Splitting Up the Family

Few among the common folk would ever pause to consider whose lives were sacrificed to secure the enduring peace of the Great Zhou. Was it not the soldiers who shed their blood and laid down their lives upon the battlefield?

Having already aligned his household with the First Prince's faction, he truly wished to avoid dragging his daughter's family into this ruthless struggle for the imperial succession. Fortunately, they remained unaware of these inner currents; their insistence on offering a guarantee sprang purely from familial devotion. He was confident he could eventually settle those debts. Since that was the case, he would let them act as guarantors if they so desired. If this opportunity allowed him to sever ties with the Xie family once and for all, so much the better.

"Very well. Since you are determined to stand as our guarantors, let me give you peace of mind: within two or three years at most, we will certainly be able to repay that debt of fifty thousand taels. As for the silver you currently hold in reserve, keep it for your own contingencies! Besides, the Qin family are no fools; if they discover that you have separated from the main household, they may well refuse your guarantee!"

Having reasoned this through, Xie Wenjing’s maternal grandfather abandoned his hesitation and readily consented to his son-in-law acting as guarantor.

"That is of little consequence. How could the Qin family possibly find out about our family division? Even if they did, surely my standing as the eldest legitimate son of the Xie family is sufficient to serve as a guarantor." Xie承玉 (Xie Chengyu) smiled faintly, radiating absolute confidence.

Xie Chengyu did this intentionally to prevent his father-in-law from having second thoughts, though in truth, he had no inner certainty himself as to whether the Qin family would trust a separated eldest son of the Xie lineage.

Xie Wenjing was overjoyed that the matter had been settled so smoothly. As long as they were willing to act as guarantors for her grandfather’s household, she was confident that her step-grandmother would be furious enough to kick their branch out of the family entirely.

As for the debts plaguing her grandfather’s family, she had always been certain of clearing them, though she had not dared to reveal the astonishing truth beforehand.

Who could have imagined that these ordinary beans, previously worth merely a single copper coin per catty, would soar to a silver tael per catty four months from now? They would be worth as much as golden beans. Their hundred mu of bean fields would yield at least seventy thousand catties of beans.

Seventy thousand catties of beans would translate to seventy thousand taels of silver—more than enough to pay off her grandfather’s entire debt.

Yet Xie Wenjing dared not breathe a word of this to anyone, fearing it would startle her family. After four months had passed, her family naturally would no longer need to fret over these financial burdens.

Originally, Xie Wenjing’s cultivation of these beans was not intended for any grand future enterprise; she had simply foreseen the skyrocketing value of soybeans and, being far from Yangzhou, wished to quietly amass tens of thousands of taels as a backup.

Xie Wenjing knew that once the Yangzhou Xie family fell into ruin, her own household and her third uncle’s family would undoubtedly be cast out mercilessly by that old woman.

That silver was meant to be the reserve fund for her own family and her third uncle’s family in the future. Now that her maternal grandfather’s household was in dire need, it was only natural to give it to them first.

As for whether she would continue making money as she had in her past life, it would depend entirely on whether her family could successfully break away from the main Xie family.

Her third uncle and third aunt had left their two children behind in Hangzhou. Ever since discovering the stepmother's vicious nature, they had grown deeply wary of her. This time, forced to return to Yangzhou, they naturally could not bring the children along.

Regarding financial matters, Xie Chengyin remained anxious and utterly devoid of certainty, yet seeking prior approval was a necessity; otherwise, being slapped with the charge of unfilial behavior would only play right into the stepmother's hands.

However, the third uncle was still unaware that the Xie household in Yangzhou had already dissolved into utter chaos.

"You foolish woman! How dare you secretly sell off our Xie family heirlooms and disgrace our name by dabbling in the rice trade? Look at where we are now! Ever since the Crown Prince arrived, rice has become utterly worthless. Just look at those bankrupt rice shops—people are pointing at their spines and cursing them in the streets! And now our son has offended the Prefect, who has hinted that he wishes to view the ancestral calligraphy scroll. But what did you do? You actually pawned it? Go on, take your money and redeem it! Go!"

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather was driven to the verge of madness. Only today had he discovered that his wife had secretly pawned the family heirlooms behind his back to purchase massive quantities of rice, which she had stored in various shops.

In the end, the rice shops went under, the stored rice vanished, and those supplies could not be recovered! They were forced to swallow this bitter loss in silence. It was infuriating enough to kill him! Ah!

