Chapter 1327

Ye Yaodong looked at the people inside; Aguang was questioning his father intensely, and Huimei was rushing the three children.

He said: "Should we just bring the three children out? Take them home first, and let the couple come to our house for a meal later."

"That works too. I'll go bring them out."

Lin Xiuqing looked at the door that was about to close and hurriedly ran up.

Before long, Ye Huimei and Lin Xiuqing each carried one child, and Pei Yu ran out by herself, heading toward Ye Mu, calling out with a little milky voice: "Grandma..."

Ye Mu laughed happily and hugged her, "Oh my, slow down, you'll fall later..."

Ye Fu reached out to hold the one in Huimei's arms, but the little guy didn't cooperate, turning his head away and ignoring Ye Fu completely.

Ye Fu had no choice but to forcibly take the child, and the child was so scared that he started wailing.

The one in Lin Xiuqing's arms was chewing on his fist, watching curiously.

"I'll leave the three of them with you for a while. I'll go to your house with Aguang for a meal later."

"Alright, then we'll head back first."

The family walked slowly toward the village, chatting as they went.

Ye Yaodong kept praising his mother and gave her a thumbs up, "Mom, you are too amazing. This family has to rely on you."

"Cut it out..."

"I don't think there are many people in the village who can out-argue you."

"Are you praising me or insulting me?"

"Praising you! That line you just said—about Qingming taking the whole family to sweep the grave and kowtow to her previous husband—that was absolutely lethal! Too awesome! It had to be you. Which man could stand that? They'd go berserk just hearing it."

Ye Mu held Pei Yu and rolled her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth were turned up.

"You're all too green. Arguing isn't about who is louder; it's about making people so angry they could die. That old hag used to look quite well-behaved, but once she had a son, she became restless; her ambitions grew."

"I used to feel sorry for her, thinking she had lost her husband and had to raise several children. She really wasn't worth pitying."

Lin Xiuqing also said: "When she first moved into the Pei house last year, she was so cautious, fawning over Huimei's family. Now that she's had a son, she dares to scheme directly. She's truly shameless."

Ye Fu said: "It's good now. Old Pei has probably been scolded into clarity and won't be muddled anymore."

Ye Yaodong sighed: "The pillow talk of a late-life son is truly deadly."

Lin Xiuqing continued, "When people get older, they easily get muddled, and he was blinded by joy. He probably hadn't seen the child since it was born, and now that it's back, he's very affectionate. Plus, he made a lot of money and was riding high; he listened to everything his wife said."

Ye Yaodong said: "Call them to our house for a meal, and we can just ask how they'll keep making a scene after we leave."

"Old Pei looks like a very shrewd person; how has his life become more muddled as he gets older..." Ye Fu said with emotion.

"Being smart at making money doesn't mean being smart in life, nor does it mean being smart about women. Isn't this typical? He made money, so his heart inflated. He married a young wife and had a son, and he was at the peak of his success. With his wife whispering in his ear, wouldn't he listen to everything?"

Ye Yaodong thought it was quite normal. When poor people suddenly get rich, their mindset is always different; it's normal to get carried away.

His mother's scolding today could probably wake people up.

Otherwise, would he really let that old woman take the whole family to kowtow to her previous husband? Where would Old Pei put his face?

Ye Mu said: "In the end, it's because they suffered from not having a mother. Don't look at whether they are boys or girls; children without a mother are actually insecure from a young age and can be a bit slow."

"That's true."

"Children without a mother are like blades of grass."

Everyone agreed with this.

"Let's go home first. Stop talking outside, hurry home to cook..."

There were still so many people at the entrance of the house, some playing cards, some chatting. The matter hadn't spread that quickly yet; it was estimated that by the time they finished lunch, the whole village would know.

After returning home, they let the children down and let them play with the group of children in the family.

Ye Yaodong sat at the entrance with his legs crossed as usual, waiting for a meal while watching the group of children play.

Ye Yaopeng walked over and asked: "Where did you all come back from? You weren't there earlier, and now you've brought Huimei's three children back."

"Went to watch Mom show off her power."

It would spread eventually anyway, and so many people had seen it earlier, so he told his eldest brother about it, which stunned him.

"This... how is this like a grand opera? Their family is so chaotic?"

"Isn't it? If this happens again, we definitely can't let Huimei marry into that mess."

"Ask them when they come over later, and tell us how they'll keep making a scene. They need to split the family quickly, otherwise, there won't be any peaceful days ahead."

"It's almost New Year, so they definitely can't split now. No matter what, they'll have to wait until February next year to split the family."

