Chapter 5: Division of the Family

It must be understood—this was a time of low productivity. To separate from the second branch of the family would mean they’d lose all their able-bodied laborers. All the housework and field labor would fall entirely on the siblings.

Moreover, if memory served right, the yield per mu of land here was less than two hundred and fifty jin. After taxes, there wasn’t enough left for a single family to survive on.

Every year, the prefecture also required each household to provide one able-bodied man for corvée labor—sometimes for two months, at the very least half a month.

All these burdens combined were enough to crush a grown man, let alone a child like him who was only nine years old.

Qiao Nian turned her gaze to her so-called second uncle, Qiao Lao’er—full name, Qiao Hai. He was dressed in a light gray cotton outfit with an off-centered front flap. Tall and broad-shouldered, he had a square face, round eyes, and thick, wide lips. He looked every bit the picture of an honest and simple man.

At this moment, he was staring at Hua Guixiang in disbelief. Then, he blurted, “Mother, what did you say? Big Brother and Sister-in-law are already gone. Why are you still talking about splitting the family? I’m your only son now!”

The moment Hua Guixiang heard those words, she immediately understood what was going through his mind—he believed that with his elder brother gone, everything in the household should belong to him now.

“Lao’er, your big brother and sister-in-law may be gone, but there’s still Nian Nian and Ping’an. They’re your big brother’s children—how can we not divide the family?”

“Them? They’re just two kids. If we split them off, what would the villagers think of me, Qiao Lao’er? No way, Mother, I don’t agree with this.” Qiao Hai’s face was full of objection.

Lin stood behind him with her head lowered, her eyes darting back and forth as she weighed the pros and cons of splitting the family. In the end, she still leaned toward not dividing the household.

While splitting the family would mean getting rid of those two burdens, given the old woman’s obvious favoritism, she would surely give them a significant portion of the household assets. Everything in this house belonged to her, and just the thought of parting with even a bit of it made her heart ache.

Besides, that girl would fetch a decent betrothal gift once married, and the brat could still do labor around the house. All things considered, this family should not be split.

She quietly tugged at the back of Qiao Hai’s tunic. Qiao Hai turned his head slightly, the two exchanging a quick glance before he looked away again, still wearing that same honest yet conflicted expression.

Hua Guixiang acted as though she hadn’t seen anything and spoke up once more. “Today I’m not asking for your opinion. I’m informing you that the family will be split. Whether you agree or not, it must be done.

“Besides, Jiaojiao is getting married soon, and Pingshun will be going to a private school in town. I won’t be in your Second Branch’s way any longer. From now on, I’ll live with Nian Nian and Ping’an. Everything in this household will be divided equally between the First and Second Branches. Lao’er will give me two taels of silver each year as a token of filial respect—nothing else will be your concern.”

As soon as Qiao Hai heard this, he dropped to his knees, his voice trembling with the hint of tears. “Mother, are you casting your son aside? Nian Nian is nearly of marrying age, and Ping’an is still so young—how could they possibly take care of you? We can’t split the family.”

Lin quickly chimed in to support him. “Exactly. What do two children know? What’s this about splitting the family?” And giving them half of the household assets—wouldn’t that just be squandering everything? All of it was hers, after all.

She only dared to say the last part in her heart, since the Village Chief was still present.

The Village Chief had also been thinking of stepping in to persuade her. After all, Qiao Hai was now her only remaining son. But when he recalled the rumors that had been circulating in the village today, the words that had reached his lips were swallowed back down.

Seeing her second son like this, the sorrow Hua Guixiang had just managed to suppress surged up again. If it weren’t for him crying poverty in front of the eldest, saying that Pingshun was being looked down upon by his classmates at the private school, that he had no silver to give to the teacher as a gift or to treat his classmates to meals, the eldest wouldn’t have gone up the mountain so early in spring, and the accident wouldn’t have happened.

This second son of hers looked honest and dependable on the surface, but he’d always been cunning since he was a child. He ate the most in the family and did the least work. His Big Brother constantly indulged him, making him believe from a young age that the whole family should yield to him, that all the good things should rightfully be his.

