Chapter 178 Divorce
When Xia Mufan saw Zhao Penghai’s reaction, he immediately realized something. This was Zhao Penghai’s weakness that was brought to him! She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean by pregnant wife? Isn't Zhao Penghai's wife standing right here?"
Gong Weiguo suppressed his anger and tried to speak in a calm tone about what he and Sun Xianbing had learned from the investigation at the vehicle factory vocational school today.
"The vocational school has allocated an apartment to Zhao Penghai. Now there is a woman in her early twenties living in the house. The woman is pregnant. She goes in and out with Zhao Penghai every day. The two are very affectionate. I heard from others that they are husband and wife and have a good relationship. Zhao Penghai takes good care of his young wife. He usually buys groceries and cooks, washes clothes and mops the floor. He takes care of his pregnant wife meticulously. The neighbors all praise Zhao Penghai as a good and responsible husband."
Although Mei Yudong had decided to divorce Zhao Penghai, she was still trembling with anger when she heard that her husband had cheated on her. She stared at her husband and asked in a hoarse voice: "She is your wife, so what am I?"
Sun Xianbing rolled his eyes at Zhao Penghai and looked at Mei Yudong sympathetically: "Sister Mei, Zhao Penghai never told others that you were his wife. He said that you were his distant relative in the countryside and asked him to come over to take care of his mother's nanny."
nanny?
Mei Yudong's anger burned fiercely. She took a step forward, stood in front of her husband, and asked loudly, "If we were not married, if I was not your wife, how could I take care of your mother for eight years? Don't forget, we are a legal couple registered at the Civil Affairs Bureau!"
Zhao Penghai's lie was exposed and cold sweat broke out on his back. His autumn clothes were wet and stuck to his body, making him feel very uncomfortable. His face flushed red, and he hesitantly explained: "Well, Yudong, listen to me, of course you are my wife, but... but..."
After thinking for a long time, Zhao Penghai still couldn't figure out how to explain it.
If the person who said this was not a policeman, he could still argue that they had heard it wrong, but now that he was in the police station and facing the police, Zhao Penghai did not dare to lie.
Finally, Zhao Penghai swallowed hard and begged Mei Yudong: "Yudong, let's go home and talk about these things. I have my reasons, you have to believe me."
Xia Mufan's voice was cold and clear: "Having a family outside your home and living as a couple is bigamy."
Feng Xiaoyu added tacitly: "Yes, the confessions of the neighbors in the vocational school can be used as evidence. Sister Mei, you can sue him for bigamy and put him in jail for a few years."
Zhao Penghai didn't expect that the police would send him to prison as soon as they opened their mouths, and he was immediately scared out of his wits.
The only person he could beg for help was Mei Yudong. He stretched out his trembling hand and pinched Mei Yudong's wrist. If there weren't so many people around, Zhao Penghai would have wanted to kneel down to her: "Yudong, I know I was wrong. Please give me a chance to correct my mistake."
Mei Yudong shook off Zhao Penghai's hand, took a half step back, and looked at him as if he were a stranger: "Who is she?"
Zhao Penghai said: "Her name is Xiao Xian. She was a student of my vocational school. She pursued me when I was studying. I rejected her clearly at that time and told her that I was married, but she still pestered me. After graduating from vocational school, she took the initiative to look for me several times. Later, I couldn't resist her temptation, so I got together with her."
"She is different from you. She is a very delicate girl and has never done any housework. I didn't want to marry her, but she is pregnant. Alas, I have no choice."
"Yudong, please don't sue me for the sake of our marriage. I will break up with her immediately and let her get an abortion. In short, I will never let her appear in front of you again. I will be with you wholeheartedly in the future. We will have a child together and adopt Liuqin's child. We can live happily together as a family of five, okay?"
Abortion?
Mei Yudong looked at her husband in front of her and felt that he was extremely cold and indifferent. He was so cruel even to his own children. So what can't he do for his wife who has shared his hardships with him?
