What?
Educated Youth Shen is already married young?
Yu Lanhua was quite disappointed.
Wang Jianguo was a little disappointed.
Sun Hui and Zhang Yun were overjoyed.
Sometimes, claiming to be "married young" was just a way to avoid unnecessary trouble.
If Shen Nanchu didn’t mention it, who would know her husband had passed away?
Yu Lanhua quickly accepted the reality.
After all, a girl as outstanding as Nanchu getting married early wasn’t surprising.
"Mom, what about our family…"
With the crisis averted, Sun Hui shamelessly tried to reconcile.
"The division stands."
Once Yu Lanhua said it, she meant it.
"Dad!"
Wang Weidong shot a pleading look at Wang Jianguo.
Yu Lanhua also stared at Wang Jianguo.
"Husband, what do you think?"
What could he say?
It was all up to her anyway.
Wang Jianguo couldn’t possibly admit in front of everyone that he was henpecked, could he?
He pretended to think for a moment.
"Do as your mother says. The family will be divided."
With Wang Jianguo’s agreement, the matter was settled.
Wang Weichuan and Wang Weidong both looked dejected, while Zhang Yun and Sun Hui wilted like frostbitten eggplants.
Yu Lanhua returned to her room and brought out a rusted biscuit tin.
Inside were two bankbooks and three stacks of cash.
At the sight of the money, Sun Hui and Zhang Yun, who had been sulking, fell silent.
"Nanchu, since you’re here today, you can bear witness."
Shen Nanchu nodded.
Yu Lanhua began emptying the tin.
"This bankbook is your father’s and my savings. We’ll keep it for ourselves."
"The other one is the money your eldest brother sent home. We haven’t touched a cent—it’s all for him."
"This thicker stack is from Weichuan."
"This thinner one is from Weidong."
"Now, it’s all being returned to you."
Sun Hui eyed the thicker stack belonging to Wang Weichuan and Zhang Yun, then glanced at her own meager share, her heart simmering with discontent.
"Mom, fine, eldest brother’s money is his, but why is Second Brother’s so much more than ours? Did you miscalculate?"
Yu Lanhua couldn’t even be bothered to look at her. What a shortsighted fool.
"Husband, bring out your ledger."
"Let these brats see for themselves today."
Wang Jianguo downed the last of his wine and went inside.
Soon, he returned with a thick stack of notebooks.
He divided them into four piles.
"The thickest pile records all the expenses your mother and I covered after you became independent."
"The thinnest is your eldest brother’s."
"The left one is Weichuan’s, the right is Weidong’s."
No explanation was needed—the rightmost ledger was visibly the bulkiest.
"Educated Youth Shen, take a look. See if your uncle and I have ever wronged these children."
Wang Jianguo pushed the ledger toward Shen Nanchu.
She didn’t refuse—she was genuinely curious.
She picked up Wang Weidong’s ledger first.
Drama was best enjoyed from the juiciest angle.
"March 26th: Borrowed 20 yuan for new work clothes."
"March 16th: Borrowed 30 yuan for Sun Hui’s hospital checkup."
"March 12th: Borrowed 15 yuan for a new pen."
"Total March expenses: 65 yuan."
All eyes turned to Wang Weidong and Sun Hui.
Sixty-five yuan in a month?
What kind of extravagant household were they running?
Wang Weidong flushed. "These were all necessary expenses!"
Shen Nanchu then picked up Wang Weichuan’s ledger.
"March 28th: Borrowed 10 yuan for children’s clothes."
"March 20th: Borrowed 15 yuan for children’s shoes."
"Total March expenses: 25 yuan."
The audience’s judgment was sharp.
Wang Dabao and Wang Xiaobao’s clothes and shoes were visibly worn and outgrown.
Zhang Yun reddened. "Dad, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?"
"A mistake?" Yu Lanhua scoffed. "Your father was the village accountant—do you think he’d mess up the books?"
Wang Weichuan’s face burned crimson. He shot Zhang Yun a furious glare.
He hadn’t known about any of this.
Zhang Yun shrank back.
As for the thickest ledger, Shen Nanchu didn’t even need to check—it was undoubtedly the record of Wang Jianguo and Yu Lanhua’s lifelong support for the entire family.
"Any more objections about how the money’s divided?"
Yu Lanhua swept her gaze over her sons and daughters-in-law.
Wang Weidong and Sun Hui didn’t dare utter a word.
Wang Weichuan, however, surprised Shen Nanchu.
"Mom, Dad, deduct the money Zhang Yun took from my share."
Zhang Yun protested, "Husband, what are you saying?"
Wang Weichuan glared. "Shut your mouth."
She fell silent.
The family division was final.
As for the house, Yu Lanhua and Wang Jianguo didn’t rearrange anything—they’d keep living as before, but meals and chores would now be separate.
No one dared argue.
And so, the great "chicken leg feud" came to an end.
"Now that we’re divided, this chicken isn’t for you anymore."
Yu Lanhua carried the plate of stir-fried cured chicken to a small low table in the yard.
"And this salted duck egg too."
Soon, only a dish of stir-fried lettuce and a bowl of wild vegetable soup remained on the main table—a pitiful sight.
Wang Jianguo was the first to move his bowl and chopsticks to the small table, even dragging his stool along.
He didn’t forget Yu Lanhua’s either.
"Educated Youth Shen, come eat over here."
"Alright."
Shen Nanchu joined them.
The three enjoyed the fragrant cured chicken and rich salted duck egg—what could be better?
Sun Hui had only wanted a chicken leg. Instead, she got a divided family and now not even a scrap of meat.
Wang Weidong shot her a glare.
Such a fool—why had he ever married her?
After dinner, Shen Nanchu pulled Yu Lanhua back to her own little house.
After two days of work, the structure was nearly complete—just one more day to go.
The main room already held a simple bed and cabinet. Wang Dazhi’s craftsmanship was decent—the furniture was sturdy.
All that was left were the soft furnishings.
"Auntie, do you know who in the village is good at sewing?"
"Nanchu, you’ve come to the right person."
Yu Lanhua puffed up with pride.
"Your aunt here is the best seamstress in the village—no one dares claim otherwise."
"That’s perfect. I still need curtains. Since you’re so skilled, could you make five for me?"
Before Shen Nanchu finished speaking, Yu Lanhua eagerly agreed.
"Easy! I’ve got a sewing machine at home—I’ll handle it."
But two seconds later, Yu Lanhua dropped another bombshell.
"Nanchu, what exactly are ‘curtains’?"
Shen Nanchu: …Speechless.
