Chapter 155 Impossible: If Line
“Where do you see a young girl dressed like that? Just by looking at her, you can tell she’s not a respectable girl,” Tian Keshu said.
Tian Keshu blamed the girl, not thinking her son had done anything wrong. She felt it was inevitable for him to experience puberty. She believed that if the girl had dressed more conservatively, this wouldn't have happened.
Actually, the young girl was wearing a long dress with mid-length sleeves that went past her knees, which was already quite modest. Even if she wore a sleeveless short dress, that was her own business.
The news of what happened to the Qin family was not only heard by the Song family, but also by Li Yu.
Li Yu is not married yet. He likes Song Fenglan very much, and his family fully supports their relationship. However, Song Fenglan has not agreed to be with Li Yu. She has no intention of pursuing a romantic relationship. If she were to be with Li Yu, he would not be willing to give up having children, and there would be a series of other issues. The two of them are not suitable for each other.
Li Yu met with Song Fenglan again and told her about the Qin family.
"Do you still want to be with your ex-husband?" Li Yu asked in the private room of the restaurant.
"Why do you think that?" Song Fenglan had little contact with Qin Yizhou. Qin Yizhou was ordered to protect Song Fenglan, and Song Fenglan didn't say that Qin Yizhou couldn't do that, nor did she suggest replacing him. In Song Fenglan's view, there was no need to say more about such matters. She believed that Qin Yizhou should understand that he didn't have that much time to deal with the troublesome affairs of the Qin family.
"Your son has a lot of contact with your ex-husband." Li Yu had already inquired about it; Song Zihang really liked Qin Yizhou.
“They are father and son,” Song Fenglan said. “At this age, Zihang needs male elders to teach him some things. I can’t take his father’s place.”
Song Fenglan had always been very clear-headed. Qin Yizhou hadn't offended her; it was the Qin family's fault. Song Fenglan understood perfectly well that the two of them shouldn't get too close. If they did, the Qin family would inevitably cause trouble. Maintaining a certain distance was best for them.
This is for Song Zihang's good, and also for the good of Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou. They all know their limits and know what the right thing to do is.
"Why don't you remarry?" Li Yu asked. "I can stay in China from now on."
“We’re not a good match,” Song Fenglan said bluntly. “I’m way past the age of romance. Even in my younger years, I never thought about love, let alone now. If I marry you and you want children, and I don’t have any, will you find someone else to have them? Will you allow the family fortune you’ve built to go to someone else?”
"Having a child won't take up much time, will it?" Li Yu frowned. He really didn't want someone else to inherit his family business.
“It will cause delays,” Song Fenglan said. “After getting married and having children, there will be many, many things to deal with. Your family are businessmen, and no matter how patriotic you are, you are still businessmen. There will definitely be disagreements between us. You are having affairs outside, and I have to put up with those mistresses coming to my door to provoke me?”
Li Yu is unmarried, but he has many women around him. He frequently attends banquets, so it's not like he hasn't had women. Song Fenglan knows very well that Li Yu isn't as innocent as he appears. There was even a woman who came up to Song Fenglan and declared her ownership.
Song Fenglan had absolutely no romantic feelings for Li Yu. She didn't care what others thought; she knew for sure that she could never be with Li Yu. They could be friends, but there was no possibility of anything more developing between them.
“I need to do experiments, and what about you? We don’t have that much time together,” Song Fenglan said. “At least this way, we can still be friends, right?”
"..." Li Yu didn't want to be just friends with Song Fenglan, but he understood that Song Fenglan was right.
Li Yu wasn't exactly a devoted person. He claimed to be pursuing Song Fenglan, but he still had affairs with other women, just not in front of Song Fenglan. This doesn't mean Song Fenglan knew nothing. Some people think that premarital affairs are insignificant, but a leopard can't change its spots. Li Yu grew up abroad, so he'll only become more open-minded.
Song Fenglan is not stupid. She has no reason to get involved in those controversies. She doesn't love Li Yu, so why should she make things difficult for herself?
“My dad once said that you see things too clearly,” Li Yu said. “He told me to be single-minded, because only by being single-minded can I win your heart.”
Li Yu had to admit that he wasn't faithful enough, and it had indeed caused him a lot of trouble. In his business dealings, Li Yu had his share of casual affairs and other women. He couldn't guarantee that being with Song Fenglan wouldn't mean he wouldn't look for other women; Song Fenglan was busy with work, and he also had his physical needs.
Why does Song Zihang dislike Li Yu? Because he once saw Li Yu being very intimate with another woman. A man like that wants to be with his mother? Dream on!
If he really had to choose, Song Zihang would rather choose his own father.
“You can’t be faithful,” Song Fenglan said honestly.
"..." How could Li Yu put it? He really wasn't loyal enough.
