Chapter 41 Has the divorce report been submitted?
After saying these words, Huang Guilan felt extremely relieved.
Sure enough, you can't always think of others first, or you'll always feel frustrated. Ever since Xingyue taught her these principles, she changed her way of life. Her liver is no longer congested, her temper is running smoothly, and she feels incredibly comfortable.
But while Huang Guilan felt relieved, Jiang Chunyan felt aggrieved.
Jiang Chunyan stood with her hands on her hips, her voice rising, spittle flying as she cursed, "You, Huang Guilan, your whole family is ungrateful! When Old Deng sacrificed himself to save your husband, you promised to take care of us, mother and daughter..."
"Stop!" Huang Guilan folded the scarf that her fourth brother had brought back for her from Kunming and carefully put it into her pocket.
It was this scarf that made Jiang Chunyan jealous, and she even accused the fourth brother of not bringing her a gift from Kuncheng.
But on what grounds?
When she looked at Jiang Chunyan, her voice was not loud, but every word was firm, "Jiang Chunyan, tell me, in what way has our Xie family been ungrateful? Tell the truth, in what way have we wronged you, Jiang Chunyan?"
"I..." Jiang Chunyan really couldn't find anything to prove that the Xie family was ungrateful.
Jiang Chunyan knew in her heart how much she had benefited from the Xie family over the years. Despite having taken a lot of advantage, she still felt that it was not enough and wished that she could take all the benefits from the Xie family before she would be satisfied.
At this moment, Jiang Chunyan glared indignantly at Huang Guilan.
The main room of the Xie family was shrouded in Jiang Chunyan's resentment.
“Yingying and I have nowhere to live. If you kick us out, isn’t that ungrateful?” Jiang Chunyan wouldn’t let this go.
But after hearing this, Huang Guilan's eyes lit up like sparks in a stove, showing no fear whatsoever of Jiang Chunyan's wild and unfounded claims.
“Jiang Chunyan, you have nowhere to live, didn’t my fourth son apply for a dormitory for you through the organization? What, do you want our whole family to move out and give you the room to live in in order to be fair to you? Why don’t you say you want to live directly in the commander’s compound, that compound is more comfortable.”
Huang Guilan knew she couldn't reason with Jiang Chunyan, so she looked at Deng Yingying, who was looking worried, and asked, "Yingying, you just said that you've been bothering our family these days, didn't you?"
"..." How could Deng Yingying dare to deny it?
In the past, when she said such things, it was just a feigned retreat; I never expected Aunt Lan to take it seriously.
Having no choice but to nod reluctantly, she said, "Aunt Lan, it was me who said it. We have indeed been bothering you these past few days. Please don't be angry. We'll move out tomorrow."
Huang Guilan's voice was not loud, but her attitude was firm: "That's fine then. If you don't move tomorrow, I'll have the logistics soldiers move all your things over."
Jiang Chunyan wanted to say something more, but Deng Yingying pulled her upstairs, "Mom, don't argue with Aunt Lan, come back to your room with me..."
After going upstairs and returning to her room, Deng Yingying closed the door. Jiang Chunyan was furious. "Why won't you let me speak? I'm going to have a falling out with Huang Guilan today. Since she doesn't care about your father's feelings and refuses to continue helping us, then the Xie family shouldn't expect to have an easy time either."
"Mom, can you please stop being so stupid? You've fallen out with Aunt Lan, how am I supposed to marry Zhongming now? Think about me, okay?"
"You think you can marry Xie Zhongming if you don't fall out with his family? He doesn't even look at you."
"Mom, I'm already so upset, can you please stop stabbing me in the chest?"
"It's all Qiao Xingyue's fault."
Downstairs, in the kitchen.
Huang Guilan and Qiao Xingyue each carried two bowls of white rice scooped from the steamer and walked out of the main room.
"Xingyue, how was it? Wasn't Aunt Lan amazing today?"
"Great. From now on, if anyone makes you feel aggrieved, just confront them. There's no need to put up with everything."
"Aunt Lan will listen to you."
The next day, Jiang Chunyan and Deng Yingying moved out of the Xie family home. Although they were reluctant to leave, Deng Yingying thought it would be easier for them to get along in the future, so she forced Jiang Chunyan to leave with her.
