“Shut up!” Tang Liren scolded him.

Bai Nansheng obediently shut his mouth.

Tang Liren stared at Chen Juxiang and frowned.

Everyone in the main branch was furious…

An elder from the clan, Grandma Qi, shouted angrily, “Chen, do you even know what filial piety means? The younger generation should respect you, but you must be kind and loving! If you’re not kind, how can she be filial? This is the virtue passed down by the Bai family ancestors…”

Chen Juxiang directly interrupted Grandma Qi, “What business is it of yours how I discipline my daughter-in-law? Who do you think you are, meddling so much? If you have so much free time to stick your nose in other people’s business, why don’t you go down to the underworld and help King Yama manage the Book of Life and Death?”

Grandma Qi was so angry that she started coughing violently.

Bai Nansheng couldn’t hold back his anger and shouted, “Mom, why are you even trying to reason with such a heartless old hag? If you ask me, don’t bother splitting the family property! Just break her legs and lock her in the cellar. She’ll be dead in three to five days!”

Chen Juxiang was stunned.

“You… you unfilial son! How dare you!” Chen Juxiang was both shocked and afraid.

Bai Nansheng grinned mischievously. “Take a guess—do you think I dare or not? Even if I stabbed you with a knife… Even if you reported me to the police, this would just be considered a family dispute, and the police would only try to mediate. But old woman, do you think anyone would listen to them?”

Chen Juxiang gaped at him in shock.

“As for this business about splitting the family property—whoever brings it up again, I’ll fight them!” Bai Nansheng stared at Chen Juxiang, smiled, and then turned to his mother, Tang Liren. “Mom, don’t worry. Before I head back to the army, I’ll definitely deal with this old hag!”

At that moment, Li Cui’er, clutching her burning cheek, shouted at Fourth Uncle Bai, “You heard him, right? If Bai Nansheng breaks your mom’s legs and locks her in the cellar, you’re not allowed to interfere! If you dare to step in, I’ll divorce you!”

Fourth Uncle Bai remained silent.

Chen Juxiang couldn’t help but glance at Bai Nansheng, feeling a sudden chill all over her body.

Then she looked at the Chen family members lying all over the ground…

Chen Juxiang shivered, her unease growing the more she thought about it.

—The main branch always seemed so kind and gentle, yet Bai Nansheng was such an outlier. Bai Nansheng wasn’t stupid. He had to know that once he left for the army, she and the Chen family would surely take revenge on the main branch.

So…

Chen Juxiang’s mind was a mess.

For now, she couldn’t control the main branch anymore, but she could still manipulate the second, third, and fourth branches. Especially the second branch—the eldest and the second were born of the same mother, and the eldest had always been good to his brothers. If she could control the second branch, it would be almost like controlling the main branch indirectly.

Besides, the eldest was the village party secretary now. He wouldn’t dare completely fall out with her over this…

It might be better to agree to the split for now and get some money out of it. After all, the Chen family had been beaten up so badly by Bai Nansheng. Who knew if they might cause trouble for her? Having some money on hand would at least keep them pacified for a while.

Having made up her mind, Chen Juxiang took a deep breath and pointed at Tang Liren. “Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance to talk about splitting the property. But do you think you can kick out an elderly woman like me without giving a single cent? If you set such a bad example, the clan won’t approve!”

Grandma Qi sneered. “Didn’t you just say it was none of the clan’s business? And now you want them to back you up?”

Chen Juxiang pretended not to hear her. “Give me three thousand yuan, and we’ll split the property!”

—Three thousand yuan?!

Father Chen and Chen Sanniu, who were lying on the ground, suddenly lit up with excitement in their eyes!

Tang Liren smiled and ordered, “Xingzi, go ask your sister-in-law for the key. Open the chest and bring out all our family’s assets!”

Everyone looked at each other in surprise.

The Chen family, along with Chen Juxiang and Li Cui’er, were thrilled.

Bai Xingxing cheerfully responded and went to the courtyard to find Tan Fenghui. In no time, she returned carrying a box and handed it to her mother.

The box wasn’t large. Tang Liren opened it, revealing a thick stack of slightly yellowed papers that looked quite old.

Tang Liren then instructed her daughter, “Bring out a few chairs so the elders can sit down and go through these old accounts carefully. Oh, and if your sister-in-law’s feeling up to it, ask her to bring the abacus.”

Bai Xingxing called over a few relatives from the clan. They carried stools over, and Bai Dongsheng helped support Tan Fenghui while she carried the abacus.

Tang Liren picked up the stack of papers from the box, took the one at the bottom, glanced at it, and said, “This here is the debt incurred when Dad remarried Chen. The dowry was five hundred kilograms of rice, ten bolts of cloth, a hundred kilograms of cotton, and a pig… All borrowed. It wasn’t paid off even by the time Dad passed away. Zhengqian and I paid it off together. Look, the creditor even left a red seal on the receipt, confirming the payment. Since it took twenty years to pay off, they charged us interest…”

The room fell silent.

