Jin Xing stroked her youngest daughter’s forehead. "Have you lost your mind from fright? How could your grandparents and your eldest uncle possibly agree to give us half the family property?"
"My eldest and second cousins are at the age to get married. If they refuse, we’ll just spread the word that their family is known for producing heartless men. Let’s see who would dare marry their daughter into that house."
"This..."
Tao Rushan said, "Mother, you should listen to Yanyan. She’s very smart."
"But... your father really won’t turn back?"
Tao Huanyan replied, "He won’t. He’s already found someone new."
Jin Xing felt like crying again. "Then... then I’ll go talk to your grandmother, your grandfather, and your uncles."
"We’ll go with you."
"Alright."
The Tao family had been keeping a close eye on the activity in that room. When Granny Tian saw the mother and her three children walk out, she immediately asked, "Where are you all going?"
Jin Xing replied, "Back to my parents' home," then took the two children by the hand and left.
Seeing them go, Tao Wang urged, "Second son, second daughter-in-law, follow them. I’m worried the third son’s wife hasn’t come to her senses yet."
Tao Erniu and Zhang Huihui grunted in acknowledgment and hurried to follow.
Xu Zhaodi curled her lip. "What’s there to struggle with? She doesn't have to serve a man anymore, so—"
"Shut up!" Granny Tian glared at her. "Do you still want to find a wife for Jinbao or not?" Even though her third son had promised to keep supporting Jin Xing as long as she didn't remarry, the fact remained that the Tao family was in the wrong.
Xu Zhaodi was confident her son would find a wife; after all, his uncle was a deputy regiment commander. She was just about to speak when Tao Daniu tugged at her arm. "Stop talking. Mother is already agitated enough."
Fine. Xu Zhaodi curled her lip again and sat down to the side.
Granny Tian looked at Tao Wang. "Old man, what are we going to do about this?"
Tao Wang took a puff of his pipe. "What else can we do? We’ll just have to give the third son’s family more money."
"What?!" Xu Zhaodi was instantly displeased. "Why should we give her more money?"
Tao Wang glanced at her. "Because she bore three children for the Tao family, because we still have to live in Taojia Village, and because Jinbao and the others will eventually need to rely on their third uncle."
Xu Zhaodi fell silent.
Although Tao Wang was prepared for a heavy loss, he was still shocked when Jin Xing’s father, Jin Tiezhu, demanded half of his family’s assets and half of his third son’s salary. "Old brother, isn't that asking for a bit too much?"
Jin Tiezhu unfastened the rope from his waist and threw it on the ground. "Then just let those four hang themselves at your front door."
"This..."
"Once the four of them are dead, I’ll take their bodies and go find my good son-in-law who’s a government official. I want to see if he’ll have the face to remain an official, and see if his superiors will still promote him."
Tao Wang gritted his teeth. "Fine, we’ll do as you say." He truly had the worst luck with in-laws.
When Granny Tian heard him agree, she panicked. "Old man!"
"Enough, let it be. It was the third son who wronged Yanyan’s mother."
Tao Daniu, Tao Erniu, and their wives all wanted to object, but the head of the household had already spoken.
Before long, the division of property agreement was written. Tao Wang and the head of the Tao clan both signed and pressed their fingerprints on the document.
As soon as the property was divided, Jin Tiezhu began arranging to set up a new fence.
By the time Tao Qiongyan returned from the mountains with her cousins, carrying wild vegetables, the Tao family courtyard had already been split in two by a fence.
Seeing her return, Jin Tiezhu said in a loud voice, "Qiongyan, come here. Your father has had a change of heart; you will live with your mother from now on."
"What?!" She had only gone out to dig some vegetables. How could the sky have fallen?
Two little ones ran over and pulled her into their yard.
Tao Huanyan said, "Father is going to marry someone else."
Tao Rushan declared, "From now on, I will be the pillar of this family."
