Chapter 14: Divorce Negotiations

In the end, the rice from the He family was never found. 

Wang Shi had the assistant magistrate search through nearly half the village, but there was no sign of the missing rice. The last bit of the magistrate’s patience was completely worn thin. 

They finally left, but not before leaving behind a sum of condolence money and some grain for He Mingzhang. 

The case was officially logged at the county office, but the chances of recovering the rice were slim. 

Without the rice, Wang Shi’s joy at receiving the silver money was dampened. 

Worried that the money might disappear as well, she sewed a pocket into her clothes and kept it close to her chest while she slept. 

At least she no longer had to worry about the rice in the fields going unharvested. 

The He family only managed to harvest half an acre of rice. Fortunately, they had the ten stone of grain sent by the assistant magistrate, so there was enough rice to cook with. 

As for Wen Yunhe, she was in high spirits after securing a batch of grain for herself and watching the He family take a loss. 

That night, she made a pot of potato stew with chicken chunks and sent a bowl over to Aunt Hua and Big Niu as a gesture of thanks. 

Since Wen Yunhe had cleared the air with her mother, their relationship had visibly improved. 

Over the past few days, the mother and daughter had been managing the drying of the rice and cooking and doing household chores together. 

On the morning of He Mingzhang’s memorial, nearly half the village came to pay their respects. 

Wen Yunhe knew that He Mingzhang wasn’t truly dead, but she couldn’t say that. She had to pretend to be devastated so she wouldn’t undermine her persona. 

Thus, she forced herself to endure the discomfort in her body and had her younger brother carry her up the mountain. She knelt by the “grave” of her “late husband” and cried uncontrollably, even fainting from the emotional outburst. 

Of course, it was all an act. 

The tears were from rubbing onion juice on her sleeve beforehand. 

After performing the scene, she was able to solidify her image. 

The whole village praised Wen’s daughter for being sincere and devoted, a role model for all women. 

But Wen Yunhe didn’t care to be anyone’s role model, let alone that one. She did all this to avoid being slandered in the future, especially since the divorce papers hadn’t been signed yet. 

During the busy farming days, Wen Yunhe managed to scrounge up a little meat for extra meals now and then. 

Sometimes it was a few small birds, or a couple of wild chicken eggs. Though the seasoning was limited, she could either stew or stir-fry them—it was better than nothing. 

Wen Yunqing and Wen Yunwei had worked tirelessly for days and finally harvested all the rice. 

Thanks to the steady meals from Wen Yunhe and the nourishment from the spiritual spring water, the two of them weren’t just not tired—they looked vibrant and full of energy. 

Now that the harvest was done, it was time to focus on Wen Yunhe’s divorce. The tension with the He family had reached a breaking point. 

Wen Yunqing had once said he had a way to make the He family agree to the divorce. 

It turned out that while he had been gathering firewood on the mountain, he had accidentally caught He Mingjie in a compromising situation with a married woman from a neighboring village. They were openly intimate in the woods. 

At the time, he hadn’t dared to expose it, thinking about how his sister was part of the He family and didn’t want to cause a scandal. But now, this could serve as leverage. 

Scholars like He Mingjie valued their reputation, and if his name were tarnished, his future prospects would be ruined. 

Wen Yunhe hadn’t expected He Mingjie to have such a sordid side, but it was just what she needed. 

She didn’t want to waste any time and was eager to settle the divorce as soon as possible to sever all ties with the He family. 

So, she and Wen Yunqing went to the He family to negotiate. Wen mother was supposed to go as well, but Wen Yunhe was afraid her mother wouldn’t be able to handle the He family’s scornful behavior. She feared that her mother might cry uncontrollably, so she decided it was better for her mother to stay home. 

Wen Yunhe’s injuries had almost fully healed, and the marks on her neck had completely disappeared. To avoid suspicion, she would intentionally dress up every day and paint on some fake bruises. 

As soon as they arrived at the He family’s house, they saw Wang Shi smiling as she escorted someone out. The woman looked quite different from the villagers, dressed in bright colors, and she seemed like a matchmaker. 

Wen Yunhe immediately understood money had arrived, and Wang Shi was preparing He Mingjie for another match. 

The matchmaker was definitely not from the village. 

Once the matchmaker left, Wang Shi’s expression turned cold. 

“So, you know how to come back? I thought you had voluntarily left! If you have the guts, don’t ever come back to the He family again. Live with your own family for the rest of your life!” Wang Shi stood with her hands on her hips, her tone biting. 