Later, even after they were married, it was the same—any time there was something good in the household, they always tried to snatch it for the Second Branch. If they couldn’t get it outright, they’d find some other way to make up for it elsewhere.

She had reprimanded him countless times, but once a child was grown, a mother’s word held little sway. His father had always favored this younger son the most and shielded him at every turn. Eventually, she gave up trying to intervene, thinking that as long as he wasn’t too excessive, she’d just turn a blind eye.

But she never expected that not only was he full of schemes, he was also heartless—he had the nerve to indulge his daughter in engaging in a secret relationship, even going so far as to steal her eldest granddaughter’s marriage match.

Did they really think it through? That Chen Ming already had a betrothal and was carrying on behind the scenes with his future sister-in-law—how could someone like that be any good? The younger granddaughter wouldn’t listen to her either. She had only said a few words earlier, and the girl turned on her immediately, accusing her of favoritism. Then she stormed out and hadn’t returned since.

So be it. If they all think her words mean nothing, then from now on, how things unfold is no longer her concern. After all, she was already halfway to the grave.

Hua Guixiang’s heart ached bitterly. She wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve. “Lao’er, you know better than anyone why I’m splitting the family today. Don’t put on this act—it only makes your old mother feel sick.”

“Let me ask you: were you aware of what happened with Jiaojiao ahead of time?”

It must’ve been premeditated—why else would she happen to take a day off and stay home today? She was clearly waiting for the Chen Family to come to the door.

“I’ll ask you again—your wife wants to arrange a marriage for Nian Nian, and the intended groom is Butcher Wang from town. Did you know about this or not?”

The Village Chief trembled at those words, his body straightening as he stared at Qiao Hai in disbelief.

He was only two years older than Qiao Dada. They had practically grown up together and had always been close friends. When Qiao Dada and his wife passed away, he cried at their funeral, thinking that if anything ever happened to the Qiao Family, he would lend a helping hand, out of loyalty to their childhood bond.

What he never expected was that while the villagers hadn’t bullied the two children Qiao Dada left behind, it was their own Second Uncle who ended up doing so. If someone like that had been part of his own family, he would have beaten the bastard to death.

Qiao Hai felt a jolt of panic when his Mother questioned him, but no matter what, he didn’t dare admit it. “Mother, no—I didn’t know anything about it. You know how Jiaojiao’s been spoiled by her mother since she was little. Chen Ming likes Jiaojiao, and it’s normal for young people to be drawn to each other.”

“Besides, when Father arranged the engagement back then, he only said it was for a daughter of the Qiao Family. Isn’t Jiaojiao a daughter of the Qiao Family too?”

“And what about Butcher Wang then? Don’t tell me you don’t know what kind of man he is. He’s nearly your age! Your wife wants to match Nian Nian with someone like that—are you trying to send her to her death?” Hua Guixiang snapped, her voice sharp with fury. Her reddened eyes fixed unwaveringly on Qiao Hai, determined to catch even the slightest hint of deceit.

“No, Mother, don’t listen to her nonsense. How could Nian Nian marry Butcher Wang? No, absolutely not. Mother, it’s not true,” Qiao Hai stammered, his heart in chaos. He had never seen his mother speak with such anger and severity before, and he was completely flustered as he denied it incoherently.

Lin shi, seeing her husband denying everything, grew anxious and blurted out without thinking, “Butcher Wang has money. I only did it for Nian Nian’s good.”

Pa!

The Village Chief could no longer hold back. He slammed his palm heavily on the chest beside him, his voice full of fury. “Qiao Hai, your Big Brother and Sister-in-law’s bones are barely cold, and you’re already degrading their daughter like this?”

“There must be a separation of the family. If this doesn’t happen, who knows when you’ll end up selling off Nian Nian.”

Hua Guixiang had pushed Lin shi to admit in front of the Village Chief that she had plotted against Nian Nian. This way, once the family was split, the villagers would have fewer things to say about Nian Nian and Ping’an. Even if there were still rumors, they wouldn’t be as malicious, and such words would hardly reach their ears unless someone deliberately spread them.

And even then, what they heard would be no more than vague, pitying remarks.

Qiao Hai cursed Lin shi inwardly for her lack of sense. Now, whether they liked it or not, the family had to be divided.