In the evening, Song Fenglan returned home and had a serious talk with Song Zihang. Song Fenglan understood what Song Zihang was thinking, but sometimes, things aren't so simple.
If Song Fenglan doesn't say anything, Song Zihang will do what he wants.
Song Zihang was a little nervous because he hadn't expected his mother to want to talk to him.
"Don't you want to think about this anymore? Even if your parents aren't together, it won't affect your grades," Song Fenglan said. "Your father and I not only have no chance of remarrying, but the possibility of us getting back together is extremely low. The Qin family is in trouble again, a complete mess. Do you want to have such troublesome relatives? Right now, you're surnamed Song, so people treat you as a member of the Song family. If your father and I get back together, people might insist you take the Qin surname, and you'll be associated with the Qin family, with more connections. Are you willing to that?"
Song Fenglan herself didn't want to have any more involvement with the Qin family. She was herself, and the Qin family was the Qin family. Song Fenglan didn't want to constantly meddle in those unnecessary things and make a mess of her life.
"Besides you, the most important thing in my life is my work and scientific research," Song Fenglan said. "Marriage is something I can do without; in fact, I would say that not having marriage is the best thing for me."
To put it bluntly, given Song Fenglan's status and position, the government will arrange for someone to take care of her, and she won't have to worry about retirement. Song Fenglan will continue her research until she dies, and when she truly can't hold on any longer, the government won't just abandon her; they will still have someone take good care of her and make sure she's well taken care of.
"Mom, aren't you going to stay with Dad?" Song Zihang asked.
"You could say that," Song Fenglan said. "Your maternal grandparents and I do owe your father a debt, but given the situation with the Qin family, I don't have the courage to get involved. Even if your father could ignore them, he was raised by your grandparents, so it's impossible to completely sever ties. Since you're already divorced, it's best not to cause further harm, understand?"
“I…” Song Zihang thought that his mother hadn’t said it before, but that she was interested in being with his father.
“Your father and I can be friends, but we can’t be husband and wife,” Song Fenglan said.
"Mom...did I do something wrong?" Song Zihang asked.
“You’re not wrong,” Song Fenglan said. “Your father is indeed a good person. If we’re talking about him alone, without mentioning his parents, he’s a very good person. Your father helped me and your maternal grandparents. He’s also a soldier who has made many contributions to the country. That’s why it’s even more inappropriate for me to be with him.”
"Why?" Song Zihang didn't understand; his mother had clearly praised his father.
“Since your father and I are separated, he can be a bit tougher on your grandparents. He's a bachelor, what's there to be afraid of? And your grandparents won't be able to come looking for me, which will save a lot of trouble,” Song Fenglan said. “It's also good for you. The Qin family is too embarrassed to ask you to help Qin Li'an more. Most of the people in the Qin family are selfish and self-serving. They would never consider your feelings; they would only think that you haven't helped them enough.”
"Is that so?" Song Zihang asked.
“Yes,” Song Fenglan said. Song Zihang is now only eleven or twelve years old at most. Song Fenglan doesn’t expect Song Zihang to understand much at such a young age, but she still has to make her stance clear, “As for what others think, it doesn’t matter.”
Song Fenglan was well aware that the relevant departments wanted her to reconcile with Qin Yizhou, believing her divorce was due to the political climate at the time. Yes, that was part of the reason, but the Qin family also played a role. Song Fenglan didn't want to constantly be at the mercy of the Qin family, and even though they didn't live together, they still said hurtful things.
“Sometimes, things seem simple, but in reality, they’re not that simple, and can even be quite complicated,” Song Fenglan said. “You’re still young, and you don’t understand those everyday family matters. You might think those things are trivial, but if you actually faced them, you’d know how painful it would be. Mom doesn’t have time to deal with those troublesome people, and your father can’t completely ignore them.”
"Mom." Song Zihang lowered his head slightly, as if he had really done something wrong.
“It’s not your fault,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s because I didn’t explain things to you clearly enough.”
Previously, Song Fenglan did think that if Qin Yizhou was a good person, it wouldn't be impossible for them to be together without remarrying. However, the Qin family soon encountered another setback, and no one knew what else might happen to them in the future. Under these circumstances, there was no need for Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou to be together.
Song Fenglan believed that Qin Yizhou himself understood that they could raise Song Zihang together, and Qin Yizhou could spend more time with Song Zihang. However, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou shouldn't get caught up in so-called romantic feelings; they were both getting on in years and should understand what was truly important to them.
Just as Song Fenglan had suspected, after the Qin family's incident, Qin Yizhou reappeared before her, but he was much more reserved. Qin Yizhou understood that Song Fenglan couldn't possibly want to get involved in those matters.
It's best for the two of them to keep a certain distance. They have a child together, so it's not a big deal that Qin Yizhou came to see Song Zihang. That's all.
