Division of the Family: There’s even more exciting stuff to watch.
Eldest son Xie Jianping had served in the military for eight years, regularly sending his salary and allowances back home. His wife, Qin Xiuying, stayed in their hometown with their two sons and one daughter, while he returned home once a year for a month, usually around the end of the year.
This time, the Xie family eagerly awaited his return, only to be met with the unexpected—a disabled veteran with a limp, accompanied by three children.
“From now on, they are my children,” the limping Xie Jianping declared, standing firmly as he wrapped a protective arm around the children. They wore patched clothes and clung to his leg with a mix of fear and confusion, their eyes darting nervously at the unfamiliar faces.
Compared to his brothers, Xie Jianping had a commanding presence. Despite his injured leg, his tall and sturdy frame, along with his square face and air of authority, gave him an unshakable sense of reliability. His wife, Qin Xiuying, had once fallen for exactly this quality.
On the opposite side of the courtyard, Qin Xiuying stood with their children, stunned by the sight of her husband and the three unfamiliar children he had brought home. The realization of potentially raising not three, but six children overwhelmed her.
“They are my comrade’s children,” Xie Jianping explained. “I promised to care for them. I’ll send them to school and ensure they at least finish high school.”
Sun Mei, the matriarch, was struck as if by lightning. Six children in one household? Her eyes blazed with fury.
“This is impossible! Get rid of those kids!” she shouted. “Our family won’t raise someone else’s brats!”
“I won’t abandon them,” Xie Jianping said firmly. “I’ll treat them as my own.”
Sun Mei’s temper exploded. She grabbed a broom, ready to drive the children out. “You ungrateful bastard! I raised you, and this is how you repay me? You break your leg and bring back a bunch of freeloaders? Get out!”
Her yelling scared the youngest child, a girl barely two or three years old, who burst into tears. Her cries soon set off the other children, and even Xie Jianping’s daughter joined in, creating a deafening cacophony.
Xie Jianping looked to his wife and children. “Let’s split the family. I’ll take Xiuying and the kids. We won’t burden you.”
Qin Xiuying hesitated for a moment but saw the resolve in her husband’s eyes. With tears welling up, she nodded. “All right.”
“I’ll stay here in the village and take care of all of you,” he reassured her. “I still get a monthly allowance of ten yuan. We’ll manage.”
Though the idea of supporting six children daunted her, she found strength in his determination. “Okay.”
Sun Mei was nearly apoplectic. The idea of splitting the family—and losing the steady income of her eldest son’s allowance—was unbearable.
The chaos reached its peak, and amidst the crying children and Sun Mei’s furious tirade, Xie’s father, who had been smoking silently, finally spoke.
“Let’s split the family.”
His voice silenced everyone. “The children are grown now. Even the youngest is married. It’s time.”
With that, the decision was made. Eldest Brother, Third Brother, and Fifth Brother would split from the family. Sun Mei and Xie’s father would live with the Second Brother’s family.
—
The courtyard was abuzz with the fallout.
Xie Caixiang, the eldest daughter, who had come to the Xie household hoping to gain some benefits from her visit, was left stunned. This time, the family was really splitting.
Second Brother was hesitant, not wanting to shoulder the burden of Eldest Brother’s new family, but was somewhat relieved they’d be separated. Unexpectedly, Fifth Brother and his wife, Su Xiaoman, also insisted on splitting.
“Why would we split the family?!” Third Brother Xie Huadong objected. “We should stay together and support our parents.”
His reasoning had less to do with familial love and more with his own insecurity. He feared being laughed at if he and his family failed to make it independently. He had two daughters and was anxiously hoping his unborn child would be a boy.
Moreover, his mother’s favouritism toward his nephew, Xie Yaozu, the Second Brother’s son, added to his reluctance. If they stayed together, his family could benefit from shared resources.
Third Brother’s wife, Zhou Xiaohui, however, was adamant. “No! We must split the family!”
Her tone left no room for debate. She had long resented the uneven treatment in the family and wasn’t about to let her family be lumped in with the others while the Second Brother’s family benefited.
