Chapter 120 Tong Wanjun and Wang Hong in Trouble...
Wang Hongmei shook her head, saying that she didn't want to ask about finding a lawyer, but when Mingxi pressed her for details, she hesitated and refused to answer.
Mingxi felt incredibly frustrated. Wang Hongmei wouldn't say what it was about, so how could Mingxi help her? But since Wang Hongmei wouldn't say, Mingxi couldn't force her.
Wang Hongmei hesitated for a long time, but in the end she didn't say her question. She stood up and said, "I... I don't have any other questions. I have something to do, so I'll leave first!"
She was in a hurry to leave when Mingxi called out to her, "Wang Hongmei."
Wang Hongmei turned around and looked at Mingxi with a confused expression. Mingxi said, "If your cousin is determined to get a divorce, she can come to our Women's Federation for help with any problems. We will do our best to help her."
Wang Hongmei paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."
After Wang Hongmei left, Mingxi returned to her desk to continue working. Wang Hongmei's appearance was just a minor incident in Mingxi's work; women like Wang Hongmei came to the Women's Federation every day to inquire about things. Although the Women's Federation had done its best to help these women, regrettable incidents were still inevitable.
Not all lesbians can bring themselves to get a divorce.
Mingxi encountered several such cases every week, so she didn't take Wang Hongmei's visit to heart. At most, she would mention to Zhao Sulan that Wang Hongmei had gotten married when she got home.
Zhao Sulan was quite moved when she heard this. She was the one who introduced Wang Hongmei and Du Hai, and she thought the two were a good match.
Du Hai, due to his family background, was strong-willed, opinionated, and assertive from a young age. Wang Hongmei, on the other hand, was gentle and mild-mannered. To put it nicely, she was honest; to put it bluntly, she was quiet and reserved. However, she was obedient, good-tempered, and kind-hearted, and the neighbors all said she was a good, obedient girl.
Zhao Sulan thought that Wang Hongmei and Du Hai's personalities complemented each other perfectly, and that Wang Hongmei was gentle and didn't mind that Du Hai had to raise his younger sister, so she introduced the two of them. Later, the two of them did indeed hit it off.
Who would have thought that while Wang Hongmei was indeed obedient, she listened to everyone and was easily swayed, readily believing anything she heard. Adding to this, Zhou Cuihua had a fiery temper; upon hearing rumors that Du Hai was incompetent, she didn't even confront him before concluding that he was deliberately trying to deceive her into marriage, escalating the situation to the point where it couldn't be salvaged.
But all of that is in the past.
Du Hai and Zuo Ying both have children, and Wang Hongmei is married, so there's no point in saying anything more.
Zhao Sulan asked curiously, "Do you know who Wang Hongmei married?"
Mingxi shook her head. She hadn't really asked about it; all she knew was that Wang Hongmei had just gotten married this month.
Judging from the way Wang Hongmei talks about her husband, it seems that the young couple has a good relationship.
Perhaps Wang Hongmei and Du Hai were destined not to be together. After their breakup, they both quickly found love and entered into happy marriages.
Mingxi casually gossiped with Zhao Sulan, but unexpectedly, the next evening, she and Zhao Sulan ran into Wang Hongmei and her lover on the street.
Mingxi pulled Zhao Sulan out to buy clothes. It had rained in the north of the city the past two days, and the temperature had dropped to single digits. It was gloomy and cold during the day, and many people on the street were wearing cotton-padded coats. When Zhao Sulan took out the cotton-padded coat from the bottom of Mingxi's trunk, she also took out her own winter coat.
When Mingxi looked at Zhao Sulan, he realized that she had been wearing that cotton-padded coat for who knows how many years. The cotton wadding inside had become a thin layer and was not warm at all.
Zhao Sulan used to be frugal because her family was poor, but now they are all wealthy and have tens of thousands of yuan. Why are they still wearing tattered cotton-padded coats?
Regardless of whether Zhao Sulan wanted it or not, Mingxi threw her two tattered clothes into the trash can and dragged her out to buy new clothes.
Zhao Sulan was heartbroken and kept nagging him the whole way, saying that Xi was a spendthrift child.
