Chen Zhanshan pleaded bitterly, “Mother, you can’t drive us out just because Third Brother needs money for his studies. If you kick us out, the villagers will say I’m unfilial!”
As the old saying went, “While one’s parents live, the family must not be divided.”
Now that both his parents were still alive, dividing the household would be seen as the gravest act of unfilial rebellion.
If they were cast out, the villagers’ gossip alone could drown them in shame.
And besides, in these hard times, being driven out would mean nothing but death.
Madam Lin’s face turned pale. “Mother, please calm down—don’t anger yourself. It’s all my fault as a daughter-in-law. I beg your forgiveness.”
A glint of smug satisfaction flickered in Old Madam Chen’s eyes.
Others might not be easy to control, but this eldest son and his timid wife—she could handle them just fine.
Now they knew fear, didn’t they?
She cleared her throat with deliberate calm.“Zhanshan, it’s not that I’m playing favorites or really want to drive you out.If you obediently agree to marry Qing girl off to Butcher Li, then this matter can end here. After that, we’ll work hard together to earn silver and support your third brother’s studies, so he can pass the xiucai exam sooner—and you’ll live an honorable life.”
Chen Zhanshan swayed on his feet, the chill in his heart growing colder.
This was a bad year.
The family had more than ten mu of land, but the spring had been dry, and the harvest would be cut in half.
By autumn, after paying the taxes, they probably wouldn’t even have enough grain to last the winter.
Even if he went out to labor, digging wild vegetables, they’d barely avoid starving.
If the third brother insisted on studying, and they didn’t marry off his daughter, their family would surely not survive the winter.
But if he married his daughter to Butcher Li, she’d be walking to her death.
He looked utterly defeated. “But I can’t sell my daughter!”
Old Madam Chen’s face was cold and unyielding. “You have two choices.First, agree to Qing girl’s marriage.Second, we divide the family—you pack up and leave. From then on, I am no longer your mother, and you are no longer my son.”
“Mother, you’re forcing your own son to death!”
Hopelessness flooded Chen Zhanshan’s heart. The family could hardly afford to eat, yet his parents still doted on and spoiled the third son.
He’d long been used to their favoritism, but hearing his mother say she’d cut him off still made his eyes sting red with grief.
Chen Qingqing sneered.
She had seen shameless people before—but never anyone this shameless.
They spoke of righteousness, but were selfish to the bone.
Fine.
Since they were so heartless, she wouldn’t bother pretending to be filial.
With her own medical skills and knowledge, once she made her fortune, she’d never spare them a shred of pity.
She took her father’s arm and said evenly, “Father, since Grandma insists on dividing the family, then let her. If we stay here and something happens to her out of anger, you’ll be branded unfilial and heartless for life.”
Madam Lin froze in shock.
Was this girl joking?
Did she even understand what dividing the family meant?
It could easily mean starvation—dividing the family now was as good as a death sentence!
She hurriedly tugged her daughter’s sleeve. “Qing girl, don’t speak nonsense. Don’t worry, Mother won’t let your grandmother drive us out.”
“Don’t worry, Mother. Even if we starve to death, it’s still better than being beaten to death by Butcher Li.At least if I die in your arms, I’ll die happy.”
Then, with calm clarity, Chen Qingqing added,
“Besides, if Father refuses to send me to my death, and someday, to pay for Third Uncle’s studies, he secretly goes to the palace to become a eunuch—would you really be able to bear that?”
Madam Lin’s breath caught.
Her daughter had a point.
If they divided the family, there was at least a faint chance of survival.
If not—her daughter would be sold, her husband would lose his manhood and dignity, and she herself would be doomed to misery.
She sighed softly. “If we divide the family, aren’t you afraid of going hungry?”
“I’m not afraid. As long as I’m with you and Father, we’ll be all right—we’ll only get better.”
Old Madam Chen glared fiercely at her.
This girl really had changed—sharp-tongued and clever, even stirring up division.
She had only mentioned splitting up in anger, not meaning it for real. But this girl looked positively pleased by the idea.
She must be playing some trick—pretending to agree to get her way.
Old Madam Chen snorted coldly. “Qing girl, think carefully. If you split from the family, you’ll no longer be part of the Chen clan. When your third uncle passes the xiucai exam, our family’s taxes and corvée will be reduced by the court. But that will have nothing to do with you.”
Chen Qingqing laughed dismissively. “What a load of nonsense! I couldn’t care less about some scholar title. If I wanted to, my little brother could become a xiucai too.”
Old Man Chen barked a laugh, as if he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world.“Qing girl, you? Support your little brother’s studies? The school in town charges two taels of silver a month! Big words like that might twist your tongue right off!”
Chen Qingqing smiled arrogantly. “Just two taels? For years, every coin my father earned was handed over for Third Uncle’s tuition. If that money had gone to my little brother’s education, wouldn’t it be better spent? Why keep wasting it on someone who’s been failing the xiucai exam for over ten years? Who knows—maybe my little brother will charge ahead and become the top scholar in the land!”
Old Madam Chen spat on the ground, her voice vicious.“You damned girl! How dare you spout such nonsense? Look at you lot—poor as rats and dumb as bricks. Without me, you’d all starve! And you dream of raising a top scholar? Daydreaming fool!”
“Zhanshan,” she snapped, “give me your answer today! Will you marry off Qing girl, or will you get out of my house?”
Faced with his mother’s relentless pressure, the last shred of hope in Chen Zhanshan’s eyes crumbled.“Mother… your son is unfilial. I cannot serve you and Father any longer. Please, take care of yourselves.”
“Well, well, very good! You’d throw away your own mother for that useless girl!”
“Mother, please don’t curse me so. It’s not that I don’t want you—it’s you who no longer want me.”
Old Man Chen frowned deeply.
The eldest was the family’s main laborer.Whether it was fieldwork or mountain chores, the family couldn’t do without him.
The second son helped occasionally, but he was lazy—always running off to relieve himself, drink water, or find excuses to dodge work.
If they really divided the family and sent the eldest away, who would do all the labor?
A calculating light flashed in his eyes. “Old woman, calm down. A family isn’t something you can just split up with a word.”
“Why not? They sit around eating and doing nothing! Get them out before they starve us all!”
Chen Zhancai stomped anxiously on the ground.
Most of the money for his schooling came from his eldest brother’s hard labor. If the family divided, who would pay his tuition?
The grain from the fields wasn’t nearly enough to sell for silver.
“Mother, please calm down—we can’t split the family!”
Liu Fengjiao grew frantic too. What was this old hag thinking?
If the family split, who would marry off to Butcher Li? They couldn’t possibly return the betrothal silver!
If they lost that, how would her husband ever get into the academy?
The eldest might be older and weaker now, but even a skinny camel is bigger than a horse—his earnings still helped a lot.
And Madam Lin was a capable worker—cooking, washing, doing all the chores.If she left, who would handle all that?
No—she couldn’t let her mother-in-law make such a foolish decision.
Putting on a false look of concern, Liu Fengjiao said sweetly, “Mother, Zhancai’s right—we can’t divide the family. If we do, the villagers will laugh at us.”