Chapter 15

As soon as Granny Xue said those words, Xu Jiefang began to feel uneasy.

The moment the meeting ended, he pulled Wang Meili aside and lowered his voice. “Second Sister-in-law, have you seen her?”

Everyone understood the situation perfectly. If Xu Jiefang had been able to find someone better, the old lady would have made him divorce long ago.

Wang Meili gave a small smile. “Don’t worry. What the old lady said isn’t true. I heard Yanwen and her daughter are running a little stall near the train station, doing some small business.”

After all, the train station was such an attention-grabbing place. With Xu Meng and her mother doing business there, it couldn’t stay hidden. If any acquaintance happened to see them, they might mention it in passing, and soon the family would know all about it.

But Wang Meili only listened and didn’t take it to heart. Those two weren’t presentable anyway, always engaged in some shady little ventures, thinking they could make something of themselves just by going out.

Doing private business was considered disgraceful by the old-fashioned crowd. Just now, she didn’t even dare bring it up in front of the old lady. If Granny Xue got angry and refused to let Feng Yanwen come back, it would end up hurting the whole family.

Xu Jiefang, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief. Besides worrying that Feng Yanwen had found another man, he was also afraid that her life outside might actually be going too well.

Truth was, he knew Feng Yanwen had endured a lot of frustration over the years. But he had been brainwashed by Granny Xue since he was young, believing that all daughters-in-law lived like that. She just had to bear with it. Once she got older, she would be the eldest in the household and others would dote on her and give way to her. Why couldn’t she endure just this bit of hardship?

Upon hearing that she was doing some small business, Xu Jiefang wasn’t as worried anymore. Running a little stall wasn’t easy — just making a bit of money here and there. How could that be more comfortable than staying at home? After all, she had barely held a proper job all these years, had she?

After agreeing on the plan to pick her up, Xu Jiefang changed into a cleaner set of clothes once he got back from the hospital and even shaved his beard.

Wang Meili had also tidied herself up. Along with the second son, the three of them headed toward the train station together.

It was afternoon by then. Feng Yanwen and Xu Meng had just finished work, with everything packed onto their little pushcart. The two were in great spirits today. They had sold fifteen watermelons and two to three hundred maps. At this pace, by the time summer break arrived, they would have made a substantial amount of money.

Xu Meng already had a plan in place and had even written out a list of items to buy. When Feng Yanwen saw it, she laughed at her a bit, but she was also pleased. The child had her own ideas now, and that was a very good thing.

Feng Yanwen felt that she really should have come out and seen more of the world earlier.

People back then were conservative. Jobs were all assigned by the state. After being suspended from her teaching position, Feng Yanwen was dejected for a long time. As a people’s teacher, she couldn’t possibly go look for work as someone’s nanny, so she had stayed at home for years. Over those years, she had seen enough of those people’s scornful looks.

Now that she was earning money, Feng Yanwen decided it was time to treat herself better—she no longer wanted to do any housework at all.

When they finished work, the two happened to pass by a restaurant, so they decided to have dinner there.

They ordered a jin (0.5 kg) of dumplings stuffed with chive and pork. It was just the right amount for the mother and daughter.

At first, Feng Yanwen was still reluctant to spend the money, but Xu Meng did the math for her, and she immediately deflated.

“…If we go home, we still have to start a fire and cook, which takes one or two hours. Wouldn’t it be quicker to just eat at the restaurant? A meal costs two yuan, it tastes good and saves trouble. Just think of it as gaining an extra hour to sell watermelons. Doesn’t it seem worth it that way?”

Feng Yanwen thought it over and realized it was true. After a few days, she had fully embraced the idea.

Back then, she spent her days circling around the stove, with no end in sight.

Now that she no longer cooked, she realized it wasn’t a big deal at all. Today she might want to eat this, tomorrow that—whatever she felt like eating, she’d just go have it. There was no one nagging her, no need to watch anyone’s mood. This kind of life was true happiness.

“Wait, let’s take a look in the store.” As they happened to pass by a shop, Xu Meng immediately spotted an electric fan. “Mom, we need to buy a fan.”

These past few days had been unbearably hot. Although the northern nights weren’t as humid and stifling as those in the south, she still found it hard to fall asleep at night. And she had been so busy lately that by the time evening came and she needed the fan, she would remember they hadn’t bought one. Then the next day, she’d get busy again and forget all about it. Xu Meng had even taken to sleeping on the bamboo bed in the courtyard.

Feng Yanwen remembered too—the electric fan was the very first item on their shopping list.

By the time they came out, the little pushcart had a new Huasheng table fan in it.