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather felt as though he might vomit blood. His eyes burned with a fiery crimson as he longed to strangle the woman who was destroying the Xie family.

"This is not my fault! I only did it for our ill-fated son. Chengyu's health is delicate; his medicine alone costs tens of thousands of taels a year. For the past two or three years, our Xie family has no longer been able to bear such exorbitant medical expenses. It just so happened that someone from the Du family came by, saying that rice prices would soar and advising us to buy and store grain. The Du family promised that once the price rose sharply, they would sell it on our behalf! How could I have foreseen any of this? I had my mind fixed solely on Chengyu's medicine money. It is not my fault! I did it for the Xie family! Sob, sob, sob!"

Xie Wenjing’s step-grandmother refused to admit her own greed—how she had missed the prime opportunity to sell when prices had multiplied, blinded by the lust for even greater wealth, ultimately leading to catastrophic losses.

With the collapse of the rice shops, that grain was effectively gone. And the family assets she had pawned could no longer be redeemed for lack of silver.

"Father, Mother acted out of concern for our sickly eldest brother. Blaming Mother now will achieve nothing. Since the Prefect has brought up the calligraphy scroll, even if we must sell off our remaining property, we must redeem it. Otherwise, your son is utterly ruined!"

Xie Chengyu's face was a mask of despair. This time, they had been utterly damned by that seductive concubine, who had actually dared to loudly sing of Yangzhou's splendid scenery just as the Crown Prince entered the city.

The Prefect had caught a cold glance from the Crown Prince and shifted the blame entirely onto him, demanding that their family produce the ancestral calligraphy scroll to pull strings and make amends for this lapse. Otherwise, they could simply wait for the Crown Prince to settle scores after the harvest!

The imperial examinations were looming right before them; he could not afford to carry any stain of guilt at such a time, or his entire life would be destroyed!

At this juncture, forget about a single ancestral calligraphy scroll—even if they demanded the entire family estate, it had to be handed over. Wealth could be re-acquired if lost, but if one's life was gone, everything vanished!

As for fame, fortune, and official rank, those were completely out of the question. Yet he was already a holder of the Provincial Graduate degree; even if he failed to attain the Metropolitan Graduate status, being appointed as a county magistrate in some remote district would still be more than enough!

"You! Did you hear that? If your son is ruined by your actions, your death will not suffice to atone for the stupidity of what you have done! Even now, you still cannot see clearly—upon whom does the future of the Xie family depend? Are you pinning your hopes on that half-dead wretch? Even if he miraculously survives, he could never prop up the Xie family! And that Du family—a profit-driven merchant clan! It would be a miracle if they didn't fleece you; why would they have the kindness to bring you along to make a fortune? We don't even have a single coin of liquid cash left in our hands. We have no choice but to sell off our assets to weather this immediate crisis. Take a look for yourself—which of our properties should we put on the market?"

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather was burning with rage. The humiliation was unbearable: a proud family like the Xie clan reduced to selling off its estates? If outsiders found out, wouldn't they die of laughter?

Yet they had no choice but to endure the mockery, or his son’s future would be obliterated, and the Xie family would lose its final pillar of support. Any hope of restoring the family’s former glory would be utterly extinguished.

There was another matter driving Xie Wenjing’s grandfather to fury: when he inquired about redeeming the pawned items, he was told that it would require at least twice the original amount. The explanation was that commodity prices in Yangzhou had surged three- or four-fold recently, making the redemption fee double the initial sum at the very least.

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather checked the pawn receipt, and sure enough, there was a clause stating that redemption fees fluctuated with local market prices.

How long it would take for Yangzhou’s prices to drop back to their former levels was anyone’s guess, but his son’s predicament was a matter of extreme urgency. If they angered the authorities above, ruining the Xie family would take nothing more than a single word from those officials!

Thus, casting aside all pride, the Xie family sold the Guangling estate for thirty thousand taels. Yet that proved insufficient, leaving them no choice but to continue selling assets—next in line being the ancestral residence in Yangzhou.

Looking out across the sprawling Xie estate in Yangzhou, Xie Wenjing’s grandparents, second uncle, and second aunt all thought of the Bamboo Garden belonging to Xie Chengyu without a single word spoken.

Even after selling the Bamboo Garden, they were still short by twenty thousand taels.

