Looking at Dashan sitting to the side, smiling, Zhang Hongmei paused for a moment, then said, "Brother Dashan, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Cough! Hongmei, I'm fine. This is how my life will be. You don't need to worry about me."
“Brother Dashan, what are you saying? You’re only twenty-eight years old, how can you talk about this for the rest of your life? What about my uncle and aunt? Didn’t you see their suffering when you went home?”
The smile on Da Shan's face disappeared, replaced by a furrowed brow with deep wrinkles.
"Hongmei, what else can I do?"
"Brother Dashan, tell me, maybe I have a solution."
"It's embarrassing to even talk about it. I've never told anyone that you're a girl younger than me. Ugh!"
Neither the old lady nor Zhang Hongmei bothered him. They just waited for him to figure it out on his own.
"Hongmei, I've liked Wang Xiaorui since I was little. She was very lovable back then and always followed me around playing."
As we grew older, I realized I was always paying attention to her, and I knew it was romantic attraction between a boy and a girl.
Da Shan paused, leaning back against the wall. "When did I realize she had changed? Right, after her father took Mao Caishu's place and became the village chief."
Back then, I thought it was cute for a young girl to be a little spoiled. Although I didn't tell her, she probably knew how I felt. She started avoiding me, and once even warned me not to have any improper thoughts about her.
I was in a lot of pain at that time. You suddenly came back and told us that there were job openings. I thought to myself, I should not stay in the village, but go out and work hard.
"I miss her terribly even in the city!" Da Shan said, then gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“I rarely come back, afraid that I won’t be able to resist going to see her again.”
When I found out what happened after you got married, I was devastated. Is this the girl I love?
Gradually, I thought of her less and less, and even when someone mentioned her, I felt a faint sense of disgust.
When I came back home for Chinese New Year that year, my mother still tried to introduce me to potential partners. Because I worked at the city's power supply bureau, many people wanted to introduce me to potential partners.
My mother took a liking to a girl from Dawancun. She was very eligible and beautiful. After we met, I agreed to date her.
But on the afternoon of the day we met, Jianshe came over and invited me to his house for dinner. I didn't think much of it and went with him.
That night I drank, but I wasn't drunk. I refused Jianshe's offer to take me home and went home by myself.
But just as they stepped out of their house, Wang Xiaorui chased after them.
Da Shan fell into deep thought at this point, a deep disgust showing on his face.
She asked me if I still liked her and if I could marry her.
Of course I didn't want to, so I said a few words but ignored her and kept walking.
But after I had only taken a few steps, she suddenly hugged me from behind and said that if I didn't marry her, she would have no way to live.
By then, I didn't like her anymore, but I still felt sorry for her. With her reputation ruined, who would marry her?
She clung to me and wouldn't let go, crying loudly.
At that time, many families came out and looked at us on the street.
I was quite nervous at the time, and I pulled her hands away from me.
But Wang Xiaorui suddenly burst into tears, saying that we had slept together long ago and that I didn't want her anymore.
Of course I don't admit it. I didn't do it, so why would I admit it?
But she brought up something: when you were in your first year of high school, we were drinking at her house one time, and I got drunk. I ended up sleeping in her room, and she even mentioned the mole on my inner thigh.
Wang Hongxi and his family also came out. After listening to Wang Xiaorui's words, they pulled me to my house.
I was completely bewildered at the time and don't even know how I ended up home. All I heard Wang Hongxi say was that if my family didn't agree, she would report me for indecent assault.
I really don't know what happened back then. I don't remember anything she said.
At the time, I absolutely refused and told them to sue me. I denied ever doing such a thing. I believed in my innocence.
Wang Xiaorui suddenly knelt down in front of me, hugged my legs, and begged me.
They talked about the happy times they had together, and then they talked about what happened today, which everyone already knows: if I don't marry her, she will hang herself in my house.
My mother disagrees. Everyone in the village knows what happened to her. What reputation does she have left?
But looking at the girl kneeling before me, and with that lingering uncertainty in my heart, I inexplicably nodded in agreement. You probably know what happened next.
When we got married, my mother didn't handle anything; Wang Hongxi hosted a few tables. We didn't go. Wang Xiaorui and I never consummated our marriage. I went back to my hometown, while she stayed home and argued with my mother every day.
There was no other way, so she came to the city with me. At that time, I had absolutely no intention of sleeping with her. After that, she started making a fuss again.
A year later, Xiao Suo got married. I was drunk, and that's when we got together. When I woke up in the morning, I saw bloodstains and realized that she had been deceiving me all along.
We've never been together since then.
No matter how much she made a fuss, I just let her be. Once, when I wanted a divorce, she actually hanged herself in her dorm room.
From then on, I thought, "That's it, this is how my life is."
No matter what she does, I agree not to divorce her, but I will not sleep with her.
After hearing Dashan's words, Zhang Hongmei raised her fist and punched him several times. "Are you an idiot? How are my uncle and aunt supposed to live like this?"
"Hongmei, what else can I do? She threatens suicide the moment I mention divorce. What can I do?"
"Brother Dashan, just tell me what you want to do in the future. Think it through before you speak."
Da Shan had his head down, and Zhang Hongmei could sense his dejection.
“Hongmei, I want a divorce. I want to leave her. I want to take my parents far away from here.”
"Brother Dashan, I never thought you were such a coward? What's so scary about it? After hearing what you said, I understand now that you have absolutely no desire to live with her anymore."
Since that's the case, you should go back and discuss it with my uncle and aunt. The three of you should go see Wang Hongxi tomorrow and explain things clearly.
Although you are all adults, you will still have to go back to the village in the future and you must resolve the issues there.
Now, two people can get a divorce if they don't want to live together anymore. Besides, have you even registered your marriage?
Da Shan shook his head. "No, she always says it, but I've never agreed."
“Then let’s just settle this in the village, Brother Dashan. No matter what conditions the Wang family proposes, whether it’s your job or your family’s money, you’ve agreed to them.”
"Yes, I agree with everything. I've talked to Wang Xiaorui about it before, but she doesn't agree."
“That was before, when she still had feelings for you. So many years have passed, I think she should give up now.”
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