Three months later, in a small border town in the northwest.
Dingxi County, Luobei Village.
“What?”
“This is the place we’re supposed to live in?!”
Auntie Xu the Second, covered in dust and grime from the journey, cried out in despair: “Such a tiny space? How could this possibly fit all of us?”
Even Auntie Xu the Third, who had always maintained the proud demeanor of a scholar, couldn’t help but say: “Yes, there are so many of us in the family…”
But before them stood a truly disheartening thatched cottage.
Three months ago, such a shabby dwelling wouldn’t have been considered fit not only for the masters of the Xu family but even for their servants.
The prison guards who had escorted them had already turned back, and the man who had guided them here sighed helplessly: “Oh, my dear ladies, having this is already quite good!”
The Xu family had been convicted of the grave crime of treason. Though they once had many old friends and connections, who would dare step forward now, risking punishment from the Emperor?
Although the Emperor hadn’t sentenced the Xu family to hard labor, by law, being exiled to Dingxi meant they were left to fend for themselves. It would be considered deserved even if they ended up homeless on the streets, let alone having a thatched roof over their heads.
This small cottage was only secured through the risky efforts of an old military comrade of the former Marquis.
Truly, nothing more could be done.
The man was straightforward and couldn’t stand the Xu women’s grating complaints. He pulled Xu Ao aside and whispered: “Brother, this is the best I can arrange for you.”
“My General said, if you endure and survive, there may still be hope for the future. But if you can’t hold on, then…”
“Thank you.”
Xu Ao fully understood what the man meant to say next. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply, his voice hoarse: “Xu Ao understands.”
“Ah, come now, it was just a small favor. No need for such courtesy.”
The man glanced at the chaotic scene at the doorway, sighed, and said: “Take care of yourself.”
“This godforsaken place is poor, but at least it’s quiet. No troublemakers will disturb you here. From now on, you’ll have to manage on your own.”
Helping once despite the risk was an act of goodwill, but there was no obligation to take repeated chances.
The road ahead could only be walked by Xu Ao himself.
Deeply aware of how difficult such assistance was to come by at this time, Xu Ao thanked him repeatedly and personally saw him out of the village.
Sang Zhixia, who had endured her share of disdain, sat under a large tree by the entrance, resting her chin in her hands as she sighed quietly.
Over three months had passed. She and Xu Ao maintained the relationship of a nominal couple—close enough to exchange a few words, but not particularly familiar.
Of course, she was even less acquainted with the rest of the Xu family.
After the exhausting journey, she was truly tired.
But how did these people still have so much energy???
The courtyard of the thatched cottage was in an uproar.
Auntie Xu the Second had inspected carefully: the cottage had two sections front and back. There was one main room, with an additional room extending at the rear. On the east side was a slightly more spacious room, and on the west side were three side rooms in a row. In total, that made six rooms.
It would be enough for a small family, but the Xu family was large.
The three months of Exile had completely stripped Auntie Xu the Second of her noble airs. Now, without a second thought, she spat in the direction the man had left.
“Who could possibly live in a chicken coop like this?”
Old Madam’s expression was also grim.
“Is this really all there is? Can’t Xu Ao try to find another way?”
Old Master said coldly: “We’ve already stayed in the wild wilderness. Why is this thatched cottage suddenly beneath you?”
The Old Master had been utterly crushed in spirit by the affair involving his eldest son. He had been sickly and listless throughout the journey, rarely speaking.
Yet he remained the family’s pillar.
For now, no one in the Xu family dared contradict his words.
Auntie Xu the Second bit her lower lip unwillingly. “But this place isn’t much better than the wilderness!”
Xu Wenxiu, having endured countless whispers over the past three months and knowing she was unwelcome, quickly pulled her children close and whispered, “I can share a room with the children.”
“Sister-in-law, who else would take them if not you?” Auntie Xu the Second said cuttingly. “Do you still think this is the grand estate of the Marquis’ residence? Not only must you take these two little ones, but Xu Ao and the others should also find a place to squeeze in!”
“Anyway, my husband and I will take one room. Minghui is sixteen and might soon marry—he needs a room. Mingyang gets another!”
With that, she had claimed half the rooms.
Seeing this, Auntie Xu the Third hurriedly said, “Our family needs two rooms too! Yanran is already eight—she certainly can’t stay with us!”