Chen Juxiang’s face turned pale, then red.

Tang Liren instructed Tan Fenghui, “Hui’er, keep track of the accounts.”

Tan Fenghui nodded, jotting down the numbers and then working the abacus.

Tang Liren passed the receipt to Fourth Uncle Gong, who examined it with his reading glasses, then handed it to Grandma Qi. Afterward, it circulated among Second Aunt Bai, Third Aunt Bai, Li Cui’er, and a few other elders before finally returning to Bai Dongsheng, who showed it to Chen Juxiang and then stored it away.

Tang Liren took another sheet from the stack, murmured through its contents, and began explaining again…

In short, this thick stack of papers documented the Bai family’s debts over several decades.

Every loan and debt had been carefully tracked by Tang Liren. She wrote down the reasons for borrowing money, and when payments were made, she had the creditors stamp the receipts with red seals…

Everything was clear, with causes and outcomes properly recorded.

Among these debts, most were related to loans taken by Chen Juxiang’s family or gifts and money sent to them during holidays.

The largest expenses were for the weddings, childbirths, and medical bills of Bai’s second, third, and fourth uncles, as well as celebrating Chen Juxiang’s birthdays every year.

Everyone was stunned—not only by Tang Liren’s meticulous bookkeeping but also by the sheer amount of money spent over the years!

After a while, Tan Fenghui finished calculating the total.

“…Based on today’s prices, Grandmother has been in the Bai family for forty years. The money spent on her and the Chen family amounts to forty-six thousand yuan. Adding in the costs for the uncles’ weddings, childbirths, and medical bills, the total comes to one hundred and ten thousand yuan,” Tan Fenghui said.

Tang Liren smiled. “Zhengqian and I paid for all of that.”

Li Cui’er protested, “That was family money! It’s not like we didn’t contribute anything!”

She then shot a glare at Chen Juxiang and grumbled, “That old hag still has the nerve to scold others for supporting their maternal family! Isn’t she the same? Married for forty years, and she’s given her family forty thousand yuan in total. That’s an average of one thousand yuan a year! We hardworking folks put in thirty days of labor every month, and even then, we only earn about sixty yuan a month. But look at her—she’s practically giving her family two strong laborers every year! Hmph!”

Chen Juxiang’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

The Chen family members found the eldest rather dull.

Tang Liren asked, “Fourth sister-in-law, let me ask you this—what exactly have you contributed?”

Li Cui’er froze, thinking it over. That was true! Ever since she married into the Bai family, all the money her husband earned went straight into her hands. Yet, she had never given Tang Liren or Bai Zhengqian a single cent. On the contrary, during every holiday season, she always felt justified in demanding gifts and goods from the eldest couple.

“Well… well… when our father was still alive, didn’t he leave behind some family property? Back then, our fourth brother was still young, so didn’t all of you take it for yourselves?” Li Cui’er argued stubbornly.

Tang Liren’s face darkened. “When father died, we hadn’t even paid off the debts from marrying his second wife. What family property was there to leave behind?”

Li Cui’er: …

Realizing she had messed up, she quickly changed the topic. “Then, big sister-in-law, what do you mean by bringing up these old accounts? Are you saying you’re not planning to share the money with us?”

Tang Liren gave her a once-over, then smiled faintly. “What nonsense are you dreaming up now?”

Li Cui’er grew angry, stiffening her neck and yelling, “Then we’re not splitting the family!”

Bai Zhengqian spoke slowly, “Second, third, and fourth brothers, haven’t we treated you well all these years?”

Second Uncle Bai said, “Big brother, I’m pretty useless. I probably won’t be able to earn enough to pay you back. How about I write you a few IOUs? If I can’t pay it off, we’ll let Yongjun and Aimin repay it. If they can’t manage, there’s still Shitou…”

Third and Fourth Uncles Bai exchanged glances.

Li Cui’er snapped at Fourth Uncle Bai, “If you bring up splitting the family again, we’re getting a divorce!”

Bai Zhengqian chuckled. “I used to think we were all one family and that we shouldn’t be too petty about things… So, in this household, aside from Taotao, Hongdou, and Huangdou, everyone had to go to work to earn work points. Whenever someone was struggling, there was always someone else helping out. No matter how hard things got, we never let your children go hungry, right?”

“But Fourth Sister-in-law is right. My back injury hasn’t healed, Nansheng has joined the army, Hui’er is pregnant, and your sister-in-law has to stay home to take care of me because of my injury. Suddenly, we’re down four or five workers. That means we can’t keep feeding and supporting you anymore…”

Li Cui’er’s face turned red and pale in turns. She muttered bitterly, “I just made one little comment. Was it really worth holding such a grudge? Aren’t you the eldest? Why are you being so petty…”

Bai Zhengqian said, “So let’s split the family! As for the debts, your sister-in-law and I have already paid them off. But from now on, if anyone has any complaints or still wants to ask for money, then let’s split the debts too!”

