Something that my Dad did (me also) that freaked my Mum out.
The eldest ALWAYS sends half of his/her wages back to the family until the second eldest is old enough to earn a living.
Mum always said that the only person she ever feared was Lily, Dad’s Mum. The TARTAR supreme :o)
She was 20 and Dad 21 when they got married and she had to talk to Lily about all the money going to his new family.
BTW – I was born less than a year later!!!
Lily agreed. Because Uncle Jim, Dad’s younger brother was also out earning a living wage.
M.C. Beaton uses this tradition brilliantly.
Hamish is always 35 in the books and his parents had no more kids until he was in his teens. His next eldest brother is still in school and wants to go to University.
I think his parents birthed at least 5 kids in later life. The number changes in the books.
This is why Hamish poaches fish and wins hill runs and shooting competitions to supplement his wages.