"There are still some belongings in Chengyu's courtyard, and since their courtyard backs onto the rear lane, selling the courtyard together with its contents should fetch about twenty thousand. Father, Third Uncle and his family aren't even living here right now; let's use it to tide over the emergency first! When they return, we can squeeze in together—there will still be a place for their family to stay."

Xie Chengyu offered this gloomy proposal. His mood had been foul for days; none of this would have happened if not for that seductive concubine, and even more so, that half-dead eldest brother of his, who had also caused their mother to be beaten by their father.

"I suppose we have no choice but to sell it!"

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather was utterly dejected. All face had been lost, though there was still room for maneuver. The Xie family still had a glimmer of a chance to develop and grow.

Yet after selling Xie Chengyin's courtyard, they were still short of three thousand taels of silver.

"Sell Wenjing's courtyard. Although her courtyard doesn't face the street, it is quite spacious and exquisitely laid out. When they return, we'll just have to cram them all into Wenbao's courtyard!"

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather spoke indifferently, completely numbed by the successive sales of family property. In his subconscious, the Xie family's current plight was entirely the fault of that prodigal eldest son.

If not for him, why would the Xie family have squandered tens of thousands of taels over the past two years just to keep him alive? If not for him, how could his foolish wife have secretly traded in rice on his behalf?

It was all because of him! This unfilial beast! Why wouldn't he just die? Living only to bring disaster, ruining every single member of the Xie family!

If only he had simply died in Hangzhou this time, it would have been a good deed done for the Xie family!

Wenjing’s courtyard had been set up by her maternal grandmother while she was still alive; it was not only exquisite but also spacious, affording the eldest legitimate granddaughter of the Xie family immense dignity.

Yet today, the courtyard left behind by that departed grandmother was sold off for a mere seven thousand taels of silver.

Xu Yin, who had been anxiously waiting for Xie Wenjing’s return, was thunderstruck and filled with dread upon discovering that the Xie family was selling her courtyard.

A series of ominous thoughts surfaced: What could possibly have driven the Xie family to sell Xie Wenjing’s courtyard?

Had something happened to her? Xie Wenjing had left Yangzhou for Hangzhou quite a while ago. What on earth had transpired for the Xie family to resort to selling her home?

Xu Yin longed to go straight to the Xie residence to demand an explanation, yet he feared that doing so would ruin Xie Wenjing's reputation.

If only he could travel to Hangzhou himself to see what was wrong.

Xu Yin's hand involuntarily stroked the white jade hair bead that Xie Wenjing had inadvertently left in his possession. His thoughts scattered wildly, rendering him completely incapable of studying.

"Elder brother, what is wrong with you? You’ve been absent-minded day after day. If Mother sees this, she’ll surely worry herself sick, especially with the imperial examinations just around the corner!"

Xu Cai, Xu Yin's younger sister who had endured her worries for two days, could finally hold back no longer. She glared at her brother with a mixture of exasperation and disappointment—the hopes of the entire family rested squarely on his shoulders, yet here he was, spacing out day in and day out. How could he possibly face their parents' expectations if he went on like this?

Xu Yin looked at his sister, his mind heavy with his secret burden.

This matter had to be clarified, or he would never be able to settle his mind to study and prepare for the exams.

Perhaps his little sister could help him.

"Little sister, your brother needs a favor from you. Living right next door to our courtyard wall is the eldest legitimate daughter of the Xie family, Xie Wenjing. She left Yangzhou for Hangzhou over a month ago. But now the Xie family has gone ahead and sold the courtyard she lived in. Could you help me find out what has happened to her? You could quietly ask some of the nannies and maidservants who come out of the Xie residence. Would you do that?"

Xu Yin was truly at his wits' end, forced to turn to his younger sister. Xie Wenjing had once been his sweetest, most closely guarded secret; now he was compelled to reveal it, driven solely by the desperate need to know if she was safe and well.

"Elder brother? You? How dare you harbor feelings for that young miss? If Mother finds out, she will cry her eyes out, do you realize that? A match between her and our family is utterly impossible. Elder brother, wake up!"

Though merely a young girl not yet of age, Xu Cai had shouldered the burdens of an impoverished household far too early, maturing her mind prematurely. Hearing her brother's confession, she immediately realized that his distracted state over the past few days stemmed from an infatuation with the eldest miss of the Xie family.

