Old Madam Chen snapped impatiently. “Let it go? Easy for you to say! If we don’t split the family, am I supposed to let her climb up on my neck and shit there? I don’t believe I can’t handle that wretched girl. If I don’t teach her a hard lesson, I’ve lived all these years in vain!”
Sun-shi (the second daughter-in-law) tried to soothe her, “Mother, everything you say is right, but if the family splits, won’t Eldest Brother’s family starve to death?”
Old Madam Chen snarled, “If they starve, it serves them right!”
Sun-shi gave an awkward smile. “But isn’t that such a waste? What a pity! Mother, look—my Da Bao is of marriageable age now. The Zhao family in the neighboring village happens to have both a son and a daughter, but they can’t afford to get their boy a wife. They’ve said they’d be willing to arrange a marriage exchange. Since Qing girl doesn’t want to marry Butcher Li, why don’t we make an exchange with the Zhao family instead? Da Bao can marry their daughter, and Qing girl can marry their son. Wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone?”
Chen Zhanshan and Lin-shi exchanged a bitter glance.
These people were their own flesh and blood, yet every one of them wanted to ruin their daughter’s life. How wonderful—truly wonderful.
Old Madam Chen flew into a rage, pointing at Sun-shi and cursing, “I knew you couldn’t say anything decent! Always scheming and spitting poison. The third hasn’t even passed the exam yet, and you’re already thinking of marrying off your son? You’ve got some nerve! I’m telling you now—right now, the only thing that matters in this family is your third brother’s future. Everything else can wait!”
Sun-shi’s smile vanished. “So what you mean is that only your precious third son matters, but your grandson doesn’t, is that it?”
Old Madam Chen felt a pang of unease.
This second daughter-in-law wasn’t as meek as the eldest one—she was sharp-tongued, loud, and mean.
When she threw a fit, the entire village would come running.
She remembered once when no one else was home, she secretly gave her granddaughter Ruolan a boiled egg.
Unfortunately, Sun-shi caught her.
The woman cried, screamed, and threatened to hang herself, accusing Old Madam Chen of favoritism. In the end, she’d had to boil ten more eggs for her to shut her up.
“My grandson’s business is important too,” the old woman hastily said. “What I mean is, once your third brother passes the exam and becomes a scholar, Da Bao will be the nephew of a scholar! Then when it comes time to arrange a marriage, good girls will be lining up for him. Isn’t that right?”
Sun-shi’s lips curled in disdain. “And what if the third never becomes a scholar his whole life? Does that mean my Da Bao never gets to marry at all?”
“Pah, pah, pah! Shut that crow’s mouth of yours!” Old Madam Chen glared furiously. “If your third brother fails again this year, it’ll be your cursed tongue’s fault!”
Liu Fengjiao (the third daughter-in-law) widened her eyes and snapped, “Second Sister-in-law, you’ve got a filthy mouth! My husband is this family’s only hope—how could your son compare? You want to use that worthless boy of yours for a marriage exchange? Hah! That’s like a toad wanting to ride a phoenix—dream on!”
“You watch your mouth, Liu Fengjiao! What’s wrong with my son? He’s got all his arms and legs, doesn’t he? If you keep insulting him, I’ll tear your mouth to shreds!” Sun-shi roared back.
Chen Zhanliang (the second son) frowned. “Sister-in-law, you’d better think before you speak. These years, most of the money we’ve earned has gone to your husband’s studies. If Da Bao can’t find a wife, maybe it’s time your Ruolan took his place in a marriage exchange instead of Qing girl.”
Liu Fengjiao’s face turned ashen, and her hands trembled. “You wish! My Ruolan has the bearing of a young lady—how could she marry some dirt farmer?”
Sun-shi sneered. “A ‘young lady,’ huh? Dreaming above your station! Heart higher than the sky, fate thinner than paper!”
“You—you shut your mouth!”
…
Old Madam Chen’s head throbbed from the noise.
She shouted, “Enough! All of you, shut up and stay put!”
Just then, Chen Qingqing entered through the gate with the village headman.
Old Chen immediately rose to greet him warmly. “Headman Wu, please, come in and sit.”
Wu Bao’an didn’t waste time on small talk. “Everyone’s here, good. Now, what’s this about dividing the family?”
Old Madam Chen pretended to wipe tears from her face. “Headman, don’t laugh at me. It was me who wanted to split the family.”
Wu Bao’an frowned. “Auntie, times are hard these days. If the family splits, the eldest household will have a rough time. Maybe you should reconsider.”
Chen Zhanshan sighed heavily. “Headman, let’s split. If we don’t, Qing girl will have to marry Butcher Li—and that’s as good as sending her to her death. Even if we starve, I won’t let my daughter be beaten to death.”
Wu Bao’an studied the man before him.
He was only about forty, but years of toil had aged him to look sixty.
Splitting the family would brand him as unfilial, and life would only get harder.
“Eldest,” he said gravely, “are you sure? Once you split, if your third brother passes the exams and becomes a scholar, any tax exemptions or corvée reductions will have nothing to do with you.”
Chen Zhanshan nodded. “I understand.”
Chen Qingqing pressed her lips together and spoke softly but firmly. “Uncle Headman, please write the separation document. We don’t care about scholars or titles. Even if the third household produces a top-ranking scholar, what’s that to us? With my grandparents so blatantly biased, we’d never see any benefit—just empty words. Come next spring, I’ll send my little brother to school in town. The children of our house are no worse than anyone else’s.”
Old Madam Chen was so furious her ribs ached. “You damned girl! You really won’t cry until you see your coffin, huh? Fine! Let’s see how long you last without me. Split, then! Split right now!”
Seeing there was no turning back, Wu Bao’an sighed. “Auntie, how do you plan to divide the land and grain between the households?”
Old Madam Chen narrowed her eyes. “Grain? Who’s got grain these days? We’ve only one sack of rice bran left in the house. Out of the kindness of my heart, I’ll give half of it to the eldest family. Third daughter-in-law, go to the east room and bring that half sack of rice bran here.”
“Yes, Mother,” Liu Fengjiao replied, swaying her hips as she went inside.