"I would like to ask my uncle to make the decision so that the three of us can separate and live separately!"
The air around Qiu Yan fell silent for a moment after she said that, and Village Chief Zhao exclaimed in surprise, "Qiu Yan, do you know what you're saying?"
In Lingnan Village, the division of family property is almost unheard of. Such a thing is also bad for the reputation of the younger generation.
All three had lost both parents. Although the eldest, Qiu Yan, was fourteen years old, she was still a girl.
Qiu Xu is introverted and taciturn, and Qiu Ling'er is so thin she looks unrecognizable. How can these three children, let alone support themselves, even protect themselves?
Madam Yang stomped her foot forcefully, then struggled to support her aching back. "Want to separate the family? Dream on!"
Village Chief Zhao sternly ordered, "Let Qiu Yan finish speaking first!"
Qiu Yan paused slightly, gathering her thoughts.
"Over the years, my brother, sister-in-law, and I have been going hungry every day!"
Even in the dead of winter, we didn't have a single winter coat!
We did all the dirty and tiring work around the house. But even so, if we were not careful, we would be beaten and verbally abused by our stepmother!
We often struggled on the verge of starvation and freezing to death, and it is truly remarkable that we have survived until now!
As far as I know, my father sent money home every year, but we never saw a single penny of that money!
The family's money was all taken by the stepmother to subsidize her biological children and grandchildren!
Now that my father has passed away and my second uncle is in prison, we have lost our support, so my stepmother has started to treat us even worse, beating and scolding us all the time!
As long as we are still related to the Yang family as grandmother and granddaughter, she will use her status as grandmother to suppress us!
If she can't sell me off today, she'll definitely sell me to a filthy place like a brothel in the future!
Without her sister's protection, Ah Xu and Ling'er's fate would only be worse!
Our stepmother can no longer tolerate us in this family. Separation is our only way to survive!
With each word Qiu Yan spoke, Qiu Xu's breathing became heavier, and by the end, his hands were clenched tightly and his eyes were bloodshot.
After Qiu Yan finished speaking, the two siblings lifted their sleeves one after the other, revealing shocking bruises on their slender arms, which drew sighs from the crowd.
The words "only way out" brought a pang of sorrow to everyone's hearts.
Village Chief Zhao began to hesitate. Yang's mistreatment of the three had been going on for quite some time; compared to death, separating the family seemed like a viable option. "Qiu Yan, how will you live after separating? Have you thought about this?"
Qiu Yan nodded. Her experience in wilderness survival had taught her that even in desolate places, she and her younger siblings could still survive.
"Yes, Uncle, I've made up my mind. After we separate, whatever our lives become will be our choice."
Yang's expression changed several times. "I disagree! You little slut, is this even worth complaining about!"
These days, what's wrong with being hungry and cold? Every family is going through the same hardship. You think you're so precious that you can't stand hardship?
So what if I sell to you? If everyone resisted like you, how could we continue doing business selling human teeth?
I'm going to sell you to a brothel, what are you going to do about it! If I can't sell you today, I'll sell you again tomorrow!
"Hmph, I can't handle you!" Yang cursed angrily while rubbing her aching lower back.
In their impoverished mountain village, there were families who sold their children because they couldn't make ends meet. As Qiu Yan's elder, Yang Shi naturally had the right to sell her to a brothel.
Even if the brothel couldn't be sold, she would still have a dowry to earn. If the family split up, wouldn't she end up with nothing?
If Qiu Xu leaves, who will do the housework? And what about Qiu Ling'er? She'll have to be sold for money too. Their parents are dead, what's the point of keeping her alive?
She reached out to grab Qiu Yan's hair, but was glared at by Village Chief Zhao. "Yang, are you going to lay a hand on her in front of me? Forcing a woman into prostitution, is this something an elder should do?"
Yang's evil deeds were truly outrageous; not only Qiu Yan, but even these bystanders couldn't bear to listen.
When Yang realized something was wrong, she started wailing and crying, her voice choked with tears.
"Why am I so unlucky? My eldest son and his wife are both gone, and my second son is disobedient and unfilial. It wasn't easy for me to raise these children. Now I can't even scold or hit them. What sins have I committed to raise three tyrants?"
She wanted to change how people treated her, but the opposite happened.
Was Yang's life miserable? In everyone's eyes, it was truly miserable for the children to have such a vicious grandmother.
Seeing Yang's viciousness, Village Chief Zhao changed his previous hesitation and said, "Alright, Qiu Yan, since you've made up your mind, you must take responsibility for what you said today. If you need anything in the future, you can ask your uncle for help."
"Uncle, please rest assured, I will definitely take good care of my younger brother and sister." Qiu Yan said earnestly, and Qiu Xu behind her nodded in agreement.
Qiu Xu made a decision in his heart: he must become stronger to protect his sisters from harm.
He had been worried that his third and fourth uncles would be a threat to them when they returned, but his sister's idea was undoubtedly the best.
Once the division of the family property was settled, no matter how much Yang Shi threw a tantrum and refused, it was to no avail. As a result, she also received a lot of disdain from onlookers.
Immediately, the village chief sent someone to fetch paper and pen.
In the meantime, Qiu Yan did not forget to say to Yang Shi, "Since we are dividing the family property, we should get a share of the money, grain, land and land."
Village Chief Zhao nodded in agreement. Since the family was going to split up, the land and grain had to be divided. Otherwise, how would the three children survive? He looked at Yang Shi questioningly.
Yang's face darkened, and he staggered a few steps.
She wouldn't even allow the family to split up, let alone share the grain and land? The family depends on this little bit of land to survive.
Others might not know, but how could Qiu Yan not know? Because of the fifth son, the Qiu family had just experienced a great calamity. The family had long since run out of food and were only relying on the meager earnings of the third son to make ends meet; they had no copper coins left.
"Pah, dream on! You think our whole family will starve if we give you all the land?" Her sharp, sarcastic, and almost predatory expression drew scorn from the crowd.
Qiu Yan looked up at the rolling dark clouds in the distance. "My father just passed away not long ago, and you treat us like this? Aren't you afraid his spirit will seek revenge on you?"
As Qiu Yan finished speaking, the sky suddenly darkened, followed by a flash of white light.
Immediately afterwards, a loud boom echoed through the sky, and gusts of eerie wind howled in.
Suddenly someone shouted, "Old Qiu is back!" Thunder rumbled in the sky again, and the villagers felt a chill run down their spines as they rushed out of Qiu's courtyard.
Yang's face turned deathly pale, and she broke out in a cold sweat. She muttered, "Stop scaring me."
Village Chief Zhao sneered; he felt sorry for Old Qiu.
"Qiu Yan is right, I'll help you divide the households right away."
The Qiu family owns a total of ten mu of land, and in the past five years, the eldest son of the Qiu family has sent at least several dozen taels of silver home.
To be fair, the eldest son's family was given two mu of land and twenty taels of silver.
Furthermore, now that Mr. and Mrs. Qiu have passed away, and Qiu Xu is only ten years old, he no longer needs to support his grandmother.
From this day forward, your two families are completely severing ties.
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