The village head tried to persuade them a few more times, but Old Madam Xia remained unrelenting. Her tone didn’t soften by a fraction; aside from scolding Xiaonuan, she repeated only one sentence: that Xiaonuan had to be driven out today and was not allowed to stay in her house a moment longer.
Feeling extremely angry, the village head suppressed his temper, thinking of Xiaonuan’s plight, and turned to say to Xia Shitou:
“Shitou, what do you say? You need to think this through carefully. Xiaonuan isn’t living in your house for freethe chores this child does from morning till night are no small amount. Take gathering firewood, for instance: which family’s daughter normally gets to go up the mountain to chop firewood? Even if a family is short on fuel, they only occasionally pick up a few sticks at the foot of the mountain. Only Xiaonuan, with her frail build, has to go chop firewood every day, carrying it back bundle by bundle. Isn’t the reason your kang stays so warm precisely because this child chops enough firewood every day to burn so much? How capable this child is!”
Xia Shitou knew all too well how hardworking Xiaonuan was. The reason he also wanted to drive her away was partly because he, his wife, his children, and himself had all come out on the losing end against Xiaonuan, leaving him deeply angered. But the main reason was his conviction that no matter what they did, Xiaonuan wouldn’t dare to leave; apart from becoming more obedient and letting them beat and scold her at will, she had no other choice because she had nowhere else to go. Therefore, he had also made up his mind to thoroughly frighten Xiaonuan first.
So he said: “Uncle Village Head, as you know, my family isn’t well-off. Ever since Xiaonuan came and started eating from our pot, times have been even tighter. Now, not only did Xiaonuan steal her sister’s things and stubbornly refuse to admit it when caught, but she also beat up both me and Dingxiang. Our Great Xia State is a nation that places the utmost importance on filial piety, so under no circumstances can she be allowed to stay in our home today.”
The village head was furious upon hearing this, yet he knew clearly in his heart that if Xiaonuan were truly driven out, the child would be left with a dead end. In such bitter cold weather, where could she possibly go?
Adjusting his emotions, the village head prepared to persuade them further when Xiaonuan, who had been quietly doing chores all this time, spoke up:
“Uncle Village Head, don’t try to persuade them anymore. I agree to leave my second uncle’s house.”
Startled, the village head exclaimed: “Xiaonuan, you mustn’t act on impulse and talk nonsense! Where can you go if you leave your second uncle’s house? It’s so freezing outside, you’ll freeze to death. Listen to Uncle Village Headgo on outside to work for a bit, and I will properly persuade your second uncle and second aunt. In the end, they will continue to take you in.”
Xiaonuan didn’t go outside; she seemed to have made up her mind: “Uncle, I’ve already decided. I’m leaving my second uncle and second aunt’s house today. Don’t worry, I won’t freeze or starve to death. I have strength; I can go up the mountain to chop firewood. Aside from what I use to keep myself warm, I can carry the rest to the market to sell. The money from selling it will buy some food, and I’ll be fine eating just once a dayI will definitely survive. At my second uncle’s house, it’s the same routine of doing chores, living hand-to-mouth, and being allowed at most one meal a day. Yesterday during New Year’s Eve, my second uncle and second aunt didn’t even give me a single dumpling to eat. Because I ate half a corn cake yesterday morning, my second aunt said my food ration for the entire day had already been used up, so she only gave me a bowl of dumpling soup for my New Year’s Eve dinner…”
Hearing this, the village head was utterly shocked: “Xia Shitou, is what Xiaonuan said true? How can your hearts be so cruel? In every family, even if times aren’t rich, when New Year’s comes around, even the family dog gets given a few dumplings as a reward for its hard work guarding the house all year. How could you be so callous? Not a single dumpling for the child? Are you even human? And Du Dingxiang, you’re no better!” The village head erupted in anger.
Hearing Xiaonuan dare to expose her wrongdoings right in front of the village head, Du Dingxiang rushed over, wanting to savagely slap Xiaonuan across the face.
“Du Dingxiang, you stay right where you are! If you dare hit Xiaonuan today, come spring I will directly deduct the seeds that are supposed to be distributed to your familydon’t think I won’t try it!”
Hearing the village head say this, Du Dingxiang raised her hand several times, but ultimately didn’t dare strike Xiaonuan. Instead, she pointed a finger at her and cursed: “You just wait, I’ll skin you alive tomorrow.”
Xiaonuan continued: “Uncle Village Head, before my parents passed away, our family owned farmland. Over the past few years, my second uncle’s family has been farming it. Now that they want to drive me out, shouldn’t they return my family’s land to me?”