“What’s wrong with you? Why would you want to split?” Third Brother demanded.
Zhou Xiaohui stared him down. “Because I refuse to keep suffering under this roof!”
The stage was set for an epic confrontation, with the family split hanging precariously in the balance.
“If we also move out after the family splits, who’s going to do all the chores?” Xie Huadong Third Brother argued logically. If his family also left, leaving only the second brother’s family in the house, who would handle the daily tasks like washing clothes, cooking, and fetching water?
“It won’t be us, right? Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are still here,” Zhou Xiaohui, his wife, responded, stroking her visibly pregnant belly and glaring at him with red-rimmed eyes.
“Your Second Sister-in-law can’t do anything properly,” Xie Huadong retorted. “You’re the capable one. Naturally, it’s your responsibility. You’re supposed to handle these things with Chunjuan and Xiajuan.”
Zhou Xiaohui exploded. “Why is it that Chunjuan, Xiajuan, and I have to work ourselves to the bone to serve your entire family? Why don’t Second Sister-in-law or Yaozu have to do anything? Are they born noble while I’m just fated to be a servant, doing all the dirty and exhausting work?”
The floodgates of Zhou Xiaohui’s pent-up frustration burst open. She had barely endured life in the Xie family when the workload was shared with Qin Xiuying. But now, with the Eldest Brother’s family planning to live independently, her husband still wanted to stay in the main household, dragging her and their daughters along to continue slaving away for his parents and siblings.
Why should her daughters, Chunjuan and Xiajuan, be treated like weeds while Yaozu was coddled and pampered? Why should she toil endlessly for a family that didn’t respect her?
The despair weighed on her. Zhou Xiaohui felt suffocated by the grim future her husband envisioned for them—endless labour and neglect for her daughters, while Yaozu basked in privilege. Her heart broke at the thought of her daughters enduring the same hardships she had faced growing up.
“Xie Huadong, listen to me!” Zhou Xiaohui’s voice was sharp and resolute. “If we don’t move out, I’m divorcing you. I’ll take Chunjuan and Xiajuan and live on my own!”
Xie Huadong laughed derisively, anger masking his disbelief. “You ungrateful woman! My mother must have been blind to choose a wife like you. If your dowry hadn’t been cheap, I could’ve married someone better. You’re nothing but bad luck, giving birth to two daughters without a single son. You’re going to ruin my legacy and make me a laughingstock!”
His cruel words escalated. “Divorce? Go ahead! You think you can survive on your own? You’re out of your mind. Go ahead and leave if you dare!”
Xie Huadong never imagined Zhou Xiaohui would truly leave him. In his mind, she had no choice but to endure—her family was poor, and divorced women were pitied or scorned. He believed she was simply venting frustration.
What he didn’t realize was that Zhou Xiaohui’s disappointment in him had been accumulating for years. This time, her resolve was unshakable. She would rather live in a grass hut with her daughters than stay in the Xie household.
—
The Xie family drama drew a crowd as word spread: the eldest brother had returned with three children to adopt, sparking a heated argument over the family split. But the real shock came when Zhou Xiaohui, the Third Brother’s wife, filed for divorce.
Many thought it was a bluff until Xie Huadong stormed off to the village office with Zhou Xiaohui, intent on intimidating her. To his astonishment, they returned with signed divorce papers.
“You’ll regret this,” Xie Huadong spat bitterly. “Just wait until you come crawling back!”
He couldn’t imagine how Zhou Xiaohui, pregnant and with two young daughters, would survive. Surely her impoverished family wouldn’t take them back.
—
At the edge of the village, Zhou Xiaohui and her daughters moved into a pair of old grain storage sheds. The temporary housing had been arranged by Su Xiaoman, who had also contributed ten yuan alongside Qin Xiuying to help the newly single mother get by.
“Thank you, Xiaoman,” Zhou Xiaohui sobbed, overcome with gratitude. She felt a pang of guilt remembering how poorly she had treated Su Xiaoman in the past. Despite everything, Su Xiaoman had not only refrained from adding insult to injury but had also extended a helping hand.
