogant, or rather, it has given him a clearer understanding that people are different, and it has given him a more accurate concept of what it means to be a superior person. He cannot do certain things himself, but he hopes to see them realized in his son, who works at the steel mill in the provincial capital, which is the highest honor for Gu Weifu.

  Upon hearing the result, Gu Wei Qiang sneered coldly, "Second brother, it seems you've forgotten that I'm still paying for Gu Shu's high school tuition. If I were to cut off his tuition, what would he use to get a job at the provincial steel factory?", A casual promise had put his own younger brother aside, and also made him realize once again what fraternal feelings truly are.

  "Moreover, do you think Lan Zhi would neglect her own biological son or daughter to care for a nephew from another room?"

  Gu Wei Qiang had never had such a clear understanding of his second brother's temperament, it was truly... beyond salvation.

  She, Tang Lan Zhi, would even abandon her own son and daughter, yet she's taking care of a distant relative from another household; this is simply absurd.

  Gu Weifu's body stiffened for a moment, he shook his head, "It won't happen, after all, brother and sister have written a letter of promise."

  "Do you believe it too?" Gu Wei Qiang left the self-cultivation land with a strong head, and his family's precious daughter and son didn't know which corner to cry in.

  Inside the room, Gu An lay on the bed, with her little brother helping to press down on her back. She had fallen several times in the muddy ground before and felt that she had strained her waist, which was aching a bit. Although the elderly always said that children don't have waists, hers really wasn't feeling comfortable.

  The little Douding who was originally crying, seeing that his own sister needed him, immediately sucked up his snot and took off his shoes to climb onto Gu Anan's back. Anan did this because in her impression.

  Gu Weiqiang always drove a cargo truck, driving long distances, and sitting for too long made him stiff. Every time he came back, he would say that his waist was uncomfortable and ask Gu Dongdong to help him by stepping on his feet and exercising his muscles.

  Is there any use in asking An An, she only knows that every time Dongdong goes to trample, old father's expression is always very satisfied.

  But when it was her turn, she gritted her teeth and complained, "Dongdong, be gentle, you're going to break my waist!"

  She said that, Gu Dongdong was even more energetic, he stepped on and laughed.

  Gu Wei Qiang stood outside the door and heard the sister and brother inside, giggling away. He shook his head, "Really heartless." Originally, he thought that with their mom suddenly gone, these two kids would be hiding in some corner crying, but who would have thought it'd be like this.

  He pushed open the door and entered. The little boy who was laughing just now suddenly stopped, Xiao Douding looked at Gu Weiqiang and pouted, "Dad".

  Gu Wei Qiang responded with a grunt, quickening his pace, jogging to the side of the bed, embracing his little son, lifting him up, and rubbing his own whiskers against the child's tender face. He deliberately teased, "Does it tickle, does it tickle?"

  Xiao Dou Ding nodded slightly.

  "You still want to cry?"

  Xiao Dou Ding shook his head.

  "Alright then." Gu Wei Qiang hugged Xiao Dou Ding and started playing peek-a-boo with him. Children's emotions come and go quickly, and soon Xiao Dou Ding was giggling again.

  After playing enough, Gu Wei Qiang finally put Xiao Dou Ding on the kang from his shoulders, touched Xiao Dou Ding's round head, "From now on, Dad will be your mom, okay?", his tone was very casual, just like asking what the weather is like today.

  An An stunned Gu An for a moment.

  Gu Dongdong tilted his head, looked at his dad, then looked at his sister, and responded in a crisp tone, "Then Dad can't be biased, he has to treat my sister well, or I'll get angry." An eight-year-old kid knew how to protect his sister, letting her go first in everything.

  It was not in vain for An An to have been worried about Gu An An's safety, and she had been anxious for a while.

  To be honest, Gu An'an couldn't agree with her past self's approach. In fact, Gu An'an's skin wasn't originally dark; it was just that she had been working hard for years. Logically speaking, with many people in the Gu family, there were plenty of hands to go around, and it shouldn't have fallen to a teenager like Gu An'an to do all the work. However, Gu An'an took her responsibilities very seriously, believing that someone had to do the chores for the four households of the Gu family.

  Tang Lan Zhi has never set foot on the ground since she married Gu Wei Qiang. Gu Wan Wan's body is not good, let alone, Gu Wei Qiang often runs cars outside for many years, and there are very few opportunities to settle down at home.

  The vegetable garden outside, the firewood shed at home, and the water in the water tank were all taken care of by Gu An'an alone.

  Zhou Aiju felt heartache every time and didn't let Gu Anan do it, but this child wouldn't listen and rushed to do it. In her mind, she always wanted to lighten the burden on her family a bit.

  As for food, it's even more unnecessary to mention. In this era, where can you find good food? Being able to eat one's fill is already not bad. The conditions at Gu's house are considered the best in the village, but even so, they can barely manage to have enough rice to eat.

  Tang Lan Zhi would cook small meals for Gu Wan Wan, and occasionally Gu Dong Dong could get some too. As for Gu An An, forget about it.

