The two stood in the courtyard in silence for a long time, looking at each other without saying a word, each lost in their own thoughts, forcing smiles as they played house with Tangtang in the yard.
Tangtang got tired of playing and snuggled up to her mother, whimpering that she was hungry. Jiang Shuya made her a cup of milk, and she fell into a deep sleep after drinking it.
Huang Minghao gently placed Tangtang on the bed in his arms, covered her with a blanket, went to the living room, took out the divorce agreement that Jiang Shuya had left at home yesterday, and placed it on the table.
"I've read through the agreement and have no objections. If you insist, I agree to sign, but I have two requests."
Jiang Shuya silently snapped out of her reverie; "You say."
Huang Minghao hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"I just hope you can stay here temporarily, living in our home until the demolition. Before the demolition, we'll keep our divorce a secret from each other, not from anyone else, including our parents, grandfather, and others. He's in poor health, and I don't want to cause him any trouble because of our situation."
"You want me to keep it a secret?" Jiang Shuya found it unbelievable.
Huang Minghao nodded, seemingly lost in thought;
"Don't you want to see Tangtang every day? Living with her, don't worry, I'm mostly not home. We'll each live in our own rooms, and I won't bother you. Just stay until the demolition. After Jiang Island is demolished, everyone here will go their separate ways. How many people will still care whether Huang Minghao and Jiang Shuya are a couple?"
It turns out it was all about saving face. In the past two years, quite a few women from other places have married into Xixia Village. Most of them are familiar with Huang Minghao; they are childhood friends. The once dashing and handsome man of Jiangdao has become the first to get divorced. If word gets out, it will become a laughing stock.
If Jiang Shuya could see Tangtang every day and be by her side to personally guide and help her grow, what reason would she have to refuse?
"Okay, I promise I'll keep quiet. What's the other thing?" Jiang Shuya asked.
"Tangtang will live with me until she's three. My mom will take care of her. You know my mom; if we don't give her something to do, she's not much better off than my dad. I think you understand that." Huang Minghao flicked his cigarette, making Jiang Shuya cough.
Suppressing her discomfort, Jiang Shuya pondered for a while. Right now, she didn't have the energy or the conditions to keep Tangtang by her side. She really needed some time to prepare and wait until she became stronger before she could keep Tangtang by her side without any distractions.
"Okay, my only condition is that your mother cannot bring her to the card-playing hall. If this is violated, I will void this three-year agreement."
Huang Minghao frowned, took a deep breath, and couldn't help but retort;
"Tangtang is also my daughter. How could I not care about her health? If you have any objections, you can make a deal with my mother. I won't protect her like I used to."
This statement truly surprised Jiang Shuya. She thought to herself, "If you had been this enlightened before, you wouldn't be as passive as you are now."
Jiang Shuya didn't say anything more, turned to the last page of the contract, and looked at one of the clauses;
"Let me explain something to you first. The house on Dageng is currently registered under my name. After our divorce, it will be two separate households. Tangtang will be registered under your name, and our share of the property will not be the same."
The property is registered under the homeowner's name, and the property certificate lists a total of 220 square meters. You and Tangtang together will each have approximately 130 square meters. I can give you the extra area I'm registering, as it's stated on the certificate as an equal division. I'm letting you know this in advance.
Huang Minghao seemed not to be listening, and irritably lit a cigarette, his brows furrowed and his voice becoming low.
"I only need one house; the rest can be left to Tangtang. How you allocate it is up to you."
Seeing that there was an element of spite involved, Jiang Shuya didn't want to elaborate further. Besides, there were still six months until the demolition, and no matter how the terms were changed, the final result would still be an equal split.
As for her younger brother Shu Huai, we'll see. It's all up to fate. I believe Shu Huai will understand his own situation. Between the house and his sister's fate, he'll probably love his sister more.
After Jiang Shuya signed the agreement, she handed the pen to Huang Minghao. He took a deep drag of his cigarette, and without hesitation, quickly signed his name.
"I'll be waiting for you at the Civil Affairs Bureau entrance tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM to complete the formalities."
After Jiang Shuya finished speaking calmly, she put the agreement away in her canvas bag, glanced at the place where Tangtang was sleeping, leaned down and kissed her forehead, and reluctantly left the room. Seeing that Huang Minghao was still in a daze, she walked out of the yard dejectedly.
Huang Minghao, his mind blank, was like a lost soul, unable to react. He felt lightheaded, like a frostbitten eggplant, completely stunned. He vaguely saw Jiang Shuya glance at him, and only then did he come to his senses and run after her. "Where are you going?"
Jiang Shuya's pale face remained expressionless; "Make money."
The next day, in the morning, Jiang Shuya arrived half an hour early and stood in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau on Hexi Street. During this time, Jiang Shuyun couldn't resist the temptation of the remaining few boxes of chocolates and called to ask for them. After Jiang Shuya flattered and begged, she managed to buy all the rest.
Huang Minghao arrived late, wearing a black leather jacket, looking gloomy with dark circles under his eyes and a haggard face. The two met without saying a word. Jiang Shuya had long, black hair, clear eyes, and wore a beige round-neck coat, with a slender figure.
People coming and going at the Civil Affairs Bureau would glance at the couple who were about to end their marriage with curiosity, and some even thought they were there to get a marriage certificate and turned around to praise them.
"Look at that couple, they're such a perfect match! The man is handsome, the woman is even more beautiful, a truly handsome couple, tsk tsk."
The two entered the hall one after the other, quickly sat down opposite the staff member, took out their marriage certificate, and placed it in front of the staff member, a middle-aged woman, who only asked one question.
"I've thought it all out."
Jiang Shuya nodded expressionlessly. Huang Minghao glanced at her, and seeing that she didn't respond, his expression turned cold and stern. "You've made up your mind. Thank you."
The divorce process is much faster than the marriage process. In no time at all, the two obtained their divorce certificates, and from then on, they were no longer a legal couple.
Huang Minghao seemed lost in thought, his expression dazed, and he remained silent. Jiang Shuya held the divorce certificate for a long time, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her heart, but she couldn't feel happy at all.
Soon, the two stopped at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Huang Minghao stared at her for a long time with moist eyes, and a sneer appeared on his lips.
"Jiang Shuya, can you believe it? Two years ago, when we got our marriage certificate right here, I felt like I was dreaming. I was overjoyed."
Jiang Shuya sighed softly;
"Let bygones be bygones. We're still so young. Let's cherish each other. And try to smoke less in the future!"
"If I had been devoted to you and never laid a hand on you, would you still want a divorce?"
Huang Minghao looked at Jiang Shuya seriously.
"No," Jiang Shuya replied calmly.
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