Chapter 107 You two should get a divorce.
Seeing his father, third uncle, and Uncle Chen standing silently in front of him without saying a word, Xie Zhongming felt a pang of unease, his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He glanced at his father, Xie Jiang, whose usually smiling face was now as tense as an iron plate, his brows furrowed into a deep knot.
She glanced at her third uncle, Xie Bing, who was acting even more strangely. Usually, her third uncle's smile was the most kind, as gentle as a spring breeze, just like her grandmother's. But today, behind his black-rimmed glasses, there was a deep and unyielding sorrow.
The most unusual person was Chen Jiahui's father, Chen Shenghua, whose eyes even showed a hint of panic and unease.
Since he could remember, he had never seen any of his elders with such a serious and unusual expression.
The air in the room seemed frozen, so oppressive that Xie Zhongming didn't dare to breathe. His heart was pounding in his throat, and he had no idea what terrible thing had happened.
But all three elders told him not to ask, so he had no choice but to shut up.
The group went downstairs together.
Downstairs, people sat or stood, their brows furrowed in worry. Even the children who usually played and frolicked stopped and stood beside the adults, anxiously watching the grandfathers approaching from downstairs.
Huang Guilan, her face grim, looked at her husband. Her husband, who was always calm and composed in the face of trouble, suddenly had a dark cloud over his face. Huang Guilan couldn't help but clutch her clothes and asked, "Old Xie, what happened?"
Xie Jiang did not answer, but let out a deep sigh.
She forced a smile and said, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. It's just that my brother can't attend Zhongming and Xingyue's wedding tomorrow; he has something urgent to attend to."
"What's the emergency?" Huang Guilan asked worriedly.
She and Lao Xie invited relatives from both sides to attend Zhongming and Xingyue's wedding banquet. The relatives took time off work and made special arrangements to come over.
How could there be a sudden emergency?
Unless... my elder brother Xie Jun was taken away by someone.
Could it be that my older brother has done something wrong?
Huang Guilan looked at the people in the room and decided not to ask any more questions, fearing that it would affect everyone's mood, so she remained silent.
She looked at Xie Zhongming and Qiao Xingyue, "Zhongming, Xingyue, you two should go back to sleep."
Then he looked at the eldest, second, third, and fifth sons, as well as the children, and told them to go to sleep.
No one spoke again, and everyone went back to their rooms.
Shen Liping and Sun Xiuxiu first gave the old lady Chen Suying a bath, and then gave An An and Ning Ning a bath.
In the sweltering summer heat, An'an and Ningning were covered in sweat from playing, their hair sticky with sweat and smelly. After washing their hair, Shen Liping dried Ningning's hair, while Sun Xiuxiu had An'an stand in front of the fan to dry her hair.
Shen Liping frowned deeply. "I don't know what happened at home. I've never seen Dad, Third Uncle, and Uncle Xie look so serious before."
"I'll ask again after the children fall asleep," Sun Xiuxiu sighed heavily.
After all the children had fallen asleep on their makeshift beds on the floor, An'an and Ningning, as usual, one slept with her head on her brother's arm and the other with her little feet on her brother's stomach. Only then did Sun Xiuxiu and Shen Liping tiptoe out.
Just then, the four Xie brothers came up from downstairs.
Shen Liping looked at Xie's eldest son, "Zhongyi, did our father say anything?"
"They just asked if there was anything unusual about our work in the military, and didn't say anything else."
Sun Xiuxiu's gaze fell on her second son, Xie Zhongjie. Before she could ask, Xie Zhongjie answered, "That's what Dad asked me too, about our jobs."
Shen Liping asked, "Is this a very serious matter?"
Xie Zhongyi: "I don't know, Dad didn't say anything."
...
downstairs.
Xie Jiang and Huang Guilan sat on the edge of the bed. Huang Guilan asked several questions, but Xie Jiang did not answer.
"Knock knock"
There was a knock on the door.
In the quiet night, the knocking was very soft, yet it felt like a heavy stone crashing into Huang Guilan's heart.
She thought it was her sons, so she put on her shoes, went to the door, and opened it, only to find an old woman named Chen Suying leaning on a cane.
Normally, when the old lady comes out of the house and hears the sound of her cane, Huang Guilan will get up immediately to check if the old lady is thirsty or needs to urinate. She will help her.
Today, because I was preoccupied with my own worries, I didn't even hear the sound of the old lady's cane.
"Mom, why aren't you asleep yet?"
The old lady didn't say anything, walked in, closed the door, and then locked it with the bolt.
She was leaning on a cane with one hand and carrying a small camphor wood box in the other. Huang Guilan quickly helped her take the box and helped her sit down by the bed.
After sitting down, the old lady looked at Huang Guilan with a gloomy face and said in a serious tone, "Guilan, you should divorce your second son. Tell him to go to the army base tomorrow to file for divorce."
One sentence struck Huang Guilan like a blow to the head.
The old lady always sided with him. When they were young, if she had any disagreements with Xie Jiang, she would definitely criticize Xie Jiang and treat her, her second daughter-in-law, like her own daughter.
