He Qiuhua was now dead set on dividing the family estate. Though Yan Xiaoyue remained silent, she nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Yan Xingmao, however, remained deeply troubled: “We will inevitably outlive both of them. If we split the estate now, they’ll truly have no maternal family to rely on.”

“Forget the future—just consider now. Whether my injury can be cured is still uncertain. If it can’t be cured and we split from our eldest brother, how will our family of four support ourselves?”

Just as He Qiuhua was about to mention Yan Xiaoyu’s culinary skills as a means of sustenance, Yan Xingmao sighed again: “If I were to die, how would you three women and ger protect yourselves?”

This time, He Qiuhua also grew troubled. She turned her head to look at Yan Xiaoyu.

“Rest assured. I never lied to you earlier. Father won’t die. His leg should be treatable.”

This injury would certainly be treatable in the modern world. The Great Chu Dynasty didn’t belong to any historical era of Huaguo, but its social development resembled the Ming Dynasty, with customs even more open than those of the Ming. Medical advancements should be quite advanced as well.

Having witnessed the power of traditional Chinese medicine in the modern world, Yan Xiaoyu remained relatively optimistic about Yan Xingmao’s injury.

He Qiuhua now trusted his words implicitly. Hearing this, a thought struck her: “Then… then when you said earlier that your father might… might not survive, were you… Were you just trying to scare your aunt and the others?”

Yan Xiaoyu nodded. Yan Xingmao recalled the word “ separation” that had been on his lips all day and understood.

The couple, along with Yan Xiaoyue, all breathed a slight sigh of relief.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Upon reaching town, Yan Xiaoyu sought out two kindly-looking elderly men and women to inquire about the situation.

The town had only two medical clinics. Though called clinics, they resembled modern small practices, both modest in scale. Each had only one practicing physician, the rest being apprentices.

The Yu Clinic in the southern part of town was reputed to specialize in treating falls and injuries, with a solid reputation. Yan Xiaoyu led his family there.

Today happened to be the tri-weekly market day, so the clinic was busier than usual. Fortunately, Dr. Yu, the attending physician, worked efficiently. Yan Xiaoyu and his family waited only about twenty minutes before it was Yan Xingmao’s turn.

Doctor Yu appeared to be in his thirties or forties, lean and pale-faced with no beard, his expression somewhat stern.

Standing before the doctor, Yan Xingmao’s heart—which his son had calmed—began pounding wildly again. As Doctor Yu examined his injury, he remained perfectly still, not daring to breathe heavily.

“Injuries to tendons and blood vessels, stagnant blood accumulation, diffuse muscle swelling, severe joint deformity requiring manual realignment followed by application of dispersing ointment…”

After Doctor Yu finished, the three of them looked at each other, only partially understanding. Yan Xiaoyu guessed it meant realigning the bones first, then dispersing the stagnant blood.

Sure enough, two young apprentices held Yan Xingmao down at Doctor Yu’s signal, and the doctor began his work. Yan Xingmao cried out in pain but gritted his teeth to endure it. Doctor Yu manipulated his leg several times before finally setting the bones.

After treating the left leg, it was the right leg’s turn, bringing another wave of excruciating pain. Once both legs were set, an apprentice brought gauze, bamboo splints, and external ointment. Doctor Yu personally applied the medication and bandaged the wounds.

After the bandaging, Yan Xingmao was drenched in cold sweat from the pain, but the weight on his heart was finally lifted.

According to Doctor Yu, his life was no longer in danger. With proper care, his injured legs would fully recover and not hinder his future work.

As the injuries required rest, Yan Xingmao needed to stay at the clinic for several days. Yan Xiaoyu asked He Qiuhua to stay and watch over him while he took Yan Xiaoyue home.

They had to return—they owed Yan Shaocheng the oxcart they’d borrowed, and their silver was running low.

