Chapter 44 Divorce came suddenly
The story goes back an hour. Jiang Yufei had been going to her biological mother's place frequently these past few days, hoping to see Song Fenglan, but Song Fenglan hadn't shown up. The Song family hadn't invited Aunt Yu and the others over for dinner either, so Jiang Yufei couldn't resist and decided to come and check on them.
Jiang Yufei knew where Song Fenglan lived, and she wanted to come and see how Song Fenglan reacted. If necessary, she could apologize to Song Fenglan; they were cousins, so Song Fenglan shouldn't hold it against her.
Qin's sister-in-law never apologized to Song Fenglan, and she thought Song Fenglan would leave before the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. She endured the five days of the holiday without apologizing or returning the money, refusing to come over.
However, Song Fenglan left on the afternoon of the sixth day of the lunar new year, and Qin Dasao was forced to come over to apologize to Song Fenglan. Qin Dasao dawdled and delayed, and only came now.
Qin's sister-in-law and Jiang Yufei bumped into each other, and the two, who didn't get along, started arguing at the door.
"Oh, who do we have here?" Jiang Yufei sneered. "Your family, your maternal family, are a family of spies. They have spies in their family."
“That’s my great-uncle, not my father or my grandfather.” Sister-in-law Qin gritted her teeth, wishing this matter had nothing to do with her family.
“You still call him Uncle, but isn’t he one of your family members?” Jiang Yufei said. “You look down on us with your nose in the air. I think you should despise yourself the most. Take a piss and look at yourself. What a vicious woman you are.”
"Me, vicious?" Sister-in-law Qin said angrily.
"If you're not vicious, who is?" Jiang Yufei shouted. "You took the chicken that someone was having a new mother's confinement period to her parents' house and hid the money that her husband's family was going to give to her younger brother and sister-in-law. Isn't that vicious enough?"
"I……"
"You're vicious, you're shameless," Jiang Yufei said. "There's no one in the world as shameless as you. What are you doing here? You want to insult my cousin? You've been badmouthing us behind our backs for a long time, and now you're putting on an act here."
"You... I'm here to apologize," said Sister-in-law Qin.
"Apologize? Why didn't you apologize earlier? Why apologize now?" Jiang Yufei was also thinking of apologizing, but she felt that Sister-in-law Qin was more at fault.
Jiang Yufei felt that at least the Jiang family had taken Song Fenglan in, even though she had made things difficult for Song Fenglan before, the Jiang family still hadn't kicked her out. The Qin family was different; they didn't let Song Fenglan stay there, and they were very cunning.
"Then what are you doing here?" Sister-in-law Qin asked. "I remember you've made things difficult for your cousin quite a bit."
“That’s my cousin,” Jiang Yufei said. “At least my cousin and I are related by blood. Who do you think you are?”
“I am her sister-in-law.”
"Sister-in-law Qin said."
"What kind of sister-in-law are you?" Jiang Yufei rolled her eyes. "It's because of you that my cousin ate less chicken during her postpartum period. Haven't you bullied my cousin enough over the years? Do you have to come here to bully her again?"
Sister-in-law Qin was furious, but she didn't want to make a scene any further, so she tried to turn around and leave. Jiang Yufei, however, wasn't about to let her leave so easily. She had finally seized this opportunity, and of course, she wanted to give Sister-in-law Qin a good laugh.
Previously, Sister-in-law Qin acted superior, as if she were the most powerful and influential person. Jiang Yufei wondered why Sister-in-law Qin treated her that way when she hadn't offended her.
Jiang Yufei was somewhat affected by the Jiang family taking in Song Fenglan. She had a bad temper, and people would talk about her family taking in Song Fenglan in front of her. Jiang Yufei felt that she was being humiliated because of Song Fenglan. If Song Fenglan hadn't lived in her house, she wouldn't have been asked about taking in a rich young lady, and her first love wouldn't have looked down on her or broken up with her.
Back when Jiang Yufei and her first love were discussing marriage, the Jiang family wanted to take in Song Fenglan. Jiang Yufei's first love objected, saying they shouldn't and needed the Jiang family to reconsider. The Jiang family still decided to take in Song Fenglan, and Aunt Yu firmly insisted that Song Fenglan stay.
It doesn't matter who Jiang Yufei marries; she doesn't necessarily have to marry this man. At this moment, this man might tell the Jiang family not to take in Song Fenglan, and when the Jiang family encounters problems later, this man might also tell Jiang Yufei not to help the Jiang family.
