15: Chapter 15: Any Dissatisfaction?_1 15: Chapter 15: Any Dissatisfaction?_1 Tan Zhongzhong weakly said, “Mother, we’re not fools.
Who would be satisfied with such a division?”
Every member of the second son’s family is cunning and deceitful.
Why should they get so much?
“Exactly, we are also born of you.
We understand that you can’t hold the bowl steady, but you can’t intentionally tilt it either!”
Tan Zhengyuan also supported his younger brother, as he was not satisfied with this division either.
Being all sons, why should what we get differ so much?
Little Wang Clan glanced sideways at them and said, “Each of you wants this and that piece of land.
Why don’t you give birth to a son?
Do you plan to let the land go with your daughters to other families?”
“Wow, sister-in-law, you can tell fortunes too.
Only you can have sons?
You think you’re valuable, selling sons’ stuff!”
Li Clan mocked sharply, as her family had only gotten four acres of land.
How were they supposed to survive?
Tan Yuancheng’s heart thudded.
Alas, he knew such a division wouldn’t work, and it seemed a change was necessary.
After silently calculating for a while, he had an idea.
Tan Yuancheng cleared his throat and spoke solemnly, “The land can’t lie fallow.
We will stick to the original labor calculations—one mu of paddy field and two mu of dry field per laborer.
Anyone who complains again will get nothing.
As for the houses, the second son and his family will stay in the Main Room, the eldest son will move to the east wing, and everyone else will stay where they currently are.”
The Tan Family’s courtyard, owned by Zhou Zheng, had five rooms in the Main Room and four rooms each in the east and west wings.
With this division, the second son’s family still had the advantage, as the Main Room was made of brick, whereas the wing rooms were merely thatched huts made of mud.
The one who lost out the most was Fourth Brother Tan.
His bride had just entered the door, and the couple occupied only one room.
However, Tan Yuancheng’s words were laid down, and they did not dare to say more.
As for Qiao Duo’er, she looked at the shabby house with disdain.
She didn’t even want it.
What she wanted was to sever ties with these people and then quietly watch what would happen to these selfish and self-interested individuals.
Seeing no one interjecting, Tan Yuancheng continued, “Each family will also receive One Tael of Silver, and fifty jin each of rice and flour.
Fourth Brother’s leg is not yet healed, so he will get an extra bit of Hanged Money.”
Fourth Brother was his son after all, and he couldn’t help but feel a little compassion.
How was a cripple and an idiot supposed to live?
“Father, over the years I have worked in the fields, gone hunting in the mountains—who did I fall behind?
Now my leg is broken, and it’s not even certain if it will heal.
Are you so eager to cast me out?”
Tan Zhenghong asked with reddened eyes.
He knew how heartbroken he had been when his leg was broken.
This was his own parents!
Just because his leg was broken, they were ready to sweep him out of the house!
Isn’t there a saying about how even tigers don’t eat their young?
But his parents were pushing him towards death!
Wang Clan rolled her eyes, “Fourth Brother, you can’t talk like that.
We got you a wife, divided the land for you, and gave you a house; what more are you unsatisfied with?”
She believed she had done a decent job as a mother!
“Fourth Brother, you are capable.
Even if your leg is useless, you still have your hands; you can still make baskets.
But your brothers don’t have that skill,” Tan Yuancheng slowly said, trying to comfort himself.
Tan Zhenghong laughed bitterly, “You really are my good parents.”
Wang Clan said sternly, “Enough from you.
Each of your brothers has little ones to raise.
Just the two of you at home, isn’t three mu of land enough to eat?
Be conscientious, think more of others’ difficulties.”
According to her, dividing two mu of land would have been enough to deal with him.
Now that Tan Yuancheng had decided to add another mu, wasn’t he content?
Tan Zhenghong turned his head away, no longer willing to speak.