She wasn't just speaking idly about dividing the family last time; after saying it, she even went out of her way to inquire about how a family in their situation should go about it.
But in reality, the facts were disheartening. Putting everything else aside, it was impossible for Old Granny Zhang and Wang Laozhu to divorce. Under the circumstances where the parents wouldn't divorce, there was no reason for a daughter to take her own mother in to support her.
Moreover, as an unmarried daughter, she couldn't establish a household on her own, which was quite the headache.
After much thought, it seemed that the only option was to marry a man into the family. A daughter who took a man into her home was regarded the same as a son and could thus set up her own branch of the family and support her parents.
Her worst-case scenario would be simply taking in Wang Laozhu and supporting him, which would only mean spending a bit more silver.