Aunt Yu insisted, and since the Song family had given so many things before, and Old Madam Jiang had no objections, Song Fenglan was able to stay.
This is also one of the reasons why Jiang Yufei harbors such resentment towards Song Fenglan. She believes that she was forced to break up with her first love because of Song Fenglan. Jiang Yufei even argued with her family at the time, demanding that they not take Song Fenglan in. Was Song Fenglan more important, or was her own happiness for the rest of her life more important?
From then on, Jiang Yufei's attitude towards Song Fenglan worsened. She would frequently make sarcastic remarks to Song Fenglan and insist on kicking her out. Even after Jiang Yufei married someone else, her attitude towards Song Fenglan remained poor. Whenever she was slightly unhappy in her in-laws' home, she felt that Song Fenglan was to blame. She believed that if she had married her first love, she would have been much happier.
Jiang Yufei also believed that it was because Song Fenglan was in the Jiang family that she couldn't find more potential partners. Jiang Yufei harbored various grievances against Song Fenglan, which Song Fenglan was aware of, but she felt that it wasn't entirely her fault.
If Jiang Yufei's first love truly loved her, he would have stayed with her instead of going on blind dates and marrying someone else.
In earlier years, Song Fenglan would have been more tolerant of Jiang Yufei, since she was going to live in the Jiang family home, and the Jiang family home was Jiang Yufei's Jiang family home. Song Fenglan had spoken ill of Jiang Yufei to the Song family; she couldn't keep it all to herself. If she only reported good news and not bad, her family wouldn't believe her, so it was better to talk about Jiang Yufei.
Ultimately, Song Fenglan's presence at the Jiang family did indeed influence Jiang Yufei, which is why Song Fenglan didn't feel the need to retaliate against Jiang Yufei.
"Leave?" Jiang Yufei stopped Qin's sister-in-law. "Leaving now? What are you doing here?"
"They're gone!" Sister-in-law Qin said.
"They're gone?" Jiang Yufei quickly realized that Song Fenglan and the others had returned to Nancheng. "I don't know exactly when they went back. As for you, you deliberately chose to come at this time? You're quite capable of avoiding apologizing. Having spies in your family is truly a sign of cunning."
"I am a married woman, I..."
"There's a spy in your family," Jiang Yufei repeated. "There's a spy in your family."
"Shut up!" Sister-in-law Qin reached out to cover Jiang Yufei's mouth.
Then, the two women started fighting. Jiang Yufei didn't care whether Qin's sister-in-law was Song Fenglan's sister-in-law or not; she knew Song Fenglan didn't like Qin's sister-in-law either. Perfect timing! Jiang Yufei wanted to teach Qin's sister-in-law a lesson. It didn't matter that Song Fenglan wasn't there; Jiang Yufei didn't need Song Fenglan to see it.
She, Jiang Yufei, didn't fight Qin Dasao for Song Fenglan's sake; she did it for herself. Qin Dasao looked down on her and rolled her eyes at her many times. Jiang Yufei thought that if she didn't take action, she would be bullied forever. That wouldn't do; she had to act.
The two men got into a fight in front of Song Fenglan's house, and then they were taken away by the police.
Even after arriving at the police station, the two were still hurling insults at each other.
"I'm not good to Song Fenglan, so you're good to her?" Sister-in-law Qin's hair was messy, and there were several scratches on her neck.
It's so cold, everyone is wearing thick clothes.
Jiang Yufei specifically grabbed Qin's sister-in-law's head, hair, and neck, and even scratched her face. Jiang Yufei herself was good at dodging; her hair was disheveled, but her face wasn't scratched by Qin's sister-in-law. If the police hadn't come over, Jiang Yufei could have held Qin's sister-in-law down and hit her a few times.
"She's my cousin. Do you need to tell me whether I'm good to her or not?" Jiang Yufei said. "Even if I'm not good to her, is she as bad as you?"
"You must kick her out!" Sister-in-law Qin said.
"I want to kick her out, but can I succeed?" Jiang Yufei knew she couldn't succeed. She was going to marry her first love. Neither her parents nor her grandmother had kicked Song Fenglan out. Jiang Yufei knew she could never kick Song Fenglan out unless Song Fenglan herself was willing to leave.
