"How could we agree to that?" Chen Ming, Alu, and Mrs. Wang protested in unison. Chen Ming added, "Afu, don't be so formal. You're my daughter, too. As your parents, it's our responsibility to provide you with a home. Neither your mother nor eldest uncle is heartless. They will make sure you can get by."
The family talked late into the night before they reached a consensus.
They finally decided to do as Chen Ming suggested, dividing an acre of land between Chen Afu and Dabao. For now, they would borrow 1,000 cents from Chen Ye to buy some more land for the new household. When they harvested the winter wheat, they would sell the land and start building a house.
Their land was top-class farmland; an acre could fetch 5,000 cents. Chen Afu just had her son. They only needed a small plot for their new home, which could be covered by 1,000 cents. The remaining 4,000 cents could be used to build the house and buy some simple furniture.
