The room fell silent for a moment, only the sound of the old man taking long draws on his dry pipe could be heard. The old woman and the eldest son's family watched him intently, their faces taut with tension.

"Fine then," the old man finally decided, clapping his hands together, "Just like your eldest sister-in-law suggested, contribute whatever you all can manage."

"Father... but what if the bride price isn't enough then..." Wang Youliang interjected anxiously.

"Let's leave it at that for now. You can all go back," the old man dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

The second and third branches started making their way out. Since their homes lay in different directions, they were set to part ways once they reached the main gate of the ancestral home.

Madam Zhang glanced at Madam Yang, unable to hold back any longer. "Second sister-in-law, don't you think the old man and woman are being far too biased? We've already separated the household, and now we have to chip in money for the eldest son's marriage arrangements? What kind of arrangement is this?"

"This... perhaps Father and Mother have their reasons..." Madam Yang replied with a wry smile.

"Second sister-in-law, I know you have a kind nature and don't hold grudges, so you don't need to defend them. If they want to take advantage of us for free, they need to see if we're willing to allow it," Madam Zhang declared before turning and heading home, with Wang Youtian hurrying to follow her.

With the third branch gone, the second branch also began their walk home. Madam Yang looked at Wang Youfu, who was leading the way. "Husband, how much money are we supposed to come up with when the time comes?"

"Don't worry your head about it. I'll handle it when the time comes," he replied.

Meanwhile, Madam Zhang and Wang Youtian were having the exact same exchange on their way home.

"Wife, how much should we agree to give?" Wang Youtian asked cautiously.

"Give what? Don't you forget we still owe my brother money! Where are we supposed to find money to give to the eldest branch?" Madam Zhang snapped.

"Didn't your brother say he wasn't in a hurry for the money?" Wang Youtian mumbled.

"Just because he isn't in a hurry doesn't mean you forget about it, does it? And just because he isn't in a hurry, we should hand the money over to the eldest branch for free? You're quite generous, aren't you!" Madam Zhang grew angrier the more she thought about it.

"Didn't Father and Mother say that Big Brother would support us in the future?" Wang Youtian argued back.

"Support us? Only a fool like you would believe that! Don't you know how tight-fisted the eldest branch is? Their household only takes in, never gives out. You think the eldest branch is poor? The old woman poured all the money into supporting them. Well, it makes sense—one is their own son, and the other is their own niece. As for us, we're just the ones they picked up off the street," Madam Zhang spat out.

"Wife..." Wang Youtian began urgently.

"Don't say another word; you dare not interfere in this matter! It's just that my brother is helping us, and the eldest branch is jealous and wants to take advantage. Humph, it's not that easy to take advantage of this old lady!"

Wang Youtian dared not bring up the topic again after hearing Madam Zhang's words. After all, it was her brother who was propping up their household, leaving Wang Youtian without much leverage.

Back in the ancestral home, the old woman was fuming, "That third daughter-in-law is truly outrageous! Old man, did you hear what she said today? Is she implying we abused her? If those words get out, won't people point fingers and call me a wicked mother-in-law?"

The old man sat beside her, continuously puffing on his pipe, remaining silent.

Madam Tian walked over and began kneading the old woman's shoulders. "Mother, everyone in the village knows you're one of the best mothers-in-law around. You shouldn't take the Third Aunt's words to heart. What if you make yourself ill from anger?"

"You're right. If I get sick, it will only play into her hands. You are so filial and sensible," the old woman said, patting Madam Tian's hand.

"Mother, I heard that the Third Aunt's brother has opened a shop all the way in the county town. Their family must be quite wealthy now, and she has always been on good terms with her brother, giving the Third Branch quite a bit of money!" Madam Tian whispered.

The old woman’s ears perked up, and she turned to Madam Tian. "Is that true? A shop even in the county town? Then their family must be very rich, and they've been supporting the Third Branch quite a bit?"

"Yes, Mother. Think about it—how much money did the Third Branch receive during the household division? They didn't sell any land. How could they afford to build such a nice house? A house like that couldn't be built for less than twenty or thirty taels," Madam Tian analyzed.

"Pah! That Third Branch! Even with her brother subsidizing them so much, they haven't offered to help out the main family at all. We've supported her for so many years for nothing. Poor my grandson, he still hasn't found a wife! That black-hearted creature..." the old woman cursed.

"Enough!" The old man tapped his pipe sharply. "Summon the Third son tomorrow, alone." The idea of equal distribution among the households had taken hold in the old man's mind again. The wife's money was the son's money. Since the Third Branch had money, they should contribute more. However, recalling Madam Zhang's aggressive demeanor today, the old man decided it would be wiser to speak with the Third son privately, as he was still the head of his household and should be able to make this decision.

Hearing this, Madam Tian's face lit up with delight, and she kneaded the old woman's shoulders with even more vigor.

Wang Qingchen inwardly sighed, feeling he had just watched a free theatrical performance, and gained a clearer understanding of everyone's character in the family. Take his eldest uncle and aunt, for instance. When they were first reborn, seeing them persuade Wang Youfu, he thought they were decent people, but today... it seemed his judgment of character still needed sharpening.

Upon returning home, Madam Yang did not bring up the marriage discussion again and instead took out her needlework. Wang Youfu called his eldest son, who was chopping firewood, to go out to the fields.

That evening, after everyone else in the family was asleep, Wang Qingchen quietly slipped out of bed and walked to the back of the house, flashing into his spatial dimension after surveying the surroundings.

