After the family property was divided, both Xu's father and mother were a little down. Xu Dalang felt terrible and guilty, and didn't know what to do, so he went back inside and hid behind the wall. His wife, Cai, whose wish had been fulfilled, didn't want to cause him any trouble, and quietly sewed purses with her two daughters nearby.
Their eldest daughter was twelve and their youngest daughter was ten; both could sew. After the family divided the property, the money from selling these small items could be kept for their own use. Even without saying a word, they had smiles on their faces. However, Mrs. Cai was a little uneasy about the old couple living with their third son, fearing gossip from the villagers, and was somewhat cautious.
The second wife and her husband knew they had offended their parents this time, but unlike the first wife, they weren't overthinking things. They went straight back to their room to take stock of their share and started discussing how to earn money to build a bigger house. Their eldest daughter was eight years old, and their youngest son was two.
The transmigrated woman had only been here for half a month, so naturally she didn't like the children left behind by her predecessor. After making sure they were clean and well-fed every day, she ignored them as much as possible. The father, being careless, didn't notice anything amiss. While the two of them were discussing things, the two children would quietly play by themselves. If outsiders saw this, they would definitely find it strange; their household lacked a bit of warmth.
The youngest daughter of the Xu family was fourteen this year. She was of marriageable age and shouldn't be involved in the division of the family property. She had stayed hidden in her room the entire time, not even daring to come out to comfort her parents after the division was complete. Mr. and Mrs. Xu sat in the courtyard, looking at the tightly closed doors and the increasingly empty yard, sighing repeatedly. From now on, this would no longer be a complete family; this was the beginning of disintegration.
Xu's mother helped Xu's father stand up, looked at the sky, and sighed, "It's almost nightfall, let's go back inside. The third son is delirious with illness, we have to hold on, otherwise he'll really have no one to rely on. I'll go and make his medicine, I don't know if he'll wake up. I specially left him a few eggs, if he doesn't wake up soon, the eggs will go bad."
Mr. Xu propped himself up on his knees and comforted his son, saying, "Third son will definitely get better. The medicine prescribed by the doctor in town is so expensive, it should work. Call me when you've finished decocting the medicine, and I'll feed it to him with you so we don't spill any and waste it."
Falling into the water and catching a chill, followed by fever and coma, was a very serious illness in ancient times. Especially in places like this, the village's barefoot doctor and the town's traditional Chinese medicine practitioner were not very skilled. Wealthy families could afford good medicine without much trouble, but poor families couldn't afford it and were basically left to fate. Normally, a farmer would recover easily from illness, but the original owner of this body was a weak scholar with a poor constitution, making him look more dangerous. Xu's parents' grief was mostly related to this. Whether their third son would survive was uncertain; the medicine was just a bit expensive, and their eldest and second sons were about to divide the family property. How could they not be heartbroken?
After preparing the medicine, Xu's mother carefully poured it into a bowl, walked to Xu Zifan's door, and called out to Xu's father. Xu's father came out, put on his clothes, and opened the door for her. The two of them went into Xu Zifan's room one after the other.
Shao Hua reminded Xu Zifan in his mind: "[Zifan, your parents have come to give you your medicine.]"
Shao Hua repeated it three times, and Xu Zifan woke up. He had slept very soundly and rested well, but he was still a little feverish and his whole body ached. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that the sky outside the window had darkened, and two elderly people around fifty years old came in carrying a bowl of medicine.
"Third son! You're awake?" Xu's mother saw Xu Zifan open his eyes first and exclaimed in surprise. She took two steps to the bedside, put the bowl on the wooden table, reached out to touch Xu Zifan's forehead, and smiled, "It's okay now that you're awake. You still have a slight fever. Are you feeling unwell?"
Xu Zifan nodded slightly. "I'm feeling a little unwell, but it's alright. Dad, Mom, don't worry, I'll be fine in a few days."
Xu's father stepped forward to look at him and breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good that you're awake. Quickly drink your medicine. This medicine was prescribed by the doctor in town; it will definitely work. Drink it while it's hot."
Xu Zifan struggled to sit up in bed, and his parents helped him lean against the wall and brought him his medicine. Xu Zifan first took a sip to taste it, identifying several of the herbs, before drinking the whole bowl. The medicine wasn't very effective, but it had some effect, so drinking it wouldn't hurt. He handed the empty bowl to his mother, wiped his mouth, and asked, "Mother, how many doses of medicine are left at home?"
Xu's mother smiled and said, "There are still two sets left at home, so don't worry about that. Tomorrow I'll ask you... I'll ask someone in town to help me buy them."
Xu's mother's smile froze for a moment. She was about to say, "Tell your second brother to go," but then she remembered that the family had just separated. Given the attitude of her eldest and second sons, she was unwilling to let them get involved in her third son's affairs anymore. If they couldn't find anyone to help, the two of them could take turns.
