Shen's mother was startled: "What happened? What happened? Why did you and Maolin quarrel? What was it about? Why did you suddenly talk about divorce?" Although Shen Fuyu had occasionally quarreled with Yang Maolin and gone back to her parents' home before, she had never heard her mention divorce.
Shen Fuyu sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Her eyes were red and swollen like peaches, showing that she had been crying for a long time. Zhao Mingyue felt very sorry for her. The once happy and fulfilling family, full of contentment and joy, had been shattered by such a cruel reality.
Shen Fuyu thought for a moment, but still didn't say it. She said tactfully, "He's not on my side anymore, so I don't want to be with him anymore."
Mother Shen, unaware of the situation, heard the words vaguely and didn't know the specifics, so she said, "It's normal for couples to bicker. As long as it's not a matter of principle, it's forgivable, and life can still go on."
Shen Fuyu asked, "Mom, what do you mean by a mistake of principle?"
Mother Shen said, "For example, gambling, beating people, having affairs outside..." She paused here, looking at Shen Fuyu, "Daughter, has Yang Maolin done something to wrong you?" Yang Maolin hasn't come for a while. He used to visit her house very often, but he hasn't come much in the last two months.
Shen Fuyu's tears of grievance streamed down her face as she hugged her mother and sobbed uncontrollably.
Shen's mother had always been an impatient person with a high opinion of herself and a strong dislike for injustice. She asked in a trembling voice, "Fuyu, does this beast have someone else outside?"
Shen Fuyu just cried and didn't say a word. Shen's mother had already understood everything and was immediately furious: "That beast, that beast! How could he do such a shameless thing? If he dares to come any closer, I'll break his legs!"
Zhao Mingyue watched anxiously from the side: "Mom, don't get agitated." Although the old lady was in better health than the old man, she was still almost seventy years old and her blood pressure was a bit high.
Looking at her daughter and then at her daughter-in-law, Chen's mother sighed, "What on earth happened? How could this happen? Does he think life is too comfortable? He has to cause trouble. If your father finds out, he'll shoot him dead. That beast, he won't be allowed to set foot in my house again!"
Hearing her mother scold Yang Maolin, Shen Fuyu felt much better and slowly stopped crying: "Mom, what should I do? Can we go on like this?"
Seeing that Shen's mother and Zhao Mingyue hadn't returned after being gone for so long, Shen's father went to the door to ask, "Who's here? What are you doing? Why don't you come inside?"
Zhao Mingyue was startled. Now the old man knew too. Judging from the emotions of Shen's mother and Shen Fuyu, it was probably impossible to keep it from him. She was worried that the old man might get sick from anger. She quickly called out, "Dad."
Shen Fuyu looked at her father and wiped away her tears: "Dad, it's me."
Shen's father had already seen Shen Fuyu in the courtyard: "Why are you crying in the courtyard? Come inside and talk."
The three of them silently entered the house. Zhuangzhuang and Liangliang were still watching TV in the living room. When they saw their aunt come in with tears streaming down her face, the two children didn't know what had happened and looked at the adults. Zhao Mingyue called the two children over: "Liangliang, Zhuangzhuang, come here." She led the two children to a small side room, which was rarely used and contained an old black and white TV. She told the two children to watch TV in the room, "The adults have something to talk about. You two be good and sit here and watch TV."
Both children seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation and nodded obediently. Liangliang even said, "Mommy, come quickly." When adults cry, children feel insecure, so they want their parents' company. Zhao Mingyue nodded, "Okay, Mommy will be there soon."
She thought for a moment, then picked up the phone and called Jingjing to tell him that his mother had arrived at his maternal grandmother's house. Only then did she return to the living room, where her mother had already angrily recounted Yang Maolin's affair. As expected, the old man was so angry that he threw down his teacup: "This is outrageous! That beast, I'm going to go and kill him!"
Zhao Mingyue quickly ran over and stopped the old man: "Dad, don't worry, calm down, don't get agitated, be careful of your blood pressure." She quickly took the blood pressure medication in her hand, preparing to give it to her father. Unfortunately, Fang Zhen was working overtime today and hadn't come home yet. If something happened to him, it would be very worrying.
Father Shen was panting heavily, and the veins on his forehead were bulging. Zhao Mingyue was shocked and quickly patted his back to calm him down: "Dad, this has already happened. There's no use in you being angry. Let's sit down and talk about how to deal with it. Don't get so agitated. Take some medicine first."
