Chapter 22 – Hiding Silver

Once the elders of the clan and the respected figures in the village had all arrived, the division of the Gu family’s assets officially began.

The Gu family’s possessions were laid out in the open. In total, they had twenty-six mu of land: six mu of fertile land, fifteen mu of medium-quality land, and five mu of poorer quality. Of this, twelve mu had been acquired when Madam Jiang was still alive, either purchased by the couple or obtained through a previous division of assets. The remaining land was acquired by the couple after Yan Fengru married into the family.

In addition, there were thirty taels of silver held in the family fund, a large courtyard house, twelve chickens, and household items like pots, bowls, and pans.

With everything placed openly for all to see, no one could claim anymore that Yan Fengru was a heartless stepmother. The Gu family’s assets turned out to be far more substantial than the villagers had imagined. If Yan Fengru had truly been a cruel stepmother, then naturally, the fewer things laid out in public, the better.

According to Dayue tradition, when parents are still alive and the family divides assets among brothers, it is customary for the parents to live with the eldest son. Thus, during division, the eldest also typically receives more.

But Yan Fengru was a stepmother, and the eldest son was not her biological child. If she truly had ill intentions, she would have quietly pocketed the public silver. Yet she didn’t.

Thirty taels might not sound like much, but in the context of the Gu family’s real circumstances, it was significant. Back when Madam Jiang was still alive, Gu Dapeng had spent a fortune trying to treat her illness—it would be no exaggeration to say he sold everything he had, even a few mu of fertile land. Who in the village didn’t know that Gu Dapeng was a devoted and affectionate man?

Therefore, the reality was that during Jiang’s time, the family had less than twelve mu of land, having sold off several mu during her illness. It wasn’t until after Madam Yan married in that the couple gradually reacquired the land.

These matters might not seem important on a day-to-day basis, but when every penny and every acre was laid bare, one had to admit that Yan Fengru, if nothing else, was a capable and diligent housewife. After marrying in, she helped manage household affairs, did manual labor to supplement their income, and even helped take care of the two children left behind by Gu Dapeng’s first wife. Even if she didn’t earn accolades, her hard work couldn’t be denied.

Moreover, Gu Qingshan’s marriage and Gu Caihe’s wedding also required money.

Under such circumstances, for the Gu family to still have a surplus of thirty taels of silver only proved that Yan Fengru wasn’t just a good person—she was capable too. Several of the Gu family’s elders were thoroughly embarrassed.

They had always thought that no matter how decent Yan Fengru seemed, she was still a stepmother—and how many good stepmothers were there, really?

Though they were invited to mediate the division this time, they had harbored private thoughts about keeping a close eye on things so Gu Qingshan wouldn’t be shortchanged.

But now, what could they possibly say?

Gu Caihe stood in the crowd holding Han Hui’s hand. On one hand, she was thrilled that her natal family was dividing assets. Being able to get money from Yan Fengru felt like a great victory. From now on, when she returned home, she wouldn’t have to see that vile woman again!

And soon, her elder brother would be fully in charge of the household. What a wonderful outcome.

However, upon seeing the thirty taels of public silver displayed, a flash of greed passed through Gu Caihe’s eyes. Looking at Yan Fengru’s face, she suddenly remembered something.

“Wait a minute! There’s no way this is all the silver the family has. Yan, how could there only be thirty taels?”

Her voice was sharp and immediately drew attention from the crowd. Upon hearing her niece say this, Xiao Jiang also quickly chimed in—though she wasn’t entirely sure why her niece would make such a claim.

Gu Dapeng and Yan Fengru were still young, yet they had managed to save over thirty taels of silver. That was already impressive in a village like this—proof that appearances could be deceiving.

But if her niece said something was wrong, then something had to be wrong! For various personal reasons, Xiao Jiang had never liked Yan Fengru either and would be all too happy to see her fall from grace.

“Oh? Then why don’t you tell me—how much money should there be?” Yan Fengru showed no fear whatsoever. Of course the household had more money, but excluding daily expenses, this was indeed all that Gu Dapeng had given her and what she had managed to save over the years. And that was without counting the medical expenses for her two children. But it didn’t matter—she’d get all of that back, one way or another.

Gu Caihe had only spoken on impulse. She wasn’t a particularly clever person. Having been suppressed by her mother-in-law, Madam Hong, for so long, this rare chance to speak out had ignited her pent-up resentment. Seeing Yan Fengru stirred both old and new grudges—her temper flared, and she blurted out her accusations.

But truthfully, she had no real idea how much money the family had.

When her mother Jiang was alive, she had been too young to manage household matters. After her mother’s death and Yan Fengru’s arrival, their father handed over all financial matters to her.

Still, Gu Caihe remembered that Yan Fengru had been a maidservant before marrying in—surely she had brought some private savings of her own.

Naïve as she was, her thinking was overly simplistic. Since they were splitting the household, she figured Yan Fengru ought to be squeezed dry.

“Whatever the exact amount is, I know it’s definitely more than thirty taels. You’ve hidden silver. That’s unfair to my big brother.”

Yan Fengru narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly. “Then tell me—how did I hide silver? All the money your father gave me over the years is here, excluding living expenses—and not even including Bai-ge’er and Zhu’er’s medical bills. Actually, thank you for reminding me.”

As she spoke, Yan Fengru stood up and turned to Gu Dapeng. “Just the other day, Bai-ge’er nearly drowned in the pond. He said that Gu Changwen and Han Hui told him the lotus flowers were blooming and to go pick them. And Zhu’er fell from the loquat tree because that damned girl Han Hui wanted to eat loquats. Maybe the children didn’t mean harm, but shouldn’t their medical bills come out of the public fund?”

“I won’t ask for much—just those thirty taels to cover both children’s medical expenses.”

She spoke firmly and with confidence. She had finally understood—without evidence, accusing Gu Qingshan and Gu Caihe of manipulating the younger kids behind the scenes would only make her seem unreasonable.

So she might as well lay it all out clearly. If everyone claimed the incidents were accidental, then fine—but the public fund could cover the medical expenses. What could be more reasonable?

Not a single thing.

The villagers were stunned. Wasn’t she supposed to be the reasonable and just stepmother? But on reflection, her two children had both been hurt one after the other, and both incidents involved the older children—her anger was understandable.

Gu Dapeng kept his head down in silence.

Before anyone else could respond, Gu Caihe shrieked.

“Father, look at her! This vicious woman—she’s gone too far! What, does she think the two kids she gave birth to are made of gold? She wants to take all thirty taels for herself? I won’t allow it. I absolutely won’t agree!”

Initially, people had thought Yan Fengru was being greedy for wanting all the silver. But after Gu Caihe’s outburst, their opinions shifted again. This Gu family girl—she really had no manners.

In this era, once a daughter married out, she belonged to her husband’s family. A married daughter was like spilled water—there was no taking her back. What kind of girl meddled in her natal family’s division of property between brothers? You’re already married off. If you weren’t, then sure, you’d be entitled to a dowry.

But since you’re married and still so opinionated—now that’s crossing a line. If every married daughter interfered in her natal family’s affairs like this, who would be willing to divide anything at all?