Chapter 15: Finalizing the Divorce

He Mingjie was momentarily overwhelmed with fright, his hands trembling like sifted flour, a pitiful sight as he was helped to sit down by his father.

“What brings the young man from the Wen family to this point?” He’s father finally managed to say after a long pause.

“Uncle, well said! What brings us to this point?

Since my brother-in-law is gone, my sister has taken care of the household for two years. Now she merely wants a divorce certificate, so why all this fuss?” Wen Yunque countered, throwing the question back at them.

“You venomous woman! My son’s body hasn’t even grown cold, and you dare to insult his brother like this? I’ll fight you!” Mrs. Wang, unable to come up with a better response, resorted to childish tantrums.

She lunged at Wen Yunhe, confident that she wouldn’t dare evade her.

What she didn’t know was that Wen Yunhe had already changed, no longer willing to let herself be pushed around as before.

“Ouch!”

Wen Yunhe swiftly dodged, sending Mrs. Wang crashing against the back of a chair, causing her to grimace in pain.

“I’m not here to negotiate with you. If you don’t want to write the divorce certificate, then don’t blame me for exposing the dirty deeds that He Mingjie has done to the whole world.

The person who just left—was that the matchmaker?

Right after Mingzhang’s death, you’re waving around his compensation money, showing it to He Mingjie in hopes of marrying him into some wealthy family? Not on my watch!

Once He Mingjie’s future is destroyed and his reputation tarnished, let’s see which good woman would want to marry into your home!

It would be more suited to a fool or a leper.”

“You dare!” Mrs. Wang seethed with rage, raising her hand to slap her.

Her son was her lifeline, and now he was her only child, oh so precious.

Wen Yunhe was caught off guard and nearly received the blow.

Just at that critical moment, Wen Yunque grasped Mrs. Wang’s arm, shielding his sister behind him.

The strength of the young man was considerable, and Mrs. Wang struggled in vain to break free.

“Madam, it seems you’re not planning to negotiate properly?” Wen Yunque’s voice was cold, laced with anger.

“Son, stop talking. Isn’t it just a divorce certificate? We’ll write it!” He Mingjie finally regained his composure.

Having just contemplated his grim fate and calculating his way through the chaos in his mind, he realized he still had a way out.

What Wen Yunque said was essentially just about getting the divorce certificate. Giving it to her was fine, as long as they kept this matter under wraps.

Now that they had reached this dead end, they could only hope the Wen family would keep their word.

“Wen Yunque, I am willing to give your sister the divorce certificate, but your family must swear a solemn oath, vowing never to mention this matter again in this lifetime,” He Mingjie stated.

Seeing the tide had turned against them, Mrs. Wang could only resign herself to this outcome, collapsing onto the ground in despair.

Since Wen Yunque had brought up Wang Yuxiang, she knew that there would be no easy way out today.

Using the divorce certificate to save her son’s future and reputation was already the best option.

She inwardly resented the Wen family for being so aggressive but didn’t think her own son had any issues.

“Fine, but I have a condition. You must fully return all my sister’s dowry; not a single item can be missing!

Additionally, you need to invite the village chief and the elders of the He family to witness the writing of the divorce certificate on the spot.

Publicly claiming that my brother-in-law has passed away and that your family voluntarily gives my sister a divorce certificate to return home, so that we can each live our separate lives.

In the future, if I hear any rumors that tarnish my sister’s name, our agreement will be rendered void!”

Wen Yunque mentioned this because he didn’t trust the He family, worried that after getting the divorce certificate, Mrs. Wang would spread slander about his sister, damaging her reputation.

Wen Yunhe felt a little touched; these were words that had not been discussed before, and her younger brother was genuinely thinking of her well-being.

The faces of the He family trio changed at once.

Wen Yunhe’s dowry amount was ten taels of silver, and that was not accounting for the items they had pawned off. Altogether, it would cost them over ten taels of silver!

Although they had some money now, parting with such a large amount at once was sure to hurt.

Mrs. Wang began to throw a tantrum again, “For the two years Wen Yunhe has been in my home, everything she ate, drank, and used was from us.

She has already spent her dowry; why should we refund her!”

