Chapter 98 The Timid Him (Part 10) I'm Proud to Have My Motherland by My Side…
Upon hearing this, Chen Mei suddenly raised her head and stared intently at Song Mingyuan, as if trying to see right through him.
"Why? Xiao Ce is the child I carried for ten months and gave birth to! He is my son! How could I let him go with you! I am his biological mother, and no one in this world loves Xiao Ce more than me!" Chen Mei roared hysterically.
"Chen Mei, do you really want to force me to speak frankly in front of our son?" Song Mingyuan asked calmly, looking at his wife who was losing control of her emotions.
Chen Mei was stunned, her whole body stiffening instantly. She stubbornly asked, "What...what do you mean by that?"
"Did you really go back to your parents' home in Suzhou?" Song Mingyuan stared at Chen Mei, his expression dejected.
Chen Mei stared at Song Mingyuan in disbelief, involuntarily taking two steps back, her eyes flickering as she stammered, "I, of course I am..." She trailed off, then suddenly seemed to remember something, turning to Song Ce beside her and pleading, "Xiao Ce, please persuade your dad! If Mom and Dad get divorced, this family will fall apart! It won't be complete! Can you bear to see that happen?"
Meeting Chen Mei's pleading gaze, Song Ce slowly said, "Mom, a truly complete family isn't just about form; it's about everyone feeling genuinely happy and content. Given the current situation, can you and Dad really be happy if you continue to force yourselves to stay together?"
Upon hearing her son's words, Chen Mei swayed violently, almost losing her balance. She cried, "Xiao Ce, you're still so young. You don't understand anything your mother has done—it's all for this family, for you! Xiao Ce, how can you be so heartless as to treat your mother like this?"
However, Chen Mei waited for a long time but received no reply from her son. She looked up and, seeing the identical calm faces of father and son, the stabbing pain in her heart was instantly replaced by a surge of hatred. She felt as if the whole world had betrayed her. The betrayers were not only her honest, unassuming husband, but also her son who had once been so devoted to her.
The father and son conspired to drive themselves into a corner.
Chen Mei suddenly reached out, grabbed the divorce papers, and tore them to shreds with both hands. She screamed at the father and son, "I don't agree! I absolutely don't agree to a divorce!" After saying that, she turned and went back to the bedroom, crying.
Song Mingyuan sighed helplessly, bent down to pick up the scraps of paper on the ground, and said softly, "Xiao Ce, you should go back to your room first. I... I'll have a good talk with your mother."
"Um."
Inside the bedroom, Chen Mei buried her face in the pillow and sobbed. Song Mingyuan pushed open the door, stood by the bed, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice, "Chen Mei, actually, I noticed something was wrong with you when Xiao Ce graduated from junior high school. Every time you came back from Suzhou, your whole demeanor was very strange. Last time you went back to Suzhou, I secretly followed you, only to find that you didn't go back to your parents' house at all. I... for Xiao Ce, and for our family, I've kept quiet for so many years, never saying a word. But today, I don't want to pretend I don't know anymore."
Upon hearing this, Chen Mei instantly stopped crying. She opened her mouth, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a few words: "Mingyuan, I...I..."
The air in the room seemed to freeze. Song Mingyuan's eyes were slightly red. Although he had vaguely guessed the truth long ago, he still couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness when the moment actually arrived. He slowly looked at his wife and softly asked, "Chen Mei, I want to hear you tell me yourself, is all of this true?"
Chen Mei sobbed, buried her face in her hands, and burst into tears: "Mingyuan, I... I didn't want this to happen either. I just felt so suffocated in this house all these years, I felt like I couldn't breathe. I just wanted some space of my own, I..."
Before she could finish speaking, Song Mingyuan shook his head with a wry smile: "Your own space? Chen Mei, what you need is probably not space, but a completely new life."
Chen Mei raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, looking innocent and pitiful: "Mingyuan, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. Please, for Xiao Ce's sake, give me another chance, okay? Let's not get a divorce, I promise I'll be alright from now on, let's be like before, okay?"
Song Mingyuan closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. He remained silent for a long time before opening his eyes to look at the woman he once deeply loved, choking back sobs as he said, "Chen Mei, some things, once they happen, can never be undone, do you understand?"
"I'll kneel down and apologize to you, okay? Mingyuan?" Chen Mei, her eyes brimming with tears, stood up, supporting herself on the headboard, and slowly knelt on the floor, crying, "I'm sorry, Mingyuan, I really want to continue living with you. Please forgive me, okay?"
Song Mingyuan could no longer hold back. He suddenly covered his face and shook his head. "But I don't want to, Chen Mei. This kind of life is torture for me, even for a minute longer."
Upon hearing this, Chen Mei cried even harder. She knew that it was over between her and Song Mingyuan.
For the next few days, Chen Mei seemed to have lost her soul, spending her days in a daze. With the divorce date drawing ever closer, she began to confess and cry to Song Mingyuan every day, trying to salvage their already broken marriage.
Unable to bear the disturbance any longer, Song Mingyuan quickly rented a new house and moved out hastily.
Unable to find Song Mingyuan, Chen Mei placed all her hopes on Song Ce. She began frantically pouring out her regrets and pain to Song Ce, trying to gain comfort and support from her son. However, a week later, Song Ce also left the family.
