Chapter 23: Divorced

The situation in the capital was turbulent and unpredictable.

Everyone wished to escape to the countryside, while only his uncle’s family was trying every means to get their son back to the city, truly a foolish bunch.

Zhou Yinghuai decided to write a letter to send back to the capital as soon as he returned, warning the old man to stay vigilant and not to be dragged down by the foolishness of certain people.

“Captain, there’s no need to test me. You have the final say in the brigade; just handle things according to the law. Even regarding me, you can arrange things however you see fit.”

With this assurance, Captain Luo finally felt relieved. It seemed that this important figure in front of him did not intend to compete for power.

At the same time, he felt a bit troubled; it sounded easy, but who dared to command him?

Luo Jiawang wore a worried expression until Jiang An’an and her group came to request hiring the brigade’s old ox to go into the city, and his mood still didn’t improve; he darkly dismissed them.

“I think Jiang An’an is the most capable one in the Jiang family. Even her parents, Jiang Degui and his wife, listen to her. Even Zhou Kang, that rebellious one, is obedient under her. She’s sharp and knows how to handle things; managing the warehouse is simply underutilizing her talents,” Accountant Huang suddenly remarked in the office.

What was Jiang An’an like before?

He seemed to have no impression!

Luo Jiawang’s eyes suddenly lit up: That’s right, the next task could be arranged for Jiang An’an to work with Zhou the educated youth.

–

Jiang Shulan agreed to divorce her educated youth husband, and it was rumored that the procedures had already been completed!

The news spread throughout the Nanxi Brigade in just one afternoon, and members gathered at the old Jiang family’s door, peeking inside.

“The total amount is three hundred and ten dollars, sixty grain coupons, ten cloth coupons, and seventeen meat coupons. The house isn’t worth much since the land belongs to the brigade, and the bicycle can be considered as something left for the two children.”

Zhou Kang meticulously calculated the finances, not dragging his feet or leaving anything out. After the divorce, he transformed back into the gentle and refined man he once was, his tone warm and considerate: “I’m sorry for you; from now on, it’ll be up to you to take care of our son.”

Jiang Shulan felt a bit dazed, recalling the scenes from when they first met and fell in love, her heart aching as if it were being squeezed.

Smack!

She slapped Zhou Kang across the face, tears falling in response: “Get lost!”

The slap knocked Zhou Kang’s glasses askew. He pressed his tongue against his cheek and adjusted his glasses.

But before he could do anything, the people from the old Jiang family rushed forward to surround Jiang Shulan. Especially his mother-in-law, who brandished a kitchen knife, glaring at him as if she wanted to chop him into pieces.

“Father-in-law and mother-in-law, take care of yourselves in the future,” Zhou Kang said sarcastically.

It was like adding fuel to the fire. Lin Meiru could not stand his smug and ugly expression. She brandished a kitchen knife, ready to charge forward, but Jiang An’an held her back tightly.

She raised the corners of her mouth: “Wishing Mr. Zhou a smooth journey.”

Ultimately, Zhou Kang couldn’t swindle the old Jiang family any further, which left him rather regretful. He stood up, adjusted his sleeves, and looked firmly at Jiang An’an: “Don’t forget to clear my name; my divorce from Shulan was due to a breakdown in our feelings.”

Jiang An’an nodded: “Just wait.”

Zhou Kang: ???

She hurried to the gate of the courtyard and smiled at the villagers, saying, “The old Jiang family hereby clarifies that Zhou Kang divorced my elder sister due to a lack of affection. Everyone must not misunderstand him as a heartless person.”

Zhou Kang: “…”

What do you mean by ‘this place has no silver, three hundred taels’? Damn it, it would have been better not to clarify at all.

Sure enough, the members had wonderfully colorful expressions, teasing him with looks that said, “We all understand,” and some even started to cheer.

“Comrade Zhou Kang is highly aware and is an example of progress and learning for everyone.”

“Exactly, he’s not heartless and ungrateful. Because how can you blame wolves and dogs? What have those little animals done wrong?”

“I say we should learn from Jiang Shulan. If things in the house have gone bad, they become trash. Instead of keeping them to mold, it’s better to throw them away.”

…

Laughter surrounded him. Zhou Kang glared resentfully at the backs of this group of country bumpkins, wishing he could eat their flesh and drink their blood.

“Pah.”

Suddenly, a spit landed on his shoe.

Zhou Kang: ???

Then a broom came swinging at him, hitting him and forcing him to cover his head and flee. His former father-in-law was like a mad dog, relentlessly hitting him with the broom until he was swept out of the door.

“Get lost, you unlucky thing.”

With a loud slam, the door shut hard.

Jiang Degui panted with exhaustion. When he turned back, his wife and two daughters looked at him with admiration, giving him a thumbs-up.

A sense of pride welled up in his heart. Jiang Degui took the tea his youngest daughter handed him and smiled, “I didn’t expect things to go so smoothly this time. It’s all thanks to An’an; she is a great contributor to our family.”

While feeling happy and relieved, he suddenly thought that as a father, he was quite useless. His eldest daughter was being bullied, yet it was up to the youngest daughter to resolve it.

It seemed he needed to learn more from his youngest daughter: “How did you persuade that bastard?”

Jiang An’an replied seriously, “I wrote a story for Zhou Kang; maybe he was impressed by my writing skills.”

Jiang Degui: ???

Lin Meiru & Jiang Shulan: ???

Faced with the eager curiosity of his family, Jiang An’an took a sip of water and began to share the story. Every word was still firmly etched in her mind, and she could recite it perfectly without missing a beat.

This was a story about the old Jiang family in the Nanxi Brigade, detailing how the eldest daughter went from being anxious and fearful upon hearing about her husband wanting a divorce to resolutely using legal means to defend her rights, ending on the day she went to court to file a lawsuit…

The room suddenly fell into silence.

“Is that it?”

Jiang Degui asked in rapid succession, “Did the eldest daughter of the Jiang family win the lawsuit? What happened to the heartless educated youth son-in-law?”

Jiang An’an shrugged: “I don’t know.” She had gotten too tired later on and decided to leave it with an open ending.

“Why don’t you know? The story was clearly written by you.” Jiang Degui was anxious like an ant on a hot pan, desperate to know the ending.

At that moment, he suddenly realized, “So that’s why Zhou Kang readily agreed to the divorce terms—because he also wanted to know the ending. An’an, I’m your father; you can’t be biased. Ah—wife, why are you twisting my ear? It hurts! Let go!”

Lin Meiru, embarrassed by her husband, sent him to the kitchen to cook.

Hmph! Zhou Kang was clearly threatened by An’an, afraid that if the story got published, he would be infamous and lose his job in the city.

But An’an really had a way; she resolved the trouble easily and without conflict. It was a pity; originally, they had planned to go to the brigade leader’s house today to eat and drink, ah, no! They were there to seek justice for the eldest daughter…

“Little sister, thank you.” Jiang Shulan wiped her tears, her eyes filled with gratitude.

Jiang An’an pinched her chubby nephew’s face and smiled, “We’re family, so there’s no need for formalities. By the way, what are your plans for the future?”