Chapter 6: Family Status

Father Lu stood up and invited the village party secretary to sit on the kang. He glanced at Fang Yuan, who had moved to sit at the edge of the kang, then hesitantly explained the situation. “Today both my eldest son’s wife and second son’s wife entered the family. It’s a good day, so we thought we’d split the family while we’re at it. That’s why I had the third son invite you over and trouble you with our family’s affairs.”

The village party secretary was a little confused. “Your second son got married today too? I never heard about that. Isn’t the second son supposed to be going to university?”

It wasn’t easy for a village to produce a university student, so compared to marriage, people paid more attention to the matter of attending university.

Looking at Fang Yuan’s expression, Father Lu explained, “Getting married won’t delay his studies.”

Mother Lu rubbed her hands and came up with a reason. “Well, the family’s not well-off, so we thought we’d marry both daughters-in-law into the family together and save some money.” After saying that, she looked toward Fang Yuan.

No matter how one looked at it, they were clearly acting according to Fang Yuan’s mood.

The village party secretary thought to himself, Would the second son agree to that? A child going to university would be willing to marry a wife in the countryside? Isn’t this nonsense?

Still, the Lu family’s circumstances were poor. Wanting to save money on marriage wasn’t especially strange.

For the sake of marrying off the eldest son, they had not even dared publicize the fact that there was a university student in the family, fearing that the girl might refuse because the family still had to support a student.

The village party secretary thought a little further and figured that perhaps the Lu family had planned to find a countryside wife for the second son, support him through university, and have the daughter-in-law stay home to care for his parents and work the fields and tend the trees while he studied.

However, that was not something appropriate to say aloud.

The village party secretary did not ask further. Looking at the woman on the kang, then at the woman standing on the floor, he greeted Fang Yuan, who was sitting on the kang. “Eldest daughter-in-law.”

Fang Yuan responded openly, “Uncle, I’m the second son’s wife. Today I’d like to trouble you to be a witness. I’m the properly and formally married second son’s wife of the Lu family, the university student’s wife.”

The village party secretary rubbed his forehead. What is going on? When I was drinking earlier, she was still the eldest son’s wife. My memory isn’t that bad. I couldn’t have remembered wrong.

He looked at Father Lu with an expression asking for an explanation.

Father Lu forced himself to answer. “Yes, yes, that’s how it is. Girl Fang is the second son’s wife, properly and formally married by our Lu family. Today Girl Fang married the second son.”

After speaking, he looked at Fang Yuan as though asking whether that explanation was acceptable and whether she was satisfied.

Fang Yuan nodded before speaking. “As for the eldest son’s wife, I don’t know what’s going on with her. I don’t know whether she got married today either.”

That statement would have been better left unsaid. It clearly implied that there was something wrong with the eldest son’s wife. She truly left no face at all for Lu Feng and Li Meng.

Standing to the side, Li Meng and Lu Feng heard this and still did not dare say anything.

The village party secretary’s eyebrows twitched twice. Thinking of Fang Yuan’s reputation as the troublemaking girl from the Fang family, if there had not been another woman in the room, he might have suspected Fang Yuan of stealing the groom.

He glanced twice at Lu Feng’s scratched face and the woman beside him, and immediately knew there was something behind all this.

Everyone in the village knew that the Lu family’s eldest son was supposed to marry Fang Yuan, the troublesome girl from the neighboring village who had difficulty finding a husband. How had she suddenly become the second son’s wife?

But since they were all saying so themselves, he could not meddle. He only felt sorry for the second son. A university student marrying a troublesome girl. The match was completely unsuitable.

Although such things were rare in the village, they were not unheard of. The village party secretary frowned and asked, “How are you planning to divide the family?”

Only then did Father Lu speak. “The eldest son’s couple and the two of us will live in this house. The second son’s couple will live in the old house. The family’s fields and trees will be divided equally among the three sons.”

Mother Lu immediately added, “The family has no money and no debts. The second son’s couple will get the older house, and they can take whatever they like from this side.”

Then the old couple looked at Fang Yuan together and even asked eagerly, “Is that okay?” Their attitude was more obedient than grandchildren.

The village party secretary finally began to understand a little.

The Lu family had probably done something that weighed on their conscience. Otherwise, they would not be coaxing a new daughter-in-law like this.

Otherwise, would they really allow a troublesome girl like this to snatch away a university student?

The second son had probably been sacrificed by his own family.

Especially judging by the eldest son and his wife over there, neither seemed particularly honorable. He thought that by tomorrow morning, this matter would probably be the biggest news in the village.

The second son was such a good child, educated and literate, yet he had married such a troublesome girl. His future life would probably be difficult.

Fang Yuan nodded. There was nothing she disagreed with. “I’ve heard that your second son is studying. How the fields and trees are handled in the future is still uncertain. Let’s leave it like this for now.”

The village party secretary nodded. Though the girl was troublesome, she had some insight. Ordinary villagers might not understand the complications involved.

The old couple of the Lu family did not understand that point. They were stunned for a moment before nodding. “We’ll listen to Fang Yuan.”

Having already taken everything she wanted, and with the old couple’s attitude being fairly good, Fang Yuan said, “Fine. I’m a reasonable person, and I’m filial too. We’ve finished discussing reason. Now let’s talk about supporting our parents in their old age.”

Father Lu and Mother Lu immediately straightened their backs. There had been a reason they had wanted Fang Yuan as their daughter-in-law. The girl was filial. She had not forgotten the elderly even while dividing the family.

Father Lu and Mother Lu immediately said that they were still young and had not even thought about old age support yet. They had no opinions and would listen to Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan accepted the role without hesitation and finally looked directly at Lu Feng. “There are three brothers in the Lu family. The third son is still young, so he doesn’t get a say. Let’s discuss things among those of us who are already married. The fields and trees have been divided into three shares, so our parents won’t have much income. Their old age support needs to be made clear too.”

The village party secretary nodded. The children in the village were generally good. What she said made sense. “How are the three brothers planning to support your parents? Shouldn’t we wait for the second son to come back and discuss it?”

Fang Yuan acted as though she were already the head of the household. “No need to wait. I can make decisions on this matter. They’re the eldest couple, so let them speak.”

The village party secretary could not help looking at Fang Yuan again and again. Just how capable was she? She was already running a university student’s household, and not a single member of the Lu family had objected?

At his age, this was truly something he could not understand.

Lu Feng was in a bad mood. He could not understand how he had become immoral and worthless. But things had already reached this point. Fang Yuan definitely would not marry him now, so what could he do?

No matter how good a woman was, if she was not of one mind with him, it was meaningless. Hadn’t she already been helping the second son gather family property?

At this moment, Li Meng stepped forward.

She had to recover some face and leave a better impression on her parents-in-law. She needed to lay a solid foundation for staying in this family.

Li Meng spoke before Lu Feng could. “Father, Mother, you’ll live with us. The second son has already started his own family, so he’ll give Father and Mother fifty yuan a year for their support. The third son will stay with Father and Mother and live with us for now. After the third son starts his own family, he’ll support Father and Mother the same way the second son does.”

The village party secretary’s eyebrows rose at that. Fifty yuan was not a small amount. In the village, it would be among the highest arrangements around.

The second son still had university expenses to pay. How would he manage in the future?

But since the family was willing, there was nothing he could say. “Brother Lu, your daughter-in-law is quite sensible.”

Father Lu looked toward Fang Yuan.

He did not dare agree to that himself.

In their family, this daughter-in-law did not make the decisions. They had to hear what Fang Yuan had to say.

“Girl Fang, is that acceptable?”