Chapter 5, Scheming

"I was seriously ill yesterday and needed to drink hot water. The matriarch refused to give us food and insisted I cook for my younger brother." Chen Sanlang said coldly, "I know the matriarch dislikes us father and son for consuming plain rice and incurring high expenses. She has long harbored thoughts of separation, which is why she treats us with disdain at every turn. Taking advantage of my father's absence for his studies abroad, she has subjected my three brothers and me to all kinds of abuse." After a pause, he emphasized, "Why must the matriarch be like this? This year is the year of the great examination, and my father may very well achieve high honors. At that time, I wonder how you will face us!"

You... before she could even utter a single "you," it turned into a wretched scream of "aow," as she was violently struck in the ribs by the frenzied Chen Sanlang.

"You might as well take a look in the pot; is there even a trace of oil?" Chen Sanlang said coldly

"Deserving to be poor for a lifetime, you mud-footed man!" Hou scolded angrily, "Hurry up to eat and drink, hurry up to work, otherwise there will be no lunch!"

However, at that time, her parents-in-law were present, and she was also concerned that her younger brother-in-law might truly become an official. In that case, she would have to rely on him in many ways, so she had to feign a harmonious demeanor. Yet, this distortion accumulated in her heart over time, filling it with resentment, ultimately leading her to regard her younger brother-in-law's family as a thorn in her side.

But how could the Hou family leave so quietly? She wore a dark expression, her eyes darting around, hoping to find an opportunity to suppress this young man's arrogance.

At that moment, Hei Wulang let out a low roar, leaped forward, and sat on Hou's stomach, raining down punches like a shower.

"Waiting for work at my home, lined up from Shiwancun to Xialiupo!" Hou said fiercely while striding towards the shed in the northwest corner.

However, previously, at most, she would only give her brother-in-law a cold shoulder, refusing to let her nephew wear new clothes or eat good food. It was nowhere near as severe as now, where she is driving the three children to a dead end. The Chen family is considered a prominent household, and this behavior towards her own nephew is disgraceful and damaging to her reputation.

Hou still wanted to unleash his wrath, but suddenly he heard an angry roar: "I curse your mother!"

Dare to retort, do you! This fierce woman of the Hou family is certainly one who does not relent when she is in the right. With a swift motion, she delivered a slap that sent Xiao Liulang tumbling to the ground, blood streaming from his mouth and nose

What are you doing!" Chen Sanlang hurriedly blocked his younger brother, but unfortunately, he was only ten years old and lacked the strength of a past life. With a push from this fierce woman, he stumbled. Although he quickly regained his balance, in that moment, Xiao Liulang was caught by the sleeve by Mrs. Hou

"You little beast!" After Hou said this, she realized she had suffered a loss. Her face, thickly coated with powder, turned as red as a boiled shrimp: "Dare to take advantage of me!" She had a frame even taller than a man's, and with her claws outstretched, she lunged forward, instantly scaring Xiao Liulang to tears

Why did the elder lady resort to violence? Chen Sanlang, holding Xiao Liulang, swiftly passed by her and retreated to the doorway, asking, "In what way has my nephew offended you?"

This became the lifeline for the Hou family. She was determined to force her brother to propose a separation of the family, and naturally, she intensified her efforts. At that time, Chen Lao Er was away studying abroad, so she began to subject his three children to various forms of abuse. The intention was to make Chen Lao Er realize upon his return that he had two choices: either stay at home to look after the children forever or immediately separate the family.

Let him go!" Chen Sanlang tightly held onto the woman's arm and shouted to Xiao Liulang, "Run quickly!

Upon seeing that object, even Chen Sanlang was taken aback; it was, in fact, a charred yellow chicken leg

Hou did not dare to incur the wrath of the public, let alone the fact that what Liu said was also true. These hired workers are of good character; how could they engage in petty theft? If they tarnish their reputation, they would suffer a great loss for a small gain

In the Song Dynasty, the division of a family was not merely a domestic affair

But that little child was already completely frightened. Hei Wulang reacted and pulled his younger brother outside. Xiaoliu Lang's clothes had long been tattered, and with this pull, the sleeve immediately tore open a large hole, causing something to fall out.

