Today, the Clan Head’s ox cart was going to the county town on business, so Lin Minghai went along. Once the ox cart had left the village, Old Madam Liu told the whole family to return home.
In the main room, Old Madam Liu began, “I raised all of you children. Now you’ve all started families of your own. When a tree grows large, its branches must be divided; when sons grow up, their households must be separated. Today, we’ll divide the family.”
As soon as she finished speaking, no one in the main room said anything. The Eldest Branch couple had been the ones who planned this family separation in the first place, so the two of them lowered their heads and remained silent. In any case, their mother was taking the lead for them.
The Second Branch had anticipated this long ago. The people of the Third Branch, however, still looked somewhat ashen. They had not expected the family to be divided the very day after Second Brother had brought it up. It seemed that Mother had already been considering this for some time.
Old Man Lin was still immersed in the joy of having two clever grandsons when he heard his wife say that they were going to divide the family. But he had no say in the household and could only fidget anxiously.
“The children have grown up, and there isn’t enough room in the house. The Second Branch will move out and build a house of its own. All the money in the family will be kept for Minghai’s journey to the prefectural city to take the examinations, and I don’t have a single copper to spare either. That settles it. Eldest Son, go call the Clan Head. We’ll divide the family today.”
The Second Branch had expected Old Madam Liu to favor the Eldest Branch, but they had not expected her to be so blatantly partial. To put it plainly, she wanted them to leave with nothing—not a share of the money, not a share of the land, and not even any grain.
Lin Changgen felt a deep sense of sympathy. It was exactly as Second Brother had said: their mother was keeping their family in the Old Lin household so that they could continue working like oxen and horses. The last bit of hope in his heart disappeared as well.
Old Madam Liu paid no attention to their reactions and even listed some of the “benefits” of dividing the family.
As she continued prattling on, Lin Changsong glanced at his Third Brother. At last, the couple came to their senses. Together, they knelt before Old Madam Liu and cried out, “While our parents are still alive, the family must not be divided!” Their attitude was clear: they did not want to separate from the family.
Lin Changsong also pretended to be overcome with emotion and knelt beside Lin Changgen before Old Madam Liu.
“Mother! We can’t divide the family! Eldest Brother is the pillar of our household, and Minghai is the future hope of the entire Old Lin family!
“Now that Minghai’s county examination is approaching, this is precisely the time when everyone in the family needs to unite and work together. If we move out now, won’t outsiders laugh at us? Won’t they say that our Lin family is divided and that we’re undermining Minghai?
“Besides, once Minghai becomes a xiucai, a juren, and even a jinshi in the future, won’t he need a few of his own family members around to run errands, handle matters, and support him in public? How could servants be as considerate as family? Mother, we won’t separate! We want to stay and work like oxen and horses for Eldest Brother and Minghai!”
He spoke with such righteousness that he even managed to bamboozle Old Madam Liu.
Wang Ya hurriedly joined in. “Mother, the children’s father is right! Once Minghai becomes a xiucai, he’ll have to study at the county school. Won’t he need a pageboy by his side to look after him? Our Goudan is clever and quick-witted. He’s perfect for the job!
“Besides, when Minghai goes to the prefectural city to take the juren examination in the future, his father can go along to cultivate connections and broaden his horizons. Once Minghai becomes an official, our whole family will have to follow him to his post. His father can serve as his secretary, and I can work as a steward-matron. These would all be his own family members—far better than outsiders, and a hundred times more reliable!”
This thoughtful arrangement vividly portrayed the future Old Madam Liu feared most: the Second Branch clinging to the Eldest Branch like leeches and sucking their blood.
“Grandmother, we won’t divide the family. I want to stay with Eldest Brother forever and ever. When he becomes a high-ranking official, he can buy me candy and flowers to wear.” Lin Xiaowei looked toward the people of the Third Branch. “Third Uncle, you shouldn’t separate either. Our whole family has to stay together forever and support Eldest Brother’s studies!”
Lin Changgen was not good with words, so he could only nod furiously in agreement. His acting skills were limited, and he still had to rely on Second Brother’s family.
“Grandmother, don’t divide the family. Eldest Brother still has to teach me to read!” Lin Minghao shouted.