"You spendthrift child! Even if the cotton-padded coat is unwearable, you can't just throw it in the trash! It's made of good cotton and fabric, and we used quite a bit of cotton. Didn't you say your bottom was cold sitting on the chairs at work? We could easily take the cotton out and make you a bottom cushion. We can't waste the outer fabric either; if we don't use it all for the bottom cushion, we can cut it up and use it as a mop, which would save us money on buying a mop. But instead, you just threw it in the trash! Now tell me, how am I supposed to make you a bottom cushion?"
Mingxi had money in her hands and spoke with confidence. She waved her hand and said, "It's just cotton. I still have cotton coupons. Let me buy some more!"
Zhao Sulan glared at her: "Buy what? Didn't I tell you last time that we still have cotton at home? How much cotton do we need to make one cushion? We don't even have enough at home, yet you keep clamoring to buy more cotton. Old Guan is right, you young people, once you have a little money, you become incredibly extravagant, as if you can't stand not spending money."
Mingxi has a flat mouth.
Her mother said both good and bad things.
Mingxi simply shut up and listened obediently to Zhao Sulan's rambling.
They kept nagging all the way to the department store. Mingxi said, "Mom, we're here now. Let's not talk about that old cotton-padded coat for now. Let's talk about what kind of clothes you want."
Her eyes swept over the women's clothing hanging in the clothing section, and she immediately spotted a black coat hanging in the middle of the wall behind the sales clerk.
The coat features a structured shoulder design, a deep V-neck, and a straight silhouette, but with two rows of buttons at the waist for a cinched waist. The design is simple and elegant, with clean and sharp lines; Mingxi thinks it would suit Zhao Sulan perfectly.
Noticing that Mingxi's gaze lingered on the coat for a long time, the sales clerk behind the counter came over, and Mingxi said, "Comrade, could you please take that black coat down for me so I can take a look?"
The sales clerk nodded, took the coat down, and said to Mingxi, "Comrade, you have a good eye. This coat is a new arrival of ours this week. It's only been on the shelf for two days and it's already almost sold out. Now, including this one on the shelf, there are only three left."
As she spoke, she tucked a corner of the coat into Mingxi's hand: "This coat has a great cut, it suits all body types, and it really brings out your presence. Most importantly, the fabric feels amazing. It's a wool and cashmere blend, so it's both warm and soft. Feel how wonderful it feels?"
Mingxi touched it with her hand, and it did feel nice, soft and fluffy.
Salesperson: "And also, this coat has a quilted lining inside."
As she spoke, she showed Mingxi the back and sleeves, saying, "Look, the back and sleeves are padded, so they're really warm. If you wear this now, you don't need to wear anything else underneath, just a shirt is enough. When it gets colder, in the dead of winter, you can wear a sweater underneath and still go out."
The saleswoman was incredibly persuasive, and Mingxi was completely smitten. Without further hesitation, she said, "Okay, I'll take it. Could you please get me one that my mom can wear?"
The saleswoman was taken aback. She thought Mingxi wanted to buy it, but she didn't expect Mingxi to buy it for Zhao Sulan next to her. However, she was very professional. She was only stunned for a moment, and the next second she smiled and said to Zhao Sulan, "Sister, you are so lucky to have such a good daughter."
Zhao Sulan couldn't help but frown.
She also thought that Mingxi had taken a liking to this dress and was going to buy it for herself; who would have thought that Mingxi was going to buy it for her.
She immediately shook her head: "No, I'm either at home or working in the factory. It's inconvenient and unsuitable to wear a coat, and there's no suitable occasion to wear it even if I buy one. Forget it."
Mingxi: "Why not a suitable occasion? I think this outfit is perfect for wearing at home."
Zhao Sulan: "What's so appropriate about it? I'm just an old woman, why would I dress up so nicely when I'm doing housework at home?"
She touched the fabric of the coat, and to her surprise, the fabric felt really nice. It was soft and light to the touch, but she could tell just by touching it that such good material must not be cheap.
Mingxi: "Why is it not suitable? People of any age can dress up nicely, and this outfit suits you perfectly."
The saleswoman chimed in, "Yes, ma'am, this coat really suits you. Don't let my position as a saleswoman fool you; I don't lie. If it suits you, it suits you; if it doesn't, it doesn't. If you were shorter, I certainly wouldn't say this coat suits you, but you're tall, so this coat fits you perfectly and won't make you look shorter at all. You can try this coat on; if you don't believe me, I'll put it on for you and you can see how it looks."