Mei Yudong shuddered and was extremely grateful to Xia Mufan for bringing her to the police station and helping her investigate Zhao Penghai's social relations. If it weren't for them, she would have been kept in the dark by this cold and selfish man until now. I'm afraid that the day the old lady dies will be the day Mei Yudong will be abandoned? Will she feel that there is no place for her to stay in this vast world and commit suicide?
The more he thought about it, the more scared he became. Mei Yudong took two steps back, until he reached Xia Mufan's side, only then did he feel a little relieved.
Xia Mufan noticed Mei Yudong's mood change, reached out and supported her back, and comforted her softly: "Don't be afraid, we are here."
It was as if a warm current was injected into her body. Mei Yudong, who had just felt weak in the arms and legs, straightened her back in an instant. Her mind was clearer than ever before, and her voice became louder: "That's your own flesh and blood. How can you bear to abort it?"
Zhao Penghai obviously misunderstood Mei Yudong's words, and his eyes lit up: "Yudong, I know you have the best heart. If you think this child can be born, then let him be born and we can raise him together, okay?"
Mei Yudong's heart went cold: "Now that the baby is born, what about Xiao Xian?"
Zhao Penghai thought Mei Yudong still wanted to live with him, and he was busy expressing his loyalty: "She is just a mistress who destroyed our family. What value will she have after giving birth to a child? Let her go."
Mei Yudong asked: "Where are you going?"
Zhao Penghai glanced at her and said, "Yudong, you are just too kind-hearted. Why do you care where she goes? She has hands and feet, so why can't she go anywhere?"
Mei Yudong asked: "What if she doesn't want to leave?"
Zhao Penghai gritted his teeth, his face showing a cruel look: "How can we let her be willing or unwilling? She destroyed other people's families and everyone despised her. As long as you, the original wife, tell her to leave, she has to leave!"
Mei Yudong could no longer control the anger in his heart, and he raised his hand and slapped him.
“Bang!”
Zhao Penghai was slapped hard in the face, his glasses were almost knocked off, and a red handprint was immediately left on his fair cheek.
Mei Yudong was used to doing housework, so his hands were quite strong. This slap stunned Zhao Penghai. He raised his hands to cover his face, staring blankly at his wife who was full of anger: "You, what are you doing?"
After the slap, Mei Yudong still felt unsatisfied, so he slapped Zhao Penghai again, beating him so hard that his soul left his body and he didn't know where he was.
"Xiao Xian is certainly a mistress who destroys other people's families, but you are even more of a Chen Shimei who betrays your family!"
"You really have a good plan!"
"As a free babysitter, I have solved all your worries, which has freed you up to be a thief or a prostitute outside!"
"Abortion? Kill the mother and keep the child? What do you think of human life? What do you think of feelings? A selfish, cold-hearted man like you is not worthy of being my husband, Mei Yudong!"
"Divorce, must divorce!"
"If you dare not divorce me, I will sue you for bigamy and put you in jail. I want to see if your Meimei, who has been pestering you all the time, will wait for you to get out of jail."
Mei Yudong's firm and resolute words lashed Zhao Penghai's despicable soul like a whip.
Zhao Penghai felt a burning pain on his face, and his heart sank to the bottom.
He knew that Mei Yudong was serious this time.
In an instant, the good times of the past came to his mind, and Zhao Penghai felt extremely regretful.
Mei Yudong really loves him. One can see from his eyes that it is full of care, attachment and dependence.
Because she loved him, Mei Yudong took over the responsibility of taking care of her paralyzed mother-in-law without hesitation.
Because she loved him, Mei Yudong washed his clothes cleanly, ironed them neatly, and brushed his leather shoes until they were spotless.
Because she loves him, Mei Yudong prepares different meals three times a day to ensure nutrition so that he can have delicious meals as soon as he returns home.
Because she loved him, Mei Yudong never made any requests that would embarrass him. As long as he accompanied her shopping on her birthday and bought her a small piece of jewelry, she would be satisfied and smile happily.
Because of Mei Yudong's love, Zhao Penghai was able to focus on his career. He was able to be admitted to graduate school, become a teacher in a vocational school, and be promoted to associate professor. All of this was due to Mei Yudong's silent efforts at home.
