The atmosphere has already reached this point, wouldn't it be impolite not to agree?
Chen Lao Er's face was not very good. Although he also wanted a divorce, he knew that it was not an easy thing to get a wife these days, so he had been enduring it all these years.
But unexpectedly, it was his wife who filed for divorce first.
"Second son, listen to your mother, divorce her, and I promise to marry you someone better!" At this moment, Granny Chen was also furious and wanted to drive the woman out without any regard for the consequences.
With things having reached this point, everything that followed unfolded naturally, like a boat sailing smoothly into a channel.
After giving the children a few instructions, Lin Jingyue followed Chen Lao Er out the door to the commune to get a divorce.
The staff didn't ask many questions and quickly completed the divorce procedures. Mainly because divorces are so rare these days; if someone really gets to this point, they probably can't go on living together anymore.
When Lin Jingyue returned, she saw Chen Zhaodi hanging clothes to dry in the yard. She, a young girl, was washing all the family's clothes, completely disregarding the possibility of a child her age falling into the river.
"Who told you to go do the laundry? Didn't I tell you to stay inside and not wander around?" She stepped forward, snatched the clothes, and threw them on the ground.
Chen Zhaodi stared blankly at her, feeling a strange, indescribable feeling in her heart.
"Come with me, and you won't be a child of the Chen family anymore." She told Chen Lao Er on the way that she would take the child with her after the divorce.
Chen Lao Er didn't like the child, so he didn't care whether he took her or not, since she was just a girl anyway.
But Granny Chen wouldn't allow it. She was inside coaxing her precious grandson when she went outside and saw her granddaughter about to be taken away, and she immediately objected.
"That's our Chen family bloodline, you can't take her away!"
Lin Jingyue had already prepared a response: "This is my daughter. I can take her away if I want, and it's none of your business. Unless you don't want your precious grandson to have a good life?"
The eldest grandson was Granny Chen's lifeblood, so upon hearing this, she could only grit her teeth and dare not say anything more.
But as the two were about to leave, he couldn't help but shout at her retreating figure.
"If you leave our family, let's see how you survive. You're a divorced woman with a child, I'll just wait for you to starve to death!" As if to vent her anger, Granny Chen laughed gleefully.
"You don't need to worry about that."
Lin Jingyue left without looking back, carrying the packed package and the child.
Of course, she wouldn't go back to her parents' home. The Lin family was a living hell. Not only would her family despise her, but her mother might even want to sell her off again.
So she went to the brigade leader and asked for the right to live in the dilapidated house at the end of the village.
The dilapidated house used to belong to an old single man, but he starved to death there during the famine that year, and the house has been vacant ever since.
The villagers considered it unlucky, and coupled with its poor location, the house remained vacant.
But for Lin Jingyue, who has no house, even if the house is haunted, it's like being adrift outside.
It's a dilapidated house, but at least it can keep out the wind and rain, although the safety level isn't high. With some repairs, it can be lived in for a few more years.
Lin Jingyue had never lived in such a dilapidated house in her previous life. Even her grandmother's house, which was also in the countryside, was never this run-down. So, when she went inside, she felt a little uneasy, not because she was disgusted, but because she was somewhat worried.
However, she quickly cheered up and slowly began to pack up the things inside.
Chen Zhaodi didn't just stand by and watch; instead, she joined in the tidying up.
She didn't know why her mother suddenly divorced her father, but she knew that leaving the Chen family, that hellhole, might make her life better.
Will it really get better?
She couldn't help but ask herself, how long could this concern from her mother, who had always been indifferent to her, last?
Lin Jingyue didn't know what the child was thinking, but she could guess some of it. Because of insecurity, the child was overthinking things.
What she needs to do is not just offer verbal reassurance, but take concrete actions to truly make the child feel safe.
I don't know how long it took to clean up, but finally we managed to make a house habitable.
A few boards put together make a bed. Her bundle contained two blankets; while not very warm, they weren't necessary in this weather. One was for padding, and the other for covering herself—that was enough.
The kitchen was already in a collapsed state, so there was little point in cleaning it up. She also didn't plan to build a kitchen, as iron pots were hard to find without industrial coupons. So she planned to use earthenware pots for a while, and then change things up when conditions improved.
"Honey, we don't have much food at home, so we have to borrow some from the brigade. Will you blame me for asking you to leave the Chen family?"
Chen Zhaodi was momentarily dazed, but quickly came to her senses; the "baby" was directed at her. Looking at her mother's gentle face, she slowly shook her head.
She didn't want to do those chores, nor did she want to be bullied by Chen Yaozu.
Lin Jingyue reached out and rubbed her little head. "Let's go, let's go borrow some food with Mom."
If you leave a little girl like her at home, she might get bullied by someone.
At dusk, the village was filled with the smoke of cooking fires, as every household was preparing meals.
Lin Jingyue took Chen Zhaodi's hand and went to the brigade leader's house to explain their purpose.
"Captain, I'd like to borrow a month's worth of rations. I'll pay you back when the rations are distributed."
The captain was a good captain; he didn't say much and agreed to the matter.
"Wait a minute, Qiu Meizi, take this. You just moved out and haven't planted any crops yet. Take these vegetables home and eat them. Come back for more if you need more." The team leader's wife rushed over and handed over a basket of fresh vegetables.
These were all grown in our private plot, just enough for our own family to eat.
Lin Jingyue felt a warmth in her heart. "Thank you, sister. I was just wondering what to eat. You're so thoughtful."
The team leader's wife waved her hand, "That's all I can do to help. As long as we work hard, we can get by."
"Yes, you're right."
After Lin Jingyue collected the food from the team, she led Chen Zhaodi towards the small, dilapidated house.
On the way, Chen Zhaodi carried her basket, thought for a long time, and finally asked, "Mom, aren't we going home?"
“Yes, we’ll go back, but not to the Chen family. From now on, we’ll live together, and you can do whatever you want. Honey, do you want to go to school? Once Mom earns some money, I’ll send you to school. I’ll also change your name. Zhao Di isn’t a nice name. How about Bao Zhu? It sounds a bit old-fashioned, but it’ll be better as a nickname. Or how about Ming Yue?”
Amid her mother's constant nagging, Chen Zhaodi began to dream.
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