Yan Xiaoyu had intended to buy medicine for Yan Xiaoyue’s forehead wound, but the child refused adamantly: “If you buy medicine for me, Mom and Dad won’t have money for breakfast tomorrow. Mom didn’t eat any sweet potatoes earlier—they all went into my belly. We can’t go hungry tomorrow.”

Yan Xiaoyu could only abandon the idea.

For setting bones, Yan Xingmao was charged ten more wen than others, thirty wen total. Doctor Yu prescribed two days’ worth of medicine, costing sixty-eight wen altogether. Lodging for Yan Xingmao and his wife at the clinic was ten wen per night.

After settling all these expenses, only twelve wen remained from the hundred and twenty they’d brought today. Tomorrow’s lodging was still unaccounted for.

Yet Yan Xiaoyu remained unhurried. He’d already devised a plan to pressure Yan Xingsheng and the others into paying up—perhaps this time he could force them to agree to the division of property.

To this end, Yan Xiaoyu specifically requested Doctor Yu’s assistance: “If anyone comes asking, please exaggerate my father’s condition—the more severe, the better.”

“Why is that?” Doctor Yu lifted his head, giving him a lukewarm glance. “If you want me to lie for you, you ought to give me a reason.”

“Of course,” Yan Xiaoyu nodded. “To be honest, I haven’t managed to gather all the money for my father’s medical expenses yet. That’s why I’m asking for your help. My father and eldest uncle never divided the family estate. All the household silver is managed by my eldest uncle’s wife. Every coin my father earned through years of labor was handed over to her…“

Yan Xiaoyu briefly explained the Yan family’s situation, concluding, ”Only by portraying my father’s illness as life-threatening can we force them to pay.”

Doctor Yu pondered for a moment before finally nodding his agreement.

Having practiced medicine for years, he’d seen all kinds of people. Countless wealthy families were stingy about treating their own kin. Yan Xingmao’s situation wasn’t uncommon. He had no desire to meddle further, as long as his consultation fees weren’t delayed.

After Doctor Yu agreed, Yan Xiaoyu exchanged a few kind words with an apprentice ger at the clinic, entrusting him to look after his parents. Then he handed the remaining twelve wen to He Qiuhua and, away from others, shared a few words with her.

“Once we return today, I’ll press my uncle and the others again to push for an earlier division of the household. But with the summer harvest approaching, they’re likely still counting on our family’s laborers. Only when they see we’re not just useless but a liability will they willingly agree to split the property. So we must exaggerate Father’s condition. Uncle is suspicious by nature and may come to check on him tomorrow. When that time comes, you and Father must remember: though his life was saved, his legs are completely crippled. He will never walk again for the rest of his life…”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

As dusk fell, after laying out all the details, Yan Xiaoyu wasted no time. He and Yan Xiaoyue set off in the oxcart.

On the way back, the siblings felt considerably lighter. Even the usually taciturn Yan Xiaoyue spoke up: “Can we really get silver from Uncle?”

Yan Xiaoyu nodded. “Of course.”

“Where will we live after the split? In a cave?”

Yan Xiaoyu frowned in confusion. “A cave? Where exactly?”

“Right on the mountain above our village,” Yan Xiaoyue replied with unwavering sincerity. “The beggars who come to our village live there. After begging here, they spend the night in the cave. The next day, they take a different path down the mountain to beg in another village.”

“…” Come on, be a little more hopeful! Yan Xiaoyu sighed impatiently. “Old Yan will either give us money or land. We won’t be begging!”

“I know, but houses don’t just appear out of thin air. We still have nowhere to live.”

This girl really is stubborn. Yan Xiaoyu sighed. “We can find a place to stay temporarily. We’ll pay for it.”

He looked at Yan Xiaoyue’s bruised forehead and her pure, innocent eyes, murmuring comfortingly: “Once we get back today, we’ll have another tough battle to fight. But if we get through this, things will get better. You’ll have your own room, eat as much as you want, and no one will ever scold you again. You won’t have to endure Old Yan’s curses, be bossed around by your aunt, or beg on your knees anymore…”

Could such a good life really exist? Yan Xiaoyue’s eyes grew red.