The more things were like this, the more Jiang Yufei wanted to drive Song Fenglan away; only in this way could she feel a little better.
Even though she knew it was impossible, Jiang Yufei's heart ached every time she thought of her first love. Jiang Yufei also felt that her biological mother valued Song Fenglan more than her; she was her mother's biological daughter, and Song Fenglan was just her mother's niece. Why was her mother so good to Song Fenglan?
When Jiang Yufei gave birth, Aunt Yu didn't help take care of the baby. When Song Fenglan gave birth, Aunt Yu helped Song Fenglan during her postpartum period and even bought several chickens. Jiang Yufei knew all this, which made her even more heartbroken. However, she didn't secretly steal chicken legs back then; at most, she ate chicken feet and wings.
Jiang Yufei felt wronged. She hadn't received such good treatment even when she was in postpartum confinement. Her mother said that now that she was married, her in-laws had to treat her well. Song Fenglan was also married, so why was she still living in the Jiang family and receiving such good treatment?
"I failed, but you succeeded in making my cousin eat less chicken during her postpartum period so she couldn't properly recover," Jiang Yufei said. "If my cousin's health is not good, it must be your fault."
"That's because of her family background!" Sister-in-law Qin said.
“That was so long ago. My cousin’s family background is fine now,” Jiang Yufei said. “You’re a relative of a spy, so I have reason to suspect that you’re trying to kill my cousin, just like you did to my cousin’s uncle. Officer, I’m reporting you. She must have ulterior motives. She wants to kill a pillar of our nation.”
Jiang Yufei admired Song Fenglan's abilities; Song Fenglan had gone from being a middle school teacher to a researcher. Jiang Yufei herself couldn't have achieved that.
The police officers at the station hadn't considered this yet when Jiang Yufei continued, "My cousin's uncle is named Song Xingyun. He was assassinated while returning to China to serve his country. My cousin's uncle was a researcher, and my cousin is now also a researcher. I heard from my mother that there are female soldiers protecting my cousin. These people must know that my cousin is following in her uncle's footsteps, and they want to kill her."
"Are you crazy?" Sister-in-law Qin's eyes widened; she never expected Jiang Yufei to say something like that.
The police officers at the station didn't know whether Jiang Yufei was telling the truth or not, but they all had to take it as fact and ask her about the situation.
Song Fenglan has left the capital. The police station staff asked the relevant departments, who felt that Sister-in-law Qin was indeed suspicious and needed to be investigated thoroughly.
“Her family are just ordinary workers, so why does her family have a radio and a lot of nice things?” Jiang Yufei said. “I reasonably suspect that her great-uncle secretly helped their family and had them support him.”
Jiang Yufei was talking nonsense with her eyes wide open; she was just spouting gibberish. As long as she could get a piece of Qin Dasao's skin, that was more important than anything else.
When the Qin and Jiang families arrived, they happened to overhear what Jiang Yufei was saying.
Qin's mother and elder brother were stunned on the spot. What was Jiang Yufei saying?
“Spies, your whole family are spies,” Jiang Yufei said. “The eldest is a big spy, the youngest is a small spy, none of you have good intentions. You people are just taking advantage of the chaos to harm others. You are a spy, your son and daughter are spies, and even your husband will be turned by you.”
Aunt Yu was shocked. She hadn't expected Jiang Yufei to say such things, and she certainly hadn't expected Jiang Yufei to cause a scene with Sister-in-law Qin.
It's true that there's a spy among Qin's sister-in-law's family. The police station staff asked the relevant departments, and they said they would send someone over. You see, Song Fenglan helped solve many problems at the Capital Aircraft Research Institute, so the higher-ups are paying even more attention to her. If someone like Qin's sister-in-law were to harm Song Fenglan, that wouldn't do.
From what Jiang Yufei said, it's clear that Sister-in-law Qin did indeed cause Song Fenglan a lot of trouble. Perhaps Sister-in-law Qin and her ilk knew all along that Song Fenglan was talented and were deliberately trying to persecute her.
Sister-in-law Qin never imagined that simply going to apologize would lead to her being interrogated by relevant authorities. Not only Sister-in-law Qin, but everyone in the Tian family also needs to be reinvestigated.
Qin Da Sao was left behind, while Jiang Yufei left the police station first.
The Qin family didn't want Qin's sister-in-law to stay at the police station. Qin's mother asked a couple of questions, "This is a misunderstanding, can we let her go home?"
