Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 640 - 329 Impending Mountain Storm_2
"If Old Master insists on dividing, then that’s a good thing," Lian Shouren said, clasping his hands together, his fingertips lightly tapping the back of his hands. "We’ll just go along with Old Master."
None of the family members spoke, but a sense of joy was palpably flowing back and forth among them.
"Husband, about this division of the family, what do you think we’ll be able to get? Which side will his grandpa and grandma go with?" Lady Gu asked again.
"Everything in the family is out in the open, nobody can cheat anybody with the division," Lian Shouren replied, "The Old Master and the Old Lady... their health is still robust, I think they would want more independence."
The so-called ’more independence’ is the local dialect of Thirty Mile Camp, meaning a greater possibility.
Lady Gu let out a soft sigh. Lian Shouren’s gaze shifted to her, landing on her face. The couple exchanged a look, realizing they were on the same page.
"Husband, that’s true, but we still have to think things through. There probably isn’t much to worry about with his third uncle’s side, but his second uncle is the most shameless, plus Erlang’s wife, it all started because of her. We need to think this over more. If his grandpa and grandma want to side with someone now, what should we do?"
The so-called ’someone to side with,’ referring to one part of the family, is also the local dialect of Thirty Mile Camp, meaning one branch or household of the family. For example, in the Lian Family, from Old Master Lian down, Lian Shouren’s branch would be considered one ’part.’
When Lady Gu spoke of Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou siding with a part, she meant which branch of the family these two would live with and be cared for by.
Lian Shouren then pondered deeply. In those times, if a family divided, the parents would usually live with the eldest son. Otherwise, the eldest son could be criticized for being unfilial.
It would be alright if he intended to just rely on Lian Huahua and be a wealthy man. But if he were to pursue an official career, he could not afford to have a reputation for being unfilial.
Lian Shouren started to feel a headache.
"Do you have any ideas?" he asked Lady Gu. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
When faced with such situations, Lian Shouren was accustomed to consulting Lady Gu. Of course, this wasn’t to say that Lady Gu was in charge of the household; the final decision-maker was still him.
"If we’re not splitting, I wouldn’t know what to say. But if we are, I’m thinking of sending Jizu to the county town first. There’s a good academy there, a day of learning for Jizu is better than a month in the town," Lady Gu didn’t directly answer Lian Shouren’s question but talked about sending Lian Jizu to school. "Regarding money, Jizu doesn’t have to worry at all. Niuniu’s mother and I can work hard, and if that’s not enough, we still have Huahua. If her big brother needs money for school, she’ll be the first to offer it without anyone asking."
Naturally, Lian Jizu loved to hear what Lady Gu said.
"Mother, don’t always put me first. If we move to the county town, it should be all of us together," Lian Jizu chimed in.
"If we all go to the county town, we would mostly be relying on the Song Family and Huahua, and I’m afraid your grandpa and grandma won’t be comfortable following us," Lady Gu replied.
"Then let my grandpa and grandma stay in the old house. It’s not good for old people to suddenly move to a new place at their age," Lian Jizu suggested.
Lady Chiang glanced at Lian Jizu, then swiftly looked away, her face betraying no emotion.
"Jizu mentioning that actually reminds me," Lady Gu said with a smile. "If his grandpa and grandma stay in the old house, we might suffer a little loss. Our ’part’ would take care of the elderly, and our lands would be farmed by that ’part.’ They’d also get to live in our house. All of this can be converted into money, which is more than enough. We’ll just move to the city and rely on Huahua; you father and son can focus on studying, and when you acquire an official title one day, we would have a different conversation."
Lian Shouren’s eyes lit up upon hearing this.
Lady Gu’s plan was excellent. There wasn’t much left in the Lian Family, and dividing it into several parts meant getting very little. With the support of Huahua and the Song Family, they wouldn’t be too concerned about their small share of assets. By using the assets as care expenses for Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou, nobody could accuse him of being unfilial or not caring for the elderly.
If he didn’t become an official, they would simply maintain this arrangement. If he did become one, he could then claim that Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou had always been under his care, and since he hadn’t separated from the family, nobody could fault him.
"Let’s do it this way," Lian Shouren declared, making a fist with his right hand and striking it into his left palm.
"Husband, we’ll listen to you in everything," Lady Gu said with a smile.
...
At the entrance of the east wing room, Lian Yaya sat on a small stool, her hands busy with needle and thread. She was sent out to keep watch as inside, the family of Lian Shouyi was holding an urgent meeting to discuss matters of great importance to their future.
It was supposed to be a family discussion, but Erlang, Sanlang, and the others were mostly silent, with only two people speaking for the most part—Lian Shouyi and Zhao Xiue.
After a good sleep and having eaten the soy-braised pig’s trotters Erlang had bought her, Zhao Xiue was full of energy, showing no signs of illness.
She was counting on her fingers, her red lips moving quickly as if they were the wings of a bee, while Lady He, Erlang, Sanlang, and others watched her, seemingly confused by what she was saying.
Lian Shouyi’s expression grew progressively more gleeful.
"Erlang’s wife, what you say is good. We’ll do it that way. Erlang’s wife, Erlang is the clumsiest, so it will be up to you later," Lian Shouyi told Zhao Xiue with a laugh.
"When it’s time for me to speak, of course, I will. But for this matter, father, mother, you have to lead the way," Zhao Xiue raised her eyebrows and said.
******...*******
Ruoyan’s completed farm life novel recommendation:
Title: "Rebirth: When Flowers Bloom and the Moon is Full" (Main story and extras completed) (Direct access available below, click to visit)
Introduction: Transmigrated as a widow wrongly accused of losing her virtue, carrying a little bun, and leading a sweet life with a budget husband. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