Mr. Shen walked into the living room and paced back and forth, trying to calm himself down. Zhao Mingyue took out the medicine, poured some water, and handed it to Mr. Shen. He glanced at her, stopped, and took the medicine.
Finally, after five minutes, he stopped moving and said, "Jingjing knows about this too?"
Zhao Mingyue and Shen Fuyu both nodded: "Yes." Zhao Mingyue didn't dare to say that Jingjing had run into his father yesterday, probably because the old man would be furious if he knew.
Mother Chen said irritably, "I told you from the beginning not to marry into the countryside, but you insisted. Even if you did marry a countryman, you should have found someone educated and of high quality. Look at this guy, with his smug look on his face. He has a little money and thinks he can get away with anything. He can't stay on Earth anymore and wants to go to outer space. What an ill-mannered beast!"
When her mother's temper flared, she reverted to her old, sharp-tongued manner. Shen Fuyu simply lowered her head and wept, offering no rebuttal. She had always defended her husband, believing that Yang Maolin's rise from nothing to a millionaire finally gave her a sense of pride and allowed her to give her parents an explanation. But she never imagined that Yang Maolin would shatter her hard-won happiness. Now, she was speechless, her heart ashen, feeling that life held no joy whatsoever.
Father Shen said, "It's no use talking about that now. Let's see how things are handled."
Shen Fuyu gritted her teeth and said, "I want a divorce."
Both of Shen's parents looked at her. Normally, when something like this happened to the Shen family, there was absolutely no way they would tolerate it. But was she really going to get a divorce? Shen's father said, "Are you really not planning to live with him anymore?"
Shen Fuyu rested her hands on her knees and covered her face with them: "I don't want to live like this anymore, it's meaningless."
Zhao Mingyue remained silent. She truly didn't know how to advise anyone on this matter. A divorce would be bad for the child; but who could tolerate staying? Even Jingjing found it disgusting, let alone Shen Fuyu herself. This mirror had been shattered since Yang Maolin's infidelity. No matter how much they tried to mend it, it could never be restored to its original state. Whether they tried to mend it or let it remain broken, the mirror was no longer the same.
Mr. Shen said, “Alright, as long as you think it through, we will support your decision. The country has long since abolished arranged marriages, and there is freedom of love and marriage, and freedom to divorce. There is no need to wrong yourself.”
Instead of being as resolute as she had been at the beginning about getting a divorce, Chen's mother came to a more comprehensive consideration: "Fuyu, think it over carefully. Don't be as hasty as you were when you got married."
Shen Fuyu leaned back on the sofa, remaining silent for a long time. Zhao Mingyue watched this scene without saying anything, but simply walked out into the small side room. The two children were still watching TV. Having grown accustomed to color television, they found the black-and-white show utterly unappealing. Seeing Zhao Mingyue enter, both children stood up: "Are you done?"
Liangliang walked over and hugged his mother's waist: "Mom, I want to sleep."
Zhao Mingyue picked him up: "Okay, Mommy will take you to sleep. Zhuangzhuang, what about you?"
Zhuangzhuang said, "I want to watch TV for a while longer. Can I watch TV outside?"
Zhao Mingyue shook her head and reached out to take Zhuangzhuang's hand: "No, why don't we go to sleep too and see tomorrow?"
Zhuangzhuang sighed like a little adult, placing his hand in Zhao Mingyue's. The two children were getting older, and they usually slept in the same room here, each with their own small bed, to foster their independence. Fang Zhen planned to bring Zhuangzhuang back to the Navy Headquarters dormitory after the start of preschool this fall, so the whole family could live together. Shen Qixue was in the military and couldn't come home often, so the father and son spent very little time together, which wasn't conducive to building their relationship.
After settling both children to sleep, Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment and decided to call Shen Xuyue. She took her cell phone to the yard and dialed Shen Xuyue's dormitory number. A short while later, Shen Xuyue answered: "Hello?"
Hearing his familiar voice, Zhao Mingyue suddenly felt much more at ease. She said, "It's me, Xuyue."
"Honey, you missed me?" Shen Xuyue's voice was tinged with laughter. "Is our son asleep?"
Zhao Mingyue's lips curved into a smile, and she hummed in agreement: "Liangliang is already asleep. What about you, are you getting ready to rest?"