But why did he never cherish it?
Why did he only feel that something precious was being stripped away from his body now, when he was about to lose it?
Why wouldn't he treat her well, even just coming home every day and saying to her with a smile: You've worked hard, Zhao Penghai is so stingy? Why did he refuse to let Mei Yudong have a child even though he knew that he wanted one? Why, knowing that his mother had a bad temper and would either beat or scold Mei Yudong, did he not say a word of advice and just kept asking Mei Yudong to endure it?
Maybe, this is why he is such a mean person?
Because it is too easy to get, we don’t cherish it; because we are sure we will not lose it, we bully others at will.
Zhao Penghai felt regretful and angry, and didn't know what to do now.
Even though he had an affair and betrayed his family, Zhao Penghai never thought about divorce.
The red flag is flying at home and the colorful flags are fluttering outside. He feels that the current situation is just right. But he forgot that there is still justice and law in this world.
If he doesn't divorce, Mei Yudong will definitely take him to court. Once in prison, his work, reputation and status will all be reduced to zero.
The consequences were too serious for him to bear and he had no choice but to divorce.
But what should the mother do after the divorce?
Xiao Xian is a spoiled child. She usually refuses to help when the soy sauce bottle falls over at home. He does all the cooking and washing himself. How can he let her take care of her mother? Absolutely not.
Rely on elder sister? My mother favors boys over girls and is not nice to my eldest sister. After my eldest sister got married, the focus of her life was on her husband and children. She would only visit her mother during the holidays, drop off her things and leave. Let the eldest sister take care of mother? What a joke.
For a moment, Zhao Penghai felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest and he couldn't breathe.
Zhao Penghai was having a fierce ideological struggle, but Feng Xiaoyu couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Why let him make a choice? Just sue him for bigamy first, and then file for divorce after he goes to jail. The court will definitely agree. You can vent your anger and achieve your goal of divorce at the same time, how great!"
A word to remind the dreamer.
Mei Yudong nodded immediately: "You are right..."
Before he finished speaking, Zhao Penghai hurriedly said, "I agree to divorce, I agree to divorce. Yudong, I beg you, please let me go for the sake of our marriage. If you sue me and put me in jail, the vocational school will definitely expel me and take back the house. You know me. Over the years, I have studied hard and worked diligently. Please don't ruin me!"
Mei Yudong looked at Zhao Penghai and didn't speak for a long time.
Thinking of the time they had spent together, and seeing Zhao Penghai's panicked and embarrassed look at the moment, Mei Yudong finally softened his heart: "See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow morning."
Zhao Penghai breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay! You can take away all the jewelry and clothes I gave you over the years."
Xia Mufan originally didn't want to cause trouble, but when he heard Zhao Penghai's last words, he couldn't help but get angry. What does it mean that the clothes and jewelry given to her can be taken away? Is he treating Mei Yudong like a beggar?
Xia Mushi said loudly: "Wait a minute! We have another condition."
Zhao Penghai just wanted to get through the difficult time. He didn't dare to resist at all. He lowered his head and asked, "What are the conditions?"
Xia Mufan said: "Mei Yudong has been taking care of the elderly in your home for eight years. You should settle her babysitting fees for these eight years according to the market price."
"What?" Zhao Penghai's eyes suddenly turned red with anxiety.
In the late 1980s, the cost of a nanny to take care of a paralyzed patient was about 100 yuan. Now it has risen to 800 yuan. Even if we calculate it at an average of 300 to 400 yuan a month, it would be 30,000 to 40,000 yuan in eight years. Where can he get so much money? Isn't this going to cost him his life?
Xia Mufan glanced at Zhao Penghai, his eyes full of mockery: "Did Mei Yudong help you take care of your mother for eight years and help you manage the housework for eight years, and in the end, she only left with a few old clothes and broken jewelry after the divorce?"
Gong Weiguo also echoed, "Yes, a grown man is so stingy to his wife, is he still a human being? Mei Yudong is willing to not sue you for bigamy for the sake of the relationship between husband and wife, which is a great favor to you. How can you treat your benefactor like this?"
