She planned to buy an apartment in the city. Elizabeth, however, held a deep attachment to land. For a farmer, owning land, with diligence and hard work, guaranteed at least enough to eat. William’s departure was incredibly hasty; the public grain levy was only three days after he left.
This caused a heated argument within the Whitaker family.
Every year after the late summer rice harvest, the township delivered public grain levy notices to each household head.
By 1983, the “household responsibility system” was largely implemented in the region. Although the Whitaker family hadn’t divided their property, the land was registered under individual names. With Whitaker Scarlett and Elizabeth’s household registration moved, their land in Larkspur Village was no longer theirs. This didn’t affect the previous harvest, as their transfer occurred after the rice harvest.
The township’s public grain levy notice, naturally, was based on the previous land acreage.
This stirred up a hornet’s nest. Old lady Whitaker, already in a foul mood, vehemently refused.
“We, the Whitaker family, won’t pay the public grain for those two bitches! Their household registrations are gone, their land is gone, why should we pay their grain?”
More land meant a higher public grain levy.
Old Mrs. Whitaker controlled the Whitaker family’s annual harvest, keeping the grain under her lock and key. She wouldn’t dare confront the township, but she created a scene, determined to disrupt Whitaker Scarlett and her mother’s peace.
Chris hung his head, speechless.
Although Elizabeth and her daughter’s land was removed after their household registration transfer, it wouldn’t affect this year’s harvest, only next year’s planting. The rice was stored in the Whitaker family’s granary, yet Old Lady Whitaker demanded grain from Elizabeth and her daughter. Her unreasonable crying and tantrums left Chris helpless.
Could he really demand grain from Elizabeth and her daughter?
Elizabeth had left him with nothing, a “clean break,” as people later put it. When they left the Whitaker family, they only took 20 kilograms of sweet potatoes.
Twenty kilograms of cheap coarse grain, not twenty kilograms of gold!
If it weren’t for William’s generosity and Whitaker Scarlett’s resourcefulness, they would have starved to death on those 20 kilograms of sweet potatoes. During the divorce, Elizabeth only wanted a quick escape from the Whitaker family, not demanding any property. Considering this year’s bountiful harvest, Chris should at least send them some grain… Elizabeth was his ex-wife, and Whitaker Scarlett was still his daughter, wasn’t she?
Instead of sending grain, Old Lady Whitaker caused trouble, bullying Elizabeth out of habit, refusing to let the mother and daughter live in peace!
But what if they actually gave her some grain?
The Whitaker family would have more grain left.
Old Lady Whitaker’s unreasonable demands forced Chris to act. She would throw a tantrum, then feign pity, lamenting the hardships of Whitaker Rosalie’s studies in Washington, urging the family to save money for her.
Veronica’s eyes flickered. Everyone said that university wasn’t expensive, with no tuition fees and monthly stipends. Whitaker Rosalie’s university education was literally stripping the old Whitaker family bare… But since Old Lady Whitaker wasn’t pressuring her, Veronica wouldn’t say anything.
“Mom, Scarlett, and her mother are living at Miller’s place. Where would they have grain?”
Chris was at his wit’s end.
Old Lady Whitaker feigned misery, wiping away tears: “So Rosalie is starving at school? I see Scarlett’s uncle is rich, a little grain is nothing. We shouldn’t have agreed to their household registration transfer!”
Old Lady Whitaker didn’t know that transferring the household registration also meant losing Elizabeth and Whitaker Scarlett’s land.
As a rural old woman, she didn’t understand government policies, believing she was cheated by Elizabeth and her daughter, hence the current commotion. In Larkspur Village, the average person had about two mu of land. With Elizabeth and Whitaker Scarlett’s household registration gone, the Whitaker family lost a full five metre square!
How much grain could that produce?
It was Old Lady Whitaker’s loss, and seeing the public grain levy notice felt like someone was carving out her flesh and heart!
“Mom, Rosalie can just save a little at school. Don’t force brother to demand grain; those people aren’t easy to deal with.”
It was the understanding eldest sister-in-law, Maria, who spoke up.
Chris gratefully glanced at her.
After the divorce, he couldn’t beat Elizabeth like before. Even his daughter, Whitaker Scarlett, had grown independent, not returning to Larkspur Village once in all these days. Wasn’t Chris angry? The people of Wellwater village were not easy to mess with; they had beaten Chris severely last time.
That chief Daniel in Wellwater village was a tough nut to crack, with connections to county officials, which is why Elizabeth and Whitaker Scarlett’s household registration transfer was so easy.
Chris was a coward outside, and he didn’t dare to trouble Elizabeth and her daughter for now.