Why did you just tell her to divorce Xie Jiang today?
Huang Guilan is not stupid.
The old lady and Xie Jiang had a private conversation just now; something serious must have happened.
"Mom, Lao Xie, what happened? Why do you want me to get a divorce? Is our Xie family being treated as enemy agents?"
If it weren't for this reason, the old lady wouldn't have excluded her, and her first words upon entering the door wouldn't have been to urge her to divorce Xie Jiang.
Xie Jiang didn't answer Huang Guilan. He looked at the old lady with a furrowed brow. "Mom, it can't be that bad. They just arrested my eldest brother. This matter can definitely be investigated and cleared up."
They didn't even know why Xie Jun, the eldest son of the Xie family, had been taken away by the police in handcuffs.
The old lady, Chen Suying, did not answer Xie Jiang's question. Instead, she took out the savings book from the camphor wood box.
The passbook was quite old, and it had a faint, natural camphor scent.
As the scent of mothballs wafted through the air, Huang Guilan heard the old lady say again, "Guilan, not only you and your second son need to file for divorce, but you also need to have Zhongyi, Zhongjie, and Zhongming, along with their granddaughters-in-law, file for divorce tomorrow. Get this done quickly. Find a way to move all the valuables in the house to another place as soon as possible. In the future, you should take your daughters-in-law and children to seek refuge with the Huang family. Make sure you distance yourself from the Xie family."
"Mom, you're afraid..." Xie Jiang didn't finish his sentence.
"No." Huang Guilan tried to push the old lady's savings book away, but the old lady held her hand tightly.
She had never realized that the old lady had such a strong grip.
This forceful blow carried the old woman's strength and command.
He was, after all, a person who had experienced the revolution.
“Guilan, listen to your mother. I’ve seen it all. Your brother-in-law was arrested this time, most likely because our entire Xie family is being treated as enemy agents. If you and the children don’t clear your names and get a divorce soon, everyone will suffer.”
“Let the men of the Xie family handle these matters. You, your granddaughter-in-law, and the children shouldn’t be implicated.”
Chen Suying has indeed experienced many great ups and downs. Before liberation, she participated in the revolution.
She later married Xie Jiang's father and became Mrs. Xie, serving as the wife of the richest man in Jincheng for a period of time.
But the good times didn't last long. All of the Xie family's businesses—the match business, the cement business, the restaurants, the textile factories—had been transformed into public ownership.
It's called a public ownership transformation, but in reality it's just confiscation.
Xie Jiang, Xie Jun, and Xie Bing's father died during that public ownership transformation. At that time, if Chen Suying hadn't actively cooperated and responded to the call to complete the public ownership transformation of all Xie family businesses, even with her status as a revolutionary, she and her children would not have been spared.
During that major event, many people with the same status as Chen Suying, along with their husbands, experienced a sudden change in their status and were sent to the countryside for reform.
Some died on the spot, some couldn't bear the hardship when they went to the countryside and jumped into wells or committed suicide, while others barely survived.
Those who stayed in the countryside also lived a miserable life.
Chen Suying had finally seen her daughters-in-law, granddaughters-in-law, and great-grandchildren escape the fate of the previous generation and their lives improve day by day. She did not want such a thing to happen again.
"Mom, I can't divorce Lao Xie." Huang Guilan frowned, but her tone was firm.
That determined gaze fell on Xie Jiang. "Old Xie, things shouldn't be that serious. Even if the Xie family is really being treated as enemy agents, even if the evidence is conclusive and we really have to go to the countryside for reform, I still won't divorce you."
Xie Jiang didn't say anything.
He remembered that the Xie family's businesses completed their public ownership transformation in 1954.
That year, not only did all of the Xie family's businesses have to undergo public ownership transformation, but someone also reported that the father had defected to the enemy and betrayed the country.
My father was also taken away by someone carrying a gun.
It was quickly discovered that his father had been framed, but he died unexpectedly in prison. It was said to be suicide, but Xie Jiang always suspected that it was a plot orchestrated by the Xie family's mortal enemies.
The three brothers and their mother survived.
If their father's crime of treason is proven true, they will all be sent to the countryside for reform through labor.
Unexpectedly, even after 21 years, the Xie family's mortal enemies in Kyoto still haven't let them go and want to kill them.
If they are accused of treason again this time, the entire Xie family will be implicated.
Xie Jiang already had a plan in mind.
The night was as dark as a pool of ink that couldn't be dissolved.
Under the same night sky, Xie Zhongming lay on the new palm fiber bed that he and Qiao Xingyue had just bought.
Tonight, the two newlyweds lay side by side, gazing at the dark roof beams, both seemingly preoccupied.
Nobody was interested in doing that.
Xie Zhongming vaguely guessed that something big had happened to the Xie family, and he was noticeably quieter today.
Qiao Xingyue nudged his arm and asked, "Zhongming, what did you and Dad talk about upstairs? Why did they both look so serious when they came downstairs? Did something serious happen?"
Xie Zhongming did not answer.
He sighed deeply, then put his arm around Qiao Xingyue. "Don't worry, it's Dad's work. It has nothing to do with us. Tomorrow, you can be your bride in peace."
