Chapter 6: Family Division,

With the Village Chief present, the details of the division were quickly finalized.

The Qiao Family owned five mu of fertile farmland and two mu of dry land. The eldest and second households would each receive two mu of fertile land and one mu of dry land. The remaining one mu of fertile land was registered under Hua Guixiang’s name, designated as her future sustenance.

The three-room main house on the eastern side, along with the kitchen connected on the left, would belong to the eldest household.

The row of three rooms on the western side, together with the woodshed, would go to the second household. As for the farming tools, kitchenware, and all furniture—large and small—everything was to be split evenly between the two families. Even the household’s grain stores, which totaled less than fifty jin, were divided equally.

Then came the most critical part: the silver. Hua Guixiang turned around and retrieved a small cloth pouch from the innermost part of the kang cabinet. Inside was all the silver the family possessed—five taels in scattered silver and 1,230 copper coins.

In the end, each household received two taels of silver, with the remainder left to Hua Guixiang.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shi immediately refused to accept it, and Qiao Hai’s expression turned exceedingly dark.

Ever since the passing of Qiao Laoda and his wife, the two of them had been calculating and scheming over the family assets, thinking they would all eventually belong to the second household. Now, with over half suddenly taken away, how could they possibly feel at ease?

Seeing their unwillingness, Hua Guixiang replied in a measured but firm tone, “Unwilling? Then let’s properly calculate how many advantages your second household has taken from the eldest over the years, and how unfilial you’ve both been to me, your Mother.

“If this won’t do, we can go to the county yamen and ask the County Lord to judge. Let’s see how Lin Shi has treated me as her mother-in-law all these years, how you, Qiao Lao’er, have shown your filial piety, and how your two children have shown their respect to their Grandmother.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but the threat in her words struck like a heavy hammer on Qiao Hai and Lin Shi’s hearts.

They knew their own faults best. Even if they still felt resentful, they had no choice but to nod in agreement.

If Hua Guixiang truly took them to the county yamen, everything would be finished.

Not only would Qiao Hai lose his job in town, but Qiao Pingshun would also be unable to continue attending private school. No matter how much silver they offered, the teacher wouldn’t accept a student from an unfilial family.

And then there was the gossip from the villagers—it could drown them. They might even be driven out of Huaishu Village entirely.

As for why Hua Guixiang hadn’t exposed Qiao Jiaojiao’s affair?

Accusing Qiao Hai’s family of being unfilial was already enough to subdue them. If she went further and exposed Jiaojiao’s involvement with her future brother-in-law—especially if it turned out she was pregnant before marriage—news would spread across all nearby villages. That would be no different than condemning Jiaojiao to death.

The Qiao Family and even the girls of Huaishu Village would be gossiped about for years. Marriage proposals would become nearly impossible.

And besides, no matter how much she disliked Jiaojiao, Hua Guixiang was still her biological grandmother. She wouldn’t push her own granddaughter to such an end.

Moreover, the Village Chief was still present. He would never allow the Qiao Family to make Jiaojiao’s matter public. The idle gossip in the village had to stop here. If he hadn’t been invited by the Qiao Family today, he’d already be out scolding those loose-tongued gossips.

This was about the reputation of Huaishu Village. It wasn’t just a family matter anymore.

The official division document was soon completed in triplicate—one copy each for the eldest household, the second household, and the Village Chief. Hua Guixiang arranged with the Village Chief to head to town early the next morning and update the household registration records.

With that, the two households were officially separated.

Qiao Nian, like an outsider, had calmly observed the entire division process. When she received her copy of the division document, a sense of true peace finally settled in her heart. With no more scheming or troublemakers in the household, she believed their days ahead could only get better.

Before stepping out, Qiao Hai cast a seemingly casual glance at Qiao Nian. Lin Shi, on the other hand, shot her a fierce glare. Qiao Nian returned their looks with a calm gaze, though inwardly she grew more cautious. These two had failed to scheme against her today and ended up at a loss—in their hearts, they must now resent her deeply. In the days to come, she would have to be even more vigilant.

She didn’t think that just because she had transmigrated, she was somehow smarter or more capable than everyone else. With the brain she had now, caution and staying out of the spotlight were still the wisest choices.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t take much for someone with a little cleverness to see through her.

After Qiao Hai and his wife left, the Village Chief also took his leave. Inside the house, only the three generations remained. Hua Guixiang gently called the siblings over to sit by her side. She patted Ping’an’s head and took Qiao Nian’s hand, softly giving them a long list of instructions and reminders.

Toward the end, she even advised them to keep their distance from the second household. Once the wheat was harvested and they had a bit of silver, they would build a wall in the Courtyard to completely separate the two families. That way, things would be much more convenient in the future.

Qiao Nian was deeply moved and inwardly overjoyed. She must have accumulated great virtue in her past life to be blessed with such a wonderful Grandmother in two lifetimes—someone who, no matter what, would stand unconditionally by her side and genuinely look out for her.

Even if, at this moment, the old lady’s heart still leaned toward the original owner of this body, Qiao Nian didn’t mind. She was the original owner now. From the moment she opened her eyes in this world, everything here had become hers.

Hua Guixiang spoke to them from the heart for quite a while. Seeing that it was getting late, she finally stood up to head to the kitchen to make dinner.

Qiao Nian reached out to gently press her arm. “Grandmother, you rest. I’ll cook.”

Hearing this, Hua Guixiang didn’t argue. She kicked off her shoes and leaned back onto the kang with a smile. “Alright then, Nian Nian has grown up. This old woman will start enjoying her blessings now. Tonight’s meal is in Nian Nian’s hands.”

Although Hua Guixiang had seemed decisive and ruthless during the division, in truth, her heart felt far from easy. No matter how disappointing Qiao Hai was, he was still her son. Now that the matter was settled, she felt drained in both body and spirit. But with her grandson and granddaughter around, she didn’t let it show.

She lay down on the kang to rest, fearing that if she collapsed suddenly, she’d frighten the children. Only after Qiao Nian and Ping’an had gone out did she slowly close her eyes, letting her tears fall silently.

“Jiejie, I’ll help you stoke the fire.”

Now that the division was done, a great weight seemed to lift from Qiao Ping’an’s chest. His voice grew light and cheerful.

From what Qiao Nian could recall, whenever her Mother or Grandmother cooked, as long as her Didi was home, he’d always scramble to gather firewood and tend the stove. She smiled, imitating the tone the original owner used, and gently said, “Alright.”

They had just split the kitchenware and grain with the second household, so the kitchen now looked a bit messy. The stove that usually held both a large and small pot now only had the smaller one used for boiling water. The large pot had already been taken away by Qiao Hai, leaving a gaping hole in the stove that stood out starkly.

Three mismatched clay jars sat haphazardly on the countertop, along with three bowls and three pairs of chopsticks. Everything else had been taken by Lin Shi. She’d said that since their family had more members and the stove room now belonged to the eldest household, the remaining small items rightfully belonged to the second household.

Qiao Nian couldn’t be bothered to argue—it would only spark another quarrel. These were just small things anyway, and she could find a way to replace them in time.

Ping’an noticed the empty hearth—there wasn’t even a single stick of firewood left for them. A flicker of anger flashed across his face, but he quickly swallowed it down. Turning to Qiao Nian, he said, “Jiejie, I’ll go gather some firewood. I’ll be quick.” Without waiting for a reply, he darted off like a gust of wind.