Chapter 560

Lu Qiao smiled.

"You're not a child anymore; how can you ask such a childish question? You don't think we came here just to watch the show, do you?"

"Your parents invited us to uphold justice, so we came. But before upholding justice, we must investigate the cause and effect of the matter clearly. For example, the cause of the matter should be your so-called five hundred yuan bride price, which is why I asked how many years you've been working."

Bai Guocheng scratched his head and said, "What does the bride price have to do with me working?"

Lin Dajie couldn't watch anymore.

This Bai Guocheng looked like he had been spoiled rotten.

Of course, his big brother and sister-in-law were also involved.

Lin Dajie said directly, "Isn't that nonsense? You're getting married yourself—do you expect your big brother to pay the entire bride price for you?"

Bai Guocheng said as a matter of course, "He is my big brother, so he should take care of me. Because I am his younger brother, he promised to take care of me and my sister—he can't go back on his word, can he?"

Lin Dajie choked, suddenly finding herself speechless.

Lu Qiao waved her hand: "He promised to take care of you and your sister; that is his sense of responsibility as the eldest brother. You, as the younger brother, cannot take it for granted. After all, you are now an adult and have a job."

"Before coming here, I looked at your family's records. You have been working at our military factory for a year and a half. Excluding the probation period, plus this month, you have received fifteen months of salary from the logistics department of the military factory. Even if we calculate it at only twenty-eight yuan per month, our military factory has already paid you four hundred and twenty yuan in wages. You live at your big brother's house—do you pay for food expenses every month?"

Bai Guocheng looked at Lu Qiao in shock. She was actually calculating accounts with him?

Bai Xiaomei, who had been silent, said, "My second brother never pays for food."

Old Mother Bai, on the side, wiped her tears and said, "Why bring this up? How can brothers be so calculating with each other? What's wrong with a younger brother eating a few meals at his older brother's house? Isn't this expected? Is it worth calculating this as an account?"

She then muttered, "My eldest son hasn't said anything, so what kind of accounts are you, from the neighborhood office, calculating here?"

Lin Dajie glanced at Lu Qiao, feeling in her heart that what Old Mother Bai said had some merit.

After all, this family seemed to have been like this for many years.

The son himself doesn't say anything and doesn't have this requirement, so what kind of accounts are you, a neighborhood office cadre, coming here to calculate?

Isn't that doing something unnecessary?

However, Lin Dajie didn't speak.

Because Lu Qiao was completely unmoved, and she wouldn't go around explaining and persuading one by one; she followed her own rhythm.

At this moment, Technician Bai said immediately, "Since you have brought the neighborhood office cadres here, they must handle the matter impartially. And since you aren't afraid of people knowing about this, let's lay it all out. Anyway, my wife and I have a clear conscience, and I'm not afraid of you calculating accounts with me."

He then looked at Lu Qiao and said sincerely, "Factory Director Xiao Lu, you've gone to a lot of trouble."

Lu Qiao gave Technician Bai an extra look.

It had to be said that this man was truly very smart.

He made his wife willing to support this whole big family with him.

The money was spent, the emotional value was fully provided, and once a conflict with his parents occurred, he would immediately stand on his wife's side.

So even if Wang Xiuxian felt unbalanced, she wouldn't have any complaints.

On this point, the average man couldn't do it; most were just like the old man, taking it for granted.

Even worse, at the slightest dissatisfaction or disagreement, they would resort to fists and kicks.

So Technician Bai was a smart man.

Lu Qiao continued to calculate the accounts for them.

"Alright, now we know that Bai Guocheng has had an income of four hundred and twenty yuan over these years. So, Old Man Bai, let's calculate how much money your eldest son and daughter-in-law have given you over these years."

"Thirty yuan a month, that's three hundred and sixty yuan a year, and three thousand six hundred for ten years. Let's not talk about how much you've spent; I'm just asking you if this figure is correct?"

The old man's eyes flickered; he felt a bit guilty. Logically speaking, it was correct.

Technician Bai gritted his teeth. These figures were all in his heart, but he really didn't dare to calculate them. If calculated this way, was he still unfilial? If this wasn't called filial piety, then what was?

He said, "The accounts are correct. I dare say that from the month I started receiving my salary, it has never been delayed or interrupted."

Wang Xiuxian said directly, "The electricity and water bills for the house are paid by the work unit, and sometimes food is mailed from our hometown, but most of it is covered by us. But truthfully speaking, I don't know where the salaries of my husband and me have gone. I can't say that my parents-in-law haven't spent a cent, but I don't know how much they've spent. I suppose you parents know in your hearts, but I can only say that after all these years, I haven't saved a single cent. Oh, and I still owe Auntie Han ten yuan, waiting for payday to pay her back."

The old man was furious: "That's because you don't know how to manage a household or live a life! This money must have been used to subsidize your maiden home; otherwise, with so much money between the two of you, how could it be gone, and why would you still owe money? My son really had the worst luck marrying you—I should just let my son divorce you!"

Wang Xiuxian was so angry that tears streamed down her face. They were truly a bunch of ungrateful wretches, and this old thing was even worse.

Lu Qiao said sternly, "Old Man Bai, what kind of talk is that? 'Let your son divorce her'? That kind of talk is pure dross. You just open your mouth and say it—do you think there's no one who can manage you now? If nothing else, your way of thinking alone is enough to send you to a study class."

The room fell into a dead silence.

Wang Xiuxian looked at Lu Qiao with gratitude, thinking to herself, *I didn't feel anything before, so why don't I want to endure it anymore now? *

She gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, then let's divorce, but we have to settle the accounts properly."

Technician Bai grabbed Wang Xiuxian's hand and said hurriedly, "We can settle the accounts, but no divorce. Do you want the children to be without a father or a mother? I don't agree to this."

Lu Qiao looked at the old man: "You don't want to calculate the accounts yourself, so I will help you calculate them. Even if you spent a portion over these years, there should still be over two thousand yuan in savings. Adding Bai Guocheng's savings, you should have no problem coming up with five hundred yuan for the bride price. Why must you force your eldest son to come up with this money? Old Man Bai, you need to understand one thing: Bai Guocheng is your son, not Technician Bai's son. He has no obligation to support this younger brother. Do you understand?"

Lu Qiao spoke directly to Technician Bai: "Given your family's situation, you shouldn't have gotten married in the first place. Your parents have no jobs and no income, and now they won't go back to the countryside to farm. Your daily life relies on the salaries of you and your spouse."

"Your younger brother has a job but takes no responsibility. With such a big family living together, they think they are eating your food, but in reality, it is Comrade Wang Xiuxian who is supporting your parents and your younger brother and sister."

"To give so much and not receive the respect you deserve, but instead be complained about and blamed at every turn—this is very unfair. I'm not a person who likes to say 'it's hard for an honest official to settle family disputes.' Why is it hard to settle? I'm settling it for you right now!"