Chapter 7: Diverse Motives

Their family lived in a mechanical factory staff dormitory, a layout with three bedrooms and a living room, plus an independent kitchen and bathroom—all thanks to the old man’s connections.

Currently, she lived in one room by herself, the third son and his wife in another, the fourth and fifth sons in the third, and the youngest, the sixth, lived alone in the living room, separated by a curtain around a 1.2-meter bunk bed.

After dinner, the third son was dragged back to his room by his wife, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.

Although she had spoken her mind today, based on her understanding of the eldest son and his wife, they wouldn't just let it go.

Unfortunately, you may have a thousand plans, but I have my old ways.

Once the house was completely quiet, Li Xiangqin lay in bed, calmed down, and couldn't help but replay the events of the day.

Having died once, she saw through the coldness of her children completely. Striking back felt like no burden at all, and her mind even felt much clearer for it.

She thought about it: they, as parents, bore an undeniable responsibility for raising their children to be so ungrateful and heartless.

They had liked to take on everything, willing to sacrifice and pour everything they had into their children. They said it was because they didn't want their children to suffer the hardships they once had.

Perhaps it was this behavior that fostered a sense of dependency in the children. They felt that their parents treating them well was only natural.

Much like the "sense of boundaries" that young people in later generations were always talking about, she and the old man had over-involved themselves; they had surely crossed the line.

It truly lived up to the saying: "A measure of rice breeds gratitude, a bushel of rice breeds enmity."

It was their over-exertion as parents that had allowed their children and grandchildren to cling to them like bloodsuckers, raising them into white-eyed wolves who only knew how to take and lacked any sense of gratitude.

Fortunately, the heavens took pity on her and gave her a chance to start over.

With nearly twenty years of life left, she would live it to the fullest.

With a plan in mind, Li Xiangqin soon fell asleep.

In the next room, the third son and his wife were whispering to each other in bed.

"Third Brother~, don't you think Mom was very strange today?" Zhao Meijuan rested one hand on his chest, looking up at him.

"What's so strange about it?" The third son reached out to pull his wife closer and kissed her on the forehead.

Zhao Meijuan rolled her eyes at him. No wonder her mother-in-law always scolded him for only growing in height and not in brains; he was truly hopelessly dense.

"Mom had an unusually bad temper today. She didn't even give the eldest brother and sister-in-law any face. It doesn't make sense."

In the past, Mom valued the eldest couple the most. Whenever she mentioned them, she would grin from ear to ear; she was never anything but boastful about them.

"What's the big deal? Dad is gone, Mom is heartbroken and has nowhere to vent her anger. It just so happened that the eldest brother walked right into the line of fire, eyeing the consolation money. If she doesn't scold him, who is she going to scold?" The third son chuckled, his tone filled with schadenfreude.

Zhao Meijuan stared at him silently. This brainless man—did he forget that he himself had been beaten and scolded too?

How did he have the face to laugh at others?

"Do you think Mom really doesn't plan to split the consolation money among you sons?"

"Who knows? Mom is overly sad today, so she's definitely just saying whatever comes to mind. She'll be fine in a while."

The third son wasn't worried about that. In any case, the money in Mom's pocket would eventually be spent on them, the brothers. At worst, he would just cry and complain a few more times to get her to chip in a bit more.

"Why is your brain so slow? Is that what I meant?"

Zhao Meijuan was too annoyed to let it go and pinched his waist.

She sighed inwardly. Zhang Jianshe was simple-minded and easy to control, but being too stupid was also irritating. Talking to him was exhausting.

"Hiss~, Wife, why are you pinching me?"

The third son grabbed her hand and quickly begged for mercy.

"Whatever you mean, I'll listen to you. Ever since we started dating, when have I ever not stood on your side?"

"You're sensible enough."

Zhao Meijuan hummed coquettishly. One of the reasons she chose Zhang Jianshe was that he was obedient.

"Sigh~, Mom is going back to work in a few days and won't be able to watch the eldest sister-in-law's kids anymore. I wonder if the eldest sister-in-law will make a scene?"

Zhang Yanli relied on her mother-in-law's favoritism to look down on her, both openly and covertly. She was looking forward to seeing the eldest sister-in-law lose her mind.

"What face does she have to make a scene? Mom raised her two kids; it should be our turn next." As the third son said this, he looked down at his soft wife, and his hands began to wander.

"Hey~, stop it..."

But at this moment, the eldest son, Zhang Jianguo, and his wife, who had returned home, couldn't sleep.

Zhang Yanli coaxed the two children to sleep, washed up, and sat in front of the vanity. She opened a jar of face cream, scooped some out to warm in her palms, and patted it gently onto her face.

"What do you think Mom really means? She just stopped watching the kids like that?"

Zhang Jianguo took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Dad's passing was too sudden. It's understandable that Mom can't accept it for a while. You'll have to bear the burden of looking after them for now. We'll talk after Mom has had some time to recover."

"How long is 'a while'? Let me tell you, I can't afford to delay for too long."

Zhang Yanli curled her lip. The old man didn't die for nothing; he left a pocketful of money, and she was clutching it all to her chest, terrified they would take a single cent.

"I know. We have to let her recover for a bit, otherwise, if she gets sick from holding it all in, it'll still be our responsibility."

Zhang Jianguo sighed. Mom was right; their family relied entirely on Dad. With the pillar of the family suddenly gone, he felt empty inside too.

"What do you mean 'our responsibility'? Your mom didn't just give birth to you as her only son. This is a new society; we believe in gender equality. Providing for the elderly is the duty of all children.

Besides, your mom is still clutching a pocketful of money. No matter what, there's no need for you to play the hero."

Zhang Yanli huffed, climbed into bed, and lay down.

"Your mom is too biased. Dad's consolation money clearly belongs to everyone, yet she only wants to spend it on the fifth and sixth sons. Don't you think that's too much?"

"What can I do? That's my mother. Besides, the fifth and sixth are still in school; they'll need money for jobs and such later. Mom's salary alone really can't support two students."

Zhang Jianguo wiped his glasses with a cloth and spoke helplessly. He had just mentioned it today and was scolded to pieces by his mother.

If he brought it up again, Mom would skin him alive.

"Raising the children you gave birth to is what Mom said today. Dad's inheritance should be split among everyone. By what right does she strip you of your share?"

The more Zhang Yanli thought about it, the angrier she got. She sat straight up and leaned against the headboard.

"Your mom is being arbitrary and dictatorial. It's against the law. Be careful, or no one will take care of you when you're old."

"What nonsense are you spouting? That's my mother, your mother-in-law, not an enemy. She watched our kids for five or six years, at least."

Zhang Jianguo glanced at her, his expression sour. But Zhang Yanli didn't care at all; she huffed, lay down, and turned her back to him.

"I'm warning you, convince your mom as soon as possible. Your son is very naughty; I can't take it for much longer."

Zhang Jianguo had been tired all day and hadn't received a single kind look from his mother, so he was already irritable. Hearing his wife's impatient tone, he turned to look at her.

"You are the children's mother; taking care of them is your responsibility. Mom has a job too. She only took sick leave to watch our kids. Which mother-in-law would do that much? Don't be ungrateful."