After a good night's sleep, a new day began, and Chen Hong got up early to start her daily routine.

I washed my face and brushed my teeth, then fed the chickens and ducks in the backyard. I picked some greens, used the small clams I caught yesterday to cook a pot of seafood porridge, and fried two eggs. Breakfast was simple yet nutritious. I went back to my room to wake my son up, helped him wash up, and then we ate breakfast together.

"Mom, where are Grandpa and Dad?" While eating, the son, having recovered from his drowsiness, finally realized two people were missing. "Oh, Grandpa and Dad went to the old house for dinner. They'll be living there from now on." "Why is Grandpa living there? Won't he take me to play with him?" Yu Yang asked, his face full of questions.

“A house will easily deteriorate if no one lives there for a long time. Your grandpa is going to stay there for a while, otherwise our old house will collapse. Grandpa won’t be coming back for meals anymore; he’ll be eating there from now on. He doesn’t want to go all that way for a meal. If you want to play with grandpa, call him. I can take you there, or grandpa can come pick you up.” Chen Hong explained to her son in a way that he could understand.

"Okay then, do I have to walk this far to play with Grandpa?" Yu Yang asked, looking slightly annoyed.

"How far is it? It's not far at all, only 5 minutes to the old house. You'll be starting school next year. Look at all the older boys in our village, they all walk to school in the next village by themselves, and no one complains about the distance! From now on, you should run around more, consider it exercise, and next year you'll be able to go to primary school by yourself."

Yu Yang didn't say anything, probably still not quite satisfied. But the child was smart, and he probably knew that this situation was caused by his parents' divorce, and there was nothing he could do to change it. His big eyes darted around, and he was thinking about how to adapt to this situation in the future.

After breakfast, Chen Hong tidied up the house again, washing and hanging up all the clothes she and her child had changed out of the day before.

"Baby, have you eaten?" Yu Hai and his son entered the courtyard.

"Grandpa, we've eaten. Have you and Dad eaten?"

“We ate too, baby is so good!” Mr. Yu said to his grandson.

"Chen Hong, are you done with your work? Let's pack up and go to the city," Yu Hai said to Chen Hong.

"Okay, now that we're done, let's go." With that, Chen Hong went back inside to change her shoes, grabbed a small bag, and took her marriage certificate, agreement, ID card, and household registration book with her. She then went out with Yu Hai.

The two rode their motorcycle all the way to the Civil Affairs Bureau. It was just past nine o'clock, and the bureau had just opened. Inside, they found the marriage registration office. This was Chen Hong's second time there; they had also obtained their marriage certificate there.

There were only two couples ahead of me getting a divorce. They probably didn't reach an agreement at home and were arguing, so it took almost an hour to finish the process.

Finally, it was their turn. The clerk was a middle-aged woman. She asked them the routine questions, including the reason for the divorce. Yu Hai said it was because of incompatibility. The clerk rolled her eyes at him and said, "I asked the woman."

He gently asked Chen Hong, "Do you agree to a divorce? Why do you want a divorce?"

Chen Hong smiled and said, "I agree to the divorce. We are incompatible."

"Are both parties divorcing voluntarily? Are there children? Who will the children live with? How will child support be paid? What are the property division issues? Is legal aid needed?"

"It's a voluntary divorce. The child will stay with the woman. We've already discussed and agreed on child support and property division, and we've written a contract. We need it notarized. Can we process it together?"

The clerk looked at the couple with surprise, "You can process it together; there are notaries here."

After the notarization was completed, the clerk printed out the divorce certificate: "Last chance. Confirm the divorce. No regrets?"

The two exchanged a glance and nodded in unison, "We're sure, no regrets! Let's stamp it!"

With a click, the clerk stamped the document, then another document, and another click.

Chen Hong smiled as she received her divorce certificate from the counter.

"It's still red, so festive! It symbolizes a good ending and a good beginning! Who decided this? I remember it used to be green, right?"

Yu Hai was a bit confused. What's wrong? Why is Chen Hong suddenly acting strangely? Has she been too traumatized? Her reaction time is too long, isn't it?

"Chen Hong, are you alright? Don't scare me! The kids at home are waiting for you!"

"Pfft," Chen Hong laughed out loud, looking at Yu Hai's extremely frightened appearance, "It's nothing, what's wrong with me? I'm just happy! I'm finally free from this, I don't have to be your family's free maid anymore."

"Girl, are you really okay? You were so scary! When other people get divorced, they cry, they yell, they make a scene, they fight. I've been working for so many years, and I've never seen anyone laugh like that!"

"Big sister, I'm sorry, I'm really fine. There's no history of mental illness in my family for dozens of generations. Don't worry. If you don't believe me, ask my ex-husband, isn't he Yu Hai?"

“No one in your family has ever experienced such a shock before!” Yu Hai muttered softly.

"Sister, I'm really happy. The man's heart is no longer with us. He's never home. He has no money and no one to help him. I even have to take care of his elderly parents. Why not get a divorce? The sooner the better. Otherwise, you'll become a haggard old woman and then not even be able to hang yourself. It's better for everyone to be happy after the divorce."

Chen Hong waved to the clerk and walked out of the service hall.

Yu Hai and the clerk looked at each other, speechless for a moment. The couples queuing behind them exchanged glances and fell into deep thought.

Yu Hai walked away with a bitter expression, and time seemed to stand still in the lobby. After a long while, a couple knocked on the counter, "Please process our divorce!"

"Oh, it's you again. Are you sure you want to get a divorce this time?" It was an acquaintance. This couple had been trying to get a divorce for half a year, going back and forth more than a dozen times, but they still hadn't gotten it done.

The man looked at the woman and said, "I'm definitely getting a divorce. It's a must. Who can't live without whom? Why should I? It's not like I don't have a job. When I'm old, the government will support me! Was I stupid to pay someone to be my nanny? Damn it, I'll earn my own money and spend it myself from now on. Why should I be a haggard housewife and cook? After the divorce, I'll eat out every day and go shopping for clothes every day. You wish, you bastard."

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