TATLC Chapter 94 — The Severance Document

“Clan Leader, how could my cousin have a debt of a hundred taels? Did someone make a mistake?” Chen Xiaomi asked.

Clan Leader Chen Ding wasn’t very clear about how Chen Jing had managed to owe one hundred taels either. The old woman said Chen Jing was tricked by someone, but she was vague and never explained exactly how he was tricked. The village rumors mostly said Chen Jing got addicted to gambling.

What was certain was that Chen Jing really did owe money, and if he didn’t pay it back soon, he might get beaten to death.

Many villagers already knew the debt was related to those fake exam papers, but everyone tacitly kept it from the Chen clan members, so Chen Ding still didn’t know about this.

Grandma Chen said angrily, “Why are you asking so many questions? You will pay this silver, whether you want to or not. If you refuse, I’ll go hang myself at the entrance of your shop tomorrow.”

Chen Xiaomi glanced at her. “When my dad went into the mountains back then, you said the same thing. In the blink of an eye, my dad has been dead for so many years. Grandma, if Cousin has angered you so much that you want to hang yourself, I can’t really stop you.”

The Chen clan had opened their ancestral hall, and many villagers came to watch the excitement.

As soon as Chen Xiaomi said this, someone from another clan actually laughed out loud. Grandma Chen was immediately so angry her whole body shook. “You… you… this…”

“Your grandma is just talking nonsense,” Old Man Chen came out to smooth things over. “Xiaomi, please help out. Grandpa knows you’re capable. If you don’t help, our family really won’t be able to make ends meet.”

“Everyone must bear the consequences of their own actions. Chen Jing caused this trouble, so he should be the one to deal with it. What does it have to do with me?” Chen Xiaomi replied.

“Your cousin Chen Jing isn’t as capable as you, right? He doesn’t have any money-making skills. Xiaomi, you’re doing well now, making several taels of silver a month,” Eldest Uncle Chen said.

Chen Xiaomi glanced at Chen Shouxin and said, “Uncle, how could I compare to Cousin Chen Jing? Don’t you always say he’s destined for great things? I’m nowhere near his level!”

Chen Shouxin suddenly knelt down in front of Chen Xiaomi and said, “Xiaomi, it was your uncle’s fault before, but if you don’t help this time, our family really can’t get through this hurdle.”

“Uncle, didn’t you always say hunting brings quick money? Just go into the mountains and hunt a few more bears, then you’ll have the silver,” Chen Xiaomi said with a dismissive curl of his lip.

“Ah Jing isn’t a hunter, how can he go into the mountains? You little bastard, do you want your cousin to die?” the old woman cried out angrily.

“Everyone has a first time. My father wasn’t a hunter back then either, but he still went into the mountains,” Chen Xiaomi said coldly.

Several villagers couldn’t help but whisper among themselves. Back then, Grandma Chen had made a fuss about the family not being able to survive and forced her son to go into the mountains. Now when they really couldn’t survive, no one was willing to go into the mountains.

Grandma Chen looked at Chen Xiaomi with hatred, furious that he was bringing up the past.

“Xiaomi, let’s forget about the past. Your life is getting better now, after all…” Chen Ding said.

Chen Xiaomi glanced at the clan leader and said, “Clan Leader, I really don’t have money. Speaking of which, isn’t this trouble caused by Chen Jing? How come I don’t see him here?”

Chen Xiaomi felt nothing but contempt. Chen Jing hid like a coward after making this mess, forcing others to fight his battles for him. What kind of logic was that?

“Your cousin was beaten so badly he can’t get up. Xiaomi, please take pity on your cousin,” Chen Shouxin sighed.

Lu Lin watched Chen Shouxin, knowing this person was ruthless and cruel. It had been his idea back then to sell Xiaocai. Still, he certainly knew how to humble himself when needed.

Lu Lin turned to Chen Ding and asked with feigned confusion, “Clan Leader, what exactly is the purpose of this clan meeting?”

Chen Ding frowned, his face somewhat embarrassed. Clan meetings were generally for discussing major clan affairs, but this time they were discussing Chen Jing’s private matters.

Chen Ding originally didn’t plan to call a clan meeting for this matter, but the Chen family came begging at his door, making it hard for him to refuse.

