As the sun set, Jiang Shuyun followed her father into the courtyard.

"Grandpa's back! Grandma, Grandpa's back!"

For once, Shao Ming took off running. He knew that his grandmother was looking forward to his grandfather's return and had been peering out the door several times.

"You're back, Shao Ming. Your grandfather is back?"

"They're back. Grandpa and Dad are back. They've come into the yard."

Jiang's mother walked quickly outside, wanting to know what the Fan family's plans were.

"Don't rush, let me rest for a while, we'll talk after we finish eating."

Jiang's father hadn't left the village for a long time. This trip was exhausting and he was anxious. Although he didn't show it on his face, he knew that he wouldn't be so calm if Shuyun hadn't been with him.

"Okay, you take a rest, I'll get you some water."

"Dad, have some water."

Just as Jiang's mother finished speaking, Jiang Qi came in carrying a tray with a glass of warm water on it.

"Jiang Qi, this time, your father made the decision to have you divorce the Fan family. Your second brother took advantage of going to the outhouse to catch Fan Wenshan and that woman in the act; they were having an affair without a matchmaker. I think it's better to leave such a family sooner rather than later."

When your parents are alive, you stay with them. After they pass away, you stay with your second brother and sister-in-law. This time when you went to the Fan family, your second brother and sister-in-law anticipated what might happen and made the Fan family feel ashamed.

Your second sister-in-law isn't against divorce; she can tolerate you. When the time comes, your father and mother will ask her to treat you well. My daughter is a good-natured person; she'll never be disliked, no matter where she is.”

Jiang Qi breathed a sigh of relief at her father's words. She actually preferred a divorce. Life in the Fan family wasn't difficult, but it wasn't easy either. It wasn't difficult because the Fan family was well-off, unlike married women in the village who still had to struggle for a living after marriage. It was difficult because the Fan family had strict rules, and her mother-in-law and sister-in-law looked down on her, or rather, looked down on the Jiang family. And her husband? He was indifferent to everything, only caring about his mother's opinions on his studies.

"Father, Mother, actually, I do want a divorce."

"Father knows that he only understood Wenshan's true nature today. Before, he seemed like a good person, not talkative and gentle. Who knew he would be so irresponsible? Father didn't understand him properly."

Jiang's father recalled Fan Wenshan's behavior of hiding behind his mother in everything today, and he had no words to describe it.

“What does it have to do with my father? With his personality, who could tell if we hadn’t lived together for a long time? Now that I’ve left the Fan family, I feel a sense of relief.”

Jiang Qi showed her first genuine smile since returning. She wasn't worried about the divorce or not having a place to live in the future. She had hands and feet and could support herself no matter what.

"Alright, let's go out for dinner. We need to talk to everyone about this later."

After calming down for a while, Jiang's mother saw that her daughter wasn't worried at all, but rather seemed relieved, so she stopped worrying.

Although the rest of the family were curious about why Jiang's father and the others went to the county town, no one wanted to be the first to speak out. They were all waiting, even though they were already itching to go, they kept quiet.

Although Mu Yi'an was also a little curious, she already knew the general idea and was busy boiling goat milk and preparing dinner, so she was too tired to continue.

Dinner was eaten in silence. Apart from the children who didn't understand, everyone else ate their food quietly, faster than usual, while watching Jiang's father's expression.

"Alright, I know you're all curious. I have something to say after we're done cleaning up."

"Yes, Father."

Jiang's wife and the others quickly agreed, and, unusually, even helped Mu Yi'an clear the dishes. This was a first! It just goes to show that everyone has a gossipy heart!

Many hands make light work, and the kitchen work was finished in no time. Mu Yi'an asked Shao Ming to take care of Shao Yun, while Shao Kun looked after his younger sister.

Sister-in-law Jiang told her three children to go back inside, study, do needlework, and not to play.

Jiang Shaoqin didn't seem to care, muttering something under his breath that no one could hear. Shao Ning glanced enviously at Shao Ming and the others, then lowered her head and went inside. Chu Tong was naturally quiet, and she rarely objected to anything her mother said.

After the children were settled, everyone went into the living room of the main house.

Mr. and Mrs. Jiang sat on chairs on either side of the table, with Jiang Qi sitting next to Mr. Jiang and Jiang Lan sitting next to Mrs. Jiang. The others found their seats and waited for Mr. Jiang to speak.

"Shuyun and I went to the Fan family today. They think Jiang Qi can't have children, so they found Fan Wenshan a concubine. They even had sex with Jiang Qi while she was away."

"What, a concubine?"

Sister-in-law Jiang exclaimed in surprise; this was beyond her comprehension.

"Let your father finish speaking."

Jiang's mother glanced at her eldest daughter-in-law and thought, "Really, making a fuss over nothing."

Jiang's sister-in-law felt a little embarrassed and instinctively shrank back.

"Since things have come to this, your mother and I have decided to let Jiang Qi and Fan Wenshan get a divorce. Go pick up the divorce papers tomorrow."

As soon as Jiang's father finished speaking, everyone except Jiang Shuyun and Mu Yi'an was shocked. Jiang's sister-in-law opened her mouth wide and it took her a long time to close it.

"Father, has the decision been made? To let my eldest sister get a divorce?"

Jiang Shuheng was a little shocked. He felt that there would be no shortage of gossip after the divorce.

"It's decided. She's having too much of a hard time in the Fan family. It's better for her to get a divorce and come back."

"Is your sister-in-law still working hard? The Fan family lives in a big courtyard and has several servants. She doesn't have to cook or do any labor. What's so hard about it? If she comes back after the divorce, won't the villagers gossip about our family every day?"

And then there's my sister-in-law, who's about to go on a blind date. Her older sister-in-law's divorce will negatively impact her, won't it? And looking further ahead, when my daughter Chutong and my younger brother's daughter Chuyue grow up and need to find partners, having a divorced aunt won't improve their reputation. What good families will they be able to find?

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!