Chapter 41 My Daughter Is My Own (Part 11) A Doting Wife and Daughter...

After the crowd outside Song Xiaojie's house dispersed, Song Xiaojie's parents sat inside, sighing and complaining. Song Sanbang stomped his feet in anger, shouting, "How...how could I have raised such a scoundrel!"

Song Xiaojie's mother sat to the side, silently weeping, muttering, "Xiaojie has done something terrible. How are we going to clean up this mess? How can our family face anyone in the village anymore..."

After learning that the so-called imported pills from the United States that Song Xiaojie gave to Song's relatives were fake, You Meiling stayed in her room in silence. Especially after she found the gambling debt IOUs that Song Xiaojie had hidden at the bottom of his bag, she felt dizzy and as if her whole world had collapsed.

She stared at the IOU with her red handprint on it on the kang table. The words "I borrow 50,000 yuan" were clearly visible in the moonlight streaming in from the window. Her hands trembled as she took the IOU, and tears involuntarily fell onto it, blurring the words "agreed monthly interest rate of 3%" into a blurry gray blob.

You Meiling's right hand gripped the bamboo strips on the kang mat tightly, not even feeling the pain as reeds pierced her palm. She had always believed that her husband, Song Xiaojie, worked hard outside to provide a better life for her and their family. She raised her hand, which was pricked by the bamboo strips, and gently stroked her stomach.

She had been suspicious of Song Xiaojie's fluctuating finances, but he easily brushed her off. Trusting him, she even apologized to him, blaming herself for being overly suspicious.

But the harshness of reality often exceeds her imagination.

The unrestrained shouts and condemnations from the Song family echoed clearly from outside the gate. She couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if she continued to stay in this house. She would face not only the strange looks from her neighbors but also the whispers and gossip from the villagers. And then, when her child was born, he would not only have a father in prison but would also have to endure her inner pain and the hardships of life. She absolutely could not, absolutely could not let her child fall into such a situation—knowing it was a quagmire, yet still giving birth to him to suffer.

The dark sky outside the window mirrored her heart, which was filled with endless rain.

A few days later, You Meiling packed her things and walked heavily to the east room where Song Xiaojie's parents lived.

"Dad, Mom, I want to talk to you about something." You Meiling tried hard to control her emotions, but her voice still trembled slightly.

Women understand women best. When Song Xiaojie's mother saw the complicated expression on her daughter-in-law's face, her heart skipped a beat.

She immediately stood up, took You Meiling's hand, and said with sadness in her eyes, "Meiling, have these past few days been too hard? Don't be sad. Jie's matter hasn't been settled yet. He might just be locked up for a couple of days for a verbal reprimand. Everything will be alright."

You Meiling shook her head and took a deep breath: "Mom, I've thought about this for a long time these past few days, and I've decided to divorce Xiao Jie."

The moment the word "divorce" was uttered, the room fell silent instantly, as if the air itself had frozen.

Song Sanbang's eyes widened in disbelief: "Meiling, what nonsense are you talking about? Divorce? No way, absolutely not!"

Yu Meiling, who had been holding back her tears for so long, finally broke down: "Dad, Mom, do you know how hard this is for me? These past few days, I haven't dared to go out at all. The night before last, I went to the corner store to buy a bottle of vinegar when there were fewer people, but they wouldn't sell it to me, saying that it's bad luck for our family during the New Year. Everyone in the corner store was pointing and whispering about me, and I couldn't even lift my head. Dad, Mom, I can't take it anymore."

Song Xiaojie's mother also started crying: "Meiling, we know you've been wronged, but... Jie was just confused and got tricked! He's locked up now, and he must be regretting it terribly. Please give him another chance, for the sake of how well your mother has cared for you all these years!"

Yu Meiling wiped away her tears and choked out, "Mom, it's not that I haven't thought about waiting for him, but... but I already have a child. Mom and Dad, you know how long I've been waiting for this child. I don't want my child to be ridiculed by the villagers as soon as he's born, saying that his father is a criminal. I don't want my child to be like that, I don't want that."

Upon hearing that You Meiling was pregnant, the elderly couple remained silent for a long time. Finally, Song Sanbang broke the silence with a long sigh: "Meiling, your mother and I understand your difficulties, but divorce is no small matter, especially now that you're pregnant..."

You Meiling shook her head firmly: "Dad, Mom, I will definitely keep the child, and I must get a divorce. Also, this money is what Xiao Jie brought back for me over the years. I've been saving it up. Originally, I had 5,600 yuan, but Xiao Jie took 800 yuan from me before the New Year. Now I have 4,752 yuan. I'm pregnant, so I'll take 2,000 yuan. The rest can be left for you, Mom and Dad!"

Upon hearing this, Song Xiaojie's mother burst into tears, saying, "Meiling, our Song family has wronged you! We can't accept this money! Take it all!"

Song Sanbang's eyebrows drooped, making him look more than ten years older.

“Your mother is right, Meiling. You should keep all the money. We are still young and can still earn a living in the fields. You are pregnant now and need this money more than we do.”

You Meiling shook her head slightly. "Dad, Mom, then what am I?" After saying that, she counted out two thousand from the stack of money and left the rest on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

Looking at the carefully closed wooden door, the elderly couple felt a deep sense of loss and confusion.

