Chapter 48 Divorce him and quickly marry Wang Juan
Life is like a river that has frozen over and is slowly thawing; it may seem stagnant, but it is actually flowing quietly.
Before she knew it, on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhou Lanying packed her small bundle.
She said to Zhao Fei, who was sweeping the yard, "Fei, I'm going back tomorrow. I need to tidy up the house while I've been away, in preparation for the New Year."
Zhao Fei put down the broom, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and immediately frowned: "Mom, you'll be alone when you go back, it'll be so cold and lonely. Just spend the New Year here, it'll be lively."
“That won’t do,” Zhou Lanying waved her hand, “New Year’s is a time for family reunions, I’m just an outsider…”
“How can you be an outsider?” Zhao Fei interrupted her, his tone sincere. “Yidi is your own granddaughter, and Xiaoxiao and the child… are also close to you. Wenbin will probably spend the New Year here too. If you go back, our New Year will be tasteless. Besides, the west wing has been warmed up for you, so please stay here.”
Wen Xiaoxiao came out of the house carrying the child and gently persuaded, "Auntie, please stay. If you leave, Yidi will be reluctant to part with you." The child in her arms seemed to understand and reached out to Zhou Lanying with "ah ah" sounds.
Looking at the determination in Zhao Fei's eyes, the pleading on Wen Xiaoxiao's face, and Zhao Yidi running over to hug her leg, Zhou Lanying's resolve slowly softened.
She stayed there for a while and witnessed firsthand how this broken "home" kept each other warm in the cold winter. She was also really worried about Wen Xiaoxiao and the children.
After declining several times, he finally nodded: "Then... I'll bother you for a few more days. I'll go back after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year."
Zhao Fei smiled and said, "That's right."
This year, the courtyard unexpectedly had a festive atmosphere.
Zhao Fei bought red paper, Zhou Lanying cut it, Wen Xiaoxiao ground the ink, and Zhao Fei held Zhao Yidi's little hand as they wrote several crooked but sincere Spring Festival couplets and the character "福" (fortune).
Wenbin brought half a pig, several large carp, and a long string of firecrackers from the pig farm.
On the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the kitchen was filled with steam.
Zhou Lanying was in charge of cooking, Wen Xiaoxiao assisted, Wen Bin helped with the fire, and Zhao Fei led Yi Di to put up Spring Festival couplets and hang lanterns.
In the evening, the octagonal table in the main room was laden with food: braised carp symbolizing abundance year after year, four-happiness meatballs representing family reunion, stewed pork, cabbage and vermicelli until tender, as well as golden fried lotus root slices and snow-white steamed buns.
Without Li Yugu, there would be no Zhao Qingda.
Sitting around the table were Zhao Fei, Wen Xiaoxiao, Zhou Lanying, Wen Bin, the bouncy Zhao Yidi, and the two little treasures lying in the stroller next to them, babbling away.
These people, who are not from the same family, gathered together for a hot and flavorful reunion dinner.
Zhao Fei poured Zhou Lanying a glass of wine, filled Wenbin's glass as well, and raised his own glass: "Mom, Wenbin, you've both worked hard this year. Happy New Year, I hope you're both well."
Wenbin smiled憨厚ly: "Brother Fei, it's my duty."
Zhou Lanying's eyes were a little red. She took a sip of wine and said, "Everything is fine, everything is fine. May everything go smoothly next year."
Wen Xiaoxiao didn't drink alcohol. She just quietly served the child soft, tender food, listening to the firecrackers outside and the laughter at the table. Occasionally, she would look up at the leaping fire in the stove and then at the people around her. It seemed that a small patch of the barren, frozen land in her heart was being quietly warmed by this unfamiliar warmth.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, Zhou Lanying took out the red envelopes she had prepared and gave them to Zhao Yidi. She then took out two small silver lockets strung together with red string and gently put them around the necks of Yizhen and Yibao.
"New Year's money, longevity locks, may all our darlings be safe and sound and grow up quickly."
Zhao Yidi jumped for joy. Wen Xiaoxiao touched the cold silver locket on the child's chest, her nose tingled, and she whispered, "Thank you, Auntie."
Outside the window, the sporadic sounds of firecrackers began to pick up and come in more frequent bursts, crackling and popping, exploding into brief but lively bursts of light.
The old year, carrying all the pain, chaos, and unbearable things, finally closed its heavy door slowly amidst the clamor.
In the first month of the lunar calendar, the weather is still cold, but the days are gradually getting longer.
Yizhen and Yibao are seven months old now. The biggest change is that they can finally sit up on their own!
Although they still wobble like two roly-poly toys, they can already play with their rattles or small puppets for quite a while without needing constant support.
This greatly freed up Wen Xiaoxiao's hands.
The gloom on Wen Xiaoxiao's face, like the snow in winter, melted away layer by layer without her noticing.
She still didn't talk much, but her eyes no longer stared blankly into space.
She would patiently teach the children to recognize people, become slightly engrossed in the storytelling on the radio, and take the initiative to pick vegetables when Zhou Lanying was cooking. Occasionally, when Zhao Fei came home at night and handed her a still-warm roasted sweet potato, she would look up and give him a very light and quick smile.
The smile was faint and fleeting, yet it was like the first ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds, warming Zhao Fei's heart.
