Chapter 1 (4)
When she got home and didn't see Luan Chengyun, Yu Meng thought that he must not have been able to withstand the "fatal blow" she gave him.
She had had enough of his control.
After marrying Luan Chengyun, Yu Meng hadn't worked much. Her profession was nursing, but Luan Chengyun found it too much contact, especially physical contact, to be acceptable. He preferred she nurse him alone. Whenever Luan Chengyun said this with a sly grin, Yu Meng couldn't help but think, "Okay, I'll nurse you alone. I'll cripple you first, and then I'll nurse you slowly."
Of course, Yu Meng had a natural tendency to be lazy, and Luan Chengyun simply helped to make her a lazy "rich wife." However, in a sense, this comfortable and lazy lifestyle helped preserve Yu Meng's beauty, repeatedly delaying her puberty until her sons left to study abroad, when she still had a small tail of beauty left.
Yu Meng was determined to leave Luan Chengyun.
He was a pervert. He was always so passionate in bed, tossing and turning, as if he had endless energy. How could you expect a man like that to be faithful? Moreover, after all those years away from home, he was dealing with physical and emotional needs, all that filthy stuff. Yu Meng didn't want to dwell on it, so she could only think about and process it all as a whole.
Well then—Luan Chengyun was in trouble. So, she was leaving.
She was determined to find a good man who was richer and more powerful than Luan Chengyun, and who was considerate and gentle to her, and fall in love again. She had confidence in herself. She felt she had the ability to make a successful man in his fifties fall in love with her. She wanted to prove her worth. She wanted to be Yu Yingzi's Zhu Lingling.
Of course, she knew what Luan Chengyun was up to. He wouldn't give up, as evidenced by the empty room tonight. But Yu Meng had already thought of a plan. Worst case scenario, she could just give up some of her wealth. Leave. She had to leave. She'd had enough.
To celebrate her freedom early, Yu Meng opened another bottle of red wine. She put on some music, Tchaikovsky. After listening for a while, she decided to take the piano. Yu Meng had been a child. She was an illegitimate child, and her mother had nurtured her from a young age, teaching her a bit of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was also filial to her mother, but unfortunately, her filial piety only lasted until their youngest son, Luan Haoyu, was born—she passed away from kidney disease. Her mother's favorite piece was "A Girl's Prayer."
Yu Meng was playing the piano at the moment. The dancing notes were like a girl in ballet shoes, dancing gracefully, joyful yet sad.
The next day was the weekend. Luan Chengyun returned early. Yu Meng was sitting in the open kitchen, eating breakfast. She had an egg on toast, knife and fork in hand, looking serious. Someone who didn't know her would have thought she'd grown up abroad. But she was just a country girl, raised in the land of Yu Yingzi.
The footsteps are getting closer.
She looked up at him.
Looking haggard.
"Think about it." She took the lead.
"I haven't seen it yet." Luan Chengyun said.
Pretend! She cursed in her heart.
I don't know where the pain went all night! Haven't seen it yet? You're kidding.
Yu Meng stood up and brought the plate to the kitchen counter. "Have you eaten? There's more." She turned around and said to him, "There's nothing special about it. It's just a normal divorce and property issues. We can talk about it later."
The children are older now, so there is no custody dispute. My eldest son is over 18, and my youngest is almost 16.
"I disagree."
"That's non-negotiable."
"You got someone?"
"Don't spit blood."
"If you have any, please tell me."
Ridiculous! Funny! Laughable! Now, someone is cheating on their spouse, isn't that the case? She's the one at fault. Who would be so idiotic? Who would ask such a stupid question?
"No."
"Then why?"
"Incompatibility of personalities." The eternal grounds for divorce.
"What's wrong?"
Yu Meng walked around the chair and said, "I don't want to live with you anymore. You understand? You can't see your own problems? You're drinking, whoring, gambling, and you're almost smoking. Humph, maybe there is, I don't know. It's domestic violence against women. There's hot violence and cold violence. I don't need to say anything else. I'll keep the photos, the pain won't lie. No matter how much trouble you cause, this marriage will end in divorce. I'm a vulnerable group, I'm a victim."
"You can separate, but you can't divorce."
"Leave."
"Who is that person?"
"No!" Yu Meng shouted, "As for whether there will be money after the divorce, it has nothing to do with you!"
"We've got a target." Luan Chengyun approached, his face sullen, like a ghost. Yu Meng felt a chilling wind sweep over her. Instinctively, she stepped back. Luan Chengyun lunged forward, his arms like iron clamps, gripping her arms. His legs clamped together, immobilizing her lower body.
He learned Wing Chun.
What?! Rape?! Marital rape is also illegal! Yu Meng screamed for help. But in this villa area, who could hear her cries?
Luan Chengyun reached out a hand to cover her mouth. Yu Meng was still struggling.
Suddenly, she was free.
He let go.
"I disagree." He said in a low voice.
Yu Meng randomly grabbed a knife on the kitchen counter, raised it up, and said as she backed away, "The court will agree!" When she retreated to the door, she threw away the steel knife, changed into flat shoes, locked the door, and rushed to the garage.