Su Xiaoman gave her a wry smile. “You’re welcome. Just take care of yourself and the kids.”
She didn’t know how to console Zhou Xiaohui. Was the divorce a rash decision, or was it fuelled by years of discontent? Su Xiaoman feared encouraging Zhou Xiaohui’s resolve, only for her to backtrack and return to the Xie family the next day.
—
For now, Zhou Xiaohui appeared determined. She began adapting to her new life, preparing to raise her daughters independently. With her work ethic, Su Xiaoman believed she could make ends meet, even if life would be hard.
But the unborn child complicated matters. Zhou Xiaohui was heavily pregnant, and the uncertainty surrounding her third child loomed like a dark cloud. The Xie family drama was far from over, with rumours and tensions continuing to ripple through the village.
Her goodwill was utterly wasted.
If Zhou Xiaohui had the backbone to tough it out and raise her daughters alone, Su Xiaoman would have sympathy and want to help the mother and her two girls.
At the very least, she wanted to help Chunjuan and Xiajuan so they wouldn’t have to suffer in the Xie household any longer.
Once the village starts raising silkworms next year and the sewing workshop is up and running, the three of them could make a living by picking mulberry leaves, raising silkworms, and sewing. Chunjuan and Xiajuan were sensible children; they could go up the mountain to pick mulberry leaves and earn a few work points even at their young age.
Zhou Xiaohui had truly made up her mind to live independently.
She asked Su Xiaoman to look after Chunjuan and Xiajuan for a while, saying she needed to go back to Third Brother Xie to retrieve some of her belongings. She returned to the Xie household and took all her old clothes and bedding. As she was leaving, Xie Yaozu maliciously came out and spat at her, nearly causing her to stumble.
Third Brother Xie, Xie Huadong, stood by without saying anything. “She’s no longer your Third Aunt.”
“Humph.” Xie Yaozu spat at her again. “She’s not my aunt anymore, and she comes back to take things? She’s a thief.”
Zhou Xiaohui took away everything that belonged to her.
Afterward, she quietly went to the hospital alone to terminate her pregnancy. The doctor said it was a boy, but she didn’t regret it at all.
She planned to live with her daughters from now on.
When the Xie family found out she had lost the child, Sun Mei and Old Man Xie had no reaction. After all, they already had several grandsons; one more or less didn’t make much difference. The child was gone, so be it—they could have another.
But Third Brother Xie was nearly driven mad. His only son had been aborted just like that. He was extremely resentful toward Zhou Xiaohui, vowing that no matter how much she begged in the future, he would never take her back.
Su Xiaoman hadn’t expected Zhou Xiaohui to be so resolute, even to the point of terminating her pregnancy.
She was determined never to return to that rotten place, the Xie household.
“Why did you decide to end the pregnancy just like that?” Su Xiaoman asked.
Zhou Xiaohui looked haggard but surprisingly at peace. Su Xiaoman thought she seemed completely liberated.
“After aborting the child, I feel entirely at ease,” Zhou Xiaohui said.
“Even knowing it was a boy, I don’t regret it. I only want my daughters, Chunjuan and Xiajuan.” She let out a few mocking laughs and said firmly, “Everyone wanted me to have a boy, but I just won’t. Now no one can do anything about it!”
Losing a child wasn’t easy for her, but she turned to look at Chunjuan and Xiajuan with gentle eyes. “It was indeed a boy, and it’s better not to have given birth to him. I was afraid that if he came into the world, my heart might waver. Then what about my two daughters?”
The grandparents didn’t care, and their father was indifferent. If even she, their mother, didn’t care, what kind of life would her two daughters have?
Su Xiaoman pulled Chunjuan and Xiajuan close. “You two must listen to your mother from now on.”
They nodded.
“You can go now. Chunjuan is old enough to help out. The three of us—mother and daughters—will make a life together. My brother will bring some grain over in a couple of days. Some acquaintances in the village have also given me a bit,” Zhou Xiaohui said.