Shen Xuyue said, "Not yet, I'm working on a document. Is everything alright at home?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "It's not good, something happened."
"Huh? What happened?" Shen Xuyue was startled.
Zhao Mingyue quickly said, "It's about my older sister's family. Today I saw Yang Maolin shopping with a woman. They seemed very intimate, and Yang Maolin even bought her a gold necklace. I hadn't decided whether to tell my older sister about this..."
Before Zhao Mingyue could finish speaking, Shen Xuyue interrupted her: "Wait, don't mention this yet. My sister has that temper; she'll make a huge scene. What will Jingjing do then?"
Zhao Mingyue sighed helplessly: "It's too late, let me finish what I have to say. I originally planned to keep it a secret for now, but you know what happened? Yesterday, Jingjing went out with his classmates and ran into his dad and that woman watching a movie, so it's completely out of the question now. Yang Maolin brought this on himself, he thinks he's living too well. I want to slap him."
Shen Xuyue couldn't help but swear, "And then my sister found out too?"
“Yes, Jingjing and I went to find Yang Maolin and asked him to talk to my older sister himself. My older sister was fighting with Yang Maolin tonight, and then she ran back. Mom and Dad know everything now,” Zhao Mingyue said.
Shen Xuyue sneered, "He's really courting death, shameless. When I get back, I'm going to give him a good beating for what he did to my sister and nephew. What's my sister's attitude? Divorce or stay together?"
Zhao Mingyue sighed and said, "My eldest sister says she wants a divorce now, but I don't know what she'll do when she comes to her senses."
"Where are Mom and Dad? Are they alright? Are they very upset?"
“My parents are in good health and are taking their medication, but they're probably quite upset. They're telling my older sister to think it over,” Zhao Mingyue said.
Shen Xuyue said, "Everyone's angry right now, and all decisions were made on impulse. We need to calm down and think things through carefully. I'll call Yang Maolin later and ask him what happened. He's a complete jerk, he doesn't respect us at all. We've been so devoted to him all these years, helping him build his business. He's insatiable, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Now look what he's done!"
Zhao Mingyue said, "Yes, I can't understand what he's thinking either. The two of them have gone through thick and thin together, and they've survived such tough times. Now that things are better, he's unwilling to settle down. People's hearts are so fickle."
Shen Xuyue realized what was going on: "Mingyue, I'm troubling you with things at home again. I'm so far away, and I won't be able to get back anytime soon."
"I can't help with anything else, I can only take care of my parents' health," Zhao Mingyue said.
Shen Xuyue said, "That's enough. I'll call my older brother later and ask him to take leave and come home. Since Yang Maolin did something like this, we can't let him off easily, or he'll think our family is easy to bully."
Judging from his tone, Zhao Mingyue seemed ready to beat Yang Maolin up, but she didn't stop him. She herself really wanted to give Yang Maolin a beating: "Xuyue, are you doing alright all alone out there?" She suddenly felt that it was quite dangerous for the couple to live apart. Yang Maolin hadn't even separated from Shen Fuyu yet, and he'd already gotten into this mess. Shen Xuyue, on the other hand, lived alone. Men his age are most prone to problems. With his looks and resources, there must be plenty of women throwing themselves at him. Would he also lose control and make the same mistake?
Shen Xuyue asked, "Why do you ask that?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "I'm thinking about whether I should become a full-time housewife and follow you everywhere." Of course, she was just saying this to test Shen Xuyue. A woman can lack many things, but she cannot lack her own opinions and career. She cannot make a man her everything, otherwise she will have nothing if she loses him.
Shen Xuyue laughed: "Of course I hope you can be with me often, but I can't be so selfish. I can't ask you to make such a big sacrifice for me. Don't worry, I will never be the second Yang Maolin. I still have that much self-control. Otherwise, how can I live up to your years of unwavering support and our lovely son?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "I still have great faith in your character and morals." She was thinking about whether to adjust the factory's work schedule, with alternating long and short weeks. During the long week, she would take her son to see Shen Xuyue. She was sure he would be very surprised and happy. It was a four or five-hour drive from Beijing, and driving there would be a bit tiring.
The couple chatted for a while longer before Shen Xuyue hung up, saying he needed to call his older brother and Yang Maolin. Zhao Mingyue didn't know if Yang Maolin would come over. Normally, he should come to apologize, even though doing so would only add fuel to the fire.