How could a family like theirs ever hope to match with such a household? Why would someone of her status ever look twice at a destitute family such as theirs? Wasn't this simply driving themselves to despair?

"Shh, keep your voice down, lest Mother hears. Come, sit down, little sister. Don't rush; listen to me slowly."

"Xie Wenjing often saw me when she was in their courtyard, so she naturally knew me. She felt I was diligent in my studies and appreciated my efforts."

"She is very kind. Seeing our family's harsh conditions and learning of the severe snow disasters and soaring grain prices this year—fearful that it would impede my studies—she secretly lent me two hundred taels of silver."

"We agreed that once I pass the examinations, I will repay her the money she lent me. Otherwise, how could I possibly have earned enough silver writing letters for others to buy all this grain?"

"In truth, all of that was silver borrowed from Xie Wenjing. Had it not been for her kindness, our family would have suffered terribly from Yangzhou's skyrocketing prices. This is a blessing she bestowed upon us! Now that she may be in trouble, I am naturally worried. I am dying to go to the Xie residence myself and demand to know what has happened to her!"

"But you know as well as I do that as a young lady of a good family, her secret assistance cannot be exposed. If I went to the Xie residence to make inquiries, I would destroy her reputation."

"Little sister, now that you know, can you help me find out where she is and whether she is well?"

Driven to desperation, Xu Yin had no choice but to reveal a portion of his entanglement with Xie Wenjing, withholding only the deepest parts of his feelings—emotions so sweet he could scarcely define them himself.

Xu Cai's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

How could this be possible? A young miss of a wealthy household had secretly lent her brother two hundred taels of silver simply to support his studies?

Two hundred taels of silver? With that much wealth, living frugally, a family could sustain themselves for ten years. With this backing, her brother could pursue his studies without any worries, and Mother wouldn't need to work herself to the bone.

No wonder her brother had forced Mother to rest lately; upon seeing her brother earn so much silver in his spare time just through calligraphy to buy mountains of grain, Mother had finally set down her embroidery and allowed herself a proper respite.

So all of this was a blessing bestowed by the eldest miss of the Xie family?

"Fine, I will go make inquiries. But, elder brother, you must still apply yourself to your studies and not let your mind wander. She is a good person and deserves a good reward."

"Also, elder brother, her kindness is kindness, but you must not let your imagination run wild! Do not ruin her reputation and destroy yourself in the process!"

"In a prominent family like hers, an advantageous match was likely arranged for her long ago. This time, I will find out about that as well, so you can banish any foolish thoughts from your mind."

Knowing that Xie Wenjing was their benefactor, Xu Cai was willing to look out for her. Yet her brother’s restless demeanor clearly showed that his feelings went far beyond mere gratitude. She feared he was being foolish, harboring affections for someone entirely out of his reach—a path to mutual destruction!

This time, she would make sure to find out whether Xie Wenjing was already betrothed, so her brother could give up once and for all!

Seeing his sister readily agree, Xu Yin felt a great weight lift from his chest. Yet her cautionary words, revealing her opposition to any romance between them, stirred a restless agitation in his heart.

In truth, he knew from their past encounters that Xie Wenjing held feelings for him, just as he longed for her with every fiber of his being.

Yet, as his sister noted, the gulf between them was vast. She was like a brilliant moon in the starry firmament, while he was merely a mortal gazing upward. How could he ever hope to be worthy of her refined beauty?

Born into a prestigious lineage, her marriage was certainly not hers to command. Unless he triumphed as the Imperial Scholar (Zhuangyuan)—even passing the provincial or metropolitan examinations might not be enough to win her hand.

Only by taking first place in the palace examinations could he ever compel the Xie family to look upon him with favor and allow him to marry her. But achieving the rank of Zhuangyuan—how impossibly difficult was that?

At this thought, an agonizing restlessness gnawed at Xu Yin’s core, a stifling melancholy weighing heavily upon his chest.

True to her word, Xu Cai made inquiries and soon discovered the truth: Xie Wenjing was an intensely filial daughter. When her father fell gravely ill for over two years with no medical relief, she had accompanied her parents to the Fajing Temple in Hangzhou to pray for his recovery.

It was said that after a period of such devotion, her father’s condition had improved remarkably without the aid of medicine.

As for the Xie family selling their property, Xu Cai caught wind of certain details as well. Though she knew nothing of the inner political machinations, she learned that the Xie family had encountered a massive crisis, forcing them to liquidate their assets.

