"When we divided the household with Father and Mother back then, they had nothing, yet they still gave us money to build houses. Everything that should have been given was given, so why is it like this at her house?" Qingshan replied.

Zhao Yu's mother, standing nearby, was already visibly upset, but since the others seemed to be speaking quietly among themselves and not addressing her directly, she felt hesitant to lose her temper. Furthermore, they were currently at the Lin family's home, surrounded by Lin relatives; causing a scene here would not benefit her.

Suppressing her anger, Zhao Yu's mother calmed herself and decided on a delaying tactic, saying, "Alright, separating the households is fine. We can even divide some of the household belongings for you, but the division must happen back at our home; it can't be settled clearly here."

"Fine, then Mother, you watch the door for us. Da Jiang, Qingshan, and I will go help Yu'er and the others. Since the households are splitting, there will surely be many things to tidy up. Also, regarding Yu'er's dowry when she married in, she isn't entirely clear on it herself, so Da Jiang and I will go look it over for her. In-law mother, let's go, we should head over now," He Shi announced, gesturing for Zhao Yu's mother to leave.

Zhao Yu's mother had no intention of actually splitting the household. She knew her son's temperament; although he sounded firm here, back home, a few words or a few tears from her would surely soften his resolve. As for Yu'er, she could simply placate her for the next few days, as long as the matter of dividing the household wasn't brought up—they would just delay it for now.

However, He Shi knew Zhao Yu's mother wouldn't be so easily dismissed. She understood that taking advantage of everyone being present today was crucial to finalize the division, lest such issues resurface later. Especially since they had managed to sway Zhao Yu today, bringing up the topic again would require persuading him anew, and success wasn't guaranteed.

He Shi prepared to leave, pulling Yu'er, who was standing nearby, along with her. Da Jiang naturally followed behind. Yu'er nudged Zhao Yu beside her, and after Zhao Yu bid farewell to Yu'er's family, he followed them back. Now, Zhao Yu's mother could not stay alone either. With He Shi and her husband following, the division was truly imminent. Zhao Yu's mother began to genuinely regret her decision, regretting that she hadn't married a different daughter-in-law, as now she felt she was losing her own son.

There had been many proposals for Zhao Yu in the past, but everyone nearby knew Zhao Yu's mother was difficult, so they were reluctant to marry their daughters in. Some young women's parents had already seen the situation in Zhao Yu's home, so they were unwilling to let their daughters marry in, thus delaying things until Zhao Yu grew older. When it came to Yu'er, the matchmaker who proposed the match spoke highly of the girl, saying her family was decent, and that she even had an uncle who was a wealthy landlord, meaning the family had money. Yu'er's father also earned a considerable amount annually, which Zhao Yu's mother had considered. She thought that if the girl's family was better off financially, they might provide support when her son pursued official status later. She had also heard of the reputation of Yu'er's second uncle's family, and so she tentatively agreed. Later, upon seeing Yu'er, she found the girl looked fine and didn't seem like a difficult person, so she consented to the marriage, never expecting her own son to become so attached to Yu'er, leading to this current state.

The group arrived at Zhao Yu's house and settled in the courtyard. He Shi gave Zhao Yu's mother no chance to renege; she immediately sent Da Jiang to find an elder from their village to act as a witness to the household division.

Technically, witnesses weren't required for a division, but He Shi feared Zhao Yu's mother would change her mind later, so she specifically asked Da Jiang to invite someone. Moreover, Zhao Yu's mother had to continue living in this village and wouldn't dare act too outrageously, especially against her daughter-in-law; acting excessively would invite censure from the neighbors, and surely some villagers would speak up for fairness.

However, just as He Shi was about to discuss the division with Zhao Yu's mother, two women entered the courtyard. He Shi recognized one as the woman who had accompanied Zhao Yu's mother when they proposed the match—she was Zhao Yu's paternal aunt. The second woman was less familiar to He Shi. As soon as Zhao Yu's aunt walked in, she smiled and said, "Oh, Uncle Lin and Aunt Lin are here! What rare visitors! Why are you all just standing? Please, sit down." The aunt then pulled He Shi aside to sit.

He Shi smiled back at Zhao Yu's aunt and said, "Yes, we came here today regarding a few matters."

"What matters? The whole family is here. Big sister-in-law, haven't you finished the fieldwork? If you don't get back to it, the weather might turn, and all the grain in your fields will be ruined," the aunt said, acting completely unaware of the situation at Zhao Yu's house.

"Oh, Zhao Yu's aunt, stop talking. My son and daughter-in-law are currently fighting about separating the households. We have nothing in the house; it's causing me endless worry. In-law mother came specifically to see us divide the family; how could I have time to worry about the fields? Let them be ruined; so be it," Zhao Yu's mother said with a tone of utter helplessness.

"Separate the households? What is this about? You only have one son, Zhao Yu. How long has he been married for before wanting to split up? Zhao Yu, you can't do this! Once you have a wife, you abandon your mother? Your mother suffered so much for you; you cannot be unfilial! If you are unfilial, I will be the first to disagree," Zhao Yu's aunt said sternly.

Seeing the aunt's demeanor, He Shi knew this woman was likely deliberately trying to obstruct the division and was siding with Zhao Yu's mother. He Shi looked at the aunt and smiled, saying, "Look, Auntie, what are you saying? How could Zhao Yu and his wife be unfilial? If they were, I wouldn't agree either. It's just that when children grow up, they need to live separately; that's how it is in every family."

"Their family is different from others. Other families at least have a father to rely on. If they separate now, only his mother will be left. Sister-in-law is already getting older; what if she falls ill and has no one to know about it at home? How would that be acceptable?" Zhao Yu's aunt retorted to He Shi.

"In-law mother is not that old; she's probably about my age. She won't be sick so often. Besides, even after separating, Zhao Yu and Yu'er can still visit her every day. That's not an issue."

"If that's the case, why bother separating? A family of three is quite good, and later, when they have children, their mother can help raise them."

"I never said I wanted to separate the households, but Yu'er absolutely must! What right does a mother-in-law have to dictate things these days? The daughter-in-law has long since turned the tables," Zhao Yu's mother deliberately sighed, saying this with a heartbroken expression.