Chapter 8: Obtaining the Divorce Certificate

The clan elder was drinking tea in the main hall, preparing to go to the fields after his meal.

Seeing the two of them enter, he was surprised. “Dashun, why are you two here together?”

Chang Shun, having already prepared himself emotionally, knelt down with a “thump,” his large eyes red as he looked at the clan elder.

Chang Shun quickly explained that He Meiniang was struggling with debt and had decided to remarry.

The village head sighed. Dashun’s family owed a significant amount of debt, incurred from the treatment and funeral expenses for their grandparents. Now, two or three years later, creditors were demanding repayment. The village head himself was among those owed money.

“Dashun, get up first. What does your mother plan to do?”

Chang Chunlai quickly helped the child up.

Chang Shun stood up with his help. The kneeling was simply a show of desperation, and now that the show was over, there was no need to continue kneeling.

“Uncle Clan Elder, we owe sixteen and a half taels, and my mother and I can’t repay it. A few days ago, someone proposed marriage, and we…” He choked up, pausing for a moment.

Clan Elder Chang Chunsan was of the same generation as Chang Shun’s father. He couldn’t help but sigh. Back then, he had been such a handsome young man, and he was also good at studying. Why did he die so young?

These debts were hard-earned money that couldn’t simply be dismissed. Dashun’s family only had one mu of farmland and one mu of land; selling them would yield about fifteen taels, but what would the mother and son eat after that?

Remarriage was a solution, as the land could be sold to repay the debts.

“What are your mother’s plans?”

Chang Shun said, “My mother has no other choice. She wants the prospective husband to provide a bride price to repay the debts. The house belonged to my father, and we don’t want to sell it, so we thought of giving it to my cousin’s family.

We’ll donate the farmland to the clan, and the produce will be used for maintaining the ancestral hall. I believe my father’s spirit in heaven would approve.”

Chang Chunsan was shocked. The farmland and house together were worth at least twenty-five taels. Were the mother and son foolish?

“Dashun, you want to go with your mother? You’re a boy; you shouldn’t be going with her when she remarries. What will outsiders think of our Chang family? You can stay with your cousin’s family, and you can live independently after ten years.”

Chang Shun began to sob, tears streaming down his small face. “Uncle Clan Elder, I want to go with my mother. I’ve already lost my father; I can’t lose my mother.”

Chang Chunlai said, “Village head, the child is young. Since the prospective husband is willing to accept them, let’s allow it. I promise to help take care of their family graves every year.”

This was one of the conditions Chang Shun had agreed to when giving away the house.

Chang Chunsan fell silent. Changjia Village was not wealthy; it was quite poor. The few hundred cash needed for annual ancestral hall repairs were collected from each household. If they had the produce from that mu of farmland and land, they wouldn’t have to worry about those repairs.

“Dashun, who is this person, and why is he willing to offer such a large bride price?”

Chang Shun wiped his tears. “Uncle Clan Elder, he’s from Wanjia Village. He served in the military for seven years, delaying his marriage. Since he doesn’t have a son, he’s willing to take me in. He’s willing to raise the bride price, but the condition is that you, on behalf of the clan, write a divorce certificate for my mother, stating that the clan approves of her changing her surname to Wan.”

Chang Chunsan was puzzled. “Your father has been gone for over five years. Your mother remarrying is perfectly reasonable. Why do you need a divorce certificate?”

Chang Shun shook his head. “I don’t know, but he insists. He said he would come this afternoon. If everything goes well, he will repay the debts this afternoon, and the land deeds will be handed over to you.”

Chang Chunlai saw the village head’s silence. It was probably about Chang Shun going to Wan Village; it all came down to face.

“Village head, just agree. The mother and son are desperate. This person is offering a large bride price because he wants a son. Otherwise, the bride price for a young unmarried woman is only ten or eight taels.”

In truth, he didn’t understand either. Meiniang was pretty, but could beauty feed them?

Sixteen and a half taels could buy at least two wives.

Chang Chunsan thought it over. Chang Shun was the only child in his family. Chunlai was the closest to them, and he had also spoken up. Fine, no one could speak for the dead.

“Dashun, alright. I’ll write a divorce certificate for your mother. Have that man from Wan Village come this afternoon to repay all the debts, and bring the land deeds. Chunlai, since you’re taking their house, you need to look after their family graves; otherwise, the clan will take it back. Dashun, this is all I can do.”

“Thank you, Uncle Clan Elder.”

Fifteen minutes later, Chang Shun and Chang Chunlai left the clan elder’s courtyard.

They had two copies of the divorce certificate—one with the village head, and one in Chang Shun’s possession.

With this, even if that man returned, he couldn’t take them away.

It wasn’t that Chang Shun was heartless; he just wanted to live a good life. He would nip any potential problems in the bud.

“Dashun, I’m going to work. That man will come this afternoon, right?”

“Cousin, he said he’d come this afternoon, repay the debts, and then we’ll go to my maternal uncle’s house. After we leave, the house will be yours, and I hope you’ll take good care of my grandparents’ and father’s graves.”

Chang Chunlai was overjoyed. “I’ll handle it. Especially this matter. Dashun, don’t worry. I’ll treat you well, and I’ll make sure everything is done properly.”

He turned and went home, feeling like he had received a gift from heaven—a house for free. It might be small, but it was still a house, and building one would cost at least ten taels.

He would have his wife keep an eye on it this afternoon to make sure no one ran away.

He Meiniang and the others were anxiously waiting at home. Upon seeing Dashun return, her maternal uncle quickly asked, “Did it go well?”

Chang Shun recounted everything in detail and handed the divorce certificate to his mother. “Mother, keep this safe, and listen to me.”

Meiniang took the document with red eyes. Her husband had been gone for five or six years. Why did they need a divorce certificate? She didn’t quite understand, but she would listen to her son.

Meiniang’s maternal aunt exclaimed, “It seems that without giving away the house and land, Dashun wouldn’t be able to leave. They needed money to pave the way.”

He Meiniang’s mother rolled her eyes. “Even if it’s true, don’t say this outside. The Chang family needs to maintain their dignity. Chang Shun going to Wanjia needs to be done discreetly; they can’t afford to lose face.”

Meanwhile, Wan Changsheng had planned to come in the morning. He had exchanged the silver for smaller denominations and arrived promptly at noon.

Upon hearing that everything was settled, his face lit up.

He Meiniang’s maternal uncle said, “Everything is settled. Dashun, your Uncle Wan and I will go to the village head’s house with you. Meiniang, bring the IOUs. You three should pack your things quickly. Once everything is done, we’ll go home immediately.”

Meiniang’s maternal aunt said, “Husband, you all go. Make sure to tear up the IOUs in front of everyone. We’ve almost finished packing; it won’t take long.”

Chang Shun, along with the village head, went from house to house to repay the debts, speaking politely to each creditor.

Every cent of the sixteen and a half taels of debt was repaid. Those who received payment was given meat—half a jin or a jin, depending on the amount owed. This meat was brought by Wan Changsheng.

After repaying the debts, Chang Shun handed the land deeds to the clan elder and the house deed to his cousin. Then, he went with his mother to the gravesite for a final visit to pay respects to his grandparents and father’s memorial tomb.

Now that he would be changing his surname to Wan, he would no longer be able to come here to pay respects to his ancestors.

His face was stern, his expression sorrowful. Many women in the village shed tears; this child had suffered so much.

As the ox cart and donkey cart left the village, Chang Shun looked back one last time. He had lived here for seven years, and he probably wouldn’t be back.