Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

"We don't have eighteen taels, we can only have two taels of silver, but we'll have to borrow those two taels. Ever since your mother came to our family, my father has entrusted the whole household to her. All the money my father and my husband earned from working was given to her for safekeeping, and she didn't take a single copper coin when she left." Sister-in-law Liu was quick to speak her mind, rattling off a whole story about the family's situation over the past few years.

"You said it all. Anyway, it's still the same thing: either let my mother come back, or give me eighteen taels of silver for my own safety. Otherwise, this matter isn't over." Wang's eldest son replied bluntly to Liu's sister-in-law.

"Stop arguing, everyone. If you want to settle this, then talk things out properly. Will arguing all the way to the sky solve anything?" Old Man Liu's second brother intervened, stopping the two sides from starting another fight.

“Mrs. Wang, you’ve been with my family for years, and my brother has always treated you well. Now that we can’t make ends meet, let’s part ways amicably. Eighteen taels of silver is really too much. Even if he sold all his possessions, he couldn’t raise that much money. You and your two sons should discuss it again and come up with a reasonable amount.”

"Second Uncle, I didn't intend for things to get this ugly. I came back today hoping to settle down and start a new life, but who knew they wouldn't let me in? I didn't do anything wrong, and yet I'm being divorced like this. It's not wrong of me to ask for more money to tide me over!" Wang's words were still full of grievance. If one didn't know the whole story, one could easily be fooled by the grievance and helplessness in her words.

"Don't try to deny it. If what you did gets out, your two sons will lose face. Your grandson is here with you today, so let's save face for each other. You should talk to your sons properly before discussing anything else. Eighteen taels of silver is definitely out of the question. If things get really bad, you'll be left hanging here, and you'll be the ones who suffer," Uncle Liu advised kindly. This matter would be shameful for everyone; there were already plenty of people gossiping about their family behind their backs. If they had to spend another eighteen taels of silver today, their family would truly be infamous in the surrounding area.

Wang Shi herself naturally had a sense of right and wrong. She knew that whether it was twenty taels or eighteen taels, the Liu family couldn't afford it. The reason they asked for so much was to leave room for negotiation. After hearing Liu Erbo's words, she seemed to think about it for a while with difficulty before nodding. She then called her two sons and took her grandson to the courtyard.

After the mother and her two children left, the village chief called Brother Liu and Sister-in-law Liu to his side.

"You all need to keep track of this in your hearts. We can't refuse to pay today. How much are you planning to give?"

"If you ask me, we shouldn't give her a single tael of silver. She's lost my little sister in the past few years. If you ask me, we shouldn't get a divorce. We should report her to the authorities and have them investigate my little sister's affairs." Sister-in-law Liu was so angry that her heart ached when she mentioned Wang Shi.

The mention of Liu Xiaomei's story brought a silence to everyone present, especially Old Man Liu. His son and daughter had insisted that Wang had sold their youngest daughter and wanted to report her to the authorities. He had single-handedly stopped them, protecting Wang. Because of this, his eldest daughter hadn't returned for four years, and his son had insisted on dividing the family property. Although they didn't ultimately agree, it had deeply hurt his children. Now, hearing his daughter-in-law mention their lost youngest daughter, Old Man Liu was filled with remorse, wondering how he could have trusted her so easily. Now, thinking back, he realized she wasn't entirely without suspicion.

“Yes, I also think it’s good to report it to the authorities. It’s not about the money now, it’s about her trafficking innocent children.” Brother Liu agreed with his wife’s idea.

After hearing what the couple said, Uncle Liu turned to look at his brother.

"And you? Do you feel the same way?"

"I...I...I think reporting it to the authorities is a good idea," Old Man Liu stammered. Even now, he couldn't bear to send Wang to prison, after all, they had been husband and wife for several years, but under everyone's gaze, he dared not voice his objection.

Just as the family was about to reach an agreement, Liu suddenly spoke up, "I disagree with reporting this to the authorities."

Her words were like a boulder thrown into a lake, leaving the whole family looking at her in disbelief.

"Elder sister, wasn't it you who insisted on reporting it to the authorities? Now everyone agrees, why are you disagreeing?" Sister-in-law Liu asked, puzzled. She and Liu Shi had grown up together since childhood, so she knew how much she loved her younger sister. Now that there was a chance to avenge her sister, why was she disagreeing?

“I disagree with reporting this to the authorities. Even if we do, will we be able to find my sister? Let’s resolve this matter first. I’ll pay for any money we don’t have.”

"Big sister, it's not about the money now. Don't you want to find little sister? Don't you want to avenge her?" Brother Liu didn't understand her thoughts.

"Big brother, what did you do the day your little sister went missing four years ago? Do you remember?" After saying that, she turned to look at Old Man Liu and Uncle Liu.

"Father, Second Uncle, do you still remember who you met that day and what you said?"

Upon hearing Liu's question, the group frowned and tried to recall what had happened that day, but after thinking for a while, they found that their memories were already hazy. They only remembered that during dinner that night, they said that their little sister was missing, and then the villagers helped to go out and look for her, but no one could remember the specific details clearly.

"Father, do you still remember why you insisted that the matter of my younger sister's disappearance had nothing to do with Wang Shi?" Liu Shi could tell from everyone's expressions that they thought the same thing as her, so she turned to ask Old Man Liu.

"Wang went to her son's house to see her grandson those two days, she wasn't home." Old Man Liu didn't need to think carefully before he blurted out his thoughts at the time.

Hearing her father's words, Madam Liu chuckled softly, then looked up at everyone.

"I'll find someone to help me find out about this. Let's get the divorce settled today."

Xia Yu peered through the curtain from the inner room at her mother's expression. She felt her mother was about to turn evil; when her mother smiled with her head down just now, she saw a ruthless glint in her eyes—an expression she had never seen before. But the moment her mother looked up, she regained her usual calm and composure.

Seeing that Liu insisted on this, the rest of the family didn't say anything more, but returned to the original question: how much silver should be given?

In the end, Brother Liu, Sister-in-law Liu, and Uncle Liu discussed it and decided on a sum of five taels of silver.

"Second Uncle, this is all the money we have left. We don't have a single penny more. If she wants, she can take the divorce papers and the money and leave. If she doesn't agree, she can do whatever she wants. Anyway, we will never let her back into the house." Although Sister-in-law Liu said this, she still felt a sense of resentment in her heart.

"Alright, that's enough. Let's see what they say. If it really doesn't work, we'll just drag it out. There's no harm in it anyway."

After agreeing on the money, the people inside fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. A while later, Wang, who had gone out, returned to the house with her grandson and two sons.