Qian Da’s blunt words sent a jolt of panic through Tao Erlang; his hands froze in mid-motion, and for a moment he was at a loss for words.
Seeing him like this, Qian Da gave a cold snort. “I’ve got a brilliant plan from Constable Liu, but if you carry on like this, once the family is divided, I’m afraid you’ll end up pinning this mess on Zhenniang!”
Tao Erlang dared not admit to such a thought and hastily protested, “Ever since I married Zhenniang, I’ve never made her do any housework. To hear you say such a thing, elder brother, truly puts me to shame!” He then set down the jar, rose, and walked over to Qian Da, smiling ingratiatingly. “We must still go our separate ways. After all, my elder brother has passed away; if I were to continue living with my sister-in-law, it would be rather inconvenient. If this were to go on, I fear it would invite gossip.”
Qian Da looked down on his feigned concern. He merely repeated what Constable Liu had said before taking his leave.
Having found a solution, Tao Erlang, thinking of the future without any further burdens, could hardly wait to return to Dongtou Village. But as Qian San was not at the shop, he had no choice but to wait patiently for him to return.
When the sun had sunk another palm’s length in the west, Tao Erlang finally returned home. As soon as he entered, he rushed to the small room and shook Qian Zhenniang awake from her afternoon nap.
Qian Zhenniang’s sweet dream was abruptly interrupted. She squinted her eyes and snapped, “Why have you come back so early?”
Tao Erlang repeated Qian Da’s words word for word. Upon hearing this, Qian Zhenniang hurriedly got to her feet and grabbed him excitedly. “Good heavens! I was just dreaming about this, and now it’s come true! With such a brilliant idea, I’ll see who can stop us from splitting the family!” She fixed her gaze on Tao Daliang. “Go and tell your father at once. I’ll make sure they’re out of the Tao household by tomorrow!”
Tao Erlang didn’t hesitate; he turned and left the room, heading straight for Old Man Tao’s quarters.
Old Man Tao was getting on in years and was a light sleeper; he’d woken the moment Tao Erlang had entered the courtyard. Now, seeing someone come in, he asked straight away, “What’s the matter? Why the rush?” Tao Erlang immediately repeated the whole story.
After hearing Tao Erlang’s account, Old Man Tao fell silent. Seeing that his father did not appear angry, Tao Erlang ventured, “We cannot keep Qinghe and Qingmiao. Our eldest brother’s line is clearly coming to an end. Once the two girls are married off, keeping our eldest sister-in-law here will only invite ridicule. It would be better to part ways sooner rather than later. If she can remarry, it would be a happy union.”
Only then did Old Man Tao speak: “What you say has some merit, but what if that Zhao woman refuses?”
Tao Erlang grew bold at this point and sneered: “My eldest sister-in-law has been married into the Tao family for many years, yet she has failed to bear my eldest brother a son. If she agrees to the division of the household this time, so be it; if she refuses, you must simply send her back to her family!”
Hearing this, Old Man Tao sighed inwardly. With his eldest son gone, he could only rely on his second son’s household for his old age; as things stood, he had no choice but to grant his second son’s wish.
“We’ll discuss this with Lady Zhao after supper,” he nodded in agreement.
Having received his permission, Second Brother Tao said no more and turned to leave.
After a long, deep sleep, Tao Qinghe awoke to find her headache had eased somewhat, and she was overjoyed. She had feared she might suffer lasting effects, but it seemed her condition was gradually improving.
She glanced over at the bed beside her, guessing that Mother Zhao was preparing supper, and gently shook Tao Qingmiao awake. The sisters dressed and went to the kitchen to lend a hand.
Just like yesterday, it was a simple meal of porridge and rice, which the few members of the Tao family ate in silence.
Once they had finished eating, just as Zhao Liniang was about to tidy up the kitchen, Old Man Tao suddenly spoke: “Zhao, you have been married into the Tao family for quite some years now. Since my eldest son’s mother passed away so early, you have been managing everything in the household.”
Zhao Liniang, taken completely by surprise, was overcome with panic. She stammered, unable to speak, and simply kept her head bowed.
Having heard these words, Tao Qinghe turned to look at Old Man Tao, thinking to herself: Here it comes.
Seeing Zhao Liniang remain silent with her head bowed, Old Man Tao could only continue: “All these years, the Tao family has not treated you harshly because of your father’s fondness for drink or your elder brother’s gambling. Now that the two girls have grown up, it is time for the household to be divided.”
These words struck Zhao Liniang like a thunderclap. She forced herself to remain calm. “Since Eldest Brother has passed away, our eldest branch cannot be divided…”
Qian Zhenniang could not contain herself any longer and interjected: “ “Eldest Sister, the laws of our dynasty are most favourable; a woman may establish her own household. Take Qinghe and Qingmiao with you, and you’ll soon be the most formidable woman for miles around.”
Hearing this, Tao Qinghe could no longer be in any doubt: she hadn’t expected that in this dynasty, a woman could actually establish her own household. Qian Zhenniang really did have a few tricks up her sleeve!
“Are you being so kind-hearted?” Tao Qingmiao spoke up at this point.
Qian Zhenniang shot her a withering glance, but just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Old Man Tao. With a stern expression, he said,
“Zhao, once a female-headed household is established, you’ll be exempt from menial labour. If you can acquire some farmland, you’ll only need to pay the land tax. This is a good thing!”
Upon hearing Old Man Tao’s words, Tao Qinghe snorted derisively. “Grandfather speaks so readily—I suppose you’ve been plotting this for quite some time? I just wonder what the departed would think if they could hear this from beyond the grave!”