Sure enough, just as she was thinking this, car lights came on outside. Yang Maolin brought Jingjing over. Jingjing, carrying his schoolbag, saw his grandparents and said, "I'll stay at my grandparents' house for a few days."
Yang Maolin stood at the door, hesitant to come in, and cautiously called out, "Dad, Mom, Fuyu, I'm sorry, I know I was wrong."
When Shen's father saw him, he couldn't help but reach for his waist, as if he wanted to draw his gun and shoot him, but he found nothing. He looked down at the teacup on the table, threw it with force, but not hard enough, and it hit Yang Maolin's feet, shattering the porcelain and spilling tea all over the floor.
Mother Shen grabbed a large broom from the yard and lashed it at Yang Maolin, cursing as she did so: "You beast! Your parents aren't around, is there no one to discipline you? Today I'll teach you a lesson on your mother's behalf. You deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces!"
Yang Maolin was whipped so hard he ran all over the yard. Zhao Mingyue quickly ran to stop Chen's mother: "Mom, don't get agitated, take care of your health." She was afraid that if she got so agitated, something bad might happen.
Shen's mother was stopped by Zhao Mingyue, her chest heaving violently as she cursed, "Yang Maolin, you beast! What do you think you are? What makes you worthy of our Fuyu? You peasant, we should have divorced you back then, so you wouldn't be dragging this on until now. You should have stayed in Northeast China as a farmer your whole life and never expect to get anything from my family. You beast, how dare you come to our house? Get out! Get out!"
Yang Maolin lowered his head and did not utter a single word in rebuttal.
Zhao Mingyue snatched the broom from Chen's mother's hand and patted her back to comfort her: "Mom, don't get upset and hurt yourself. Take care of your health."
Shen Fuyu stood at the door, coldly looking at Yang Maolin: "You can leave now. I want a divorce."
Yang Maolin finally spoke up: "Dad, Mom, wife, please forgive me. I was just confused for a moment. I will never do it again. I swear, if I do it again, may I be struck by lightning!"
Zhao Mingyue frowned. All the vows men made were bullshit; anyone who could say such things so easily was not trustworthy.
Shen Fuyu said coldly, "The son, the house, and the savings all belong to me. The car dealership was also set up for you with my family's money, so it's mine too. When you first came to Beijing, my parents found you jobs, and we even raised money for your driving lessons. We don't owe you anything. Go back to where you came from and drive your tractor back to your farm."
Chen's mother said, "Fuyu is right. You had nothing to begin with, and now you've even learned to drive. Go earn your own living. What are you doing relying on women or your mother-in-law's family? You've been given a little bit of kindness and you've become arrogant. You've forgotten your roots, haven't you? Bah, you ungrateful wretch! You've eaten your conscience!" She spat fiercely as she spoke.
Yang Maolin knelt down in the yard with a thud and started sobbing: "Dad, Mom, wife, I was wrong, please give me a chance, I will never do it again."
Neither of Shen's father nor mother paid him any more attention. Shen Fuyu also turned and went inside. Jingjing sat alone in the living room, staring blankly at the unlit television. Zhao Mingyue walked over and reached out to pat his head: "Jingjing, don't be sad, go to sleep."
Jingjing sniffed. She stood up and went to the guest room.
Zhao Mingyue didn't bother with it and went straight back to her room to sleep. After taking a shower, Shen Fuyu came and knocked on Zhao Mingyue's door: "Sister-in-law, can I sleep with you?"
How could Zhao Mingyue disagree? She ran to open the door and saw Shen Fuyu's swollen eyes. The two sisters-in-law were lying on the bed, and Zhao Mingyue listened to Shen Fuyu talk about this matter: "...No wonder he's been saying he's been busy with his car business lately and hasn't come back much. So that's why. It breaks my heart to think about it. I was even worried about whether his lumbar spine problem had flared up. He's just being a jerk. He was better when he didn't have money. He was like a grandson. But now that he has money, he's turned bad."
Zhao Mingyue recalled the poem, "I regret teaching my husband to seek fame and fortune." When a man is incompetent, a woman thinks he is useless; when he becomes capable, he forgets about the woman. What a contradiction!
Zhao Mingyue listened to Shen Fuyu talk for half the night, and finally, unable to resist her drowsiness, she fell asleep.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com