As the old man found himself in a bind, the old woman beside him spoke up, "Since the eldest son no longer wishes to manage the food shop, it would be a waste to close it down. Why not let the younger generation of the family take the reins?"

The old man naturally agreed with the old woman's suggestion, but the crux of the matter was who among the younger ones should manage it? There were two suitable candidates, yet only one shop—how could fairness be maintained?

Thus, the old man voiced, "Handing it over to the younger ones is indeed a good idea. But to whom should we entrust it?"

When the old man brought this up, the old woman immediately recognized the difficulty. Indeed, which one was the best fit? Both Qingshan and Qingyun seemed quite capable. But if it were given to only one, there was no guarantee the other wouldn't harbor resentment. Of course, giving it to both was also problematic. Imagine if the two proprietors held differing opinions; whose instructions would the shop staff follow?

At this point, even the old woman was at a loss. However, just because she couldn't think of a solution didn't mean there wasn't one. She recalled the setup in the second son's household: their shop was managed by the eldest son, who then handed half the monthly profits over to the main family. Perhaps their old residence's shop could adopt a similar arrangement?

So, the old woman proposed, "Old man, what if we follow the example of the second son’s shop? Their establishment is managed by Qinghua, and Qinghua gives the family a fixed sum each month. I think that arrangement works quite well."

Hearing this, the old man was inspired. It was true that having one person run the shop was best, but to prevent the other party from feeling slighted later, they could indeed follow the second son's model: one person manages it, and a portion of the earnings is given to the other. Wouldn't that solve the problem?

Having sorted things out, the old man was quite pleased. He immediately asked Wang Qingyun and Madam He which of their two branches wanted to take on the shop. Of course, whoever accepted would need to remit a set amount of silver to the main house monthly, in addition to giving a certain percentage of the profits to the other party.

As soon as the old man finished speaking, Wang Qingyun and Madam He began to deliberate. Since Wang Qingshan was currently working at Wang Youfu's mill, he was not present. However, Madam He could be informed first, and Qingshan could be told upon his return. After all, the old man wasn't demanding an answer that very day.

"Both your branches should think this over tonight and give me your answer tomorrow," the old man instructed Wang Qingyun, Luo Yin, and Madam He, who were deep in thought.

However, the old man stating this did not mean others shared his view. Madam Tian was deeply displeased. After all, that shop had previously belonged to Wang Youliang. It could, in a way, be considered hers too. Now that Wang Youliang refused to manage it, why couldn't she take over? Why bypass her and hand it directly to the younger generation? The moment Madam Tian realized she might miss out on the shop's future income, she spoke up, "Father, Mother, what do these children know about business? They might run the shop into the ground and lose money. In my opinion, since the child's father won't manage it, I am perfectly capable of overseeing it. After all, I am certainly more competent than the younger ones, wouldn't you agree?"

The old man and old woman were somewhat surprised by Madam Tian's suggestion; they hadn't anticipated she harbored such an ambition. While her idea had merit, the old man would not permit it. In his view, a woman’s place was in the home, raising children and managing the household. She had no business exposing herself in public. Thus, the old man flatly rejected Madam Tian: "This large family has so many domestic duties; you should remain at home and manage the household affairs well. There is no need for you to go out; it’s simply not suitable for a woman."

The old man’s words greatly dissatisfied Madam Tian, yet, conversely, they brought immense relief to Luo Yin and Madam He.

The old man’s ruling was an unexpected blessing for Madam He. She hadn't anticipated her branch having any claim to this matter, especially since she and Qingshan had already branched off to live independently. Thus, regardless of whether Qingshan ended up managing the shop, she wouldn't feel any regret. Nevertheless, Madam Tian's objection irritated her. With the elders having made their positions clear, how could a mother-in-law still contend with her son and daughter-in-law? It was simply improper.

Luo Yin felt the same. Previously, Wang Qingyun was the only able-bodied laborer remaining in the household, handling the majority of the farm work. Just staying home tending fields wouldn't lead to any real prosperity. Luo Yin had long been anxious about this situation, hoping Wang Qingyun could open a business, much like Wang Qingtong had done. Now, an opportunity had arisen. Since the old man planned to choose between Wang Qingshan and Wang Qingyun to manage the shop, how could Luo Yin not be ecstatic? Therefore, she deeply despised Madam Tian’s grasping behavior toward her own son. The old man's rejection made Luo Yin incredibly happy.