If we let Sister-in-law Qin stay at the police station, things will get serious, and what will happen to the Qin family's reputation?
The police refused to release Sister-in-law Qin, and Qin's mother and the others had no choice but to go back first.
Jiang Yufei was walking down the street with her aunt Yu when her aunt Yu looked at her and said, "You've really shown some skill today!"
"Does Song Fenglan, that sister-in-law, really think she's someone to be trifled with?" Jiang Yufei said. "She has problems herself, yet she has the nerve to accuse others of having problems. There's a spy in her family; instead of being careful, she's saying those things. Does she think I'm easy to bully?"
Jiang Yufei thought, "So what if they say something unpleasant? Do they really think I can't do that?"
“Mom, their whole family are spies,” Jiang Yufei said.
Saying these things isn't a crime, and Jiang Yufei did say them anyway.
Aunt Yu remained silent.
"She bullied Song Fenglan, and she bullied us quite a bit too, no..."
"They're giving us the cold shoulder," Jiang Yufei said. "Even after all this time, does she still think we're cowards?"
Jiang Yufei might back down in front of Song Fenglan, but she certainly wouldn't back down in front of Sister-in-law Qin. Who does Sister-in-law Qin think she is, daring to say those things to her?
When Aunt Qin arrived at the Qin family home, they had no idea that what Sister-in-law Qin had done could involve other things. They were afraid that something might actually be discovered about Sister-in-law Qin. Could the Tian family withstand an investigation? Probably not.
Even if the Tian family members didn't become spies, it wouldn't be acceptable if they made contact with spies or offered them even the slightest help.
"Get a divorce!" Qin's father said. "You two should get a divorce!"
Qin's father clutched his chest, overwhelmed with grief. He had genuinely believed his eldest son's family background was good. Who knew things would turn out this way, getting worse and worse? He feared the Tian family would be under close surveillance from now on, and most importantly, what if something was discovered? Even if nothing was discovered now, wouldn't it be discovered later?
There's no point in Brother Qin and Sister-in-law Qin continuing their marriage. Sister-in-law Qin can't help Brother Qin; she'll only be a burden. It would be better for them to divorce sooner rather than later and go their separate ways.
When Aunt Qin suggested they get a divorce, Brother Qin hadn't planned on it yet. Now, it's Father Qin who's telling Brother Qin and Sister-in-law Qin to divorce.
When Song Fenglan and her family of three returned to Nancheng, Brother Qin went to finalize their divorce. Sister-in-law Qin should no longer be addressed as that; she should be called Tian Keshu.
Tian Keshu didn't want a divorce, but she had to; she couldn't let her son and daughter be implicated. Only a divorce could bring this matter to a quicker end. Tian Keshu resented her great-uncle; how could he be a spy? Why wasn't he a patriot?
The relevant authorities temporarily let Tian Keshu go home, but both the Qin family and Tian Keshu herself knew that this was not the end.
Tian Keshu packed her things and went back to the Tian family home; she could no longer stay at her ex-husband's house.
It's not easy for Brother Qin to take care of the children alone, so it's only natural and reasonable for him to take both children back to his parents' place.
When the Song family learned of this, they were quite surprised, even more so by Jiang Yufei's fighting prowess. Jiang Yufei didn't boast to the Song family; she had already considered that she was fighting for herself, not for Song Fenglan.
In Nancheng, Song Fenglan and her family of three had just arrived at their doorstep when Zhang Xiaohu ran over.
"Brother Zihang, Brother Zihang." Zhang Xiaohu hadn't seen Qin Zihang for a long time. "Why are you only coming back now?"
"We're back," Qin Zihang said. "You know what? I watched TV, and it was so good!"
Qin Zihang really wanted to bring the TV over, but Song Fenglan wouldn't let him. They could watch TV when they returned to the capital, and they could buy another TV in the south city instead of carrying it back and forth like this.
"TV?" Zhang Xiaohu asked in confusion. "You watched TV?"
Some families here have televisions, and many people like to visit the homes of those families just to watch TV.
Sister-in-law Pang wouldn't let Zhang Xiaohu go over; it was too embarrassing to keep going to other people's houses. Even if they didn't have to buy them food, they should at least be offered a seat and a drink of water. They would talk over there and might even make a mess of the floor.
