Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 20

Li Guiying and Shen Zhanping both looked at Shen Jianguo, waiting for him to make a decision.

Shen Jianguo remained silent, his expression conflicted.

Liu Wenjing’s eyes flickered—she seemed to have guessed her father-in-law’s thoughts. He was likely reluctant to give up the ten yuan Shen Zhanxun sent home every month.

She smiled faintly and decided to be straightforward.
“Dad, Mom, even though we all live together now, each household has long had its own concerns.”

“Second uncle focuses on his own family. Zhanxun cousin has a salary, but he only sends back that small amount every month. Even if the families split it evenly, how much would ten yuan really be? And Grandpa and Grandma hold all the money tightly anyway.”

Seeing Shen Jianguo waver slightly, Liu Wenjing pressed on.
“Dad, as the eldest, you’ve worked the hardest. I think this family should be under your leadership. If we can separate, you and Mom can also run your own household.”

After speaking, she gave Shen Zhanping a subtle look to encourage him to support her.

Shen Zhanping nodded lightly, then spoke quietly to their parents.
“Dad, Mom, it’s not that we’re unfilial, but Grandpa and Grandma keep such a tight grip on the money. All our hard work throughout the year leaves us without pocket money. Even visiting relatives at my mother’s home depends on their mood. It’s hard for us as sons.”

“Those two old miserly fools,” Li Guiying muttered, unable to stop herself. “Whose parents are like that? Their sons already have grandchildren, and they still live together, hoarding everything. The older they get, the more foolish they seem.”

She spoke without noticing her own little ulterior motive—her side of the family had previously also resisted separating.

Shen Jianguo glared at her. Even though they were his parents, it wasn’t appropriate to say such things in front of the younger generation.

He sighed and addressed his son.
“Zhanping, go call Second Uncle and Third Uncle. Tell them I have something to discuss with them. Also, get your eldest brother here to listen.”

Shen Zhanping’s heart leapt at his father’s approval.
“Dad, I’ll go right away.”

Shen Jianhua and Sun Xiujv, preparing for bed, exchanged glances and followed to Shen Jianguo’s room.

The third son, Shen Jianjun, and Zhu Dongmei arrived shortly after.

The Shen family lived in a traditional courtyard house: a western main hall, three rooms in the eastern wing, and three in the western wing.

The elders stayed in the west room of the main hall. The eldest son, Shen Jianguo, and his wife occupied the east room, with one room as a dining hall and another for storing grain.

The second couple lived in the west wing, with the unmarried girls next door, and Ye Fangfei in the neighboring room.

The eastern wing’s three rooms were for Shen Jianjun and his wife, Shen Zhanping and Liu Wenjing, and Shen Zhantao and Xu Aiqin.

The second son’s children, Shen Zhanqiang, and the third son’s child, Shen Zhanhui, stayed in the grain room of the main hall.

Behind the Shen house was a small courtyard with a toilet, a bathing area, chickens, pigs, and miscellaneous household items.

Although the courtyard was sizable, many residents made it feel cramped.

The group gathered in Shen Jianguo’s room, with his son and daughter-in-law present.

Shen Jianhua and Sun Xiujv stayed silent.

Zhu Dongmei, unbothered by formalities, frowned.
“Big brother, why call us over at midnight? What’s going on?”

“Nothing major. Just wanted to talk,” Shen Jianguo replied, forcing a genial smile. He looked at the part of the sincere eldest brother, like he genuinely wanted to discuss things.

Zhu Dongmei rolled her eyes inwardly. The eldest of the three brothers were all show, always acting superior, yet his actions lacked the weight of a true elder.

She glanced at the second couple, seemingly obedient, but not without their own schemes.

In this family, from top to bottom, no one was truly innocent.

Zhu Dongmei leaned back, curious to see what the eldest brother was up to.

“Jianhua, Jianjun, our family is thriving; the children increasing in number. That’s a good thing,” Shen Jianguo began with feigned warmth.

He sighed.
“But our house has only these few rooms. Zhanqiang and Zhanhui are getting older. In a couple of years, they’ll need to marry. Where would the new daughters-in-law stay? The courtyard is small, and building extensions isn’t feasible.”

The second and third households didn’t immediately grasp his meaning.

Zhu Dongmei, ever perceptive, asked bluntly.
“Big brother, what exactly do you mean? It’s late, and we have work tomorrow.”

Shen Jianguo, slightly irritated at her impatience, continued in a deliberate, formal tone.
“We three brothers grew up together, with strong bonds. Now the children are grown; I even have two grandchildren. Second brother is a grandfather too.”

“There’s an old saying: when a tree grows large, its branches spread. I think it’s time for us to live separately.”

“Second and third brothers, what are your thoughts?”

The second and third households hadn’t expected the eldest to propose separation.

Sun Xiujv had long hoped for this day but hadn’t imagined it would come from the eldest himself.

Yet regardless of who suggested it, as long as they could separate, she was satisfied.

She nudged her husband slightly, who remained expressionless.

Before Shen Jianhua could respond, the third couple eagerly asked,
“Big brother, is separating your idea or Mom and Dad’s?”

Zhu Dongmei wasn’t naive, she had considered the separation before.

Previously, she hadn’t wanted to separate to take advantage of the second household. Now, seeing that the second couple wasn’t as honest as they seemed, she figured it was better to split cleanly and live freely.

Married women, after all, want to manage their own households.

Now the eldest actively suggested separation—it perfectly suited Zhu Dongmei’s plan.

“I haven’t told our parents yet. I wanted us three brothers to discuss first. If you two agree, then we’ll speak with them,” Shen Jianguo said, then asked the second son, who hadn’t yet spoken,
“Second brother, your thoughts?”

“I’ll follow Big Brother’s lead,” Shen Jianhua replied.

The third son, Shen Jianjun, was nudged by his wife and quickly said,
“I’ll follow Big Brother too.”

Shen Jianguo felt a twinge of annoyance. What did “follow me” mean? They obviously wanted to separate too, yet acted as if it was solely his idea.

But since he had proposed separation and the words were out, there was no taking them back.

It was late, so the three brothers agreed to confront their parents the next morning about separating from the households.

How to divide the property? That would depend on the elderly’s decision. Everyone knew no one wanted to lose out, and this matter was bound to involve negotiation and clever maneuvering.