As she spoke, she picked up the coat and put it on Zhao Sulan. Zhao Sulan wanted to refuse, but under the pressure from both the saleswoman and Mingxi, she put the coat on anyway.
Mingxi has good taste; this outfit suits Zhao Sulan perfectly. Zhao Sulan is already quite tall, and this outfit makes her look even taller with longer legs, giving her an aura of confidence.
Mingxi: "It suits you perfectly, Mom!"
Zhao Sulan touched the hem of the dress. Although she kept saying it didn't suit her, she couldn't help but ask after putting it on, "Does it look good on me? Does it make my shoulders look broad?"
"It looks good, it doesn't make my shoulders look broad at all." Mingxi turned to the sales clerk and said, "Sir, please issue the invoice."
The sales clerk quickly issued the invoice, and before Zhao Sulan could react, Mingxi swiftly took the invoice and paid. After paying, Mingxi said to the sales clerk, "No need to wrap it up for us, my mom can just wear it."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Zhao Sulan, chuckled, and said, "Mom, didn't you say that there wasn't a suitable occasion to wear this dress? I think today's occasion is quite suitable."
Zhao Sulan: "..."
Although Zhao Sulan felt bad about spending the money, Mingxi had already bought it, so what could she say?
She carefully gathered the hem of her coat. This was the first day she was wearing the new clothes, and she would be heartbroken if she accidentally got them dirty or damaged.
Mingxi couldn't stand Zhao Sulan's timid attitude. She acted as if she had bought the clothes just to wear them, protecting them so carefully. What was the difference between that and treating the clothes like a sacred object?
She pulled Zhao Sulan toward the side counter and said, "One coat is definitely not enough, we need to buy you a cotton-padded jacket as well. I think this one suits you quite well."
Zhao Sulan: "Why buy anything? One piece of clothing is enough. I can't possibly wear any more..."
Although she said that, Zhao Sulan couldn't help but curl up her lips.
Finally, at Mingxi's insistence, Zhao Sulan bought another cotton-padded jacket and a pair of leather shoes. Actually, Mingxi originally wanted to arrange a pair of trousers for her as well, but Zhao Sulan refused to accept them, so Mingxi gave up.
Zhao Sulan had no choice but to stop them. These three pieces of clothing alone cost more than a hundred yuan. The wool coat was the most expensive, costing ninety-eight yuan.
If I keep buying, I won't be able to stop spending two hundred yuan.
Although Mingxi paid for it, Zhao Sulan still felt the pinch. Her inherently frugal nature made her unable to bear seeing Mingxi spend money like that.
Mingxi couldn't refuse Zhao Sulan, so she could only carry her three spoils and follow Zhao Sulan out of the department store. As soon as the mother and daughter stepped out, they saw Wang Hongmei at the door.
Wang Hongmei saw Mingxi and called out, "Comrade Ming!"
Mingxi looked in the direction of the sound and noticed Wang Hongmei. She greeted Wang Hongmei and then looked at the man standing next to her.
Mingxi blinked: "Who is this...?"
Wang Hongmei said somewhat shyly, "This is my husband."
She explained to the man next to her, "This is Comrade Mingxi, whom I told you about before."
Wang Hongmei's husband stared wide-eyed at Mingxi in surprise, but he quickly realized that his reaction seemed a bit exaggerated. He quickly composed himself and greeted Mingxi, "Hello, Comrade Ming."
Hello, hello.
Mingxi wanted to laugh to herself. Wang Hongmei was the kind of person who couldn't hide anything on her face. She hadn't expected her husband to be the same way.
Mingxi: "You're here to buy things too?"
Wang Hongmei nodded: "My mother-in-law asked us to come out and buy some things."
Mingxi: "Okay, then you guys go ahead and buy it. We'll be going now. If we happen to run into each other next time, we can chat some more."
After Mingxi finished speaking, he turned to leave, but Wang Hongmei hurriedly stopped him: "Um, Comrade Ming."
Mingxi: "Hmm? What, is there something else?"
Wang Hongmei bit her lip: "About what I told you yesterday about my cousin getting a divorce..."
Mingxi: "Well, is your cousin sure she wants a divorce? If she does, she needs to find a lawyer. She can go to the Women's Federation herself, and we'll help her find a lawyer."