That afternoon, the sun hung high in the azure sky.
The entire residential compound was bathed in sunshine and the gentle breeze of early summer.
Huang Guilan rode her old bicycle back to the compound from the Education Bureau. When she arrived at the service center, she saw Qiao Xingyue walking out carrying a net bag full of eggs.
She squeezed the brakes and slowly jumped off the bicycle.
Seeing the worried look on Huang Guilan's face, Qiao Xingyue stepped forward and asked with concern, "Aunt Lan, what's troubling you so much?"
“Xingyue, An'an and Ningning cannot enroll in school yet. The Education Bureau can't coordinate it. I've gone there several times in person, but it's still no use.”
This is indeed a bit worrying!
But Qiao Xingyue knew that this era had its own policies.
An'an and Ningning do not meet the requirements for attending school in the military compound.
“It’s alright, Aunt Lan, I’ll think of something else. An’an and Ningning are not even five years old yet, I can teach them some things at home first.”
In fact, these two children have already learned a lot more than other children their age. As long as they can go to school, they will not fall behind in their studies.
Huang Guilan deliberately added, "Xingyue, actually Aunt Lan has another way. If you can find a reliable active-duty soldier in the military compound to marry, you can re-register your household registration peacefully, and that will solve the problem..."
"Aunt Lan." Before Huang Guilan could finish speaking, Qiao Xingyue interrupted, "I have no intention of remarrying. No matter who I marry, that man will never be truly devoted to An Anning. Right now, I just want to wait until after the college entrance examination to find a more promising job and give An Anning a better future."
There was no way around it; the original owner, Fatty, had too low an education level.
She must complete the college entrance examination, obtain a diploma as a stepping stone, and then find a promising, high-paying job in the future.
Then slowly save money, and wait until the country allows individual and private businesses to operate in a few years, then seize the opportunities of the times to start a business and make more money.
Once we have money, why worry about not being able to give An'an a better future?
No matter the era, a woman cannot rely on a man to support her. She must have her own value and an independent economic foundation. In any case, she cannot change her fate by relying on a man.
Since learning that An'an and Ningning's father was still alive, she never thought of looking for that man again. That man married her, but never returned to Chadian Village, and ignored her and the two children. He was unreliable.
Seeing her so determined, Huang Guilan became even more worried.
Huang Guilan originally thought that she should find out what Xingyue was thinking. Lao Si had just gone to his workplace to submit his divorce report today. If Xingyue was willing to remarry, she could only try to get Xingyue and Lao Si together after Lao Si's divorce report was approved.
Upon investigation, it turned out that Xingyue had no intention of remarrying.
The two walked back, Huang Guilan pushing the old-fashioned bicycle, and Qiao Xingyue walking beside her, chatting as they went.
"Xingyue, so you mean that as long as you can find someone who truly loves you and makes you feel at peace, you're willing to remarry?"
"Aunt Lan, you've misunderstood me. Even if the other person truly loves An'an and Ningning, I have no intention of remarrying. Relying on a man is not as good as relying on myself. I can raise An'an and Ningning well on my own."
"What if you meet someone who truly loves you?"
“Aunt Lan, right now I just want to focus on preparing for the college entrance exam and make a good future for myself. But don’t worry, Aunt Lan, no matter where I go in the future, I will always come back to visit you, Uncle Xie, and Grandma. You are my benefactors. If you hadn’t taken me in, I might not even have had the chance to take the college entrance exam.”
Hearing this, Huang Guilan was truly worried. After hesitating for a long time, she finally decided to speak directly, "Xingyue, let me be frank with you. Zhongming went to file for divorce today. He and his wife never had any feelings for each other, and he was forced to marry her in the first place. I was even thinking that if you two could date after Zhongming's divorce and start a new family, I would be laughing in my sleep."
These words made Qiao Xingyue, who was carrying a net bag full of eggs, suddenly stop.
The eggs in the net bag bumped against her leg, but she didn't notice, her big almond-shaped eyes staring straight at Huang Guilan.
Her mind suddenly felt stuck. She had heard every word Huang Guilan had said, but when put together, it sounded like she couldn't understand a foreign dialect. She couldn't make sense of it for a long time.
It wasn't until Huang Guilan tentatively asked, "Xingyue, what do you think of Zhongming?"
