Xiao Yunsong became increasingly angry as he spoke.
"My sister only advised him a couple of times not to cause trouble at the clinic, as it would embarrass him. This scoundrel couldn't tell right from wrong and tried to hit my sister right in front of me, so I kicked him to the ground."
Xiao Yunbai said, "Good kick! He's gotten used to hitting Third Sister. He's a real scoundrel. It's only because I wasn't here that he did this. If I were, I would have given him a good beating."
Xiao Yunying pulled Xiao Yuntao to sit down. Seeing that her expression was normal, she asked, "Third sister, what are you thinking?"
Xiao Yuntao said, "Divorce. As long as he agrees to divorce, I will not tell anyone about his impotence. As long as he still has any shame, he will have no choice but to agree."
"Third Sister is right. This matter cannot be delayed. We cannot give the Ge family time to come up with a solution. We will go tomorrow."
She wasn't afraid of the Ge family coming up with any crooked ideas; she could simply deal with whatever they came up with. She just didn't want to waste time.
The matter was settled. Xiao Yunying returned home in the evening. The children had already come back, and she asked Luo Yang to help her write a divorce agreement.
Luo Yang overheard Xiao Chunlei mention that his aunt had returned yesterday, and Mu Lianrong had instructed them not to ask too many questions.
Thinking back to Ge Changjian's attitude towards the Xiao family that I saw on the second day of junior high school, I roughly guessed what was going on.
He laid out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone: "How do you write?"
Xiao Yunying said, "Just write that the man is sick and unable to have children, including his parents-in-law who have been beating and tormenting their daughter-in-law for a long time and have taken away her dowry. As for the rest, just write it according to the local custom. It's all the same words."
Luo Yang paused for a moment while grinding ink. Her mother was showing absolutely no regard for the groom's family's reputation.
Although he hadn't seen many divorce papers, he figured they wouldn't include anything about male impotence.
He revised the sentence, writing it on paper in the most civilized language possible.
"Mother, it's finished."
Xiao Yunying took it and looked at it: "It's well written, the meaning is all correct."
She dried the ink, put it away, and planned to accompany Xiao Yuntao to the Ge family tomorrow.
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The next morning, Xiao Yunying watched the children board the carriage, and then took Luo Xin back to her parents' home.
He showed Xiao Yuntao the divorce papers and gave her a brief explanation of their meaning.
"My third sister said that the Ge family doesn't have any proper scholars, so they probably wouldn't understand this divorce agreement. Let's get him to sign it and put his fingerprint on it first."
If he understands, that's fine. Just tell him that after he signs, the two families will have no further contact. As long as the Ge family doesn't cause trouble, we won't say anything.
"If they don't sign, we'll publicize their affair and sue them for stealing their daughter-in-law's dowry. That won't just damage their family's reputation; the whole village could be implicated. They should think carefully."
Xiao Yunying had asked Luo Yang about women's dowries, but it was just a casual question. She never expected that Luo Yang actually knew the answer.
The laws of Yi State clearly stipulate that dowry is the personal property of the woman, and the man has no right to use or interfere with it.
If the two parties divorce, the woman can take everything back to her parents' home.
If the groom's family seizes the bride's dowry, they will surely win the case if they sue in court. If word gets out, it will definitely damage their reputation and make people gossip about them.
Xiao Yuntao accepted the divorce papers: "Third sister knows. Little sister, you don't need to go. Let Father, eldest brother, and second brother accompany me."
Xiao Yunying, fearing she would be bullied, said, "Third sister, you..."
Xiao Yuntao gently interrupted her, "After all, it's not a respectable matter. Little sister, you shouldn't go. Don't let this tarnish your reputation. Third sister knows what to do. Besides, with eldest and second brothers protecting me, nothing will happen."
Xiao Yunying said helplessly, "Alright, then Third Sister, be careful. If a fight breaks out, hide behind your eldest and second brothers. They can take a beating."
Xiao Yunbai, who was waiting to leave, exclaimed, "Little sister, what do you mean? Your second brother deserves to be beaten up?"
Mu Lianrong spoke first: "What's wrong? Isn't it right for you, as the older brother, to protect your younger sister? Hurry up and go, come back soon."
Xiao Yunsong was pushed out the door in a daze, and Xiao Yunying watched them walk away, feeling a little uneasy.
She estimated in her heart that the matter would be successful. She could tell that Ge Changjian was a person who cared about his reputation, but she was still somewhat uneasy before the results were in.
Xiao Yuntao and the others returned earlier than she expected; they arrived in their oxcart just past noon.
Hearing the noise, Mu Lianrong came out of the house and saw her two sons unloading bed cabinets, chests and other dowry items from the oxcart.
"How about it?"
Xiao Shanhai entered carrying a box and said, "It's done. The divorce papers have been submitted to the government, and the household registration has been cleared."
Xiao Yunying asked Xiao Yuntao, "Sister, is it really done?"
Xiao Yuntao, carrying a bundle, said, "The Ge family still has some sense of shame. Besides, my father and brothers are here, so they wouldn't dare to force me to stay."
Xiao Yunying breathed a sigh of relief.
It was easier than she had imagined; there were no unexpected complications, and none of the somewhat underhanded methods she had considered were used.
As Xiao Yunbai unloaded the oxcart, he said, "A family of cowards. I was all ready to fight, but not one of them had any backbone."
Xiao Yunsong said, "We got our third sister's dowry back. The old woman from the Ge family looked like she had eaten shit. She's probably heartbroken."
Mu Lianrong snorted: "It was originally my daughter's dowry. What right does she have to feel sorry for it? Stealing her daughter-in-law's dowry, she'll be so embarrassed if word gets out."
Xiao Yuntao comforted her, saying, "Mother, don't be angry. This matter is over. Don't mention the Ge family again."
Mu Lianrong took the bundle from her arms: "Yes, let's not talk about those unlucky things. Have you had lunch yet? Are you hungry?"
"We ate. Dad took us to eat noodles in the city."
The mother and her two daughters went into the house while talking, leaving the men to unpack the things in the car.
Xiao Yuntao untied the bundle, and the first thing she did was take out a purse from it, and handed two five-tael silver ingots to Xiao Yunying.
"Little sister, here's your money back."
Xiao Yunying didn't answer, and turned to Mu Lianrong, saying, "Mother, look at Third Sister, she treats me like an outsider."
This time, Mu Lianrong sided with her third daughter: "Yunyun, your third sister is right. You're a young woman raising four children, how can you earn money..."
She paused mid-sentence, her initial thought being that it wasn't easy for her little girl to earn money, but upon reflection, she realized it really was quite easy for her.
Xiao Yunying chuckled, and Mu Lianrong's tone lost its previous earnestness: "You brat, how dare you laugh at your mother? Anyway, your third sister is right, even brothers keep clear accounts."
Xiao Yunying took the silver ingot and put it back in her purse: "That's what people say when they want to settle accounts. I don't want to settle accounts, so I don't need to hear that."
Third sister, now that you're single again, it's best to keep some money on hand. If you feel bad about it, come over to my house with your sisters-in-law in a few days to help with the seedlings.”
Although her parents and elder brother and sister-in-law would not mistreat her, they were afraid that she would feel pressured. Having money would give her some confidence.
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