Chen Juxiang panicked. “No money and you still want to split the family? Dream on!”

Bai Nansheng’s voice rang out, even louder than hers. “Dad, Mom! We’re not splitting the family! And that old hag better not think we’re going to take care of her after she becomes a cripple! When she married into this family, you and Second Uncle were already working in the fields. She never took care of either of you, so why should she enjoy your support now?”

Then, Bai Nansheng turned to Chen Juxiang and yelled, “Why aren’t you dead yet?”

Chen Juxiang shuddered at his outburst, completely forgetting what she had planned to say.

Fourth Uncle Bai asked, “Big brother, if we split the family, there’s really not much else to divide—just the house…”

Li Cui’er panicked. “Bai Zhenglang didn’t I already tell you—no splitting the family! Bring it up again, and we’re getting a divorce!”

“Then we’ll divorce!” Fourth Uncle Bai roared.

Li Cui’er’s eyes widened in shock. “You—”

Ignoring her, Bai Zhengqian replied, “I’ve already discussed it with your sister-in-law. The ancestral house will stay with you. We’ll move out and build a new one. The ancestral house isn’t big enough anyway, and it’s already crowded with the four families. The house has three rooms, plus we’ve added two more. You three can divide them among yourselves.”

Second Uncle Bai said, “If we’re splitting the family, we’ll move out and build a new house too. The ancestral house can stay with Third and Fourth Brothers.”

Li Cui’er was delighted. “That’s great! Finally, our Fuguier, Fugui’er, and Guicai will each have their own room! Third Sister-in-law doesn’t have any sons anyway. Ha! That ancestral house will end up being all ours!”

Third Uncle Bai’s face turned livid.

Fourth Uncle Bai shot her a sharp glare but ignored her. Instead, he addressed his brothers. “And about Mom’s care… I know we can’t burden Big Brother and Second Brother anymore. Over all these years, Big Brother has always taken care of things for us. So, from now on, Mom’s care will be handled by me and Third Brother…”

He turned to Third Uncle Bai. “Third Brother, Mom has always favored me, and you’ve never complained. We all know that. So, from now on, she’ll spend twenty days a month with me and ten days with you. If she gets sick, I’ll cover two-thirds of the costs, and you cover one-third. What do you think?”

Third Uncle Bai said coldly, “Half and half.”

Fourth Uncle Bai sghed but insisted, “Two-thirds and one-third.”

“Fine, whatever,” Third Uncle Bai relented.

Chen Juxiang panicked. “Fourth Brother, are you crazy? Why are you letting the eldest get off easy…”

Bai Nansheng said, “I told you we shouldn’t split the family! Even if we do, Chen Juxiang has to stay with the eldest family!” He even smiled at her and cracked his knuckles loudly.

Chen Juxiang: …

She finally realized that no matter what she said, this brat would shut her up.

And, honestly, she was a little scared.

Fourth Uncle Bai took a deep breath and turned to Fourth Uncle Gong and Grandma Qi. “Uncle, Granny, let’s go ahead and split the family!”

Li Cui’er shrieked, “Bai Zhenglang, you’re insane!”

Fourth Uncle Bai lost his temper and kicked her.

Li Cui’er, who had been sitting on a backless stool, never expected her usually timid husband to hit her. She was sent flying backward, gasping for breath.

Fourth Uncle Gong and Grandma Qi tilted their heads to look at her lying on the ground.

Fourth Uncle Bai asked, “Do we need to write an official agreement?”

The two elders snapped out of it. One said, “Yes, we need an agreement. But our eyes are bad, and our hands are shaky. Let Dongsheng write it out and read it aloud.”

The other added, “We’ll also need to inform the ancestors at the ancestral hall on the fifteenth of August…”

And just like that, whether some people liked it or not, the Bai family’s four branches officially agreed to split the family.

Bai Taotao hid behind Song Zhi and watched the entire drama unfold.

At the same time, she quietly absorbed the spiritual energy radiating from Song Zhi. Knowing she wouldn’t have to see Chen Juxiang and Li Cui’er anymore, she felt delighted. Her smile grew even sweeter.

Suddenly, a man’s uncertain voice called out from behind her, “Taotao?”

Bai Taotao froze.

—The voice sounded so unfamiliar! And wasn’t this her first time in the city? How could anyone here know her?

She clutched Song Zhi’s hand tightly and turned around. Sure enough, there stood a handsome young man, looking at her with surprise and joy.

Bai Taotao murmured instinctively, “…Brother?”

T/N: Who is brother? Also I did not expect the other brothers to be so agreeable. I’m pleasantly surprised. If there are any mistakes please let me know. I translated this with a toothache but I didn’t want to wait until after my dentist appointment to work. Hope you enjoy!