...
The next morning, Shen Liping and Sun Xiuxiu dressed An An and Ning Ning in new clothes as a reward.
The two sisters-in-law went to Qiao Xingyue's place early to help her comb her hair and get dressed.
In front of the dressing mirror, Shen Liping took a bottle of Shanghai Diamond brand hair wax and applied it to the ends of Qiao Xingyue's hair to prevent stray hairs from flying around.
Next, using a peach wood comb tied with a red rope, she combed out a neat, beautiful slit, then combed the hair on both sides tightly against the head shape to the back of the head, gathered it into a solid ponytail, and then tied the ponytail into a round, plump bun.
The second son's wife, Sun Xiuxiu, pinned the newly bought bright red bridal headdress, adorned with white pearls, to Qiao Xingyue's bun.
Qiao Xingyue moved her head, and the hair ornaments and beads on her head swayed gently, moving along with her.
The room was filled with the clinking of beads and the sounds of Sun Xiuxiu and Shen Liping praising them.
"Xingyue, you look so pretty in this flower."
"Our Xingyue is beautiful everywhere."
Qiao Xingyue looked at herself in the mirror. How could she be considered pretty? She looked plain and unsophisticated.
The red dress, the red hair accessory, and the red rouge on her face—it all has such a vintage feel.
Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. If my sisters-in-law say it looks good, then it looks good.
Actually, she wasn't a Western worshipper.
If she had a choice, she would prefer to have her wedding styled like ancient Hanfu, with a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe. But in this day and age, simplicity and frugality are encouraged, so she'll just go with the flow. Qiao Xingyue thought that in the future, when times change, she and Xie Zhongming should definitely take a few more sets of wedding photos in different styles.
She calculated the time; in twenty years it would be the 1990s, and she and Xie Zhongming would only be in their forties.
With proper care, even in your forties, you can still take beautiful photos without any regrets.
Her current plan is to live a good life with Xie Zhongming, and wait until the policy changes in a few years and private enterprises are allowed. Xie Zhongming will continue to serve in the army, while she will go into business.
Their lives will definitely get better and better.
However, Qiao Xingyue was unaware that a major storm was about to be brewing in the Xie family.
The storm was invisible, pressing down on Xie Jiang's chest. At Xie Zhongming and Qiao Xingyue's wedding banquet, he kept a gloomy face and never smiled.
The formal wedding banquet was arranged at a state-run restaurant three miles away from the compound.
There were nine tables set up in total.
It was very lively and bustling.
At the wedding banquet, Wang Shufen held Huang Guilan's hand and, when no one was around, cautiously asked, "Guilan, did your husband Xie mention filing for divorce last night?"
"Did your husband, Old Chen, mention it to you too?" Huang Guilan suppressed the fear in her eyes and cautiously looked around.
The wedding banquet was still lively. A few meters away, Xie Zhongming was leading Qiao Xingyue, toasting each table.
Despite it being a joyous occasion, Huang Guilan felt a heavy and oppressive feeling in her chest.
Even on this bright sunny day, it seemed as if a layer of haze was shrouding it.
Wang Shufen nodded. "Old Chen wrote a divorce report early this morning and insisted that I sign it, but I didn't."
"How come your Chen family is also affected by this?" Huang Guilan couldn't understand.
Wang Shufen lowered her voice and said cautiously, "It seems to be a distorted and framed story, a factional struggle... I'm not afraid of being implicated, but my Jia Hui..."
Chen Jia Hui has been pampered by Wang Shu Fen since childhood. If she gets involved, she'll suffer terribly. "I really want to marry Jia Hui off as soon as possible and find her a good husband. Gui Lan, even if you don't want to divorce your husband, you should persuade your daughters-in-law to get your eldest, second, and fourth sons to file for divorce as soon as possible. Last night, I called my family in the middle of the night, and they just heard about it too. This is very serious..."
These words were like knives, slashing at Huang Guilan's chest.
She was holding an enamel mug with freshly prepared honey water in her hand. She had specifically instructed her fourth brother, Xie Zhongming, not to let Xingyue get any alcohol on her when toasting the elders.
But Xingyue was a bold and unrestrained person, and drank several cups in a row.
This honey water is meant to be served to Xingyue.
Wang Shufen's words upset her, and she dropped the enamel cup in her hand with a clatter, spilling the honey water all over herself.
Everything seemed calm and normal until the wedding banquet ended.
Huang Guilan's heart was in turmoil.
That night, the family returned to the military compound, while several young people went to Xie Zhongming's place to make a ruckus during their wedding night.
Xie Jiang handed a divorce report to Huang Guilan, his hand trembling. "Guilan, sign it. Just say that our relationship has broken down and we are both divorcing voluntarily. After you sign, I'll go and call the eldest, second, and fourth sons over so they can also sign divorce reports with their three daughters-in-law."
Huang Guilan's tears streamed down her face, but she straightened her back, snatched the divorce papers Xie Jiang was holding, and tore them to shreds. "I won't get a divorce. Even if I'm really sent to the countryside for reform, I'll still stay with you."
"Nonsense!"
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