The Liang family home was divided into a front and back courtyard. The front courtyard had a three-room house where Liang ManCang, his wife, and their two daughters lived. The back courtyard also had a three-room house, which was where the two elders and the two boys lived.
All the houses were thatched-roof, but the three rooms in the back were new, built less than two years ago. The money had supposedly come from Liang ManCang's younger sister, who had married a city worker. Granny Liang was Man Cang's stepmother, making the sister his paternal half-sister. She was well-off and often sent money and goods back to her mother. Although the two elders lived with Liang ManCang, they didn't share meals. Granny Liang was particular about her food and disliked Aunt Liang, so they had separate stoves. However, Liang ManCang still had to provide them with enough grain and cover their living expenses.