Did Qin Yizhou resent his mother and those people? Yes, he did, but what could he do?
Those people were all Qin Yizhou's relatives. Qin Yizhou couldn't change his family's opinion of Song Fenglan, nor could he guide them onto the right path. While Qin's mother and some others hadn't broken the law, their actions were still very unpleasant.
"Mom," Song Zihang looked at his mother, "I'll..."
“You can continue to see your father, it’s fine,” Song Fenglan said. “If you want him to come to our house, that’s fine too. I’m just explaining this to you to avoid any misunderstandings. Sometimes, it’s not always good for the people involved. When two people are together, it inevitably involves two families. Sometimes, keeping a distance isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
Song Fenglan didn't have many thoughts; she just wanted to do her job well.
The Qin family ran around trying to find connections and influence to help Qin Li'an, but to no avail. They gave the woman a considerable sum of money, which her family did accept, and they maintained that the two were in a relationship. Even so, Qin Li'an was still sentenced to three years in prison.
Qin's mother felt more and more that Qin Yizhou was too heartless. Qin's older brother only had one son, and Qin Yizhou refused to help him.
Tian Keshu also resented Qin Yizhou. She spoke ill of Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan in front of Qin's elder brother. She said, "Those people all stood by and watched me die; they're all bad people."
Regardless of Tian Keshu's opinion, Song Fenglan had no reason to pay attention to those people.
Brother Qin was fired—yes, fired, not left voluntarily. His wife's family were involved in espionage, and his own son had gotten into this mess; his workplace couldn't keep him any longer. After he left, nobody wanted to associate with him. With Tian Keshu's family involved in espionage, who knew what might happen in the future?
So Brother Qin had to find a job on his own, and of course he hoped to become a senior executive in a company. But when others learned about Brother Qin's family situation, they became unwilling to let him go.
Tian Keshu and Qin Li'an are both problematic, and the Qin family once deeply offended the Song family. Song Fenglan is still highly regarded by the government, so those people don't want to have anything to do with Brother Qin. Friends who once thought of getting Brother Qin a job at their company have given up on the idea. When Brother Qin went to his friends, they directly explained the situation.
The two were in a private room at the hotel, and the friend made his point very clearly.
“Your family’s ideological awareness is not high enough,” my friend said. “Your wife is like that, your son is like that, your whole family… you’ve offended the Song family to the core. If I let you come to my company, you wouldn’t be able to do anything, and people would think there’s something wrong with me.”
"How could this be?" Brother Qin refused to believe it.
“Try other companies, but not many will dare to give you important responsibilities. If you’re willing to do ordinary entry-level work, maybe it’ll work,” my friend said. “But if they ask you to go out and negotiate partnerships or deal with government officials, I’m afraid it won’t work.”
My friend originally wanted Brother Qin to deal with people in the relevant departments, but now that Brother Qin is in a very bad situation, there's no way to talk about cooperation anymore.
"You're in a really bad situation right now," a friend lamented. "You might as well have left sooner. Now that you've been fired, why would anyone want to have anything to do with you?"
"I..." Brother Qin knew his situation, of course. "I have to find a job."
“Actually, it’s nothing. You can start with a regular job,” my friend said. “It’s not really a good idea for you to come work for my company. You should see if you can get a better position at another company. You have to try. How will you know if you can do it if you don’t try?”
“You’re right.” Brother Qin sighed again.
"Don't worry, in a year or two, who will remember these things?" my friend said. "Aren't you planning to get a divorce?"
A friend asked Brother Qin if he thought it would be better for him to get a divorce, at least to sever ties with the family of spies. As for Qin Li'an, it remains to be seen whether he can change his ways. Brother Qin isn't particularly old now; he can still get married and try to have children. Anyway, Brother Qin no longer works within the system, so even if he violated the family planning policy, he doesn't need to worry about losing his job.
If Qin Li'an is ruined, then let's have another child, but this child cannot be Tian Keshu's.
"I have this idea," Brother Qin said, "It's just..."
"What is it?" my friend asked.
“After being husband and wife for so many years, I divorced her, and she has nowhere to go,” Brother Qin said.
“People always find a way out,” my friend said. “Just give her some money so she can rent a place and live, isn’t that enough? Explain the situation to her clearly. What will you do when your son gets out? It’s good that you have a job; you can’t just sit around and do nothing. Your divorce is also for the sake of your son.”
Brother Qin was seriously considering this issue. After having dinner with his friends and returning home, he overheard Tian Keshu still talking badly about Qin Yizhou.
“Your brother is no good at all,” Tian Keshu said. “And your sister too. I asked her to say a few words for Li’an in front of your brother, but she refused. Do they just want to see Li’an suffer and our whole family suffer as much as they do?”
