Chapter 107: Your Choice

After Yao Weimin and Zhong Er left, Zhong Er's mahjong partners disappeared, and the decadent music that Yao Weimin used to play from time to time also stopped. After a brief period of adjustment, the other residents of the tenement continued their lives as usual.

After their fight, Zhang Xiuxiu and Fang Guizhi would spit at each other whenever they met, and they would constantly hurl insults at each other. Even their children started hurling insults at each other.

Grandpa Yao was extremely upset and had frequent headaches. Whenever the two of them started arguing, he would go back to his room to hide.

Li Chunying's favorite thing to do now is watch the two of them argue, hands on hips. Li Chunying is a bully at home, especially in her youth; she was no match for her tough, unruly sister-in-law and had swallowed countless grievances. Now, however, she looks at Zhang Xiuxiu with eyes of admiration. How can they argue like this? How can they curse like this? She truly envies her. Now, every day after closing her stall, she leaves Zhang Xiuxiu a few steamed buns to replenish her energy. Zhang Xiuxiu needs to eat her fill, so she can have a stronger mouth and more strength…

Bai Hui would occasionally offer a hypocritical word of advice, something about neighbors, about resolving conflicts rather than forming them—bah, she was always putting on airs.

Anyway, ever since Bai Hui stepped on her sore spot, she and Bai Hui had completely fallen out. The two of them would never see each other again, either sneering or rolling their eyes, and they never spoke to each other again.

Li Chunying often berated Bai Hui in front of Aunt Zhong.

Aunt Zhong, knowing her son had gone to Shenzhen and desperately wanting Yao Fangyuan to be her daughter-in-law, clearly sided with Yao's second wife and Li Chunying. She barely spoke to Fang Guizhi and Bai Hui anymore, focusing solely on cultivating a good relationship with Li Chunying. Their relationship progressed rapidly.

Feeling stifled in the dormitory, Yao Fangyuan bought a bicycle and moved back home, ending up in Yao Weimin's room. She'd ultimately ended up in that room again. She'd fought tooth and nail with Yao Weimin before, crying and yelling, finally winning and moving into a better room. But now, she was back. Yao Fangyuan was seething with resentment. She was determined to work hard at the factory; she refused to believe they could force her out. She wouldn't leave, and they wouldn't find any fault with her! Anyone who dared to deliberately cause her trouble, she'd fight back and yell back!

Yao Deyi worried for several days, but no one could help him make a decision. In the end, he couldn't take it anymore, and the tormenting nights kept him tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He didn't have the courage to challenge the team leader, but being scolded every day made him lose face. In a fit of anger, he took early retirement.

The next day, he started selling steamed buns with Li Chunying. Li Chunying bossed him around like crazy, and he was so tired that he could barely straighten his back. Fortunately, he was more comfortable with his food and drink than before. There were steamed buns and snacks to go with the drinks, and Li Chunying didn't interfere much with his drinking anymore. Yao Deyi put aside his regrets and complaints, and the happiest time of the day was when he ate and drank.

With Yao Deyi's help, Li Chunying had the resources to tidy up the steamed bun shop. The shop was cleaner than before, and the variety of steamed buns increased. She even moved a television and a tape recorder into the shop. During the day, she would play music, and when it got busy after work, she would turn on the television for everyone. The steamed bun shop's business flourished.

Bai Hui had no interest in watching other people's drama unfold, nor in arguing with Li Chunying. Yu Qingqing, pregnant, ran back to the tenement building. She said she wanted a divorce.

After Qi Dongming was investigated, Hou Jingkun was immediately suspended from his duties pending further investigation. Finally, he was stripped of all his responsibilities and is now just a regular planner.

Without the aura of a leader, Hou Jingkun is just an ordinary old man with two children and a difficult mother.

Hou Jingkun's mother cursed Yu Qingqing every day at home, calling her a jinx. She said her son had gotten into trouble as soon as she married into the family, and that she was nothing short of a jinx. Not only did she curse, but she also pushed all the housework onto Yu Qingqing and was always on guard against Yu Qingqing bullying her two grandsons. She even cursed Yu Qingqing in front of the neighbors, showing her no respect whatsoever.

Yu Qingqing had the idea of ​​getting a divorce and having an abortion.

Today she couldn't take it anymore and ran home crying to beg her parents.

Bai Hui never expected her daughter to be so unlucky. Hou Jingkun was dismissed from his post right after she got married. To make matters worse, her daughter was pregnant.

Bai Hui advised Yu Qingqing to be patient and wait at least a year. "Divorce is such a big deal, especially since you just got married. Hou Jingkun had an accident, and you immediately filed for divorce. What will people think of you? Even if you say that his family mistreated you, no one will believe you. They will only say that you are vain and materialistic."

"Mom, I can't take it anymore. The old woman calls me a jinx every day, and the two kids point at me and curse me, saying I'm a vicious stepmother. Hou Jingkun doesn't care at all. He used to try to comfort me, but now he just comes home and smokes, completely ignoring whether I live or die. Today, I only cried a little, and he picked up an ashtray and smashed it at my feet, then pushed me onto the bed and beat me. Mom, look at the bruises on my body," Yu Qingqing lifted her clothes to show Bai Hui. "There's always so much chores to do at home, Mom, look at my hands," Yu Qingqing cried, hugging Bai Hui. "Mom, please save me! I'm going to abort the children, I'm going to get a divorce, I really can't go on like this."

Bai Hui touched her daughter's rougher fingers and the bruises all over her body, and felt an intense hatred for Hou Jingkun, that beast in human form!

"Old Yu, say something! Make a decision! This is your own daughter!"

Yu Chengwen glanced at Bai Hui. He was certain that Yu Dong and Yu Bei were his biological children, but he wasn't so sure about Yu Qingqing.

Bai Hui avoided Yu Chengwen's gaze. "Hou Jingkun is such a scoundrel. You should at least say something. If you don't care, I'll go to your factory tomorrow to find him! I want to see if your factory leaders will do anything about it."

Yu Qingqing cried and begged Yu Chengwen, "Dad, please save me! If you don't care about me, I'll kill myself..."

Yu Bei couldn't stand it anymore and got up to leave, but Li Qiuli grabbed him, "It's so late, where are you going?"

"Go find that bastard surnamed Hou! He dared to lay a hand on us! Does he think our family is full of dead people?!"

Li Qiuli wouldn't let go, saying, "Don't go. This isn't the military base, and this isn't something that can be resolved with a fight."

Yu Bei wouldn't listen to any of that. His sister had been bullied like this, and he was determined to teach Hou Jingkun a lesson, otherwise Hou Jingkun would think that the entire Yu family were cowards.

"Sit down! How old are you! All you can do is use your fists to talk?!" Yu Chengwen stubbed out his cigarette and glared at Yu Bei.

“I didn’t approve of this marriage from the beginning, and I tried to persuade you, but you wouldn’t listen.” These words were spoken to Bai Hui and Yu Qingqing.

"If we can't make it work, we'll get a divorce and have the child aborted. I'll talk to Hou Jingkun about the divorce."

Really getting a divorce? Bai Hui was a little anxious: "Then, what will people say about Qingqing? Does she still care about her reputation?"

Yu Chengwen: "Either get a divorce, or continue to put up with it. The choice is yours."

Yu Qingqing hurriedly wiped away her tears. "Dad, I want a divorce. I don't care about reputation or anything like that. I want a divorce right now." She couldn't possibly keep the child. She was still young, she had a long future ahead of her, she could still dance, she wanted to start over…