Ye Liu helped Ye Ling take the dishes to wash by the well. Liu Duo went to get the silver notes. They weren’t with her, because she had left them in her money bag the previous night.
Ye Yang and Ye Mo were left by the table. In a deep voice, Ye Yang said, “Mo, Ran Er is family!”
Which meant, Ye Mo shouldn’t be talking badly about him.
He didn’t understand why this younger brother liked to ruffle Liu Duo’s feathers? He went to school, so why didn’t he think before he spoke?
Ye Mo nodded at Ye Yang’s coldness. It was just one statement, so why is everybody giving me dirty looks?
Li Wazi’s family arrived and the Ye family of five went out. Li Wazi had known about this arrangement the day before.
Along the way, many heads turned to look at them, as always. It was apparent that several unmarried girls were quite envious of Liu Duo for having four handsome husbands.
Grandmother Liu had arrived at the village chief’s house very early. The whole family was there too. A few members were in good spirits, but some weren’t – especially Liu Quanfu and his wife, both of whom looked bitter.
Grandmother Liu yelled at Liu Duo when they arrived, “You should have been quicker, making us wait all day!”
Liu Duo rolled her eyes at her impatience.
“Sis, Brother Yang, Brother Liu, Brother Ling, you all came!” Liu Ran ran to greet them.
Liu Duo smiled and nodded. Ye Liu and Ye Ling patted his head. Ye Yang just stood there.
Ye Mo pulled a long face. Was this kid blind? He had ignored him on purpose!
Since that everyone had arrived, the village chief began to notarize the official papers to cut family ties and the contract for Liu Ran’s sale, and he placed the boy’s identity under Ye Yang’s name.
“It’s all done. All you have to do is to get this stamped at the government office, and it will take effect,” the chief signed the papers and handed them to Liu Duo.
“Hand me the money!” Grandmother Liu reached a hand out, obviously impatient.
Liu Quanfu and his wife kept their heads low in silence. No one knew what they were thinking.
Liu Duo just eyed her sideways and took things slowly. Ye Liu held on to Liu Ran.
She walked up to the couple and passed them the money bag she had been carrying. “Here are eight one-hundred-tael notes. Since you want to move out but weren’t allowed to, this is your bargaining chip.”
She said she’d pay eight hundred taels, and she did.
With the money bag in front of him, Liu Quanfu looked up at Liu Duo. This woman had been his daughter for fifteen years. When had she become so strong-willed and assertive?
Liu Duo furrowed her brow while he was hesitating, “Take it!”
Trembling, he accepted the money bag, but Grandmother Liu beat him to it, “I’ll keep it. He doesn’t need it!”
Liu Quanfu opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He lowered his hands in defeat.
Liu Duo didn’t care anymore. She turned around and, together with her husbands, took off with Liu Ran.
Before they left, Liu Ran looked back at his old family. He saw Grandmother Liu smiling so happily at the cash in her hands, and her wrinkles protruded. His uncle and cousin were happy too. But his parents lowered their heads in sorrow. They might even have been tearing up.
He really wished that, at the moment when Liu Duo had been speaking to them, they would have accepted the money immediately and cut ties with Grandma Liu then and there! But they hadn’t! Not at all! This destroyed the remaining sparkle of hope he had for his parents.
Liu Duo noticed his sadness, so she patted his head to avert his attention. “Ran Er, I’ll bring you shopping in town later, alright?”
She remembered that Liu Ran had never been to town. She would get him a set of new clothes while they were there.
