“Nonsense!”
The Old Master roared angrily: “Even if I die, I would never allow the family to split!”
In prominent families, the greatest taboo is discord among descendants and living separately.
If the family were truly divided, he would be too ashamed to face the ancestors of the Xu Family in the afterlife!
The Old Madam also said with a cold expression: “Truly an illegitimate child unfit for proper occasions, daring to spout such reckless words about dividing the family!”
“I may be illegitimate and unfit for proper occasions,” Sang Zhixia retorted with a bitter laugh at her disdainful tone. “But Grandmother, open your eyes and see—where in this house is there any proper occasion for the eldest branch to partake in?”
Forget proper occasions—the eldest branch was being squeezed out until they barely had a place to stand!
Xu Wenxiu wanted to intervene but couldn’t form words through her sobs. Sang Zhixia, holding the tear-stained, red-faced Xu Jinxi, remained utterly composed.
“Grandfather, this is the situation, and the only place we can settle is here.”
“Second Aunt keeps implying this is the eldest branch’s fault, but don’t forget—the fact that we have this dilapidated place to temporarily shelter from the storm is thanks to the eldest branch.”
“As a newlywed and a junior, it’s not my place to comment on the elders’ disputes. But you, Grandfather, are the head of the family. At a time like this, you should step up and speak justly for the widows and orphans of the eldest branch.”
To pluck others’ fruits and then kick away the branch that bore them—such behavior is unjust.
The Old Master also harbored resentment toward his eldest son, which was why he had allowed the second and third branches to cause trouble without intervening.
But Sang Zhixia was openly forcing his hand.
She had to compel the Old Master to take a stance before they entered the house.
This stance would determine how much food the eldest branch would receive from the pot and what kind of living quarters they would be allotted.
Sang Zhixia stood alone against several people but showed no sign of backing down.
The Old Master studied her deeply for a long moment before finally saying, “Young as you are, you have a strong backbone.”
Sang Zhixia let out a modest sigh and said leisurely, “What backbone do I have?”
“Over three months since leaving the capital, from summer to the autumn equinox, Xu Ao has been vomiting blood daily in secret. Yet he carried you all the way here without letting Second Uncle or Third Uncle shoulder any of the burden—his backbone is the truly unyielding one.”
Xu Ao just carried you here—how can you bear to force his widowed mother and young siblings to live in a cowshed?
Old Master, you’d better have a conscience!
At this point, it was no longer an implication.
The Old Master, who had lived through two dynasties, let out an ambiguous snort, closed his eyes, and said, “As the eldest granddaughter-in-law of the Xu Family, if you’re dissatisfied with your Second Aunt’s arrangements, do you have a better plan?”
Sang Zhixia paused and said, “My mother-in-law must have a room to herself. She will take Mingxu and Jinxi to live in the East Room.”
The rooms were truly too few, and there were indeed many people.
Given the circumstances, their options were limited.
But they had to prioritize the elderly and the young first.
The Old Master was somewhat surprised by this and said gravely, “Then what about you and Ao’er?”
“I’ll live in the West Side Shed.”
Xu Ao had returned at some point, unnoticed, and had been listening at the door for who knows how long.
But as he stepped inside, he declared: “She will share a room with my mother. I’ll live in that shed.”
The West Side Shed stood outside the courtyard wall, half-built with earthen walls and exposed to the wind on three sides.
The previous owner had likely used it for raising livestock, with only a makeshift roof that now had most of its dry grass blown away.
It was no exaggeration to say that only an empty wooden frame remained, barely distinguishable from sleeping under the open sky.
Xu Wenxiu’s heart ached at the sight, but Xu Ao steadied her and said, “Mother, if she stays with you, she can help look after Mingxu and Jinxi. It’ll be easier for everyone to support one another.”
He automatically cast Sang Zhixia in the role of a childminder, carefully avoiding any mention of the shack he himself was about to inhabit.
Sang Zhixia pressed her lips together and remained silent.
Xu Ao then turned to the others in the courtyard. “In that case, does anyone else have any objections?”
Auntie Xu the Second seemed about to interject, but Second Uncle Xu held her back.
They had already gained enough.
With this arrangement, the second and third branches each took two rooms—a favorable outcome by the Xu Family’s traditional order of seniority.
The matter of room allocation was temporarily settled, but the challenges that followed were even more daunting.
The thatched cottage was practically uninhabitable without a thorough cleaning.
