Chapter 258: 1983, The Split! [6000 Words]

Chapter 258: 1983, The Split! [6000 Words]



In this era, farming wasn't yet fully mechanized. Whether it was plowing or cultivating, oxen were essential for the job, making them a prized possession for farmers. These oxen were often only slaughtered for meat when they were too old or had died of natural causes.

This underscores just how vital oxen were to farmers.

However, households that hadn't built adequate shelters to protect their oxen from the cold and frost could only watch helplessly as their oxen froze to death one by one.

One, two, three...

In his previous life, according to the Baise County Annals, 2,549 oxen died from the cold that year, causing tremendous losses for the farmers.

In this life, although Deng Shirong had issued a warning, his influence only extended to the Bangjie Brigade. Beyond that, only the relatives and friends in Naye Village and a few cautious individuals heeded his warning.

He couldn't reach everyone else.

As a result, while the oxen in the Bangjie Brigade remained unharmed, most other brigades suffered losses, varying only in the number of oxen that died.

If it had just been chickens and ducks, the impact would have been minimal. But with oxen dying in such large numbers—dozens to hundreds in each commune—the news caused a significant uproar.

Amid the widespread devastation, the villagers of Naye Village and the entire Bangjie Brigade were immensely grateful to Uncle Jiugong. They knew that if he hadn't warned them in advance, their oxen might have been among those that froze to death.

In the days that followed, Deng Shirong received a steady stream of gifts from the villagers of the surrounding areas. Though the gifts weren't valuable, they were heartfelt tokens of appreciation.

...

Before they knew it, the Gregorian year 1982 had come to an end, and 1983, a year of special significance, had arrived.

In the middle of the night, a significant event occurred in Naye Village. The oldest person in the village, who had been gravely ill, was rushed to the Ahzu Gong Hall by his descendants, who carried him there with flashlights.

In the bitter cold, the elderly man, who was already on his last breath, passed away quietly as his family laid him down on a mat.

In Baise, there are traditional customs for funerals, with little variation across different regions.

When someone dies, the family first washes the body with a scented towel and dresses the deceased in new clothes, shoes, and socks, which are usually prepared in advance by the deceased's daughter. If there is no daughter, another family member takes on this responsibility. The body is then wrapped in yellow hemp, with a silver or copper coin placed in the mouth and a rice ball in the hands. The body is carried on a wooden stretcher to the Ahzu Gong Hall, where it is covered with a mosquito net. An altar is set up, and a long-burning lamp is lit.

The family then lays mats on the floor of the hall, kneels, and weeps, staying there to "keep vigil" throughout the night.

Of course, this is only for those who die at home. If someone dies outside under unfortunate circumstances, they are not allowed into the Ahzu Gong Hall.

The commotion in the middle of the night was hard to ignore, and most people knew what was happening.

Deng Shirong, woken by the noise, recognized who had passed away. If he were to follow the family hierarchy, the deceased was his clan nephew, born in the late Qing Dynasty, who was 83 years old. His health had been declining over the past two years, so his passing was not unexpected.

Understanding the situation, Deng Shirong went back to sleep.

Birth, aging, illness, and death are inevitable for everyone. Having already experienced death once, Deng Shirong had long come to terms with it.

During the 1960s and 1970s, funerals were kept simple due to well-known reasons.

However, it was now 1983, and the ancient funeral traditions were making a comeback.

First, they would invite the Daoist priests to perform a "ritual" to guide the deceased's soul to the afterlife. The duration of the ritual depended on the family's financial means, ranging from one night to three or seven consecutive nights.

For the next three days and nights, the entire Naye Village was enveloped in a somber atmosphere of mournful music and cries.

The burial time varied by commune in Baise. According to the rules in Shuangwang, all happy events were held in the morning, while funerals were held in the afternoon. Some communes had the opposite rule.

Three days later, in the afternoon, the funeral procession began. The coffin was draped in a red cloth, and the family wailed in grief.

After the coffin was carried out of the Ahzu Gong Hall, the eldest son had to crawl under it three times, a ritual known as "building the bridge." The Daoist priests recited prayers to guide the way, while the eldest grandson (or another younger relative if there was no eldest grandson) carried the spirit tablet. The mourners, with white bands on their sleeves (black bands in some places), led the procession, carrying banners and sounding gongs and cymbals, while fireworks were set off and paper money was scattered along the way.

