Chapter 441 True Face
Shen Lizhu stood at the door for a while without turning around. After not hearing Gong Huaifeng's explanation, Shen Lizhu chuckled to herself, inwardly mocking herself: "What am I dreaming about? Even in this situation, he still won't say a word. What am I still expecting?"
At this moment, Shen Lizhu truly saw through Gong Huaifeng's true colors.
Shen Lizhu didn't wait any longer and walked out directly.
After Shen Lizhu left the Gong family's gate, she suddenly turned around and looked at the plaque hanging on the gate. After about three or four breaths, Shen Lizhu got into the carriage with the help of Granny Yao.
After finally leaving the Gong family, Shen Lizhu felt a sense of relief, as if the huge stones that had been weighing on her head had been removed, and she could finally breathe freely.
Shen Lizhu left, leaving behind the words of divorce and then departing.
The Gong family was in complete chaos. Gong's mother was furious and sat on a stool, cursing loudly, abandoning all pretense of being the mistress of a high-class family.
"What is it?"
It's just a hen that doesn't lay eggs!
If you can't have children yourself, you won't let others have them!
How dare they even mention divorce?
Why didn't you bring up divorce a few years earlier?
Well, I just said I wanted to take a concubine, and she's already at my house, and now you're telling me you want a divorce?
Okay, okay, Shen Lizhu, this one…
"Enough!"
The outburst came from Gong Huaifeng, who was furious at his mother's rude remarks. After stopping her from uttering those vulgar and offensive words, he suddenly slumped into a chair.
"Zhu Niang is gone. Is Zhu Niang really gone?"
Zhu Niang wants a divorce?
No, no, I won't allow it!
Thinking about all this, Gong Huaifeng, who had been irrationally struck by Shen Lizhu's words about divorce, immediately stood up and said to his servant, "Prepare the horses! I'm going to the Shen family to bring Zhu Niang back!"
"Feng'er, what are you doing!"
Why go fetch that shrew?
Didn't she want a divorce?
Perfect, let's get a divorce then!
"Now that you've divorced Shen Lizhu, you can marry Xin'er! Isn't that great? She's the child from Xin'er's womb, so she can be your eldest son!"
Gong Huaifeng flung away his mother's hand, and seeing that she was frightened by his actions, he roared fiercely, "Shut up!"
It's because I can't have children!
It's me, it's me, a grown man, who can't have children!
Zhu Niang is healthy. She's only being wronged like this because of my pride!
Are you satisfied now?
Are you happy now?
Gong Huaifeng glanced at Xin'er, who was standing to the side, unsure whether to help his mother or not, snorted, and strode out.
Having seen through Gong Huaifeng's true colors, Shen Lizhu did not return directly to the Gong family. Instead, she went to the best restaurant in the West Market, booked a private room on the second floor, ordered a full meal, and sat down with Granny Yao at a round table that could seat ten people to eat.
After swallowing a mouthful of pear blossom white wine, Shen Lizhu could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face.
"My wife, you..."
"Don't worry, Granny. It's just that the wine is a bit too spicy, and I haven't had it in a long time, which is why it made my eyes water."
Shen Lizhu used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish belly and placed it in the bowl in front of Granny Yao: "Granny, please try it. Everyone says that the most famous dish in this restaurant is this steamed fish."
Granny Yao couldn't bear to expose Shen Lizhu's lie, so she nodded in agreement and reached for the food with her chopsticks.
After another sip of pear blossom white wine, Shen Lizhu could no longer hold back her tears.
"Granny, Gong Sanlang must have known all along that it was his own fault, right?"
Just now at the Gong family, he acted as if he didn't know his cousin from his maternal family was there to be his concubine. He really acted well.
His astonished expression was even more genuine than those described in storybooks.
After downing the last drop of wine in her small cup, Shen Lizhu stared at the food on the table, her eyes unfocused, her mind filled with the happy days she had spent with Gong Huaifeng.
A flower he picked in spring, a hairpin he specially bought for her on her birthday, and even a meal they shared were filled with joy.
When did things start to change?
Or perhaps I was just a fool in the past, failing to see the truth behind his disguise?
In the end, Shen Lizhu was carried back to the Shen family by Granny Yao. In fact, she didn't drink much, only about eight ounces of wine from a small wine pot.
But the wine didn't intoxicate her; she intoxicated herself. Shen Lizhu had already fallen into a deep sleep, but even in her sleep, her brows were furrowed.
Mother Shen raised her hand to smooth Shen Lizhu's eyebrows, listening to Granny Yao's soft murmur.
After instructing the maid to take good care of Shen Lizhu, Granny Yao followed Shen's mother to the main hall, where Shen's father, eldest brother, and second brother, who had already finished their shifts and returned home, were waiting.
After Granny Yao finished explaining everything, Madam Shen continued, "That's how it is."
Gong Sanlang is no good man. Such an irresponsible man is not worthy of being with my Zhu Niang.
"Eldest brother, please take a day off tomorrow. This is the dowry list from when Zhu Niang got married." Shen Da Xiong took the dowry list handed over by Yao Mama, and without saying a word, he listened respectfully to what Shen Mama was saying: "Back then, the Gong family gave us a betrothal gift, and our family put it all into Zhu Niang's dowry without missing a single one."
The items at the back of this list are the original betrothal gifts. You only need to take back our own family's dowry.
"Yes, Mother, I understand."
“Mother, if you ask me, we should spread the word about Gong Sanlang’s affairs!”
"That's why Zhu Niang has had such a reputation all these years. That hypocritical, shameless wretch shouldn't have been given any face at all!"
When his second brother's words did not elicit the response he desired, he looked at his father, who was sitting at the head of the table, hoping to gain his support.
Father Shen shook his head, stopping his second brother from saying what he was about to say. "Although our Shen family is not afraid of the Gong family, apart from the second son of the Gong family who is now in the Ministry of Personnel, the Gong family doesn't have any other powerful figures."
However, this is, after all, a marriage between children. Even if things don't go well, the Gong family has many relatives by marriage. We don't need to go to extremes.
Besides, how do you know that Miya Saburo's hidden illness won't be exposed by someone in the Miya family?
Upon hearing what Shen's father said, Shen's second brother finally stopped talking and said no more.
The next day, although Shen's father did not go to the Gong family with his two elder brothers, he still took leave and waited at home for news.
The Shen family only wanted a divorce and requested the return of the dowry that Shen Lizhu had brought to the Gong family. They didn't want any more or less.
Even the reason for the divorce was that after five years of marriage, their love had faded, and they decided to divorce.
At the Gong family home, Gong Huaifeng was locked in his room by his father and couldn't leave at all. How could he possibly want a divorce?
However, he held no official position and failed to win back Shen Lizhu's heart. After all, he had gone to the Shen family's door yesterday to ask for an audience, but was almost beaten out by Shen's mother. He didn't even get to see Shen Lizhu, which showed how determined the Shen family was to demand a divorce.
Therefore, Gong's father locked up this useless son and only wanted to quickly resolve the matter of the Shen family coming to demand a divorce.
"The Shen family still has some dignity. I won't say anything more, Uncle Gong. Sign this divorce agreement, and we'll all be fine."
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