"Say less," Brother Qin said.
“They’re just a bunch of rotten trash, what, can’t we even say anything about them?” Tian Keshu complained. “Li’an is going to jail for three years, a whole three years!”
"Let's get a divorce!" Brother Qin said.
"What?" Tian Keshu thought she had misheard.
"Let's get a divorce!" Brother Qin said.
"Divorce?" Tian Keshu's eyes widened.
“Yes, let’s get a divorce,” Brother Qin said. “If we had divorced sooner, perhaps Li’an wouldn’t have turned out this way.”
"You've wanted to divorce me for a long time, haven't you?" Tian Keshu sneered. "You just think I'm useless and you want to marry a young and beautiful wife."
“Li’an is already like this, what’s the point of saying this?” Brother Qin said.
“Li’an is like this, so you shouldn’t marry a new wife, but rather someone who has given birth to a son, right?” Tian Keshu said. “Do you really think I don’t know what you’re thinking? Let me tell you, I’m not getting a divorce!”
Tian Keshu was unwilling to divorce Brother Qin at this time. If she divorced Brother Qin, her future would be difficult.
"you……"
“Nothing you say will change my mind. I will never divorce you,” Tian Keshu insisted. “If you insist on forcing me to divorce you, then I will ruin every job you find. Li’an is in jail, not so you can divorce, remarry, and have children.”
Having shared a bed with Brother Qin for so many years, how could Tian Keshu not know what Brother Qin was thinking deep down? Brother Qin simply felt that Qin Li'an was useless and therefore needed to find a woman to have another son.
"Was it Qin Yizhou who made you divorce me? Or was it your mother who made you divorce me?" Tian Keshu said. "No matter who made you divorce me, I will never agree to it."
Tian Keshu was determined to stay with the Qin family, especially while her son wasn't there. Only in this way could she guarantee that the Qin family's assets would belong to her son. Otherwise, if her elder brother Qin had another child, he might give the assets to his younger son, which wouldn't do.
Brother Qin had known for a long time that Tian Keshu disagreed, which was why he hadn't told her about the divorce before.
Tian Keshu was a rather difficult person; she simply refused to divorce him. Yes, her family had a spy, but that was her great-uncle, not her or her father. Tian Keshu was unwilling to let Brother Qin live a comfortable and carefree life, and she couldn't allow him to marry a young and beautiful wife.
"Give up," Tian Keshu said. "The capital is so big, I don't believe you can't find a job. You're just trying to trick me and get rid of me. Don't you know that?"
Tian Keshu knew in her heart that Brother Qin had wanted to divorce her for a long time.
"Qin Li'an has your blood in his veins, and his surname is Qin," Tian Keshu said. "Don't think you can give up on him so easily. I will never let you give up on him. As long as I live, you will not be able to bully him."
"..." Brother Qin was speechless. Qin Li'an's current state was all Tian Keshu's fault.
"When something happens, all you think about is divorce. You have no sense of responsibility at all," Tian Keshu said. "Your brother got divorced, are you going to get divorced too? Do you think you can face your brother if you do that?"
Tian Keshu laughed, "Qin Yizhou could never think that you, his older brother, are any good. Getting a divorce now won't do you any good."
"Alright!" Brother Qin didn't want to hear Tian Keshu say any more.
When Qin's elder brother and Tian Keshu got a divorce, Qin's aunt was not surprised.
Aunt Qin believed that her eldest brother Qin wasn't a good person to begin with, and Tian Keshu wasn't a good person either; the two of them were just fighting like dogs. Of course, Aunt Qin didn't say anything like that to Qin's mother.
"They're not divorced yet, so don't even think about introducing someone to your eldest son," Aunt Qin said.
“They have to get a divorce,” Qin’s mother said. “A person like Tian Keshu doesn’t deserve to stay in our family.”
“This person isn’t good enough, that person isn’t good enough, so who is?” Aunt Qin said. “Back then, Song Fenglan was so wonderful, but you all insisted on saying she was bad, and you only thought Tian Keshu was good. Now, you’re saying Tian Keshu is bad too, isn’t that just making us a laughingstock?”
"Even after all this, why aren't you getting a divorce?" Qin's mother said. "What's the point of keeping Tian Keshu around?"
Qin's mother was dissatisfied with Tian Keshu, because Tian Keshu was wasting food at home.
"Then you'll have to ask yourselves. Why didn't you tell your eldest son to divorce Tian Keshu earlier? Now you're talking about divorce," Aunt Qin said. "Do you think Tian Keshu would want a divorce? Li'an is crippled, and your eldest son wants to have another child. Do you think Tian Keshu doesn't know that? She's lived with you for so many years; she knows exactly what's going on. At this point, there's absolutely no way she'd divorce your eldest son!"
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