Yang Baixiang looked into Yang Ruxin’s resolute eyes and did not persist. He knew that his hope of separating from the family was exceedingly slim.
In the afternoon, the ancestral hall of the Yang Family, located in the middle of the village, was opened, and Yang Baiyue’s branch was officially separated.
The Lizheng returned at dusk. Out of sympathy for the orphaned and widowed main branch of the Yang Family, the Lizheng did not ask for a single piece of silver for his service. He even covered his own travel expenses and lunch, only charging the two hundred Wen required to stamp the documents at the Governor’s Office.
Yang Ruxin could only gratefully take note of this kindness.
Gu Family.
"Those Yang Family folks are no good at all," said Feng Family with a sigh. "It’s so hard for Xinxin, being so young and having to bear the responsibility of a family... With no adults around, how will they get by?" She then instructed Gu Yao, "You should go and check on them when you can, see if they need any help, and give them a hand if possible..."
"Mother," Gu Qingheng interjected to stop Feng Family’s well-intentioned offer, "let’s not have Ayao go over for the time being. People will talk, and there will be chances to offer support later..."
Feng Family was taken aback, not understanding why the eldest son would advise against offering help at this moment but said nothing.
Gu Yao, however, glanced at Gu Qingheng and couldn’t help but feel that although his big brother was blind, he seemed to know exactly what Yang Dani was going to do next.
Gu Qingheng turned towards Gu Yao, "Ayao, go to our third uncle’s place..."
Gu Yao was startled.
"The empty old courtyard next door belongs to our third uncle," Gu Qingheng said with a smile. "Just say this..."
Gu Yao smiled; he knew how could his big brother not care about Yang Dani? He nodded and left.
After the Yang Family was divided, the villagers started talking.
The sympathetic ones criticized the severity of the old Yang couple. Divisions in the village were not uncommon, but never had there been such an excessive case.
Of course, there were also those who reveled in the misfortune, believing it was well-deserved by Xu Hui and her children.
And some just watched and said nothing.
Nonetheless, the Yang Family provided the villagers with a topic of gossip for quite a while.
"What’s it to you?" Yang Anshi shouted from her doorway, jumping up and down and yelling at the villagers, particularly at those who criticized them, "If your sons had been hexed to death by that witch, then come talk to me..."
Everyone knew not to mess with this devout woman, so they stopped their open discussions, but the whispered gossip never ceased.
Old Yang had not left his house for several days as a result.
"Big sister, the grain Father and Mother gave us is from last year, it’s mixed with sand," Erni said angrily after inspecting the few bags of grain they received in the division. "There’s more sand than wheat..."
"Then pick it out," Yang Ruxin was unsurprised. She not only demanded two hundred jin of grain but also five taels of silver. It would have been strange if Yang Anshi had not been resentful, "But don’t throw away the stones you pick out, put them in another sack..."
So the younger children found themselves with a job, crouching over the bags of grain and picking out the sand and stones.
After checking on Xu Hui, Yang Ruxin took Xiaofeng and left the house.
"Big sister, where are we going?" Xiaofeng, led by Yang Ruxin, asked curiously.
"To the village chief’s house," Yang Ruxin stopped and squatted down, looking straight at the little fellow, "Xiaofeng, remember this, you are the only male of our main branch, so you are now the pillar of this family. Although you are still young, it’s time you learn to face things..."