She raised her head, her gaze fixed on the long dirt road stretched out by the setting sun, her eyes filled with a determination that Guan Wenru had never seen before. "Yes! I've thought it through, Wenru. This isn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; I've had these words in my heart for a long time!"
My life is pretty much over. I can endure it and maybe I can get through it to old age, but I can't just watch my three daughters follow in my footsteps!
Thinking of those two, Hua Xiaoyu's tone became excited, with a kind of resolute determination, "Look at my Daya, Erya, and Xiaoya! Zhang Desheng and his mother don't even treat them like human beings!"
They call them worthless trash, and they pinch and hit them at the drop of a hat! If I keep putting up with this, when they grow up, will they also think that women are inherently inferior to men? That being beaten and mistreated is their fate? That they can't live without men? I can't let them think like that!
This is a new society! The radio says every day, "Women hold up half the sky!" Look at you, Wenru, how well you manage the factory! Which man doesn't admire you?
I can work too! I earn over thirty yuan a month at the factory, not much less than Zhang Desheng!
I can support my daughter! I want them to know that women can live without men! They can still earn a living with their own hands and eat well!
I can afford to send them to school and help them succeed! We can't... we can't continue like in ancient times, where women were expected to be completely dependent on men, enduring beatings and mistreatment without remorse!
As Guan Wenru listened to Hua Xiaoyu's resounding words, the shock in her eyes gradually turned into deep appreciation and comfort.
She reached out and squeezed Hua Xiaoyu's hand, which was gripping the handlebars tightly. "Sister-in-law! I'm so happy for you that you think this way! Really! You're right, we women must first stand up for ourselves! What you're thinking about for our daughters is truly for their own good!"
Hua Xiaoyu's eyes reddened slightly upon receiving Guan Wenru's affirmation, but she stubbornly held back her tears, instead revealing a relieved smile. "Yes! Wenru, with your support, I feel much more confident!"
Guan Wenru looked very serious. “I support you! I definitely support you! But now that you’ve made up your mind, we need to think carefully about how to get a divorce. With Zhang Desheng and his mother’s personalities, they probably won’t agree easily, and there will inevitably be a big fight.”
Hua Xiaoyu nodded, "I know, Wenru, your sister-in-law doesn't have any big ideas, so she wanted to hear your thoughts."
I can give up everything else, but I must take my three daughters with me! I can support them; my salary is enough to feed them and send them to school!
But... but the housing situation is a huge problem. If we get divorced, that house in the family compound was allocated to Zhang Desheng by the military. Where will the four of us—mother and child—live? We can't just sleep on the streets.”
Hearing Hua Xiaoyu's determination, Guan Wenru felt gratified and quickly began to plan out the specific details for her:
“Sister-in-law, I admire your thinking from the bottom of my heart, but we can’t just act on impulse! The three children are Zhang Desheng’s offspring, and he has to take responsibility! Divorce is fine, but we must ask him for child support until the three children are all adults! This is a responsibility he can’t shirk!”
A hint of worry flashed across Hua Xiaoyu's face. "Child support? Wenru, I'm afraid... I'm afraid that if I take his money, that old hag will have even more reason to hurl insults and cause trouble. I don't want to have anything to do with their family anymore! I can raise the child myself!"
"No, no, no!" Guan Wenru shook her head. "Sister-in-law, you have to get this money! This isn't about being angry! It's what Zhang Desheng, as a father, should pay! Why should you work so hard to raise the child while he gets to relax? There's no justice in this world! You have to listen to me on this matter!"
As for where to live, you don't need to worry. The division headquarters and the compound have regulations that even if you get divorced, they won't kick you and your children out immediately. There will always be a place to settle you down.
But if you really don't want to see that mother and son anymore, and it bothers you, there's a way. You've worked here for quite a while, and you're definitely eligible for housing. In our factory, with your qualifications, getting a two-bedroom apartment shouldn't be a problem!"
Hua Xiaoyu's voice trembled slightly, "Really? Is it possible?"
Guan Wenru chuckled and nodded affirmatively, "Of course! Back then, I overruled everyone's objections and insisted on taking a portion of the factory's profits to build these employee dormitories, just so that all our factory's employees, regardless of gender, could have a place to live and work, and stand tall with their backs! Perfect, you can use it!"
Hua Xiaoyu's eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve, her voice choked with emotion, "That's wonderful... Wenru... that's wonderful... with your words, I... I'm not afraid of anything anymore!"
Seriously! As long as I have a place to live with my child, a home to call home, I'm not afraid of anything!
Now that we're divorced, my children and I will avoid living in the factory compound if possible, to avoid the constant annoyance of seeing each other! Perfect! The factory dormitory is closer to the county school, making it more convenient for my three girls to go to school!
Guan Wenru smiled with relief, "Sister-in-law, that's the right way to think!"
Hua Xiaoyu thought for a moment, still a little hesitant, "But Wenru, about child support... I still..."
"Sister-in-law!" Guan Wenru interrupted her again, her expression turning serious. "Child support is a must! It's not about the amount of money, it's a matter of principle!"
Don't worry, you won't have to deal with this alone. Once you've talked things over, go directly to Sister Chunlan. She's the head of the family committee and has a lot of experience. She can be the fairest person to draft the divorce agreement for you.
Moreover, if Zhang Desheng dares to act recklessly and disagree, the leaders will talk to him! He has no choice but to pay the child support, whether he wants to or not!
Then, as if remembering something, Guan Wenru said in an unusually serious tone, "But sister-in-law, remember one thing: when writing the child support details in the agreement, don't write a specific amount. Just write that it's fifty percent of his monthly salary! It has to be written like that!"
Hua Xiaoyu looked puzzled. "Why can't we just write down a number? And... half the salary? Isn't that a bit too much?"
Guan Wenru smiled helplessly, "It's not much at all! We have three children! Sister-in-law, believe me, just write it like this. Money is unpredictable. It may not seem like much now, but what if wages increase in the future? What if prices change?"
If we write down the exact amount, we'll lose out! We need half of his salary, that's the percentage! If he earns more, the kids can use more; if he earns less, we'll have to tighten our belts, but morally we won't lose out! Trust me on this, you won't go wrong!
Although Hua Xiaoyu didn't fully understand the deeper meaning behind Guan Wenru's words, she had absolute trust in Guan Wenru and nodded vigorously, "Yes! Wenru, I'll listen to you! You're more knowledgeable than your sister-in-law, you see further! I'll do whatever you say!"
After reaching an agreement, Guan Wenru patted Hua Xiaoyu's arm and said, "Sister-in-law, you're more carefree than I thought! Let's go back first, it's not safe to go after dark."
"good!"
The two started riding their bicycles again.
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