Qiao Xingyue then understood what Aunt Lan meant—Aunt Lan wanted her to be her daughter-in-law?
"Aunt Lan, you must be joking. I, I..." Qiao Xingyue, who is usually decisive and efficient, was now completely confused and didn't know what to say.
She thought for a moment before adding, "Aunt Lan, I'm just your family's nanny. Even if Comrade Xie is divorced, there will be so many people wanting to find him a wife that they'll be lining up at his door. He can marry any kind of outstanding woman he wants."
"Xingyue." Huang Guilan held Qiao Xingyue's hand and looked at her with great fondness. "Aunt Lan is not joking with you. Aunt Lan really wants to be your mother-in-law. I'm just afraid that you won't like our fourth son after his divorce, since he's a second-time husband."
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Qiao Xingyue quickly pulled her hand out of Huang Guilan's palm and looked somewhat at a loss when she picked up the net bag of eggs again.
“Aunt Lan, it’s not that I look down on Comrade Xie. He’s so young and already a regimental commander in the army, he’s excellent in everything, he’s handsome, and he has such open-minded and wonderful parents like you and Uncle Xie. It’s just that I really haven’t thought about dating. My main focus is still on the college entrance exam…”
If she told Aunt Lan that after her college entrance exams, she wanted to find a promising job, and once her salary doubled, she would save all the money except for daily expenses and Ningning's medical treatment. She also wanted to start her own business and be her own boss once private ownership of the economy was permitted. Would Aunt Lan think she was being too ambitious?
However, her current life plan is to focus on her career while taking care of An'an and Ningning.
Before she could speak, Huang Guilan said decisively, "Then I'll make Zhongming wait until after your college entrance exam."
"No, Aunt Lan... Comrade Xie and I are not suitable."
“Why not? You and Zhongming are both tall and handsome, and you are both slim and beautiful. You look like a married couple and are a perfect match! Besides, our whole family loves An'an and Ningning and would love for An'an and Ningning to be our granddaughter.”
"Aunt Lan, I know. I also consider you all family, but this is really too sudden."
"Alright, alright, alright, Aunt Lan is too anxious. Let's put this aside for now."
Let's wait until the fourth son's divorce papers are approved before making any decisions.
...
Jincheng Military Region, Sixth Division, Headquarters.
Sitting at the head of the conference table was Chen Shenghua, the commander of the Sixth Division, who was also Chen Jiahui's father.
Beside him were Deputy Division Commander Xie Jiang, as well as Xie Zhongming, Chen Jiahui, Xiao Songhua, Jiang Beiyang, and Jiang Beisong.
Chen Shenghua looked at everyone and said, "Zhongming, Beiyang, Beisong, Jiahui and Songhua were transferred back from the Kuncheng Military Region this time mainly to assist you in completing this secret mission. I hope you will unite and help each other to complete this arduous task together."
Everyone replied in unison, "Understood, mission accomplished."
Chen Jiahui never imagined that she would have to return to the Jincheng Military Region one day.
After Xie Zhongming married Pang Ya, she took the initiative to apply for a transfer to the Kuncheng Military Region. She thought she would never return to the Jincheng Military Region and would never have any contact with Xie Zhongming again.
A few days ago, Xie Zhongming went to Kunming on a business trip and posted missing person notices all over the city in newspapers looking for Pangya. It's highly likely Pangya fell into the river and has already died. Hearing this news, Chen Jiahui felt sad for Pangya and her two children. Hearing that Xie Zhongming had someone he liked made her even sadder.
Whether it was the sudden appearance of Fatty five years ago or the sudden appearance of Xie Zhongming's sweetheart, it was destined that she and Commander Xie would never be together.
Chen Jiahui reminded herself: This time I came back only to complete the mission, and I can't have any other thoughts.
The secret meeting lasted for two hours. Chen Jiahui didn't dare to look at Xie Zhongming once, for fear that she wouldn't be able to let go of him.
After the meeting, Xie Zhongming looked at Chen Shenghua and said, "Commander, I have a personal matter to report to you."
"Come to my office."
Chen Shenghua and Xie Zhongming walked out of the conference room one after the other. Xie Jiang pondered for a moment: the fourth brother should be handing the divorce report to the old Chen.
