As Li Cuihong burst into tears, Zhao Qingshui and Zhao Xiaojun also started sobbing along with her.

Even Zhao Qingyun, who had been sulking in the west wing, came out upon hearing the commotion.

He looked at his mother in confusion, not knowing what had happened.

In the east courtyard, Qian Chunhua was on the kang bed telling bedtime stories to the three children.

When the crying from next door reached her ears, she merely frowned and glanced out the window before continuing her story without pause.

Qingsong also glanced outside but saw nothing.

He simply shuffled closer to his mother, nestling in tighter.

Xiaoling and Qingfeng didn’t even spare a glance.

They were fully immersed in the story, listening with great interest.

The separation of the family was inevitable and would not change no matter how unwilling Zhao Yongqiang and his wife were.

No amount of crying or protesting from Li Cuihong could prevent it.

In the end, the family split was finalized.

Just as Zhao Yongwen was about to draft the family separation agreement, Zhao Daqing waved his hand and said, “We’re done with the separation. Now, let’s talk about elder care.”

“Elder care?” Zhao Yongqiang and Li Cuihong cried out in shock.

They had thought the split was already their biggest loss — now this?

They looked dispiritedly toward the main room.

Forget it. Whatever they said didn’t matter anymore.

A few more lice don’t make you itchier anyway.

Zhao Daqing said, “Each of you brothers will give your mother and me 400 catties of grain per year — 100 catties each of rice, millet, corn, and flour. If you don’t have grain, you can pay five taels of silver instead.”

Zhao Yongwen and Sun Meiping exchanged a look and nodded in agreement with this arrangement.

But Zhao Yongqiang protested. “Father, Mother, you both know what the harvest yields each year. It’s all been going to you. How are we supposed to survive?”

Zhao Daqing shot him a look. “When your second brother’s wife suggested a lump sum of two hundred taels for elder care, you said that was too cheap. If you prefer, you can also pay us two hundred taels up front and be done with it.”

Zhao Yongqiang opened his mouth but said nothing.

He couldn’t win against this old man.

But Zhao Daqing wasn’t done yet. “You two brothers give us ten taels a year altogether. Do you think we’ll live another twenty years? Even if we do, each family will have paid just a hundred taels. And you still begrudge us that? Just today, my medical expenses alone cost ten taels. Do you still think giving us that much a year is too much?”

Zhao Yongqiang was speechless at the rebuttal.

“Not too much, not too much,” Zhao Yongwen quickly added, waving his hands.

“Write it down, the separation agreement,” the Zhao clan elder said, no longer in the mood for more discussion.

He urged Zhao Yongwen to finish quickly so he could go home.

He was tired of dealing with the endless drama in Zhao Daqing’s household these past few days.

Zhao Yongwen immediately brought out brush, ink, and paper and wrote down all the discussed terms. He also drafted two IOUs.

One was for Zhao Yongqiang owing Zhao Yongwen 135 taels of silver, and the other for Zhao Yongqiang owing Zhao Daqing 145 taels.

At first, Zhao Yongqiang and Li Cuihong refused to sign or stamp them.

But when the clan elder became furious and threatened to report them for destroying farmland, they reluctantly signed.

And so, the farce of the Zhao family’s separation finally came to an end.

Just as the clan elder was preparing to leave, Zhao Daqing quickly stopped him.

“Second Uncle, now that we’ve separated, could we… could we not expel the third son from the family?” Zhao Daqing looked at the clan elder hopefully.

The clan elder sighed quietly.

Clearly, Daqing had rushed to split the family to at least save one son if he could.

Still, Zhao Yongwen had done nothing wrong.

Not expelling him was reasonable.

The clan elder nodded. “Alright. Only the eldest son’s family will be expelled from the clan. The second and third sons, and you two as well, will remain members of the Zhao family.”

“Really?” Zhao Daqing was overjoyed.

He had prepared himself for the worst — that in order to protect his eldest son, he and his wife would also be expelled.

He felt that would be worth it.

Now, with the clan elder’s mercy, he and his wife could stay too.

Tears welled up in Zhao Daqing’s eyes.

Zhao Yongwen and Sun Meiping were also happy.

So that was the deeper meaning behind their father’s decision to divide the family.

For the first time, Sun Meiping felt a sincere gratitude toward Zhao Daqing.

Her father-in-law had finally done something decent.

But where there is joy, there is also resentment.

Zhao Yongqiang and his wife were unhappy, casting resentful looks at the old couple and their younger brother, though they dared not say more.

It was only now that Zhao Qingyun fully understood what had happened.

He ran to Zhao Yongqiang in a panic. “Dad, why are we being expelled from the clan? Why are we splitting up? Can I still go to private school after the separation?”

The first thing Zhao Qingyun thought of was himself.

He had left his second aunt without hesitation to return to his birth parents because he feared she couldn’t afford to keep him in school.

But now, only ten days later, his parents were expelled from the family.

What would happen to him?

Zhao Qingyun was lost and anxious.

At just over eight years old, all he could do was keep asking questions in his growing fear.

Zhao Yongqiang looked at his son.

A thought struck him — maybe this child was his last hope.

After all, the old man had favored the boy.

That foolish woman in Yongcai’s house once doted on Qingyun like he was the apple of her eye.

“Father, the family can split, but can Qingyun still… still…” Zhao Yongqiang looked at Zhao Daqing, hoping he’d offer to cover Qingyun’s school fees.

After all, there were still 200 taels of silver in that huanghuali wood box.

But Zhao Daqing saw right through him.

His face darkened, and he shook his head. “Children and grandchildren have their own fates. I can’t even manage my sons anymore — how can I take care of my grandson?”

With that, Zhao Daqing turned and, struggling to support himself, went back inside.

Zhao Mother followed him into the room.

Sun Meiping stood up and pulled Zhao Yongwen along, returning to their own small room, leaving the main hall to Zhao Yongqiang’s family.

Seeing that all was settled, Zhao Yongqiang and Li Cuihong had no choice but to take the children back to the west wing.

Fortunately, they still had 230 taels of silver, a secret known only to them.

As for the IOUs they had just signed, both Zhao Yongqiang and Li Cuihong tacitly chose to ignore them. Whoever wanted to collect could try.

They were as good as broke anyway — let them try to squeeze silver from the dead.

Throughout the entire ordeal, not a single person from the main household comforted Zhao Qingyun.

He followed silently behind the others, alone, back to the west wing.

When it came to the future, probably no one but Zhao Qingyun himself gave it any thought.