Yuan Dongmei sighed, her face drawn. Her cheeks were already thin, and now her sigh made her look years older: “Who am I? Just a useless woman. This life… is worthless.”

Zhang Yalan was taken aback by her mother’s words. She had always been the one caring for their family, and hearing this made her feel torn. She sat next to her mother, held her hand, and said, “Mom, what are you saying! You’re my mother, you’re more precious than anyone in this world.”

Yuan Dongmei smiled bitterly: “If you were a son, at least I’d have someone to rely on. But you’re a daughter, no matter how capable and filial you are, what can you do?”

Zhang Yalan’s frustration grew: “Mom, times have changed, men and women are equal. There are girls in our school, female police officers in the police station, women who work and support their families. What’s the difference?”

Yuan Dongmei patted her daughter’s hand and said, “I used to work, so I know. But since ancient times, men have been the breadwinners, and women have been homemakers. Having children and doing housework is women’s work. Men make money outside, but men still have the final say in the family. Even if you’re a police officer, once you get married, you’ll be someone else’s daughter-in-law. It’s filial piety for you to come visit me occasionally, but I can’t rely on you when I’m old.”

Zhang Yalan, frustrated, shouted, “Marry! Do women have to get married? I’ll never marry. I’ll take care of you in your old age, is that alright?”

Yuan Dongmei was shocked by her daughter’s stance. She hesitated for a long time and said, “How can you not get married? Who will you rely on when you’re old?”

Every time Zhang Yalan was with her mother, they’d end up in a dilemma. It wasn’t really a quarrel; Zhang Yalan was angry, and her mother tried to please her. Though Zhang Yalan wanted to talk properly, everything her mother said made her feel resentful and frustrated, making her react emotionally.

[Incompetent, useless! She lived a miserable life, now she wants to make me like her! What does it mean that no matter how capable or filial a daughter is, it’s useless? What does it mean that if you don’t marry, you’ll have no one to rely on when you grow old? After years of talking about women’s independence and liberation, why can’t she understand?]

The people closest to you often hurt you the most.

Zhao Xiangwan quietly spoke, “Zhang Yalan, let me talk to Auntie.”

Zhao Xiangwan’s calm voice had a soothing effect. Zhang Yalan, on the edge of anger, was calmed down. She exhaled deeply and said no more.

Zhao Xiangwan pulled up a chair and sat, looking Yuan Dongmei in the eye.

“Aunt Yuan, do you want to divorce your husband?”

“In no mood.”

“Why?”

“A divorced woman has a bad reputation. And… a home without a man isn’t really a home. People will bully you.”

“What if your husband insists on a divorce?”

“I’ll just endure it. As long as he doesn’t divorce me, I can handle anything.”

“Even if he commits domestic violence, even if he beats you to death, you still don’t want to divorce?”

“No, he knows how hard to hit. He slapped me twice when angry, but no one dies from that.”

Hearing this, Zhao Xiangwan felt tightness in his chest. He turned to look at Zhang Yalan, who was breathing heavily with anger, gritting her teeth, clearly disappointed in her mother.

We need to change our thinking.

“Do you know how much money your family has?”

“He used to earn a lot and gave me 100-200 yuan for household expenses each month. I lived frugally and saved a few thousand yuan. Later, he sometimes gave me money, sometimes didn’t. Now, there’s not much left.”

“What if he stops giving you money in the future?”

This question made Yuan Dongmei nervous. She had been managing the household for 20 years, believing she had fulfilled her role as a housewife. But even the best cook can’t cook without rice. If Zhang Shihu hardened his heart and stopped giving her money, her life would be very hard, and she wouldn’t survive.

Yuan Dongmei was deeply affected by Zhao Xiangwan’s words: “No, that’s impossible! He’s my husband; he must give me money.”

Indeed, money gives people the courage to act.

Talking about feelings or reason isn’t as direct or effective as talking about money.

“Those who are not involved can see things more clearly. Although I’m an outsider, I saw your husband proudly show off his lover today, mentioning their son and asking you to help the lover with her pregnancy and childbirth. Most people wouldn’t tolerate such humiliation, so why do you tolerate it, Auntie?”

Zhao Xiangwan’s words were harsh but straight to the point.

“I…” Yuan Dongmei opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. Heat rushed to her head, and her lips became swollen and red.

[Why do I tolerate this? What if I can’t? I can’t survive without money. What if I don’t work? Am I supposed to starve at home? Yalan needs money for living, new clothes, shoes, and bedding—everything costs money. After he yells at me or hits me, when he’s tired, he feels guilty. At those times, if I ask him for money, he will give me a little, maybe a hundred or eighty.

But, can I tell Ya Lan about this? No, she’s been spoiled all her life and doesn’t think about where money comes from. Besides, what good would it do to tell her? It will take her three more years to graduate and start working, and she won’t be able to support herself.]

Zhao Xiangwan spoke calmly, like a gentle stream flowing across a meadow.

“Soon, that woman will break up with your husband. After that, he will briefly return to the family, but then he will stubbornly find another woman to have a son with in the next six months. Do you plan to keep enduring this?”

