Wang Cuifen and Cripple Xie spent most of the night discussing how to divide the family property, though it was mostly Wang Cuifen talking while Cripple Xie listened. The conversation revolved around arrangements for their children.
The family didn’t have much in terms of valuable assets—little money in the books, and the house was assigned by the factory, meaning they could live there but didn’t own it. There was no farmland, shops, or family wealth to distribute, so disputes over inheritance were unlikely.
Without extra housing, they’d still live together even after dividing the household. Buying separate pots, pans, and other necessities would cost money and require ration coupons, so cooking separately wasn’t practical. They’d still eat together.
Since they’d share meals and living space, the so-called "division" was mostly symbolic.
To Cripple Xie, whether they formally split or not made little difference—life would go on the same way. But since Wang Cuifen insisted, he went along with it.
While their room buzzed with quiet, harmonious chatter, the atmosphere in Xie Jianzhong and Xie Jiankang’s room was unnervingly tense.
Xie Jiankang, unaware that he’d soon be the next target, was still gleefully mocking his older brother.
"Big bro, why so mad? Mom just scolded you—it’s not worth getting so worked up over. You even ended up in the hospital! Your health’s really weak..."
He rambled on, but Xie Jianzhong stayed silent, ignoring him completely. Xie Jiankang grew frustrated and snapped, "Hey, did you go mute? You’re not answering anyone!"
Xie Jianzhong lifted his head, casting a dark glare at his younger brother before coldly replying, "Xie Jiankang, do you want a beating?"
That single sentence shut Xie Jiankang up instantly. He kicked off his shoes, climbed into bed, and pulled the covers over himself in one swift motion.
But after lying there for two minutes, he started fuming again. Why should his brother scold him? Xie Jianzhong was the one who messed up and got lectured—he should be reflecting, not lashing out!
With that thought, Xie Jiankang opened his eyes and grumbled, "What gives you the right to yell at me? I didn’t do anything wrong! You’re the one who’s always messing up. Other older brothers are so much nicer—only you bully people."
In families with many children—some having seven or eight—parents often couldn’t manage them all, so the older siblings took care of the younger ones.
Usually, the eldest would willingly shoulder responsibilities for the younger kids.
The original owner of this body had been like that—sacrificing herself without complaint, volunteering to be a sent-down youth without her parents even asking. Even when her marriage was ruined, she swallowed her grievances because she cared for her sister.
But Xie Jianzhong had always been sickly. How could he handle looking after his siblings? All he saw was Xie Jianhua and the others going out to play without inviting him, or his younger brothers and sisters competing for their parents’ affection...
Wang Cuifen wasn’t wrong to scold him—he really didn’t act like an older brother, and his siblings didn’t respect him either.
He was already heartbroken, and instead of comforting him, Xie Jiankang just laughed at his misery.
Tears welled up in Xie Jianzhong’s eyes as he lay there, letting them silently trail down his temples.
The moment his melancholy aura seeped out, Xie Jiankang immediately clammed up, quietly covering his mouth. He tiptoed out of bed to turn off the light, not daring to provoke him further.
After so many years as brothers, he knew better than to push Xie Jianzhong past his limits.
Su Qing and Xie Jianhua, however, lacked that kind of understanding. Xie Jianhua wanted to chat, but Su Qing simply shut her eyes and went to sleep.
Talking elsewhere was fine—but not in bed.
Su Qing worried her fascinating personality might be too captivating, and Xie Jianhua would fall for her. With them being legally married and sharing a room at night... She narcissistically wrapped herself tighter in her blanket, leaving no opening for Xie Jianhua to flirt.
Since she refused to engage, Xie Jianhua had no choice but to keep his thoughts to himself.
He was genuinely curious—even impressed—by Su Qing’s experiences as a sent-down youth. Someone who hadn’t even finished elementary school yet managed to master high school-level knowledge through sheer effort and time.
A day of farm work was no easier than military training. For someone as physically strong as him, it was manageable, but Su Qing was a slender woman. After exhausting labor, she still found the energy to study.
Her determination alone earned Xie Jianhua’s admiration. With that kind of perseverance, she could succeed at anything.
Before bed, Xie Jianhua even reflected on himself—he hadn’t been working hard enough. Once he returned to the army, he decided, he’d study after training every day...
Just as he was planning his future self-improvement, Su Qing, already asleep, began wriggling toward him.
Xie Jianhua had no improper thoughts about Su Qing. The moment she encroached on his space, he gently pushed her back into place, even adjusting her arms so she lay straight and proper.
He’d done the same the night before. Su Qing was a restless sleeper, so he made sure to reposition her.
It wasn’t that he was overly rigid—he could tell Su Qing wasn’t interested.
Their marriage was unconventional to begin with, and Su Qing made it clear she had no feelings for him. Xie Jianhua had his pride too; he wouldn’t take advantage of her.
But the moment he fixed her posture, Su Qing flailed her arm uncomfortably, tossing half the blanket off and draping her limb over him again.
"You—" Xie Jianhua gritted his teeth, suppressing his annoyance as he pulled the blanket back over her.
Su Qing drowsily half-opened her eyes just in time to see Xie Jianhua tucking the blanket snugly around her shoulders.
"Did I wake you? Sorry, I was just fixing your blanket," Xie Jianhua said awkwardly.
"Thanks~"
Su Qing wasn’t ungrateful. Since he’d acted out of kindness, she murmured her appreciation before drifting back to sleep within seconds.
Once certain she was truly asleep, Xie Jianhua pinched his palm in frustration, cursing inwardly: Stupid hands! Why did you have to wake her? What kind of terrible habit is this?
When he first joined the army, he’d been tricked by the seasoned soldiers, but after years of service, it was now his turn to mess with the new recruits.
Now that he held seniority, he often played the role of the caring senior, secretly tucking blankets over sleeping rookies. But what was the point of warmth and kindness if the recipient didn’t know? They had to "accidentally" notice it.
If you didn’t push recruits to their limits during training, sneaking them food later wouldn’t feel like a reward. If you covered them with a blanket but they never saw it, what was the point?
Adjusting blankets and poking arms around was enough to wake even the most exhausted recruit—let alone Su Qing.
This was a trick Su Qing had never encountered before.
Half-asleep, she hazily thought, Xie Jianhua’s actually a pretty decent guy, tucking blankets for people… Maybe I’ll stop badmouthing him to Wang Cuifen...
