CHAPTER 136: CHAPTER 135: BREAKUP LETTER

As soon as Wang Lizheng reported the number, Old Yu immediately had second thoughts.

"No way, thirty-one taels is too little. Both me and Changhe’s mother are not in good health. Thirty-one taels wouldn’t even cover the medical expenses. At least one hundred taels is needed."

They donated fifty taels to the village, surely they can come up with a hundred. Old Yu upped the ante.

Madam Sun sneered, "If it’s too little, then you won’t get a single coin. I don’t care for that breakup letter anyway. I’m not giving you a single penny. Sue me all you want!"

Old Madam Yu stepped forward and tugged at Old Yu, whispering, "I just heard that Sun Fengshou sold all his land. They’re planning to move away. If we don’t get the money now, we’ll never catch even a glimpse of them again."

Old Yu shrugged off Old Madam Yu, "Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing!"

Unhurriedly, Old Yu said, "Wang Lizheng, you’re calculating at nine coins per pound based on coarse rice prices. White rice is now fifteen coins per pound. Please recalculate using the price for white rice."

"This..." Wang Lizheng looked at Madam Sun.

Madam Sun gently shook her head, "No need to pay attention to him."

Even if Wang Lizheng calculated the price, Old Yu wouldn’t be satisfied. Madam Sun understood he was testing her limits.

Calculating at fifteen coins per pound amounts to over fifty taels. If Madam Sun agreed quickly and willingly, it would mean there’s still room for negotiation.

But Madam Sun wasn’t going to play by those rules!

Old Yu frowned.

This Madam Sun is much sharper than his foolish son.

Seeing Madam Sun turn and start to go back inside, Yu Changyu hurriedly spoke up, "Thirty-one and a half taels are thirty-one and a half. First the money, then the breakup letter."

Old Yu became furious seeing his third son so impatient, pulling out the tobacco pipe at his waist to hit Yu Changyu, only to be stopped by Old Madam Yu.

"Why hit the third son? The day the results come out, maybe our third son will be the Scholar Sir!"

If he could become a Scholar Sir, I could become the Emperor.

Old Yu almost blurted out but dared not speak such disrespectful words casually.

Uttering such words would make people think he harbored rebellious intentions, and rebellion was punishable by death.

"The money is ready. You just need to write the breakup letter."

Madam Sun turned to Yu Xiaolian and said, "Go get the paper and pen."

Yu Xiaolian returned inside, took out a sheet of white paper and a new writing brush from the space, poured some ink into the Sun family’s wooden cup, and brought it along with the ink pad out together.

The breakup letter was written by Wang Lizheng, with two identical copies.

After Wang Lizheng finished writing, Old Yu and Old Madam Yu pressed their handprints, and Madam Sun called Yu Changhe out to press his handprint too.

According to Great Liang customs, both parties in the breakup must clap three times in front of the hall.

Clapped by Old Yu and Yu Changhe.

"Clap once, henceforth no longer a member of the Yu Family."

"Clap twice, the father-son bond ends today."

"Clap thrice, life and death no longer concerned!"

After clapping, Madam Sun took out the prepared thirty-one and a half taels of silver.

Wang Lizheng took it, pulled out twenty taels, and handed eleven and a half taels to Old Yu, "These twenty taels are Yu Changhe’s land money, which I’ve deducted. The field was issued to him by the court, you have no right to sell someone else’s land."

No one expected Wang Lizheng would take such actions, not even Madam Sun.

Wang Lizheng returned twenty taels of silver to Madam Sun, "Since the breakup is done, you’re no longer relatives. From now on, in times of life, sickness, or death, you’re not concerned with each other."

With trembling hands, Old Yu received the eleven and a half taels of silver. If it weren’t for the fact that they couldn’t offend Lizheng, he really wanted to give him a beating.

Now that the breakup letter was finished, handprints were pressed, and the claps were done, he could only grit his teeth and swallow the blood.

Old Yu had to consider many things, afraid to offend Wang Lizheng, but Old Madam Yu wasn’t afraid.

Old Madam Yu jumped high and cursed Wang Lizheng from head to toe.

Wang Lizheng let her curse, and once Old Madam Yu was tired, he slowly said, "River Bay Village Yu Family? I remembered, your two grandsons came to me some time ago for household registration matters, saying that their registration and farmland were held back by you. Later, I’ll ask Ma Dashan if this is true. If it is, according to regulations, I’ll have to take back the four acres of land belonging to your grandsons."

"What?" Old Madam Yu was dumbfounded.

It’s not enough to take twenty taels, but want to take back four acres of her family’s land too?

Then her family would only be left with six acres of land, which cannot happen.

Old Madam Yu loudly questioned, "My grandsons’ land is our family’s land. We haven’t divided the family, why should you take it back?"

Wang Lizheng calmly said, "Yu Zishu has given me certification documents and stamped them at the county government. He now has a separate household, and a separate household means the family is divided. According to regulations, farmland should be legally taken back after population loss."

Humph, arguing with this old cunning woman would lower his status, not to mention, what good would arguing do? She wasn’t missing an arm, nor a leg.

To deal with her, you must strike at her heart.

When it comes to farmers, what they value most is definitely farmland.

When he returns, he’ll check how much wasteland the Yu Family has, record it all in the book, and have them pay taxes according to fertile land.

Old Madam Yu puzzled, "What is population loss? My grandsons are alive and well, not dead, what loss?"

Wang Lizheng waved his hand, "You won’t understand even if I explain. You shouldn’t farm your grandsons’ four acres of land; if you do, it won’t be yours."

Old Yu was anxious too, pleading, "Lizheng, I’ve already plowed the land, and the ridges are made. Why can’t I farm it?

If it’s because my fierce wife angered you, I apologize on her behalf.

I’m sorry, Lizheng, I’m sorry..."

Wang Lizheng kept his hands behind him, ignoring Old Yu, said farewell to Madam Sun, and walked out without looking back.

At the door, he saw a familiar figure, "Are you Xu Laonian? Are you here to return the Sun family’s money?"

Xu Laonian had just witnessed Wang Lizheng’s power, fearing that Wang Lizheng would also take his family’s land, hastily took out fifteen taels of silver from his pocket, smiling apologetically, "I’ve been here for a while, but saw you were busy earlier and didn’t dare to disturb."

Wang Lizheng nodded, called Sun Fengshou over, and took the fifteen taels of silver.

Xu Laonian handed the silver to Sun Fengshou with a smile on his face, then flattered Wang Lizheng, "Lizheng, you’ve worked hard."

Wang Lizheng ignored Xu Laonian; a man who raised a disobedient daughter couldn’t be much better himself.

"Your eldest son’s theft accusation, the Sun Family generously doesn’t pursue it. Today you returned the Sun family’s silver, henceforth you’re cleared with them. Don’t cause any more trouble or bring your son over to disrupt."

"I wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare!" Xu Laonian said with a smile, "I’ll take my daughter’s camphor wood boxes and won’t come back anymore."

Wang Lizheng glanced at the surrounding people and found a familiar face among them, "In a bit, go to River Bay and have Ma Dashan bring the River Bend Fish Scale Book to find me."

Seeing Wang Lizheng about to take real action, Old Yu immediately blocked Wang Lizheng and pleaded, "Lizheng Sir, if not for me, consider the monks... My son donated money to the village school. Can’t my family’s land...?"