Chapter 490 Regaining Freedom
Meng Jinyao said calmly, "Father, since you have made your choice, then have someone prepare pen, ink, paper and inkstone to write the divorce agreement."
When Meng Dongyuan heard the words "divorce agreement," his heart clenched. His good marriage with his wife had been torn apart by this unfilial son. If he had dealt with the unfilial son from the beginning, his wife would not have divorced him.
However, if he were to punish this rebellious son, he would not be able to get past his mother's wrath. No matter how angry he was, he could not punish him openly, otherwise his mother would be the first to get angry with him, blaming this rebellious son for his wicked character and the evil deeds he had committed.
Old Madam Meng could see her son's reluctance, and she felt quite annoyed. Could a woman possibly be more important than her own son? There are plenty of women out there.
She said, "Since Madam Dong is so eager to leave our Meng family, then write it down and let her leave today. Let's see if she can find a better husband's family than our Meng family after leaving you. She'll have her regrets then."
Caught between a domineering daughter and a pressured mother, Meng Dongyuan had no choice but to accept his fate and write a divorce agreement.
When he put pen to paper, Meng Dongyuan felt as if the pen in his hand weighed a ton, and writing each character was extremely difficult.
How carefree he was when he wrote the letter of divorce to Mrs. Sun, how painful it is for him to write the letter of reconciliation to Mrs. Dong now. One is someone he can't wait to give up, and the other is a wife he can't bear to part with.
With the last stroke, Meng Dongyuan put down his brush, looked up, and saw that everyone present was satisfied. He felt even more distressed. It was as if he had painfully sacrificed his own marriage to make everyone else happy.
Meng Jinyao asked, "Father, have you finished writing?"
Meng Dongyuan nodded with a grim expression. His resentment towards his son reached its peak in an instant. He didn't know what sins he had committed in his past life to have such a rebellious son to bring him misfortune in this life.
Meng Jinyao then said, "Then sign and put your fingerprint on it."
Meng Dongyuan picked up the pen again, signed his name, and affixed his fingerprint to it.
Afterwards, Meng Jinyao checked the divorce papers and found no problems. She then took the divorce papers to Dong Shi, with Gu Jingxi by her side, considerately supporting her.
Meng Dongyuan felt a heart attack. Just how little did his daughter trust him? She even had to check a divorce agreement. Could he possibly tamper with a divorce agreement?
After Meng Jinyao and her husband left, Meng Dongyuan glanced at his mother and unfilial son, feeling resentful and unwilling to face them any longer. Just as he stood up to say goodbye, he heard his mother say, "Where do you think you're going? When they come back later, do you want this old woman to deal with this troublesome couple all by herself?"
Meng Dongyuan: "..."
Does that sound like he's using someone as a shield?
He immediately put his newfound knowledge of exploiting his seniority to use against his younger siblings, saying to his rebellious son who was itching to leave: "Chengxing, you stay too. It's your fault that your older sister lost a younger brother or sister. Even if she gets angry and scolds you, you have to put up with it. She's pregnant and needs to keep a good mood. You should carefully consider your behavior later."
Meng Chengxing: "..."
He knew his father didn't care about him and simply pushed him out to be scolded.
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Meanwhile, Madam Dong was not lying in bed either. She was already dressed and waiting for news from Meng Jinyao and her husband. For some reason, she had a lot of confidence in her stepdaughter's abilities and a premonition that she would be able to leave this wretched place, the Meng family, today.
When Meng Jinyao saw Dong Shi again, she didn't call her "Mother" anymore. It wasn't that she disrespected her elders, but she understood that Dong Shi didn't want to have anything to do with her father at this moment. She simply said, "Aunt Dong, here are the things you wanted. You are free from now on." After she finished speaking, she handed the divorce papers to Dong Shi.
When Madam Dong heard the word "Aunt Dong," her expression froze. But upon hearing what followed, she burst into tears of joy. She was free again; she would no longer have to suffer as a daughter-in-law of the Meng family.
She slowly reached out and took the divorce papers she had longed for, choking back tears as she said, "Ah Yao, I don't know how to thank you enough."
Meng Jinyao said gently, "Aunt Dong, you don't need to be so polite. Please don't cry, or you'll hurt your eyes." Then she added, "By the way, Aunt Dong, I have already had someone inform your family. They should be here to take you back soon. You can have the servants pack your things now."
After hearing this, Madam Dong was stunned. She hadn't told her parents about her miscarriage yet, nor had she told them about her desire for a divorce, because she knew her parents couldn't help her. Although the Meng family had fallen on hard times, their social standing was still higher than the Dong family's, and they also had an eldest daughter who was the wife of a marquis.
Seeing this, Meng Jinyao knew that the Dong family did not yet know about what had happened in the past two days, so she said, "It's better for your family to come when it's such a big thing. It seems a bit insecure for you to go back alone with your dowry and maids. It's different when your parents and brothers take you back. I heard that your parents and brothers treat you very well, so I don't think they will blame you for the divorce."
Ms. Dong was deeply moved, never expecting her stepdaughter to be so considerate and to think from her perspective. With tears in her eyes, she nodded and said, "Thank you, Ayao. Ayao is so thoughtful."
Meng Jinyao then briefly recounted to Madam Dong the contents of her conversation with her family.
After hearing this, Madam Dong understood what was going on and said, "Don't worry, Yao. I won't say anything after I leave the Meng family, and neither will my family. If your father chooses to save his son, then I've gotten what I wanted. What happens to Chengxing in the future is none of my business. But I've always believed that bad people never have a good ending."
Meng Jinyao did not speak, but simply nodded slightly in response.
Madam Dong added, "By the way, I prepared clothes and some other things for Chengzhang, but I hadn't had time to send them to Lingshan Academy before this happened. Ayao, please have someone send them to him."
After she finished speaking, she looked at the things that had already been brought over by the maid.
Meng Jinyao followed Dong's gaze and saw a number of items. She walked over to take a look and found writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, as well as ginseng slices, tea leaves, and invigorating incense. There were two jars each of dried fruit and dried meat, two pairs of shoes, four pairs of socks, and the new clothes were made of very fine, soft, and comfortable fabric. The colors and embroidered patterns were exactly what her second brother liked, showing that Dong had prepared them carefully.
She said gently, "I thank Aunt Dong on behalf of my second brother. I will take these things back to the Marquis's residence later and have someone deliver them to him tomorrow, along with a letter to inform him of what happened at home."
Madam Dong nodded slightly. She had four stepsons and stepdaughters in total, two of whom were good children. However, she had a weak bond with them. She had thought that at least two of the children were good, and she could just endure it. But she still resisted in her heart. Even before this happened, she felt suffocated in this family. How much more so now? Her mother-in-law was no good, her husband was no good either, and Chengxing was a terrible person. She really didn't want to stay a day longer and didn't want to face these three people again.
Afterwards, Meng Jinyao did not return to Rongfutang, but stayed in Dongshi's courtyard to talk to her, while the maids in the courtyard packed Dongshi's things.
The maids in the courtyard were stunned. They never expected that the gentle and kind lady would one day divorce the master, even though the master and lady clearly had a very good relationship.
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