The direct descendants wore mourning clothes, and the eldest son held a ceremonial staff while walking beside the coffin, followed by the rest of the family who escorted the procession.

As the funeral procession passed by any home, that household would set off a string of firecrackers.

Deng Shirong's home lay on the procession’s route. When the funeral passed by, he set off a string of firecrackers and watched the funeral procession depart, silently reciting the name of his clan nephew, hoping that he would have a chance to live another life and not suffer as much as he did in this one.

...

Poxin Village.

Today was the end of the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, and the Zhang family was closing their doors to do their monthly accounting.

After about ten minutes, Zhang Shouguo announced the month's profit with a smile, "Father, Mother, our shop made 436 yuan this month."

Zhang Zhenfa's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Big son, are you sure about this number? You didn't make a mistake, did you?"

Zhang Shouguo laughed, "Father, I checked it twice. It's definitely correct."

Zhang's mother beamed, "That's wonderful! We made over thirty yuan more than last month. Our business is really improving."

Zhang's eldest daughter-in-law and second daughter-in-law also wore broad smiles.

Although they hadn't separated from the family yet, and all the profits went into the elder's coffers, their in-laws, influenced by the youngest daughter, would set aside a small portion of the profit for the two of them each month.

Their little savings now amounted to over two hundred yuan, which they could spend as they pleased. This was a cause for celebration, as this private stash was better than what ninety-nine percent of the village's daughters-in-law had.

Only those who had just married and brought enough dowry money, or those who had already separated and managed their own households, could compare.

Zhang Zhenfa picked up his tobacco pipe from the side, took a pinch of tobacco from the bag on the table, and stuffed it into the pipe while saying, "December is the best month for business. Last December, our shop made a little over four hundred yuan. This year, we might make five or six hundred."

Zhang Shoumin chuckled, "Father, Mother, this year, our shop is sure to make over four thousand yuan. Shouldn't we start thinking about building a new house?"

Zhang's second daughter-in-law also chimed in, "Yes, Father, Mother, we have the money now. Although our current house is still livable, when Aiping and her husband come to visit, it's hard to arrange proper rooms for them. We all saw how comfortable their house is. It would be very inconvenient for them to stay in our current house. So, I think we should definitely build a new house."

Who wouldn't want to live in a new house if they could?

Seeing their second son and daughter-in-law take the lead, the eldest son and daughter-in-law, as well as Zhang Shoujun and Zhang Shoushan, also agreed, unanimously supporting the idea of building a new house.

Zhang Zhenfa struck a match, took a few puffs of his pipe, and then smiled, "We've been thinking about building a new house for a while. We planned to start after the New Year when the weather warms up. We were going to discuss it with you during the holiday, but since the topic has come up, let's talk about it now."

Zhang Shouguo nodded, "Father, go ahead."

Zhang Zhenfa placed his pipe aside and said, "We plan to learn from our in-laws in Naye and build a new house with green bricks and large tiles, complete with bathrooms. Each of you four brothers will have one, and we two old folks will have one, making a total of five connected houses. We estimate it will cost around four thousand yuan. What do you think?"

Zhang Shouguo had always envied his brother-in-law's house. Hearing his father's plan, he immediately agreed, "Father, I think this is a great idea. Our house should be like that."

Zhang Shoumin also nodded vigorously, "I agree. We all know how comfortable his house is. If we build such a house, we'll be unique in Poxin Village."

Zhang's eldest and second daughters-in-law also voiced their approval. Each brother having his own house, even though they hadn't separated from the family, meant they could have more control. For them, this was a significant advantage, especially when their own families visited.

Zhang's mother looked at her third son and said, "Xiaojun, you're not young anymore. Once the new house is built, we can start looking for a wife for you."

Zhang Shoujun was already nineteen years old and would be twenty by the time the new house was built next year.

In modern times, most people his age would still be in school or not ready to get married right after graduation.

But in this era, both men and women wanted to get married by the age of twenty, and Zhang Shoujun was no exception.

The reason for this difference was simple: in modern times, young people might not get married, but they could have girlfriends and satisfy their needs, living like married couples.

So, there was no real rush when it came to getting married.

However, in this day and age, if you wanted to satisfy your physical needs, there were only two options: being a craftsman and handling things yourself, or getting married. After all, even couples who had legally registered their marriage often didn't get to consummate it until after the wedding banquet. Furthermore, if a girl let you touch her, you had to plan the wedding soon; there was no escaping responsibility.