Hearing this, Du Dingxiang slammed her hands on her hips and roared angrily: “What? Return your land to you? How much of our family’s food did you eat while living here these past few years? I haven’t even asked you to pay up, and you dare ask for your family’s land? If you want the land back, fineyou’ve stayed in our house for three years. Food, clothing, housing, and travel cost thirty liang of silver per year. Hand over one hundred liang of silver for the three years, and we’ll give you back your two mu of land.”
Furious, the village head snapped: “Du Dingxiang, why don’t you go rob a bank? All the people in your family combined don’t even spend a few liang of silver in a year! How dare you claim Xiaonuan alone spent thirty liang of silver a year on expenses? Even if she could somehow spend thirty liang, could you guys even pull together thirty liang of silver to spend on her in the first place?”
Sitting up on the kang, Old Madam Xia also chimed in at Xiaonuan’s words:
“What a good-for-nothing wretch! Your parents are dead, so the land naturally belongs to me. Since I am the mother of those two dead ghosts, while I’m alive it naturally goes to no one else. Now you, a little good-for-nothing hussy, actually dare to open your mouth and demand land from your uncle and aunt? Why don’t you just take my life instead?!”
With that, Old Madam Xia picked up her walking stick and swung it at Xiaonuan, but Xiaonuan dodged and missed.
Old Madam Xia didn’t let up: “Xiaolong, quickly get paper and brush and write a ‘Severance of Family Ties Agreement’ (duan qin shu). Today, not only must we drive Xiaonuan out, but we must also completely sever all relations with her. Our family absolutely cannot have any further ties with a beast that lacks all respect for her elders. The village head is right here, so he can act as a witness. Xiaolong, hurry and prepare the brush and paperwrite the severance agreement right now!” Old Madam Xia shrieked repeatedly.
Xiaolong rushed off to find paper and brush. Xia Shitou understood in his heart: his mother wanted to write the severance agreement certainly out of fear that Xiaonuan would bring up the land issue again in the future. Once the severance agreement was signed today, it would mean there were no longer any ties between them whatsoever, naturally putting an end to any future thoughts Xiaonuan might have of reclaiming the land. Moreover, even with the ties severed, Xiaonuan would still continue to live in his house and work like an ox or a horse for them, because she had nowhere else to go.
Having made up his mind, far from stopping Old Madam Xia, he chimed in to support her: “Since Mom said to write a severance agreement, then we must write it. Everything is up to Mom. Xiaolong, I’ll dictate, you write.”
Thus, the family immediately set up the table, spread out the paper and brush, and began drafting the severance agreement.
Seeing this setup, Xiaonuan knew not only that her family’s land was definitely not coming back, but also that since they were writing a severance agreement, they were undoubtedly determined to cast her out.
Yet she felt no fear; she genuinely wanted to leave them behind anyway.
Xiaolong quickly finished writing the severance agreement. Xia Shitou pressed his thumbprint on it and told Xiaonuan to hurry and press hers as well. Without hesitation, Xiaonuan walked over and pressed her thumbprint.
Things having reached this point, the village head could do nothing else. Serving as a witness, he signed his own name and pressed his thumbprint too.
Xiaonuan took her copy of the agreement, folded it up, tucked it inside her bosom, and strode toward the door.
Seeing that there was no room left to salvage the situation, the village head called out to stop her: “Wait a moment, Xiaonuan.”
Hearing this, Xiaonuan paused and looked back at the village head.
The village head said to Xia Shitou: “Xia Shitou, now that Xiaonuan has been driven out by you, you’ve gotten what you wanted. But regardless, this child has worked for you for a full year. Now that she’s leaving, you should at least give her some foodyou can’t be such a stingy iron rooster that you drive her out without a single scrap, can you?”
Terrified that Xia Shitou might actually give Xiaonuan grain, Du Dingxiang immediately grabbed half a bag of potatoes from the corner of the room and said: “Here is a bag of potatoes, take them. As for grain, there is absolutely none left.”
Unfazed, Xiaonuan walked over, hoisted the small half-bag of potatoes onto her back, and stepped outside.
Seeing this, the village head quickly followed her out: “Xiaonuan, it’s so cold, where are you going? If you really have nowhere to go, why not come stay at my house for a few days?”
“No need, Uncle. I’ve already thought it over. That house at the very western end of our villagethe one where Grandma Li used to livethat’s village property, right? It’s been empty and unoccupied ever since Grandma Li passed away. Uncle Village Head, could you lend me that house to stay in for now? If it’s not possible, that’s fine too; I know there’s a very secluded cave up in the mountains, and I can go live in the cave.”