But what Old Lady Zhao said next made Cheng Shi uneasy.
"We've saved up five hundred coins over the years, but we can't give it all away," Old Mrs. Zhao said without changing her expression.
"What? Five hundred coins?" Madam Cheng screamed in disbelief. "Mother, are you sure you didn't miscount?"
Old Mrs. Zhao glared at her irritably. "What's wrong with counting? I know exactly which of these coins has a scratch!"
"That must have cost a lot when Da Niu got married!" Cheng muttered with great dissatisfaction.
Old Mrs. Zhao held her cane as if to hit Cheng Shi, but she stopped herself in front of so many people.
“You can each have one hundred coins, and the rest can stay in this old woman’s hands.”
"What? One hundred coins?" Madam Cheng was a little incredulous; she had already handed over seventy coins last time.
After all these years of hard work and dedication at home, is she only worth a hundred coins?
“Okay, then I won’t ask you for more from Xiangyang, just one hundred coins.” He Tiantian replied.
"No way, you won't get a single penny!" Old Mrs. Zhao said fiercely.
"That won't do. If Xiangyang finds out I didn't get a single penny on this trip, he won't rest in peace. If he comes after your Zhao family, I won't care."
That's a really creepy thing to say, especially since it's late afternoon and the sky is getting dark.
The Zhao family felt a chill run down their spines, as if a cold wind had blown through them.
He Tiantian grasped the fact that people in this era had an infinite respect for the dead and believed in the supernatural.
That's why she said those things.
"What can my own son do to me?" Old Mrs. Zhao was practically half-buried in the ground, so she wasn't afraid.
Moreover, she wouldn't give that bitch He a single penny!
"Fine, but if Xiangyang comes looking for you one day, I won't care." He Tiantian was already thinking about what she should buy from the mall to scare the old woman one night.
Cheng was clearly not satisfied with one hundred coins either. She made a condition: "Mother, you can keep this money now. But after we separate the family, we can't give you any money we earn in the future."
After distributing the money, the old woman still had three hundred coins left, which was more than enough for her retirement.
Cheng was already silently planning in his mind not to take care of his parents in their old age.
Tao, however, wouldn't care so much; in her opinion, one hundred coins would be fine.
Anyway, after the family splits up, with so many people in their family who can earn money, are they afraid of not having enough to spend?
Wan Cunhua had been watching quietly from the sidelines. At this moment, she stepped forward and said, "Auntie, why don't you give us the kitchen? We'll take you to eat with us when we cook."
"What? You guys are leaving? What are we going to cook with then?!" Fatty Zhao quickly said, not wanting to go hungry.
“But none of you know how to cook. And your mother usually cooks for you. If you separate the household, you won’t be able to eat together anymore,” Wan Cunhua said.
She needed to take this opportunity to make things clear, lest her uncle's family come over for a free meal later.
The Cheng family was also very dissatisfied. Why should the main branch of the family be given the kitchen for cooking? Whether they can cook or not is their business, but whether they are given the kitchen or not is another matter!
“If that’s the case, then the chicken in the yard and the vegetable garden in the backyard should be given to my family!” Mrs. Cheng said eagerly.
“The persimmon tree in that yard belongs to our family!” Wan Cunhua chimed in.
The Zhao family only had these things in total, ranging from land and money to pots and pans. Finally, with the whole village as witnesses, everything was divided up clearly.
Although He Tiantian didn't receive anything, she wasn't upset.
As she was leaving, Madam Cheng said sourly, "Those who have been kicked out of the house should not have the nerve to come back. Tsk tsk, how shameful!"
He Tiantian smiled but didn't say anything; she hadn't expected to get anything anyway.
She just wanted to annoy that old woman and, incidentally, keep an eye on Cheng to make sure she didn't bully Tao.
However, it seems she was overthinking things.
With Wan Cunhua, the new bride, around, she could give Cheng's family quite a run for their money if they tried to stand up to her.
The onlookers gradually dispersed, and everyone held differing opinions on the division of the Zhao family's assets.
Some people say that the eldest wife, Tao, has contributed the most to the family and should therefore receive a larger share.
Some people say they're all sons, and since they're both equally loved, there's nothing wrong with dividing them equally.
Everyone expressed their regret over the death of Zhao Xiangyang, lamenting his untimely demise. Had he been alive, he certainly wouldn't have wanted to see his wife and daughters treated so cruelly.
He Tiantian walked quite a distance before Tao Shi called her back from behind.
"Second sister-in-law, second sister-in-law..."
He Tiantian stopped in her tracks and looked at Tao Shi with some confusion.
"What's wrong, sister-in-law?"
This was the most chaotic time, right after the family division. Tao should have been at home keeping an eye on things to prevent Cheng's family from sneaking away with belongings.
Tao glanced at He Tiantian somewhat embarrassedly before saying, "I'm here to thank you. You have no idea how much lighter I feel after the family split up. I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."
He Tiantian looked at Tao Shi, who was only almost thirty. In modern times, a woman's best years are just beginning at thirty.
Tao, however, looked exhausted and aged. It was clear that the years had taken their toll.
"Sister-in-law, this is just the first step. Don't be too happy yet."
"Huh?" Tao looked at He Tiantian with some confusion, not knowing what she meant by saying that.
"Think about it, sister-in-law. Even though you've separated your households, your houses are all connected. You'll see each other all the time, and you'll inevitably run into each other over trivial matters in the future."
Tao was stunned; what he said seemed to make sense.
He Tiantian continued, "But there's nothing you can do right now, you can only stay here for the time being. It would be better to move out when you have the means."
Tao's eyes lit up; she thought it made a lot of sense and nodded emphatically.
It was already dark on the way back, and He Tiantian thought of her own bean sprout field.
Zhao Wanzi has been going to the field to pick some bean leaves to feed the rabbits lately. She also said that she caught a big green caterpillar on the bean sprout leaves, which she brought back to feed the chicks.
There aren't many insects now. In ancient times, grain production was very low because even if crops were infested with insects, there were no pesticides to spray on them.
He Tiantian thought to herself that she would have to make time to go to the fields tomorrow.
I secretly bought some pesticides from the mall and sprayed them on the bean sprouts to increase the bean yield.
As soon as He Tiantian stepped into the house, Zhao Wanzi greeted her excitedly.
"Mother, Mother, the baby rabbit has been born."
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