Chapter 142: Chapter 142: From Treasure to Grass?
"Old Fourth, don’t speak!"
Old Yuan glanced at Yuan Zhaodi, then turned to Mrs. Xiao Li and said, "Fourth daughter-in-law, discuss this matter with Old Fourth when you get back. Whatever you two decide will be final!"
Mrs. Xiao Li glanced at her father-in-law and then lowered her head.
In fact, just as Mrs. Li had mentioned earlier, Mrs. Xiao Li also had concerns in her heart about the special treatment Yuan Bao received.
In this era, men were prioritized over women.
Women’s status was always lower than men’s.
Whether it was Mrs. Li, Mrs. Song, or Mrs. Peng, or even Mrs. Xiao Li, when they were girls in their parental home, their status was not as high as their brothers’.
When it came to work, they had to be at the forefront; during mealtime, they had to line up at the back, or just watch.
In their hearts, sons were more important than daughters.
Even if it was their own daughters, they shouldn’t be more important than sons.
"Alright then, everything that needed to be said has been said!"
"In the future, I won’t say anymore or intervene!"
"When spring comes, let’s see how things turn out. If it’s possible to build new houses, then each family will build its own house!"
Old Yuan also wished for the family to live harmoniously together.
But the current situation made it clearly impossible.
Forget it, if we must divide the family, then let’s divide it!
...
After this incident, the Yuan Family truly split up, unlike before, when the so-called division of the family seemed more like a threat.
This time, the division was so thorough that Old Yuan even clearly divided up all the household possessions, and they no longer cooked meals together, but each family prepared its own meals.
Old Yuan and Mrs. Zeng, along with the youngest son Yuan Yindi who was not yet married, lived together. They did not, as initially stated during the first division, live with Yuan Zhaodi and Mrs. Xiao Li.
Yuan Bao somewhat understood why the family became like this, but she dared not ask or say anything.
A little kid, if they spoke fluently, it wouldn’t matter; knowing a bit more could be understandable. But comprehending such matters seemed unrealistic.
"Dad, Mom, why aren’t we eating with Grandpa and Grandma anymore?"
At the first meal after the division, Yuan Zhaodi and Mrs. Xiao Li made a simple egg drop soup and some cornbread.
The egg drop soup tasted good, but there wasn’t much of it.
Moreover, this was the first time Yuan Bao did not eat until she was full.
They had two bowls of egg drop soup, one for each of the siblings. As the older brother, Yuan Shouhu’s bowl obviously had more eggs and dumplings, while Yuan Bao’s bowl appeared to have more but was actually quite watery and not filling.
The moment the family separated, Yuan Bao’s living standards immediately dropped a notch.
"Mom, I’m not full!"
After finishing a bowl of the soup, Yuan Bao looked eagerly towards her mother.
"Be good, eating until you’re eighty percent full is enough, otherwise Jiaojiao won’t look good!"
"You won’t be pretty anymore!"
Mrs. Xiao Li replied with a smile when she heard Yuan Bao’s words, gently patting her head as a form of comfort.
As for Yuan Zhaodi, her real father, he said nothing.
Upon hearing Mrs. Xiao Li’s words, Yuan Bao didn’t make a fuss.
She wasn’t a real baby, so naturally, she wouldn’t cause a scene just for a bite to eat.
She said, "I’m not full," just to see what her mother’s attitude toward her was.
Unfortunately, in her mother’s heart, her position was not higher than her brother’s!
In other words, if there was no change, this treasured Yuan of the Yuan Family would likely no longer receive the special treatment of the past and might gradually become just a nobody.