"Yes, my mom said we need to buy a TV so I can watch it at home." Qin Zihang hugged the panda and said to Zhang Xiaohu, "From now on, Brother Xiaohu, you can come to my house to watch TV."
"Okay, okay, I want to watch TV." Zhang Xiaohu nodded.
"Xiao Hu." Aunt Pang came out to bring Zhang Xiao Hu back. "Your younger brother Zihang just got back. Let them tidy up first."
"What do you need to pack?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.
“It’s been so many days, the house is dusty,” said the plump woman. Then, remembering something else, she looked at Song Fenglan and said, “Professor Su’s husband came over to help you clean, so it should be very clean. She even brought out the blankets to air them out for you.”
Mrs. Su had a key to Song Fenglan's house, so she decided to come over and help tidy up.
"Okay, thank you for your help." Song Fenglan said.
“Your Fuwangwang is right in your yard,” said the plump woman.
Zhang Xiaohu's enthusiasm for dogs is short-lived. At first, he liked taking the dog for walks. After a few walks, he didn't like going out anymore and said that his parents could take the dog for walks instead of him.
Fatty Sister-in-law was just glad they hadn't brought a puppy home. Zhang Xiaohu had no patience for anything and couldn't possibly keep doing it forever.
"Okay." Song Fenglan went back first.
"Brother Xiaohu, I'm going back now." Qin Zihang waved to Zhang Xiaohu.
Zhang Xiaohu looked at his mother and asked, "Mom, are we going to buy a TV?"
"What do you want to buy?" the plump woman asked.
"Buy a TV," Zhang Xiaohu said.
"Don't even think about it," said the plump woman. "There are three of you in the family, father and son, and you don't even know how much food you need. Wouldn't it be better to use this money to buy you meat? Buying a TV? You're dreaming."
Fat Sister thought Zhang Xiaohu wanted to take a bite out of her. To get a TV, you needed tickets and money, and her family had neither. They couldn't compare to Song Fenglan's family; the two families were completely incomparable.
“Zihang’s family wants to buy it,” Zhang Xiaohu said.
"Didn't your brother Zihang also say that you should come over and watch TV?" the fat woman said. "You can come over and watch TV once they install one at their house."
"Okay," Zhang Xiaohu said.
Not only did Song Fenglan's family return, but Gao Xiuxiu's family did too. Gao Xiuxiu boasted about her pregnancy in the countryside, telling everyone she met that she was carrying a boy, and she was very proud of herself. Later, no one wanted to listen to Gao Xiuxiu's stories anymore. Gao Xiuxiu was finally satisfied; she had finally gotten her revenge, and people no longer thought she had given birth to a girl or that she was pregnant again.
Song Fenglan was unaware of Gao Xiuxiu's actions in the countryside, but Fatty Sister could more or less guess what Gao Xiuxiu had been doing there. Gao Xiuxiu frequently flaunted her pregnancy even in the family compound, let alone after she returned to the countryside.
Upon entering the living room, Song Fenglan found it indeed quite clean, spotless. Thanks to Madam Su, otherwise, Song Fenglan would have had to tidy up the house upon her return.
Before Song Fenglan returned, she didn't ask Madam Su to come and tidy up; Madam Su tidied up herself. The Song family thought it would be better if Song Fenglan were in the capital, as they could help take care of Zihang. However, given the current situation, they couldn't ask Aunt Tao to come to Nancheng to take care of Zihang, as Aunt Tao was getting old. It was still up to Song Fenglan and her husband to take care of the child.
The Song family was very grateful to Mrs. Su for helping Song Fenglan. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Song family called Mrs. Su to express their special thanks.
"Boil some water and wash up first," Song Fenglan said. "Then we can get food from the cafeteria later."
Song Fenglan didn't intend to have Qin Yizhou cook; what was the point of cooking at this hour? He must be exhausted after such a long train ride. Cao Fang went back to her barracks first, not coming with Song Fenglan.
This is a family compound, with military spouses and families of researchers. There are many patrols here, so security is guaranteed.
"Mom, let's give the panda a wash, it's smelly too," Qin Zihang said.
Previously, when they traveled from the south city to the capital, Qin Zihang always covered the panda with a cloth, afraid that it would get dirty. After arriving in the capital, Song's mother even sprayed perfume on the panda so that it would smell nice.
They had traveled for so many days by train after returning from the capital. Qin Zihang and his companions had picked up some of the smells themselves; there were many people on the train, and all sorts of smells were present, so it was inevitable that they would pick up some as well.
