Chapter 41

Silence fell. A more ferocious look crossed Zhang Haiyao's face. "That's not five copper coins, it's five taels of silver. Can the fish you've tended for half a year possibly earn that?"
Seeing Li Qinghe silent enraged her further; she glared at the others in the room. "I'm a daughter of the Zhangs, my parents spoiled me. What's wrong with accepting betrothal money?"
Just then the Eldest Brother Zhou and the others came in carrying empty shoulder poles and immediately sensed the tense atmosphere inside.
Granny Liu didn't come in at all; she went straight back to her room. She had no separate quarters and lived with the fifth sister.
The Eldest Brother Zhou came in with his wife. "What's going on?"
"They're talking about splitting the household," Mrs. Zhou opened her eyes. "Eldest, go fetch the second."
"I have something to say," Zhang Haiyao frowned. "Second brother married into your family, you can bring him back as a witness, but if you mean to give him a share, I won't agree."
Mrs. Zhou's face grew cold. "It's not for you to refuse. This household was built by your father, me, and these sons. The second did his part in the past, he deserves a share. No one is to object."
Li Qinghe was indifferent. There was no grain left in the house, so land could be divided instead. It was land she lacked least of all, there were still ten acres of wasteland she hadn't even brought into cultivation.
Eldest Brother Zhou turned and left. Sister-in-law Mei hung her head and stood in the corner, not saying a word.
To be honest, the couple sold tofu in town every day, the land wasn't what supported them. Then again, it depends on the person; some people never think they have too much household wealth.
Li Qingmiao's house was close by; after only a few breaths, Eldest Brother Zhou had brought the two of them over.
Once everyone had arrived, Mrs. Zhou cleared her throat. "This house is poor, it's my failing as a mother to you."
"Mother, don't say that, it hurts us." Elder Brother Zhou's eyes were red. "You bore and raised us, if there's fault, it's ours. Your sons are useless and have made things hard for you."
Mrs. Zhou waved her hand. "I'm satisfied that you have the heart." She glanced at the sky. "There's no stored grain at home; we can't go on. What the third son's wife said, if we can't make ends meet we must fend for ourselves, has some sense to it. If one family keeps subsidizing another for too long, it will damage the ties between you brothers."
"A big tree splits into branches. Since the weather's fair today, let's divide the household!"
The room fell silent. Second Brother Zhou felt miserable. "Mother, your son has been unfilial."
Mrs. Zhou waved her hand. "Don't speak of that. I've brought your wives into the family, what happens from now on is up to you." She looked at Zhang Haiyao. "Third daughter-in-law, I'll say it again: I won't acknowledge the bride price debt you brought. Tomorrow your grandaunt will come to collect the silver..."
Zhang Haiyao looked away and quietly pinched Third Brother Zhou.
Her movement did not escape everyone's eyes. Mrs. Zhou said nothing, only stared at Third Brother Zhou.
Third Brother Zhou stood and walked out. Zhang Haiyao was startled and hurried after him. "How dare you touch my silver!"
The sound of clattering came from outside. Soon Third Brother Zhou returned with five taels of silver and set it on the table. Zhang Haiyao, furious, cried as she rushed in and shouted, "If you dare take this silver, I'll go back to the Zhangs!"
Li Qinghe also went out, fetched five taels of silver from her room, and placed it beside the others.
Mrs. Zhou gave her a grateful look and said, "That twelve taels over there is owed, and the two taels were borrowed to build the house."
Zhang Haiyao's eyes narrowed. "You won't let us live in the house and you'll still take money?"
"Of course not," Mrs. Zhou lowered her gaze and looked at Third Brother Zhou.
How those two taels had been borrowed was known to everyone in the room except Li Qinghe; even those who didn't know had heard about it. Mrs. Zhou had put up two taels as the house-building deposit and had let Third Brother Zhou take them to the Zhangs as the small down payment, being assured that only three taels were needed and that no more silver would be required afterward.
"Those two taels are my own debt," Mrs. Zhou said gravely. "I'm still young; I can work hard for a few years and pay it back. As for the grain the household owes, it totals four hundred jin..."
"How could it be that much?" Zhang Haiyao exclaimed.
Not just her, Second Sister-in-law also looked up in surprise. Li Qinghe was not surprised: since last autumn's harvest the Zhou family had held four celebrations, and each one had used up grain.
"That's the total," Mrs. Zhou said calmly. "I haven't wasted it, nor have I eaten more than my share."
"Mother, don't say that," the eldest son spoke up. "It's our lack of ability. As for these grains, whoever wants a piece of the land must take on a portion of the debt. Fourth Brother, what do you think?" He didn't ask Second Brother, perhaps he wouldn't want land, and he didn't ask Third Brother, given how sharp his wife was.
Zhou Chengkang nodded in agreement.
With matters at that point, Mrs. Zhou let out a small breath, the accounts were settled, and the household could be divided. "We have four mu of land in all, two mu of which are paddy fields. That's everything. Divide it into five shares, each of you takes one, and I and our youngest sister take one together. When our youngest sister marries I'll provide her dowry myself; once she leaves, that share will be the land for my old age."
"Why should Second Brother get one too?" Zhang Haiyao said.
Third Brother tugged her. "Don't say more. Whatever Mother says goes."