  It's fortunate that this girl has a big heart, not only that, every time Zhou Aijuan secretly saved eggs and pancakes for Gu Anan, they were all kept by Gu Anan and privately given to Gu Wanwan and Gu Dongdong to share equally, as for herself, it was enough to just lick her fingers.

  Gu Weiqiang felt guilty in his heart, especially towards his eldest daughter. In his eyes, the three children were all equal, but unbeknownst to him, his eldest daughter was still at a disadvantage.

  He held his youngest son in one arm and stroked the back of his eldest daughter's head with the other, "An An, don't be so foolish from now on, Dad is here to support you."

  Gu Anan nodded, with a thick nasal tone, "Mmm, I know, Dad, Dongdong, Grandma, the whole family." This was indeed Gu Anan's inner monologue, as currently, she could only identify with these few people in this household.

  As for later, I'll take a look then.

  After comforting his own child's emotions, Gu Weiqiang went out and headed to Gu Ermazi's house. They had just finished a banquet at their home, and he also wanted to take back the tables and chairs borrowed from them...

  Bàn Xià was eating with a hum, when she heard ān ān's words, she raised her head, "I'll leave two pieces for Dōng Dōng, you guys hurry back, remember to come over at noon to eat!", from her dad's tone, there will be delicious dishes at noon.

  Gu Anan's mind was preoccupied with something else, and she dragged her younger brother home in a hurry.

  By the time she arrives, the family will have dispersed.

  Inside the main house, the first person sitting on top was the elder of the Gu family. Gu Weiqiang shouted "Uncle".

  Next were Mr. Gu and Zhou Aijuan.

  Gu's four sons sat on both sides. Because of the division of the family property, Gu Wei-qiang specially called back Gu Wei-min from the county town.

  Although Lao San became the son-in-law of Lao Li's family, he is still considered a member of the Gu family and has his share in the family property.

  This was Gu Anan's first time seeing her third uncle. Unlike her own father, who was tall and majestic, her third uncle looked somewhat bookish instead.

  She was spotless and clean, if you said she was a schoolteacher rather than a carpenter, she would also believe it. To be precise, Gu Shu's appearance was the same mold as San Shu's.

  Gu Anan pulled her younger brother's hand and rushed back from outside in a fluster.

  As soon as she saw Gu Weiqiang, she rushed up to him like a little swallow, softly calling out "Daddy". After crying out, tears fell down. Gu Weiqiang's previous fierce look was gone, his entire demeanor suddenly became gentle, "You're already a big girl, why are you still crying like a child?"

  "Why didn't you have dinner at your uncle's house?"

  "Waiting for Dad, we'll have dinner together as a family."

  "Yes, Dongdong also misses Daddy."

  Gu Wei Qiang coaxed his two children, then turned around and looked at the first elder of the clan. "Seventh Uncle, let's do it as we previously discussed. This house will be divided among us four brothers, one room per person." It was only right that he should get this much, not a single cent would he willingly give up. He had figured it out clearly - he treated others like his own brothers, but they treated him like an outsider.

  Seventh Uncle took a puff of his dry tobacco, tapped the tobacco pouch on the table a few times, nodded and said, "Gen Sheng, do you have anything to say? You two old folks are going to follow which child?"

  Gu Gen Sheng is Gu Lao Ye Zi, he's now completely out of energy, he finally understood that when children grow up, they don't listen to their parents. Among the four sons in his family, only the second son has a heart that matches his. As soon as he opened his mouth, he said, "I'll live with Er Ge."

  Gu Weifu's complexion finally looked a bit better, and the old man followed him, which meant that the things his brothers had been filial to the old man were still his. Moreover, the old man was still young now and could work for several more years.

  Zhou Aiju seemed to have understood that now all the children had left and were following someone, but no one was comfortable in their heart.

  "She simply waved her hand, 'When dividing the house, leave me one room, I won't follow anyone, just live alone from now on! Each child will give us five yuan a month to show their filial piety, four sons, that's twenty yuan in total. My husband and I will each take ten yuan, we'll live our own lives separately. If you want to follow the second son, then go with him, it's up to you.' Her heart had turned cold by now."

  Old Guo's neck stiffened as soon as he heard this, "You old woman, what nonsense are you spouting? If you're not following Old Er, then what do you want to do?"

  "Depend on Erniang? With Erniang's stinginess, she only does things that don't benefit you. Do you think she'll serve you tea and water? Support you? You're dreaming." Zhou Aijuan thought to herself, "I can still move around now, I support myself, but if one day I'm unable to move, Si, I'll ask you, are you willing to support this useless old woman?"

  Gu Wei Qiang forced a smile, "Mom, you can follow me now, An An and Dong Dong don't have a mom, so it's up to grandma to take care of them more."

  Gu An'an and Gu Dongdong also hugged Zhou Aijuan's thigh, opening their mouths together, "Mom, we'll support you."

  "This, Zhou Aijuan heard in her heart is comfortable, but still shook her head,"If I were to follow you Lao Si, who knows if someone would think that I'm taking advantage of Lao Si's family and feel it's unfair. It's better for me to be alone, you all have time come visit me often."

  Who is this kind-hearted person referring to? It's naturally Wang Da Ying.

