Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 19

Sun Xiujü’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that her mother had found out that her son had been sending money to his wife’s family?

But she wasn’t naive. Determined to deny it at all costs, she said,
“Mother, I haven’t heard a thing about this. Who’s been spreading lies in front of you?”

Her words were clearly a veiled accusation, sharp and indirect.

“You still dare to deny it? I’ve heard it from others! That old Ye family often receives remittance slips from the army. If it isn’t Zhanxun sending them, who else could it be?”

Shen Zhangshi’s eyes were like venomous snakes, glaring at Sun Xiumei with lethal precision. She never imagined that the most obedient daughter-in-law—the second son’s wife—could be so cunning.

The first and third families also glared at the second family with resentment, convinced they were taking advantage of outsiders, sending money to outsiders rather than their own family.

Li Guiying sneered,
“Second son, second daughter-in-law, we haven’t split the family. The whole household is supposed to be one unit. Zhanxun sends money to his in-laws? That seems… inappropriate, doesn’t it?”

Zhu Dongmei added fuel to the fire,
“No wonder Fangfei always has snacks, and she even makes new clothes so often. Turns out she’s hiding a little private stash!”

“Alas, our old man and old lady are so old, yet no granddaughter-in-law enjoys a comfortable life. Just thinking about it makes me sad,” she said, her words dripping with malice.

Her words only made Shen Chunsheng and Shen Zhangshi’s expressions darker.

Shen Chunsheng didn’t touch his meal. He tapped the table with his cigarette, each rap echoing ominously.

Even the usually quiet Shen Jianhua felt the sting of being questioned about his wife in front of so many people. His elder brother’s wife and his sister-in-law kept fanning the flames, and their words were sharp.

“Father, Mother, Xiujü and I don’t know if Zhanxun has been sending money to his in-laws. Even if he has, it’s only right. A son-in-law is half a son—he married their daughter, so of course he should support his wife’s parents. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

He scanned the room, noting the expressions on everyone’s faces, and continued in a low voice,
“Besides, Zhanxun sends ten yuan home every month, never missing a single month. What else could you possibly be dissatisfied with?”

This was the first time Shen Jianhua had spoken to his parents with such authority.

The first and third families were astonished. Even the eldest son’s two children couldn’t help glancing at this third uncle.

Shen Chunsheng raised his eyelids, staring at Shen Jianhua, before asking in a deep voice,
“Second son, how much does Zhanxun earn now? He’s been in the army for eight or nine years—surely fifty or sixty yuan? Why does he only send ten a month?”

Shen Jianhua, also frustrated by his parents’ questioning, answered with a solemn face,
“Father, I’ve never asked him about his salary. He’s out there facing danger, and earning money isn’t easy. He spent a lot on the wedding, even borrowed some from the army—I’m not sure if it’s all repaid yet.”

“He relied on himself to get married. I didn’t help him at all, yet I’m living off him every month. How could I ask about his salary? As a father, I feel ashamed.”

His veiled words made the old couple blush with embarrassment.

It was true. The grandson had been sending money home monthly since his second year in service, but during the wedding, not a single cent had been sent outward—he even paid for the banquet himself. It was a little unreasonable to criticize him.

The main hall fell silent. No one dared speak.

At that moment, Liu Wenjing picked up her chopsticks, carefully served Shen Zhangshi some food, smiling as she subtly soothed the tension.

“Grandfather, Grandmother, please eat. Don’t quarrel with the younger generation. It’s late, and you’re both old—you mustn’t stay up. Eat and rest early, don’t let anger harm your health.”

She barely needed to say it explicitly: it was the second family’s fault for upsetting the elders.

Shen Cuijuan gritted her teeth, muttering under her breath,
“Sweet-talking troublemaker.”

Sun Xiujü glared at her, pouted, then picked up her bowl and continued eating.

Though Shen Chunsheng and Shen Zhangshi’s faces were still sour, they no longer pressed on about Zhanxun’s salary. They returned to their room in silence, even skipping dinner.

Shen Eldest used the opportunity to scold his brother:
“Second son, look at what you’ve done—made Father and Mother skip dinner. Go serve them and apologize.”

Shen Zhanqiang, drinking his porridge obliviously, lifted his head casually.
“Dad, no need. Grandpa and Grandma have snacks, sugar, malt extract—they won’t go hungry.”

Before Shen Chunsheng and Shen Zhangshi even reached their room…

After dinner, Shen Zhanping and Liu Wenjing went to the eldest couple’s room.

They had already discussed last night—they planned to confront the elders about splitting the family.

The eldest couple still hesitated, so Liu Wenjing carefully explained the benefits of dividing the household.

“Father, Mother, if we don’t split the family, it’s our branch that suffers. Our family has seven able-bodied laborers, but the second son’s family only has him and his wife working. The third son’s family has two out of five. The rest are students, and the expenses will only increase. It’s a bottomless pit.”

“If we split the household now, our living standard will definitely improve.”

Liu Wenjing had already decided: she wasn’t going to let anyone take advantage of her, not even Shen Zhanping’s parents or elder siblings.

Her sister-in-law wasn’t easy either. Though usually quiet, she was sharp-minded and calculating.

Moreover, the eldest family still had two infants. If they didn’t split, she and Shen Zhanping would be the ones losing out.

Hearing her words, Shen Jianguo and Li Guiying finally understood.

They had two sons and two daughters.

The two sons and eldest daughter were married; the youngest daughter was of marrying age.

Aside from the eldest son’s two children, the family had all able-bodied laborers.

Li Guiying suddenly slapped her thigh.
“My husband, we’ve been losing out all these years, raising the second and third sons. We must split the family immediately.”

Seeing her mother-in-law so eager, Liu Wenjing added fuel to the fire:
“Mom is right. If we split the household now, by autumn harvest, the grain will be ours.”

Shen Zhanping nodded in agreement.
“And we could get a share of the work points—we’ve earned quite a bit this year.”

“Yes, yes! We’ll even get money!”

Li Guiying couldn’t wait a single day longer—she wanted to divide the family immediately so the second and third branches wouldn’t take advantage of them.

Those two old folks in the hall did nothing but control the household finances.

They complained constantly, and all the eggs from the chickens went to their mouths.

If the grandsons wanted eggs, the old lady would make a fuss.

Splitting the household would end all of that—they could run things themselves.

Excited, Li Guiying looked at her husband.
“Jianguo, go talk to your parents now. Let’s split the household. Tomorrow would be perfect.”

Shen Jianguo hesitated.
“Father and Mother might not agree. We don’t know what the second and third households think either. Should we call them over and discuss it?”

“I can’t speak for the third, but the second branch is probably eager for the split.”

Li Guiying sneered.
“As for Father and Mother, they can’t always keep the whole family together. The children are grown, with their own families. If we split, they’ll enjoy life sooner.”

Liu Wenjing prompted Shen Zhanping:
“Dad, why not first give the second and third branches a heads-up? If everyone agrees, we’ll go talk to the grandparents together.”

If all three sons wanted to split the household, the elders wouldn’t be able to stop them.