From the moment You Meiling stepped out of the door of the east room, she felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and her whole body felt lighter. As for the IOU for 50,000 yuan, You Meiling didn't mention a word; she dared not gamble.

Before leaving Song Xiaojie's home, You Meiling took the elderly couple to visit him in prison.

When Song Xiaojie learned that You Meiling wanted a divorce, he was devastated. The elderly couple still felt deep guilt towards You Meiling. Song Xiaojie's mother, crying, tried to comfort him, saying, "Son! Meiling is a good wife. Now that she's carrying your child, you have to be understanding. You can't let the child be born without a father. Besides, Meiling has given us more than half of the money you've given her over the years. You made a mistake; when you get out, beg Meiling sincerely. For the sake of the child, she'll definitely soften her heart."

Song Xiaojie was torn. On one hand, he thought of the beautiful future he and his wife had planned together, which had now vanished. On the other hand, he was afraid that his wife had discovered his biggest secret and was eager to cut ties with him.

After the elderly couple finished speaking, it was time for You Meiling to talk to Song Xiaojie. Looking at the dejected man on the other end of the line, a ripple of emotion stirred within her.

"Meiling, you're here." Song Xiaojie's voice was hoarse, with a hint of caution.

"Hmm." You Meiling responded to his greeting, her eyes swirling with complex emotions. "Xiao Jie, you know what I wanted to tell you today."

Song Xiaojie's smile almost froze on his face. "You...why so suddenly? Weren't we doing just fine? There wasn't any financial pressure at home...I know I've let you down, I've let this family down. But I only made a mistake because I wanted us to have a better life in the future. Please give me another chance. When I get out, I promise I'll make it up to you and our child, okay?"

Sensing the subtle probing in Song Xiaojie's words, You Meiling felt a chill in her heart, but she showed no sign of it on her face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said she didn't want their future son to have a criminal father. If he could reform himself in prison and become a new person, she might give him another chance in the future.

Upon hearing this, Song Xiaojie breathed a slight sigh of relief, his eyes reddening as he said, "Meiling, I'm sorry, it's my fault."

You Meiling shook her head: "Xiao Jie, you take good care of yourself inside. When the child comes out, he will definitely want a complete family."

Song Xiaojie opened his mouth, wanting to try again, but the prison guard next to him knocked on the iron bars: "Attention, there are seven minutes left in the visiting time."

"Fine, if you want a divorce, then go ahead. I'll come find you and your daughter after I get out of here," Song Xiaojie said with a sigh.

And so, Song Xiaojie agreed to the divorce. After the charade was over, You Meiling picked up her packed luggage without hesitation and boarded the train to Beijing.

By the time news of Song Xiaojie and You Meiling's divorce spread throughout the village, it was already the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

While Song's mother was talking to Liang Qiulan, the two women were cooking glutinous rice balls in the kitchen. When the cooked glutinous rice balls were served on the table, Song Ce, holding Song Rou, calmly announced a bombshell: he wanted to move his family to Haishi.

“Ce, you and Qiulan can just take Rourou to Haishi. Your mother and I are both grown up, why bother with all this trouble?” Father Song wanted to smoke a pipe, but his granddaughter had just been put to sleep, and he couldn’t let her choke.

“Dad, now that your son is earning money, isn’t it all so that one day our family can live comfortably?” Song Ce then said to his mother, “Mom, you should persuade Dad. Besides, our Rou Rou is still so young, how can she be separated from your care? Moreover, the house is all renovated now, and our family can live upstairs and downstairs, which will be convenient.”

“Old man, what your son says is right. We only have one son. If we don’t follow him, are we supposed to stay in the village? We’ll be busy from now on and won’t be able to come back more than a few times a year. You’re willing to live like that, but I’m not.”

“Yes, Dad, look how much Rou Rou loves you these days. How can you bear to leave your granddaughter and abandon her?” Liang Qiulan chimed in.

After being persuaded by his family in turn, Song's father finally agreed to go to Haishi together.

The next day, the elderly couple prepared a feast and told their close relatives and friends about it. The relatives and friends all expressed their understanding and their words were full of affirmation of Song Ce's filial piety and envy of the elderly couple.

As dusk settled, Song's mother carefully put the last jar of pickled vegetables into the car, while Song's father gently closed the trunk.

As Song's father watched the courtyard where he had lived for decades gradually shrink in the rearview mirror, he said wistfully, "Son! Will we ever come back?"

The tires rolled over the bumpy, narrow dirt road. The man turned the steering wheel with one hand, looked at the road ahead, and replied, "Of course, we'll come back after the New Year."

"I'm just worried that if you live too comfortably, you won't want to come back! Ce already said that our new house is a two-story villa, with a color TV installed and a large balcony. I'm just worried that we won't have anyone we know there and will be all alone after we move in," Song's mother said with a smile.

"Mom, once our family moves in and gets used to things, it'll be lively."

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Author's Note: Alright, Meiling has successfully gotten a divorce and is now pursuing her own life~ Our Che has moved to the city with his family, and the last couple of chapters will get really exciting. This story will be over soon, love you~

P.S.: If I could beg for your help, thank you again to all the little angels for your heartwarming comments and favorites. You guys are my daily motivation~ QAQ