Xie Wenjing’s courtyard had been sold under those very circumstances.

Furthermore, Xie Wenjing had long since been betrothed to the illustrious Zhao family of Yangzhou.

Armed with these findings, Xu Cai hurried back and laid them out before her brother item by item.

"Elder brother, you can rest easy now. Xie Wenjing is fine; she merely went to the Fajing Temple in Hangzhou to pray for her father. The ones in trouble are the Xie family, which is why they are selling off their estates."

"Moreover, I found out that Xie Wenjing has been betrothed since childhood to the Zhao family. Both the Zhaos and the Xies are prominent clans in Yangzhou—they are on an entirely different level from ordinary folk like us."

"Elder brother, once our family makes money in the future, we will repay Xie Wenjing's kindness as quickly as possible, lest her in-laws find out and bring trouble upon her."

Xu Cai spoke with profound earnestness.

Xu Yin stood in silence, longing to declare: *I will surely win the top rank in the palace examinations, and I will have the chance to marry her!* But looking at his younger sister—not yet of age yet prematurely aged by the weight of keeping their household afloat—he swallowed his words.

He must no longer cause his sister such distress. If he truly possessed the capability, he would earn the title of Zhuangyuan and fight for a chance to win Xie Wenjing. If he lacked the talent, he could only watch in silence as she was wed to another.

At the mere thought of Xie Wenjing marrying someone else, a sharp, unprovoked pain stabbed at Xu Yin’s heart.

Xu Cai glared fiercely at her brother. His expression made it blatantly obvious that he refused to let go of his infatuation with that young miss.

Though the eldest miss had generously funded their family's survival through a bitter crisis, she had also stolen her brother’s soul. Xu Cai found it impossible to feel any lingering gratitude toward Xie Wenjing, wishing only to draw a sharp boundary between them so her brother could return to his senses.

"Little sister, I know what I must do! I will study diligently and win the top rank. Once I am the Zhuangyuan, perhaps I will have the right to marry her!"

Xu Yin wore the expression of an idealistic young scholar, clinging stubbornly and passionately to a budding affection that had taken root in his heart.

Xu Cai nearly burst with exasperation: "By the time you win the Zhuangyuan, she will already be married with children!"

"She won't! As long as there is hope, I will fight for it!" Xu Yin replied with unyielding conviction.

"Elder brother! Stop this! Mother and I only hope for you to pass the Licentiate (Xiucai) exams, and then the Provincial Graduate (Juren) exams. Once you're a Juren, our family will have a bright future, and you can even become a county magistrate—our father in the netherworld could finally rest in peace."

"Or if you excel and pass the Metropolitan examinations, our family will truly rise above the rest. But forget about becoming the Zhuangyuan! If you set your sights impossibly high, you will only drive yourself mad with pressure, and that will do more harm than good!"

Xu Cai was frantic with worry and anger. Her brother was utterly ignorant of worldly affairs—was the imperial examination something one could simply conquer at will?

She had even heard tales of scholars driven to absolute insanity by their obsession with passing! If her brother forced himself down that desperate road, she shuddered to think what might happen when despair finally overtook him!

Passing the Xiucai exams was difficult enough; the Juren exams were notoriously punishing, and the Metropolitan examinations were beyond imagination. Yet her brother dared to dream of taking the very top spot in the entire empire? Xu Cai wanted nothing more than to crack open his skull and shake some sense into him.

"Alright, elder brother understands. I have a sense of proportion! For now, do not speak of this to Mother; if she finds out and weeps herself blind, it will ruin her health."

Yet deep down, Xu Yin remained resolved: as long as he attained the rank of Zhuangyuan, an opportunity would present itself. To give up without trying would cause him endless agony. Only by clinging to this hope could his heart find any peace.

Xu Cai flung her sleeve in fury and washed her hands of the matter! Once that young miss married away, her brother would naturally snap out of this delusion.

Meanwhile, upon returning home, Xie Chengyin and his wife discovered to their shock that their residence, along with all its valuable furnishings, had been completely sold off.

Sold alongside it were the Bamboo Garden belonging to the eldest brother and sister-in-law, as well as the courtyard of their eldest niece.

"Chengyin, to speak the truth, this matter is ultimately your eldest brother's fault. His health has been wretched these past years, and your mother spent vast sums on precious medicines just to keep him alive."

