Volume One, Chapter 20: Reselling Spoils of War – Daughters Are the Most Useful

"Dad, why don't we ask around to see if anyone wants these livestock and carts? As long as the price is right, we can sell them off. We only need enough for ourselves," suggested Shen Shuli.

"That's a good idea," he agreed.

"By the way, my dear, since we have so much meat, should we send some over to your parents' place?" Su Yunhai asked his wife.

Shen Yuehua shook her head with a smile. "No need to go out of our way. We'll be meeting up with them tomorrow anyway. It’s better to give it to them then; it saves them the trouble."

"Fine, I'll do as you say."

The family of three was still discussing their plans for the flight from famine when Su Dalin’s family approached them.

"Third brother, what brings you here?" Su Yunhai asked.

Su Dalin wore a simple, honest smile as he squatted down to talk to Su Yunhai. "Second brother, our family is here to help you out."

"You know how our parents are; that's just their nature, and it won't change in this lifetime. Don't take it to heart."

Su Dalin’s status in the Su family was only slightly higher than Su Yunhai’s. Before Su Yunhai and his wife had transmigrated, Su Dahai’s branch was the household’s workhorse, and Su Dalin’s branch was the smaller workhorse. They were much of a muchness.

Later, after Su Yunhai and his wife arrived, they constantly resisted the old couple. By now, the second branch was completely free from the old couple’s control. Consequently, Su Dalin’s branch had become the household’s exploited workhorse. Every time the old couple demanded something from Su Yunhai, they would inevitably drag Su Dalin into it, and in the end, all the good things would be taken by the eldest branch. The third branch had long been accustomed to being the scapegoat.

Su Yunhai had seen it all and secretly spoken to his third brother about it several times, but since the man could never stand up for himself, he gradually stopped interfering. He also understood why the third branch couldn’t stand tall: they lacked the ability to earn money and only knew how to farm honestly. Without money in their pockets, they could never hold their heads high and were doomed to be exploited.

"Alright, once we're done, I’ll share some meat with you. Look at how thin your family has become," Su Yunhai said, patting his third brother on the shoulder.

"Thank you, second brother."

Su Dalin had never expected any reward; he simply felt that his second brother had always treated him well. He couldn't bring himself to be an ingrate and ignore his brother when he most needed help; his conscience wouldn't allow it.

"Second brother..." Su Dalin looked at Su Yunhai, stammering several times without being able to get the words out.

"If you have something to say, just say it. Don't beat around the bush," Su Yunhai urged, unable to stand the hesitation.

"Are you... are you really going to leave the Su family behind to flee from the famine?" Su Dalin finally asked.

Su Yunhai was slightly surprised. He looked at Su Dalin and asked, "What? Are our parents still unwilling to leave with me?"

The village had been targeted by mountain bandits, and they still weren't planning to flee immediately? They really weren't afraid of death! He truly couldn't understand what was going through their heads.

"In any case, before the horse bandits arrived, our parents said they definitely wouldn't leave, and they were even trying to find ways to stop you from going. Now... I don't know if they've changed their minds." Su Dalin still felt a lingering fear when thinking about the bandits; he dared not stay here any longer. But he was worried that if his parents didn't leave, they wouldn't let him leave either. He didn't dare to defy his parents' wishes and bear the stigma of being unfilial.

"Second brother, if our parents don't leave, can... can I come with you?" Su Dalin asked, his voice strained as he finally voiced his true desire.

"Sure. Have you finally made up your mind?" Su Yunhai asked, looking at his younger brother in surprise.

"Yes. Perhaps I would have hesitated before, but after what happened today, I'm truly terrified."

"Fine. I’m leaving tomorrow at dawn. You just need to follow along."

"But our household registration documents are still in our parents' hands. Can we really leave?"

A sly smile appeared on Su Yunhai’s face. He pulled the documents from his robe to show him. "When I went to register my daughter, I took our documents from them. I took the liberty of separating both our branch and your third branch from the household. Don't worry, you can just follow me tomorrow."

"I had originally thought that even if you didn't want to come with us, having your branch separated would at least grant you more freedom. It's the last thing I, as your second brother, can do for you."

Su Dalin hadn't expected his brother to go to such lengths for his family. His eyes turned red instantly. Su Dalin’s wife, Lin Xiuxiu, and their daughters, Su Manye and Su Manti, were listening nearby. At this moment, they all covered their faces and sobbed. It was clear how stifled this family had been living on a daily basis.

Lin Xiuxiu quickly wiped her face, grabbed her two daughters, and knelt before Su Yunhai. "Second brother, thank you for looking after us so well. We will work like horses and cattle to repay you in the future!" As she spoke, she pressed her children’s heads down to kowtow heavily.

Su Yunhai hadn't expected his sister-in-law to be so intense as to kneel and kowtow to him. His portly frame immediately sprang up, sliding to the side like a ball.

"Hey, hey, hey! Let's talk properly. Are you trying to shorten my life? This isn't repaying a favor; it's retaliation!" Su Yunhai exclaimed in a hurry.

Seeing his wife and daughters kneeling, Su Dalin realized what was happening and knelt as well. Hearing his brother’s remark, he quickly pulled his wife up. "Second brother, we didn't mean that. If not, just let my daughters kowtow to you a few times, otherwise, we won't be able to live with ourselves."

"Kowtow to what? People are watching; don't make us a laughingstock. Get up, quickly."

Su Chang'an and his two brothers had gone out and brought back many villagers to help. The spacious grain-drying ground was packed with people, instantly becoming lively.

Su Yunhai brought out all the salt he could gather from the house and even traded meat with the villagers for more. These were all items on the surface, so he didn't need to use the salt from Shen Shuli’s personal space. The villagers who came to help were mostly those who hadn’t received much of a share of the spoils earlier that day, which was why they had time to spare.

Su Yunhai took the opportunity to ask if anyone was interested in buying his livestock and carts. He set the price twenty percent lower than the market rate. Several of the wealthier families immediately scrambled to buy them. They were going to follow the Su family to flee the famine tomorrow, and they had too many belongings to carry on their own; buying livestock to pull carts would be much more convenient.

In less than an hour, Su Yunhai had sold everything, keeping only four mules and four of the sturdiest carts. He kept the mules because they were much faster than oxen, had more stamina than donkeys, could pull more weight than horses, and were better suited for mountain paths than other livestock. Although they were more expensive than horses and could not breed, these disadvantages meant nothing to the Su family. They weren't short on money, and they didn't need the animals to breed; they only needed this group of mules to see them through the long journey of fleeing from famine.

They also managed to sell over five hundred jin of various meats in the process. They brought in 333 taels of silver plus over 300 jin of grain. Su Yunhai turned around and handed all the silver and grain to Shen Shuli for safekeeping. Keeping it with her was the safest option and saved him the trouble. To him, his daughter was the perfect tool.

With many hands, all the meat was processed in half a day. Su Yunhai was generous, preparing ample gifts of gratitude for everyone who helped. He also reserved half a day for each family to return home, pack their belongings, and get a good night's sleep in preparation for the journey.

When they returned to the Su residence, the Su Yunhai family, who had been in high spirits, all saw their expressions darken.