Old Madam Liu was both shocked and furious. How had the Second Branch become so difficult to deal with? Their faces were thicker than city walls, and every sentence struck straight at her sorest spot.
She had originally wanted to cast off a burden, only to discover that the burden had turned into a dog-skin plaster that would not come off.
But no matter what, she was determined to divide the family today.
Old Madam Liu’s face turned livid, and she immediately declared in an unyielding tone, “This household is not for you to decide! If I say the family is to be divided, then it will be divided! Eldest Son, go call the Clan Head!”
“All right, Mother. I’ll go right now.” Lin Changdong put on an expression that said he would do exactly as his mother commanded.
Wang Ya gave Lin Minghao a meaningful glance. Lin Minghao nodded and quietly slipped out of the Old Lin family’s courtyard.
Once Lin Changdong entered the Clan Head’s home, Lin Minghao spread the news throughout the village that Old Madam Liu intended to force the Second and Third Branches out of the family. Thus, by the time Lin Changdong led the Clan Head back home, half the village was following behind them to watch the spectacle.
Old Madam Liu did not understand why so many people had come. There was barely even room to stand in the courtyard. Nevertheless, since she was determined to divide the family that day, she could only brace herself and invite the Clan Head and several clan elders to sit down.
The Clan Head, Lin Baozhu, took a sip of tea and looked at the dispirited Lin Shuanzhu.
“Fifth Brother, how do you intend to divide the family?”
Lin Shuanzhu looked at his rather imposing Eldest Cousin and stammered for a long while without managing to say anything.
Old Madam Liu put on a smiling face and said, “Clan Head, we’ve already discussed everything. We’ll live with the Eldest Branch. Since there isn’t enough room in the house, the Second Branch will move out and build a home of its own. The Third Branch will stay in the house they currently occupy.”
The Clan Head gazed at Old Madam Liu with a deep, unhurried look. He stared at her until a chill ran down her spine.
“For something as important as dividing the family, it would be better to let Fifth Brother speak for himself.” The Clan Head turned his head toward Lin Shuanzhu.
Lin Shuanzhu looked at his wife. Old Madam Liu did not dare raise her voice in front of the Clan Head, but she held absolute control over Lin Shuanzhu. She widened her eyes at him, and after mumbling for a long while, Lin Shuanzhu finally said, “I’ll listen to my wife.”
At those words, the Clan Head sighed inwardly, while the villagers outside erupted.
“Old Man Lin is truly useless. He can’t even decide how to divide his own family.”
“That’s right. He doesn’t even dare let out a fart in front of Old Madam Liu.”
Hearing the discussion outside, Old Madam Liu felt no shame. Instead, she was secretly pleased with herself. Lin Shuanzhu’s face turned pale, but he still did not say a word.
Lin Changsong and Lin Changgen both knew what their father’s position was in the household and had never held out any hope for him.
After the discussion outside quieted down a little, the Clan Head asked, “Then what about the family’s fields and money?”
Lin Changdong straightened up. In his heart, all of those things belonged to the Eldest Branch and did not need to be divided among his younger brothers. He and his mother had previously agreed to make the Second Branch leave with nothing. But now that the Clan Head and clan elders were present, along with so many villagers watching, if they truly divided things in that manner, the clan would not agree—and the villagers would gossip as well, which would harm Minghai’s reputation.
Seeing her eldest son signal to her, Old Madam Liu understood that she would have to give up a little today. She could only say, “The family has twenty mu of land in total: fourteen mu of paddy fields and six mu of dry fields. By the old rules, since we’ll be relying on the Eldest Branch for our support in our old age, the Eldest Branch will receive seventy percent—twelve mu of paddy fields and two mu of dry fields. The Second and Third Branches will each receive one mu of paddy fields and two mu of dry fields.”
When the Clan Head heard this division, he nearly laughed from anger.
Lin Changsong was amused by the absurdity of it as well. In other words, Old Madam Liu intended to spend only one mu of paddy fields and two mu of dry fields to divide the family, because although the Third Branch’s share of land was being given to them in name, in reality it would still remain in Old Madam Liu’s hands.
He stepped forward and bowed to the clan elders.
“Uncles and elders, my mother clearly hasn’t woken up yet. My Third Brother and I were never willing to divide the family in the first place, so we’ve troubled all of you elders to make this trip for nothing. We won’t divide the family after all.”