Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse
Chapter 203 - 200: Truly Disturbing Troubles [-44 more]

Chapter 203: Chapter 200: Truly Disturbing Troubles [-44 more]

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Zhang Shanni arrived, which confirmed that it was already the fourth day of the new year. Everything else could be negotiated, but Fan Jiefang had to go back. After all, the vehicle he drove belonged to his work unit, not his personal property.

Moreover, with only his wife at home tending to several children, he couldn’t afford to be away for too long.

Yet, looking at his mother-in-law’s condition, it was clear that she wouldn’t recover quickly.

The doctor had said she needed to stay in the hospital for at least half a month, to receive injections and treatments, which would aid her recovery.

Money was not the primary concern, but having everyone gathered here was definitely not a solution.

Fortunately, there was Xie Zhongsheng, the clan’s uncle, so people like Xie Jingyang had a temporary place to stay.

One could say they were lucky with the timing, as people of this era still avoided seeking medical treatment during the festive season.

It was Xie Tiesheng who valued his partner, and upon realizing something was wrong, immediately took her to the provincial hospital.

According to Xie Zhongsheng, the old lady had already shown signs of a stroke warning, and if she had not paid attention and sought treatment, an onset could occur at any moment—a minor stroke, facial paralysis, speech impairment at the least, or severe paralysis on one side of the body at worst, leading to a lifetime of suffering, not to mention if it was a full paralysis.

These words really scared the entire Xie Family into a cold sweat!

Even Zhou Xiuhua, upon hearing this later, also said ’that was close’, feeling relieved that the old man made a decisive choice. After all, it was a couple that had lived together through hardships for most of their lives, their profound relationship was not something the younger couples could match.

Knowing his old lady was out of danger, Xie Tiesheng became anxious about the fields back home. For a peasant, the most precious asset was the land, and with Zhou Xiuhua clearly unable to leave the hospital, his anxiety was flaring up.

With only the oldest son’s family at home, Xie Tiesheng truly felt uneasy.

Seeing her father’s anxious demeanor, Xie Jingzi softly discussed with her Third Sister-in-law.

"Third Sister-in-law, look how agitated Dad is. It’s clear we lack strong labor at home, why is he still not willing to split the family?"

What Xie Jingzi said was true. If this were a few years earlier [before 1975], when everyone was working at home, a family’s strong labor force could cultivate nearly twenty acres of land quite quickly even if it was tiring.

But then Xiao Si went to the town to work, and his wife followed. Later on, Fifth went to study, leaving only Boss and Dad to till the land. These past two years, however, Boss constantly took on private jobs and with the undertow of seeing the younger brothers finding their own paths in life, he was instigated by his wife to drift apart!

Xie Jingzi couldn’t blame her eldest brother, because the nephews had indeed grown up and would be ready to start their own families in four or five years. It was normal for his sister-in-law to have a sense of a ’small family’ consciousness!

"Youngest child, old folks all hope for unity among brothers, to make the family prosperous together," Zhang Shanni pondered for a while before coming to a rough conclusion.

"But that’s just not realistic. After establishing their own families, doesn’t everyone prioritize their ’small family’ first, and only then, if capable, take care of the ’big family’? Dad has good intentions, but the brothers each have their own paths. Binding them together might not necessarily be a good thing."

Xie Jingzi shook her head. Her elder brothers acted well with outsiders, but when it was just among themselves, everyone’s true thoughts came to the surface.

Actually, Boss is the most soft-hearted and also quite the silent type. He probably resents Third Brother for having arranged things well for both his younger brothers and not managing anything for him. Over the years, whenever Third Brother has returned, Boss would avoid him if possible, almost like they are strangers.

In fact, how could Boss blame Third Brother? It was Boss himself who said he wanted to take over Dad’s role... The village accountant is also a formal position. But elder aunt was not satisfied; she hoped that Boss would speak to Third Brother—

But Third Brother is not a god, how could everything go as he wishes? After the matter was left unsettled, there started to be some discord between Boss and Third Brother.

Especially after Fourth got a good job and Fifth entered a good school, the conversations between Boss and Third Brother had become extremely scarce.

Even she could see it clearly, how could Dad not understand? It was just self-deception!

"Little girl, you see things quite clearly, but after all, we are the younger generation; the salt Dad has eaten is more than the rice we’ve had. It’s never wrong to listen to Dad!" Zhang Shanni patted her little aunt’s plump cheek and gently coaxed her.

"Humph..." Xie Jingzi was clearly not satisfied, snorting lightly, but she dared not say anything more.

In her heart, Zhang Shanni actually really wanted to split the family. It wouldn’t matter even if her in-laws stayed with her; fortunately, her in-laws were very wise. Although a bit old-fashioned, she could still accept them.

However, she thought the possibility was slim, particularly since little aunt hadn’t married yet; the elders certainly wouldn’t support the idea of splitting up the family.

In her view, Xie Tiesheng and Zhou Xiuhua, the parents-in-law, were really very enlightened.

Apart from the household’s farmland and chores, any private jobs the children found outside, they never demanded any share of. Like Fourth and Third who didn’t do farm work at home, they would each contribute monthly for living expenses [elderly care money], avoiding too much bias.

If one really had to point out someone who was freeloading, it would only be Fifth who in the past two years, while attending Industrial and Agricultural University, did less household chores; yet every time he came back from the county town, he didn’t do less work. In busy times, he would rush back as soon as vacation started. Really, if these had to be nitpicked, it could only mean that the bond between brothers is too indifferent.

But obviously, she wanted to split the family? Zhang Shanni turned her head and glanced at Zhou Xiuhua who had fallen asleep again, feeling that this thought was indeed difficult to accomplish.

Xie Tiesheng was not deaf, of course he heard his daughter’s words, heard his daughter-in-law’s words, which made him feel a bit better at heart.

"Dad, mom is not in good health, our family’s land can’t be left unattended, what about renting it out to someone? That would still be better than leaving it barren! If really necessary, we can hire someone to cultivate it later; just one thing, you’re getting older, and if something happens to you, our family would really be in trouble."

Seeing the troubled, aged look on the face that resembled her own father’s, Zhang Shanni’s heart softened involuntarily. She saw the old man had to take care of his wife while also worrying about their farmland, so she couldn’t help but offer a suggestion.

Rent it out? To whom? How to collect the rent? Xie Jingyang had a surge of questions in his heart upon hearing the idea, but this method of renting, compared to lending the land to relatives to till, seemed more reasonable. It would be easier to reclaim it later too.

Even Fan Jiefang nodded his head upon hearing it. And so, the three men along with Zhang Shanni discussed in detail about how to rent out the land, to whom it should be rented, and how the share of the rent would be calculated, and so on... They talked for several hours and nearly missed lunch.

In the end, Xie Tiesheng still went back with his son-in-law. He needed to go back and sort out his own family’s land and then come back to take care of his wife.

The old man originally wanted to take Xiao Si and Xiaoqi with him, but once the two children understood, they immediately hid behind Zhang Shanni, looking at Grandpa with pitiful eyes, which softened the old man’s heart, not to mention Zhou Xiuhua and Xie Jingyang.

Upon further thought, apart from Zhang Shanni who was heavily pregnant, there was also a pair of children by her side to help, so it seemed right to yield to the two kids’ wishes.

Taking them back home, without their real dad, their real mom could be ignored, could one hope that their elder aunt would take good care of them? It’s better to stay here, where there are people to look after them.

Ah, these troubling matters, they really cause one to be torn!