"They can agree on it in advance, find a place for someone to build the house first, and when the family splits, they can move in directly."

"I'll ask later; he has mentioned wanting to split the family."

"As long as he's thought about it, if we ask again, it won't count as us inciting him to split the family."

The two brothers chatted together until the family called for dinner, and then Ye Yaopeng went home.

The card tables at the entrance also dispersed one after another, and the cards were collected, bundled with rubber bands, and placed on the window, waiting to start a new game after dinner.

The voices of women from various families calling out could be heard all around, all calling their children home for dinner.

Their family cooked late, and no one called for dinner, but the children had no playmates left, so they came back automatically.

Several older ones ran in front with a ball, and the younger ones chased after them, wobbling and falling every two steps.

By the time Ye Yaodong saw them and went over to pick them up one by one, the twins were already so dirty they were unrecognizable, their faces covered in dust and grime.

"If people didn't know, they'd think I was abusing you, getting this dirty."

"Ball... ball..."

"Ball ball..."

The two children's eyes were fixed only on the soccer ball in Ye Chenghu's hand, their hands outstretched, shouting.

Ye Yaodong returned to the courtyard and put them down, saying to Ye Chenghu: "I didn't watch you for a moment, and you ran off to play. Have you finished your homework?"

"I'm resting for a bit, I'll do it after dinner..."

"You figure it out yourself. You only have five or six days, otherwise, you'll stay home and watch the house. Give me the ball."

Ye Chenghu pouted and handed over the ball.

Ye Yaodong took it and handed it to the twins, which made the two brothers drool and start fighting over it, both wanting to hold it in their arms.

"Hit hit..."

Even the little toddlers who couldn't speak clearly knew they wanted to hit someone. They pushed each other, one fell to the ground, and started wailing.

The other one won and went to chase the ball, running all over the courtyard but unable to pick it up, yet still running energetically.

Ye Yaodong watched, unable to laugh or cry, "Yangyang, bring your volleyball over."

Ye Chengyang reluctantly handed the volleyball to the twin who was crying, "Dad, why aren't they going home to eat?"

"They are eating here at noon."

"Alright."

The two brothers gave both balls to the twins and could only go home to get badminton rackets. Anyway, they had plenty of toys now, but they didn't know how to play badminton, so they didn't play much, just kept picking up the shuttlecock.

However, the two were also quite cunning, calling Ye Xiaoxi and Pei Yu over to pick up the shuttlecock.

The two little girls were very happy, running back and forth, helping the two brothers pick up the shuttlecock, enjoying themselves.

It's better to be a child; they don't know anything yet, have no worries, and even if the family is in an uproar, they can still play very happily.

Aguang and Huimei arrived very late. The two brothers next door, Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua, had already finished their meal and were sitting at the entrance chatting when they finally arrived.

And in Ye Yaodong's house, the children had also been fed and had left the table to play, and the adults were also halfway through their meal.

When they entered the house, Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua also came in together.

Within the time it took to eat a meal, both families knew about it. They came in to show concern and understand the situation.

"Hurry over and sit down, I'll serve you rice." Ye Mu stood up quickly to serve the rice.

Ye Yaodong asked: "What did they say?"

"Nothing much. My dad just said he was muddled and didn't think it through. He also thought that since she was marrying into our own family, it would be more reassuring and she wouldn't have to leave home. After all, Yingqiu married far away, and although they are currently staying at the station together, who knows when they'll be transferred."

"Then marrying someone in the village is fine too, just like Huimei. It's only two steps to go home. Why marry the son she brought with her and invite gossip?"

Ye Mu said while putting down two large bowls of rice and sitting back in her seat.

Ye Huimei said: "He was blown away by pillow talk and didn't think too much. Plus, he had just held his little son, so he would agree to anything. It's already been agreed that we'll let people look again, and we also have to look at Dongqing's wishes."

"Shouldn't you take this opportunity to mention splitting the family? The older he gets, the more muddled he becomes. Don't count on it just happening once; who knows when he'll be muddled again. After all, with her whispering in his ear every day, he'll always listen to a few things."

Aguang responded: "We didn't mention splitting the family, but my dad said something similar, saying that when Dongqing gets married, he'll give her a dowry the same as Yingqiu's."

"And when Jianshe gets married, he'll help arrange it, but starting today, he'll live independently with his younger brother and sister, and there's no need to come to our house for anything."

"After they get married, of course, they'll live as their own family. After all, they aren't registered in our household; they're still in the Lin family."