Thus, when his mother mentioned finding a wife for him, Zhang Shoujun was not at all opposed. Instead, he responded with eager anticipation.

After discussing the house construction, Zhang’s mother took out the money on the table and handed two large bills to each of her daughters-in-law, saying, "You've both worked hard this month. This is for you. Keep it well."

"Thank you, Mom!"

"Thank you, Mom!"

Zhang’s eldest and second daughters-in-law took the money with a smile and put it away.

Noticing the youngest two sons stretching their necks to look, Zhang’s mother gave each of them ten yuan, scolding them with a smile, "You two, spend it wisely. We’re planning to build a house next year and get Xiaojun married, so we have a lot of expenses coming up!"

"Understood!"

The two brothers took the money, their lips curling into small smiles. Though ten yuan wasn’t much, it wasn’t insignificant either, and it would be enough to impress their peers in the village.

...

Nayi Village.

A family was dividing their household, and as the village’s most senior elder, Deng Shirong was naturally invited to witness the event. Deng Yunjun, the village head, was also present.

The family in question was the Deng Changxin household, where he was dividing his eldest son, Deng Siwen, and his second son, Deng Siwu, into separate households.

When Deng Shirong arrived, the atmosphere was tense. Deng Changxin and his wife looked grim, and their two sons and their wives were silent, their faces dark. The other children stood by silently, indicating that this division was not a normal one but a result of discord among the brothers and their wives.

In his previous life, Deng Shirong had been invited to witness this event, so he knew exactly what was going on.

In short, the division was caused by Deng Siwu’s wife, who claimed to have a stomachache and avoided household chores. Over time, this had led to strong dissatisfaction from the eldest daughter-in-law and the mother-in-law, resulting in the current situation.

However, Deng Shirong knew that Deng Siwu’s wife wasn’t just pretending to have a stomachache; she genuinely had a stomach ailment, but she had never been to the hospital and had mistaken her stomach pain for a stomachache.

It wasn’t until the pain became severe and she fainted one day that she was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a stomach condition. But that was after the household division.

Originally, dividing the household was something many daughters-in-law dreamed of. After all, once the household was divided, they would no longer be under the thumb of their mother-in-law and could run their own home.

But that was something that would happen after many years of marriage, not for a newlywed. In the countryside, people got married young. For example, Deng Siwu and his wife were only twenty and eighteen, respectively. For such young people to have to run their own household, it was understandable that they would feel anxious.

It wasn’t just about supporting themselves; they would have to raise children without the help of their parents, and the challenges of that were only known to those who had experienced it.

Therefore, knowing the situation, Deng Shirong felt he should offer some advice. He looked at Deng Changxin and said, "Changxin, your second daughter-in-law has only been with you for a few months. Dividing the household now will invite gossip. I think you should reconsider."

Deng Yunjun also chimed in, "Changxin, Uncle Jiu is right. You should think it through. If you must divide the household, at least wait a year or two."

Deng Changxin sighed, his face worried. "Uncle Jiu, Captain, I understand what you’re saying, but this division is necessary."

As the saying goes, every family has its own set of problems. Deng Shirong had no intention of interfering in others' family matters. No matter how fair you tried to be, someone would always be dissatisfied. So, after offering his advice, he remained silent and took on the role of a witness.

Deng Yunjun and the others did the same, offering a kind word of advice but not pressing the matter further.

Next, under the witness of Deng Shirong and others, Deng Changxin divided the household between his two sons.

During the division, Deng Shirong and the other witnesses noticed that Deng Siwu’s wife was being unfairly targeted. For example, when dividing the rice, it was said that the eldest son and his wife had worked more, so they should get a larger share.

The same went for the land; it was claimed that the eldest son’s wife and her grandson had received a share from the production team, so they should get more.

This pattern continued, with the eldest son receiving more and the second son receiving less.

Initially, Deng Shirong and the others were just there to witness the division, and they had no say in how the family chose to divide their assets.

However, when the eldest daughter-in-law proposed that Deng Siwu’s leather coat, bought for his wedding, should be valued and divided, and the mother-in-law agreed, Deng Shirong could no longer stand by.

