Chen Qiuyu even thought that she should divorce Ren Dahai. In this way, Ren Zhongyuan would be her son alone. Whatever Ren's mother wanted to do to Ren Zhongyuan would depend on her consent.
Zhao Yunxiang couldn't help but burst into tears after hearing Chen Qiuyu's heartfelt words. Wasn't Chen Qiuyu's present a reflection of her past? Back in Zhoujia Village, Zhou Chunping's family had bullied them to death simply because of her weakness and self-righteous "considerateness." Back then, Zhao Yunxiang feared that Zhou Zhixin would be burdened with hardship, afraid of being branded "unfilial," so she endured all the hardships and kept her tears to herself.
Fortunately, Zhao Yunxiang had a strong daughter to help her stand on her own. Yuanyuan was right, why should a woman be virtuous? If she suffers and her husband doesn't know, isn't that stupid?
"Sister Qiuyu, listen to me. You must tell your husband, Ren Dahai, about this. I'm not trying to sow discord between them as a daughter-in-law, but this family doesn't belong to you alone. If Ren Dahai, as a man, can't stand up to his mother's unreasonable behavior, then if you ask for a divorce, I will stand by you." Zhao Yunxiang grabbed Chen Qiuyu's hands and persuaded her. Chen Qiuyu and Ren Dahai were in a military marriage, and divorce was not permitted without special reasons. By saying this, Zhao Yunxiang was implicitly assuring Chen Qiuyu that if Ren Dahai couldn't protect Chen Qiuyu from the harm from his mother, she would be willing to persuade Zhou Zhixin to help.
Drawing on her own experience, Zhao Yunxiang felt that Chen Qiuyu shouldn't have kept this secret from Ren Dahai. In Zhao Yunxiang's mind, Ren Dahai wasn't someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong. Ren Lao Niang's ability to act so recklessly over the years was partly due to Chen Qiuyu hiding her unsavory side from him. For years, Ren Lao Niang had always addressed any request directly to Chen Qiuyu. If Chen Qiuyu refused, Ren Lao Niang would find ways to harass Ren Dahai. Ren Dahai's job required him to maintain a clear mind at all times, as distraction from household chores could lead to serious consequences.
Chen Qiuyu didn't want Ren Dahai to be bothered by his mother. For minor matters, like when his mother asked for a few more dollars or when she asked Chen Qiuyu to buy clothes for his sister-in-law or nephew, Chen Qiuyu didn't bother to argue with her and simply agreed to do it for her. It could be said that under Chen Qiuyu's "escort," Ren Dahai hadn't felt that his mother was being excessive over the years.
It was precisely because of Chen Qiuyu's concealment that Ren Dahai felt that her temper had been "unpredictable" recently. Chen Qiuyu was furious, and Ren Dahai might have thought she was being too pretentious.
Why should a woman shield a man from the turmoil of his in-laws? Just for the sake of being called "virtuous"? Ren Zhongyuan isn't Chen Qiuyu's son alone. If Ren Dahai can't protect his son from the storm, how can he still be a father?
A kind person is easily bullied, and a kind horse is easily ridden. This statement resonated deeply with Zhao Yunxiang. The result of retreating step by step is to retreat to the edge of a cliff. Chen Qiuyu is now in this state. Since he is not even afraid of divorce, why not clarify things with Ren Dahai? If he does, the worst that can happen is divorce. If Ren Dahai is willing to stand up for Chen Qiuyu and shield him from his mother's wrath, it would be a pleasant surprise for Chen Qiuyu.
Outside the door, Ren Zhongyuan listened to the conversation between Chen Qiuyu and Zhao Yunxiang and couldn't help but burst into tears.
Until he was seven, Ren Zhongyuan lived with his grandmother. For as long as he could remember, his mother had complained to him about how little money Ren Dahai sent back home, and how Chen Qiuyu was so cruel she wouldn't even take care of her own son. Ren Zhongyuan didn't understand anything. Before returning to Kyoto, he'd believed he was a burden to his parents. Otherwise, why did he stay with his grandparents when he saw all the other children in Hongqi Village staying with their parents?
Children are the most sensitive. Under Ren Lao Niang's scolding and indifference, Ren Zhongyuan always felt that he was an unlovable existence. Especially after the birth of Ren Dajiang's first child, Ren Mingyuan, the adults in the Ren family doted on Ren Zhongming, which further highlighted the fact that Ren Zhongyuan was not liked by others.
For countless days and nights, Ren Zhongyuan longed for his parents to embrace him and call him "darling son" like an uncle and aunt. But as the days passed, Ren Zhongyuan rarely saw Ren Dahai and Chen Qiuyu, except during the Lunar New Year holidays. Every Lunar New Year was Ren Zhongyuan's happiest time. His parents, Ren Dahai, would bring him tons of goodies from Kyoto: food, clothing, and everything else. Chen Qiuyu would always hold Ren Zhongyuan's hand and gaze at him with loving eyes. The Lunar New Year holidays were Ren Zhongyuan's happiest days of the year.
Every New Year, Ren Zhongyuan longed for his parents to take him away. But each time, his hopes were dashed. Whenever Chen Qiuyu mentioned taking Ren Zhongyuan away, Ren's mother would burst into tears and scold him, saying that Chen Qiuyu was worried about her, a grandmother, taking care of her grandson, and that Ren Dahai was helping his wife by taking Ren Zhongyuan away to hurt her.
Because of Ren Lao Niang's "terribility", Ren Zhongyuan didn't dare to make any requests to his parents. Every time, he stared at his parents' backs as they walked out of the village. His heart felt like a hole was broken, and he was very sad, even sadder than when Ren Lao Niang took away all his things.
Every year after Ren Dahai and the others left, the things bought for Ren Zhongyuan were redistributed by Ren Lao Niang. Any clothes that Ren Mingyuan could wear were given to him by Ren Lao Niang, and the food was shared among the family, leaving very little for Ren Zhongyuan.
Ren Zhongyuan didn't dare to complain or cry. If he complained, Ren's mother would punish him by not giving him food. If he cried, Ren's mother would beat him.
By the end, Ren Zhongyuan no longer longed to leave Hongqi Village. Whether Ren Dahai and Chen Qiuyu returned or not, it didn't make a ripple in his heart. He even hoped his parents wouldn't buy him anything when they came home, as he wouldn't get it anyway. Even at such a young age, Ren Zhongyuan understood that the pain of losing something after having it was far greater than the pain of not having it at all.
Ren Zhongyuan still remembers clearly that in the summer when he was seven years old, Chen Qiuyu returned to Hongqi Village without notifying anyone.
After Chen Qiuyu entered the room, the first person he saw was the skinny Ren Zhongyuan, who was dragging a large bucket of pig food that was almost as tall as him and not much lighter than him to feed the pigs. Along the way, Ren Zhongyuan staggered and spilled some pig food, which caused Ren's mother to scold him.
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