"How can that be possible?" Chen Ming, A Lu and Wang said in unison. Chen Ming added, "A Fu is being distant. You are also my daughter. If you want to establish a female household and live separately, your parents should have built a house for you. Your grandmother and uncle are not cruel and unreasonable people. They should let you live."
The family talked until late at night before they reached a conclusion.
We should follow Chen Ming's idea and give one mu of land to Chen Afu and Dabao. We should borrow one tael of silver from Chen Ye to buy the homestead next door and set up a household. After the winter wheat is harvested, we will sell the land and start building the house.
His family's land was first-class, and one mu could be sold for five strings of cash. Chen Ahfu was just a mother and son, so they bought a smaller plot of land, which only cost one string of cash. The remaining four strings of cash were just enough to repair the house and buy some simple furniture.
The next day, Chen Ming went to the Chen family to discuss with Old Lady Chen and Chen Ye, and asked someone to invite the elders of the clan, the Fifth Ancestor and the Third Grandfather, as well as Gao Lizheng. The second uncle who was not called Chen Ming, had stopped communicating with them since the dispute over the inheritance.
After hearing what Chen Ming said, Old Lady Chen and Chen Ye both agreed. One acre of land can separate two outsiders, which is worth it. Although Ah Fu and Da Bao are now one stupid and one young, their food and drink will definitely be a burden to the second family, but we can't leave them no way to live, right? Besides, we can't offend Wang to death. In that case, Chen Ming will suffer. Perhaps, if Chen Ah Fu officially establishes a female household, it will not be a shame for her to recognize a son, and it will be easier for Ah Ju to find a marriage.
Originally, Chen Ahfu had asked Chen Ming to say that the living expenses for the period before they became truly independent were borrowed by Chen Dabao. As for how much money was needed, she didn't know either, so she asked Chen Ming to decide. Chen Ahfu was afraid that there would be twists and turns in her own daughter's household, so she tried to compromise where she could. But Chen Ming didn't say it, because he didn't want Ahfu to suffer too much.
As expected, Chen Ye and the Third Grandfather had proposed that women should set up their own households and live on their own. It was obvious that Ah Fu and Da Bao could not support themselves now, so they had to continue to be supported by the Second House. It was okay to support them temporarily, but when Chen Da Bao could support himself in the future, he had to pay back the money Chen Ming had spent on raising them over the years. He didn't ask for much, just one guan of money a year.
In the eyes of these people, daughters are not as good as sons, so how can they be raised for nothing? Besides, Dabao is not a member of the Chen family. It is already a kindness to allocate one acre of land to them to set up a household.
Chen Ming argued for a while, but Chen Ye and Third Grandpa were more insistent, and Old Lady Chen also thought that more benefits should be left to the lame A-Lu. If he continued to limp like this, it would not only be difficult for him to find a wife, but even doing physical work would become a problem.
Chen Ming had no choice but to agree. When he returned home and saw Dabao, who was so happy, he felt extremely guilty. The child didn't know that he had already shouldered a huge debt at such a young age.
He also said many words like "I'm sorry" to Wang and Chen Afu.
Wang also felt sorry for her daughter and grandson, and her eyes turned red. She thought about taking on more work in the future and secretly saving some money for them.
Chen Afu didn't care. Establishing a female household was the top priority now, and she had the means to support the family.
Afterwards, Chen Ming asked Wang to cut two pounds of meat and send it to Gao Lizheng's house, asking him to mark out the land and then go to the county to help with the household registration and land deeds.
Not long after, Gao Lizheng arrived and marked out a piece of land less than three mu on the east side of the Chen family's fence. This piece of land was narrow and long, and was level with the Chen family's front and back. It was just enough to build three thatched houses on the left and right. The fence between the two families could share one wall. The area was much smaller than the small courtyard they lived in now. There was no other way. One tael of money was only enough to buy a place this big.
Two days later, the household registration and land deeds with a big red seal were handed over to Chen Afu. Chen Afu was very happy after seeing them and finally felt relieved.
Dabao, who was standing by, was so anxious that he kept pulling at Chen Afu's clothes, "Mom, please show it to Dabao, please show it to Dabao."
Chen Dabao held the household registration and read it again and again, reading it aloud word by word, and asking Chen Ming for help with words he didn't know. After reading it, he knew that he had officially become his mother's son, and no one could change it. He and his mother also had a homestead, and he was very happy.
He solemnly returned the household registration to Chen Ahfu and said, "Excellent. Mother, please keep it and hide it well. Don't lose it."
Then, the mother and daughter walked hand in hand into the yard, looking at the field in the east and laughing. The field was full of weeds, a few bamboos, and a eucalyptus tree.
Chen Ahfu gestured and said, "When we build the house, we should keep the eucalyptus tree. It will provide shade in the summer. We can also build a chicken coop in the backyard and raise some chickens."
Chen Dabao was so excited that stars appeared in his eyes. He pulled Chen Afu's clothes and said with a pout, "Mommy, mommy, hug me, my son wants a hug." His tone was much softer than before, and he could hardly stretch his tongue.
This boy is really good at acting like a spoiled brat.
This made A Lu, who was standing beside him, laugh out loud.
Chen Ahfu was also somewhat amused, but she still picked him up with great effort. Seeing his hopeful eyes and proud expression, she felt indescribably soft in her heart. Her mother's mental illness had not yet been completely cured, and the thatched house that could shelter her from the wind and rain had not yet been built, but he was already so excited. She couldn't help but kiss him on the face a few times, first on the left and right, then on the tip of his nose.
Chen Dabao chuckled a few times and kissed his mother on the face three times, first on the left and right sides and then on the nose. After the kiss, he said, "Mom, Dabao is your biological son. Don't say that you picked him up again."
"Yeah." Chen Afu nodded.
Their fate as mother and son was finally determined. They had not yet realized what kind of joys and sorrows they would experience in this life as mother and son, supporting each other.
After laughing, Chen Afu knew that his family had borrowed money and he had written so many bad checks, so the next step was how to make money. But his hands and feet were not very flexible, so he asked Chen Ming and Wang to do some first.
She took a stick and drew two basket shapes on the ground, one was a slightly larger and shallower square basket, and the other was a slightly smaller and deeper round basket. She also explained the specific features. She said that this was a needlework basket, and asked Chen Ming to weave it in this way, in large, medium and small sizes. She wanted to wait until June 19, the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva, to sell it at Lingyin Temple in Honglin Mountain.
She heard from Wang that many female pilgrims would come to Lingyin Temple to burn incense that day, many of whom were from the provincial capital or the prefectural capital.
Chen Ming looked at the pattern on the ground with some doubt and said, "My father has made a needlework basket before, and it doesn't look like this."
Chen Ahfu smiled and said, "The sewing basket is different from the sewing basket we used before. After it is woven, it will be decorated with cloth and thread, which makes it look much better."
Chen Ahfu looked at the ancient sewing baskets and asked Wang about them. They were all round baskets made of straw or bamboo, which were the same and too simple. Even the most luxurious sewing baskets used by women from wealthy families were at most made of wood with a lid carved with flowers and painted. The sewing bag was also very simple in style, a bit like a purse, but with several layers of cloth sewn together, with pins wrapped around it and some thread inside.
Sewing baskets and sewing kits were essential items for women in ancient times. They would accompany women for almost their entire lives. If they were well made, they could make a lot of money.
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