When the Guan family heard the news, they naturally couldn’t sit still and rushed over to Yang Lizheng’s house.
Madam Wang, the matriarch, led the questioning: “Yang Lizheng, I heard that my granddaughter Xiyue bought that old Sun’s house at the village entrance along with two acres of land. Is this true?”
Yang Lizheng nodded. Wang naturally reached out her hand: “Where’s the land deed?”
Yang Lizheng was taken aback, mouth agape: “The deed is, of course, in Xiyue’s hands.”
Old Guan scowled: “Lizheng, that’s not right. How old is Xiyue? Even if she’s divorced, she’s still a member of the Guan family. Any land she buys should belong to our family.”
People murmured among themselves. Some agreed with Old Guan—if she’s divorced, she still belongs to the family, so she can’t buy land herself. Others thought Old Guan was unreasonable—the granddaughter had been divorced, no one cared about her, yet he wanted to claim her land.
Guan Old Third and Madam Zhang were gloomy, understanding their frustration came from their daughter being divorced.
The rest of the family, however, were excited—two more acres in the family, worth several taels of silver, was a good thing.
Yang Lizheng’s wife, Madam Li, was quick to speak: “Everyone here, let’s witness. Recently, some said that Xiyue, as a married-out daughter, is like water spilled—divorced, and unrelated to the Guan family. But now you claim she’s still part of the family?”
Old Guan was slapped in the face, losing face. Guan Eldest’s wife, Madam Zhao, didn’t mind: “Sister Li, it’s not exactly that. Who could have predicted Xiyue would actually be divorced? Even so, she’s still our family.”
Yang Lizheng thought thankfully that Xiyue had foresight and had clarified things with them beforehand.
He cleared his throat and said with some authority: “I am just doing my duty. If you have issues, take them up with Xiyue herself. She’s divorced and now independent, with her own household registration. You are now two separate families. She has her own household and land. Any disputes between you must be resolved yourselves.”
This caused a stir among the crowd. Such a thing had no precedent in Datong Village and was probably unheard of in Quqing County.
Widows could maintain their late husband’s estate with their children. Families could establish a daughter’s household if she married in. But usually, women didn’t want divorce or dismissal—they would endure in their husband’s home. If divorced, they might live a quiet life or remarry under family supervision.
But for Xiyue—her parents and family were alive, yet she was dismissed, didn’t sulk, and independently registered herself, bought land, and effectively established her own household.
The villagers now speculated even further: how much wealth did Xiyue have? The Zhou family was wealthy and would surely compensate her generously.
Old Guan and his household were furious, awaiting Xiyue’s return to demand all her compensation.
Meanwhile, in the county, Xiyue was not idle. She began drawing her house’s design.
The house didn’t need to be large, nor have many rooms, but it had to be sturdy and refined. She sketched a small two-story building with three main rooms. The ground floor was for receiving guests and cooking; the upper floor for personal use—bedrooms and a study. Any empty rooms could serve future purposes.
On either side of the main building, there would be single-story rooms for servants or storage. With two acres of land, she could add more rooms, chicken coops, dog kennels, and perhaps later buy oxen or horses.
With only thirty-some taels left, it wasn’t enough. Xiyue sighed inwardly and resolved to first build the main building, leaving other expansions for later.
Two days later, her maid arrived at the inn. Though her eyes were red and swollen, her gaze was clear and determined, no longer despairing. Xiyue named her Chunliu, bought her two sets of coarse cotton clothing, fed her well, and together they returned to Datong Village.
Unknown to them, the Guan family had stationed Guan Ziming, the second son, at the village entrance to report Xiyue’s arrival. She had become the talk of the village; any movement drew a crowd.
As expected, Xiyue headed for Yang Lizheng’s house. Before she could speak much with him, the Guan family arrived.
Grandmother Wang led the charge: “Xiyue, you’ve been divorced and didn’t return to tell anyone. You’re still part of the Guan family. If you’re being mistreated, shouldn’t you come back home?”
Xiyue smiled calmly: “Grandmother, yes, I’ve been divorced and have been mistreated. Now I’ll have you put it in writing—do you agree?”
The crowd gasped. Historically, commoners did not confront officials, and the poor did not confront the wealthy.
Xiyue was once a purchased concubine. Being divorced or sold was at others’ discretion. Her family had made a pile of silver; they had no concern for her well-being. And being mistreated—“put it in writing”? Not a chance.
Madam Wang looked embarrassed. Madam Zhao quickly added: “Xiyue, what are you saying? You’re divorced now; why trouble Yang Lizheng?”
Her intention was to coax Xiyue back home quietly, so the silver would be surrendered easily.
But Xiyue ignored them and addressed the villagers: “Uncles, aunts, as you know, I’ve been divorced and have established my own household. I bought land and plan to build a house. I have a few matters to discuss. First, housing. I intend to rent two rooms, paying 200 wen per month. Who is willing to rent to me?”
Immediately, several villagers volunteered. In the end, Sister Liu was selected. She didn’t even listen to the remaining gossip and hurried home to prepare. Two hundred wen per month for empty rooms—unexpectedly lucrative.
And there was more: Xiyue planned to hire labor for construction. Skilled workers: 60 wen/day, unskilled: 30 wen/day, assistant cooks: 30 wen/day—ten wen higher than usual.
Villagers eagerly signed up, and the Guan family members’ faces darkened.
Seeing the workers arranged, Old Guan quickly said: “Xiyue, you’re young and inexperienced, not good with accounts. Give the silver to me. I am still strong enough to manage things. Your eldest uncle will supervise construction, eldest aunt will handle the kitchen, your father and mother will be unskilled workers and assistants. Everything will be orderly and clear.”