The smell of food wafting from the kitchen became stronger and stronger. Feng Xiaoyu felt a little hungry. She stamped her feet and said impatiently, "Why are you asking him for money? I told you to sue him for bigamy directly. Don't bother with him. It's already six o'clock. Zhao Penghai, you should leave quickly. We still have to eat."
Mei Yudong felt warm at heart when she heard the police officers supporting her. She knew that Xia Mufan, Feng Xiaoyu and Gong Weiguo said so because they wanted to help her fight for the greatest rights and interests and help her stay away from this scumbag.
Since everyone is helping her, Mei Yudong certainly can't back down. She looked up at Zhao Penghai and said, "Zhao Penghai, I've changed my mind. You don't have to divorce me. I will sue you directly in court for bigamy and file for divorce at the same time..."
Choose the lesser of two evils. Zhao Penghai's face turned livid, his teeth clenched, and he struggled to squeeze out a word from between his teeth: "Okay, I'll go borrow it! I agree to divorce, and I'll compensate you with 30,000 yuan. Is that okay?"
Mei Yudong looked at Xia Mufan, and Xia Mufan nodded slightly.
When it comes to divorce, sometimes you need to strike while the iron is hot and resolve the issue quickly.
There are only thieves who last a thousand years, but no one who guards against thieves for a thousand years. What if by the time people calm down, Zhao Penghai has a countermeasure? Wouldn't Mei Yudong be put in a passive position again?
After getting Xia Mufan's affirmation, Mei Yudong looked at Zhao Penghai and said, "Okay."
With the 30,000 yuan in her pocket and away from the family that suffocated her, Mei Yudong was confident enough to start a new life.
When Mei Yudong thought that there was a child waiting for his arrival in Xing City, he felt full of strength.
--
To prevent any changes, Xia Mufan and Feng Xiaoyu stayed with Mei Yudong all the time. They only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw her and Zhao Penghai get their divorce certificate and deposit the 30,000 yuan Zhao Penghai had raised into the bank.
Mei Yudong held the divorce certificate in his hand, lost in thought.
After a long while, she shook her head and said with a wry smile: "After eight years of marriage, I don't know if it's worth it to get this certificate."
Xia Mufan said: "Nothing is worth it or not. This is the journey of our lives. If you feel that the past is unhappy, just let it go and move on."
Mei Yudong nodded thoughtfully and looked at Xia Mufan gratefully: "Thank you, this time it is really thanks to you."
After a pause, she embarrassedly asked, "Officer Xia, can you go back with me to get some daily necessities?" Mei Yudong was a little scared to face Zhao Penghai and her former mother-in-law alone.
Help people to the end and send them off to the west.
Xia Muchan said yes and asked Yu Jing to drive them to the old dormitory area of the vehicle factory. As soon as I walked downstairs, I saw a group of neighbors gathered at the entrance of the corridor watching the fun.
As soon as they saw Mei Yudong, the neighbors started chattering and pulling her aside to ask her all sorts of questions.
"Where have you been these days? Zhao Penghai's mother was making a lot of noise at home and smashed everything!"
"Yeah, you were very quiet when you were at home before, but now, Teacher Zhao and his mother are yelling and shouting in the house, it's so noisy."
Having lived here for seven or eight years, Mei Yudong seldom talks to her neighbors. She is busy every day and has no time to hang out outside. In addition, she is dull and not good at speaking, so she doesn't know what to say when someone talks to her. Over time, when the neighbors saw Mei Yudong, they would just nod and say hello.
But today Zhao Penghai's house was too lively, which made the neighbors' gossip fire burn fiercely. When they saw Mei Yudong coming, they didn't care that she was usually taciturn, and grabbed her and began to ask her about everything.
"Xiaomei, where have you been these past two days? Why aren't you home cooking at this hour? Your house stinks so much that we don't even dare to go in."
