Chapter 75: Give Me Half

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Give Me Half

Furious, Old Mrs. Bai reached out and pinched Bai Erzhu’s arm hard. "You’re useless, and now you’re blaming me? Don’t you even think? Zhao Lan is a woman, and Sanzhu is gone. Who knows how long she’ll stay with our family? Sooner or later, you boys will have to do the fieldwork. How can we just keep relying on Zhao Lan?"

Bai Erzhu looked unconcerned and chuckled. "You don’t need to worry about that. Our Sanzhu has been gone for ten years, and Zhao Lan has lived as a widow in our house for just as long. Why? Isn’t it all because of that girl, Bai Zhi? As long as Bai Zhi remains in the Bai Family for even a single day, Zhao Lan will never leave. Don’t you understand that?"

Old Mrs. Bai froze. ’Erzhu does have a point. Zhao Lan has stayed in the Bai Family because of Bai Zhi. But if Bai Zhi were to leave—say, if we send her to Baiyang Village—would Zhao Lan still stay?’

Old Mrs. Bai said to Bai Erzhu, "Bai Zhi is already twelve, and she’ll be thirteen in a few months. She’s reached a marriageable age. She has to leave this family sooner or later."

Bai Erzhu quickly replied, "Her marriage is entirely up to you to arrange. If you say she gets married, she gets married. If you say she doesn’t, she can’t. Isn’t it that simple?"

Thinking of the silver she had just placed in her box, Old Mrs. Bai said bluntly, "I’ve already had your sister-in-law arrange a match for Bai Zhi. We’re sending her over in three days. Bai Zhi only has these next three days left in the Bai Family."

Bai Erzhu’s eyes widened in shock. "Mother, are you getting senile? You’re marrying off Bai Zhi just like that? If Zhao Lan quits and stops working, who’s going to farm our land?"

"Who do you think will farm it? Am I supposed to do it with these old bones of mine?" Old Mrs. Bai retorted angrily.

Bai Erzhu recalled the earlier scene when his mother had told Liu to go buy meat. ’The other party must have offered a hefty sum,’ he realized. ’That’s why she was so happy and willing to spend money on meat.’

"Mother, we know exactly what kind of place Baiyang Village is. It costs a fortune for an old bachelor there to get a wife. Exactly how much did you and Sister-in-law sell Bai Zhi for?"

Old Mrs. Bai scoffed. "What nonsense are you spouting about ’selling’? This is a proper match. They are willing to pay a betrothal gift of twenty taels of silver. It’s all by the book, so how is that selling?"

The moment Bai Erzhu heard the sum of twenty taels of silver, the displeasure on his face vanished without a trace. He rushed to say, "Mother, you have to give me half of those twenty taels of silver."

Old Mrs. Bai quickly waved her hand in refusal. "Absolutely not. Those twenty taels of silver are already spoken for. It’s not something that can just be split up."

Bai Erzhu’s face immediately fell. "Then why don’t you tell me what these twenty taels of silver are for."

"Da Bao is already eighteen. It’s past time we found him a wife, so of course, it has to be used for his betrothal first."

Bai Erzhu frowned. "Fine. But even if it’s for Da Bao’s marriage, you don’t need twenty taels of silver. Our Huangtuo Village isn’t Baiyang Village; that’s not the going rate here."

Old Mrs. Bai continued, "Of course it won’t take all of it. The rest is for Xiao Feng’s schooling next year. Tuition, ink, and brushes all cost a pretty penny. On top of that, with Da Bao getting married, the whole family will need new clothes, and we have to host a banquet. Which of those things doesn’t require money? I’m afraid even this much won’t be enough."

When all was said and done, none of this money had anything to do with him, Bai Erzhu. Every last coin was being spent on the first branch of the family, while his second branch reaped no benefits at all. And now, with Dazhu’s hands injured, he couldn’t even work. All the labor fell to Erzhu alone, yet he received none of the rewards. Weren’t they just treating him like a complete sucker?