Chapter 44 No One Left Behind

"Sir," Feng Lan took the book and presented it with both hands, "These are some accounts I've kept privately over the years. Since I married into the Chen family, I've recorded every year how much Kang Bo earned working outside, how much he brought home, and where the family's money was spent. I have it all recorded clearly here. Please review it, sir."

The clerk took the account book and presented it to Wang Zhihuan.

Wang Zhihuan opened the account book, looking at it casually at first, but the more he looked at it, the more solemn his expression became.

The account book, written in beautiful yet powerful handwriting, records in detail every income and expenditure over the past decade.

"In the third year of the Xuanhe reign, Kang Bo returned home and paid 23 taels of silver. Of this, his mother-in-law took 20 taels to build a roof for Kang Zhong (the second son); the remaining 3 taels was used to buy rice, grain, and cloth for the whole family."

"In the fourth year of the Xuanhe reign, Kang Bo returned home and paid...30 taels of silver. My mother-in-law took 25 taels as a betrothal gift for Kang Shu (the third son); the remaining 5 taels were used for clothing expenses for me and my five daughters for the whole year."

"In the seventh year of Xuanhe, Kang Bo returned home and paid 40 taels of silver. My mother-in-law took 35 taels to pay the tuition for Kangnian (the sixth child) and the festival gifts; the remaining 5 taels were used for daily expenses of the family..."

Every stroke and every line is shocking.

Chen Kangbo worked hard for ten years and earned over three hundred taels of silver, but not a single tael went into his own pocket. Most of it was used by the old lady to support her other two sons or to support the sixth son, a scholar she had only heard of but never seen.

However, Feng Lan and her five daughters spent very little each year. Even the purchase of a piece of tofu had to be recorded.

This is not an account book, it is clearly a history of blood and tears!

Wang Zhihuan slammed the account book shut, his face gloomy enough to drip water. He threw the account book down the hall, landing right in front of Liu and Qian.

"Didn't you say the money belonged to the public? Didn't you say you contributed to this family? Open your eyes and take a look! Which of this money did you earn? Which of this money did you spend?!"

Liu and Qian picked up the account book and took a few glances at it before their faces turned pale. They had never imagined that Feng Lan, who was usually silent, could be so scheming and remember all the accounts for more than ten years in detail!

"Now, I ask you, do you still have the nerve to share these three hundred taels?!" Wang Zhihuan's voice was like a loud bell, shaking the entire courtroom.

Liu, Qian, and Liu Dazhuang were all silent, unable to utter a word.

Wang Zhihuan ignored them and turned his gaze to Old Man Chen: "Chen Shuncai, as the head of the family, you indulge your evil wife and exploit your own children. Do you still have anything to say now?"

Old man Chen's face was ashen and he collapsed to the ground.

"Alright!" Wang Zhihuan picked up the red brush, his expression solemn. "Since your family is rotten to the core, I will act like a villain today and help you completely eliminate it!"

"I hereby declare a verdict! Mr. and Mrs. Chen Kangbo and Feng Lan are to be separated from the Chen family immediately! From now on, they will establish their own households and have no further ties! To avoid future disputes, the new head of the village is ordered to immediately oversee the construction of a wall in the middle of the Chen family compound, dividing the east and west households, so that they will never communicate with each other!"

"As for the family property..." He sneered, "The Chen family's current land and houses were originally the compensation awarded to Chen Kangbo and his family by this judge. The rest of the family wealth, upon investigation, was all earned by Chen Kangbo through his blood and sweat. You have squandered it all, and even owe him money! Therefore, the Chen family has no more wealth to share! If anyone continues to be dissatisfied and gathers a crowd to cause trouble, they will all be treated as contempt of court and severely punished!"

"Adjourn!"

"mighty--"

The Chen family was devastated by the verdict. Feng Lan and Chen Kangbo, along with their daughters, kowtowed once more.

That afternoon, a rare spectacle rarely seen in a century took place in the Chen Family Courtyard in Pingjiang Village.

The newly appointed village head, an honest and hardworking farmer, dared not disobey the county magistrate's order and personally summoned the village's best bricklayer. He measured the dimensions and laid a lime line in the center of the Chen family compound.

Blue bricks, river sand, and yellow mud were brought in by truckloads.

The bricklayer waved the trowel, and with the sound of "clang clang", one blue brick after another was laid.

On the east side of the yard are Feng Lan and Chen Kangbo.

Chen Kangbo took off his shirt, revealing his strong muscles, and personally helped mix the mud and pass the bricks. With each brick he laid, the expression on his face became more resolute, as if he was bidding farewell to the sufferings of the past.

Feng Lan took her daughters and cleaned their half of the yard thoroughly.

To the west of the courtyard sat the Chen family, recently released from prison. The old lady, the old man, and the people from the second and third wives all stared blankly at the wall, slowly rising, as if lost in thought.

The wall was cold and resolute, separating not only a yard but also a blood relationship and the good days when they used to be domineering.

The wall gets higher and higher.

The sky in the east is getting brighter.

The sky in the west is getting darker and darker.

As night fell and the last rays of sunset disappeared from the horizon, the new wall of the Chen family compound was finally completed.

A dim oil lamp lit up on the east side of the wall. A clean, eight-foot-high table, found among old belongings, sat in the center of the courtyard. On it lay the fruits of Feng Lan's afternoon work.

A large pot of fragrant braised pork, its fat and lean pieces balanced, cooked to tenderness and flavor, its sauce-colored broth shimmering with an alluring sheen. A plate of stir-fried local vegetables, lush and green, was a delight to the eye. And a pot of freshly cooked white rice, steaming hot and fragrant.

This was the first time in their lives that the family sat together and had such a sumptuous dinner that truly belonged to them.

The aroma of food wafted in the air, but Erya, Sanya, and the other two younger sisters stood awkwardly by the table, none of them daring to sit down first. In their past memories, eating at the table was the privilege of their brothers, and they could only wait until the men had finished eating and then share some leftovers in the kitchen.

Feng Lan felt a pang of sadness as she watched her daughters, their eager yet timid expressions. She pulled her youngest daughter into her arms and said softly, "Sit down, everyone! What are you waiting for?"

Chen Kangbo looked at his daughters. For the first time, this taciturn man showed a look of guilt on his face. He picked up several empty bowls and personally filled each daughter's bowl with white rice. He then used chopsticks to pick up the largest and fattest piece of braised pork and placed it in Daya's bowl.

"Daya, eat." His voice was a little hoarse.

Then, he put meat into the bowls of Erya, Sanya... and each of his daughters.

"Before, it was because Dad was incompetent and couldn't protect you, so you had to suffer with us."

Chen Kangbo looked at his daughters and said word by word, "From today on, we have the final say in this family. This table belongs to us. Whenever it's time to eat, our family must sit here and eat together! No one is allowed to be left behind!"