“Isn’t it because Chen Jing’s family encountered difficulties? Everyone gathered together to think of solutions. You’re such a reasonable and righteous man, Clan Leader. So how much silver are you planning to contribute to help Chen Jing get through this difficult time?” Chen Xiaomi asked bluntly.

Chen Ding’s face darkened slightly, and several clan elders present also looked displeased.

Chen Ding had only agreed to help the Chen family persuade Chen Xiaomi to pay money, but didn’t plan to get himself involved.

Chen Shouxin remained kneeling on the ground. Seeing that Chen Xiaomi was ignoring him, he felt awkward didn’t know whether to continue to kneel or stand up.

“Xiaomi, although you’ve separated from the family, you’re still a Chen family member after all. Your family really can’t survive now,” a clan elder came out to mediate.

Chen Xiaomi curled his lip. “Doesn’t my eldest cousin have a son? If they really can’t survive, they could sell that kid for a few taels of silver.”

“You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about?” Grandma Chen said.

Chen Xiaomi ave a faint sneer. When his father died back then, his uncle had immediately planned to sell both Xiaocai and Xiaomai. Didn’t they claim that it was because they couldn’t survive? If they were really desperate now, selling that brat could at least put food on the table. Keeping him at home would mean starving to death. Uncle had thought back then that selling Xiaocai was for his own good.

Most villagers knew what Chen Shouxin had done back then. Hearing Chen Xiaomi bring it up now, they couldn’t help but feel that the tables had turned.

Chen Shouxin lowered his head, furious but unable to show it.

“Xiaomi, that matter is over. Your life has improved now, so there’s no need to dwell on the past. After all, Chen Jing is your cousin,” Chen Ding said.

Chen Xiaomi’s lips twitched. Chen Jing had never treated him like a younger brother¹

“I don’t have money, but don’t I have a house in the village? When I originally bought it, I spent ten taels of silver. Later I fixed it up and spent another ten-plus taels, so it should be worth about twenty taels. If anyone in the village wants it, I’ll sell it cheap,” Chen Xiaomi said.

“No! You can’t sell that house!” Grandma Chen exclaimed sharply.

She had secretly gone to look at Chen Xiaomi’s house several times. Since Chen Xiaomi and Lu Lin stayed in town and didn’t come back, she had long considered the house as her own, just waiting for the right opportunity to break the lock and move in.

Chen Ding glanced at Grandma Chen and said, “Xiaomi, if you sell that house, you won’t have anywhere to live. Think it over carefully.”

Without this house, if Chen Xiaomi lost his job later, he wouldn’t even have a place to live.

the clan leader originally thought Chen Xiaomi had money and wanted him to contribute a little since the Chen family was in difficulty. Villagers generally sympathized with the weak.

Rumors in the village said Chen Xiaomi and Lu Lin now made dozens of taels a year in wages, and the two also had plenty of side benefits. The Chen family suddenly owed a hundred taels, so everyone thought that since Chen Xiaomi had money now, he should help out.

However, when he heard Chen Xiaomi talk about selling the house, the clan leader felt they shouldn’t push a young Shuang’er too hard.

After all, Chen Xiaomi was still raising a foolish younger brother and a son who didn’t understand anything.

Chen Xiaomi glanced at the clan leader, feeling a flicker of complex emotion. He knew very well that his grandmother’s objection to selling the house wasn’t out of concern for him. Just as Lu Lin had guessed, she had already set her sights on the property. the clan leader’s advice against selling, however, was actually meant for his benefit.

For a moment, Chen Xiaomi suddenly felt the clan leader still had a bit of conscience. Of course, he believed it was only a very small shred.

A few bystanders started whispering among themselves.

“He wants to sell his house!”

“Does Chen Xiaomi really have no money?”

“Maybe his expenses are too high. He’s raising several children, after all.”

Hearing the clan leader tell Chen Xiaomi not to sell the house, Grandma Chen got excited again. She instantly regretted objecting the moment the words left her mouth.

She had long considered Chen Xiaomi’s house as her own. When Chen Xiaomi wanted to sell the house, Grandma Chen felt like he was selling meat from her own pot, so she instinctively objected.

But right after objecting, she realized that this house still belonged to Chen Xiaomi. There was no guarantee she could get her hands on it. Getting silver would be more secure.

“Sell the house, then. Just sell it,” the old woman started clamoring again.

Several villagers heard her change her mind and started discussing again.