Zhao Fei remained busy, with countless things to do at the start of the year at the pig farm.
But no matter how late it is, he will come home every day to see the child and to look at her.
Zhou Lanying started going back to her hometown every few days to stay for a few days, look at the house, chat with her old neighbors, and then go back to the courtyard house to stay for a while.
She did this with her own considerations.
She lives here to help out as Grandma Yidi and Wen Xiaoxiao's elder.
With her around, the gossip about Zhao Fei and Wen Xiaoxiao being "alone together" was dispelled—with an elder in the family, what improper behavior could there be?
She was using her old bones to silently shield these two unfortunate young people who relied on each other from some open and hidden attacks.
Zhao Fei understood her good intentions, and Wen Xiaoxiao understood as well.
This silent protection filled their hearts with both a heavy feeling and a warm glow.
On the other side of the first month of the lunar calendar, however, a completely different scene unfolds.
Wang Juan's parents ultimately couldn't bring themselves to be cruel.
Seeing their daughter, who had no official status and was carrying a child, with injuries on her face (from being beaten by her second son and his gang), looking haggard and having just lost another child, the old couple's anger and shame were slowly replaced by heartache.
During the first month of the lunar calendar, they finally relented and accepted Wang Juan and her chubby-faced grandson.
But they have their own principles and calculations.
Instead of letting Zhao Qingda, their "unofficial son-in-law," come to their house, the elderly couple carried their own belongings and went to visit their grandson at Zhao Qingda's rented house in the suburbs.
Wang Juan's father, Wang Qinghe, was a somewhat stubborn old worker. He frowned as he looked at the hideous, not-yet-fully-healed scar on Zhao Qingda's face.
“Xiao Juan followed you, and she even had a child. Now, the one in her belly… sigh, it’s gone too.” Wang Qinghe’s tone was harsh. “You two are just living like this, in this ambiguous way. It’s not right. You need to get married quickly and give the child a proper status. Our Wang family can’t afford to lose face like this!”
Li Yugu was also present. Hearing this, he felt embarrassed, but he had to bite the bullet and explain, "My dear in-laws... this matter can't be rushed. Qingda and Xiaoxiao haven't divorced yet. Xiaoxiao... after all, she gave birth to two daughters for the Zhao family. It wouldn't be right to suddenly bring up divorce. Outsiders would gossip behind her back."
"A daughter?" Wang Qinghe's eyebrows shot up. "Just because you had a daughter, you think you can stay here forever? My Xiaojuan gave birth to a son! Your Zhao family wants a grandson, so you don't care about my daughter's and grandson's reputation? What kind of logic is that! Divorce! You must divorce her! Hurry up and divorce her and marry Xiaojuan!"
Li Yugu was choked and speechless.
She was extremely conflicted. She felt indebted to Wen Xiaoxiao, but she also valued her grandson more. She was also afraid that if she really pushed Wang Juan too far, she would leave with her grandson, leaving her son with nothing.
Wang Juan's mother tugged at her husband's sleeve, trying to smooth things over, saying, "Sister-in-law Yu Gu, we know you have difficulties. But dragging this out isn't good for Xiao Juan and the child. Qingda's face... sigh, it's become like this too. We need to settle things quickly and live a good life; that's the right thing to do."
Seeing that Li Yugu was stammering and not giving a straight answer, Wang Qinghe and his wife looked very unhappy. After staying for a while, they left without even eating.
Wang Juan felt more confident after hearing her parents' attitude.
Although her parents didn't let Zhao Qingda into the house, they acknowledged him as their grandson, which was a form of support for her.
As soon as her parents left, she immediately confronted Zhao Qingda:
"Did you hear that? My dad has spoken! Go and get a divorce from Wen Xiaoxiao right now! Let me tell you, Zhao Qingda, with your face like that, you look like a ghost. Who wouldn't avoid you when you go out? I'm the only one who doesn't mind you, who's still with you and raising your son! Don't push your luck!"
Zhao Qingda was seething with anger.
The excruciating pain and ugly scars on his face constantly reminded him of the fear and humiliation of that night, and made him increasingly irritable.
Wang Juan's urging and condescending attitude only made him more irritable.
What angered him even more was that Wang Juan was clutching the money tightly!
Since he got together with Wang Juan, he has handed over almost all of his earnings from driving cars to Wang Juan for "safekeeping".
At first, he was happy to have some free time and thought it was good to have someone manage the money.
Now, if he wants to go out and have a drink with his cronies to relieve his boredom, he has to ask Wang Juan for money, and often he can't get any, or she only gives him a little bit, like giving a beggar a handout.
Wang Juan always had a good reason: her son needed milk powder, clothes, and household expenses, so money had to be spent sparingly.
He was a grown man, and he hadn't given Wen Xiaoxiao much money before; he always had plenty of money of his own.
Now look what's happened; he's completely controlled by a woman and has no freedom whatsoever.
This feeling of frustration, mixed with the pain on his face and the fear of unknown retribution, made him like a suppressed volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.
Wang Juan, on the other hand, became increasingly smug, relying on her child and her family's increasingly assertive attitude, and her pressure to get a divorce intensified.
(Bonus chapter! Bonus chapter! My darlings~~ Are you satisfied?~~ Hahahaha, love you all!)
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