"This land was built up over the years by your father and me while raising you brothers. Second naturally deserves a share." Mrs. Zhou's tone was stern. "I've said it, who gets what from this household and how much, it's not for you to decide."
Li Qingmiao held back and said, "We don't want it. We already have enough land. With Chengwu not often at home in the future, this share can be our filial gift to Mother, consider it the money we give her for her old age."
Second Brother Zhou had no objection; he clearly agreed.
Mrs. Zhou didn't insist either; she simply nodded. "Each person gets a room; the kitchen will be shared. If anyone finds that inconvenient, build another one. Eldest, go find the town chief and draw up a deed. That's settled."
Eldest turned, and Zhang Haiyao suddenly said, "Wait, aren't there things we haven't divided?"
Everyone looked at her. This division was mainly about settling debts; once the debts were settled, only land and houses remained. The land had been evenly divided and each person had a room, what else was left to divide?
"What about Fourth Brother's cart? Why wasn't it brought out to divide?" Zhang Haiyao looked at Li Qinghe. After today, no one in the household annoyed her more than Li Qinghe, if it weren't for her quick hand with the silver, she wouldn't have been forced to return the money. "A cart is worth seven or eight taels. If he won't put the cart forward, shouldn't he at least put up the equivalent in silver for the division?"
"The cart is Fourth Brother's own." Third Brother frowned; he'd been mostly silent today and only spoke now.
"Ridiculous, this big a family, and you expect me to believe he saved up for a cart on his own?" Zhang Haiyao said. She was somewhat deferential to Mrs. Zhou but blunt with Third Brother.
"That cart was a gift," Zhou Chengkang explained. "I happened to meet a hunter in the mountains who taught me to hunt; the cart was given to me by him. Of all us brothers, I'm the only one who knows hunting because I learned from him."
Zhang Haiyao was about to speak, but Eldest Brother Zhou impatiently cut her off, "If you don't know, don't talk nonsense. Third Brother, keep your wife in line. No one is to set eyes on Fourth Brother's carriage, if anyone does, they're no longer part of the Zhou family!"
His sternness shut Zhang Haiyao's objections down; she fell silent and gave Third Brother another hard pinch. The man, who usually would grimace theatrically when she pinched him, simply endured it this time, lowering his head and lost in thought.
Mrs. Zhou kept her head bowed, her hands clenched so tightly on the table that her fingertips went white.
The newly arrived daughters‑in‑law exchanged glances, something about the scene felt off. Even Li Qinghe wondered how Zhou Chengkang had come by a carriage; as far back as she could remember he'd had it, he fixed it himself, cut grass and fed the horses himself, without the others lifting a hand. It hadn't seemed odd before, but now it all felt strange.
The air was heavy. The town chief came over, asked how the estate would be divided, and began to write the deeds.
Seeing the tense mood, the town chief didn't think twice. Family divisions affected his own affairs, and being called in to simply draft the deeds after everyone had already agreed was the easiest scenario. There were also cases where people couldn't agree and summoned him and other village elders to arbitrate; those arguments sometimes ended red‑faced and nearly bloody.
So a sour look from him was nothing, hardly worth mentioning.
"Divide it into five shares, one for each brother. I'll write each of you a copy to keep as proof." As he spoke he put pen to paper. Li Qingmiao said again, "We don't need our share, let Mother keep ours as our filial offering."
The town chief was surprised but nodded. Zhang Haiyao immediately said, "Then split it into four, four acres fit nicely…"
"How clever of you!" Li Qingmiao snapped, her tone sour, cutting her off. "I may be a country girl, but I know the difference! Third Grandpa, don't listen to her, divide it into five; Mother takes two shares."
She looked at Zhang Haiyao with a sneer. "Third sister‑in‑law, our giving to Mother is our filial duty, she raised us. This is what she deserves. How can you have the nerve to carve off a bit for yourself? Won't you choke on your own greed!"
Zhang Haiyao bristled. "What do you mean by 'marrying in'? If I married in, why would I come back to claim family property?"
No one took the bait. She was furious and pinched Third Brother Zhou a few more times.
The town chief ignored the commotion and wrote six copies of the deed. When he finished he read them aloud and asked, "Is there anything to add?"
"What about the carriage?" said Eldest Sister-in-law. "That carriage's worth some silver. Mother says it's Fourth's, write that down too."
The town chief frowned. Eldest Brother Zhou glared at his wife and hurriedly said, "The carriage belongs to Fourth. We don't want it."
Actually Li Qinghe had noticed something off earlier: after marrying, the brothers' wives all came from poor households, yet they were unanimously determined not to claim Zhou Chengkang's carriage. It felt strange.
But it wasn't the time to raise questions. Once the town chief finished and everyone took their copy, Third Brother Zhou asked, "Mother gets two shares of land, what about the grain? Does she get two shares of that, too?"
Eldest Sister-in-law looked anxiously at Eldest Brother Zhou. Fine, they wouldn't divide the carriage, but they couldn't possibly take on more debt.
"I'll take two shares." Mrs. Zhou put the deed away. "You figure the rest out yourselves. Don't crowd each other while cooking. At night, avoid washing and boiling water at the same time, if it's inconvenient, build your own kitchen. Also, from tomorrow, fetch your own firewood up the mountain…" She rattled off a string of household instructions, small matters, but it showed how long she'd been thinking; only someone who'd given it a lot of thought could be so thorough.