Chapter 55: Isn't This a Bit Selfish?

Because of this, his mother-in-law had complained both overtly and covertly several times, saying his mother was too biased toward the eldest brother's family and couldn't treat everyone equally.

Regarding this matter, he had nothing to say; his parents were indeed biased toward the eldest brother, and he had seen it with his own eyes.

But he hadn't expected that the eldest brother harbored such a mountain of resentment toward their mother; it truly came as a surprise to him.

"Don't get worked up, Big Brother. Sister-in-law and Mom were in the wrong to get physical, otherwise, Mom wouldn't be settling accounts with you. I reckon she was just putting on a show and didn't actually intend for you to pay it back."

Zhang Jianguo froze. He looked up at the second brother for a moment, then shook his head.

"Mom pressured me to press my thumbprint and sign the IOU. I think she was serious."

"You plan on paying it back?"

The second brother raised an eyebrow. That was three thousand seven hundred yuan, not three or five. He was going to pay it back just like that? The eldest brother had only been working for two years at most.

Thinking of this, the second brother paused. The eldest brother's salary wasn't low—fifty-six yuan a month, plus various benefits, totaling over sixty yuan.

Even calculating at sixty yuan, that would be over one thousand four hundred yuan in two years.

But the sister-in-law had been working for a long time; she earned fifty yuan a month too, which was six hundred a year, or four thousand eight hundred over eight years.

Mom had said that the eldest brother and his wife had never contributed a single cent toward food or drink at home.

In other words, the couple's combined income was over six thousand yuan. After deducting social expenses and pocket money, they must have at least four thousand yuan in savings.

Doing the math, the second brother's eyes narrowed; the eldest brother and sister-in-law were truly wealthy.

"Ahem... Mom has always said that the four of you eat and drink for free at home without contributing a cent to living expenses, and without even having a good attitude, which is why she wants to settle the score with you... Actually, Mom has it hard too.

Thanks to her hard work all these years, as sons, we need to be more understanding."

Zhang Jianguo lowered his head and hiccuped, his face flushed red; it was clear he couldn't hold his liquor.

"How is it easy to be a parent? All parents go through this. Look at Auntie Wang and Auntie Zhao in our courtyard.

Which one of them hasn't given their all for their children? To ensure her son could get married, Auntie Zhao transferred her job to him before she even reached retirement age. To look after her son's children, Auntie Wang chose early retirement.

Why is it so difficult with our Mom? If you ask me, she should have just taken medical retirement so she wouldn't miss out on her retirement benefits, but she refuses to listen and insists on working, leaving the kids with no one to watch them.

Your sister-in-law picks fights with me, and the house is in chaos every day. I'm constantly on edge at work. Several people in my department are eyeing the director's position; if I make even a slight mistake, I don't know when I'll get another chance."

As Zhang Jianguo spoke, he rubbed the bottle and poured himself another cup.

"Second Brother, why did we end up with such an unreasonable mother?"

The second brother quickly steadied the bottle. "Big Brother, you can't drink anymore."

He wondered if Mom knew that her most favored eldest son actually harbored such hatred for her.

It had to be said that although the eldest brother was a university graduate, his thinking wasn't comprehensive; one could even call him selfish.

Why did Auntie Zhao transfer her job to her son early?

It was because Auntie Zhao only had one son and one daughter, and Zhao Yuanchao was the only child in the family. Auntie Zhao couldn't bear to see her son suffer in the countryside, so she arranged for Zhao Yuejin to start working early.

Back then, the policy was that if you had a job, you didn't have to go to the countryside for manual labor.

As for Auntie Wang, she had three sons and two daughters in her lifetime. Her two eldest daughters were already married, and her three sons all had jobs; the brothers Da Jiang and Chang Jiang were already married with children.

Only Wang Sanjiang was unmarried, but the kid already had a girlfriend; he was just hardworking and didn't plan on marrying in the short term.

This meant Auntie Wang and her husband had almost no burdens, but his mother was different.

The three of them had barely established themselves, the fourth had just secured a job and had marriage to attend to.

But the fifth and sixth were still in school. If Mom kept taking sick leave and could only draw a basic salary, she wouldn't be able to afford the fifth and sixth's tuition and various living expenses.

Only by working normally could she receive her full salary and various benefits.

He could think of this problem, so it was impossible the eldest brother couldn't. He just wasn't willing to face it.

It was at this moment that a sudden realization flashed through the second brother's mind: no wonder Mom wanted to settle accounts with the eldest brother.

Looking at his eldest brother, whose face was flushed from his neck to his forehead, the second brother suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

"Second Brother, go and persuade Mom, will you? If this keeps up, I won't be able to take it."

"How am I supposed to persuade her? With Mom's current temper, she'll beat me up before I even open my mouth."

The second brother shook his head, picked up the bottle, and continued pouring himself more wine.

"Big Brother, try to be more optimistic. Mom still has the fifth and sixth to support; she really does have it hard."

"Just because she has it hard, she gets to make things difficult for me?"

Zhang Jianguo shouted without thinking. He then pressed both hands on the table and stared at the second brother, only speaking after a long silence.

"Second Brother, you've changed."

This kid used to be the most impulsive and reckless one, yet without realizing it, his temperament had become restrained.

Was it because of his wife?

As they say, a bad wife brings misfortune to three generations, and vice versa. Because of his wife, the second brother had changed his nature.

"Isn't that a joke, Big Brother? I'm just a temporary worker, making only twenty-odd yuan a month. It was fine to be reckless before, but if I keep acting like this now, won't people laugh at me?

Mom was right about one thing: I'm basically a live-in son-in-law now. If I don't watch my step while eating and living here, won't I just be kicked out?"

The second brother gave a self-deprecating laugh and drained his cup in one gulp.

Zhang Jianguo leaned back in his chair, staring at him with wide eyes.

"You're doing the right thing. You really do need to fix your attitude. With the Wang family's connections and influence, even if it's for your wife's sake, your father-in-law will arrange everything perfectly for you."

The second brother's marriage into the Wang family could be considered a stroke of great luck.

"You think too highly of me, Big Brother. You know I have no education and no ability. I don't even know what I'm capable of."

When he used to roam the streets, he felt capable, as if nothing could stop him.

But since coming into contact with the Wang family, he felt like a common chicken that had fallen into a peacock garden.

He saw how every one of them had impressive talents and specialties, while he, from head to toe, had nothing to show for himself except his physical build.

This also caused him to fall into a state of self-isolation for several days every time he had a gathering with the Wang family.

"You're wrong to think that. You are the company you keep. Learn more from your father-in-law in the future. He's a factory director; his vision and breadth of mind are incomparable to ordinary people.

When the time comes, if you have your father-in-law pull some strings, he'll surely be able to arrange a decent position for you."

Zhang Jianguo stood up unsteadily and walked over to pat him on the shoulder.

"It's good to lean against a big tree for shade. You're doing much better than me; I have to fight my battles alone, which is exhausting... We are biological brothers; we should support each other in the future. If you run into any trouble, you can tell me, and I'll help you come up with ideas."

(End of Chapter)