Chapter 879: Each Gets What They Want

"Each family keeps its own private savings. As for the household funds, a few days ago I counted with your mother—we have a total of only one hundred and eighty taels."

As soon as Su Su Dacheng finished speaking, Su's eldest daughter-in-law muttered first, "Only one hundred and eighty taels? That's so little!"

After all these years of saving, barely a hundred taels. She clearly suspected the old couple had hidden some private money themselves.

Su Su Dacheng scowled at his eldest daughter-in-law. "A family of over ten people—eating, drinking, toileting, children's schooling, the seven necessities: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea—everything costs money. Do you think money grows on trees? This hundred-plus tael was saved only because your mother scrimped and pinched every single penny. This time, we divide it: fifty taels we keep for our old age. The rest—one hundred taels to your second brother's family, thirty taels to your eldest brother's family."

"Father, this—this—this is too much!" Su's eldest son blurted out, sounding slightly displeased.

"Too much?" Chen Chen Xiaolan's eyes filled with grievance as she wept, "You gave your family the house, yet gave us only one hundred taels. One hundred taels sounds like a lot—but this is Jingcheng. You can't even buy the smallest courtyard with it."

Go ask around—just renting two rooms in this area costs two or three taels a month. That's thirty to forty taels a year. This amount barely covers three years' rent. Meanwhile, you got a house for free. If you're unhappy, let's swap!"

"No need to swap!" Su's eldest son snorted, arms crossed. "Don't play the poor card, sister-in-law. Your teahouse alone is worth a fortune—and it comes with a backyard, more than enough for your whole family to live in."

Chen Chen Xiaolan flew into a rage, her fury surging straight to her crown.

"The teahouse is my dowry! I've never heard of dividing a daughter-in-law's dowry during a family split. Brother, you're a government official—have some dignity. Don't even think about laying claim to your sister-in-law's dowry!"

"Who's laying claim? Who's laying claim? Don't you dare slander me!" Su's eldest son leapt up, face flushed, vehemently denying it—he feared being misunderstood as coveting his sister-in-law's dowry. If this rumor spread, how could he ever face people? How could he keep his face?

What would he say when his colleagues asked?

Su's eldest son worked with his father Su Su Dacheng at the city gate—a proper government post. Though his social status was low, it was far higher than a jailer's, and his reputation was far better. He was barely respectable.

Respectable men have faces!

In this day and age, only ruffians and people without morals would covet their own family's women's dowries.

"Enough!" Su Su Dacheng slammed his fist on the table. "Do it as I said: one hundred taels for your second brother's family, thirty taels for your eldest brother's. No objections—otherwise, no division. After the New Year, after the first lunar month, we'll officially split. If no one objects, sign the documents before everyone."

At that moment, Su's second son suddenly spoke up: "We made so many preserved meats this year—we won't finish them all by New Year's. Shouldn't we divide them too? And the pots, pans, bowls, and chopsticks? I asked the blacksmith—he said a good iron pot that size costs at least three or four taels."

"Second son, you're going too far!" Su's eldest son stood, pointing at his brother and yelling, "You want to take the pot? Are you rebelling? If you carry off the pot, what will Father and Mother eat?"

"Can we split the family and then I have to buy every single pot, bowl, and spoon myself? That would cost a fortune too. And those meats—we contributed money and labor. Even the salt for the preserved meats was bought with my wife's dowry."

Chen Chen Guanlou gently pressed his fingers to his forehead.

He told his elder sister Chen Chen Xiaolan to fight for their rights—but he never said to count the salt.

This petty, trivial, absurd family split—really… he could earn a hundred taels in minutes, so he didn't care about this pittance. But he couldn't interrupt.

His elder sister and brother-in-law were fighting for their own interests, for their children's future. As a younger brother-in-law, he absolutely couldn't drag them down.

A younger brother-in-law who drags them down deserves to be struck by lightning!

He could only grit his teeth and watch the two Su brothers bicker over pots and pans, over leftover preserved meats, over household expenses.

Both sets of elders sat as if lost in thought, not joining in.

This matter still needed the father to step in.

Su Su Pozi was unusually quiet today, silent from start to finish, letting her two sons shout and quarrel without a word.

"Enough!"

Su Su Dacheng slammed his fist onto the table, making the teacup jump and clatter with a bang.

"Look at yourselves—where's your dignity? You've shamed the Su family. Second son, don't twist the truth. If you had even a shred of filial piety, you wouldn't make your old parents suffer now. The meat, the pots, the bowls—wait until after the New Year to bring it up."

Su's second son instantly reverted to his dull, obedient demeanor. "Son was wrong. I'll do as Father says."

"And you, eldest son?"

"I'll do as Father says too."

"Since you'll listen to me, sign the division documents now, with everyone as witnesses. No more nonsense after this."

The two brothers exchanged glances, then silently stepped forward and signed the documents.

In that instant, Chen Chen Xiaolan exhaled deeply.

After years of planning, the family split was finally done. Thank heaven and earth!

Next year, their family of five would live independently—how wonderful it would be! Just thinking of it filled her heart with uncontainable joy.

"Even though we've split, you're still brothers, still family. Whoever faces hardship in the future, the other must not stand idly by—help if you can, give money if you have it, lend strength if you can."

"That's the truth!" Both sides of the elders nodded in agreement. "Brothers—even after splitting households, it doesn't mean you've lost your bond. When trouble comes, you must stand together. Of course, if good fortune comes, don't forget your own brother."

The two Su brothers gave perfunctory nods, clearly not taking their elders' words to heart. Once living separately, they'd mind only their own households—why bother with others? But they still had to give face to their elders.

At noon, everyone stayed for the meal.

Chen Chen Guanlou quietly asked his elder sister Chen Chen Xiaolan, "Satisfied?"

Chen Chen Xiaolan glanced around before answering, "Just getting the split makes me satisfied. One hundred taels is a pleasant surprise."

"If you ever face difficulties, just tell me."

"I'm thinking of turning half the teahouse into a food stall. What do you think?"

Chen Chen Guanlou thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Can you handle it? Don't exhaust yourself. I think it's better not to. The teahouse is fine—it's not that tiring."

Besides, the teahouse thrives because it's spacious and impressive—that's why customers come.

If you turn half into a food stall, your old customers might stop coming. Better to add a stove in the back kitchen and a few more snacks to the menu—that's better than running a separate food stall."