At the mention of Tao Dalang, Old Man Tao’s expression darkened. He shot her a cold glance. “Qinghe, this is not something I should be telling you, but if you refuse to split the household, then we’ll have to ask your mother if she’s willing to take her divorce papers and return to the Zhao family!”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Liniang could no longer hold herself together. Her face went pale, her body swayed, and she could barely stand. Seeing this, Zhao Qingmiao hurried forward to support her.
Tao Qinghe knew full well that, with matters having reached this point, the division of the family was a done deal; the key now lay in how to secure the greatest possible benefit. She spoke bluntly: “A division of the family is fine, but you’d better tell us exactly how it’s to be done.”
Upon hearing this, Old Tao breathed a slight sigh of relief. “Before summer began, your father repaired that thatched hut on the eastern edge of the village for the sake of those flowers. After the division, you may move there.”
Tao Qinghe tried to search her memory and did indeed locate the so-called thatched cottage, but whilst it was called a house, it was in reality nothing more than a flower shed. If they were to move in, what difference would it make from having a single piece of cloth over their heads?
She looked at the few members of the Tao family standing before her, suppressing the rage within her, and said in a sharp tone, “ ‘That’s no house at all. It offers no shelter from wind or rain, and it’s so far from the village that no one would even know if we died there!’ Having said this, she feigned sudden realisation. “You weren’t planning on doing just that, were you?”
How could Old Man Tao possibly admit to such a thing? Furious and humiliated, he snapped, “I think you’ve gone mad from the blow to your head—you’re talking utter nonsense all day long! Since your father passed away, where on earth would we have the money to build a new house?”
“All the money Father earned from growing flowers over the years is in your hands,” Tao Qinghe said, glaring at him. “If we’re not building a new house, you’d better give us twenty taels of silver!”
Qian Zhenniang could no longer sit still upon hearing this. Twenty taels? She’d never even held twenty taels in her hands! That wretched girl really had the nerve!
“Qinghe! I think your mind truly needs treating, so you stop daydreaming all day long!”
“Since Auntie puts it that way, then you’ll just have to add another ten taels to cover the medical costs,” Tao Qinghe retorted, raising her eyebrows. “From now on, I’ll pray to Father day and night to bless you!”
Qian Zhenniang was shaking with rage. She glared at her, unable to utter a single word.
Seeing the situation was about to spiral out of control, Tao Erlang quickly interjected: “Eldest daughter, I never knew you had such a sharp tongue, but the fact remains that this household must be divided. Besides, how many families in the village can actually come up with twenty taels? Getting the better of an argument won’t do you any good!”
Tao Qinghe shot Tao Erlang a sidelong glance. “So how much does Uncle intend to give?”
“There are no male heirs in your household, so you shouldn’t be entitled to any in the first place. But since my eldest sister-in-law has devoted herself to the Tao family all these years, I shall add one tael to your share this time.” Tao Erlang looked at them. “This silver will be enough to see you through for quite some time. Once you go out to find work, you won’t have to worry about food and drink.”
Tao Qinghe almost felt like applauding Tao Erlang; his skill at telling blatant lies was simply first-rate. If she hadn’t known just how difficult life was for women in ancient times, she would certainly have been swept off her feet by those words!
“If silver is so easy to come by, why haven’t we seen you strike it rich all these years, Uncle? I want ten taels of silver, and we should also be given a share of the household goods.”
Tao Erlang’s face turned ashen with rage at her words. He slammed his fist on the table and leapt to his feet. “Absolutely not! If we cannot come to an agreement today, your mother shall return to the Zhao family tomorrow with her divorce papers!”
Tao Qinghe was undeterred by his threats. “Very well! Once Mother returns tomorrow, I shall jump into the village well! I’d like to see how the Tao family manages to hold their ground in the village after that.”
“I’ll jump in with my elder sister!” Tao Qingmiao piped up from the side.
At these words, the Tao couple’s glares pierced her like knives, as if they were about to flay her alive.
Tao Qinghe met their gaze without flinching. Without the money, they would starve to death; she could not back down now.
The two sides stood facing each other for a long while, neither willing to speak. Old Man Tao broke the silence. “We in the Tao family value our reputation; how could we let a family division descend to such chaos? Eldest daughter, there is only one tael of silver, but I can give you that plot of land by the thatched cottage. With the land to rely on, you won’t go hungry in the future.” He fixed his gaze on Tao Qinghe. “If you think this is acceptable, let’s settle it this way. If not, then I’ll have no choice but to use this money to have another coffin made for you!”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Liniang was so frightened she hurriedly grabbed Tao Qinghe’s arm. She kept her head bowed, unable to meet the others’ eyes, muttering repeatedly, “We agree. We all agree.”
Even though she had a premonition that she would receive little of the inheritance, these words still sent a chill through her heart. In ancient times, the lives of the lower classes were cheap, and no one cared about the lives of women at all!
But having come this far, she could not afford to back down. No matter what she was thinking, she gave nothing away on her face, merely asking, “How is this female household to be registered?”
Tao Erlang replied, “Just go and see the village head after breakfast tomorrow.”
Tao Qinghe nodded and said no more. With matters having reached this point, there was little else to be said. The crowd dispersed to attend to their other tasks. The three women—mother and daughters—returned to the house to begin packing their belongings.
Zhao Liniang was helped into the house, but for a long time she could not come to terms with it. Why must this household be divided up?