“Okay, let’s wash the panda too,” Song Fenglan said. “It won’t dry so quickly, it’ll need to air dry for a few days.”
"Let's sunbathe," Qin Zihang said. "I'll sunbathe too, and sunbathe with the pandas."
"You can let it bask in the sun for a bit," Song Fenglan said. "A little sun exposure will help you get calcium."
"Mom, should we call Grandma?" Qin Zihang asked.
"Yes," Song Fenglan said. "Go make a call."
"I'll call! I'll call!" Qin Zihang exclaimed excitedly, wanting to call his grandmother.
The call was answered quickly, and Song's mother answered the phone.
"Grandma, it's me, Hangbao." Qin Zihang's voice was soft and sweet, and the voice of a baby is always so cute. "Grandma, we're home."
"Okay, okay," said Song's mother. "Is our Hangbao tired from the car ride?"
"I'm asleep," Qin Zihang said. "I have a small bed to sleep in."
The sleeper berths on the train are quite small; Qin Zihang refers to them as "small beds."
Qin Zihang chattered on and on with Song's mother, and then Song Fenglan took the phone and spoke to her mother.
"The Qin family... your husband's eldest brother and sister-in-law, they're divorced," Song's mother said.
"What?" Song Fenglan was surprised; she had never imagined that the two of them would get divorced.
Song Fenglan thought that Brother Qin and Sister-in-law Qin wouldn't get a divorce; at most, they would just torment each other within their marriage. Why would they get a divorce for no reason? Even if Sister-in-law Qin's uncle was a spy, Sister-in-law Qin was a married woman, and the relationship between her and her uncle was several levels distant. Logically speaking, this matter shouldn't have a significant impact on Sister-in-law Qin.
“Yufei got into a fight with her and they went to the police station,” Song’s mother said. “Yufei said that the Tian family were all spies, that your uncle was assassinated before he returned to China, and that Tian Keshu, who is Yizhou’s sister-in-law, was trying to kill you.”
"..." Song Fenglan was taken aback, but thinking about it, it did sound like something Jiang Yufei would say.
When Jiang Yufei tried to kick Song Fenglan out of the Jiang family, she said many unpleasant things. Those words were truly unpleasant; Jiang Yufei said Song Fenglan was a bourgeois heiress, that Song Fenglan treated the Jiang family like servants, and that Song Fenglan didn't know how to do anything.
"This commotion led to a divorce," said Song's mother.
"Are you really divorced?" Song Fenglan asked.
“How could this be false?” said Song’s mother. “Brother Yizhou has moved to his parents’ place, and Tian Keshu has gone back to the Tian family.”
"She just went back like that, didn't she want anything?" Song Fenglan asked.
“She has a son and a daughter, so she has to think about her children,” said Song’s mother. “After something like this happened, the Qin family can’t possibly give her more. It’s better to get a divorce sooner rather than later, so everyone can save face. I was thinking of calling you when you arrived to let you know. That day, Yufei and Tian Keshu got into a fight right in front of your house.”
Song Fenglan felt a little regretful that she hadn't witnessed that scene. If she had been there, would those two have still started fighting?
“Yufei finally did one thing right,” said Song’s mother. “She hasn’t come over these past few days. Before you returned to the capital, she appeared in front of me several times, but she hasn’t appeared now.”
“She will come to you when she is ready,” Song Fenglan said.
"Yes, that's right." Song's mother nodded.
Qin Yizhou went to the cafeteria to get his food first, while Song Fenglan and Qin Zihang went home. After Song Fenglan finished her call, Qin Yizhou still hadn't returned.
Song Fenglan told Qin Yizhou to stay home and not go out, while she went to take a shower and change her clothes.
When Qin Yizhou returned, Song Fenglan was still showering; she needed to wash her hair and take a bath. There wasn't enough hot water at home, so they had to get some from Aunt Pang's place.
To prevent Qin Zihang from going hungry, Qin Yizhou let Qin Zihang eat something first.
When Song Fenglan came out of the bathroom, she dried her hair with a towel.
"Let's eat first," Qin Yizhou said.
Song Fenglan sat down at the dining table, picked up her chopsticks, and said, "Your eldest brother and sister-in-law are divorced."
"Divorced?" Qin Yizhou was also very surprised.
