Chapter 8: Mrs. Liu is doing things behind the scenes

The other two sisters-in-law were overjoyed; they were lucky as all the rice fields in their homes were won by them.

When Mrs. Liu saw this, the huge rock hanging over her head finally fell to the ground. "It's my turn now. I'm old and can't do heavy work. I don't plan to compete with you. I just want a piece of land to grow vegetables."

Then, Mrs. Liu picked up a ball of paper from the dustpan and handed it to Village Chief Li.

Village Chief Li opened the paper ball and said with a smile, "Not bad, another good piece of land, the one next to Luojiawan."

"Is it that field?" Mrs. Liu pondered. "It's a little far, but it's a piece of red sandy mountain land facing the sun. It can be used to grow potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn."

"There are two paper balls left at the end. The eldest and the second oldest child, each of your families grabs one." said Village Chief Li.

Liu Xiangqin and Xu Ping happily grabbed a paper ball each.

This time, the captured people were in the mountains, which were in a good location with fertile soil. Unlike Wang Ziru, who was captured in the barren fields behind the village that had been reclaimed in recent years. Without fertilizer application for several years, the soil was poor and no food could be grown.

"Have you divided up the land? Now let's divide up the family property," said Village Chief Li, looking at Mrs. Liu. "I don't know what your family has. Only you can figure it out for yourselves."

Mrs. Liu said sternly, "There is nothing valuable at home, you know that, Village Chief Li. As for livestock, we only have a calf. We were planning to raise a pig this year, but we couldn't afford to buy a piglet at the beginning of the year..."

"You can't afford to buy piglets, or you just don't want to pay for them?" Wang Ziru sneered.

Mrs. Liu pointed at the third daughter-in-law and tried not to nag her. "It's a calf. How do we divide it? Besides the calf, we have five chickens at home."

"There is no sharing of the meat." She also had a piece of bacon hidden in her room, which she used to satisfy her own craving.

"There's a pile of dry firewood in the yard. Let's divide it into four parts."

"As for food, there are less than 160 kilograms of corn in the house. Divide it into four portions. I will take the loss."

Village Chief Li looked at Grandpa Zhang and said, "Uncle Zhang, as for the calf, the eldest and second families will definitely need it more for planting paddy fields in the future, so let's give it to both families to raise."

"Well, this method is also feasible, but it requires giving the third brother something else." Master Zhang was still quite fair.

Several pairs of eyes were all looking at Mrs. Liu, who felt a pain in her heart, "Forget it! First and second sons, if you two families want calves, that's fine. Then I will give more food to the third son's family and give them a chicken."

Wang Ziru knew that the most valuable things in front of her were the five chickens.

Baoer is four years old now, but he looks skinny and no different from a two-year-old child.

"The calf is worth more than that little grain! If you two families want the calf, I agree, and the five chickens in that family will belong to me, and also give me 50 kilograms of grain."

"You're dreaming! Five chickens, plus 50 kilograms of food, you want us, such a big family, to starve?"

Wang Ziru smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't agree. Then my mother-in-law will spit out my husband's money."

"You..." Mrs. Liu almost vomited blood.

The division was fine, but now she is asked to take the money!

"Since you want five chickens so much, fine! Today, in front of Village Chief Li and Master Zhang, I'll give you five chickens. But there's only so much food, so I can only give you 30 kilograms."

Wang Ziru said coldly: "If you say so, from now on, let alone support for your old age, even if you are paralyzed in bed, it will have nothing to do with me, Wang Ziru."

"You can't swallow the money my man brings home and force my son and me to starve to death!"

Originally, dividing this family was going quite smoothly.

After Wang Ziru's disturbance, the room fell into a stalemate again.

Mrs. Liu was very angry, but she thought that Wang Zi would receive the hundred yuan sent home by the third brother this year.

I really feel reluctant to see so much money go into this bitch's pocket.

However, only she, as the mother-in-law, can resolve the current conflict.

Mr. Zhang exchanged glances with Village Chief Li, and then said to Mrs. Liu, "Sister! Come out and I will ask you a few questions."

The three of them stood up and walked out of the main room, standing in a quiet corner of the yard and whispering.

The descendants of the Zhai family were not in front of them, and Master Zhang was also an open man who would not do anything shady. "Big sister, since your third son's wife has not received any of the money he brings home every year, you can't go against your conscience when the family is divided now."

"Brother, you also know that I am saving it for my old age." Mrs. Liu cried miserably.

"Now the third son's wife has declined in status, and her demands are not high. You can give her 50 kilograms of food, and then take out 120 yuan from your private money and give it equally to the eldest and second sons." said Village Chief Li.

Mrs. Liu felt so much pain on the spot.

She really didn't want to take out a penny, so she could only look at Master Zhang, "Brother Zhang, is that what you mean? If you take out so much, how will I, an old woman, live in the future?"

"A calf is worth a lot of money. In fact, if you are a capable sister, you can take advantage of this division to give some money to the third son's wife. They have no money at all, and life will be really difficult for them." Grandpa Zhang said something fair.

But the money was in Mrs. Liu's hands, and as bystanders, they could only persuade her with earnest words.

Mrs. Liu gritted her teeth and said, "Forget it! Then I'll do as Village Chief Li said. I'll give 60 yuan to each of the eldest and second sons. But you two must not tell anyone about this money. The third son's wife is very smart."

The two who said this were speechless.

Afterwards, Village Chief Li and Master Zhang returned to the main hall and sat down.

Mrs. Liu walked to the front door and waved to her two daughters-in-law, "First daughter-in-law, second daughter-in-law, come out for a moment."

The two daughters-in-law guessed something in their hearts. When they went outside, they heard the mother-in-law take the initiative to say that she would give Wang Ziru 50 kilograms of corn, but would give each of their families 60 yuan in compensation.

The two sisters-in-law were of one mind for the first time. Now that they had divided the cash into shares, no one would argue over the corn.

However, when Wang Ziru saw her two sisters-in-law returning to the main room with happy looks on their faces, she guessed something.

She warmed her hands and pretended not to see it.

"Well, there's only half a can of lard left. Give some more to the third child." Mrs. Liu went back to the house, holding a can of lard from her room. In front of Village Chief Li and Mr. Zhang, she scooped a bowl of lard for Wang Ziru.

Then, with the witness of Village Chief Li and Master Zhang, the Zhai family distributed all their property, including the pile of dry firewood in the yard, to each household.

While the property was being distributed among everyone, Mrs. Liu hurried back to her room, found 120 yuan from the box, and quietly gave them to her two sons.

The two brothers also learned from their wives in advance that their mother would give each of them 60 yuan.

But this must not be known to the third son’s wife, otherwise no one will get a share of the money.

After the money was divided among the two sons, they worked very hard and helped deliver the firewood and food to Wang Ziru's house.

Mr. Zhang felt guilty and had come here tonight to seek justice, but Mrs. Liu was too partial. Wang Ziru gave birth to a boy for the Zhai family, but she didn't even use a penny of the money her husband sent home.

Poor woman too.

Seeing that the family was almost divided, Grandpa Zhang stood up, knocking on the water pipe and looked at Wang Ziru, "Third wife, life is not easy for you as a woman with a child. If you don't have money, come to my place tomorrow and I'll lend you five yuan."