Her thoughts were suddenly exposed by a child, and Hou could not help but feel a wave of panic. She muttered incessantly about things like "tear your mouth apart," yet her feet began to move away, unwilling to face those penetrating eyes that seemed to see into her soul

... ...

Hou was caught off guard, falling in a disarrayed manner. Chen Sanlang once again overestimated his own strength, failing to steady himself and also fell to the ground

Then they can only separate! She had long been certain of this idea. The reason it has been delayed for more than two years after her mother-in-law's passing is not because she lacks the resolve, but because she is afraid. What she fears is the ruthlessness of the law

"What chicken?" Chen Sanlang said with a puzzled expression: "The Empress's chicken, how could it end up here!"

Chen Sanlang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, yet his expression showed not the slightest change

"Who is that little beast cursing at?" Chen Sanlang suppressed his anger and bent down to help Xiao Liulang put on his shoes

His words reminded Mrs. Hou that the pot was built into the stove; to remove it, one would have to dismantle the stove. Therefore, if chicken had been cooked, there would certainly be traces of oil. However, Mrs. Hou searched both inside and outside the pot with wide eyes and found not a single drop of oil. Unable to contain her suspicion, she asked, "Then why did you start a fire?"

When her fierce gaze fell upon Xiao Liulang, she suddenly noticed that the little brat had shifted to the side. Unable to contain herself, she shouted, "What are you hiding!" As she spoke, she reached out to grab Xiao Liulang's right hand

What delighted her was that her younger uncle had wasted over ten years; not to mention passing the high school entrance examination, he hadn't even passed the preliminary test. This made her certain that neither her younger uncle nor her husband, let alone her elder brother or second brother, had the fate to become officials. Consequently, she could no longer tolerate her younger uncle's family of five living off idle means, not to mention having to bear the expenses of their education.

Her thoughts were accurately perceived by Chen Sanlang. For many years, because her husband was not academically inclined, her in-laws had placed their hopes on her younger brother-in-law, which naturally led to a bias in their words and actions towards his family. The narrow-minded Chen family had always harbored dissatisfaction.

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"Alright!" Hou Shi's spirit soared instantly as she forcefully shook off Chen Sanlang, adjusting her disheveled hair, resembling an exuberant rooster, and exclaimed with unusual excitement, "I was right all along; they are indeed a bunch of little thieves!"

"The belly is so flat, how can there be any strength to carry the load?" the crowd lazily remarked, indifferent.

If one or two were to accidentally die, it would be just what she desired. In this era, the mortality rate of children is astonishingly high; even among the wealthy, if they manage to raise half of the ten children they have, it is considered a miracle. She has given birth to seven, but only two have survived, so in her view, the death of a couple of underage children is truly nothing significant.

The reason he took the opportunity to elaborate was primarily to divert the attention of the Hou family, so as to prevent the two children from revealing any clues. ... At the same time, it was also to teach her to exercise some restraint ...

The laws of the Song Dynasty, whether in terms of codification or enforcement, are regarded as exemplary throughout history, having almost thoroughly explored human nature. However, written laws are inanimate, while people are living beings; it is impossible to expect that inanimate laws can protect everyone. Although the Hou family hesitated to divide their household, they could still use the status of the elder sister-in-law to oppress the younger brother's family at will, alleviating the long-standing grievances in their hearts

"It is specified that you are the thief! Look what I found; I will not let this little thief go unpunished!" Hou began to search inside and outside the *Tu* *Shu*, but how could she find even a single feather? However, she noticed that there were still embers in the stove behind the house and that something had been cooked in the pot, so she seized this as ironclad evidence: "Tell me, did you boil my chicken?"

