The courtyard of the Luo family is in a corner of Nanshan Village, which used to be considered a medium-sized family in the village, because my father can make iron, there is a blacksmith shop, and he often helps everyone repair farm tools or something, and sometimes he will make some simple ironware to sell in the market, and the family still has some living money.

However, the largest and best yard in the village is still the seventh uncle's family, the seventh uncle is the patriarch of the Luo clan in Nanshan Village, and the seniority is also the highest, although Luo Cheng's family is actually not their clan, but Luo Blacksmith called him uncle, so Luo Cheng and they wanted to call him uncle.

He was now in his seventies, the only man in the village over seventy, and he married three wives and bore him seventeen sons, but in the end he only supported thirteen.

Just because he had thirteen sons, the Seventh Uncle's family was the hardest and most authoritative in the village, although among his many sons there was a fool and a mute.

In these years, in the countryside, whoever has more sons and brothers will speak hard, and no one dares to bully.

Fortunately, Uncle Seventh is a more sensible person, and he restricts his sons well, and never allows them to bully others. In an agrarian society, the more people there are, the more power there is, so the seventh uncle's house is the best life in the whole village, with a large yard and complete furniture.

In the past, whenever there was a dispute or something in the village, everyone would definitely find Uncle Seven.

The hall of the seventh uncle's house is often the public hall where the villagers make autonomous decisions, and the courtyard of the seventh uncle's house is often full of villagers and some villager meetings are held.

For example, in the past, a daughter-in-law stole a man, and her adultery was exposed, and then the man went to the seventh uncle to ask for justice. So the seventh uncle asked his sons to follow the man, arrested the adulterer, hung them in public, and then let the whole village come to crusade.

In the end, he stripped off the woman's clothes and poured feces on her, the man was from another village, he was beaten half to death, and the two eggs below were broken, and the people were wasted before they were released, and the family in the other village didn't even dare to speak out.

The woman was later taken back by the man, but threw herself into the river the same day.

This matter was not reported to the county before and after, and Li Zheng did not interfere or pursue it after he found out.

This was the characteristic of this era, where the clan had a great deal of autonomy in the countryside, and the county was often acquiescing.

Just today.

The villagers of Nanshan came to Luo Cheng's house one after another.

Everyone may mention some jerky or take some dried fruit.

Everyone had a smile on their faces.

Luo Cheng asked Kan Ling and Wang Xiong to take a stool out to entertain everyone, and after a while, the stool at home was gone, and the people who arrived later could only stand or squat.

It was windy outside, so everyone crowded into the hall, but fortunately the hall was larger, but in the end it couldn't be squeezed.

In the end, a large fire was built in the courtyard, so everyone came to the courtyard and chatted around the fire.

Basically, all the villagers came, even the seventh uncle.

Some people see that Luo's blacksmith family is developed, and Luo Cheng's brothers have become officials, so they want to do things with Luo Cheng, and some want to come to the Luo family to borrow some money for the New Year.

There is also a dispute and I want to find the Luo family for arbitration.

All kinds of things, and some are simply to congratulate the Luo family, or to join in the fun.

It's the same as the Luo family holding a big banquet.

For these villagers, whether they are asking for something or coming to join in the fun, Daddy Luo greets them with a smile.

The melons and fruits at home were also taken out and put on the table, and the water was boiled to make tea.

Because of his high seniority, the seventh uncle was also the village chief in the past, although now the position of village chief is handed over to his son, but he has accumulated prestige for many years, and his prestige is there.

He is also very tough, but his temper is relatively hot, whether in the village or at home, he is the kind of strong person, and the thirteen sons of his family, except for the fool and the dumb man who are not married and single, the rest are married.

But because he didn't allow it, these eleven married sons, until now, have not separated with them.

In front of the seventh uncle, no one was allowed to mention the separation, he said that the separation of the family is unfilial, and the family has to be together. He also firmly holds the economic power of the family, the income from farming, some miscellaneous income, which must be handed over to the public, no matter who earns it, no private money is allowed, and the sons are in charge of the family money except for the dowry brought by their wives, and they have to apply for money.

This is a typical Chinese parent.

He is old and proud of his identity, so he doesn't gather around the fire outside like everyone else, he sits in the hall and chats with Luo Cheng.

"I know that my sons have been dissatisfied with my old man for a long time, and they have long wanted to split up, and I have always refused to allow it. But they have not been happy in their hearts, originally I thought, when I die of old age, I can't control who they like to divide and how they want to divide it. But today, I figured it out, children and grandchildren have their own children and grandchildren, let's divide it. ”

The seventh uncle said that he wanted to invite Luo Cheng to preside over the division of their family.

Splitting up a family is a troublesome matter, many families have many sons, and after getting married, they have to split up and live separately, and then countless disputes will arise. There are even fathers, sons, and brothers, who end up turning their faces and turning against each other because of their separation.

The seventh uncle refused to split the family before, because he had many sons in the family, and he was afraid that the family would be separated. And he has always said that more people are easier to do, and there is a fool and a dumb person in the family, who has not started a family, and they can't live well when they are separated.

Besides, he is also old, and there is no one to take care of the two of them anymore.