"Over the years, our Xie family has drained our resources. To secure your eldest brother's medical future, your mother listened to the Du family's deceitful talk and privately purchased massive amounts of rice, hoping to turn a profit for his treatments."

"Your mother knows nothing of trade and missed the peak window when rice prices were high. Now we are suffering immense losses, and your second brother's superior is insatiable."

"He took a fancy to our ancestral calligraphy scroll, but unfortunately, your mother had pawned it to buy rice. Now the rice is gone, and the scroll is trapped in the pawnshop."

"With Yangzhou's prices skyrocketing, the pawnshop demands double the original amount to redeem the scroll."

"You know as well as I do that the Xie family's future rests entirely upon your second brother. He is already a Juren, a rare distinction in all of Yangzhou."

"With the examinations right upon us, our entire family must throw its full support behind him to help him weather this crisis. Only if your second brother succeeds can the Xie family prosper. You must all understand this clearly."

Facing his suddenly returned son and daughter-in-law, Xie Wenjing’s grandfather felt compelled to explain the sequence of events that led to the loss of their courtyard. Yet his rationalization only chilled Xie Chengyin to the bone.

Was this truly his biological father?

His very first instinct upon seeing his son had not been to inquire after his eldest brother's health.

And when they discovered their home was gone, the root cause in the father's eyes was still that eldest brother who had been poisoned by the stepmother for years?

How tragic was the eldest brother's fate?

Poisoned by the stepmother for over two years, yet their father remained completely oblivious, blindly believing she did everything for the eldest brother's sake. Her malicious acts had even earned her a reputation for virtue.

Now that the stepmother's grain speculation had blown up in her face, his father and stepmother still used the innocent eldest brother as a scapegoat. Though the eldest brother was barely hanging on, in their eyes, he was the source of this family catastrophe!

The true culprits were the vicious, greedy stepmother and the blundering second brother whose misconduct had implicated the entire family. Yet in the father's eyes, the stepmother's errors still stemmed from her devotion to the eldest brother.

The second brother could do no wrong; the only ones at fault were his superiors!

The father demanded that the entire family support the second brother wholeheartedly. Yet when it came time to sell courtyards, why were the second brother, the step-grandmother, or the fourth sister and her mother exempted?

Instead, they targeted exclusively their courtyard, the eldest niece's courtyard, and their own home—selling the property together with its valuable contents without even a word of advance notice.

And himself? He had merely sought to act as a guarantor for the Du family out of familial duty, yet he lived in terror of being branded unfilial and cast out of the Xie clan.

Look at what they had done! There was not a shred of thought spared for him or the eldest brother. Had there been even an ounce of consideration, they would have sent someone to Hangzhou to inform them. Wasn't it only a two-day boat journey? Even selling a courtyard took time; a few days could easily have been spared.

They had done none of this. It could only mean one thing: neither of them had ever given their branch a single thought.

Recalling how niece Wenjing had desperately wished to cut ties with the Xie family upon their arrival in Hangzhou, he now saw the truth clearly: this Xie family was no longer a home for his branch, nor for the eldest brother's.

"Although your courtyard has been sold, you are not entirely without shelter. Do you not still have Wenfeng and Wenting's courtyards in your branch? Two such spacious yards, once tidied up, will offer plenty of room. The Xie family has raised you; compared to the common folk who go hungry and cold, you are vastly better off. You must learn to be content."

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather grew deeply displeased at the lingering dissatisfaction visible in his son’s eyes, and delivered those cold words with finality. Having been fed and clothed by the family clan until now without even passing the Juren examinations, how dared he question a patriarch's decision?

"Father, what if eldest brother returns? He still requires a separate courtyard to recuperate." Xie Chengyin tested the waters, unwilling to let the matter rest.

"Him? Return? Even if he did, isn't there Wenbao's courtyard? It's not as though we are throwing you out into the street to sleep! What is the meaning of all this questioning?"

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather suddenly flared into a rage. He felt no remorse whatsoever for his arrangements; in his sub-conscious, the Xie family's current ruin was entirely the fault of that half-dead eldest son. Giving him food and shelter now was already more than generous. How dare this son cross-examine him?

Xie Chengyin felt his heart turn to ice. This Xie family was truly no longer his home. When times were peaceful, the stepmother plotted endlessly and poisoned the eldest brother in secret; when disaster struck, the very first to be cast aside were the eldest brother and himself. In his father's eyes, his only true son seemed to be the Juren second brother.

