Chapter 18: Divorce

~As long as you want it, it’s possible~

Facing the trusting gazes of Yuan Dongmei and Zhang Yalan, Zhao Xiangwan felt the weight of the situation on her shoulders.

“Aunt Yuan, the reason you’re afraid of divorcing is because you’re scared of losing your home and income, right?”

This question struck Yuan Dongmei deeply.

People care about their reputation, just as trees care about their bark. Even though Zhang Shihu had humiliated her, she refused to divorce him. Why? Was it because of the money?

As a housewife for many years, she had been scolded every time she asked for money. This had made her ashamed to talk about money, fearing ridicule.

Zhao Xiangwan felt a pang of sadness when hearing Yuan Dongmei’s voice. She realized that this woman had been so oppressed in life that she developed a timid personality.

“What if, in the divorce, the house is given to you, and you receive 30,000 yuan as well?”

Yuan Dongmei’s eyes widened in disbelief: “Is that possible?”

Zhao Xiangwan smiled and nodded: “If you want it, it’s possible.”

Yuan Dongmei was momentarily stunned by the mention of “30,000 yuan,” her mind fogged.

Zhang Yalan, though unaware of farming or daily life details, knew that having money was important. With a monthly expense of 100 yuan, 30,000 yuan could last 25 years!

It would only take another three and a half years before she could start working and earning. Though a police officer’s salary wasn’t high, it would be enough to support her mother and herself.

Thinking this through, Zhang Yalan turned to Zhao Xiangwan: “Okay, but… can we really get my father to give my mother 30,000 yuan?”

Zhao Xiangwan: “There’s a way, but we need to act fast.”

Zhang Shihu had 120,000 yuan in savings. Although he was at fault, he was willing to divorce and give the house and 30,000 yuan to resolve things quickly. This was a relatively fair and easy compromise.

“What method?” Yuan Dongmei’s eyes lit up.

“I’ll go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow morning and get a report on my injuries. Then I’ll hire a lawyer and file for divorce, accusing Zhang Shihu of domestic violence, and apply for property preservation.”

“Property preservation?”

“Yes! After filing the lawsuit, we can apply for property preservation and ask the court to freeze Zhang Shihu’s bank deposits to prevent him from transferring his assets.”

Yuan Dongmei didn’t fully understand, but the idea of freezing his deposits was clear to her.

“I’ve never seen his savings, and I don’t know where the passbook is. How can we freeze it? Is it really possible to stop him from withdrawing money?”

Zhao Xiangwan nodded: “His money is in the bank. The court can order the bank to freeze his funds. With evidence of domestic abuse, cheating, and an illegitimate child… any one of these is enough for the court to take action. As long as you take the initiative and aren’t afraid, he can’t do anything.”

Yuan Dongmei was scared: “I’m afraid. If he finds out I touched his savings, I’m scared he’ll come after me.”

Zhang Yalan, only eighteen and with no experience in law, became weak in tone: “Where do I find a lawyer? How do I file for divorce? How do I request a physical exam at the hospital? I don’t understand any of these steps.”

Zhao Xiangwan pointed to the phone: “As long as you’re determined, we can ask for help from Teacher Zhou and Officer Xu. They know a lot of people and will definitely help us. As for Aunt Yuan, if you’re afraid of his revenge, you can apply for a protection order based on domestic violence, and he won’t dare to hurt you again.”

After saying this, Zhao Xiangwan looked at Zhang Yalan with a deep gaze, as if to say: We’re students at Public Security University. If we can’t even protect our families, how can we become police officers?

After a long silence, Zhang Yalan had so much to say, but in the end, she spoke only one word.

— “Yes!”

But Yuan Dongmei was still frightened: “I’m scared. I’m afraid of his revenge. You don’t know how hard he hits. Money is his life. Normally, if I gave him even a few dozen yuan, he would beg for a long time. Thirty thousand… that might be asking for his life. He will never give it.”

Zhang Yalan placed a hand on her mother’s shoulder, straightened her back, and said firmly, “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll protect you. My teacher, Ms. Zhou, is a great person. Her husband is a criminal police officer in the Municipal Public Security Bureau. I’ll go to Ms. Zhou and explain the situation, asking for her help.”

Zhao Xiangwan reassured her: “Don’t worry, we just need to take three steps: call the police for a physical exam, file for divorce, and preserve the property. Then we can negotiate with him. I guarantee we’ll get the property you deserve.”

Yuan Dongmei felt guilty: “Thank you for all your trouble.”

Since I’ve decided to help, I’ll see it through. Zhao Xiangwan smiled, now with more tenderness: “It’s not a problem. You’re a great mother, just like my aunt.”

Zhang Yalan suddenly remembered: “Yes, Zhao Xiangwan, the green sweater you’re wearing was sent by your aunt. How is your aunt now?” She recalled making some jokes in the past, feeling ashamed now.

Zhao Xiangwan: “My aunt is from the countryside. She initiated the divorce.”

When Yuan Dongmei heard that Zhao Xiangwan’s aunt had initiated the divorce, she was intrigued: “Isn’t it harder for rural women to divorce? How did your aunt manage to do it?”

