Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

Ji Yongling placed the newly acquired money on the low table, looked at Old Master Ji, and asked, "Grandpa, how should we divide this money?"

Everyone looked at the money on the table, then turned to look at Old Master Ji.

Grandpa Ji didn't speak. He took out his pipe, lit it, took a deep drag, and then slowly said, "Your father and your fourth uncle didn't separate the family property. Apart from the astragalus you and your father dug up before, your father gave all the profits from the mugwort harvest to your grandmother. I figured it wasn't much anyway, so it's fine for your grandmother to accept it. That's how we usually calculate the money from whatever we produce at home. We hand it over to your grandmother so the whole family can use it."

“Our family is poor, and we never had any business to make money before. We didn’t fight over a few broken bowls and chopsticks before we separated the family. But ever since you said you talked about doing business with Jishi Pharmacy, I’ve been thinking that things can’t stay the same.”

"As the saying goes, a tree grows tall and branches out, and children grow up and leave the family. Your eldest uncle and second uncle have both moved out, but your parents and fourth uncle have never moved out all these years. You know why."

“Can’t we farmers not have sons? Look at all the work in the fields, it all requires a lot of hard work. If you don’t have a son, what will happen to your parents when they get old? What will happen to the fields?”

Ji Manchuan looked at his father and called out, "Father—"

Grandpa Ji reached out to stop Ji Manchuan, took another puff of his cigarette, and exhaled, saying, "To be honest, your grandmother and I used to think about having Yongzhou adopted by your father, but, well, three autumns can't compare to one summer, and a good nephew can't compare to a blind child. Over the past few years, I've thought it over and over again, and forcing a cow to drink water is not the right thing to do."

“Firstly, your parents are young and can still have children. As the old saying goes, ‘Children must be raised by themselves, and grain must be grown by themselves.’ If they have another son after Yongzhou is adopted, Yongzhou will have a hard time. Secondly, after being adopted, there are too many cases of brothers turning against each other because of the limited money and food in the family. I don’t want to be buried in the ground and then have to lift the coffin lid to settle a lawsuit for your father and your fourth uncle.”

Madam Yang said with a sorrowful look in her eyes, "Father, why are you saying all this to the child—"

Grandpa Ji waved his hand: "Yongling, I've seen it all these days. You're a shrewd and resourceful kid. You've learned some skills and can do business with the big boss in the county. You don't show any fear in front of the big manager. You're much better than your father and uncle. Your parents can rely on you in the future."

Ji Manqing said with dissatisfaction, "Dad, in your eyes am I so worthless and not presentable?"

Yang glared at him, and Ji Manqing immediately shrank back.

Grandpa Ji sighed, "I'm getting old, and I won't be able to control you anymore. You should think things through in advance, so that you brothers won't fight each other and I won't have peace in the afterlife."

“Manchuan, whether Yongling takes in a son-in-law or gets married in the future, she will definitely be someone who can support the family. Now you and Yongling’s mother also have Yong’an. Whether or not you can have a son in the future, you must take good care of the two girls.”

Ji Manchuan nodded: "I know, Dad."

Grandpa Ji glanced at Ji Manqing and said, "Manqing is unreliable and will need your mother and me to look after him for two years. He can't be separated from his family for the time being. As for Manchuan, you haven't dug a cave dwelling yet, so you can't be separated from your family for the time being either. But now Ling'er has started some business for our family and can earn some money. We need to make things clear in advance."

Ji Manqing said, "Dad, you decide how to divide it. My wife and I have no objections."

Grandpa Ji then looked at Ji Manchuan, who quickly replied, "Dad, whatever you say goes."

Grandpa Ji nodded: "Let me say it first, and you can raise your opinions if there is anything inappropriate. This is what I think is that from now on, the money we earn as a family will be divided into three parts: one part for Manchuan and Manqing's families, and one part for your mother and me."