It cost over a hundred yuan, but Feng Yanwen paid without hesitation. In the past, she would have never been willing to spend that much.

The family rarely bought anything, and whenever money was spent, someone would inevitably start nagging. Over time, it made people afraid to spend at all. Now that she no longer had those concerns—managing her own money and buying whatever she wanted—Feng Yanwen felt an incredible sense of relief. As they were heading out, she even told Xu Meng, “You’re not sleeping outside tonight. There are too many mosquitoes out there. I already lit mosquito coils in the room.”

Xu Meng slapped her forehead. “I knew I forgot something—mosquito coils!”

Mosquito coils were easy to find—any small store sold them.

The two bought some coils, along with other small items like soap and laundry paste. Just as they stepped out of the store, they happened to run into Xu Jiefang and the other two. The two parties came face-to-face.

Wang Meili was the first to step forward. As soon as she saw the Huasheng-brand electric fan sitting in the cart in front of the mother and daughter, her eyes lit up. She had an old fan at home, one she had bought when she got married. It broke last year and, even after several attempts to fix it, never worked properly again. Every time it spun, the blades would scrape against the casing with a loud clattering sound—it was maddening.

“Oh, Yanwen, you really have money now. Is this a new fan?” Wang Meili walked up to take a closer look. “And it’s even a well-known brand. You really know how to spend. Buying like this—does that look like someone who knows how to manage a household?”

Xu Jiefang was also staring at the fan.

Feng Yanwen had complained before that the old fan at home didn’t work well, that it was too small and the breeze too weak. She wanted to replace it with a bigger one, but back then he disagreed. He thought having something to use was already good enough. Why be picky and act all high and mighty? Now she was acting all impressive, buying such a big-ticket item^[1]Big-ticket item is a term refers to a product or purchase that is relatively expensive or high in cost. It is often used to describe durable goods like electronics, appliances, furniture, or vehicles. without even discussing it with him. He had always been a chauvinistic man, and it was hard for him not to overthink things. Hearing Wang Meili’s sarcastic tone only made him feel more uncomfortable.

He was just about to say something to her, but remembering the reason they had come today, he swallowed the words back down.

This was the first time since her rebirth that Xu Meng faced Wang Meili head-on.

If it had been Xu Jia who took her admission notice, then Wang Meili was undoubtedly one of the masterminds behind it.

Looking at Wang Meili’s face, Xu Meng barely held herself back from slapping her across it.

“We didn’t spend your family’s money. Don’t you think you’re meddling a bit too much?”

Wang Meili immediately grew displeased, raising her voice high. “Look at you, acting all impressive now. You’ve been gone for so long, spending this kind of money, and no one’s even allowed to say a word? Don’t forget I’m your second aunt, not some outsider. You know what the family’s financial situation is like, and what your situation is like. Don’t tell me you snuck money out from home to go splurging?”

Xu Meng couldn’t stand that tone of hers. If money really had gone missing, shouldn’t she be well aware of it herself?

“Oh really? Your family has so much money that if some went missing, you wouldn’t even notice? You just leave money lying around so anyone can sneak off with it?” Xu Meng fired back without hesitation. “So you came here today just to lecture me on how I spend my money?”

Wang Meili gave Xu Meng a careful once-over. In the past, she was just a pretty face with no presence at all—always timid and shrinking in public. But now, something had changed. She stood with confidence and poise. Even Feng Yanwen seemed different, no longer carrying that old air of insecurity when she stepped outside.

Feng Yanwen’s face darkened.

In the past, when they criticized her for spending money—because it was their money—she had endured it. But what right did they have to talk about Mengmeng like that?

What right did they have to immediately accuse them of stealing? She stared at Xu Jiefang, only to see that his eyes held not even the slightest trace of support. Her heart grew even colder toward him. Now, she didn’t rely on anyone, nor did she need anyone telling her how to live her life.

“So you came all the way here just to say this?” Feng Yanwen said. “As for the family’s money, each of you manages your own. Even when buying things, nothing goes through me. You should know exactly how much money I had. If you came here to pick a fight, then you’re not welcome here.”

Xu Jiefang’s anger finally hit its peak, and he blurted out, “So you don’t intend to go back?”

Feng Yanwen replied, “That’s right. I have no intention of going back.”

Xu Jiefang: “…”

Wang Meili said, “Yanwen, don’t be like this. If Jiefang doesn’t want you, do you really think you can survive out there on your own? Stop putting on a brave front just to save face. If you go back now, it’s still not too late. I can go beg the old lady to be a little less harsh with her words.”