There were only six rooms in total, with the main room reserved for the Old Madam and Old Master. With this division, only the uninhabitable cowshed remained!
Xu Wenxiu forced a bitter smile. “Mingxu and Jinxi can squeeze in with me anywhere, but…”
“But Ao’er is already married. He and his wife can’t possibly crowd in with us.”
Even in the most humble households, married couples were entitled to their own room.
Where had it ever been heard that newlyweds should sleep right next to the mother-in-law?
Mustering rare courage to speak up, she was immediately rebuked by Auntie Xu the Second. “What does that have to do with us?”
“Sister-in-law, don’t forget who brought this suffering upon us! If not for your husband’s foolishness, we’d still be living comfortably in the spacious halls of the Marquis’ residence!”
The matter of her husband’s treason was the most painful wound in Xu Wenxiu’s heart, and Auntie Xu the Second’s mention of it struck true as always.
Seeing her mother brought to tears and her two-year-old sister frightened into crying, six-year-old Xu Mingxu immediately protested, “Don’t speak to my mother like that!”
“Did I say anything wrong?!” Auntie Xu the Second roared in fury. “I am your aunt, suffering because of your father! How dare you shout at me?!”
“Sister-in-law, why are you taking it out on the child?”
“What’s wrong with that?!” Auntie Xu the Second’s long-suppressed rage finally erupted, her face flushed and neck bulging as she yelled, “If not for your family, would we have fallen to this state?”
“Just look at who caused all this!”
Third Uncle Xu, who had been about to interject, darkened at her words.
The Old Madam and Old Master remained silent.
Xu Mingxu, being young, was frightened into welling tears by her shouting, while Xu Jinxi was already sobbing with hiccups.
As the timid mother and her two young children seemed on the verge of breaking down in tears, with no sign of Xu Ao’s return, Sang Zhixia outside the door could no longer stand it.
No, she didn’t want to live with her mother-in-law.
She had to step up and speak bravely.
“When it’s time to enjoy blessings, everyone claims their share without hesitation, but when it’s time to bear responsibility, suddenly it’s ‘your family’ and ‘my family’? So the bitterness is for others to swallow, while the sweet fruits are all for you to enjoy?”
She brushed off the accumulated dust of who-knows-how-many years from the wooden door, spat, and clicked her tongue, saying, “Auntie Xu the Second is right. This rundown shack probably isn’t enough to share among so many people. Why not just make a grand sweep and claim the road outside too?”
“Wouldn’t it be great if we all slept out on the road? Sleeping under the open sky would save everyone from complaining about the lack of space. By day, we’d see the sunlight; by night, we could gaze up at the moon. Just imagine how refreshing that would feel.”
After mocking Auntie Xu the Second, she walked over and helped her mother-in-law, who was sobbing so hard she couldn’t get up from the ground, to her feet. With a deft kick, she flipped over a small, rickety stool, settled her mother-in-law on it, and in the same motion scooped up a child hiccupping from crying.
Amused, she wiped the tears from Xu Jinxi’s face and patted Xu Mingxu’s head, saying pointedly, “Alright, stop crying now.”
Crying like this, anyone would think the family was holding a funeral on their very first day here.
Auntie Xu the Second hadn’t expected her to be so sharp-tongued. After a moment of stunned silence, she snapped angrily, “When your elders are speaking, who gave you the right to interrupt?!”
“But Auntie, you have to act like an elder first.”
Sang Zhixia raised an eyebrow, refusing to back down. “Auntie, you’re the one who started this argument.”
She had finally figured it out.
Xu Ao was the silent type who rarely spoke, and her mother-in-law was as soft as water.
Her younger brother- and sister-in-law combined weren’t even ten years old yet. In this makeshift family, her role was clearly to be the one with the sharp tongue.
If she didn’t step up now, who would?
Fortunately, Sang Zhixia was well-versed in verbal sparring. With just a few words, she had left Auntie Xu the Second green in the face.
Ignoring the icy glares from the Old Master and Old Madam, she sneered, “It seems Auntie has quite the strong opinion and probably can’t stand having the eldest branch of the family around.”
“If you ask me, if we can’t get along, we should just divide the household. Let each branch set up independently, so we don’t have to put up with each other’s bickering and squabbling.”
“Grandfather, Grandmother, what do you two think?”