Chapter 8: Formal Family Separation

Sheng Shuwan said, "A man carried you back, and there was a child with him. When I tried to thank the man, he said it was his master who ordered the rescue, and that if I wanted to express gratitude, I should thank the child instead. Just as I was about to speak, the people coming to collect them arrived, and they left quickly."

Song Chuman frowned. "Mother, if you were to see them again, would you be able to recognize them?"

"I could," Sheng Shuwan replied. "They are our family's benefactors; I will not forget them."

Song Chuhuai also added, "Sister, I remembered their faces too. That older brother was very handsome—the most handsome older brother I've ever seen."

Song Chuman patted her brother's head.

They were preoccupied with their own struggles at the moment; if fate allowed, they would meet again. They could repay the kindness then.

...

Early the next morning, Song Hexiu went to the government office to file the records, officially separating from the Song family (hereafter referred to as the Old Song family).

The Old Song family were outsiders; Song Xiangqian had originally fled to Qingyu Village as a refugee.

Most of their relatives lived in other villages, making travel troublesome.

They had relatives in Qingyu Village as well, but since Song Xiangqian was not on good terms with them, he decided not to ask them to act as witnesses.

Song Xiangqian merely informed Village Head Du before heading to the government office with his son.

Upon leaving the office, the two parted ways.

Since they had received fifty catties of grain yesterday, Song Hexiu went to buy some salt and pork.

Before the family separation, even if there was meat on the table, Li Cuicui would not allow the first branch of the family to touch it as long as he wasn't home.

Sheng Shuwan was pregnant and the children were still small, so today, he would let them eat their fill.

This was especially true for Song Chuman; she had just been through a fright and had been soaked in the sea for so long, so she needed to nourish her body properly.

Meanwhile, Song Chuman stayed home to pack belongings with her family.

Although they didn't have much, Sheng Shuwan could not perform heavy labor, and since Song Chuman and her brother were still young, it took quite a bit of time.

Suddenly, Song Chuman spotted a green jade pendant with the character "Sheng" inscribed on it.

However, for some reason, it was covered in many chips and cracks.

"Mother, this jade pendant?" Song Chuman was puzzled. The pendant looked very valuable, not like something a family of their status could own.

Sheng Shuwan picked up the jade and rubbed it for a moment, a look of sadness appearing in her eyes. "This was given to me by my maternal family when I was born."

Song Chuman frowned. "Your maternal family?"

To be able to gift such a fine jade pendant, Sheng Shuwan's maternal family must have been quite wealthy.

But why had she never seen them in her memory?

And why had Sheng Shuwan never mentioned them?

Seeing her daughter frowning and seemingly affected by her emotions, Sheng Shuwan said softly, "You are still young. These are adult matters; I will tell you more when you are older."

"Alright." Seeing that her mother was unwilling to say more, Song Chuman stopped asking and continued packing.

As for the members of the second and third branches, they did nothing all day except stare at the first branch.

They were terrified that the first branch would move away with things that belonged to them.

When they saw Song Chuman and Song Chuhuai go to the kitchen to drag all the inferior rice into their own room, their eyes instantly turned venomous.

By the time Song Hexiu returned, Sheng Shuwan and the children had just finished packing.

Once back home, Song Hexiu showed the family the separation documents and the household split certificate bearing the official government seal.

"The formal household registration documents can only be processed once we have a specific house. The officials said that our registration is still temporarily under the Old Song family, but they have given me this certificate of household separation. Once we have a new house, we can take the separation documents and this certificate back to the government office to re-register. This certificate can also serve as a temporary household document."

(End of Chapter)