"And he won't let him on the Fengshou anymore. My dad said he'd give him the boat he bought from his father to operate, collect a rent, and when he saves enough money, he can redeem it back."

"This way he can also live and earn money on his own. For the past two years working on the Fengshou, my dad has calculated his wages every month, just like everyone else. He didn't have any food or drink expenses, so he has saved a sum."

Ye Fu agreed: "That's good, separate directly, so you don't have to feed them in your house and have them work for you. After today's scene, there must be a knot in your hearts."

"Mm, it's mainly to avoid suspicion. Otherwise, if they eat and drink in our house every day, coming and going, others might really gossip about Dongqing."

"After this scene, the whole village probably knows. You still have to avoid suspicion, and that old woman has a mouth full of shit. There are plenty of aunts and middle-aged women in the workshop, and Dongqing isn't the only woman. Saying it's a pile of men—what does that sound like to people? Even if there's no shadow, rumors will spread." Ye Mu said angrily.

"Right, Auntie Ma was also educated by my dad just now."

"Educated, that's right, but the important thing is that you can't let her handle the family money. This is what you two father and son earned through hard work. If it gets into her hands, what will be left for you in the future?"

Ye Mu pointed directly to the crux of the matter.

"No, my dad keeps the money himself. She's only been in our house for two years; how could my dad let her manage the money?"

Ye Huimei retorted, "She must have taken plenty of money. The first two days after she came back, Auntie Ma was beaming with joy, going to the market every day, buying piles of things for her son and daughter."

"Forget about the past. Didn't Dad just say that from now on, he'll give her 10 yuan a month for household expenses? Anyway, food and drink are all at home, and there's no need to spend money. Besides, if she needs to do something, she can say so separately, and my dad will give her money."

"That's good. It's best if you split up directly and don't get involved in the family's chaotic affairs."

"My dad also mentioned just now that no one should covet his money. When he gets old, he'll split it equally between us two brothers. And he said the Fengshou will be given to me after the New Year. It was originally said to be for me to operate, but now the income will go directly to me..."

Ye Huimei interrupted, "Auntie Ma was still shouting that it wouldn't do, saying her younger son is still small, and how can everything be given to the eldest..."

Ye Mu angrily threw her chopsticks directly on the table, "Doesn't that deserve a slap across the face? When did it become her turn to speak about your family affairs? This family fortune was saved by you two father and son; what does it have to do with her?"

Ye Huimei laughed, "Mom, you're right. My father-in-law just slapped her and told her to shut up. Jianshe and the others wanted to argue with my father-in-law, but my father-in-law ignored them and continued talking to Aguang about his plans."

Aguang said: "My dad didn't directly say split the family, but he has already stated his plans. As for the remaining boats, he'll keep them himself to collect rent, support his old age, and raise the child."

Ye Fu nodded, "That plan is also fine. The family hasn't split, but it's almost the same. After the New Year, the Fengshou will be yours."

"Right."

"That's what's said, but you still have to split the family and live independently to be comfortable. Otherwise, what's said now is one thing, and if he gets muddled again sometime, it's another thing. Nothing counts without an official family split."

Ye Fu glared at her, "How can you keep calling for people to split the family all day? It will split when it's time to split. It's almost New Year now; who would talk about splitting the family at this time? People only take advantage of the New Year to bring people into the family; who would split people out?"

Ye Mu glared back, unconvinced.

Aguang saw the old couple was about to argue again and hurriedly smoothed things over, "We didn't mention it now, but we will split after the New Year. It's agreed that the boat is mine, and my dad won't change his mind."

Ye Yaodong also said: "It's quite good, this is fine for now. Let the three Lin siblings return to their own home, and it's promised that their family's boat will be rented to them, and they can redeem it later."

"However, I reckon they won't rent it. Auntie Ma will whisper in his ear, and they'll definitely redeem it directly. After all, it was only bought for one or two thousand yuan at the time, and your dad can't earn another sum from them on this. Auntie Ma won't agree either; it'll definitely be a cheap sale, half-redeemed and half-gifted."

Ye Mu also echoed, "It's definitely like that, it can't be avoided. If the pillow talk is strong enough, he might just give it away; there's no need to spend money."

Ye Yaodong didn't care about what his mother said and added: "Anyway, you've already received the promise that the Fengshou is directly split to you. Anyway, you've taken half of the family's income every year for the past few years, so if you mention splitting the family again, it'll at most be splitting the boat; he won't give you any more money."

Lin Xiuqing said: "It's already agreed that the Fengshou will be given; it's just missing the name of an official family split."