There was nothing left worth retaining here. Why cling to a home where even one's private courtyard had been sold out from under them?

If his father possessed even a shred of paternal affection, he would have asked after the eldest brother's life or death by now, or at least left room for his return. Instead, his words betrayed no expectation of the eldest brother ever coming back.

"Father, Mother, the truth is we encountered a major crisis in Hangzhou as well. The Du family's rice cargo ships sank, causing catastrophic losses. They sold their ancestral residence in Hangzhou and accumulated fifty thousand taels of debt to the Qin family."

"The Qin family required guarantors, and we happened to be present. At the time, unaware of the family's situation here, and assuming fifty thousand taels was a manageable sum for the Xie family, we agreed to act as guarantors."

"You! You unfilial beast! You are trying to destroy our entire family!"

Hearing of the fifty thousand tael guarantee from his youngest son, Xie Wenjing’s grandfather flew into a fury and swung his palm straight across the unfilial wretch's face!

"Father, hear me out! Our Xie family has always been a household of accumulated virtue. Mother spent tens of thousands of taels a year on medicine for eldest brother, and we assumed his health was gradually improving to the point where he no longer needed expensive treatments."

"Mother has always cherished eldest brother and must have kept tens of thousands of taels in reserve for him. We thought that by standing as guarantors for the Du family, we would not only ease eldest brother's mind but also accumulate virtue for him, aiding his recovery."

"I returned specifically to borrow fifty thousand taels from the family to hand over to the Qin family, sparing the Du family from crushing compound interest. Once the Du family recovers financially, they only need to repay our family those fifty thousand taels. How could I have known the family here would be in such chaos?"

"Had nothing gone wrong, raising fifty thousand taels would have been no great challenge for the Xie family. Are we, the grand Xie clan, supposed to watch our in-laws fall into ruin without lifting a finger? We would be laughed to scorn!"

Having spent considerable time under his niece's tutelage, Xie Chengyin had acquired a measure of strategy. Upon returning and discovering that this household was no longer his family, he deliberately spun the tale this way to provoke his father and stepmother into a formal separation.

"I'll beat you to death, you prodigal son!"

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather flew into a frenzy, raining blows upon his reckless son.

His wife could be prodigal, and he would find ways to mend the damage; his beloved second son could cause trouble, and he would invent grand justifications for him.

Yet hearing this quiet, unassuming youngest son casually throw away such a colossal sum of money pushed him past the breaking point.

"Father, I beg you to stop hitting him! Even if you beat him to death, the guarantor on that document is still a Xie! When the Du family fails to pay, it is still the Xie family who must foot the bill! Instead of beating him, why don't we figure out what else we can sell off?"

The third aunt was no longer foolish. Her journey to Hangzhou had opened her eyes to truths she had previously been blind to. Since her husband was deliberately escalating the situation, aiming for a clean break with the family, she would not cower behind him. She would join him in fiercely provoking this partial, ruthless father and this vicious, hypocritical stepmother!

By this point, Xie Wenjing’s grandfather was nearly driven to apoplexy. Seeing his father's state, Xie Chengyu panicked—if his father dropped dead of anger at this critical juncture, he would be the one to suffer most.

Observe the required two years of mourning, and his ambitions would be delayed yet again. When his previous step-mother died, he had already been forced to mourn for two years; he could not let his father kick the bucket right before the imperial examinations.

"Father, calm yourself; it is not worth damaging your health. Besides, the signature on the guarantee was not written in your own hand! As long as it is not your signature, it cannot implicate the Xie family."

In a flash of inspiration, Xie Chengyu hit upon a solution: family division. Once they split the household, matters of guarantee would rest squarely on the heads of those who signed.

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather was momentarily stunned, but his second son was always clever and would never speak idly.

"Unfilial wretch!" The step-grandmother shared a tacit understanding with her son; hearing his words, she immediately grasped his intent. He was proposing a family division. But division alone was not enough for her!

"Master, given the unfilial behavior of these two, they deserve to be expelled from the family clan! How dare they act as guarantors behind our backs—do they hold us parents in any regard at all? If they are no longer members of the Xie clan, the colossal debts they guaranteed will have nothing to do with us whatsoever!"

Her words were venomous to the core.