After Xie Jiang left the conference room, Jiang Beiyang and Jiang Beisong exchanged a glance. Jiang Beisong guessed, "Beiyang, do you think Zhongming is going to file for divorce? I noticed something was off about the way he looked at Comrade Qiao; he definitely wants a divorce..."
"Say less." Jiang Beiyang glanced at Chen Jiahui, then stepped on Jiang Beisong's foot under the conference table.
Chen Jiahui had always secretly loved Xie Zhongming. She was originally planning to date him after he became the regimental commander, but then Fatty Girl appeared out of nowhere, and everyone knew about it.
Jiang Beiyang shut his mouth.
When Chen Jiahui forced a bitter smile, a shallow dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth. "The female comrade that Commander Xie has taken a liking to is surnamed Qiao?"
Jiang Beiyang comforted her, "Jiahui, there are plenty of outstanding men in our compound."
Xiao Songhua also comforted her, "That's right, Jia Hui, let's not put all our eggs in one basket."
Chen Jiahui forced another smile, "Look at you guys, what are you saying? There's nothing between Commander Xie and me. I'm mainly back in Jincheng to help everyone complete this secret mission, I won't think about anything else."
...
On the other end.
After Xie Zhongming followed Chen Shenghua into the office, he handed over an envelope containing a divorce report.
Without even opening it, Chen Shenghua guessed, "It's a divorce report, isn't it?"
"Commander, how did you know?" Xie Zhongming placed the divorce report on the table, and Chen Shenghua gestured for him to sit down.
He sat next to Chen Shenghua's desk, his back ramrod straight. "The division commander is truly a visionary."
"I heard about Fatty's death." Chen Shenghua poured two glasses of water, handing one of them, an enamel mug, to Xie Zhongming.
Xie Zhongming quickly took it with both hands.
Chen Shenghua sat down and said, "You didn't do anything wrong when you married Fatty. If Fatty's mother hadn't been greedy for wealth and status and hadn't used underhanded methods against you, you wouldn't have had to marry Fatty."
Chen Shenghua took a sip of water, put the lid back on, and added:
"Since Fatty fell into the river in Kunming and you posted a missing person notice, if there is no news of Fatty after another month, it will prove that Fatty has indeed passed away. The organization will approve your divorce application."
Xie Zhongming is an invaluable talent in the military.
Chen Shenghua had always hoped that Xie Zhongming could become her son-in-law.
If it weren't for that chubby girl who suddenly appeared five years ago, Jia Hui might have already become Xie Zhongming's girlfriend.
Chen Shenghua's decision to transfer Chen Jiahui back to the Jincheng Military Region was also driven by his own selfish motives.
“However, Zhongming, Pangya is still your wife. As her husband, you should indeed fulfill your responsibility and try to find someone else. Let’s set a one-month deadline. If there is still no news of Pangya after a month, I will approve your divorce application directly.”
Xie Zhongming stood up from his chair and gave a crisp military salute. "Yes, sir! Thank you, Commander!"
...
In the evening, Huang Guilan stood guard in front of the courtyard.
The vegetable garden in the yard was well-tended by Qiao Xingyue. The cucumbers had already climbed the trellis and were blooming with small yellow flowers, some of which still had newly grown cucumbers hanging on them. The green beans and eggplants were also growing lushly.
Seeing Xie Zhongming's tall figure walking out from under the paulownia tree, Huang Guilan quickly went up to him and asked impatiently, "Zhongming, how did it go? Did you submit the divorce papers?"
"It's paid."
"What did Commander Chen say?"
Xie Zhongming relayed Commander Chen's words to Huang Guilan.
Upon hearing this, Huang Guilan couldn't stop laughing. "In that case, won't you be single again next month? Then you can openly date Xingyue?"
"Mom, my divorce papers haven't been approved yet. I'm not afraid of what people will say, but you should at least consider Comrade Qiao's reputation. It's already very difficult for her, a woman raising two children alone. If she's also being gossiped about by those old ladies in the compound, how can she stay in the compound?"
"Mom was too anxious. Mom has good news for you. I mentioned it to Xingyue today, and guess what Xingyue thought of you?"
Upon hearing Comrade Qiao's evaluation of him, Xie Zhongming tensed up. "How did Comrade Qiao evaluate me?"
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