Chapter 320: The Neighbor’s Law
She wasn’t just speaking idly about dividing the family last time; after saying it, she even went out of her way to inquire about how a family in their situation should go about it.
But in reality, the facts were disheartening. Putting everything else aside, it was impossible for Old Granny Zhang and Wang Laozhu to divorce. Under the circumstances where the parents wouldn’t divorce, there was no reason for a daughter to take her own mother in to support her.
Moreover, as an unmarried daughter, she couldn’t establish a household on her own, which was quite the headache.
After much thought, it seemed that the only option was to marry a man into the family. A daughter who took a man into her home was regarded the same as a son and could thus set up her own branch of the family and support her parents.
Her worst-case scenario would be simply taking in Wang Laozhu and supporting him, which would only mean spending a bit more silver.
Therefore, what she said yesterday may have seemed like a joke, but in reality, she had seriously considered it.
Once Old Granny Zhang heard this, how could she not know what her daughter was plotting? She gently slapped Wang Yongzhu’s arm, "Are we being so carelessly outspoken now? Is that something a girl should say lightly? A woman’s lifelong commitment is a matter for an entire lifetime. You can’t just pick anyone to avoid caring for an old lady. Are you muddled with anger? Since when should you disrupt your own stance just because of Lady Lin and the rest? Are they worth your fuss?"
"I know you care about mother. Rest assured, am I someone who suffers losses easily? I never allowed Lady Lin to take advantage of me in the past, and now I have leverage over her. Even if she’s disciplined by family law, what of it? A divorced woman who remarries won’t be able to lift her head in front of her mother-in-law for the rest of her life!"
"Besides, if you want your business to thrive, currently we really can’t do without Eldest Brother and the others. If we were to split them off now, I’d be worried. After spending so much silver on them, and owing the Song Family’s young men favors, should we just let it go? They may talk a good game, saying that they’ll repay the money they earn after splitting off, but with what?"