When the Xie clan was wealthy and powerful, her goal had been to slowly torture the branches of the first and third wives to death. But now that the Xie family was in sudden ruin, facing a potential fifty thousand tael debt from the Qin family—likely a usurious loan at that—she had no time left to slowly torment them.

The best course of action was to brand them with the crime of unfilial conduct, cast them out of the Xie clan, strip them of every copper coin, and leave them disgraced for life. Let them toil as beasts of burden for the Qin family for the rest of their days, never to rise again!

Would not her beloved elder sister in the netherworld find some twisted satisfaction in that?

"Father, Mother, my elder brother and I have never considered ourselves unfilial. We have always respected our elders, and when our in-laws fell into hardship, it was only right to lend a hand. Otherwise, the people of Yangzhou would point at our spines and call the Xie family heartless."

"Furthermore, upon the heels of the incident, I rushed home immediately to report the truth to Father. How can my elder brother and I be branded unfilial?"

"As for our courtyards—sold together with all their belongings without a single word sent to us, despite Hangzhou being merely a two-day boat ride away—that can be overlooked."

"But what of Wenjing? She is a young lady of a good family. How could you sell her private chambers? Do you wish to destroy her reputation in public and make her a laughingstock in Yangzhou? Especially when she is betrothed to the Zhao family! This is a deliberate attempt to ruin her. Why did you not sell the second brother's courtyard instead?"

"If Mother insists on fastening the charge of unfilial conduct upon us, then I care nothing for my reputation either. I will go out into the streets and tell everyone the whole story of how our 'unfilial conduct' came to be!"

"Let the world judge whether offering a helping hand to distressed in-laws is a sin deserving of such a label!"

Xie Chengyin put on an appearance of utter recklessness, causing Xie Wenjing’s step-grandmother to tremble with rage. How had this quiet, submissive wretch suddenly developed such a sharp, venomous tongue?

"Father, let us divide the family! They resent us for selling their courtyards, and we resent them for privately guaranteeing a massive debt. If this continues, the household will never know peace."

"It is better to split the family now. Once divided, no one can harbor resentment, and each branch can live its own life. The guarantees they signed can become their own burden to bear, having nothing to do with us."

Xie Chengyu lacked his mother's sheer malice, but he harbored no brotherly affection whatsoever for his half-siblings.

Keeping all the family wealth for himself while leaving the debt to them—this was his motivation for proposing the split. Just moments ago, his mother's suggestion had been dangerously reckless; had the scandal blown up, it would have ruined him. Family division was the safest outcome for himself.

"Master, they should be expelled from the clan!" the step-grandmother urged relentlessly.

"Shut your mouth!"

The grandfather glared furiously at his wife, blaming her for secretly squandering the family’s wealth behind his back. Though she claimed it was for his eldest son, a single person dragging down the entire clan was unacceptable. The foolish woman had no grasp of priorities.

Even now, she failed to see that while this third son was exasperating, he was hardly unfilial. Making a public spectacle of this would ultimately harm his precious second son. Yet she still clamored for blood!

"Since things have come to this, I too agree to a family division! You and your eldest brother are of the same mother; you may speak on his behalf and divide the household together. Do you agree? Otherwise, given your outrageous behavior, I would be entirely justified in expelling you myself!"

Xie Wenjing’s grandfather, swayed by his second son's reasoning, concluded that a family division was the best course for the Xie clan. To secure the family's future through his second son, he could not allow him to shoulder undeserved debts.

As for this third son, he was a stubborn rebel, and the grandfather felt he had already shown him utmost benevolence. Having raised him to adulthood, he now dared to defy and threaten him? Why couldn't he use the threat of a forced division to break him?

As for the eldest son—that prodigal wrecker of houses—the grandfather’s heart burned with bitter hatred at the mere thought of him.

Xie Chengyin offered a desolate smile. This was the renowned, esteemed stepmother—plotting relentlessly to saddle him and his eldest brother with the charge of unfilial conduct, desperate to have them driven out into the streets.

And his own biological father, fixated solely on his second son, had even threatened him to force a division of the household. Little did they know, Wenjing and the others already loathed this Xie house to the core. Since they could finally break away as they wished, let the division be done however they pleased! He was willing to leave this place without taking so much as a single brick, just to secure an honorable exit.

"Very well, let us divide the family! I can make the decision for my eldest brother!"