Mei Yudong usually obeys Zhao Penghai's orders obediently and doesn't tell anyone about family matters, but today she is divorced and has no scruples anymore. Zhao Penghai didn't let her speak, but she insisted on speaking. She wanted to tell everyone about the grievances she had suffered over the years.
Mei Yudong took out the divorce certificate from his arms and waved it in front of the neighbors: "Zhao Penghai and I are divorced. I will never take care of their family affairs again. What's the point of cooking for them?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes widened and they looked at the divorce certificate in disbelief.
"What? Xiaomei, you are Zhao Penghai's lover?"
"Why didn't you tell us? We saw you doing the shopping, cooking and taking care of the elderly every day. You were so diligent and responsible that we thought you were a nanny hired by Zhao Penghai!"
"Yes, Zhao Penghai told us that you are his distant cousin. Because both of your parents are gone, he brought you home to help with housework and take care of the elderly. He lied to us after all."
"This guy is really dishonest. She's a good wife, and she's not something to be ashamed of. Why does he call her a nanny?"
For a moment, the neighbors were filled with righteous indignation and all of them scolded Zhao Penghai for being a dishonest person.
Most of the neighbors are old employees of the vehicle factory. In some families, the men work outside, while the women stay at home to take care of the children and the elderly. Put yourself in their shoes, who would like to be called a nanny by their husband?
A woman in her 40s or 50s slapped her thigh in anger and said, "Xiaomei, you can't let him off so easily. I'll take you to the trade union to report the situation to the Women's Federation cadres. Zhao Penghai is too bullying!"
An old lady with a kind face nearby seemed to have thought of something and shouted, "Oh, I heard my son say that day that Zhao Penghai's wife was pregnant. I was wondering why he didn't invite us to the wedding. It turns out that she wasn't his wife at all. She was a whore he found outside."
The elder sister who had just said she was going to look for the Women's Federation cadres grabbed Mei Yudong's hand, her eyes full of sympathy: "I'm telling you, you can't let him get away with it like this. You work so hard at home to take care of the elderly and do the housework, and he actually said outside that you are a nanny and found a whore to have a child. This is too much! You just insist on not divorcing him, and when he has a child with that whore, you go and sue him for bigamy. We will all testify for you and let the police arrest him and put him in jail."
Justice is in the hearts of the people.
Mei Yudong put the divorce certificate in his pocket, looked at the neighbors who cared about him, and said gratefully: "Thank you everyone. I have divorced him now. Whatever happens in his family has nothing to do with me. Whether Zhao Penghai gets married or has children, that is his business. I came back today to get my clothes and luggage."
Seeing Mei Yudong's happy face, the neighbors' angry voices gradually became calmer, and they all began to comfort Mei Yudong.
"It's good that they're divorced. This family is a mess. Zhao Penghai's mother is not a worry-free person. If you hadn't taken care of her for so many years, how could she be so angry and curse at people?"
"Yes, if it weren't for you working hard at home, how would Zhao Penghai have the time to study for a master's degree or become a teacher at a vocational school? You should divorce him and leave the mess at home to Zhao Penghai, and see how many days of good life they can have!"
When she left, she was flattered by the enthusiasm of so many strangers. She followed everyone's words and said, "Yes, only after I divorce him can I have a good life. In the past few years, I have to get up three or four times every night, change bedding twice a day, and cook five meals a day. I am so tired that my waist is about to break."
Everyone can understand Mei Yudong's hard work and difficulties.
"You are really amazing as a daughter-in-law. Look at your mother-in-law, oh no, your ex-mother-in-law, how well you take care of her."
"Yes, you go shopping early in the morning every day. I see you washing and drying clothes on the balcony every day. You are busy like a top. It's not easy. It's better to be divorced. It's better to be divorced."
"Good things will come to good people. Don't worry, Xiaomei. Now that you're divorced, good days are ahead."
While talking, the neighbors surrounded Mei Yudong and Xia Mufan and went upstairs.
Perhaps Zhao Penghai forgot to close the door when he entered, so the door to the second floor was half open.
As soon as I walked to the door, an unpleasant smell came over. The old lady's sharp, irritable voice passed through the bedroom door, echoed through the sky, and could be heard clearly throughout the corridor.
