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Zhou Sanfeng looked at his mother. Though every word belittled his own family, he knew this really was what she thought.

Zhou Sifeng stepped forward to support Grandmother Zhou. "Third Brother, whatever it is, let's talk it over calmly. Don't say that."

"Unless your mother dies, this household is not splitting up! You ungrateful bastard, Sanfeng!" Grandmother Zhou was full of vigor as she lunged forward and pounded Zhou Sanfeng with her fists.

Zhou Jinian was a step too late. Seeing this, he hurried over to shield his father.

But his father pushed him away. Taking his mother's blows, Zhou Sanfeng stiffened his neck and roared, "When I went to fetch Sixth Brother that year, I should have died at the bottom of that cliff!"

Hearing her third son bring that incident up again, Grandmother Zhou's drooping eyelids trembled, and she stopped for a moment.

"I knew Sixth Brother was the family's only scholar. I broke my leg, but I endured the pain and carried him back because I knew he was your son! Your precious darling! The one you were counting on for the rest of your life!"

Her third son's grief-stricken growl frightened Grandmother Zhou so much that her heart pounded...

That year, her sixth son had been the first in the family to become a tongsheng, while Wenshu and Jinian were still learning their basics at the village school.

After passing the tongsheng examination, her sixth son had gotten so full of himself that he hired a sedan chair to carry him home to the village. That year happened to be a year of severe drought, and many unruly people, terrified of going hungry, had begun waylaying travelers. The bearers dropped the sedan chair and fled, leaving him to be robbed.

They waited anxiously in the village, but he never returned. At the time, the head of the household had already been bedridden for years, practically a living corpse. So she sent her eldest, third, and fourth sons out separately to find him.

In the end, her third son carried her sixth son back to the village. Her sixth son had merely fainted and was perfectly fine when he woke, but her third son's leg was broken. The doctor said that by daring to walk on a broken leg, he had ruined it for good.

Her third son never spoke of what had happened that time, but the whole family had seen him drag his broken leg as he carried his sixth brother home. Later, that leg was permanently crippled. Who could say it had nothing to do with that incident?

She was afraid her third son would resent her as his mother, so she avoided him, waiting uneasily for him to come to her and voice his grievances.

Unfortunately, Zhou Sanfeng was a child who never cried, so he got no milk. Day by day, he grew more silent. Afraid his mother would feel guilty toward him, he never said a word about how he had rescued his sixth brother. His mother neither asked nor inquired, showed him no concern, and eventually began ignoring him. At first, he felt wronged too, but as time passed, he felt this was fine. His mother felt no guilt, and he had already suffered anyway. He might as well let the matter sink into the past.

At the time, Zhou Liufeng had knelt before him and sworn, "Third Brother, I owe you my life. Don't worry. Jinian is my nephew, but I'll treat him as my own son!"

Only half a year later, his sixth brother married and acted as though he had no third brother, much less knew anyone named Zhou Jinian.

Over those ten years, he had grown increasingly disappointed. There was less and less room for him in this family.

After ten years, ten whole years, Grandmother Zhou finally heard her third son cry. Her third son was asking for milk.

Grandmother Zhou took out the pieces of silver she had just taken from Lin Jin and offered them to Zhou Sanfeng, softening her voice. "It's my fault, Sanfeng. We can't split up the household. I'll give you the money back. From now on, whatever you want to do, I'll agree. All right?"

"I'm begging you, Sanfeng..." Crying and pleading like this, the old woman truly did show a little remorse.

Though the others all agreed with Zhou Sanfeng about splitting up the household, seeing their mother bent over and looking so pitiful, they could not bear to say another word about it.

Zhou's Eldest Daughter-in-Law certainly knew how to put on a show. She went over to support Grandmother Zhou and said with feigned concern, "Third Brother's not thinking straight. Mother, don't cry. We won't split up the household."

She truly did not want to split up the household. If they did, she would have to wash clothes, cook, wait on her husband, and care for her son. All the farmwork and housework would fall on her alone.

Zhou Sanfeng felt miserable too. In the end, she was his own mother, whom he had always respected and treated with filial devotion. He was used to her domineering ways, and now that she was suddenly crying and begging him, he could no longer bring himself to speak.

Always adept at putting on a show, Zhou's Eldest Daughter-in-Law helped the old woman back to her room. Grandmother Zhou slumped against her, groaning, "Oh, ah," as though her heart hurt terribly.

This was the first time Zhou Sanfeng had brought up splitting up the household, and it ended without a resolution.

Lin Jin was not hardhearted either. He took the silver back and said nothing more. Their family had made up their minds: once the Mid-Autumn Festival was over, they would go to town to make a living and give the old woman some money every season or every month.

The third branch's little courtyard was bustling that day. Lin Guihua had brought Rong-ge'er over to help package the vegetarian jerky. They stacked six slices together and wrapped them into neat squares with oiled paper bearing a red character for "gift," then tied them with string so buyers could carry them easily.

His hands still working, Lin Jin smiled at Rong-ge'er and asked, "Rong-ge'er, is it good?"

"It's delicious, just like real jerky!" As soon as Rong-ge'er entered the courtyard, Lin Jin had given him a piece. After he finished it, Xie Ning handed him another, so he was still nibbling away.

"It'll keep longer dried. Jin-ge, let's sell this at the foot of the mountain during the Mid-Autumn Festival." After finishing his piece, Lin Guihua began helping with the work.

"That's the plan. Jinian's going to town to visit his teacher tomorrow, so he'll carry some along to sell. If it sells well, we'll hurry and make more."

Xie Ning took a piece of vegetarian jerky and ran to their room.

Zhou Jinian was already copying the last few pages of the second volume. Seeing a piece of dried eggplant held out before him, he remained untempted and kept writing. "Go on."

"I'm going to town tomorrow too." Xie Ning went over and propped his elbows on the desk, taking a bite of the dried eggplant in his hand.

Only after finishing the last few characters on the page did Zhou Jinian put down his brush. He reached out and snatched the dried eggplant, already missing a bite, from Ninglang's hand and took a bite himself.

"The whole family's going tomorrow. We'll look at the house in Upper North Alley, and if it's suitable, we'll settle on it."

After hearing this, Xie Ning went to rummage through his wardrobe. Zhou Jinian merely followed him with a curious gaze without asking anything. After rummaging through his belongings, Ninglang finally handed him a small piece of silver.

Zhou Jinian raised an eyebrow. "For me?"

"Yes! Take it to rent the house." With boundless swagger, Xie Ning stuffed it into his husband's arms, then pushed the door open and marched out of the room.

Zhou Jinian did not know whether to laugh or cry. Was his little husband taking charge of outside affairs now? He'd even handed over his private savings?