Madam Su Lin said sharply, "That wretched girl was slacking off, so I locked her in the woodshed to teach her a lesson."
"Grandmother, she wasn't slacking off! She fell into the water and inhaled too much... She’s going to die..."
Madam Su Lin remained unmoved, insisting, "It’s not that easy to die. A girl like her has a life as tough as weeds..."
Su Yu had no idea that while he was eating, his daughter had been tossed into the woodshed, lying there unconscious after a near-drowning. He shouted in panic, "What? Mother, what did you say?"
He scrambled to the door of the woodshed, pushed it open, and saw Su Xiaoya lying not far from the entrance. He scooped her up, only to find she had stopped breathing.
Tears streamed down Su Yu’s face as he broke into agonizing sobs in the woodshed. The noise drew everyone over. "What’s going on here?"
"Little sister, little sister..."
"Xiaoya..."
Su Daya, Su Shikuan, and Su Shirong crowded around, trying to wake her, but it was useless. Su Xiaoya was already gone. Just then, Madam Su Deng and the other adults returned. Seeing everyone gathered at the woodshed, they had come over, having finished their work early.
To their shock, they found their husband and children weeping inside, while the grandmother stood at the door ranting, "You lot, howling over a dead girl. Is she more precious than the rest of us? Now that she’s dead, just hurry up and bury her!"
Madam Su Deng could not believe her ears. "What?" With the harvest season in full swing, she had been out in the fields, only to return and find her daughter gone. She rushed into the woodshed, saw her youngest daughter lifeless in Su Yu’s arms, and the family collapsed into collective, inconsolable grief.
Though Madam Su Lin refused to admit any wrongdoing, the death of the child forced her to back off; she chased everyone away, leaving the woodshed to Su Yu and his family.
Su Tao'er and Su Mei'er were terrified. They didn't even dare to eat and snuck back to their room. After all, it was they who had pushed Su Xiaoya into the water. Those who do evil always harbor guilt, and fear is the natural consequence.
After the initial waves of grief, Su Yu asked Madam Su Deng, "If I ask the clan leader to let us break away from the family, would you be willing to go to town with me with nothing, just to scrape by?"
"Why wouldn't I be willing? I work hard every day, and you contribute your earnings to the household. Yet, our daughter... she was actually starved to death..." She broke into heavy sobs again, unable to continue.
"I will go find the clan leader and the village chief. You take the children and pack up. Xiaoya is gone, but we must see her properly laid to rest. Also, pack everyone’s things. We are leaving today."
Though Madam Su Deng could not stop crying, she nodded firmly. "Alright."
Before long, the clan leader of the Su family and the village chief of Sujiadian Village arrived at Su Jinnian’s home. Su Yu’s request was simple: he demanded to be severed from the rest of the Su family.
His reason was clear: he had failed to even keep his own child from starving, and he had no face left to stay. He intended to take his wife and children to strike out on their own.
Su Jinnian did not exactly oppose Madam Su Lin’s actions, but this matter was shameful and left him feeling disgraced. Yet, he was unwilling to let his youngest son leave and tried to persuade him otherwise, even threatening to stop funding his studies. Su Yu would not compromise.
"Truth be told," Su Yu said, "I am already exhausted from my studies. I might as well stop and become a tutor. If it’s possible in the future, I will ensure Kuan'er and Rong'er continue their education. Father, Mother, rest assured, we will send the monthly support payments on time."
Su Yu’s mind was made up. Ultimately, Su Jinnian agreed. Su Yu would be required to pay one tael of silver each month as a maintenance fee for his elderly parents. Why not more? Because as a private tutor, Su Yu only earned one and a half taels a month; as a scholar, he would have had access to government grain rations—about fifty jin each of rice and flour—but that was no longer an option.
The arrangement went smoothly, but the daughter could not have died in vain. Under Su Yu’s pointed questioning, Su Tao'er and Su Mei'er confessed to pushing Su Xiaoya into the water.
The clan leader and the village chief sighed, telling Su Jinnian, "You must discipline your children well. At such a young age, to be capable of such cruelty toward their own flesh and blood—where will it end?"
Su Jinnian promised, "I will certainly discipline them, and I will strictly manage the third branch of the family."
The clan leader spoke up for Su Yu: "You all... sigh. Let me say this: don't bother Su Yu again. After all, it was you who caused the death of his daughter."
He had always favored Su Yu, believing him to be the most promising member of the household. While others needed to pay for their schooling, Su Yu had been earning money to support the family. How many scholars were capable of such filial piety?
Su Jinnian had relented because Su Yu was heartbroken over the child and could not be kept by force. Besides, even if Su Yu left, he was still his son—a fact that could not be changed.
Madam Su Lin, however, kept muttering, "Old man, if they want to leave, let them. Winter is coming soon; let’s see how many of them survive. Leaving over a dead girl—they clearly don't know how to live..."
"That’s enough. Stop talking," Su Jinnian said. He actually agreed with her, but for the sake of appearances, he told her to be silent.
Su Yu’s family took only their meager belongings: a few tattered clothes each and a pitiful three taels of silver.
Su Xiaoya never even had a piece of new clothing in her life. The clean clothes she wore were made from fabric Madam Su Deng had bought when she first married Su Yu, which were then tailored for Su Daya. Only when Su Daya outgrew them did they pass to Su Xiaoya.
Once they left the Su family gates, the family walked slowly toward the town. Neighbors would occasionally emerge to offer Su Yu a pumpkin, a yam, or a handful of greens, but the family was traveling and could not carry them, so they politely declined.
They stopped at a hillside with a pleasant view and relatively flat ground, deciding to bury Su Xiaoya there so that if they ever passed by in the future, it would be easy to visit her.
It was at this moment that Shi An awakened within Su Xiaoya’s body, leading to the subsequent journey into town to find a doctor.
That night, everyone except Su Xiaoya slept fitfully, yet their real struggles were only just beginning. At the crack of dawn, a knock sounded at the door, and there seemed to be many people outside.
As expected, their arrival the previous night had disturbed the neighbors; now, they had brought the headmaster to see Su Yu at the break of dawn.
Su Yu told his wife and children to stay inside while he went to check on the situation. He returned quickly. The headmaster, while sympathetic to his plight, could not allow Su Yu’s family to stay at the academy.
Sanshan Academy was the largest and most prestigious school in Zhulinqiao Town, and many of its students were children of the nobility or wealthy families.
The headmaster could not afford to offend everyone for the sake of Su Yu; in other words, he had a responsibility to the entire academy.
Su Yu told everyone to pack up quickly and took them out for breakfast. Even the most sensible children would light up at the mention of food, as they had eaten nothing since the night before.
Only Madam Su Deng remained deeply anxious. How long could those three taels of silver possibly keep them alive?