Ming Wei anxiously said, "Then we won't donate? How can we not donate? What will people think of our family if we don't?"
Her mother-in-law replied displeasedly, "Let them think whatever they want. If we don't have the grocery store and the grain and oil shop in town, and only our hundred-odd mu of land in the countryside, plus this old house, we'll have nothing left. With so many people in the family, we still need to eat, drink, and wear clothes. Fortunately, your dowry was prepared years ago when the family was doing well. Otherwise, with the current situation, I would be worried to death.
Ming Wei argued, "Mother, I'm still young, I'm not getting married! Let's donate the grain and oil shop! Don't we have land? We won't lack food!"
"You child, you don't understand the cost of living. Your Uncle Deshun (the steward) and his family of five or six have suffered with us for over ten years for our family. Now, in their old age, we're abandoning them? Moreover, Shuanzi (the steward's eldest son) and your brother went to the front lines, and he lost his life on the battlefield to cover for your brother. Because of this, your wet nurse, Mama Cui (the steward's wife), cried so much that she injured herself from excessive grief and has been unwell ever since! Luckily, when you were young, you said you wanted to support your wet nurse, and we didn't take it seriously, otherwise, wouldn't your wet nurse be even more heartbroken?
"Although your brother is still young, I still need to save money to send him to school, and he'll need to get married and have children in the future. Also, your two nieces and nephews will need money for marriage when they grow up. We'll need a lot of money in the coming decades!"
"Ah! Mother…" Ming Wei began to act spoiled…
"Sister-in-law!" Ming Wei sought an ally…
Chen Lan twitched the corner of her mouth slightly. How did the battlefield shift to her?
"It won't do to call me sister-in-law, and your sister-in-law can't let you act recklessly. This whole family needs to eat and drink! If we donate, will we drink the northwest wind? How can you be so ignorant?"
Chen Lan opened her mouth (wanting to say, 'Donate it! Donate it! If you donate everything, I can take you all to live a carefree life'), then quickly closed it, still not saying what she wanted to. It wasn't the right time yet.
Since there was no room for discussion about donating money and goods, Chen Lan quickly changed the topic.
"Ming Wei, is what people are saying outside true?"
"What is it?" Ming Wei immediately sat up straight and replied.
"It's about this 'Land Reform Movement'?"
Her mother-in-law and Wen Rou's mother both widened their eyes.
Ming Wei nodded repeatedly, "I know, the county government has already posted notices. Preparations are underway for land reform in the newly liberated areas, and legislation (the Land Reform Law of the People's Republic of China) will be enacted soon."
Her mother-in-law asked, "How will this land reform work?"
"It means land cannot be in the hands of a few people. The land of landlords will be confiscated and distributed to landless peasants. Class status will also be classified."
"What does 'class status' mean?"
"It's classifying each household based on the amount of land they own. The classified classes are: landlord, rich peasant, middle peasant, poor peasant, and worker."
"Then, what class will our family be? Landlord? Rich peasant?" Her mother-in-law and Wen Rou's mother both glared at Ming Wei, awaiting her answer.
Ming Wei said uneasily, "We might be classified as landlords."
Her mother-in-law glared fiercely at Ming Wei and cursed, "You little brat? You didn't even tell us something this important!"
Chen Lan saw an opportunity and quickly added fuel to the fire! She quickly interjected, "Mother, our family absolutely cannot be classified as landlords, not even rich peasants. Otherwise, our family will suffer a huge loss!"
"What do you mean by that?" her mother-in-law asked.