Chapter 48: Zhang Lishi Wants a Divorce

As her body continued to develop, little Su Huan could now distinguish more and more colors with the naked eye.

She especially loved brightly colored little toys and clothes. Often, when the adults weren’t around, she would dress herself in a riot of colors. Even the usually oblivious Fourth Brother, Yan Xing, couldn’t help but question her sense of style.

Additionally, with the herbs they had, Granduncle Zhang Hongzhuang and Brother Xiaodou’er gradually recovered under the treatment of her mother, Li Sumei.

The first thing Granduncle did after recovering was to have Father Su Laowu and Fourth Uncle Su Laosi support him to the Zhang household to sever ties completely with Zhang Lishi and divide the family.

Ever since Li Ergou’s hands were broken by Old Lady Su with a shovel, he had been recuperating at the Zhang family’s house. Because of the fright and cold, he developed a high fever after lying down and had been burning with fever for several days. Zhang Lishi spent a fortune on doctors, but they all said the fever was too severe and couldn’t be cured. Even if his hands were reattached, he would be a cripple, unable to do heavy labor in the future.

Zhang Lishi was heartbroken. When she saw Zhang Hongzhuang return home, her grief slightly eased, but upon hearing the reason for his return, she flew into a rage. She pointed at Zhang Hongzhuang’s nose and cursed him harshly.

“Zhang, do you have any conscience at all? I bore and raised children for you, followed you through a lifetime of hardship, and now you just stand by while my brother is like this and refuse to help? Now you’re actually here to talk about dividing the family? Have you lost your mind?!”

After speaking, she called for Zhang Laoda and Qian Cuimiao to forcibly drag Zhang Hongzhuang back into the house.

But Su Laosi and Su Laowu blocked their way like two mountains, and Zhang Laoda dared not move. He stood and looked at Zhang Hongzhuang behind them, scolding him, “Father, you’re being unreasonable. Can’t you see how upset my mother is about Uncle’s injury? How can you take outsiders’ sides and make her angry? A man should care for his wife—you taught me that. Why can’t you follow your own advice?”

“Screw you!”

Su Laosi had tolerated the double standards of Zhang Laoda for a long time. Upon hearing this, and remembering how they had already fallen out with them, he simply punched him to shut him up.

Su Laowu stood still without moving, but his cold, sharp gaze made Qian Cuimiao, who wanted to intervene, freeze in place and not dare to act.

Zhang Hongzhuang watched his eldest son get hit, his lips twitching, but he said nothing. The disappointment in his eyes deepened.

Since the house had been torn down, he had been recuperating at the Su household for days without a single visit. During those lonely, painful days, he saw clearly just how heartless the wife, son, and daughter-in-law he had provided for and supported all these years truly were. Every time his chest ached, he hoped Zhang Lishi would visit him, but that hope was never fulfilled. Eventually, he became completely disillusioned with them.

Suddenly, a small figure dashed out from the house.

His eldest grandson, Jinbao, couldn’t bear it any longer. Clenching his fists in anger, he shoved Zhang Hongzhuang hard and shouted, “Grandpa! What will it take for you to stop?! Will you only be happy when our family is completely ruined?!”

Then he pointed at Su Laosi and Su Laowu and scolded, “You jinxes! Wouldn’t it have been better if you starved to death in the Central Plains? If you hadn’t come to depend on us, my granduncle’s hands wouldn’t be broken, Grandma wouldn’t be this upset, and my little brother wouldn’t have been taken away by Auntie!”

Su Laosi hadn’t expected someone to speak so disrespectfully to his grandfather. Anger flickered in his fierce eyes. “What did you say?”

Qian Cuimiao panicked and quickly covered Jinbao’s mouth, bending down and smiling apologetically. “Fourth cousin, don’t be mad. He’s just a child and doesn’t know any better—just childish talk, that’s all.”

Slap!

Zhang Hongzhuang suddenly slapped Zhang Jinbao across the face, trembling with rage at the words “why didn’t you die in the Central Plains.”

