North Family Letters

The arguing in the farmhouse finally subsided. The food on the table had gone cold, and locust petals lay scattered on the corner of the table, unnoticed. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the distribution of the inheritance, and they could no longer hide their thoughts.

The eldest sister spoke first, her voice hoarse, and laid out the accounts clearly: "When Dad divorced Mom years ago, he received a full 100,000 yuan from the sale of the old house, which he kept in his own savings account. He didn't leave a word before he passed away. This money, plus his demobilization allowance and funeral expenses, totals 142,000 yuan. There are also his military medals and old belongings. Let's settle this today."

As soon as she finished speaking, the third sister immediately sat down, her eyes resolute, showing no intention of backing down: "I'll take almost all of that 100,000 yuan from the house sale. In the last two years of Father's life, he was unable to take care of himself, and I took care of him entirely by myself. Eating, drinking, toileting, medical treatment, medicine, hiring caregivers—everything costs money. His meager retirement savings were simply not enough to cover it, and I even contributed a lot myself. Of this 100,000 yuan, I'll take 95,000 yuan, and the remaining 4,700 yuan will be divided together with the other money."

Upon hearing this, the fourth sister instantly exploded, slamming her hand on the table and standing up: "Third brother, you've gone too far! That's the money Dad got from selling the house; it's his personal property. Why do you have the right to take 99% of it? Which of us hasn't fulfilled our filial duties? The eldest sister sends money every month, the second sister brings back loads of gifts during holidays, I come to relieve you when I'm on my day off, and Xiaoman and Xiaoya often come to take care of them too. Are you the only one who's working so hard?"

Xiaoman and Xiaoya's eyes also reddened, and they echoed in a low voice, feeling indignant. That 100,000 yuan was the largest sum of money their father had left them, and their third sister had almost pocketed it all. It was really unreasonable.

The third sister, her neck stiff, her face a mixture of grievance and defiance, said defiantly, "I stay by Dad's side every day, tending to his needs, doing his laundry and cooking. If he's not feeling well at night, I don't dare sleep a wink. Can you do that? Filial piety isn't just about giving money; it's about the time and energy I expend. I deserve this money!"

The situation reached a stalemate again. The eldest sister looked at her younger sisters, who were arguing heatedly, and felt both sad and tired. Remembering her father's dying wish for harmony among the sisters, she finally sighed and waved her hand: "I'll give up my share. I don't want a single penny, and I won't keep a single item."

The second sister looked at the eldest sister, then at the third sister who was throwing a tantrum, her eyes filled with disappointment, and she finally relented: "I'll give up too. You can divide my share among yourselves. I don't want anything."

With the eldest and second eldest brothers relenting, the remaining siblings lost their nerve to argue. Fourth Sister, Xiaoman, and Xiaoya, seeing their stubborn third sister, finally gave in and had to swallow their anger.

In the end, of the 100,000 yuan her father received from selling the house, the third sister took 95,000 yuan, almost keeping it all for herself; the remaining 5,000 yuan, along with the 42,000 yuan left over from the demobilization allowance and funeral expenses, totaling 47,000 yuan, was divided equally among the fourth sister, Xiaoman, and Xiaoya.

The third sister took the most valuable military badge and old pocket watch from her father's military medals, military badges, and other belongings. The remaining letters, photo albums, and palm-leaf fans were distributed among the fourth, fifth, and sixth sisters. The eldest and second sisters left empty-handed, without any valuables or belongings.

Without a written agreement or any fairness, the matter was hastily settled. The third sister clutched the bankbook, protecting the money tightly in her hand, without a trace of remorse on her face; the fourth sister, Xiaoman, and Xiaoya held the meager sum of money, their faces ashen with resentment; the eldest and second eldest stood aside, watching this scene, their hearts filled with sorrow.

The six sisters, who had once been harmonious, divided the inheritance without exchanging a single word. They each turned and walked out of the farmhouse, their deep sibling bond shattered in the face of this money. The argument resurfaced, the topic turning to the 100,000 yuan in savings that had been part of their parents' property division during their divorce. This money, which had always been in their father's name, was the most coveted asset for everyone.

The third sister stood firm, defending herself with a strong sense of righteous indignation, her words laced with grievance: "Dad stayed at my house for many years to recuperate, and I took care of all his needs, from food and drink to daily life. Later, when he was hospitalized for coronary heart disease and had a stent implanted, I paid for all the medical and nursing expenses, big and small. The old man needed to take medication and have regular checkups year-round, which was exhausting and costly; I poured all my money and energy into it. I should rightfully take the lion's share of this 100,000 yuan from the sale of the house; the vast majority should be mine, and no one can say anything about it."

She believed that she had given the most, with huge expenses for hospitalization and surgery, and therefore it was only right that she kept all of her savings, insisting on keeping almost all of them for herself.

When these words reached the ears of Fourth Sister and Xiaoman, the two immediately couldn't help but retort, and their long-suppressed dissatisfaction finally erupted.

"That's not fair," Fourth Sister said bluntly and stubbornly. "Dad is a retired veteran, and military medical benefits are already very generous. The reimbursement rate for hospitalization is extremely high. The government reimbursed the vast majority of all procedures for the heart stent. We've seen the receipts, and the out-of-pocket expenses were minimal. You keep saying you spent a lot, but you didn't actually pay much out of pocket.

Xiaoman chimed in, her voice tinged with resentment: "Yes, most of the expenses were covered by medical insurance, and the receipts are clear. We're not being unreasonable; we acknowledge how hard it is for you to take care of Father, but you can't deliberately exaggerate the expenses and use the reimbursement as an excuse to monopolize Father's savings."

The third sister's face darkened upon hearing this. She refused to agree, insisting that the daily care expenses were invisible and that she should pay for all the medicine and care herself. She was unwilling to back down an inch and insisted that she should take the majority of the 100,000 yuan house payment.

The older woman stood silently for a long time, her eyes filled with exhaustion. Having gone through this ordeal, she was utterly weary. She softly said, "I'm giving up all my shares. I don't want a single penny."

Seeing her siblings arguing endlessly, their family ties eroding, the second sister felt a chill in her heart and slowly nodded, "I'll give up too. I won't fight for money or possessions."

The eldest and second eldest brothers readily abstained from voting, no longer getting involved in the conflicts of interest.

The final conclusion is as follows:

Of the 100,000 yuan in savings that came from the divorce settlement, the third sister insisted on taking the largest portion, citing the need for long-term support and care for her during her illness. Even though military medical insurance covered most of the medical and stent costs, leaving very little out-of-pocket expense, she still refused to budge.

The remaining small amount of money, along with the surplus from funeral expenses, was divided among the fourth, fifth, and sixth sons.

Among the various belongings, the valuable personal items went to the third sister, while the remaining odds and ends were distributed among the three younger sisters.

The eldest and second eldest sisters arrived empty-handed, without taking anything.

After the meal, everyone was estranged. The third sister thought she was right and felt at peace with herself; the fourth and fifth sisters knew the accounts were inaccurate but kept their grievances to themselves; the eldest and second sisters saw through people's true nature and were left only with a deep sense of sorrow. The six sisters, who had once relied on each other, had silently developed an insurmountable rift due to money and calculation.