“What could he possibly know? Right now, all he cares about are his parents and his younger siblings. He thinks he's the eldest son in the family and that it's only right for him to work hard and make sacrifices.”
Li Xiufen actually harbored some resentment towards her husband. It wasn't that she was unwilling to make sacrifices, but they had to be worthwhile!
Which member of the He family is grateful for her contributions? The old and the young all act as if it's their due, and they're always making sarcastic remarks about her. Even the eldest sister-in-law, a young girl of thirteen or fourteen, still has to leave her underwear there for her to wash, without showing her any consideration.
She is still young, and although she has feelings for her husband, she doesn't want to be stuck in the He family's fire pit forever, with no end in sight.
After a long silence, Sun Ni finally asked in a hoarse voice, "Have you thought it through? You won't regret it?"
"Mom, I've made up my mind, and I will never regret it." Li Xiufen is a resolute person, as can be seen from her insistence on marrying He Zhengming before, and she is the same now that she wants a divorce.
"It's better to get a divorce now. It would be more complicated if you had a child. Since you want a divorce, you need to be careful during this time and make sure you don't get pregnant."
Sun Ni genuinely cares about her daughter. Even if she were to bring up divorce, it would be after the Lunar New Year. But she's afraid her daughter might soften her heart and regret it, and it would be troublesome if a child were to be born in the meantime.
"Mom, should I go back?" Li Xiufen didn't really want to go back, fearing that if she brought up divorce, the He family wouldn't agree and would hold her hostage.
“You want to bring up divorce in the first month of the lunar calendar? Even if you’re in a hurry, you should wait until after the fifteenth. But have you thought about what you’re going to do if you don’t get a divorce? You can’t just stay at home forever, you should find a job.” Sun Ni wasn’t worried about her daughter staying at home, she was just worried about the gossip in the village. She was afraid her daughter would feel bad if she heard it, so it would be better for her to go out.
Li Xiufen nodded silently. She knew she would definitely have to go out and earn money, but this time she didn't want to look for work in town anymore. She thought she should go further away so that she wouldn't run into acquaintances and avoid awkward situations.
After thinking about it for a while, she couldn't help but ask, "Mom, is Xu Minghe really as good as you say?"
When Sun Ni heard her youngest daughter say this, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at her.
"No matter how good someone is, it has nothing to do with you now. Don't overthink it, understand?"
She was worried that her daughter might do something embarrassing in a moment of weakness. It wasn't unheard of for such things to happen, and if that were to happen, the Li family would have no face to stay in the village.
"Mom," Li Xiufen said, her face flushed, looking at her mother with a heartbroken expression.
"Is that the kind of person you think I am? I can be willful at times, but I'm not stupid. How could I possibly seduce a married man? You really underestimate your own daughter."
"Alright, alright, Mom was just saying that, don't take it to heart." Sun Ni stepped forward and hugged her daughter to comfort her. On one side was the He family suffering, and on the other side was the Xu family enjoying happiness. Anyone would have thoughts in that situation, and she was just worried.
Li Xiufen leaned against her mother's chest, lowered her eyelids, and whispered, "Mom, I really regret it. If I had listened to you back then, wouldn't I be enjoying a life of luxury in the Xu family today?"
Sun Ni gently patted her daughter's back, "There's no point in talking about these things now, Xiufen. You can't keep dwelling on the past; you have to look forward."
Now, no matter how good the Xu family is, it has nothing to do with you anymore. You see, if you really divorce Zhengming, then you have to stand on your own two feet. Whether it's going to work and earning money or thinking about remarrying, Mom hopes you'll think it over carefully before making a decision. If you really can't make up your mind, come and ask Mom, okay?"
Li Xiufen sniffed and nodded heavily. Fortunately, her mother hadn't given up on her.
...
After visiting relatives during the first month of the lunar calendar, the entire Xu family, carrying large and small bags, headed to Tianshui City. This time, Old Man Xu was also there.
As soon as he got home, Old Xu urged his son to find him a job. "Minghan, you promised to find me a job. Now that everyone is at work, haven't you found one yet?"
Xu Minghan said helplessly, "Dad, why are you in such a hurry? Wouldn't it be better to rest for a few days?"
"I'm in a hurry! I'm in a hurry to get to work! Tell me if you've found a job yet!" Xu Hongshan shouted. He wouldn't have come to the city if it weren't for working and earning money. The new house in the village was so big and comfortable!
Xu Hongshan's greatest joy in life is making and saving money; money gives him motivation.
"Minghan, you should hurry up and find your dad a job to keep him from going, otherwise he won't be able to sleep soundly at night."
Granny Liu knew her husband's personality well; when it came to making money, he was more enthusiastic than anyone else and never idle.
Xu Minghan scratched his head, "I did find one, but I want to take another look..."
"Hey, what are you looking at? Tell me what it's like first! It's my job, not yours. What's the point if you don't tell me anything?"
Old Xu was anxious. He had boasted about it to his old friends in the village, and he was about to start receiving a salary. He couldn't afford to let them down at this crucial moment.
"Dad, look how anxious you are. I heard it from the property management. They are hiring cleaners. The job is to clean the neighborhood. The working hours are quite flexible, but you have to make sure there is no litter or scraps of paper on the streets."
Upon hearing this, Xu Hongshan hurriedly asked, "You haven't said how much salary you'll get per month yet? That's the most important thing."
"So the salary isn't very high, only forty-five a month. Dad, do you think we should wait a bit longer and I'll look for another job?" Xu Minghan wasn't complaining about the low salary, since that's the going rate, but he was worried his father might have some reservations.
"So I'm the only one cleaning this huge neighborhood?"
"No, there are several people, and each person has their own area. Just clean the area assigned to you."
"Okay, when do I start work? Will you take me there or will I go by myself?" Old Xu thought for a moment and then decided on the job. After all, it was close to home, and he could go home to rest from time to time. Forty-five wasn't a young age. It was just sweeping the floor, what a simple thing!
"Dad, have you thought it through? You're going already?" Xu Minghan was thinking of letting him rest for a few more days and that there was no need to rush.
But Old Xu didn't think so. "What's there to hesitate about? Let's go, let's go now."
Helpless, Xu Minghan could only lead him to the property management office. When the two returned, the old man was holding two sets of clothes and said happily, "Look, there are work uniforms too. They're so professional, just like the factory uniforms from before. They look so impressive."
"You old man, are you happy now? You wouldn't even go out to work if you were allowed to enjoy yourself." Granny Liu just couldn't understand it. Hadn't he worked enough after a lifetime? If it were her, she wouldn't want to go to this job.
"You don't understand, money earned by yourself is always the best. Of course, I'll take what you give me too, hehe."
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