"Right, you can find your dad and talk privately. There were too many people today, and others were there, so there were definitely some things that were hard to say."

"The two of you should open up and talk about your true feelings, enhance the father-son relationship, and you can also talk about your plans for a loan."

"You can also see the situation and take the opportunity to say that you have many children and the house can't fit everyone, so you'll build a new foundation and move out in a few months, which will also save you from having conflicts with Auntie Ma."

"Today's situation can be considered a falling out. If you continue living together, life will only be chaotic and restless."

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Anyway, it's in the same village, and it's not far. In the village, generally, after marriage, if there are many brothers and there are some conditions, they will split the family."

Ye Huimei said: "Third Brother, you've voiced my inner thoughts. Ever since Auntie Ma had a son, she has been ordering me to do this and that every day, wanting me to do everything."

"I'm already busy enough with my own three children, and I still have to listen to her orders, help her out, and cook for her. I was almost angered to death. She used to be the one busily working."

"She even said she had just had a child and her body wasn't good, asking me to work harder to help, saying my maiden home is here, so I could send the children back for my mother to watch, and I could free up time to take care of the farm work."

"I was so annoyed. For these few months, I couldn't be bothered to look at her, so I directly took the children home to live with Mom. Anyway, you weren't here, and Mom was alone at home, so we kept each other company, and let her do the work herself."

"I only moved back after you came back."

No wonder his mother scolded so happily this morning without leaving any room; it turned out she had seized the opportunity.

When he first came back, Aqing only said Huimei had been living at her maiden home, and he thought it was because she was closer to her own mother and wanted her mother to help watch the children, which was also normal.

She also said Huimei wanted to split the family. It turned out the reason was here, and his mother was so active in helping introduce Dongqing.

Aguang said: "I'll find an opportunity to talk to my dad."

Ye Yaopeng and his brother had been in for so long, and only now did they express their opinions.

"This stepmother is also quite bad. Living independently is good; anyway, it's in the village, and it's convenient if you want to be filial to your dad."

"Originally, she came back in glory, holding her son and wandering around every day. After this happened, she probably doesn't have the face to wander around for a while."

"You have to wake him up and let him be clear-headed, otherwise, the family fortune he saved through hard work will be cheap for outsiders."

Ye Mu finished speaking and looked at Aguang again, "You haven't had a mother since you were little, and you grew up easily, so you're easily fooled. If that old woman has any tricks in the future, just come back and tell us; don't let people take advantage of you."

"Mm."

Ye Fu said: "Let this matter pass. Life still has to go on. It's almost New Year, so there's no need to argue anymore. It's good that it's been made clear today."

"My dad said the same, saying it's almost New Year, so let's make it clear so we can have a peaceful New Year. Don't mention this matter again, and have a good New Year."

Everyone echoed, and they would have a peaceful New Year.

Lin Xiuqing curiously asked Ye Huimei: "Have you asked Dongqing if she likes anyone? She's been working in the workshop for so long, and she's come into contact with many boys. Does she like anyone?"

"I've asked, I asked a long time ago. She won't say, just shakes her head. People introduced by others, she also shakes her head at all of them."

"The aunts and middle-aged women in the workshop are also very enthusiastic about introducing her, but she also smiles and shakes her head every day. I don't know what kind of person she's looking for." Lin Xiuqing also shook her head.

Ye Mu said: "I thought the pretty boy Dongzi brought back a few days ago was good, much better than the young men working in the workshop, but you all said his family..."

Ye Yaodong interrupted his mother, "Don't think about it, Mom. The disparity is too great, it's impossible. Let's talk about something more reliable."

"How reliable does it have to be? Those in the workshop can also work and earn wages, which is also very good. It's not worse than the workers in the city. I heard that half of them are getting married at the end of the year; these few days, people have been sending wedding candy home every day."

"Then let their own family worry about it."

Aguang hurriedly said: "Then we still have to let Mom help inquire more. Mom is more familiar with the people nearby, so please introduce more."

"This won't do, that won't do, I have no way either. You look for it yourselves."

Ye Huimei said: "Maybe the marriage hasn't arrived yet, let's talk about it later."

"Your family is really worrying enough..."

Ye Mu muttered in a low voice. She had finished her meal, so she directly cleared the bowls and chopsticks first, letting them eat slowly.

After the meal, the couple didn't take the children back immediately; they sat at their entrance, basking in the sun and chatting.

And the neighbors nearby all knew about the matter of the Old Pei family in the morning after the meal. Since the main parties were there, they all surrounded them to talk and chat.

