Chapter 24: Want Money? Not a Chance!

“If no one has any objections, then the division of your household will proceed as your father has stated?” Village Chief Cao Ageng looked around at everyone, asking.

The eldest son, Cao Fugui, felt relieved that his father had given his fourth brother a bit more, so he wouldn’t have to worry about the fourth brother’s family starving to death after they moved out. However, Cao Fugui’s thoughts didn’t represent the views of the others. They only felt that their father had given too much to the fourth son’s family, leaving less for them.

The eldest brother’s wife, Chen Li, and the second brother’s wife, Wang Yan, were dissatisfied, but in front of the elders, especially with so many neighbors from the village watching, they would earn a bad reputation if they objected at this time. They had to consider that to some extent.

Chen Li had always been clever, so naturally, she wouldn’t say anything at this moment.

“Father, our family only has this little land. The fourth brother’s family only has one xiaoge’r (a married man who takes on the role of a wife in a homosexual relationship), while my and eldest brother’s families have several sons. Why did you give so much land to the fourth brother?” The second son, Cao Fuqiang, was a rascal who was lazy and always hoped to get more from his father. Now that his father had given so much land to the fourth son’s family, what if the fourth son were to die? Wouldn’t the land then fall into Qi Wanfeng’s hands?

Their family had two sons, so they would have to divide some of it for their sons in the future.

“Father, that three mu of land is the grain we painstakingly planted. Even if you give the land to the fourth brother’s family, shouldn’t we have a share of the grain?” He was always hungry, and now that three mu of land were given to the fourth son’s family, they would have three mu of land less each year, and three mu of grain less. Wouldn’t he have to go hungry every day?

“Shut your mouth!” Cao Adie was so angry when he heard his son’s nonsense that he wanted to hit him with the pipe in his hand. If he wasn’t too far away to reach him, he would have struck this son who was always lazy and loved to eat.

He even dared to talk to him about the grain in the fields? When had he ever worked in the fields himself!

Seeing that his father was angry, the second son, Cao Fuqiang, shrank his neck, lowered his head, and stood to the side, not daring to say a word.

The Lizheng understood these family division matters. Every family had its own problems. Seeing Cao Jiasilang looking so ill, the land the Cao family divided to him was probably not something the family of three could keep.

“I’ve made Third Brother and Seventh Uncle laugh. I’m not teaching my children well.” Cao Adie said with a look of shame, speaking to the village chief, “Third Brother, let’s handle the family division as I said.”

“Father.” The always quiet Qi Wanfeng suddenly spoke, calling out, looking hesitant, knowing he had something to say. Cao Adie looked at Qi Wanfeng, asking, “Fourth Son’s Wife, what do you want to say?”

Cao Xiangnan had been enjoying the show and now had an idea of how to firmly grasp all of the land. Hearing Qi Wanfeng speak, he looked at Qi Wanfeng, waiting for him to speak.

Qi Wanfeng looked at his husband, then turned his gaze to his father-in-law, “Father, as you know, Silang’s monthly wages of three guan (a string of 1000 copper coins, a unit of currency) were always given back to Mother, and we didn’t keep a single copper coin. Now that we’re moving out like this, we don’t have a single copper coin in our hands. Silang needs money for seeing the doctor and taking medicine. It’s okay if the child and I eat less, but I can’t let Silang go without his medicine money.”

“Father, please give our family of three a way to survive, for Silang’s sake, who was so filial to you in the past.”

As Qi Wanfeng spoke, tears fell. Life was too difficult. After leaving the Cao family, the burden of the family was on him. Now, he just wanted his Silang to survive; he didn’t care about anything else.

“Money, money, money! Where does the family get money!” At the mention of money, Chen Zhu could no longer hold back. She jumped up, saying, “Silang’s wages? The family has a dozen mouths to feed every day. Doesn’t the monthly expenses cost money? Everything you eat and use comes from my money. Qi Wanfeng, now you’re doing well, opening your mouth to ask me for money. Where am I supposed to get the money?”

So, moving out was fine, and she would grit her teeth and give the extra mu of land, but there was no way she was going to give them money!