"It's not like I haven't asked you, but you were vague. You only said that you don't have a good relationship with the old family. Even if you don't have a good relationship, you are still a member of the Xiao family. They can't just watch you and Bao'er starve to death and your branch of the family die out, can they?"
"And you even said your mother forced you to take your land. You used to be well-off, so you gave it to her as a token of filial piety. But now you're down on your luck, your children are starving, and you want to come back to support them? Is that reasonable?"
Granny Zhu kept bringing up the child, leaving Xiao Yi speechless. His lips moved, but he ultimately remained silent.
He felt that a man's word is his bond, and once given, it is given. He never thought of asking for it back. Although he didn't give it voluntarily, those were his parents, meant to support them in their old age. How could he have the nerve to ask for it back?
But he has nothing now. If he doesn't come back, what will happen to the children? Xiao Yi is truly in a dilemma.
Granny Zhu knew that her son-in-law was too embarrassed to give anything away, and that it would be dishonorable to return it. But she also had to consider the situation. She couldn't even survive on her own, so what was the point of caring about face and reputation?
Besides, given Xiao Yi's situation, he was clearly treated unfairly. What's shameful about her helping her daughter get back what they deserved?
Seeing that Xiao Yi remained silent, they continued to ask Xiao Dayong.
“My dear nephew, I’m not asking you how much land you have, but I want to know how much land the Xiao family owns. If it’s divided fairly, how much will Xiao Yi, my daughter, and my grandson get?”
Why did you all get land, but my son-in-law didn't? He even had to give it away!
Seeing Xiao Yi like this, Xiao Dayong felt worried for him.
Moreover, they were the two who had received the most unfair treatment, so they said...
The Xiao family originally owned 45 mu of land. A few years ago, when the fourth son was going to school, he needed to have enough land in his name to be eligible to enroll. So, in order to raise enough land for him, the family directly gave him 33 mu. We are the eldest sons, and our parents will live with us in their old age, so we were allocated the old house and 10 mu of land.
Xiao Yi was also physically disabled at the time, and his parents were wholeheartedly helping their fourth son. So, they asked Xiao Yi to take out eight of the ten acres of land that the imperial court had granted them to support them in their old age. In reality, the land was all given to the fourth son.
well!"
Xiao Dayong sighed heavily as he recalled these upsetting things. Although he had now left the old house, the thought of those oppressive days still made him extremely irritable.
Granny Zhu naturally knew Xiao Yuanhang. She still remembered when Old Lady Xiao took Xiao Yan to the Marquis of Anle's mansion to ask Chu Mingzhu to save Xiao Yuanhang. However, she never thought that she would have to get involved in the Xiao family in this lifetime, and she never inquired about it in detail.
It's unclear what specific crime Xiao Yuanhang committed, or whether he's still alive.
So they went straight to the road.
"I remember your fourth child committed a crime and was no longer allowed to study, right?"
Since that land was meant for his studies, and now that he's not going to study there anymore, shouldn't it be reassigned?
"He didn't study and didn't make any special contributions to the family, so why does he still take the lion's share?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Dayong frowned deeply once again.
"The fourth brother has been exiled, let's not talk about him anymore."
However, things are not as simple as you think. Previously, my mother and Yanzi went to the capital to find you, but they had no money for the journey, so they sold ten acres of land.
Later, my father took Widow Liu as a concubine, and she has now given birth to a son. Widow Liu is quite formidable; she managed to wrest thirteen acres of land from the fourth son's wife.
My mother was so angry that she collapsed on the bed, and Yanzi was completely under her control.
She's now in charge of the old house, and it'll be difficult for her to redistribute the land!
Xiao Yi was shocked
"What? You mean Widow Liu followed, followed..."
He couldn't bring himself to say anything more. Although he thought it was normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines, the prerequisite was that he was a capable and wealthy young man. His father was an old farmer, already sixty years old. It was rare for a man to reach seventy in ancient times. At this age, he could still take a concubine and have a son. This shattered his worldview.
He couldn't adjust to suddenly having a younger brother who was only a few months older than his son!
My head is buzzing.
Having spent her entire life in a grand mansion, Granny Zhu was deeply influenced by what she saw and heard, and she paid great attention to the distinction between wives and concubines, and between legitimate and illegitimate children.
The wife is the master, and the concubine is the servant, something that can be sold at will. It can be said that an ordinary concubine is not as good as a decent servant by the master's side.
This is why she preferred to endure hardship and toil rather than seek other ways out. Instead, she made Xiao Yi release her from slavery and legitimize her daughter's status as a condition.
The status of wives and concubines was vastly different, and the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children was also clear. Legitimate children could inherit the family business, while illegitimate children were simply given a few things and sent away.
Hearing Xiao Dayong's words, he frowned deeply.
"She's just a concubine, yet she dares to run the master's household!"
Does a son born out of wedlock deserve to inherit such a large portion of the family business?
Country folk, they really have no manners!
Although my entire family is from the Xiao family, my daughter is a legitimate daughter-in-law of the Xiao family, and my grandson is also a legitimate grandson of the Xiao family. There is no reason for them to give way to a concubine's son!
As the mother-in-law, I still have the right to speak up for my daughter!
Upon learning about Widow Liu, Xiao Yi felt a mix of emotions. He had previously been numb to Old Man Xiao and had lost hope in family ties, but now he felt utterly disgusted with her!
So, when I realized that Granny Zhu was going to the old house to fight for the family property, I didn't object anymore. Instead, I said...
“Since the fourth son is no longer studying, the family business needs to be redistributed. As the eldest son, you should be entitled to the lion’s share, considering your and your wife’s contributions to the family over the years and your social standing. That widow Liu is a second wife; she has children from her previous marriage, and our mother is still alive. What kind of family is she in charge?”
Xiao Dayong was, after all, Old Madam Xiao's own son. Although Old Madam Xiao hadn't treated him well, compared to Widow Liu, he naturally still thought of his own mother. Hearing Xiao Yi say this, he pondered for a while and said...
“I know that’s the truth. We were really traumatized by Mother’s antics. My sister-in-law and I just want some peace and quiet and don’t want to get involved with them anymore.”
But now that Mother has fallen to this state and Father is getting old, we can't let most of the Xiao family's fortune fall into the hands of a widow Liu!
You're in this situation now.
"Or, let's ask the clan leader to let us divide the family property again!"
Before Xiao Yi could speak, Granny Zhu said...
"That's exactly right. We should follow the established rules left by our ancestors. It's fair and just, and no one can say anything about it!"
Whoever is entitled to the amount, will receive it.
I won't argue too much. What's rightfully mine for my daughter, not a penny less. Xiao Yi, we don't care about your wealth and status, but as men and heads of the family, we have to make sure your wife and children have enough to eat!
Is this settled?
"The sooner the better. Tomorrow you and your brother should go talk to your clan chief about this!"
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