She lowered her head, silently repeating her brother’s words several times. When she looked up again, the evening glow seemed especially beautiful, as if it were shining straight into her heart.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After entering the village, Yan Xiaoyu and his sister didn’t return to their household. They went straight to the Yan family to return the oxcart.

The Yan residence lay deep within the village, near the mountain’s base, quite a distance from the entrance. News of Yan Xingmao’s injury had spread, and along the way, villagers frequently stopped the siblings to ask questions.

“Xiaoyue, why are only you two back? Where are your parents? Is your father all right?”

“Yu-ger, we heard your father fell at the employer’s place. How serious is his injury? What did the doctor say?”

“…”

Yan Xiaoyu had braced himself for this, fearing Yan Xiaoyue wouldn’t know how to lie. He took charge of the conversation, talking nonstop the entire way.

“My father’s condition isn’t good. They saved his life, but his legs are crippled. He can never work again. My mother is still at the clinic taking care of him.”

“My father can’t stand on his legs anymore. He’ll need constant care from now on, and he can’t stop taking his medicine. My sister and I came back to raise money. My aunt only gave us twenty wen. If it weren’t for Aunt He’s kindness, we wouldn’t even have enough for today’s medicine.”

”My parents? They have no money. All the wages my father earned these years were handed over to my eldest aunt for household expenses, just as my grandfather instructed.“

”The money from selling the family’s grain? That, of course, was also managed by my eldest aunt…”

Yan Xiaoyu walked along, playing the victim all the way.

Ever since he was rescued after that accidental fall into the river, he had first gone mad, repeatedly jumping into the water. Then he started picking fights with the eldest branch of the Yan family every day, bullying Yan Xiaobao… His behavior had changed so drastically that the villagers barely recognized him anymore.

But in everyone’s eyes, his current state was the result of being pushed to the brink by Old Master Yan and the eldest branch.

Over the years, Yan Xingmao had either toiled in the fields or worked odd jobs elsewhere, yet not a single wen had ever found its way into his own pocket. Even after getting injured, he had to beg his sister-in-law for money to pay for his medical treatment—a truly pitiful sight.

Meanwhile, Old Master Yan and Yan Xingsheng’s family had pocketed Yan Xingmao’s wages. They’d nearly cost Yan Xiaoyu his life before, and now they showed no concern for the injured Yan Xingmao. Their callousness was undeniable—no wonder Yan Xiaoyu had turned out this way.

The Yan family’s turmoil soon became the talk of the town, and word quickly reached Yan Xingsheng.

After returning the oxcart, Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Xiaoyue entered the main hall to find Old Master Yan and Yan Xingsheng sitting like door gods, their faces as dark as iron, flanking the console table in two armchairs.

Tao Cuiqin and Yan Xiaobao sat on bamboo chairs to the right below the table. Tao Cuiqin held an embroidery hoop, busily working on needlework; Yan Xiaobao stared intently outside the door, his eyes burning with anticipation, as if waiting for something.

The moment Yan Xiaoyu and her brother entered, the boy sprang to his feet and slammed the main hall door shut.

Then Yan Xingsheng slammed his palm on the table: “Didn’t your aunt say the medicine costs could be put on credit? We’d settle once Old Master Wang paid the silver! Why did you go around making up nonsense and ruining our reputation?!”

What a grand show—anyone unaware might think this was a triad tribunal! Yan Xingmao was lying there injured, yet his eldest brother hadn’t even offered a single word of concern. All he cared about was their reputation. What a fine elder brother indeed.

Yan Xiaoyu sneered coldly. “Spreading lies? Every word I said was the truth!”