Consequently, that evening, the two branches began their private discussions. Wang Qingshan and Madam He were not overly fixated on the outcome. Even if the old man decided against giving them management duties, no one could reasonably object, given that they had already separated their household. If they got the shop, that was wonderful; if not, they would still receive a steady monthly income—less than the managing branch, perhaps, but certainly an unexpected bonus.

Wang Qingyun and Luo Yin's situation was quite different. Luo Yin was extremely anxious, scheming on how to persuade the old man to entrust the shop to Wang Qingyun. Truthfully, Wang Qingyun himself wasn't strongly attached to the idea. After all, Wang Qingshan was his elder brother, and their relationship was quite good. He felt it would be fine if his brother managed the shop, especially since Qingshan had spent considerable time at Wang Youfu's mill and must know far more about business operations than he, the younger brother.

Wang Qingyun might think this way, but Luo Yin certainly did not.

"Tell me, what can we do to make the Old Master and Old Madam give the shop to you to manage?" Luo Yin asked, unsure if she was addressing him or herself.

"Why are you worrying about this? We'll do whatever Grandpa and Grandma decide. Even if we aren't managing the shop, we still get a share of the profits, don't we?" Wang Qingyun replied indifferently.

"How can that be the same? Of course, the management yields a higher profit! Besides, you’ve been working tirelessly on the fields for the whole family, and what have you gained? Others have gone into town to seek employment, and my elder brother saves all his earnings. My younger uncle surely keeps a portion for himself. You are the only one at home without any private funds. Now that something good has happened in the family, shouldn't they acknowledge your efforts and give it to you?" Luo Yin urged him.

"How can you speak like that? They are our own brothers; why must we be so calculative?" Wang Qingyun disagreed with Luo Yin's sentiment.

"I know you value brotherly affection, but you must think about our son! We have no private savings; how will we manage after we formally split the household? Can you bear to see our son live a difficult life later on? Imagine if, in the future, your son lives a harder life than Quan'er or my younger uncle's children—would your heart not ache then?" Luo Yin pleaded mournfully.

Hearing this, Wang Qingyun began to waver. Yes, for himself, it didn't matter much; they were all brothers. But what about his son? How could he not consider his son’s future? The thought of his son facing hardship made Wang Qingyun feel uncomfortable, yet he couldn't bring himself to compete with his older brother. Thus, Wang Qingyun remained deeply conflicted.

Luo Yin observed Wang Qingyun and felt a measure of relief, knowing her words had struck a chord. In truth, she did not wish to be this way, but the family’s circumstances compelled her actions. Wang Qingyun labored for the entire family on the fields without seeing much tangible reward. Now, between the two of them, aside from the partial income from the shop Wang Youliang had once given them, they possessed no significant private savings. While they received some care from the elders before the formal separation, only they knew the true reality of their daily life.

Their mother-in-law, Madam Tian, was an avaricious woman who would never willingly part with money. As for the old man and woman, they paid little heed to the affairs of their granddaughters-in-law. Consequently, Luo Yin's life was often difficult; without funds, many things became hard to manage. If only Wang Qingyun could earn money outside the home, her predicament would certainly ease. She no longer dreamed of future riches; simply securing a comfortable life now was enough of a goal.

The next morning, the old man inquired about the decision reached by the two branches after their night of deliberation. Wang Qingshan, being the elder brother, spoke first. His stance was that whether he managed the shop or not, he would accept the decision. After all, he now had his own source of income in town, whereas his younger brother had always remained at home without a specific trade.

The old man was greatly gratified by Wang Qingshan's magnanimity. Wang Qingyun, however, felt a pang of shame; he had been contemplating vying with his brother, only to discover Qingshan hadn't even considered fighting for it. He felt he had acted like a petty man.

Thus, Wang Qingyun said with contrition, "Brother, you should take it. I usually stay home and don't know much about shop management. You are far more knowledgeable than I; it would be better for you."

Luo Yin, who had been thrilled that Wang Qingshan wasn't contesting the matter, giving them a greater chance to manage the shop, was stunned when Wang Qingyun uttered such words. She widened her eyes, staring at him in disbelief.