Finally, the day arrived for her to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to complete the divorce procedures. Chen Mei got up early. Looking at her slightly haggard reflection in the mirror, she couldn't help but smile bitterly. However, she forced herself to cheer up, carefully dressed herself, and then left home, heading towards the Civil Affairs Bureau.
At the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Chen Mei spotted Song Mingyuan from afar. He seemed much more relaxed, and Chen Mei couldn't help but walk up to him and softly call out, "Mingyuan."
Song Mingyuan turned to look at her, his expression calm to the point of being gentle: "Chen Mei, I hope you can live a good life from now on."
These words made Chen Mei's long-held thoughts catch in her throat. As she watched Song Mingyuan walk into the Civil Affairs Bureau, her eyes reddened once again.
The two entered the Civil Affairs Bureau one after the other. During the divorce proceedings, they remained silent, with only the mechanical questions and the sound of stamps from the staff.
The divorce proceedings were completed very quickly.
As Chen Mei stepped out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, the sky was overcast, and a cool breeze, carrying a chill, seeped into her skin, causing her to instinctively tighten her collar. Watching Song Mingyuan nod to her and turn to leave, Chen Mei felt a pang of pain in her heart. She opened her mouth, hesitated for a long time, and finally mustered the courage to call out, "Mingyuan, wait!"
Upon hearing this, Song Mingyuan stopped and turned to look at her, his eyes filled with a hint of doubt.
"I...I know it's too late to say anything now, but I still want to tell you, thank you for taking care of me all these years." Chen Mei's eyes reddened, and she choked up as she spoke.
Song Mingyuan paused slightly, then said softly, "The past is the past. If I have to thank someone, I should thank you for giving me such a wonderful child as Xiao Ce." With that, his figure gradually disappeared into the distance until Chen Mei could no longer see him.
"And... I'm sorry, I ruined this family." Chen Mei murmured in the direction Song Mingyuan had left. After a long while, she returned home dejectedly, pushed open the door to face the empty house, and could no longer suppress her emotions. She covered her face and burst into tears.
...
More than a month passed in the blink of an eye, and the lives of the father and son gradually returned to normal. After the final exams of the first semester of high school, Song Ce once again relied on his own strength to win the first place in the first year of high school with a high score of 1025, which was almost 50 points higher than the second place.
This time, those classmates who had previously questioned Song Ce's grades all shut their mouths. Mao Guanying, the homeroom teacher of Class 2, Grade 1, was overjoyed when she learned of Song Ce's score. Just over a month ago, the subject teachers were still discussing his grades, but now, he had successfully broken through the 1000-point mark, directly proving his ability with his grades.
After getting off work, Song Mingyuan learned the exciting news that his son, Song Ce, had achieved first place in his grade twice in a row. Overjoyed, he took Song Ce out for a lavish meal. During the meal, when Song Ce mentioned wanting to install a computer in his bedroom, Song Mingyuan didn't hesitate and ordered a top-of-the-line model for his son. This expense cost him two months' salary. But looking at his son's dazzling final report card, a smile never left his face.
It's just a computer, it's worth it!
On the very day the new computer was assembled, the verdicts for Li Xingping and others were also handed down.
Armed robbery is an extremely serious crime, usually severely punished under Chinese law. The video submitted by Song Ce directly documented the atrocities committed by Li Xingping and his accomplices. In the video, they threatened the victim with knives and wantonly robbed him in his home; the circumstances were extremely heinous.
An investigation revealed that Li Xingping and his accomplices all had prior criminal records and were repeat offenders. Furthermore, given their poor attitude after being apprehended and the lack of mitigating circumstances such as surrender or confession, the Shanghai Municipal People's Court ultimately sentenced Li Xingping as the principal offender. He was found guilty of robbery for breaking into a home with the intent to illegally possess property, using violence to threaten the victim. The other accomplices were found guilty of joint crime. Li Xingping was sentenced to fifteen years and ten months imprisonment, while the other accomplices were sentenced to twelve years and six months and ten years and three months imprisonment respectively. In addition, all defendants were fined 2,000 yuan and ordered to pay the victim 50,000 yuan in compensation.
It is worth noting that the defendant, Liu Xiangtian, was between 15 and 16 years old at the time of the crime, and did not possess a knife. He played an auxiliary role in the crime and was therefore an accomplice, warranting a lighter sentence according to law. Furthermore, Liu Xiangtian was a minor under 18 years old at the time of the crime; minors are subject to reduced penalties according to law. Therefore, the court sentenced the defendant, Liu Xiangtian, to four years and six months imprisonment and a fine of 1,000 yuan.
After hearing his verdict in court, Liu Xiangtian swayed, then his vision went black, and he fainted on the spot.
This case caused a great stir at No. 5 Middle School. To protect the privacy of the underage victim, no information about the victim was released during the trial. Students at No. 5 Middle School could only discuss it privately, speculating about the truth behind the case; no one knew who the real victim was.
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Author's Note: Thank you to the lovely readers for the landmines and nutrient solutions (cuddling)
P.S.: The judgment was found on Baidu (a Chinese search engine) when I looked up the case information. Just to clarify.
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