It's hard for my elder sister. I rely on the mountains to farm and pay off my debts.

Although we no longer need to make jelly at home, the pastries from the pastry shop still have to be delivered to the city on time every day.

In the morning, Song Zhi saw that Grandma asked her eldest brother to go to the city to deliver cakes again, and she couldn't help but make a suggestion:

"Grandma, I think it's too much trouble to go to the city just for such a small amount of cakes. Now many villagers go to the city to sell jelly. We can pay them to help bring it back so that big brother doesn't have to make another trip."

Mrs. Wu disagreed and said, "This is food that needs to be delivered to the shop. It's not delivered by our family personally. What if something goes wrong?

"Besides, we have to settle accounts every day, so it's better not to delegate matters involving money to others!"

Song Ping also spoke at the right time, "Yes, big sister, grandma is right, we must not be careless about food!"

"Anyway, I have nothing to do at home right now. It's just a short walk. It won't be a big deal."

Song Zhi thought about it and felt that what the two said made sense.

The money issue is easy to resolve, but when it comes to food safety, we should be cautious.

So she nodded and said, "Thank you for taking the trip, big brother!"

Song Ping waved his hand nonchalantly, picked up the cakes and walked out.

After the eldest brother left, Song Zhi proposed to Wu:

"Grandma, since we have nothing to do right now, let's go to the clan leader's house and ask him to talk to the elders about the division of the family."

So, the grandfather and grandson went to the home of the Song clan leader together again.

On the way to the clan leader's house, the grandfather and grandson met many people who were carrying jelly to sell.

The other person's face was filled with joy, and when he saw the grandparents and grandchildren, he greeted them from afar.

Greeting each other along the way, the grandfather and grandson arrived at the home of the Song clan leader.

Outside the clan leader's house, Song Zhi saw Grandma Tian carrying a backpack, and Song Daya and her brother carrying baskets.

Song Zhi was the first to ask, "Grandma Tian, why are you here?"

Grandma Tian said with a smile on her face:

"Yesterday the clan leader told me and Daya to meet him at his house this morning. It just so happens that Erzhu is also going to drive his ox cart into the city to sell jelly, so he'll take us along."

Mrs. Wu nodded in agreement. "That's perfect. This jelly is quite heavy. It would be much easier to take you to the city with an oxcart."

Tian also grinned, "That's right. Yesterday I was worried about whether I could carry 40 yuan worth of jelly into the city. Now I don't have to worry about that anymore."

Mrs. Wu looked at Daya again and gave her some concerned advice, telling her not to act alone after entering the city and to follow Grandma Tian closely.

As he was speaking, Song Erzhu drove out in an ox cart, followed by Zhao's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Because they were in a hurry to go to the county town to sell jelly, the group exchanged a few simple greetings and left on an ox cart.

After the group of people selling jelly entering the city had gone far away, Zhao pulled Wu into the house and said, "Let's go home and talk."

Wu followed and told him the purpose of her visit.

Zhao and the Song clan leader in the courtyard were both very surprised when they heard that Wu wanted to split the family.

The Song clan leader frowned and asked, "What's going on? Why is there a split in the family?"

"Azhi's siblings and three children are half-grown children. How will they survive in the future if they are separated without adults to lead them?" Clan leader Song frowned and said with disapproval.

Zhao also strongly disagreed and advised: "The family's foreign debts have been paid off now. There is hope for the future. Why should we divide the family now? But Mei Niang has no objection."

Song Zhi hurriedly explained, "Grandpa Clan Leader, Grandma Zhao, I wanted to divide the family, and it has nothing to do with my aunt!"

Zhao slapped her thigh and tried to persuade him:

"Child, do you know what it means to divide the family? Not only do we have to pay rent every year, we also have to serve in the army, but each household also has to pay two zhang of cloth and three jin of hemp. These are all considerable expenses!"

"Your little brother is not in good health, so listen to Grandma Zhao and don't act on impulse."

After Zhao finished her last sentence, she felt it was too straightforward and tried to make amends:

"I'm not saying you're a burden. No, that's not right. You're still young, and you can't do much farm work..."

Before Zhao could finish her words, she was interrupted by the head of the Song clan.

"Okay, if you can't speak, then don't speak."

"I just said that they are young and can't do much farm work. Why can't I say that?"

Seeing that the two were about to argue, Wu hurriedly tried to smooth things over:

"Sister-in-law, I didn't explain it clearly just now. The division of the family is just a formality. I just want to invite my eldest brother and the elders in the village to our house to be witnesses."

"We'll continue to live the same way as before. There's still a mountain of taxes and labor service to deal with. We won't really ask three children to pay taxes."

"The only difference is that Ah Zhi plans to buy another piece of land next to the ancestral home and build a new house."

"This is also because my son Ping is old and should have reached the age of marriage."

"Now that the family has paid off its debts and the two families have separated, when we find a girl for Aping in the future, she will have fewer concerns.

After hearing this, the Song clan leader's frown finally relaxed.

"A Ping's marriage really needs to be arranged quickly. This is the best way to get the best of both worlds."

"Alright, you guys go back first, and I'll take the village elders for a walk later."

Seeing that Patriarch Song agreed, Song Zhi took the opportunity to ask, "Grandpa Patriarch, would you like to sell the vacant land next to my house?"