TFWYH – Chapter 285 Helping to Deliver Things

Old Madam Liu shot him a look and said irritably, “Isn’t there still the third son? Besides, the eldest already said that even if we don’t agree, he’ll leave anyway. Then we wouldn’t even get the money. We might as well agree—fifty taels of silver! The two of us won’t have to worry for the rest of our lives!”

Old Man Ling knew that too, but he still felt uneasy.

Eager to get the fifty taels, Old Madam Liu added, “This time the third son has gone to the prefectural city to take the exam. When he comes back, he’ll be a xiucai scholar. By then, who knows how many girls will want to marry into our Ling family? We’ll pick a good one to take care of the third son and the two of us. We’ll live together with him, and with money in our hands, what is there to fear?”

Old Man Ling thought it over, hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. “Alright, we’ll do as you say. But they still have to give us one tael of silver every month as filial support. We can’t just sit there and spend ourselves dry.”

Old Madam Liu nodded, then immediately said to Ling Canghe, “Give us the fifty taels of silver, and the one tael of silver every month for filial support can’t be missing either. If you agree, we’ll split the family!”

Ling Canghe couldn’t be bothered to argue with them and agreed on the spot. He then looked at the village head and said, “I ask the village head to bear witness.”

The village head sighed and nodded. “Alright, then I’ll bear witness!”

Seeing him agree, Ling Canghe immediately went inside to fetch paper and brush and wrote up the contract.

Old Man Ling and Old Madam Liu both pressed their fingerprints onto the contract.

Ling Canghe also handed over the fifty taels of silver to them. Then, without staying in the house any longer, he carried Qian-shi onto the ox cart.

Ling Sheng wiped away his tears and went to pack up Qian-shi’s belongings.

Old Madam Liu wouldn’t allow it. “What are you packing for? The family’s been split—everything in this house belongs to me and your grandpa now. You’re not allowed to touch anything!”

Ling Sheng was about to explode with anger. “I’m just packing the clothes for our eldest branch!”

“Don’t go. I’ll go instead, so you don’t steal things from my house!” Old Madam Liu snorted and went inside, gathered some clothes for Ling Sheng, and forbade them from taking anything else.

Ling Sheng was furious and wanted to argue properly with her, but Ling Canghe stopped him. “Forget it, Shengzi. Let’s go.”

“Alright!” Ling Sheng shot his grandfather and grandmother a vicious look, picked up the wooden basin holding the child, and left the Ling household without looking back.

The moment his foot stepped outside, Old Madam Liu slammed the door shut with a bang!

Hearing the sound, Ling Sheng did not turn around. The last shred of affection he had for Old Man Ling and Old Madam Liu was gone.

The family climbed onto the ox cart. Tang Wan also swung herself neatly onto Tiaxue, preparing to leave Huanshan Village.

Just then, Aunt Liu called out to Tang Wan.

“Wan-niang, wait!”

Tang Wan frowned, reined in the horse, and turned to look at her.

Aunt Liu’s eyes were red. She wiped the corner of her eyes, then handed a bundle to her. “In the small alley in town, there’s a family surnamed Shen—that’s my son’s home. Could you help me take this to him if you’re passing by?”

Tang Wan took the bundle and nodded. “Do you want me to pass on a message?”

Aunt Liu nodded, then shook her head. “No need for a message. Winter’s coming, and I was worried the children would be cold, so I made each of them a set of winter clothes. As long as he receives them, that’s enough.”

“Alright,” Tang Wan replied, slung the bundle onto her back, and then rode off.

Aunt Liu watched her departing figure, took a few steps forward, and her vision gradually blurred with tears.

The village head sighed and patted her shoulder. “You—if you’d known it would turn out like this, why did you do it in the first place…”