She had decent relationships in the village; women sympathized with other women. Seeing that she had to raise two daughters alone, they offered what help they could.
In their village, the atmosphere was relatively good. Earlier, Su Xiaoman had helped the village women acquire a few sewing machines, and next year they planned to learn sericulture together. The gossiping tongues weren’t too malicious.
Seeing Su Xiaoman arrange for Zhou Xiaohui to stay in the thatched hut, no one came over to say negative things.
After leaving the hut, a few villagers approached Su Xiaoman with questions.
“Did Third Brother Xie and his wife really divorce?”
“Yes, they did.”
“How will a divorced woman manage to live?”
“Your Xie family has been quite lively these days. Haven’t even sorted out the family division, and Third Brother has already divorced.”
…
Su Xiaoman thought to herself that there would be even more drama to watch soon.
“The date for the Xie family’s division is set. You can all come by to take a look and be witnesses,” she told them.
They nodded eagerly.
After nodding, they felt something was off.
An event like the Xie family’s division was naturally something they wouldn’t want to miss—they intended to watch the excitement.
But Su Xiaoman inviting them to the Xie household to witness the division seemed a bit strange.
On the day of the Xie family’s division, quite a few people came to watch the spectacle. Many stood outside the house, while the commune’s cadres and respected elders gathered inside, forming a line.
At this moment, all the Xie brothers were present.
Eldest Brother, Xie Jianping; Second Brother, Xie Weiqiang; Third Brother, Xie Huadong; and the youngest, Fifth Brother, Xie Mingtu—the four grown men stood in the main hall.
Among them, Xie Mingtu was the tallest, followed by Xie Jianping. The heights of the Second and Third Brothers were less impressive, with Third Brother being the shortest.
Eldest Brother had a limp; Second Brother remained indifferent, acting as if it didn’t concern him; Third Brother had a gloomy expression. Right now, he wanted to fight Eldest Brother. If not for his return and stirring up the family division, how could he have ended up losing his wife and child?
Third Brother Xie regretted it deeply. After losing a child, he wished he had agreed to split the family earlier. Then he would have had two daughters and a son—a happy family. Why had he stubbornly refused to divide?
“From today onwards, Eldest Brother’s and Fifth Brother’s families will split off and live separately. Second Brother and Third Brother will stay to care for our parents in their old age. During the division, the two of them will receive larger shares,” announced one of the village elders.
“Third Brother, are you certain you don’t want to split off?” someone asked.
Third Brother Xie nodded with a sour expression. He had even divorced his wife to avoid splitting the family. If he chose to divide now, where would he save face? No, he couldn’t split—he simply couldn’t.
He was still grieving for his lost son, but Sun Mei and Old Man Xie showed no sadness at all.
Sun Mei and Old Man Xie were quite pleased with this arrangement. Having Eldest Brother’s family, burdened with six dependents, split off was ideal. Keeping Second and Third Brother’s families was preferable. With Third Brother now single, he could earn work points in the fields and consume less. With his wife and daughters gone, it was less trouble. Sun Mei wouldn’t bother arranging another marriage for him; he’d be left to his own devices.
As for Fifth Brother and his wife, those troublesome members of the Xie family—they could simply be kicked out, but their belongings had to stay.
“Alright, so Eldest Brother and Fifth Brother will split off,” the mediator concluded. Those who came to witness the Xie family’s division found it quite an unusual spectacle—they were splitting off both the eldest and the youngest.
But it made sense; Sun Mei’s favouritism toward Second Brother was well-known. She would naturally want Second Brother to care for her in old age.
However…
Some people scrutinized the Xie brothers, feeling that something was off. Because Eldest Brother had been away for many years and rarely returned, it was uncommon to see all four brothers together.
Now, as they stood under the same roof, it suddenly became apparent that while Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother shared some similarities, Xie Mingtu looked entirely different.
He didn’t seem like he belonged to the same family at all.
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