Volume One, Chapter 18: The Turmoil of Division

The quarrel in the east courtyard quickly attracted neighbors from all around, coming to watch the commotion. In rural areas, walls around courtyards were usually low, and with a stone to stand on, an adult could easily peer inside. Several onlookers perched on the wall, chattering eagerly.

“Tut tut—how could Sun Guijuan speak like that? The country promotes gender equality now! Yet she’s so old-fashioned!”

“Oh, Aunt Chen, you’re quick to criticize. Aren’t you old-fashioned too? You’re still pressuring your daughter-in-law to have a third child—what’s that about?”

“Well, I just love kids—”

“Loving children doesn’t mean you keep having them without end! Haven’t you seen the family planning slogans on the big wall? You’re just not aware! Back in the day, you’d be reprimanded for this!”

“Enough, enough. Family planning is still just a recommendation for now; the strict policies haven’t been enforced yet! Why argue? If they can afford it, let them have children!”

“But what if they don’t? We peasants need labor! If everyone’s like the Tang family, with three daughters, wouldn’t the family line just die out?”

“—”

More and more people gathered by the wall and the gate. There was little entertainment in the countryside, so any small incident attracted a crowd. Today’s matter at the Tang household was no small affair, so the crowd’s interest only grew.

Tang Laoye’s face flushed as he heard the village gossip. He was a proud man with a thin skin; only because he was so angry did he dare to argue openly with his sister-in-law, despite the shame it brought.

Yet Xu Lanzhi was thick-skinned and shouted loudly toward the crowd on the wall.

“Hey—everyone, come judge this fairly! The Tang family’s eldest son has a bottomless hole to fill, yet they want to drag our family into the fire pit to fill it—that’s trickery!”

“Who isn’t struggling these days? He just opens his mouth to borrow two hundred yuan! How shameless can you get?!”

“The second son’s family expects us to live on thin air! Two hundred yuan! I ask you all, how many of us have two hundred yuan to spare?”

After Xu Lanzhi’s shout, the villagers’ attitude shifted immediately.

“Right! Two hundred yuan! That’s a lion’s demand!”

“Now I see why the Dali family refuses to lend—there’s reason to it!”

“Exactly!”

“You—”

Tang Laoye was so furious he began trembling. He said he was borrowing money, but in truth, it was because his eldest brother’s family still owed him over two hundred seventy yuan! How did Xu Lanzhi twist the facts, making him the village’s scapegoat?

“Father! We won’t lend them money; let’s go!”

Tang Guanguan, unaware of the eldest brother’s debt, pulled at her father’s arm with a cold expression. They had to hurry back to the county health clinic before nightfall and couldn’t afford delays.

Xu Lanzhi and the grandparents refused to lend money, but she still had fish in the river. If she hurried this afternoon, she could catch some and deliver them to the state-run hotel before closing time. She believed that with the dozens of fish recipes she had, the hotel would surely buy their fish.

Selling the fish would ease their situation, at least temporarily. They had to try—it was better than wasting time arguing with this crowd. They could settle scores later.

Just as Tang Guanguan tried to leave, Xu Lanzhi blocked her, eyes narrowed, voice harsh.

“Wait, you can’t leave yet. Let’s be clear: if you insist on paying for that freeloading son-in-law’s treatment, then we’ll split the family!”

“We won’t suffer losses because of debts you owe! Our main branch won’t take it lying down!”

Tang Laoye, seeing his daughter, recalled the gravity of the situation. He had started to walk away but was stopped by his relentless sister-in-law. Even his stubborn temper was roused to anger.

“If we’re splitting, then so be it! Father, let’s split!” Tang Guanguan was furious. Splitting the family was nothing new to her—she had long wanted to separate. In her past life, her parents suffered terribly, and the eldest brother’s family neither helped nor spared them but even took her younger sister’s dowry. Life would only improve without this family’s troubles.

“Second daughter, stand aside. Let your father handle this,” Tang Laoye said with a weary face, patting her hand.

“Father?”

Tang Guanguan was reluctant. Her father was soft-faced and thin-skinned; she feared he couldn’t stand up to that family.

“Listen to your father.”

Seeing his firm attitude, she nodded helplessly.

“All right, but if they go too far, I’ll step in!”

“Mm.”

Tang Laoye responded calmly and turned away. He lit a tobacco stick, took a couple of puffs, then looked at his eldest brother, Tang Dali, with disappointment.

“Brother!”

He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word.

“You want to split the family too, don’t you?”

“I—” Tang Dali turned his face away, troubled.

Tang Laoye nodded.

“Okay, no need to say more. I understand.”

Then his gaze shifted to his parents, Sun Guijuan and her husband.

“Father? Mother? What about you?”

Tang Tiezhu remained silent, crouching in a corner.

Sun Guijuan lifted her slanted eyes, her tone softened, but her words chilled Tang Laoye’s heart.

“Second son, listen to your sister-in-law. Give up treating your son-in-law, and marry the second daughter off to your sister-in-law’s eldest nephew. Then this family won’t have to split!”

He chuckled bitterly.

“So that’s their plan.”

His mother and sister-in-law were scheming this!

Xu Lanzhi’s nephew, in his early thirties, was a notorious bully in the village—once a troublemaker who tormented his young wife. Lately, he had quieted down due to tuberculosis.

They wanted the second daughter to marry him to bring good luck!

“Fine! This family must split!”

As Tang Laoye’s solemn declaration fell, someone suddenly stumbled out from the inner courtyard, shouting,

“Second brother, don’t talk nonsense. We can’t split!”

The newcomer was unshaven, clad in a patched army green jacket and ill-fitting, faded black trousers tied with a rough cloth belt. His knees were stained with mud. He limped awkwardly, supporting himself with an elm wood crutch under his right arm.

Who else but the youngest uncle, Tang Laosan, who rarely left the back courtyard?

Seeing him, Tang Laoye’s eyes moistened. He wiped his face. Like himself, the youngest brother was unloved by their parents.

Meeting the ragged youngest brother stirred a shared sorrow in Tang Laoye’s heart.

“Second brother, you need money. I’ve got some here. Take it to tide you over. We won’t mention splitting the family—okay?”

Tang Laosan pulled out a handful of bills from his green jacket pocket, along with some coins.

“This is sixty-nine yuan and seventy cents—my entire savings. Take it all.”

“Brother, I don’t want your money.” Tang Laoye shook his head, pushing the money back. “But this family must split!”

“Second brother?”

“Is there no room to reconsider?”

Tang Laosan’s face turned urgent; his hands gripping the crutch whitened with tension.