Chapter 28: Chengtai and Chengyou Pass the County Examination, Old Li Makes Up His Mind!

Old Li had his own calculations.

Right now, anyone who prevented him from dividing the family was essentially trying to kill him—especially his third son, who clearly knew what the shamaness had said yet still urged him not to split the household. It was as if they wanted the second son’s family to jinx him to death; once he was gone, the eldest and the third would find it much easier to divide the family assets.

His old woman had no foresight; if the third son said a few soft words, she would willingly give her life away. That was why Old Li refused to give the third son a pleasant look. Instead, he turned to Li Qingbao and asked, "I recall that both your eldest and second sons took the exams this year. How did they do?"

At the mention of his two sons, Li Qingbao’s face lit up with a smile. "Father, thanks to your blessing, both those two unpromising boys passed the county examination. They are currently preparing for the prefectural examination. If they earn the status of licentiate, they can go on to take the academy examination. Father, your hard work was not in vain!"

"Good, good, good!" Old Li repeated the word three times, his inner excitement evident. He told himself that he still knew the basics of arithmetic: if both of the eldest son's boys passed the prefectural exam—even if only one succeeded—their Li family would gain another scholar. And with the academy exam coming up this year, if both Chengtai and Chengyou passed, they could both try their luck; if they were chosen, the family would have a true scholar!

What was the difference between a son passing the exam and a grandson doing so? Both would have to show him filial piety! He wouldn't be at a loss either way.

Li Qingyun was inwardly shocked. No one knew better than him how difficult studying was. Those convoluted texts—how on earth did those two brats manage to memorize them?

"The matter is settled. If the third son doesn't want to separate, then we won't force him. You and the eldest will take turns providing for your mother and me. As for the second..." Old Li looked at Li Feng, his gaze scrutinizing. "Second son, what do you think?"

A look of bewilderment crossed Li Feng’s honest face, and he just started to step forward.

*Crash!*

A ceiling beam suddenly snapped and slammed down right next to Old Li’s feet.

Old Li: "!!!"

*That damnable jinx!* What kind of karmic debt had he incurred for the second son to turn out like this?

"Father!" Li Feng looked at Old Li with a panicked expression, quickly lifting his feet to rush over and save him.

"Stay where you are! Don't come over here!" Old Li shouted to stop him, his voice cracking. "Just do as I said earlier—you and your branch of the family will be the first to be separated!"

"Dagou, go to your great-uncle’s house and fetch the clan elders, as well as the village chief and the magistrate. Bring them all here!" Old Li was terrified; if his sons weren't there, he might have wet his pants.

The eldest son looked at his second brother with suspicion. Li Qingbao had never thought much of this twin brother; he was foolish as a child, and as an adult, he seemed even dumber. In any case, the second son had been working like a beast of burden for their family for so long; giving him a bit of freedom was fine.

He let his gaze linger on Dagou, Erniu, and the others. They hadn't seen each other in over half a year, and the little ones seemed to have grown quite a bit. Especially Daya and Er-ya; their eyes were bright, and their clothes were neat—much better than the lifeless appearance they had before. He just wondered if they had taken Baozhu’s words to heart. If they separated, the second branch wouldn't have to worry about food and drink, and the girls would be able to eat better. Once they were fattened up and looking fairer, they should fetch a good price.

Li Qingbao looked at the second son’s family as if he were appraising merchandise, his eyes full of scrutiny and pickiness.

Li Feng watched Li Qingbao and Li Qingshan, his brows slightly raised. He had previously thought the third son was the one he needed to deal with, but it seemed the most cunning one in the house was actually the eldest. This was interesting. In his memories, this eldest brother had always been extremely honest and simple, much like himself, only more talkative. He was diligent and reliable, which was why he managed to establish himself in town. He hadn't expected the guy to be hiding so much.

He now suspected: did Li Qingyun even know the true nature of Li Qingbao? They were both in town, yet they had no interaction? Looking at them, they didn't seem close at all—there was definitely a story there!

As Li Feng pondered, the village chief and the magistrate arrived with the clan elders, their steps hurried. The several great-uncles of Li Feng had their brows knit tightly together. Why was Old Li suddenly wanting to divide the family for no reason? This was the first time such a thing had happened in Li Village; what was he trying to do?

"Third Great-Uncle, Sixth Great-Uncle, and all the elders and uncles, sorry to trouble you with a trip!" Li Qingbao was a man of action; seeing the elders arrive, he immediately went out to greet them, looking very much the part of the eldest son. Li Qingyun followed, exchanging pleasantries among the crowd, while Li Feng watched, maneuvering himself into the mix with Dagou. Everything seemed harmonious.

After the pleasantries, the eldest elders took the main seats, and the magistrate and village chief took the high seats. Others stood or squatted; some were there to offer advice, while others were there to watch the spectacle—all kinds of people were present.

"Li Dashan, what exactly are you trying to do?" The eldest, Third Great-Uncle, spoke up. "Aren't you living perfectly well? The second son's family is very filial, so why the sudden split?"

"That's right! You must explain yourself clearly today, otherwise, we will not allow it!" Sixth Great-Uncle added.

"Sigh!" Old Li let out a long breath, tapped his dry tobacco pipe against the ground, and hunched his shoulders. "Third Uncle, Sixth Uncle, if there were any other way, I wouldn't want to split the family either!"

"But as you two can see, my family has been having bad luck lately!"

"Just a moment ago, I went to the shamaness's house. She said that a malevolent spirit is plaguing our home, and so..."

"Nonsense!" Third Great-Uncle snapped coldly. "You've raised two educated men; how can you still believe in such things? If it’s because of these superstitious, ghost-riddled notions, I advise you to drop the idea of splitting the family!"

"What has the second son's family done to you that you want to cast them out?" Third Great-Uncle scolded Li Dashan severely; he was truly regressing with age. Didn't they know who treated them well? Without the second son, the Li Dashan household would suffer, yet now he wanted to cast them out. What was the meaning of this? Killing the donkey the moment it finished grinding the grain?

It was a tradition in Li Village that parents and children did not separate while the parents were alive. Without a proper reason, he wouldn't allow it. If a precedent were set, wouldn't everyone else follow suit? Eventually, wouldn't every household in Li Village be divided? After all, every family had one or two mistreated children; if Li Dashan set this example, things would become impossible to manage.

Li Dashan was prepared. He looked at Li Feng, his clouded eyes filled with a trace of guilt. He wanted to smoke, but his pipe had already gone out. He puffed on nothing, then said, "I don't want to split the family either!"

"But is there any other way?"

"You two have seen the pillar in the center of the main hall, haven't you? It just fell!"

"Whenever the second son gets near me, disaster follows. I’m an old man now, and I just want to spend my final years in peace. I beg you two uncles to grant my wish!"