Chapter 71: 71 Drawing Up a Written Agreement

Startled by the words “divide the household,” Mother Xia was stunned for a long time without speaking, even forgetting to cry.

“Sister, make your stance clear,” Uncle Xia hurriedly raised his voice to encourage Mother Xia, saying, “If the Xia Family won’t take care of you, I will!”

As if suddenly understanding, Mother Xia began to tremble and cried out, “No, no splitting of the household, no division, I won’t leave the Xia Family!”

“Sister!” Uncle Xia shouted, “If not for your own sake, you should consider Chuyi. Can she have a good life in the Xia Family?”

Mother Xia shook her head desperately, “No, no, no splitting of the household! Brother, you don’t understand, you don’t understand, I just won’t split the household, I won’t leave, I would rather die in the Xia Family.”

Mother Xia’s words immediately gave the Xia Family an exit.

...

“See, she herself from the second son’s family doesn’t want to split the household…” Grandpa Xia followed Mother Xia’s lead and spoke with veiled triumph.

“Hmph!” Uncle Xia snorted coldly, and had yet to begin to speak.

“If Mom wants to stay, she can, I’ll be the one to split off,” Xia Chuyi said slowly and deliberately.

“What did you say?” Grandpa Xia looked at her, suspecting he’d misheard.

“Chuyi?” Uncle Xia turned to her, and even he didn’t quite understand what Xia Chuyi meant, let alone everyone else.

“You didn’t hear wrong, I said if Mom wants to stay, then she can stay, I’ll split off on my own,” she explained earnestly, word by word.

“Nonsense, what kind of division of household is this?” Grandpa Xia swung his fist and scolded Xia Chuyi.

“There’s an exception to everything,” Xia Chuyi said with a light smile, “Taking a sister’s match, taking a sister’s job, aren’t those exceptions too?”

“You!” Grandpa Xia, relying on his status as an elder, wanted to continue lecturing her.

“Grandpa, don’t rush, let me finish,” Xia Chuyi interrupted Grandpa Xia, saying, “The match, give it to Xia Lan, I won’t mind anymore, Xia Mei needs a job, I’ll help her find one.”

“There’s only one condition, let the second branch split off from the Xia Family.”

“And, for this division, I don’t want anything from the family’s belongings.”

“Since she doesn’t want to leave, let her continue living here, with the main family,”

“Because she’s not leaving, my father’s pension will be left for her, and I won’t take a penny of it. The holiday consolation gifts from the army, just like before, will still be received by the Xia Family and counted as living expenses for my mom.”

“Additionally, every month I will give my mom ten yuan for living expenses.”

“I, Xia Chuyi, will split off from the Xia Family alone!” Her last words were resolute and clear.

“Chuyi!” Uncle Xia called out softly, not understanding.

Was Chuyi about to live alone, away from the Xia Family? And besides, who splits off the household and separates mother and daughter?

“Uncle, you don’t need to persuade me, I must split from this family,” Xia Chuyi spoke firmly.

From the Xia Family, she must leave.

As for Mother Xia, her lifelong wish was to be born and to die in the Xia Family—let her stay here, to achieve the benevolence she sought.

Members of the Xia Family looked at each other, thinking this division didn’t seem so bad after all.

Firstly, the pension would still belong to the Xia Family, and as long as Mother Xia didn’t leave, Uncle Xia would still have to make occasional contributions to the Xia Family.

Secondly, Xia Chuyi wouldn’t take a single penny with her when she left. On the contrary, she had agreed to pay ten yuan a month for her mother’s living expenses, which in fact meant a profit for the Xia Family.

“Xia Chuyi, that job you mentioned, can you guarantee it?” Xia Mei was most concerned about this.

Xia Chuyi smiled lightly, “Words alone are no proof, I can make a written promise for you.”