Xu Zifan shook his head, tugged at his mother's sleeve and said, "Mother, the medicine is too bitter, I really can't drink it. There are still two doses left, aren't there? I think we shouldn't buy it tomorrow. If I feel better tomorrow, I won't take it. I know my own body. I felt almost better as soon as I woke up today. I'm fine."
The two elders frowned in disapproval. Xu's father said, "Nonsense! How can you not take medicine when you're sick? Good medicine tastes bitter, but you have to drink it even if you don't want to."
"Oh, Dad, just one more day. If you see I'm still not better, you can buy medicine the day after tomorrow." Xu Zifan looked at his father and pleaded, "Dad, just one more day. I'm really almost better, there's nothing wrong with me at all."
Seeing that he did seem quite energetic, Xu's parents thought for a moment, hesitated, and nodded in agreement. Xu's mother wrapped the blanket around his waist and instructed him, "If you feel unwell, you must tell your parents. Don't delay your health just to avoid taking medicine."
Xu Zifan laughed, "My parents are the best. Don't worry, I'm all grown up now, how could I be so ungrateful?"
Mr. Xu's expression softened, but he still snorted softly, his hands behind his back, and said, "If you knew what was important, you wouldn't have asked the teacher to lie for you. You brat deserve a beating; I need to give you a good thrashing."
It helps you remember things.
Xu's mother continued, "And how many times have I told you not to take shortcuts? The road over there is steep and difficult to walk, but you insisted on taking that route just to save time, and now you've fallen into the river! You're so old, when will you ever learn to be sensible?"
Xu's mother sighed, looking at her son's pale face, and suddenly couldn't help but shed tears. She quickly turned away to wipe her tears, not wanting her son to see, but Xu Zifan still saw them. He pulled Xu's mother to sit up straight, frowned and asked, "What's wrong, Mother? I promise you, I will never go that way again. Mother, don't cry, I will listen to you."
His words brought tears to Xu's father's eyes. Perhaps because they had been hurt by their eldest and second sons during the recent family division dispute, seeing their youngest son's filial piety touched the softest spot in their hearts. As parents, what they most wanted to see was filial piety from their children. They had always tried to be parents like everyone else, but now they had divided the family property. They had been reflecting on where they had gone wrong; perhaps they hadn't treated them all equally. But their youngest son's genuine affection for them was truly different from that of his other children. How could they possibly treat them all equally?
They didn't understand, and didn't want to think about it anymore, since they had already separated. But deep down, they still felt sad, as if the family could never be reunited.
Xu Zifan looked at the two of them and asked, "I think I heard several people talking in your room. Did something happen? Is it because my eldest brother and second brother won't forgive me? I think I heard someone say'separate the family.' I thought I was dreaming. Is that it?"
Mr. and Mrs. Xu exchanged a glance. They hadn't wanted to tell their youngest son because he was sick, but they hadn't expected him to overhear. Considering the attitudes of the eldest and second wives towards their youngest son, Mr. Xu thought for a moment and then told him, "Third son, our family is splitting up today. From now on, you and Xiaolian will live with us, while your eldest and second brothers will live separately. You'll still live together, but the land will be divided, and things like eating and earning money will also be separate."
Mr. Xu hesitated for a moment, then said, "You made a mistake regarding the matter with the master. Apologize to them when you're better. After all, they are brothers; there's nothing that can't be forgiven. If you get along well in the future, life will be better."
Xu Zifan certainly thought dividing the family was a good thing, saving the trouble of each member having their own agenda and having to discuss things with them. However, now, using the original owner's identity, he immediately showed a surprised and angry expression, and said in a tone typical of the original owner's temperament, "What do they mean by this? Dividing the family while I'm sick, do they still consider me a brother?"
Xu's mother patted him, "Keep your voice down, what are you shouting about? Alright, the division is already done. Your eldest and second brothers' idea is to focus on getting you treated and then divide the property after you recover. It was your father and I who decided to divide it today. Brothers are still brothers. After the division, there will be no more conflicts, so you should all get along well."
Xu Zifan snorted, "I think they think I'm a burden to them."
"Then aren't you just dragging them down? Look at what you've done, what kind of mess is this?" Xu's father said sternly. "Once you've recovered, we'll settle accounts with you for lying. Your older brothers haven't done anything wrong to you, so it's not your place to blame them. You just stay put."
Seeing his father's temper, Xu Zifan seized the opportunity to back down, whispering, "Dad, I know I was wrong. We'll separate the family then. I promise I'll take good care of you from now on and never make you angry again."
Xu's mother patted his head and sighed, "You really need to be sensible. We're getting old, and we'll have to rely on you from now on."
Xu Zifan looked up at them and said, "Father, Mother, don't worry, I will definitely make sure you live a good life."