Wang Hongmei: "Well... it's like this, my cousin has a special situation, and she doesn't really want others to know about her situation."
Mingxi was completely confused. What did this mean? It was just a divorce, so why was it considered a special case?
However, she still replied, "Don't worry, our Women's Federation will not disclose your cousin's privacy to others."
Wang Hongmei looked anxious: "No, that's not what I wanted to ask. I wanted to ask if it's possible to keep my cousin's divorce a secret and not let outsiders know why she's getting a divorce?"
Mingxi felt strange, but still answered truthfully: "Yes, you can apply for a closed hearing. That way, the trial will not be open to the public, and only the judge, lawyer, court clerk, and the parties involved will be present. Outsiders will not know why your cousin and her husband got divorced."
"A closed trial..."
Wang Hongmei read those five words aloud in a low voice, nodded solemnly, and said, "I understand, thank you."
Mingxi waved her hand: "Hey, it's nothing."
Wang Hongmei smiled slightly and asked again, "Last time you mentioned that, the one about proving that the man's environment was not conducive to raising the child, does the man's physical violence count as being unsuitable for raising the child?"
Mingxi's face darkened: "Hitting someone? Is that domestic violence?"
She said, "If it is domestic violence, the judge probably will not award custody to the other party. However, the determination of domestic violence is harsh. Even if it is just one instance of violence and the injuries are not serious, the judge may still be inclined to believe that it is a normal conflict between husband and wife."
Wang Hongmei frowned: "But my cousin has injuries, doesn't that prove it either?"
Mingxi: "Even if there is an injury, it needs to be confirmed by the hospital."
Wang Hongmei clenched her fists angrily: "What kind of law is this? It's completely unfair!"
Mingxi's heart sank; she also felt this was unfair.
Wang Hongmei took a deep breath to calm herself down. Although she was still angry, it wasn't something Mingxi could decide. Besides, Mingxi had patiently helped her solve many problems, and she should thank Mingxi.
Wang Hongmei thanked Mingxi repeatedly before taking her leave. Mingxi shook her head, finding it strange.
Zhao Sulan: "What happened? I saw Wang Hongmei thanking you the whole time."
“Well, it’s nothing, it’s just that her cousin seems to be getting a divorce and she has some questions to ask.” Mingxi: “Wang Hongmei keeps stammering and doesn’t explain what’s going on. I’m still completely confused and don’t know how to help.”
Zhao Sulan: "Maybe they have some difficulties."
These days, most people still view divorced women with prejudice, often labeling them as restless, dishonest, or that there must be something wrong with them for divorcing. Therefore, in general, women who decide to file for divorce have gone through a considerable internal struggle.
Mingxi sighed; she could actually understand it.
Just from hearing Wang Hongmei talk about her cousin's situation, Mingxi could imagine how difficult it must have been for her to file for divorce.
She had to consider her children, her parents, the gossip she would face after the divorce, and the more pressing financial issues.
It's understandable that the other party is hesitant to make a decision and hasn't shown up.
However, Mingxi still hoped that her cousin Wang Hongmei could come to the Women's Federation in person so that they could find out what was going on and better help her.
Mingxi sighed. She thought about it all night after returning home, but she still couldn't let go of her cousin Wang Hongmei's matter. Mainly, according to Wang Hongmei, her cousin was still suffering from domestic violence, and she couldn't ignore it.
Mingxi tossed and turned in bed, still wanting to find out more about the situation from her cousin Wang Hongmei and see how she could help the other party.
The next day at work, when Mingxi mentioned this to Sister Wang, Sister Wang thought the same thing.
Sister Wang said, "Okay, after get off work today, I'll go with you to Wang Hongmei's house and ask her to take us to her cousin to find out what's going on. Even if they think we're meddling, we'll still make the trip. It'll only waste a little time, but if we don't go and something really happens to her, we'll feel terrible."
That's exactly the point.
Mingxi and Sister Wang hit it off immediately and decided to go see Wang Hongmei that night.
That evening after get off work, Mingxi left the office with Sister Wang. Luckily, Mingxi had asked Wang Hongmei for her address when they met at the department store the day before, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to find her.