Start! Step on the gas and get away.
Yu Jia set an alarm on her phone, but accidentally woke up later than her mother-in-law. Drinking the night before had thrown her body clock out of whack. Li Ren slept even deeper. It was the weekend.
Yu Jia tiptoed to open the bedroom door. Sisi was already sitting upright at the small dining table in the living room, reading English materials while eating her grandmother's fried steamed buns with a soft-boiled egg. A glass of milk was beside her.
Yu Jia blushed. This was her job as a housewife. Once again, her hardworking mother-in-law had "taken over her duties."
"Mom," Yu Jia called out, her expression expressionless. "Get ready for dinner." Her mother-in-law didn't look at her, still busy with her work. It was a busy, vibrant morning.
Yu Jia hurriedly washed up. Once she was done, she went to call Li Ren. Her mother-in-law quickly stopped her, so Yu Jia sat down to eat. Sisi finished her meal and went back to her room to read. She'd been studying English so hard lately that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep up in the big city.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat facing each other, without saying a word. The mother-in-law was not one to find something to talk about. Yu Jia saw that she was probably talking most when she was at the mahjong table, asking Zhang Zi to call a card and complaining about her luck, talking non-stop.
"Mom," Di Liren said sleepily, "When did you come?" Yu Jia hurriedly whispered, "He has been here all night. He drank so much." Liren's mother was not in a hurry, "Go wash up and eat." Di Liren dragged his feet to the bathroom, talked nonsense, and sat down.
Before her son could say anything, the old lady said, "I've been staying at your sister's place for a few days. A friend called and said her son was getting married and insisted I come here. I couldn't refuse, so I came here." She explained the reason for her visit directly.
Liren said "oh" and asked if he needed money. Liren's mother said yes. Yujia wanted to give money too. But her mother-in-law took the initiative and said, "Is Yujia okay today?"
Yu Jia understood and said, "I'll go with Mom." She acted as the rickshaw driver.
Only after they got in the car and her mother-in-law pointed out the direction did Yu Jia realize that her mother-in-law was not going to attend the wedding banquet of a friend's son - she had felt something was wrong for a long time, because which banquet would be held so early in the morning?
My mother-in-law went to the hospital for a checkup. A follow-up, to be more precise. She didn't hide anything from Yu Jia, Li Ren's mother. She'd had a checkup in the provincial capital, and there were shadows in her lungs. The doctor couldn't confirm the diagnosis, and suggested she seek further examination in a larger city. She booked an appointment with a specialist online and came over that night. She also wanted to see a gynecologist.
Yu Jia sighed internally, now explaining her mother-in-law's lack of thoroughness. However, with the truth now before her, Yu Jia felt torn. She hadn't told Li Ren because she didn't want to worry her son. Telling her daughter-in-law didn't matter. Since they weren't her biological parents, even if she worried, it wouldn't be taken seriously. Besides, it was better for her daughter-in-law to bear the psychological pressure than her son. Thirdly, she still had to see a gynecologist, so it made sense for her daughter-in-law to accompany her.
Yu Jia didn't know whether to persuade her or not. If he persuaded her, it would seem like he was taking advantage of the old lady's serious illness. If he didn't persuade her, the old lady would say that he didn't have a single kind word to say, which would seem too cold and unfilial.
Yu Jia calmly replied, "Mom, don't worry. Let's see what the doctor says first." He added, "But Mom, you have to quit smoking. It's not good." The latter part was a sign of concern. Universal concern. It was just a rewording of the words on the cigarette case: "Smoking is harmful to health." The key is to avoid mistakes.
This remark hit home with Liren's mother. She'd smoked her whole life, never taking it personally. Anyone who tried to dissuade her would always cite Soong May-ling as an example—a smoker who lived to be 106. Unexpectedly, her son's career soared—far beyond her wildest dreams. She'd assumed it would be a good thing for her son to just get by in the city, but who could have imagined that his luck would truly take him all the way to a major city, where he held a prominent position, a legend even more legendary than Zhu Yuanzhang. Liren's mother began to consider quitting. Her son was doing well; she wanted to live a few more years, to enjoy a more glorious life.
The hospital was a flurry of activity. Yu Jia was the one running up and down the stairs. Naturally, she paid for everything herself. Her daughter-in-law was accompanying her; she couldn't let her mother-in-law pay. Everything was a series of tests. Then it was time to wait. The two sat on a bench in the hallway, each one filled with people. Yu Jia couldn't help but wonder again about Li Ren's mother's intentions. By having her accompany her, letting her know, was she trying to get her to reveal the situation to Li Ren? Or was she trying to keep it a secret forever? She wasn't sure. After much deliberation, Yu Jia decided that if nothing happened, she might as well keep it a secret. If she did find out, she wouldn't dare not tell Li Ren.
The phone vibrated. It was Yu Meng calling. Yu Jia picked up, her face instantly changing. She hurried into the imaging department, where Li Ren's mother was getting ready, donning radiation-protective clothing.
Yu Jia said, "Mom, a friend has something urgent to tell me. It's not far, I'll be back soon."
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