The next day, as the first rays of sunlight shone into the courtyard, the people in the compound began to get up one after another.
Yi Zhonghai slowly opened his eyes, immediately feeling a splitting headache. Recalling the scene before he blacked out last night, Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but slap his forehead, thinking to himself, "Drinking really does lead to trouble."
"Hey! Xiulian, you're up early! Why are you sitting on the bed so early?"
Just as Yi Zhonghai was about to go to the bathroom in bed, he noticed his wife sitting blankly on the edge of the bed and asked her in confusion.
When asked by Yi Zhonghai, the middle-aged woman remained silent and continued to sit there blankly.
Yi Zhonghai didn't pay much attention, assuming that his wife was tired from taking care of him that night. He got up, dressed, and hurriedly ran to the toilet outside the yard.
"Good morning, sir!"
"Good morning, good morning..."
At this moment, Yi Zhonghai had no interest in chatting with people; he simply mechanically returned their greetings and continued running towards the restroom.
A moment later, Yi Zhonghai left the toilet feeling refreshed and returned to the courtyard house, going inside.
When Yi Zhonghai returned home, he found that his wife was still sitting there motionless. Upon closer inspection, he noticed something was different.
At this moment, the middle-aged woman had red eyes and two tear tracks on her cheeks, clearly indicating that she had been crying for a long time.
Yi Zhonghai lost his composure and hurriedly asked.
"Xiulian, what's wrong with you? Say something, don't scare me."
No matter how Yi Zhonghai asked, the old woman remained silent.
Having no other choice, Yi Zhonghai went to the Jia family and asked his apprentice, Jia Dongxu, to help him ask for leave.
Good morning, Master! Have you eaten yet?
When Jia Dongxu saw Yi Zhonghai arrive, he quickly greeted him.
"Good morning, Dongxu. I'm having lunch. I've come to tell you something. I'm not feeling well today. When you get to the factory, please ask for a day off for me."
Yi Zhonghai didn't stand on ceremony and stated his purpose: he needed to go home and check on his wife's situation.
"Okay, Master, are you alright?"
"It's nothing serious, I should be fine after a day of rest. You go ahead and eat, I'm going back now."
After finishing speaking, Yi Zhonghai walked home without waiting for Jia Dongxu's reaction.
Although Jia Dongxu felt something was strange, he didn't ask any further questions, assuming that his master had a bruise on his face and was embarrassed to go to work because he was afraid of being laughed at.
Back home, Yi Zhonghai sat next to his wife, and the two looked at each other without saying a word.
Finally, Yi Zhonghai could no longer bear the atmosphere and spoke up.
"Xiulian, I don't know what I did wrong. If you're going to kill me or torture me, you have to give me a reason. What's the point of you not saying anything? How can I...?"
Seeing that Yi Zhonghai was still rambling on, an older woman interrupted him and said something.
"Yi Zhonghai, let's get a divorce!"
"Alright! Xiulian, you've finally spoken. It's good that you're willing to speak."
As soon as Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, he suddenly remembered what his wife had just said, and was instantly stunned. He then asked her a question.
"No, honey, what did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly."
"Yi Zhonghai, I'm saying let's get a divorce!"
This time, Yi Zhonghai heard and understood what the older woman said.
"Why? Is it because I helped the Jia family repay their grain debt, which made you angry?"
Yi Zhonghai asked unwillingly.
"No, I haven't even thought about this. You should know that you don't even remember what you said last night. Do you want me to remind you?"
Upon hearing what the older woman said, Yi Zhonghai's heart sank instantly, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
"Could it be? Could it be that she knows about that?"
Yi Zhonghai dared not think any further, his expression shifting back and forth, before finally speaking in a seemingly calm tone.
"What could possibly be wrong with me, honey? You must have misunderstood something."
"Yi Zhonghai, Yi Zhonghai, even at this point, you're still putting on an act. Since that's the case, let's get a divorce! Maybe I can find someone else and have a child."
Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, they found out.
"Xiulian, let me explain. I didn't mean it. I admit I had ulterior motives. I was afraid you would leave me."
The older woman didn't believe Yi Zhonghai's words. She thought that Yi Zhonghai valued his reputation the most in his life, so how could he possibly do it for her?
Seeing that the old lady remained unmoved, Yi Zhonghai had no choice but to speak again.
"Xiulian, I'll do whatever you say. We won't get a divorce. Can we adopt a child? Please! Please..."
Listening to Yi Zhonghai's desperate pleas, the middle-aged woman admitted that her heart softened. After all, they had been married for twenty years, and to say that there was no affection between them would be pure nonsense.
But it was absolutely impossible for her to let Yi Zhonghai off the hook now. She had to teach him a lesson. Thinking of this, the old woman spoke up.
“Zhonghai, stop talking. Let’s both think this over. I’m going back to my parents’ house for a while, and we’ll talk again when I’ve figured things out.”
Could Yi Zhonghai object? He could only nod in agreement and wait until the old lady calmed down before picking her up.
In the afternoon, the woman packed her bags, and Yi Zhonghai insisted on taking her to the station. The woman couldn't refuse him and could only let him do as he said.
On the way back, Yi Zhonghai thought a lot, but he thought most about the Jia family. Given the current situation, the Jia family was unreliable, and Yi Zhonghai needed to secure a better future for himself.
Yi Zhonghai planned to sever ties with the Jia family first. The Jia family was a deep pit, and Jia Zhangshi was an incompetent fool who was good for nothing except causing trouble.
His beloved apprentice, Jia Dongxu, comes over every few days to freeload, taking it all for granted, yet he doesn't offer any financial support whatsoever. This is outrageous! Who's going to take care of whom in their old age?
Think about Yi Zhonghai, ever since he took Jia Dongxu as his apprentice, how much effort and money has he spent on the Jia family, but how has the Jia family repaid him?
The Jia family has caused trouble and ruined their reputation. Their endless demands have made their family unsettled. Perhaps, listening to his wife, adopting a child wouldn't be a bad idea.
Thinking of this, Yi Zhonghai suddenly felt enlightened, as if his Ren and Du meridians had been opened.
He strode confidently toward the courtyard house.
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