Wang Qingchen arrived at the spot where he had planted the Grass Mushrooms the night before and was delighted to find that not only had the two mushrooms survived, but they had also grown larger. Several small mushrooms had sprouted around them. Though they were still tiny now, given the growth speed within the space, they should grow into large ones by the next night, which in turn would produce even more small mushrooms. Wang Qingchen grew happier the more he thought about it, but he knew he shouldn't celebrate too soon; figuring out how to convert them into cash was the hardest part. As for other matters, the family's three mu of paddy fields must be planted with rice. He could sneak some rice seeds when the seedlings were ready. Moreover, the wheat would be ready for harvest soon, and he could procure more wheat to plant afterward. Wang Qingchen took one last look at the mushrooms before returning to his room to sleep.

Thinking about the ability to cultivate mushrooms in his space, Wang Qingchen maintained a cheerful demeanor from the moment he woke up the next day until after lunch. However, this state only lasted until after lunch, when a familiar villager arrived with news: his third uncle and third aunt were fighting.

By the time their family arrived, the third uncle's three children were all crying loudly. Madam Zhang was wiping her tears while packing belongings, and the third uncle stood nearby, anxiously trying to stop her, but she kept pushing him away.

"What in the world is going on here? It’s such a mess," Wang Youfu asked as he approached the chaotic scene.

"Second Uncle, I can't live like this anymore! I want a divorce, and I'm taking the children back to my parents' home," Madam Zhang declared, wiping another tear.

Madam Yang grew alarmed when she heard Madam Zhang’s words. "Third sister-in-law, what exactly happened? Why are you talking about divorce?" She then turned to Wang Qinghua and Wang Qingchen. "Qinghua, Qingchen, take Caixia, Caidie, and Qingyi out to play. We adults need to discuss things here."

Wang Qingchen had no choice but to leave with the others, taking Caiyun along as well. Just as they reached the doorway, they saw the people from the ancestral home arrive, including the old woman. Wang Qingchen's family did not need to pass through the ancestral home to get to Wang Youtian's place; the locations of the three households formed a triangle when connected.

Seeing Wang Qingchen constantly glancing back at his third uncle's house, Wang Qinghua smiled. "Qingchen, you go take a look. I'll take care of them."

Wang Qingchen smiled sheepishly. "Alright, Big Brother, I'll tell you all about it tonight." With that, he ran back. By then, a large crowd had gathered outside to watch the spectacle.

Pushing through the crowd, Wang Qingchen walked into the house just in time to hear the old woman shouting, "Your person belongs to the Wang family! We've supported you all these years; even if you have money, it should belong to the Wang family!"

"That's pin money my family gave me! You whole bunch stole my money and now claim it belongs to the Wang family? Bah! You shameless lot!" Madam Zhang cursed.

"Third daughter-in-law, the money was taken by the Third son, who stole silver? What nonsense are you spouting here? That money belongs to your branch; surely the Third son has the right to decide?" the old man demanded, tapping his pipe.

"Third son, what are you waiting for? Your wife is scolding us like this; you should discipline her properly so she knows how to behave towards elders!" the old woman retorted, unwilling to back down.

"Bah! Do you think your third son dares to hit me? You spineless son, you have no skills at all. If it weren't for my family's support, would he be living this good life? Now he steals money from my family to prop up his own household—isn't he just an ungrateful white-eyed wolf!" Madam Zhang pointed at Wang Youtian and cursed.

"You shrew! Third son, are you that afraid of her? If I were you, I'd beat her until she kneels and begs for mercy right now!" the old woman raged at his cowardice.

Wang Youtian, standing on the side, remained silent, slowly squatting down and covering his head. At this point, even Wang Youfu couldn't watch anymore. "Alright, Mother, what do you expect these two to do?"

The old man tapped his pipe a few times and said to the old woman, "You should also say a little less. What's the point of all this noise? You're just making a spectacle for the whole village."

"Hmph, you've already done your sordid business; are you afraid of people finding out? I'll go out right now and let the entire village see your true colors!" With that, Madam Zhang ran toward the door.

"Eldest brother, Second brother, stop her quickly!" the old man urged.

Madam Zhang hadn't gone far before Wang Youliang intercepted her. "Third sister-in-law, let's talk this over calmly."

Madam Zhang shook his hand off with a sneer. "Bah! I have nothing to say to you people, you bunch of silver thieves!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Youtian bowed his head even lower. He hadn't expected things to escalate to this point. He had been called to the ancestral home that morning while working in the fields, listened to the promises made by his parents and eldest brother's wife, and returned with ten taels of silver to give them. He had originally planned to discuss it with Madam Zhang, but she wasn't home at the time, and the ancestral home was pressing hard. He believed his parents' commitments would hold true, and his nephew genuinely needed a wife. But he never expected Madam Zhang to become so furious, angry enough to demand a divorce, and no amount of pleading worked. When the parents arrived, the situation only worsened.

Madam Tian smiled sweetly. "Third sister-in-law, Father just said no one stole any silver. That money is the bride price supplement provided by your Third Uncle. Your Third Uncle is sympathetic to our Qingyun not yet having found a wife."

The old man coughed. "Third daughter-in-law, the eldest branch currently cannot come up with such a large bride price. If you help your eldest brother now, your eldest brother will certainly help you in the future. Isn't it better for the family to be harmonious?"

Wang Qingchen almost admired the old man at this moment. Even now, he was still talking about supporting the eldest branch—it was like deliberately pointing out a sore spot!

"Hmph..." Madam Zhang simply turned her head away, refusing to acknowledge him.

The old man, finding himself in an awkward position, thought for a moment. "How about we consider this silver as a loan to the eldest branch from you?"

"Father..." Wang Youliang and Madam Tian exclaimed simultaneously.