Tao Qiongyan looked at her younger brother, who wasn't even as tall as her shoulder. "Mother?"
Jin Xing wiped away her tears. "Mother will take good care of you all."
Jin Tiezhu added, "With your grandfather and uncles here, no one will dare bully you. Eldest, Second, Third, Fourth—you all take turns coming over to keep them company."
The four Jin brothers replied, "Understood."
Once everything was arranged, Jin Tiezhu left with the four Jin brothers and their nephews and cousins.
Seeing the large group leave, Xu Zhaodi hopped out again. "Xiaoshan’s mother, you’re really ruthless. To demand half the family property just like that."
Jin Ping walked toward her, axe in hand. "If you keep yapping, I’ll chop you. If you think it’s too much, you shouldn't have agreed to it."
Tao Wang’s voice boomed from inside the house. "Eldest, control your wife."
Tao Daniu quickly ran out. "We don't think it’s too much! We don't think it’s too much! Go ahead and get back to your work."
He then dragged Xu Zhaodi back inside.
Xu Zhaodi was also afraid that Jin Ping might actually use that axe on her. "Why was Father so generous?"
Tao Daniu also felt his father had been overly generous. But he reasoned, "If they really go to the military to make a scene, will the third son come out of it unscathed? If he suffers, won't we suffer right along with him?"
On the other side, Tao Erniu also felt they had given too much. "Xiaoshan’s mother has quite the appetite."
Zhang Huihui curled her lip. "Who told your brother to treat her so badly?"
Elsewhere, Granny Tian was also feeling uneasy. "Why did you agree?"
Tao Wang puffed on his pipe. "What else could I do? Besides, does the Jin family even know how much the third son really earns?"
True. Granny Tian felt a bit better. "Tell me, do you think the third son’s new wife is prettier than Yanyan’s mother?"
"I don't know if she’s prettier, but she’s certainly educated. The third son always wanted an educated wife."
"That’s true. If he hadn't been so obsessed with the revolution, we wouldn't have forced him to marry back then."
"Indeed. At the time, we were just afraid he’d die before leaving any heirs."
Meanwhile, Tao Huanyan crept up to Jin Xing. "Mother, is Father coming back home for the wedding, or is he getting married elsewhere?"
Jin Xing thought about it and decided that Tao Sanniu probably didn't have the face to hold the wedding in their hometown. "He’ll probably do it elsewhere."
"Then shouldn't Grandfather and Grandmother go?"
"They probably should."
"Then ask them to take me with them. I’ve never met my father."
Jin Xing felt like crying again. "Alright. I’ll ask them to take you and your brother. Your brother hasn’t met him either."
"My brother can’t go."
"Why?"
"My brother is a boy. If he goes, the new wife might have second thoughts. I’m different; I’m a girl. Even if I go and stay there, the new wife won't mind. Plus, Grandfather and Grandmother probably won’t want to bring two children."
Jin Xing thought it over and realized she was right. "Alright, Mother will go talk to them."
"I’ll go with you. If they ask why I’m not letting my brother go, just tell them you’re afraid my brother will get blinded by the wealth outside, just like my father."
"Good."
Jin Xing spoke to Jin Ping and then carried her youngest daughter to the house next door.
Granny Tian and Tao Wang were both surprised to see her.
Granny Tian asked, "Is something the matter?"
Jin Xing put her youngest daughter down. "When Tao Sanniu marries his new wife, you’ll be going to the wedding tea, right? Take Yanyan with you. She’s grown this big and still hasn't met her father."
Granny Tian hadn't thought of that. "Old man, should we go?"
"We’ll go." For one thing, he hadn't seen his third son in years. For another, if he didn't go and show off his authority as the father, what if the new wife didn't respect him? And lastly, there were some matters concerning Jin Xing that needed to be discussed with his son.
As for Yanyan? A little girl couldn't cause any real trouble. If she wanted to go, she could go.