  Wang Da Ying stood by, also silent, letting everyone watch.

  Gu Weimin, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, "Since mom wants to live alone, I voluntarily give up my share of the house, let her live there." Behind him, Li Yue'e pinched his waist, Gu Weimin turned back and glared at her, after all, he was the head of the household. Li Yue'e didn't say a word, she just hugged their young son tightly.

  "Ancestor, 'no regrets'?"

  Gu Weimin shook his head, "I was already a live-in son-in-law, this is what my mother deserved."

  The old man stood up, "Alright, since everyone agrees, let's do it this way! The house will be divided into four parts. Guo Gen Sheng and his branch will give up their share automatically. Zhou Ai Ju, Guo Wei Min, Guo Wei Guo, and Guo Wei Qiang will each get one room. As for the elderly, Guo Gen Sheng will live with the second brother, while Zhou Ai Ju will live alone. From now on, Guo Wei Qiang will be responsible for taking care of Zhou Ai Ju's old age. Each child must give their parents five yuan every month."

  "After taking care of the family, the five mu of mountain land behind the house, how will you divide it?"

  Gu Weiqiang and Gu Weimin shook their heads at the same time, "We don't need it, give it to big brother." Big brother naturally referred to Gu Weiguo.

  The two younger brothers have expressed their opinions, so Gu Weifu naturally cannot compete with the eldest for this land. Even if he were to get it, considering their household, Wang Da Ying is lazy and gluttonous, and his three sons are not suitable for farming. As for himself, why would a good team leader like him bother with farming?

  "Let it go, big brother."

  Gu Weiguo thanked his brother with gratitude, if he had separated from the family and didn't even have land, what would he use to support his wife and children? Unlike his three brothers, Gu Weiguo was a farmer who had been digging in the ground since childhood.

  The old man nodded and continued, "How much savings are left at home? Take it all out and divide it up."

  The family's savings were kept by Zhou Aiju, she hurriedly ran to the inner room, took out a cloth package, and poured out more than 200 pieces of money on the table.

  "Old Master Gu spoke first, 'How can there be so little?'"

  Zhou Aiju sneered, pulled out a small notebook from her bundle and began to read: "Let's calculate from the past three years. The new house that was built last year cost 1,300 yuan. Gu Shu went to the city to attend school, and in the past three years of junior high school, he took 400 yuan from me. Last year, he attended high school for a year and spent 280 yuan. He repeated a grade for half a year and spent 120 yuan on tuition fees. He also spent 100 yuan on supplementary lessons. When his brother-in-law got married, he gave 20 yuan as a gift. When his mother-in-law was ill, he took a total of 63 yuan from me in two installments. He invited his superiors to dinner eight times, each time spending around 10 yuan, totaling 80 yuan. During festivals and holidays, he spent nearly 300 yuan on gifts. Gu Dan went to the county town last year to learn carpentry, and his living expenses were five yuan per month. This year, Gu Shuang fell ill and was hospitalized in the county town, spending a total of 130 yuan. Our family's daily expenses are around 0.5 to 1 yuan per person, which adds up to over 20 yuan per month. And this doesn't even include the grain we grow ourselves."

  Zhou Aiju was also intentional, only reporting the expenses of the second house, just to make Wang Da Ying, the head of the second house, take responsibility. If it weren't for her stirring things up, a good family would not have fallen apart. Every time she reported an item, Gu Weifu's face turned red with shame. He was not good at managing the household and didn't know how to control expenses; he actually didn't even know that just the second house alone spent so much money.

  It's just as well that everyone in this family is one of us, except for the clan elder who is an outsider.

  Otherwise, if outsiders hear about this, they will be scared by the expenses of the Gu family. This is just the second branch, not to mention the other three branches.

  "Alright, alright, stop reporting, it's humiliating."

  To be honest, Zhou Aiju and Gu Gen Sheng have been married for decades, and they can be considered as respectful to each other. Gu Gen Sheng is the village head, and Zhou Aiju is also a cultured person, so they can still respect each other. In the past, they could still consider saving face, but now they have torn their faces apart. Zhou Aiju threw the account book at Gu Gen Sheng's face, "And you, old man, every day's cigarette money, drinking money, and money to support Lao Erjia's family, just for one person, it's also two hundred yuan a year."

  She went ahead and made everything clear, with her hands on her hips, and spat out a mouthful of words. "This family, you think it's easy to support? Just the food expenses alone, our family spends at least 15 yuan every month. Not to mention social interactions, and several small ones, which one doesn't need money for school?"

  "Wang Da Ying, I'm telling you, since you've messed up this family, I'll say it here and now: from now on, anything related to the second household has nothing to do with me, Zhou Ai Ju. You're so capable, so you can take care of the living expenses for Eldest in county town, tutoring fees, as well as Second's living expenses while he's an apprentice there, plus Third's tuition fees - all these are on you now. Don't come crying to me again and shift the burden onto Third and Fourth, they don't owe you anything."

  Zhou Ai Ju was seething with anger, feeling suffocated. She had only gone out for a trip, and when she came back, such a huge mess had erupted, causing her whole family to fall apart.