In reality, the He family had descended into chaos these past few days. Without Wen Yunhe’s tireless work, everything had fallen onto Wang Shi’s shoulders, and she was out of practice. She couldn’t do anything properly. 

Even if Wen Yunhe didn’t return today, Wang Shi had already decided to “invite” her back.

Wen Yunque frowned.

Wen Yunhe didn’t care and stepped inside, then sat down heavily in the main hall.

“On what basis do I resign from my position? If I am to leave, it must be a divorce. Hand over the divorce certificate, and I will leave immediately.

Do you think your home is some kind of fragrant dumpling that even a poor mouse can’t resist staying in, but it’s a filthy place?” Wen Yunhe said bluntly.

Mrs. Wang’s eyes widened with anger. That little schemer, how dare she? Did she think that having her maternal family backing her meant she could act without restraint?

He Mingjie and his father didn’t expect that the usually gentle and respectful eldest daughter-in-law could say such words.

“Wen! You… you…”

“What do you mean ‘you’? Just say it. I’m here to discuss divorce today. You prepare the divorce documents, and we’ll go to the government office to report it. From now on, we shall each go our own way,” Wen Yunhe interrupted Mrs. Wang.

“Dream on! My son just died, and instead of thinking about staying loyal for him, you want a divorce. Is there someone else outside? You wretched woman!” Mrs. Wang scolded angrily.

“Wen, divorce is absolutely impossible. If you want to leave the He family, there’s only one way, and that is to be cast off!” He Mingjie shouted.

He was dressed in a scholar’s robe today, looking quite resplendent, presumably to leave a good impression on the matchmaker for potential marriage prospects.

He may look proper, but in reality, he was nothing more than a brute.

Wen Yunque shook off nonexistent dust from his sleeve and calmly replied, “Brother Mingjie, do you recognize Wang Yuxiang from the neighboring village? I’ve met her a few times. You two seem quite close.

Tell me, what will happen if this matter comes to light?”

After finishing his sentence, Wen Yunque revealed a cold smile, as if mocking him.

Upon hearing this, He Mingjie broke out in a cold sweat and stared at him in disbelief.

How did he know these things? He had always been very careful.

What would happen?

He had only considered temporary pleasures in the past, thinking that if he was discreet, everything would be fine.

Now that the truth could come out, it terrified him to the core.

If a scholar’s reputation is tarnished, he would never seek success in life again. Forget about achieving anything; even if he became a farmer, people would use this incident to mock him.

His future would be shattered, his reputation ruined.

No, he couldn’t, absolutely couldn’t…

Mrs. Wang clearly didn’t know about this. She began with confusion but upon seeing her son’s changed expression, she seemed to realize something, and her face changed as well.

“Would anyone believe the words of a little child? Wang Yuxiang is actually my maternal family’s niece; it’s normal for relatives to be close.

Stop spouting nonsense, tarnishing someone’s dignity, and be careful, or I will go to the county office to report you,” Mrs. Wang immediately turned things around.

Wang Yuxiang was indeed her maternal family’s distant niece, a few years older than Mingjie. She genuinely didn’t know how these two got involved, but this wasn’t the time to get entangled in that.

“Whether or not it happened, I believe Brother Mingjie knows in his heart.

As for whether this is mere gossip or a real affair, it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that if you’re tainted with a bad reputation, no scholar from this county would be willing to vouch for you to take the exams.

I assume Brother Mingjie wouldn’t want to stagnate in his studies for the rest of his life, would he?”

Unlike the anger, restraint, and helplessness during her last visit, this time Wen Yunque radiated a powerful presence, remaining calm throughout and firmly controlling the pace, hitting the nail on the head.

Wen Yunhe watched in amazement, her elder brother was truly impressive; just a few words had made the He family mother and son panic, and she only needed to observe coldly.

He Mingjie, upon hearing this, grew anxious and flustered.

To become a scholar, one needs to be vouched for by local scholars, known as “linbao”, who must understand the candidate well enough to ensure their character and qualifications meet the requirements.

If he had a stain on his reputation, even if it hadn’t been confirmed, no scholar would dare risk helping him.

Even his own teacher might abandon him as a student.

In ancient times, a scholar’s reputation was indeed too important.

If he hadn’t done this, he could go and report Wen Yunque for tarnishing his name, but the key was that she had not wronged him.

He regretted it!