Zhao Xiangwan’s aunt, Zhao Dacui, is an honest, kind, and hardworking woman. She married her neighbor, Fan Youde. However, because she had three daughters, her in-laws and husband never liked her, often mistreating her with verbal and physical abuse. Zhao Dacui tolerated it for a while, but one day, when Fan Youde was drunk and accidentally knocked down their third daughter, Fan Qiuhan, Zhao Dacui could no longer stand it. Seeing her daughter’s bloody head, she grabbed a kitchen knife and confronted Fan Youde.

Enraged, Fan Youde fled in fear.

Zhao Dacui rushed her daughter to the hospital and reported the incident to the police. The entire village quickly learned about it. In the end, with the help of the village committee leaders, Fan Youde admitted his wrongdoing and agreed to divorce.

Zhao Dacui didn’t care about the old house; she only wanted her daughter. Her eldest and second daughters were already married, so she took her 13-year-old daughter, Fan Qiuhan, and left Fanjiagou ^[1]which is Fan Family Village.. The Fan family gave her 300 yuan in compensation, and they had no further contact after that.

Zhang Yalan, curious, asked, “Did you help with this?”

Zhao Xiangwan shook her head: “I was too young to do anything.”

At the time of the divorce, Zhao Xiangwan was twelve and just starting junior high. While she gave her cousin Fan Qiuhan some advice, it was her cousin who bravely took action, making her usually timid mother stand up for herself.

Yuan Dongmei asked: “What is your aunt doing now?”

“My aunt bought a small house in the county for 300 yuan and sent my cousin to middle school. She’s a great cook and started a rice noodle stall outside the school, which has been quite successful. My cousin finished junior high and is now in her fourth year of medical school. She’s interning at Chengguan Hospital and will become a nurse after graduation in June.”

“My aunt says life after the divorce has been so much better. She doesn’t have to worry about being scolded or beaten anymore, and the villagers no longer criticize her. She can earn money to support herself and her children, which gives her a real sense of accomplishment.”

After hearing Zhao Dacui’s story, Yuan Dongmei felt inspired and gained a new sense of courage. If a rural woman could take control of her life after a divorce, why couldn’t she?

After a long pause, Yuan Dongmei spoke up, her voice soft but determined: “Alright, I’ll leave.”

Zhang Yalan, hearing her mother finally agree to divorce, was overwhelmed with emotion. She hugged her mother and tearfully said, “Mom, it’s amazing, you finally agreed to divorce.”

Domestic violence, extramarital affairs, illegitimate children—why stay in such a marriage? Are you willing to destroy yourself?

With Yuan Dongmei’s firm decision, the next steps would be much easier.

Zhang Yalan called Teacher Zhou Qiaoxiu and explained everything. Understanding women better, Teacher Zhou was furious upon hearing Yuan Dongmei’s story and firmly told her: “Divorce! You must divorce!”

Zhou then advised Zhang Yalan to call the police, and Xu Songling, with connections at the Chengbei ^[2]refers to North City. Police Station, helped intervene. The police arrived and took Yuan Dongmei to the hospital for a medical examination.

The new and old injuries, along with two previous hospitalizations for spleen and sternum injuries, left the female officer who accompanied Yuan Dongmei shocked. She reprimanded Zhang Yalan: “How could you be a daughter and not speak up when your mother was so severely injured?”

Zhang Yalan’s face turned red, ashamed. When her mother was hurt and hospitalized, she was away at school and unaware of it. Seeing the old injuries now made her feel pain and regret. She hugged her mother, apologizing continuously.

Yuan Dongmei didn’t blame her, instead comforting her: “It’s okay, I’ll be fine soon.”

Because public security and courts often work together, with Zhou Qiaoxiu and Xu Songling’s help, Yuan Dongmei’s divorce case was processed quickly, and a property preservation order was issued.

As deposits are private, the court required Yuan Dongmei to provide information on Zhang Shihu’s bank accounts. When she heard this, she panicked: “I don’t know.”

In the end, Xu Songling found a friend to conduct a private investigation, which uncovered all of Zhang Shihu’s assets.

Apart from 100,000 yuan in a time deposit at the Chengbei branch of the Construction Bank, Zhang Shihu also had 23,600 yuan in his current account. He had also purchased two properties in the newly developed Mingzhu Community. One property was meant to be a wedding house for him and Liu Liju after the divorce, and the other was for their future child.

Three days later, when Zhang Shihu went to the bank with Liu Liju to withdraw money, he found his accounts were frozen and was furious.

When they reached the Engineering Bureau dormitory building, Zhang Shihu began kicking the door, unwilling to use the key.

As the door cracked open, he slapped the figure behind it, shouting: “How dare you divorce me? I told you not to!”

Before he finished his sentence, a figure appeared before him. A strong arm blocked his right hand, and a large hand gripped his wrist with unyielding strength.

As pain coursed through him, Zhang Shihu realized it wasn’t the timid Yuan Dongmei standing before him, but a police officer in a green uniform!

All his insults died on his lips. As he stumbled backward, Zhang Shihu fell hard onto the floor.

“Bang——”

Zhang Shihu hit the ground, feeling a sharp pain in his tailbone. He screamed, “Help, help…”