This dynasty has repeatedly honored large families that have cohabited for generations, advocating for brotherly harmony and the avoidance of family division. Of course, very few can truly achieve this, but the "Song Code of Punishments" explicitly states: "If grandparents or parents are alive and their descendants have separate household registrations and different properties, they shall be punished with three years of labor. If one is living with parents in mourning and has children with separate household registrations and different properties, they shall be punished with one year of labor." "Separate household registration" refers to independent household registration. "Different properties" means the division of family assets. However, the "Song Code of Punishments" still explicitly states: "If grandparents or parents are alive and their descendants have separate household registrations and different properties, they shall be punished with three years of labor. If one is living with parents in mourning and has children with separate household registrations and different properties, they shall be punished with one year of labor." "Separate household registration" refers to independent household registration. "Different properties" means the division of family assets.

"You are talking nonsense!" This exclamation did not come from Chen Sanlang or Hei Wulang, but from the flustered and red-faced Xiao Liulang, who was so anxious that he began to stutter: "I, my brother is not a thief!"

Who would have thought that her brother returned to say that the officials had given their approval, but this matter was quite tricky, as the laws of the Song Dynasty opposed the division of family property, considering it a disruption of public order and morals. Therefore, the one who first proposed the division would end up with less of the family assets. Moreover, since grandchildren also have inheritance rights to their grandparents' property, the officials would refer to the number of mouths in both families during the division... Both families had no unmarried daughters, only male heirs; in other words, everyone except her as the daughter-in-law had inheritance rights. Furthermore, since grandchildren also have inheritance rights to their grandparents' property, the officials would refer to the number of mouths in both families during the division... Both families had no unmarried daughters, only male heirs; in other words, everyone except her as the daughter-in-law had inheritance rights... The number of mouths with inheritance rights was three to five, and her family remained at a disadvantage.

Hou is suffering a hidden loss, unable to voice her grievances, so she can only start by demanding an explanation: "Tell me, where have you hidden my chicken?"

Moreover, the unique appointment system of this dynasty makes it impossible for the county magistrate to compromise his official reputation for trivial gains. Therefore, if they rely on the government to make a decision, their family will undoubtedly suffer losses

Who else could it be? She suddenly thought of the three little ones who had been sent to the cold palace, and thus scolded, "The sun is about to set, why are you still standing here instead of working?"

Hou was completely taken aback; could it be that he is about to lift a stone to drop it on his own foot

Chen Sanlang was already awakened by the commotion from the Hou family. Upon hearing footsteps, he realized that she had come to search. He quietly instructed his two younger brothers to keep their mouths tightly shut

Her younger brother told her that they should either let Chen Lao Er propose the division of the family property first, or both parties should reach an agreement privately before going to the authorities for the distribution of assets. As long as it is generally fair and reasonable, the county magistrate would turn a blind eye.

In every corner of the ten miles and eight villages, no one treats people with less regard than Lady Chen!" The crowd complained and dispersed in a rush: "After this round of work, let's see who will still carry the load for your family!"

The reason why Hou has suddenly become so ruthless is that this March, which is this month, marks the time for the Chen family's legal division of property. She is determined to obtain the majority of the inheritance, and therefore has instructed her younger brother to go to the county office in advance to make arrangements.

The Hou family has always taken advantage of their naivety, which is why they have been so reckless. Now, hearing him speak so eloquently, I cannot help but feel a shock in my heart, thinking: "How could he suddenly say such things! Could this child actually see through me?"

In this book, I am determined not to engage in name-dropping, so you will not find lengthy explanatory texts or argumentative essays. However, this does not mean that I have not conducted thorough research. Although I cannot ensure that everything aligns perfectly with the times, I have at least done my utmost, and the authenticity is certainly not inferior to that of a high-ranking official.

This means that when grandparents and parents are alive, anyone who dares to divide the family will be sentenced to three years. Even if the parents pass away, the family cannot be divided until the mourning period is over; otherwise, the sentence will be one year. This is to prevent the disgraceful situation where, upon the death of the parents, siblings neglect the funeral affairs and only focus on fighting over the inheritance.

Just as Xiao Liulang was dressed, Hou Shi stormed in, furiously shouting: "Tell me, was it you little brats who stole my chickens!"