Who needed her to beg for mercy? Who cared about going back to that life?

Feng Yanwen flared up instantly. “I’m not going back. Not only am I not going back, I want a divorce.”

Xu Jiefang said, “What did you say?”

Feng Yanwen repeated, “I said I want a divorce.”

She had never spoken so firmly about divorce before.

In that moment, Xu Jiefang felt a jolt of panic in his heart. He realized this time was different from all the times before—Feng Yanwen was serious.

—

Sister Liu had just gotten off work and, passing by the area, thought she’d drop in to check on the three little ones.

Ever since Feng Yanwen moved in, life for Liu Jin and his brothers had noticeably improved.

On one hand, the fifty yuan monthly rent had helped improve the quality of life for the three of them. On the other, she’d heard the three little ones had earned some nice rewards from helping people out and weren’t running wild anymore. She was very satisfied with these two tenants.

But just as she reached the entrance of the alley, she heard the sounds of an argument. At first, she didn’t think much of it, but when she got closer and saw it was Feng Yanwen and her daughter confronting a few unfamiliar people, her curiosity was piqued. She walked up to listen, and upon hearing the things Wang Meili was saying, she instantly flew into a rage.

What era was this? Still playing those games at home? As a Party member and cadre with progressive thinking, how could Sister Liu tolerate that?

“What’s going on, Yanwen? Who are these people?”

“And who are you?” Wang Meili was already fuming and snapped, “We’re dealing with our own family business.”

Sister Liu replied, “What kind of tone is that? You know Yanwen, don’t you? Can’t you speak with a little more respect?”

Wang Meili retorted, “How am I being disrespectful to her? Did I say a single dirty word?”

But it’s not just about the words—it’s how you say them. Sister Liu was a sharp one and could easily guess what kind of relationship these people had with Feng Yanwen. She had always been curious why Feng Yanwen moved out to live on her own. She’d brought it up a few times, but Yanwen had never answered. Now she finally understood.

Feng Yanwen felt that arguing like this was pointless. Normally, she would have been somewhat embarrassed in a situation like this, but today, her anger had risen sharply, and there was even a trace of disgust in her eyes. “Let’s be clear about this. You’re here to try to take me back home, right?”

“Let’s just lay it all out,” Feng Yanwen said. “You came to get me back just because you want me to take care of that bedridden old woman. If she weren’t paralyzed and no one else in the family could handle the housework, would you even be thinking about bringing me back?”

The Xu family had their connections, but so did she. She already knew what kind of condition the old lady was in—she’d fallen ill and become paralyzed. Only now did they suddenly remember there was a ready-made laborer out there.

They shouldn’t think she didn’t know what was going on. Not a single one of these sisters-in-law was a decent person. On normal days, they acted like they couldn’t see any work that needed doing and dumped everything on her. But the moment something serious came up, they suddenly remembered her. Treating her like a servant—at least in ancient times, maidservants got paid. Even nannies didn’t have to swallow this much humiliation. Honestly, they were taking her for a fool.

Xu Jiefang forced himself to hold back his anger. “There’s no fundamental conflict between us. Why are you holding onto these petty issues and refusing to let them go? You’ve been out for quite a while now, so isn’t it time to cool off? I’ve already talked to the old lady about Xu Meng’s schooling. I told her to let the girl study one more year.”

He had come in person to pick her up and had agreed to let Xu Meng continue her studies—that was already more than enough face given to Feng Yanwen.

Feng Yanwen shook her head. She didn’t even know how to communicate with this man anymore. He wanted to have a child of his own—there was nothing inherently wrong with that. So why not, while he was still young, end things and find someone new to start a family with? Instead of endlessly arguing over an issue that couldn’t be resolved and constantly wearing each other down, why not settle it once and for all? Wouldn’t that be better for both her and the Xu family? Wouldn’t that be a win-win?

Xu Jiefang had a job and a highly coveted household registration in the capital. As long as he wasn’t too picky, he could even find someone better. Finding a younger partner wouldn’t be hard.

But if he didn’t want a divorce because he was deeply in love with her—Feng Yanwen didn’t believe that for a second. After living together for so many years, she knew exactly what their feelings for each other were like. Maybe there had been some affection when they first got married, but as the years went on, with all the conflicts and petty fights of daily life, even that little bit of love had been worn away. She had no desire to spend the rest of her life tangled up in guilt and self-doubt over why she couldn’t have children. It was just too exhausting.

And when someone like her—someone who had always kept things in—finally opened her mouth to say the words “I want a divorce,” it meant she truly meant it.

There was no room left for turning back.