“Shut up! Your grandma and your granduncle brought this on themselves! But you—so young and already laying hands on me, saying such vicious things! If your uncles are jinxes, then no one in this world deserves blessings!”

“Uncle, don’t get too worked up!”

Su Laowu saw his chest heaving violently and his face turning purplish. He quickly gave him a Xiao Yao pill to calm him down.

Seeing Zhang Hongzhuang’s worsening condition, the previously furious Zhang Lishi suddenly became more aware.

After so many years together, she knew Zhang Hongzhuang well. It seemed that punch from Ergou that night really did injure him seriously.

A useless body was of no use.

Zhang Lishi gradually calmed down, leaned on her cane, and stepped forward to stroke Zhang Jinbao’s head. “Jinbao, help Grandma write a divorce letter.”

“What? Mom, you want to divorce Dad?!”

Zhang Laoda was shocked. Qian Cuimiao’s eyes flickered as she also realized from Zhang Hongzhuang’s condition that he didn’t have long to live. She quickly pulled Zhang Laoda back and signaled to him with her eyes.

Zhang Laoda hesitated, then shook her off, stepped forward, and pulled on Zhang Hongzhuang’s sleeve, lowering his voice. “Dad, divorce is a big deal! You’ve been with Mom for a lifetime. If you divorce now, won’t that make our whole family a laughingstock? Don’t do this—come home with me! I’ll plead with Mom later, she’ll definitely forgive you!”

“Sure, Grandma!”

Zhang Jinbao agreed cheerfully, turned, and went inside. In a few swift strokes, he wrote two copies of a divorce letter, even bringing red ink for the fingerprints. “Grandma, give it your fingerprint.”

Su Laosi and Su Laowu exchanged glances, frowning slightly.

They had hoped their uncle would separate from Zhang Lishi, but they didn’t expect her to be so heartless, asking for a divorce the moment she saw he was done for.

It wasn’t just Zhang Hongzhuang—even they felt chilled by her actions.

Zhang Hongzhuang forced himself to stay conscious and pressed his fingerprint on the divorce letter handed over by Jinbao. Su Laosi and Su Laowu, as third-party witnesses and clan members, also needed to sign the two copies to make them legally valid.

Before signing, Su Laowu asked Zhang Hongzhuang, “Uncle, are you sure you want to go through with this?”

Zhang Hongzhuang nodded. “Sign it. I don’t want to keep struggling with them.”

Upon hearing this, Su Laosi and Su Laowu signed the two documents. Each household kept a copy. Zhang Lishi slowly folded her copy and said to Zhang Hongzhuang, “For the sake of our years together, let me give you a piece of advice—if you don’t want to die, stay away from the Su family.”

Hearing this, Zhang Hongzhuang knew she was up to no good. He coldly warned, “Let me give you a word of advice too—those who bring misfortune upon themselves deserve it.”

Whoosh!

Zhang Lishi suddenly tightened her grip on her cane, staring at him darkly.

Zhang Hongzhuang had divorced her. He hadn’t taken the house back or any of the belongings left in the Zhang household. This place was no longer the Zhang family’s—it was now the Li family’s.

Su Laosi and Su Laowu shot cold glances at the Li family and supported their uncle as they left.

That afternoon, news of Zhang Hongzhuang and Zhang Lishi’s divorce spread throughout the village, shocking everyone.

Equally shocked was Old Lady Su.

Zhang Hongzhuang, realizing he was old and now abandoned by his wife and children, felt deeply ashamed at having to return to his sister’s home. But to his surprise, after reading the divorce letter, Old Lady Su burst into delighted laughter and slapped her thigh.

“Good! Good! Excellent! It’s good they’re divorced! Lao Wu, Lao Wu’s wife, hitch up the donkey cart—we’re going to town to buy groceries! Lao Er, Lao Er’s wife, go invite the whole village over tomorrow—we’re throwing a divorce feast for your uncle and his ex-wife… Lishi!”