“I… what else can I do?”

“The new Chinese marriage law requires monogamy ^[1]refers to a marriage with one partner only.. Your husband’s actions challenge the moral bottom line. According to the information I found in the library, he’s obsessed with having a son. Since you can’t meet that need, he will never return to the family.”

Yuan Dongmei’s face twisted with anger: “Let him have his son, I’ll raise him!”

Zhang Yalan couldn’t take it anymore, slamming her hand on the coffee table and standing up: “You’d raise his son? Are you crazy? You have no shame, but I still have some.”

Zhao Xiangwan met Zhang Yalan’s gaze, speaking firmly and calmly: “Don’t worry, sit down.”

Zhang Yalan met Zhao Xiangwan’s determined eyes, knowing there was no room for argument. She snorted and sat back down, her breathing still heavy with anger.

“You’re willing to raise your husband’s illegitimate child, but what about the child’s mother? Is she willing to be separated from her child?”

“this…”

Yuan Dongmei lowered her head when she heard her daughter’s words. “You have no shame, but I still have some.” Zhao Xiangwan’s question made her feel hopeless. She said nothing, but her heart was in turmoil.

[I have no shame? I really don’t! I’ve tolerated everything—his yelling, his hitting—just to avoid divorce and ensure I have someone to support me. I don’t speak up when he has an affair. Do I still have any dignity? I want to have some, but… what can I do? What will I do if we divorce?]

The situation wasn’t easy to fix. Yuan Dongmei’s weak personality wasn’t developed overnight. To make her see the truth, drastic action was necessary.

Zhao Xiangwan had a plan and began speaking more quickly.

“This house was allocated by your husband’s workplace, right?”

“Yes.”

“Your husband should have vacated the company housing when he resigned and started his own business. Why are you still living there?”

“When the company restructured in 1990, he used his connections to pay off the housing loan and get the property title.”

“Do you own any other properties?”

“No, just this one.”

“If you divorce, will your husband give you the house?”

“…”

Yuan Dongmei reacted strongly, shaking her head violently: “I won’t divorce! I won’t! I’ve lived here since Yalan was six. Every brick, every piece of cloth here belongs to me! I will never leave this house. I’ll die here if I have to!”

“If you divorce, what will your life look like? Zhang Yalan is 18 now, so your husband won’t have to pay for her anymore. What will you do if you lose his financial support?”

Zhang Yalan was upset. She had asked Zhao Xiangwan to convince her mother to divorce, but now she was hearing that life after divorce would be difficult.

Yuan Dongmei felt every word Zhao Xiangwan said cut deep. Her fear of divorce wasn’t so much about Zhang Shihu, but about losing the stable life she had.

Most people are afraid to change because the unknown is scary and unpredictable.

Yuan Dongmei looked at Zhao Xiangwan sadly: “So, I should divorce? How will I live after the divorce?”

Zhang Yalan wanted to say: I’ll support you! But her pockets were empty. Her father controlled all her expenses—how could she support her mother?

Zhao Xiangwan pressed on: “If he insists on divorce, how long can you hold out?”

Yuan Dongmei stared blankly: “Isn’t divorce consensual? As long as I don’t agree, he can’t divorce.”

Zhao Xiangwan shook her head: “No, he can file for divorce in court. Even if you resist, there will be mediation sessions… He has many connections, and once the court rules, you’ll have no choice but to divorce.”

Yuan Dongmei, not understanding the law, began to cry: “How can this be? I don’t want a divorce. I can’t divorce! How can the court grant it?”

“Marriage freedom means not just the freedom to marry but also the freedom to divorce. It doesn’t mean your marriage continues if you don’t agree to the divorce. Now your husband is using violence and humiliation to force you to agree to a divorce to avoid prosecution.”

Zhang Yalan couldn’t keep it in any longer and cursed, “Shameless!”

No matter how naive Yuan Dongmei was, she understood that nothing could undo what had been done. Since her husband was determined to divorce her, remarry, and have children, no one could stop him. It felt absurd that she had endured so much for so many years, yet deep down, she secretly hoped that he would return after being away.

Staying or leaving seemed impossible. The future looked bleak. What was the point of living? A wave of despair overtook her, and Yuan Dongmei couldn’t even summon the strength to cry. All she could do was murmur, “What should I do? What should I do?”

“Let me tell you what you should do.” Zhao Xiangwan smiled gently, her smile as warm as a spring breeze.

A drowning person will hold onto even the smallest lifeline.

“Zhao Xiangwan, you speak, I will listen,” Yuan Dongmei said, her eyes lighting up as she clenched her hands tightly, veins visible on her palms.

“Zhao Xiangwan, you speak, I will listen to you.” Zhao Xiangwan’s words filled Zhang Yalan with hope. She leaned forward eagerly, her eyes fixed on Zhao Xiangwan, waiting for her advice.

Having lived together in a bunk bed for half a year, Zhang Yalan had witnessed Zhao Xiangwan’s resourcefulness. Although she didn’t know how to solve her parents’ issue, she was sure Zhao Xiangwan had a plan.