"You don't believe they're divorced either? I don't believe it either. It's amazing, isn't it? They weren't divorced before, and now they're divorced," Song Fenglan said. "Zihang just called his grandmother. My mom told me this when I was talking to her. She said that Jiang Yufei and your sister-in-law had a big fight on the day she boarded the train south."
“We’re not here,” Qin Yizhou said.
“They started fighting right in front of our house,” Song Fenglan said. “I don’t know how the two of them got to our doorstep. We weren’t there; we were both on the train back to Nancheng. They arrived at that time.”
“Let’s get a divorce then,” Qin Yizhou said. “This is my brother’s decision, not ours.”
“Of course,” Song Fenglan said, “it just feels a bit unbelievable.”
Song Fenglan had always believed that Brother Qin and Sister-in-law Qin would never divorce. They already had children, and divorce wasn't a trend in this day and age. If Brother Qin and Sister-in-law Qin divorced, it might not be good for Brother Qin.
"Anything can happen," Qin Yizhou said. "Even though my elder brother and sister-in-law are divorced, the divorce agreement is still valid."
From now on, Brother Qin will be responsible for taking care of Qin's parents in their old age; Qin Yizhou will not need to take on this responsibility.
"Who said that?" Song Fenglan wasn't thinking about that; she was thinking about what Qin's sister-in-law had fought for for the eldest son's family. Now that Qin's sister-in-law and Qin's brother were divorced, those things had nothing to do with Qin's sister-in-law. No, it wasn't that they had nothing to do with Qin's sister-in-law; she still had two children.
“Those things have nothing to do with us,” Qin Yizhou said. “We’ll just live our own lives and ignore them.”
Qin Yizhou held this attitude: he and his older brother were both adults, and neither could decide the other's marriage. They didn't ask his older brother to divorce; it was his brother and sister-in-law who decided to divorce themselves.
“That makes sense.” Song Fenglan nodded.
"What is divorce?" Qin Zihang asked.
“Divorce means that Mom and Dad no longer live together,” Song Fenglan said.
"Mom and Dad, were you divorced before?" Qin Zihang thought for a while. "You didn't live together before."
“We’re not divorced,” Qin Yizhou said. Explaining these things to a child is difficult because their understanding is often one-sided and sometimes their perspective is quite tricky. “Look, Mom and Dad are together. We just work separately to earn money to support Hangbao.”
"I'll eat less," Qin Zihang said.
"No need, Hangbao, eat more," Qin Yizhou said. "The three of us are together as a family."
"Okay," Qin Zihang said.
Qin Yizhou knew that his older brother and sister-in-law had divorced, but he didn't call to ask. Why ask? That was his brother's business. If his brother wanted to tell him, he would naturally call and say so. Since his brother didn't say anything, Qin Yizhou pretended not to know.
The next day, Qin Yizhou went and brought back a television set. He had told his wife that he wanted to get a television set for their son, and that was it.
Gao Xiuxiu saw Qin Yizhou carrying a large box inside, and she asked the plump woman next to her, "What's that?"
"A television," the plump woman replied.
"A television?" Gao Xiuxiu exclaimed in surprise. "They even bought a television?"
"Yes, I bought it," said the plump woman.
“Since your family is on good terms with theirs, you might be able to go and visit them,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “As for my family, there’s no way we can visit them.”
“It’s not good to always go to other people’s houses to watch TV. It’s better not to go when it’s inconvenient for them,” said the plump woman. “Fenglan works in a classified unit. If a large group of us go over, what if… it’s better not to all go at once. TVs aren’t only in Fenglan’s house; other people’s houses have them too. We can watch TV elsewhere.”
"I'm going back." Gao Xiuxiu looked down at her belly. "My belly is big."
"..." Talking about the belly again, Fatty Sister wanted to roll her eyes.
In the evening, Qin's mother called Qin Yizhou to tell him about her brother's divorce. The Qin family wanted Qin Yizhou to know this, so that Song Fenglan wouldn't hold a grudge about Qin's sister-in-law's past actions.
“Your sister-in-law…you don’t have a sister-in-law anymore,” Qin’s mother said. “What’s past is past.”
"Some things are better left unsaid," Qin Yizhou said.
It's impossible that Brother Qin was completely unaware of what Sister-in-law Qin had done, and neither were Father Qin and Mother Qin entirely innocent.
Qin Yizhou knew that if he said it was all in the past now, his family would bully them even more when they returned to the capital.