"Go call that stinky woman Mei Yudong back and tell him that he has to serve me for the rest of his life. How dare he run away before I die!"
"You two frown when you see me, an old lady. How come nothing happened when Mei Yudong served me before?"
"You also want me to drink less water and eat less, saying that you're afraid I'll dirty the bed. Why didn't Mei Yudong tell me this before? I'm old and I don't want to eat or drink water. You want me to die. I'm going to go to the neighborhood committee and sue you for being unfilial!"
Zhao Penghai was almost mad at his mother. He didn't care about his manners and walked around the room with his hair in his hands: "Since you knew you couldn't leave Mei Yudong, why couldn't you treat her better in the beginning? Now she's quitting and leaving. Are you satisfied?"
The old lady was stunned for a moment, then she grabbed the alarm clock on the bedside table and smashed it with a bang. Zhao Penghai was unable to dodge in time and was hit on the forehead by the alarm clock, with blood immediately covering his face.
The old lady still didn't get rid of her hatred. She pointed her finger at her son's face and cursed loudly, "You still have the nerve to blame me. Didn't you say that? You said she had no parents and didn't even have a relative here to speak for her. You told me to say whatever I wanted to say and lose my temper and not to care about her. It was you who told me to treat her as a nanny, so why should I be polite?"
The neighbors who were watching the excitement outside the door turned around and saw Mei Yudong, and quickly made way for her: "Ah, Xiaomei is here."
Those who heard the inside story downstairs started gossiping.
"Let me tell you, Xiaomei is actually Zhao Penghai's first wife, but she and her son treated her like a nanny. Now she doesn't want to, so they're getting a divorce."
"Yes, Zhao Penghai also kept a slut outside, and that slut got pregnant and was about to give birth, but he lied to both of them. It's outrageous."
"It turns out that Xiaomei is Zhao Penghai's wife. We all thought she was a nanny. What Zhao Penghai did was really unkind. He really didn't treat her as a human being. This was not done in the old society."
"Well, I'll report this to the vocational school's leadership later. Someone with this kind of character is not worthy of being a teacher."
The neighbors were all filled with righteous indignation. They had originally felt a little sympathy for Zhao Penghai and his mother, thinking that the nanny had left at the last minute and left the old lady without anyone to take care of her. Now they know that Mei Yudong is the wife that Zhao Penghai married, but Zhao Penghai has another family. They are very dissatisfied with Zhao Penghai and have expressed their intention to report this to the superiors and have him dealt with seriously.
Mei Yudong thanked everyone for speaking up for him, and together with Xia Mufan and Feng Xiaoyu, he opened the door and walked into the house.
Zhao Penghai turned around and saw Mei Yudong. His face suddenly lit up with joy and he ran over in a hurry: "Yudong, you still can't leave me and our family, right? You're here. It's just right that you're back. Mom has been thinking about you."
The old lady's flattering voice came from the bedroom: "Yudong, you're back. You're a good child. Mom knows it's not easy for you all these years. Now that you're back, let's not talk about anything in the past. I will definitely treat you like my daughter and treat you well. You should stay here. I can't leave you."
Mei Yudong twitched the corners of his mouth, not knowing whether to laugh or cry for a moment.
After she made up her mind to leave, she didn't expect that everyone around her would change their attitude. But these belated affirmations, praises and intimacy meant nothing to her.
Mei Yudong said nothing, walked straight into his bedroom, hurriedly packed a few sets of clothes, and walked out carrying a bag.
Mei Yudong looked around.
This old house is filled with the memories of her eight years of hardship and struggle.
But now she is leaving.
"let's go."
Mei Yudong no longer had any regrets. She picked up her bag and left this home that once made her miserable and depressed together with Xia Mufan and Feng Xiaoyu.
The old lady's shrill cry came from behind: "Mei Yudong, don't leave. What should I do if you leave?"
But what does all this have to do with her?
From now on, those who had looked down on her, despised her, and disliked her are all a thing of the past, and Mei Yudong will usher in a new and happy life.
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