There was no well in the yard, so water had to be fetched either from the village well or the river. Xu Ao took on the task of carrying water, but a heap of messy chores remained.
The Old Madam, having lived a life of privilege, had not shed her habit of ordering others around even after three months in exile. The Old Master was no different. The remaining work thus fell to the rest of the family.
The only silver lining was that once the main rooms were reluctantly tidied up, those in the East Room and the back rooms could focus on cleaning their own spaces.
With Xu Wenxiu busy comforting the frightened Xu Mingxu and Xu Jinxi until they fell asleep, Sang Zhixia had no choice but to take charge of cleaning the East Room.
She tore one of Xu Ao’s worn-out outer garments to use as a rag, went through several basins of water, and barely managed to tidy up the place—only to face the next pressing issue.
Who would cook?
The official who had arranged for their settlement here had been thoughtful. Besides leaving necessary bedding and coarse clothing for changing in the yard, he had also stocked the kitchen with enough rice, oil, and flour to last the Xu Family for several months.
Starvation was not an immediate concern, but the question remained: who would prepare the meals?
Xu Ao had already made over a dozen trips carrying water and was still on his way back to refill the water vat.
Even if he had free time, cooking was clearly not in his repertoire.
As for the others…
Sang Zhixia tossed the rag aside in frustration and sighed wearily.
It seemed she was the only one left.
Though she had no other choice, Sang Zhixia held back and did not move.
As an orphan well-versed in survival skills, cooking was not difficult for her.
But the Xu Family’s situation was unique. If she did it once, she would be expected to do it every day. A single misstep could trap her as the permanent kitchen drudge—a role she had no intention of volunteering for.
She waited patiently without making a move, and it wasn’t long before someone grew impatient.
“Sister-in-law, it’s already past the time for Father and Mother to eat. Why hasn’t anyone started cooking?”
Auntie Xu the Second, her face smudged with dust from sweeping, scowled and complained, “You only had to clean one room—how could it take this long?”
“Mother’s digestion has never been strong. What if she gets hungry and falls ill?”
Xu Wenxiu flustered at this and said, “I’ll go cook right away!”
Sang Zhixia, surprised, said, “Mother-in-law, you…”
“I know a little,” Xu Wenxiu misunderstood Sang Zhixia’s concern and explained sadly, “When your father-in-law was still alive, I occasionally cooked for him. It’s just that…”
She went out sobbing, and Sang Zhixia turned to look at the two little ones sleeping on the bed, letting out a bitter, pained laugh.
What kind of mess was this…
A quarter of an hour later, thick smoke suddenly billowed in the yard.
Xu Ao threw down the bucket and rushed in: “Mother!”
As soon as he steadied himself, he was met with Xu Wenxiu’s flustered face.
“I… I didn’t expect the fire to be so hard to start…”
She had been trying for a long time, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t get it lit.
Finally, when she saw a spark, thick, choking smoke poured out of the stove instead.
Xu Ao anxiously checked to make sure she wasn’t hurt, then sighed helplessly, “Leave it be, I’ll handle it.”
Xu Wenxiu protested urgently, “The sages say a virtuous man keeps away from the kitchen. How could such stove work be your task?”
Xu Ao replied self-mockingly, “When have I ever been a virtuous man, even for a moment?”
On the road of exile, he was like a slovenly rogue; before exile, he was a notorious wastrel.
What did the words “virtuous man” have to do with him?
Without another word, he gently guided Xu Wenxiu inside, saying, “Mother, go rest in the room. Leave the rest to me.”
By the time Sang Zhixia came over from the west shed, the thick smoke in the yard had clearly grown even denser.
She said with a tone of disbelief, “Are you trying to burn this place down?”
Xu Ao stiffened, turned expressionlessly, and revealed a face smeared with black soot at some point, looking like a painted mask.
Sang Zhixia couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the sight.
A trace of helplessness flickered across Xu Ao’s wooden expression as he awkwardly explained, “I used dry grass, but it just won’t catch.”
He had spoken confidently to Xu Wenxiu, but his practical experience was nonexistent.
Sang Zhixia couldn’t stand watching any longer. She walked over and said, “If you just toss the firewood in all round and bulky like that, of course it won’t work.”
Xu Ao raised an eyebrow. “You know how?”
Sang Zhixia mimicked his expression, raising her own brow. “Guess?”