Mingxi and Sister Wang followed the address given by Wang Hongmei and went there. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw a round-faced middle-aged woman. Mingxi went up to her and explained their purpose. When the round-faced middle-aged woman heard that they were looking for Wang Hongmei, she glanced at Mingxi and asked.
"What do you want with my youngest daughter-in-law?"
Mingxi really didn't expect that things would be so coincidental; the old lady in the courtyard was none other than Wang Hongmei's mother-in-law.
She subtly sized up the other woman. The round-faced woman wasn't very tall, was slightly overweight, had short, naturally curly gray hair, and a deep frown line between her eyebrows. She looked like someone you didn't want to mess with.
Mingxi: "Auntie, we're from the Women's Federation. A couple of days ago, Comrade Wang Hongmei came to the Women's Federation to inquire about something on behalf of her cousin. That's why we've come to see her."
Wang Hongmei's mother-in-law knew about Wang Hongmei's visit to the Women's Federation, but like Mingxi, she didn't know anything about Wang Hongmei's cousin from her maternal family.
She glanced at Mingxi and said, "Wait a moment, I'll call someone for you."
When Wang Hongmei's mother-in-law entered the house, she quickly called Wang Hongmei out. Wang Hongmei was surprised to see Mingxi and asked, "Comrade Ming, what brings you here?"
Mingxi: "I'm still a little worried about your cousin. Could you take us to see her and talk to her face-to-face about the situation?"
Wang Hongmei paused, then stammered, "My cousin hasn't decided yet whether or not she wants a divorce."
Mingxi: "It's okay, it's okay if we haven't thought it through yet. We just want to talk to her in person to find out what's going on."
Wang Hongmei bit her lip, hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded through gritted teeth and said, "Okay, then I'll take you to see my cousin."
Wang Hongmei greeted her mother-in-law, then led Mingxi and Sister Wang out. After walking for a while, Wang Hongmei said, "I'm taking you to my aunt's house now. My cousin has taken her child to stay at her parents' house for the past few days. My aunt and uncle are home right now, and they don't know what happened yet. Could you please not say you're from the Women's Federation, but just say you're my cousin's colleagues visiting her? Is that alright?"
Mingxi nodded and agreed.
Wang Hongmei breathed a sigh of relief. She led Mingxi and the other person to the place quickly. After entering, Wang Hongmei told her aunt, as they had agreed beforehand, that Mingxi and Sister Wang were her cousin's colleagues. The other person didn't think much of it and warmly invited the two people in, poured them tea, and said she would prepare some fruit.
While the other woman was in the kitchen preparing fruit, Mingxi and Sister Wang went into her cousin's bedroom with Wang Hongmei.
Wang Hongmei's cousin was sitting on the bed with her head down, seemingly lost in thought, until she saw Wang Hongmei leading two strangers into the room, at which point she looked up.
Mingxi immediately noticed the wound on her forehead that was bandaged with gauze.
"Hongmei, what brings you here? And who are these two?"
Wang Hongmei introduced them to her cousin: "Cousin, these two are staff members of the Women's Federation."
She pointed at Mingxi: "This is Comrade Mingxi, whom I mentioned to you."
Wang Hongmei turned around and introduced Mingxi and Sister Wang as well: "Mingxi, this is my cousin Tong Wanjun."
After Wang Hongmei introduced herself to both sides and the two sides exchanged greetings, she explained, "Sister, Comrade Ming and the others were worried about you after hearing what I told them about your situation before, so they came to ask you about the specifics."
Tong Wanjun bit her lip, looking troubled and reluctant to speak.
Wang Hongmei reassured her, "Sister, don't worry. I asked, and Comrade Ming and the others said they would keep it a secret and wouldn't reveal your situation. Just tell them without worry. If you don't tell them, there's nothing they can do to help you, right?"
Mingxi: "Yes, Comrade Tong, we've come to help you solve your problem. You don't need to be afraid of us."
Tong Wanjun lived up to her name, possessing a gentle and graceful appearance. Her delicate eyebrows carried a hint of melancholy, making her seem less like someone from the northern city and more like a girl from the water towns of Jiangnan.
Hearing Mingxi's words, she looked up and stared at him steadily. Mingxi met Tong Wanjun's gaze calmly, his eyes unwavering.
Perhaps it was Mingxi's gaze that gave Tong Wanjun courage. She took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'll talk."
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