He planted his hands on his hips, his tone even fiercer than Yan Xingsheng’s. “If you think I’m wrong, go explain it yourself! I came back to collect money for my father—I don’t have time to argue with you!”

Hearing his righteous indignation, Yan Xingsheng nearly laughed in anger. “So you just demand money? Do I fucking owe you?”

“Your father does owe me.” Yan Xiaoyu wore a carefree expression as he pulled Yan Xiaoyue down to sit on a chair.

Old Master Yan’s temples throbbed with fury.

Yan Xingsheng leapt from his chair, fists clenched, advancing menacingly toward Yan Xiaoyu. Yan Xiaoyue jumped up nervously, trembling as she tried to shield Yan Xiaoyu, only to be pulled back behind him.

“Before you strike someone, weigh whether you can bear the consequences. Then consider whether you stand a chance,” Yan Xiaoyu declared, leaning back in his chair with his head held high, utterly unruffled.

His attitude was brazenly defiant. Yan Xingsheng seethed like a raging bull, flames of fury practically spewing from his nostrils.

Yet a sliver of reason nagged at him—Yan Xiaoyu spoke the truth.

He who has nothing to lose fears nothing. Yan Xiaoyu now held no fear for him, while Yan Xingsheng was bound by countless constraints. The Yan family’s reputation, his son’s future—each mattered more than Yan Xiaoyu’s life.

Moreover, Yan Xiaoyu was brimming with strength. Yan Xiaoyu had always feigned weakness to avoid work, but he no longer pretended. His strength was nearly equal to his elder sister’s. If it came to blows, he would likely come out worse for wear.

Unable to fight, yet unwilling to swallow his pride, Yan Xingsheng found himself in a bind. Fortunately, he had a wife who knew when to speak up.

“Look at you, getting worked up over a child,” Tao Cuiqin said, setting aside her handiwork. She walked over, patted Yan Xingsheng’s arm to offer him an easy way out, then turned her attention to Yan Xiaoyu.

“Xiaoyu, how is your father’s injury?” She adopted a sympathetic tone. “Your uncle returned this afternoon and was terribly worried upon hearing of your father’s injury. If you hadn’t come back, he would have gone to town looking for you. However, he was quite upset that you misunderstood my and your grandfather’s intentions and spoke those words outside.”

Yan Xiaoyu snorted derisively, repeating the very words she’d spoken before the villagers. She concluded, “If my uncle and aunt care so deeply for my father, surely they won’t begrudge spending some silver?”

Tao Cuiqin’s smile remained unchanged. “The household truly has no money now. But rest assured, your uncle and I have devised a solution.”

“Since your father is no longer in mortal danger, there’s no need for him to stay at the clinic. He can recover at home just as well. Your uncle will fetch him tomorrow. Once he’s back, your mother can tend to him. You and your sister can work the fields alongside your uncle and Xiaobao. After the summer harvest, sell the grain, and you’ll have enough to buy medicine for your father. How does that sound?”

Sure enough, he was still fixated on their labor. Yan Xiaoyu rolled his eyes inwardly: “It needn’t be so troublesome.”

“I noticed two decent robes in my eldest cousin’s room. They should fetch some money. If you truly can’t come up with the silver, I’ll make the effort and pawn those robes myself.”

Tao Cuiqin’s smile froze.

“Tsk!” Yan Xiaoyu rose slowly, circling his with gleaming eyes fixed on the hairpin atop her head. “That hairpin on Auntie’s head looks quite valuable!”

He then walked over to Yan Xingsheng and Old Master Yan, scrutinizing them from head to toe: Uncle’s knuckle ring looks rather fine too. Hey! The fabric Grandfather wears mustn’t be cheap, either?

“Oh, and Xiaobao’s silver necklace looks quite substantial, doesn’t it?”

Yan Xiaoyu waved his hand grandly. “Pawn it all!”

“Pawn what?! Divide the family! Divide it now!” Old Master Yan roared in fury.