"..." Qin's mother was silent for a while, "You still resent us? Or your wife..."
“She doesn’t resent you, but I do,” Qin Yizhou said. “Mom, let’s not talk about those things.”
Qin Yizhou thought it was his mother who insisted on bringing up the past and reminding him. Did those things even matter, whether they were in the past or not?
Brother Qin and Qin Yizhou's relationship is long gone; they shouldn't even think about reconciling—it's highly unlikely. The fact that they can still act like relatives is already quite remarkable.
“Mom, we didn’t force my older brother and sister-in-law to divorce,” Qin Yizhou said. “If they don’t want to divorce, they don’t have to.”
"They still have to get a divorce," Qin's mother said. "If they don't get a divorce, we'll all become spies."
Qin's mother didn't want to be seen as a spy. No one in her family had ever been a spy; her husband had even served in the army and fought in wars, retiring honorably due to illness. Qin's mother didn't want her family involved in such messy affairs. Her sister-in-law's situation was even more complicated than Song Fenglan's.
The initial composition issue is even more serious, and it will also affect the future of Brother Qin's son and daughter.
The eldest son's family... Sigh, Qin's mother had a headache just thinking about it. With such a mother, the future of her eldest grandson and granddaughter was uncertain, and there were many things she couldn't do. Qin's mother was distressed and suggested that her eldest son remarry and have more children as soon as possible.
“You all chose her as your sister-in-law,” Qin Yizhou said. “You all think she’s good.”
"Who would have thought her family was like this?" Qin's mother said.
Qin's sister-in-law, Tian Keshu, went back to her parents' home. There was no room for her there anymore; she used to share a room with her younger sister. Now, she has to squeeze into a room with her unmarried sister, which makes her sister very unhappy.
No matter how unhappy Tian Keshu was, it was no use; she still had to live in the Tian family home, as she had nowhere else to go.
"Sister, how could you get divorced so easily?" Tian Keshu's younger sister, Tian Kexian, asked. Tian Kexian was twelve years younger than Tian Keshu. She used to sleep with her older sister when they were little, but luckily her sister got married early, so she could sleep alone later. Now, her sister was back, while she was still unmarried.
"We're getting a divorce then," Tian Keshu said.
“That’s true. At least you’ve been married and have children. As for me, I’m not even married yet,” Tian Kexian said. “After your divorce, you didn’t even think about how things were going for your family. People are laughing at us. The people who used to introduce me to potential partners have stopped doing so.”
Tian Kexian used to be quite popular, and she was determined to find a good partner, someone who couldn't be worse than her brother-in-law. Now, it's not that she's choosing others, but that others are rejecting her. This is driving Tian Kexian crazy, yet she's completely helpless.
Tian Kexian used to respect her older sister quite a bit, and even if she gossiped about her behind her back, she still thought her sister was capable. Now, Tian Kexian just thinks her sister is too foolish. Her sister shouldn't have gotten a divorce; she didn't get one before, and she definitely shouldn't get one now. Even if the Qin family threatens her, she shouldn't get a divorce.
"Sister, don't you think about your two children? You got divorced so easily and came right back to your parents' house," Tian Kexian said. "If your husband moves back to his parents' house, won't there be a free house? Can't he just give you that house?"
"They won't give it to me." It wasn't that Tian Keshu didn't want the house, but the Qin family wouldn't budge, and her older brother Qin wouldn't agree either.
The Qin family's intention was that the house should go to the child, not to Tian Keshu. Tian Keshu had no choice but to divorce Qin Gege; the Qin family had many ways to force her to divorce. After the divorce, the Qin family even published their divorce news in the newspaper.
Tian Keshu wanted to say that the Qin family had gone too far, but what was the use? The Qin family treated her like a plague and kept their distance.
“Sister, you can’t live here forever. You still have to remarry,” Tian Kexian said. “I’m not married yet. Do I have to wait until you get married before I can get married?”
“You can get married first,” Tian Keshu said.
Song Fenglan's family installed a television, but they didn't let other neighbors come over to watch it often. Zhang Xiaohu would go to watch, and Aunt Pang would help him, but Fan Yani rarely went to watch TV. Fan Yani thought that she had watched TV before, so why bother others by going to their houses?
At the research institute, Song Fenglan was busy with her work when someone suddenly ran up to her and said, "Plane crash! Plane crash!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
