Father Cao, Mother Cao, and Cao Hui lived in the east wing; Cao Hui stayed in the outer room, while his parents slept in the inner room. The west wing was occupied by the eldest and second Cao brothers, with the second brother’s family in the outer room and the eldest’s family in the inner room. With adults and children all squeezed onto a single *kang*, it was impossible for the adults to have any privacy.
The Cao family’s living situation was cramped, which was why Mother Cao wanted Yuanchun to marry Cao Hui—she had her eyes on the Xu family’s three rooms. She figured that once the two married, the Xu family’s property would effectively become the Cao family’s. When the three Cao brothers eventually divided the family assets, they could simply move the second and third sons into the Xu house.
However, Yuanchun’s refusal shattered Mother Cao’s calculations.
Chapter 1116