Everyone was condemning Ma Lifang there, despising her for being shameless and not doing human things.

It would be fine if she enjoyed her own happiness, but she also wanted her eldest son to pick up a ready-made bargain and wanted to annex the Old Pei family.

If Aguang hadn't already been married and his wife's maiden home hadn't been powerful, there probably wouldn't have been a place for him in this family.

"It's also amazing that she could conceive at an old age. Of course, it's different after having a son..."

"She's also shameless, so shrewd, with such a loud abacus..."

"I really couldn't tell she was so good at calculating before. Aguang, you have to be careful. You can't let the family fortune you saved through hard work be schemed away by others..."

"She's not even afraid of being talked about for marrying her daughter to her stepbrother. What a good reputation she had originally; now, even if it didn't happen, she's going to be talked about by others..."

There hadn't been any talking points in the village for a long time. Dongzi's 200,000 loan and the big boat worth over 100,000 were already outdated and only occasionally mentioned.

The talking points of the past few days were just who bought what big item, which couldn't stir up any waves and wasn't that explosive.

These big items were gradually becoming popular in the village and were no longer as rare as they used to be.

This scene this morning could be considered to have spread explosively throughout the village, just adding fuel to the recently dull days, allowing the villagers to talk about it for three to five days, or even a week.

Old Pei and Ma Lifang didn't dare to go out much for the next few days. If the matter had succeeded, they would at most be talked about a few times, and they could still respond with a smile, saying the children liked each other.

Now they didn't have the face for it.

Ye Yaodong was at home these few days and could often see Ye Huimei happily holding her child and coming over to play, and then listening to a few pieces of gossip about their family.

It is said that Auntie Ma's life hasn't been easy these few days; she hasn't been as triumphant as she was a while ago, walking with a spring in her step.

For the first two days after the argument, she was still throwing things and venting her dissatisfaction every day, but after being disciplined by Pei Fu several times, she started to become honest.

She started to have a smiling face toward them again, but the couple didn't buy that anymore; they had long seen her true colors.

And Aguang also found an opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk with his father, and with his father's consent, he first found a piece of land to build a house. Anyway, they would have to split the family sooner or later.

He chose it directly near them; being close meant having company.

When Ye Huimei ran back to tell them, she was overjoyed and very happy.

She said it had already been reported to the village committee, and they were just waiting to measure a piece of land and pick a day after the New Year to start construction.

Ye Yaodong thought about it and was ready to mention it to her. Anyway, their family split could be considered a settled matter, and it was agreed that the Fengshou would be given to them.

"Sit over here, I have something to tell you."

Ye Huimei sat next to him with a smile, "What? What is it? It's almost New Year, are you going to give me New Year's money?"

Ye Yaodong smiled and flicked her forehead, "The children are so big, and you still want New Year's money?"

"Isn't it almost New Year? I thought you earned so much that besides the three nephews and nieces, you'd also want to give a red envelope to your own sister."

"That works too?"

Ye Huimei happily hugged his arm, "Really? I have one too? Then you can't just dismiss me with one or two yuan. At the very least, you have to give me 10 or 20 yuan; it has to be enough to buy a set of clothes."

"Your perspective is too small. 10 or 20 yuan, how does that match up? How could the red envelope I give you be just 10 or 20 yuan?"

Her eyes brightened even more, "No way? Good, good, good, you really are my own brother, so generous. Then how much are you giving? 50? That's enough for me to get a whole outfit."

"Is that all your ambition? You only want 50 yuan?"

"Haha, if you want to give me 100, that's not impossible."

"No ambition."

"Damn, Third Brother, how much are you planning to give? I was just saying that casually." Ye Huimei was truly surprised now.

"I plan to give you the 30% share of the Fengshou when you officially split the family. I'm giving it to you, not to Aguang."

Ye Huimei widened her eyes in shock and stood up, "You, you're serious? Stop joking, this joke is a bit big. I was just saying that casually..."

"I'm not joking with you, I'm serious."

"No, Third Brother, I was really joking. Just give me a few yuan in a red paper envelope to make me happy."

"I'm telling you seriously, and you still don't believe me. Sit down."

Ye Huimei sat down again and asked cautiously: "You're serious?"

"Mm."

"Does Third Sister-in-law know? Why are you suddenly giving me the shares of the boat?"

"Didn't I say? I'll give it to you after you officially split the family. Consider it a congratulation for your new home, and use it as your starting capital. I've already told your Third Sister-in-law, and she has no objections."

"Ah?!! Third Sister-in-law has no objections either? You really weren't just saying that?"

"Nonsense."