But now seeing that the Luo blacksmith family is so lucky, and the sons are developed, but I heard that the Luo family plans to split up after the year, and the eldest and second eldest who will get married at that time, and the fourth child who will become a family after the year will be separated, so he also figured it out.

"Little Five, it's okay to split up, but we are old, we have to take care of the two of us, as well as the eighth and thirteenth, they are disabled, and their brothers also have to help take care of them."

Luo Cheng was forced to become the host, so he had to say, "Seventh uncle, this is natural, whether you divide the family or not, it is your duty to take care of your parents, you gave birth to them, and now that you are old, they have the obligation to take care of you." As for the disabled brothers, they also have brotherly affection, and it is also their duty to take care of them. ”

"Then tell them." The seventh uncle said fairly, "You come to preside over how to divide this family, I will divide it, and then this one will be unfair, and the other will be uneven, and it will be difficult to separate." ”

It is difficult for Qing officials to decide family affairs, and Luo Wei is reluctant to interfere, but the countryside also has a rural way of doing things. For example, in the past, when someone in the village split up, they mostly asked Uncle Qi to preside, and then invited many villagers to testify.

Everyone is used to this way.

It's just that in the past, everyone was looking for Uncle Seventh to preside, but now it has become looking for Luo Cheng.

Luo Cheng said that he was only sixteen years old, but the seventh uncle said that you are sixteen years old but you are an official, we have not had an official in Nanshan Village for hundreds of years, you are an official, and you preside over everyone to serve.

"Okay, Little Six, you go and call the sons of Uncle Seven. Don't let the daughters-in-law of each family come in, the separation of the family is a man's business, and it is easy for a woman to be confused when she gets involved. Luo Cheng commanded.

When the seventh uncle heard this, he nodded to Luo Cheng, "Now my old man is completely relieved, you are really particular about what you do." ”

Splitting up is actually difficult to say, and simple to say.

Uncle Seven's family has always eaten a big pot of rice, a large family farms and lives together, and all the economy is in charge of Uncle Seven.

Therefore, the seventh uncle first told Luo Cheng the foundation of the family, and there was a large courtyard in the family, and two courtyards were later built on the side, and the three courtyard houses had nearly thirty rooms.

There are more than 200 acres of land at home, and about 30 acres of dry slope land, and there are three cows, chickens, ducks, geese, sheep and pigs.

There are also some money and silk, but not much.

In the end, even a few quilts and a few pairs of chopsticks at home were counted, and farm tools such as hoes and kitchen knives were also listed.

Luo Cheng recorded them one by one, and then asked the brothers of the Seventh Uncle family sitting below.

Most people don't have any doubts, but there are also a few sons who say how the family has so much money?

The seventh uncle explained which expenses and expenses each year, which favors, how much harvest each year, and how much rent.

"Now that the family has been settled, everyone has confirmed that it is correct. My opinion is to divide these belongings into fourteen parts, one for each of your thirteen brothers, and one for the old two, how about it? ”

The boss said dissatisfiedly, "My father and mother are all old, even if they divide the land, they can't plant." And my two brothers, too, couldn't farm their own land. They should not be given a separate portion. ”

Immediately, a few people also said that it was not appropriate to give them a share.

"Uncles, although they are old or disabled, since they are separated, they should have one for each person. The rules for dividing the family here are, for example, that the division of the family is counted as father, son and brother, not as a woman, nor as a grandchild. Therefore, this family can only be divided into fourteen parts, and as for saying that they are old or disabled, there is another way. ”

"One share for each person, whether it is a field, a house, or furniture, or a family's money, livestock, etc., it is one for one person. When the seventh uncle is old, then after his share of the land is divided, he can give it to your brother to plant, and then you will pay the same rent every year. After a hundred years of Uncle Seven, his share will be divided equally between your brothers. ”

"If you can't plant the land of your two disabled brothers by yourself, I think you can let the two of them plant it together, and then you brothers usually help one or two. For example, when the farm is busy, each family spends half a day and a day to help them plant and harvest, so that they can also support themselves, what do you think? ”

The seventh uncle agreed.

Some of his sons thought it better to give them all the land, and then they would each of them gather some food for their parents and the two brothers.

But the seventh uncle disagreed, "I want to share it, if you don't want to share my land, I will give it to other families." ”

In the end, everyone agreed to Luo Cheng's division.

The field was divided into fourteen equal portions, one for each person.

Farming cattle, farm tools, livestock and poultry, and furniture are first made at a price, and then divided into fourteen parts, which everyone can exchange or buy, but they always have to compensate others, and in the end everyone has to settle down.

Without the daughters-in-law of each family participating in the separation, the men were quite happy, divided left and right, and occasionally quarreled a few words in the middle, but with Luo Cheng pressing the formation, he didn't quarrel much, and finally reached a separation agreement.

Luo Cheng personally drafted this separation agreement, which stated the detailed separation plan, and then he wrote down the name of his host, and invited several seniors in the same village to press their handprints as witnesses.

In the end, the seventh uncle and the thirteen sons all put their handprints on it.

"This will be kept in the village as a backup, and I will write another copy for each of you, and everyone will press a handprint, and each of you will hold a copy in the future, and you will not regret it, let alone make trouble. After the separation, you are still father and son, and I hope that everyone will help each other and take care of each other in the future. ”

"If there is any regret afterwards and provocation, the whole village will spurn it!"