He Mingjie silently agreed but didn’t say anything, letting Mrs. Wang vent.

“Whoever has spent it knows in their heart! My sister’s eating, drinking, and using everything was earned through her own hard work.

You have no right to bargain with me. It’s simple: either you comply, or you won’t. But if I walk out that door today, everything will be irretrievable,” Wen Yunque stated, his mind clear.

Now that he held the initiative, no matter how Mrs. Wang raged, it would be of no use.

Wen Yunhe felt a warm glow being shielded by her younger brother, like enjoying a roasted sweet potato on a cold winter’s day.

The He family exchanged glances before ultimately coming to a decision.

“We agree! Wen Yunque, you better keep your word; a cornered rabbit will bite. If my future is ruined, your entire family won’t have it easy either,” He Mingjie threatened.

“I, Wen Yunque, have always been straightforward and honest. Unlike certain people who are two-faced and insincere,” Wen Yunque shot back.

“You must swear! Make a solemn vow! Swear on your future!” He Mingjie was pushed to the edge, his facade stripped away as he yelled in a frenzy.

Without hesitation, Wen Yunque raised two fingers.

“I, Wen Yunque, swear here: if I ever reveal He Mingjie’s private affairs to others, may I have no hope in this life, my future severed, facing a life of poverty and solitude.”

This vow was significant.

With Wen Yunque’s assurance, it became unimportant whether the other members of the Wen family took an oath.

Next up was the matter of the dowry. Wen Yunque stood firm; they had to return the full amount.

Finally, they settled on the sum of fifteen taels.

The dowry itself was ten taels of silver.

Two sets of new cotton quilts had been sold and couldn’t be returned, so that was accounted as two taels of silver.

Additionally, there was a pair of silver hairpins given during the marriage, which was also calculated as two taels.

There were some other small items that totaled another tael of silver.

In total, that made fifteen taels—clear and straightforward.

Mrs. Wang was unwilling but was ultimately persuaded by He Mingjie—her son’s future was more important. Once he became an official, the benefits would far exceed this mere sum of silver.

In fact, Wen Yunhe had initially brought back six taels of silver as a betrothal gift from the He family, which the Wen family also returned, and of course, that had been used by the He family.

However, since both sides were now getting divorced, they didn’t mention the six taels and considered it settled.

Given the late hour and the need to finalize matters quickly, they decided to call in the village chief and the elders to witness the signing.

The elders were puzzled; they knew Mrs. Wang’s temperament very well, so it was a surprise that she would agree to give Wen Yunhe a divorce certificate. Did the sun rise in the west?

But ultimately, it didn’t concern them; they were just there to bear witness.

“Respected elders, please bear witness. My eldest brother, He Mingzhang, passed away too young, and I appreciate my sister-in-law’s diligent management of the household during her time with us.

Today, I take the liberty of writing this divorce certificate to set my sister-in-law free to return to her family. From now on, we part ways amicably,” He Mingjie declared with solemnity.

Since the divorce certificate was inevitable, he had to salvage some reputation for himself; otherwise, it would be a wasted effort.

Mrs. Wang couldn’t muster a smile; her face was darker than it had been at her son’s funeral, looking as though someone owed her hundreds of taels.

He’s father sat silently in the main seat, acting merely as a figurehead without any authority in decision-making.

In this male-dominated society, he indeed was an anomaly.

“Well done, Mingjie.”

“How thoughtful of you to consider your sister-in-law; you will surely achieve much in the future,” the village chief and several elders praised He Mingjie.

He Mingjie brought out ink and paper and, in front of everyone, wrote down the divorce certificate.

After writing, he first handed it to the village chief, who merely glanced over it before passing it to Wen Yunque.

Wen Yunque took it, carefully reading through it twice to confirm there were no problems or hidden traps before placing it back on the table for He Mingjie to copy.

The divorce certificate was made in triplicate; each party signed their name and pressed their red seal. The village chief would take one copy to the government office for filing, making the divorce official.

Wen Yunhe, wanting to maintain her composure, refrained from laughing out loud, but the light in her eyes gave her away.

This was not merely a divorce certificate; it was the gateway to freedom.