In his previous life, Deng Shirong had also witnessed this scene. The leather jacket was bought by Deng Siwu with his own earnings for 25 yuan, and it was truly being brought up for valuation and division. At the time, although he felt they were going too far, he still held back, considering it a family matter. In the end, neither he nor the team leader said a word.

But this time, Deng Shirong couldn’t hold back. He spoke up, "Let’s not talk about the past. There’s no need to divide this jacket, right? After all, they are still brothers. Just because they’ve split the household, does it mean they can’t even see each other anymore?"

Deng Yunjun and the others also couldn’t stand it. If Uncle Jiu hadn’t spoken up, they wouldn’t have gotten involved, but since Uncle Jiu had taken the lead, they naturally had to chime in.

"That’s right. How you divide the other things is up to you; it’s your family’s business. But to bring up a jacket for valuation and division is really going too far."

"As the saying goes, leave a bit of goodwill for future encounters. There’s no need to divide a jacket like this."

"Changxin, this is your own son!"

"..."

Seeing Uncle Jiu and the team leader speak up, Deng Changxin’s face fell. He glared at his wife and said, "Forget the jacket. Let’s continue dividing the rest."

His wife felt a bit disappointed, but since Uncle Jiu had spoken, she dared not say anything more.

So, they skipped the jacket and continued with the division.

Half an hour later, under the witness of Deng Shirong and others, the brothers Deng Siwen and Deng Siwu completed the division of their household. Throughout the process, the two brothers hardly spoke; it was their wives who handled everything.

In the end, Deng Siwu received 169 pounds of grain, 0.6 acres of land, one room, one chicken, one duck, and a pig and a cow, which, along with the cash at home, amounted to 132.6 yuan. He also got one iron bed frame, several quilts, mattresses, pots, and pans, and a tenth of the mountain land. There were also various farming tools.

After the division, as soon as Deng Yunjun and the others left, Deng Siwu’s wife clutched her upper left abdomen and squatted down, looking in pain.

Seeing this, his sister-in-law and mother-in-law showed looks of disgust, thinking she was just pretending.

Not to mention the others, even her own husband, Deng Siwu, didn’t ask a single question, which made Deng Shirong shake his head in disappointment, feeling that this woman had truly suffered a great misfortune by marrying into their family.

He put down his tobacco pipe and asked, "Eight Sister, are you okay?"

Chen Bamei, despite the cold sweat breaking out on her forehead from the pain, gritted her teeth and shook her head, saying, "Uncle Jiu, I’m fine."

"You’re in so much pain, how can you be fine?"

Deng Shirong then turned to Deng Siwu and said, "Your wife seems to have a stomach problem. Take her to the county hospital for a check-up tomorrow. This illness can be serious if not treated properly, and you’ll regret it if you don’t take it seriously."

Deng Siwu, who had been silent, was taken aback and asked, "Uncle Jiu, you think my wife has a stomach problem?"

Deng Shirong replied, "She’s holding her upper left abdomen, which is where the stomach is. I know a bit about her condition, and I don’t want to meddle in your family affairs, but it’s clear she has a stomach problem. Take her to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up. Don’t let a small illness turn into a big one, understand?"

Deng Siwu quickly nodded, then went to help his wife, feeling a bit ashamed.

His family members, who were all present, heard what Deng Shirong said, and their faces showed a mix of emotions.

After all, the reason for this division was that Deng Siwu’s wife was "pretending to be sick" and not working. But now, hearing Uncle Jiu’s words, it seemed that Chen Bamei’s illness was real. If this was true, they were in a difficult position.

Deng Changxin opened his mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing, letting out a sigh.

After giving his reminder, Deng Shirong didn’t stay any longer and left, hands behind his back.

Deng Siwu helped his wife back to the room to rest and said, full of guilt, "Wife, I’m sorry!"

Chen Bamei lay on the bed like a shrimp, still clutching her upper left abdomen, and didn’t respond.

Seeing this, Deng Siwu knew that his lack of trust had hurt his wife deeply. He didn’t expect to resolve this with a few words, so he said, "Wife, lie down for a while. I’ll go bring in the things we were given. I’ll take you to the county hospital for a detailed check-up tomorrow."

Seeing that his wife still didn’t respond, he left the room and began moving the items inside without a word.

On the other side, his brother and sister-in-law were also moving their things, but they had a lot more.

His parents and other younger siblings watched from the side.

A family that had once lived in harmony, after this unfair division, would likely never be able to mend the cracks in their hearts.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end