It just so happens that his father visited relatives in Jiangnan County many years ago and ran into this old friend. While the two were having dinner and chatting at home, they learned that they both had children of marriageable age.
After having a few drinks, the two parties took it upon themselves to arrange a marriage.
Wang Shufang was quite pretty when she was young, slim and with a gentle voice. Deng Qiuzhi was good-natured and filial, so he naturally obeyed his father's wishes and got married. After the marriage, the two lived happily together and never quarreled. However, after the birth of his brother-in-law, his father-in-law died of illness.
His mother-in-law was like a completely different person, spoiling her younger brother-in-law who was even younger than his daughter.
Every year when he accompanies his wife back to her parents' home, his mother-in-law always complains to him about how difficult life is, and that she always asks him for at least several dozen taels of silver when he leaves.
After growing up, the brother-in-law caused trouble everywhere.
He was always gambling or harassing young girls, and he squandered almost all the family's money.
He even secretly sold his land to support a prostitute at the brothel.
However, he's always the one who has to clean up the mess.
He felt like a piece of firewood, burning eternally for the Wang family until his death.
Looking at Wang Chenshi, who was performing on the ground.
Deng Qiuzhi's heart gradually grew cold.
He looked up at his wife.
"Shufang, let your mother go back. I plan to sell this house. You should go back to Shuangqiao Town. I will bring your son back to see you when he has a break from school. You don't need to worry about the shop. You can just stay home, drink tea, and go shopping with your friends. I will give you money every time you go back."
Deng Qiuzhi's eyes were icy cold. There was a small courtyard behind his shop, with only one room, barely enough for people to live in. After selling the house and sending his wife away, he moved to the back of the shop with Xinbao, and his mother-in-law could no longer cause any trouble.
"What do you mean? Are you trying to kick me out? Are you having an affair with this vixen? What Manager Yan? I don't believe a weak woman like her can run such a big shop. Doesn't the manager of Yan's Pastry Shop have several children? She's almost a grandmother. Look how old this vixen is! You're trying to fool me. I bet she's your mistress! No wonder you told me you were out of money. You probably spent it all on her!"
Wang Shufang was so angry she was trembling.
Even if she were incredibly naive, she couldn't possibly be deceived like that.
The woman beside her husband was at most in her twenties. If she weren't mature and composed, she would only think that the woman was about the same age as her daughter.
As for Lamei, Wang Shufang thought she was a maid.
Why did Lamei deliberately wear old clothes today? She was probably so frightened yesterday that she didn't even dare to wear her hairpins and just dressed in a dusty and grimy state.
“Brother Deng, I have some matters to attend to at home, so it is inconvenient for me to be here. How about this, once you have resolved them, I will wait for you at the city gate at noon this afternoon.”
Since she was her partner's wife, Yan Xia didn't start cursing.
We have to give him face.
It's not good for her to listen too much to other people's family affairs.
After saying that, he took his daughter's hand and left.
He didn't even wait for Deng Qiuzhi to try to persuade him to stay.
When the door slammed shut, Wang Chenshi on the ground began to wail again.
"Everyone, come and see! This mistress dares to come knocking on our door! What sins have I committed to let my precious daughter marry such a man? My daughter, I'm so sorry! If I had known he was this kind of person, I would have been scolded and beaten to death by your father, but I would never have agreed to this marriage!"
"mother--"
The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried, as if Deng Qiuzhi had committed some terrible sin.
“I told you she’s the owner of Yan’s Pastry Shop and she has important business with me. The girl next to her just now is her youngest daughter. What mistress? How dare you look at me like that? We’ve been married for years. If I wanted to find her, would I have waited until now? Shufang, I’ll ask you one more time: are you willing to go back to Shuangqiao Town?”
Deng Qiuzhi's head was throbbing from the noise of the two crying and making a fuss. He held his forehead with his right hand, looking utterly exhausted.
"I'm not going back! Why should I go back? Why should I give up my place to this vixen?!"
"Shufang! I'll say it one last time, you can curse me, but you can't slander my benefactor! She came to me to discuss cooperation, what private affair? If you continue to make things up about her, I won't let you off the hook. Shufang, why have you become like this? If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have come to Jiangnan County!"
Deng Qiuzhi's eyes were filled with disappointment.
"You still say there's no illicit affair? If there's no illicit affair, why would she cooperate with you? Yan's Pastry Shop is so profitable, why would she cooperate with you! You two are definitely having an affair! No wonder you didn't want to help my brother, so you wanted to remarry. Is that why my family doesn't care about you?"
“Daughter, why are you saying so much to him? Get a divorce! Get a divorce from him! I can’t bear to see you being bullied like this. Come home with me and leave this beast. I want to see how he’ll face his father after he dies!”
Wang Chenshi wiped away her snot and tears, wiping them on her sleeve, and made a move to pull Wang Shufang away.
"Wait—"
Seeing Deng Qiuzhi's attempt to persuade her to stay, Wang Chenshi thought she had succeeded. She was about to raise the corners of her mouth and make her demands, such as that he must give her 100 taels of silver, otherwise she would never compromise.
But before he could even speak, Deng Qiuzhi continued.
"Since we're getting a divorce, we should at least sign a divorce agreement. I'll go and write it down."
"What?"
The mother and daughter thought they had misheard.
He took several steps back, his eyes wide open.
“I said, let’s get a divorce. I can’t live like this anymore. The house is yours, the shop is mine. Our daughter is married now. When she visits relatives in the future, whether she wants to see you or me is not up to us. It’s all up to her. I will pay for our son’s education and examinations. I don’t care whether you remarry or stay at home to take care of your mother and brother. There are still 80 taels of silver left in the house. Since you have a lot of jewelry, you can ask for less silver. I will take 50 taels, and the rest is yours.”
We need 45 liang (225 grams) to purchase 150 bags.
Treat Manager Yan to a meal with the remaining five taels.
It should be barely enough.
Deng Qiuzhi was truly disheartened.
He never wanted to live like that again.
"Xinbao! Grind the ink!"
"Yes, Master."
Xinbao was born into the Deng family. His father used to be the Deng family's steward and married the Deng family's cook. They had him. After Deng Qiuzhi's parents passed away, Xinbao's parents also passed away one after the other.
The two grew up together, like brothers and close friends.
Even though Deng Qiuzhi cut back on expenses, he never thought of selling him.
This is the only servant left in the household.
Xinbao had been watching all this, and he felt sorry for his master. Upon hearing this, he immediately went to grind the ink, afraid that if he delayed, his master would change his mind.
"What do you mean?! You actually want a divorce for that vixen?! Are you even human?! You, you—"
Wang Shufang also thought that Deng Qiuzhi would compromise.
But what they received was a divorce agreement.
She broke down.
Now that they're divorced, what will happen to her son? He only got this small house. How will she live in the future?
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