Xia Yan woke up first. Xia Er Ya was still young and had little memory—only seven years old this year.
When she woke up, Xia Yan only felt a splitting headache. She reached up and touched her head; it was wrapped in cloth.
“I wasn’t unconscious for that long, right? Why is my head already bandaged?” she thought.
After thinking carefully, she remembered that she had been eavesdropping at the door when suddenly her head hurt and she fell face-first to the ground.
“No wonder my head hurts,” she muttered.
She sorted through her memories and thoughts. Before fainting, she seemed to have heard that her father had died in battle while serving as a soldier.
Died in battle equals money.
“Oh no, I need to hurry out there. Otherwise that heartless old hag of a grandmother will definitely pocket the money,” she thought anxiously.
“My mom is probably in the same situation as me—unconscious and receiving memories. If I wait for her to wake up, the money will definitely be gone.”
Xia Yan quickly put on her shoes and rushed out into the courtyard.
She saw her eldest brother Xia Tie Chui and third sister Xia Da Ya discussing something.
“Big brother, now that Mother has fainted, what should we do?”
Xia Tie Chui stayed silent. He didn’t want to be labeled unfilial. Their father’s body was still cold, yet they were already thinking about compensation money. Although their father treated them slightly better than their mother did, he had never really given him fatherly warmth.
As he thought, his mind drifted away.
Xia Da Ya grew anxious seeing her brother not respond. The village head was already about to hand the money to their grandmother.
At that moment, Xia Yan rushed out just as the village head was about to pass over the money pouch.
“Village Head Grandpa! My father’s compensation money cannot be given to my grandmother! Have you forgotten that our family has already been separated? Although what I’m about to say may sound unfilial, my mother is still unconscious, and there are so many people in our family who need to live. We have no money. If you give it to my grandmother, she will definitely not give us a single coin. Are you trying to force us to death?”
Xia Yan didn’t care about family dignity at all and directly exposed all the family’s ugly matters.
From now on, whether their reputation was good or bad—she didn’t care.
Old Madam Liu was so angry she clutched her chest.
“Shut up! You little wretch! I should have drowned you in a chamber pot when you were born! You ungrateful thing! My son is dead, so why shouldn’t his compensation belong to me?”
She lunged forward to snatch the money pouch, but the village head was not weak and easily stopped her.
The money pouch this time was larger than usual. Clearly, there was a lot inside.
Although Old Madam Liu cared about her son, it wasn’t much.
Xia Tie Chui and Xia Lao San also noticed the pouch. That was why they had earlier cooperated with their mother’s act. However, as grown men, they couldn’t bring themselves to directly snatch it.
They could only pretend to persuade her.
“Mother, don’t argue with Second Sister. She’s still young and doesn’t understand your hardship. So much money is not safe in their hands. You’re thinking for them…”
Before he could finish, Xia Yan pointed at him and shouted.
“You’re talking nonsense! If you really cared about us, why didn’t you go to war when they were recruiting soldiers? If you want money, why don’t you exchange your own life for it? Stop pretending to be righteous! You’re just bullying our orphaned and widowed household to take the money for yourself! Even my father in the afterlife can hear your calculations!”
Xia Lao Da was instantly enraged and raised his hand to slap her.
At that moment, Xia Er Gou, who had been unnoticed, suddenly stepped in front of her and took the slap squarely.
Xia Yan had already dodged before the slap landed. She looked at Xia Er Gou, who had taken the hit, in confusion.
“Does my second brother have a hobby of taking hits for people?”
Xia Lao Da realized he hit the wrong person but still refused to let it go. He shoved Xia Er Gou to the ground and prepared to continue hitting Xia Yan.
Seeing this, Xia Yan quickly ran behind the village head for protection.
The village head immediately shouted sternly.
“Xia Lao Da! You dare hit people right in front of me? It seems you’ve been bullying them even worse in private!”
Hearing this, Xia Lao Da did not dare continue. Offending the village head might mean being driven out of Dongjia Village.
Xia Tie Chui finally stepped forward. After seeing his sister risking herself for the family, he realized that his obsession with so-called filial duty was not worth it.
He bowed to the village head.
“Village Head Grandpa, my sister is right. Our family has already separated from the main household. There is no reason for our father’s compensation to go to them. When we separated, they only gave us a few grass huts, one mu of farmland, and just enough grain for a week. Everything else was taken. What we signed was not even a separation agreement—it was a severance contract.”
The village head recalled the past and felt it was indeed unfair. After considering the situation in the village and the Xia family’s reputation, he nodded.
“I was careless. I’m sorry. This money will be handed to you first. When your mother wakes up, you can give it to her.”
He passed the money pouch to Xia Tie Chui.
Then he turned to Old Madam Liu sternly.
“If you dare touch this compensation money, don’t blame me for driving your family out of Dongjia Village.”
With that, he left with the officials.
The Xia family, hearing this, shuddered. Although they coveted the money, they feared being expelled more. In the end, they left reluctantly.
After everyone left, Xia Yan walked up to Xia Er Gou, hesitating for a long time before speaking.
“Second brother… thank you.”
After saying that, she blushed and quickly ran into Wang Chunhua’s room.
Xia Er Gou scratched his head in confusion.
“That girl is acting weird. She used to call me ‘second brother’ all the time without hesitation. Why did she suddenly get shy today? I really don’t understand girls.”
He shook his head helplessly.
Xia Da Ya noticed that her sister had run into their mother’s room. Although their mother had become a little softer after the family split, it still wasn’t enough for them to enter her room freely.
“She still longs for maternal love… but after being disappointed so many times, why hasn’t she learned?” she muttered.
Whether she was talking about Xia Yan—or herself—she wasn’t sure.
Xia Tie Chui, on the other hand, carefully tucked the money pouch into his chest and walked back to his room with stiff, awkward steps.
When he held the pouch, he could feel there was a large sum inside.
At least fifty taels.
So much money… in his hands… he didn’t even dare imagine it.