“We two old folks can’t do much, so we’ll use our share to cover household expenses. Besides what we have, any other expenses will come from our share.”

"Of course, if that's not enough, you two brothers also have to contribute. You can't just take and not give. If your mother and I have any left over, don't even think about it. We're almost sixty years old now. Before, when we didn't have any money, I planned to find two trees, cut them down, and you two brothers could just cut them into planks and nail them together. Now that we have some money, I'm thinking of seeing if we can save up enough to ask the craftsman to make a coffin."

Ji Manchuan said, "Father, it's still early for the coffin. You and Mother are still in good health."

Grandpa Ji shook his hand, his brows still furrowed: "I never dared to imagine before that I could make a lacquered coffin. I was just saying it casually today, don't take it seriously."

Madam Yang gritted her teeth and said, "In the long run, if anyone tries to cheat or take shortcuts, I, as the head of the farmhands, will be the first to not let them off the hook!"

Ji Manchuan said, "Don't worry, Mother. Apart from the two youngest children, Yongru and Yong'an, everyone else in this courtyard is working themselves to the bone."

Madam Yang nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Ji Manqing and said, "We haven't separated the family, Manqing, you two have really taken advantage of your third brother!"

Ji Manqing put his hand on Ji Manchuan's shoulder and said, "I know that. I've told the child's mother many times, and she knows it too. My family has a lot of children, while my third brother's family has few. Over the years, haven't I been taking advantage of this?"

As he spoke, Ji Manqing looked solemnly at Madam Yang: "So Mother, you and Father can rest assured. Whether my third brother has a son or not, whether or not Yongzhou is adopted, it doesn't matter. As long as I'm here, when my third brother gets old, if Yongzhou and Yongning dare not serve my third brother food, dare not break the basin and hold the memorial tablet for my third brother, I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget!"

Ji Manchuan raised an eyebrow at Ji Manqing and said, "Don't let it turn out that you're the one ordering those two kids to carry me into a ditch and let the dogs eat me!"

Ji Manqing raised his eyebrows: "Brother, we were practically inseparable when we were kids!"

"That's because they were poor and only had one pair of pants."

Grandpa Ji stubbed out the tobacco in his pipe and looked at Ji Yongling, saying, "Ling'er, what do you say? You brought this business in, and you came up with the idea. You deserve the most credit, so you should have the final say."

Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Ji Yongling nodded and said, "Let's calculate it like this for now, but I want to be in charge of the accounts and I will be in charge of the money. Of course, I won't take a single extra penny, and every income will be accounted for. In addition, I want to give everyone in the family who does the work a wage in addition to the interest I earn, but I haven't decided yet."

Old Master Ji looked at his two sons and, seeing that neither of them had any objections, said, "Alright, let's settle this for now. You'll manage the accounts, and you can divide the twenty-odd taels of silver among yourself."

Ji Yongling shook his head and said, "Sir, we still need to collect medicinal herbs. Let's not divide these twenty-odd taels for now. Let's just consider it as each of us contributing capital. We can divide it after we make some profit."

Grandpa Ji tapped his pipe on the ground and said, "It'll work, you decide."

Then he looked at his two sons and said, "Go back and tell your wife about this. If she has any opinions, she can bring them up. But the rules for dividing the money that we agreed on today will not be changed before the family is divided. Money can be a powerful motivator. Don't let things get messy later and turn brothers and sisters into enemies. I'm making this clear from the start: anyone who has objections can get out! From now on, Ling'er will run the family business with her parents, and no one else will be involved!"

"I know, Dad—"

Seeing that Old Master Ji had given the instructions, Madam Yang looked at Ji Yongling and asked, "Ling'er, what kind of medicinal herbs does Manager Wang want us to collect? When should we start?"

Before Ji Yongling could answer, Old Master Ji interjected, "Let's eat first, let's talk after we eat."

Just as they were about to eat, Ji Yongning and Ji Yongzhou shrank back into the courtyard.