A few of them roughly guessed what the old woman was thinking and looked at Grandma Chen with more mockery in their eyes.

Chen Ding glared at Grandma Chen angrily and said, “First you say don’t sell, then you say sell. What exactly do you want to do?”

Grandma Chen shrank her neck after being scolded by Chen Ding. The Chen family had finally managed to get the clan leader to step forward, so the old woman was still somewhat afraid of him.

“Xiaomi, since you don’t really live in that house much anyway, maybe it’s better to just sell it,” Old Man Chen said.

He noticed that after he said this, a few people looked at him strangely.

Old Man Chen felt he had no choice. Chen Jing’s debt wasn’t just a few taels, it was a full hundred. If the family had to pay all this silver, they would really be ruined.

Chen Xiaomi’s house had been renovated and was quite nice. It should sell for some silver.

“Even if the house is worth twenty taels, there are still eighty taels left,” Grandma Chen said.

Chen Ding said angrily, “The trouble was caused by Chen Jing. You can’t make Xiaomi bear all the responsibility.”

The Chen family had been pleading desperately earlier, and Chen Ding had only agreed to help persuade Chen Xiaomi he felt he had no other choice.

Chen Ding privately felt Chen Xiaomi was somewhat rebellious and affected the Chen clan’s reputation, but seeing the old woman push everything onto Chen Xiaomi, he felt that she was being too greedy. The Chen family had so many people. What were they doing pushing everything onto a young Shuang’er who had already left the household?

With so many outsiders watching, if he also pushed everything onto Chen Xiaomi, what would the villagers think of him later?

Chen Xiaomi glanced at Chen Ding and said, “Besides the house, I can contribute at most ten more taels of silver, but I have one condition.”

Chen Ding looked at Chen Xiaomi. “What condition?”

“A severance document. I want to sign a written agreement. From now on, the Chen family and I will be strangers. No matter what happens to the Chen family in the future, I won’t care. Even if the entire Chen family dies out, I won’t care. Whatever my life becomes in the future will have nothing to do with the Chen family. Please have the clan leader witness this.”

The old woman stared at Chen Xiaomi, agitated, and said, “Clan Leader, he’s cursing me! Second son, look what kind of son you raised. He’s actually cursing me like this!”

“My father was forced to death by you, and you still have the face to complain. Aren’t you afraid he’ll come back to find you in the middle of the night?” Chen Xiaomi said disdainfully.

Chen Ding’s face darkened. He vaguely felt that Chen Xiaomi’s words were too harsh, but considering Chen Xiaomi’s usual behavior, he also thought it was typical.

Chen Ding looked at Chen Xiaomi and said, “Xiaomi, is this really necessary?”

“If we don’t sign the severance document, you won’t get a single tael of silver. Clan Leader, if you think Chen Jing getting beaten to death would be too tragic, you can help contribute some money yourself,” Chen Xiaomi said bluntly.

Everyone in the Chen clan already knew he had split from the Chen family long ago. The villagers also knew about his severance from the Chen family. So why did they still come to him when Chen Jing got into trouble? It was because there was no solid proof.

Chen Ding felt both embarrassed and angry. Why should he be the one to pay for Chen Jing?

He could help the Chen family ask for money, but now that the trouble was directed at him, he felt uncomfortable.

“Fine, let’s severe ties. But ten taels of silver isn’t enough. It has to be at least thirty taels,” the old woman jumped up and said.

Thirty taels plus the house would be about fifty taels. With these fifty taels, the remaining fifty taels would be easier to gather.

“Thirty taels!” The watching crowd immediately started discussing loudly.

Chen Xiaomi stared at his grandmother for a while and said, “Fine.”

Seeing Chen Xiaomi agree so readily, the old woman vaguely felt she had lost out and wanted to say something more, but a glare from her husband silenced her.

Many people felt that Chen Xiaomi was making a huge sacrifice this time, while others thought the Chen family had gone too far. Why should Chen Xiaomi bear the responsibility for a mess Chen Jing had created?

Chen Xiaomi was just a Shuang’er, and supporting a family wasn’t easy to begin with. Now he even had to sell his house.

Several who found the situation unfair voiced their opinions loudly. Grandma Chen completely didn’t care what people said. To her, solving the problem of the hundred tael debt was the most urgent matter. If Chen Xiaomi contributed fifty taels, the remaining fifty taels could still be figured out somehow.