Lin Guodong had been wanting to go back for a long time.

Since they arrived yesterday afternoon, they had heard countless whispers.

Aside from his father-in-law and mother-in-law, no one welcomed them.

Both openly and subtly, people were trying to get rid of them.

Zhang’s mother and father didn’t ask them to leave because they knew that their daughter had brought her husband and grandson back to the family home to ask for a bride price from Lin Yongnian and his wife.

Moreover, their daughter had said that, no matter how much her in-laws provided, she would give them half.

Zhang Jiao gritted her teeth, “This is my home too!”

Zhang Dasao laughed, “They say a married daughter is like spilled water, once you’re married, you’re someone else’s. Haven’t you seen anyone who’s married and still treats her parental home like her own?”

Zhang Jiao retorted, “I’m spilled water, but aren’t you too?”

“I am,” Zhang Da Sao replied, “I married into the Zhang family, so now the Zhang family is my home.”

“Alright, let’s all keep quiet,” Zhang’s mother stepped in to mediate.

Zhang Jiao glared at Zhang Dasao and snorted, to which the latter rolled her eyes.

“Dad…”

Zhang Daqiang and Zhang Erqiang returned, and the mother-in-law hurriedly called the two daughters-in-law to have dinner.

When Zhang Daqiang entered the room and saw his sister and her family still there, he asked, “Why haven’t you left yet?”

Zhang Jiao immediately exploded, “What, are you going to chase us away too? Now that I’m married, this place isn’t my home anymore? I can’t stay for two days?”

Zhang Daqiang was stunned for a moment, then replied irritably, “Who’s chasing you away? I just heard that Lin Guodong’s parents got divorced, and since you guys are still here, I was asking.”

What?

Lin Guodong was stunned.

“Who got divorced?” Zhang’s mother asked, thinking she misheard.

Zhang Erqiang spoke, “Lin Guodong’s parents got divorced. Liu’s wife, from our workshop, lives in the steel plant’s family compound. She went back to her parents’ house today, and when she came back, she found out we’re relatives of the Lin family, so she specifically came to tell us.”

Zhang Daqiang looked at Lin Guodong and said, “I thought with such a big thing happening at your house, you would have already gone back.”

Lin Guodong replied, “I… I didn’t know.”

His parents had argued yesterday because of his second brother’s wife, but it couldn’t have reached the point of divorce!

“Those in-laws seemed fine, how could they divorce?” Zhang’s father frowned.

“Really divorced?” Zhang’s mother asked.

Zhang Daqiang nodded, “Liu’s wife even saw the divorce certificate.”

“I have to go home,” Lin Guodong said.

Zhang Jiao grabbed him, “It’s already so late, the buses have stopped running. What’s the rush?”

Zhang’s mother also said, “Yeah, it’s too late. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Come eat, let’s eat first.”

…

At the Lin family’s house:

Old Madam Li had slept with her daughter last night.

She woke up early in the morning and went to the state-run breakfast shop to buy ten steamed buns.

“Eat quickly, and then go to school.”

“Okay.” Lin Xiaoyu took a bite of the bun, which was filled with meat paste—delicious.

Usually, breakfast was light, and she’d be hungry by her second class.

Today was dry food, just plain dry food.

“Mom, we’re having steamed buns for breakfast?” Lin Jianshe came out of his room, walked to the table, and reached for one.

Old Madam Li slapped his hand away, and Lin Jianshe yelped as he withdrew his hand.

“Mom, why’d you hit me?”

Old Madam Li glanced at him with disdain. “You probably forgot that we’re no longer a family. I don’t eat your Lin family’s food, and I don’t live in your house. Don’t eat my food either.”

“Mom, you’re being so petty. Even if you and Dad got divorced, you’re still my mom, and I’m still your son,” he said, not holding her earlier wedding quarrels against her.

Old Madam Li snorted, wishing she didn’t have this son.

“If you don’t want to, then don’t,” Lin Jianshe sulked and went off to wash up.

After washing up, Lin Jianshe left with Liu Qin.

It was Monday, and they both had to go to work.

Liu Qin worked as a temporary worker at the supply and marketing cooperative, with only Sundays off. She had taken leave to get married the last two days.

Lin Xiaoyu finished breakfast, put on her schoolbag, and went to school.

She would eat lunch at school.

Old Madam Li followed Aunty Wang to the furniture factory.

Lin Yongnian had spent the night sleepless alone and woke up late.

By the time he got up, he was the only one at home.

There was no breakfast on the table, and the kitchen was cold, which felt very unfamiliar to him.

“Dad.”

Lin Guodong and his wife hurriedly entered the house, holding their son.

As soon as they stepped in, they saw Lin Yongnian standing alone in the living room, looking quite lonely.

“Dad, where’s Mom?” Lin Guodong asked.

Lin Yongnian glanced at the two bundles in the corner. “Who knows where she’s gone.”

“You really divorced Mom?” Zhang Jiao asked.

Although someone had mentioned they saw the divorce certificate, Zhang Jiao still wanted to confirm it herself.

Lin Yongnian impatiently muttered, “Mm.”

Lin Guodong said, “How could you divorce? At your age, don’t you care about what others think?”

He imagined everyone at work asking him, “Your parents divorced?”

“How did your parents divorce?”

“Why did your parents divorce?”

“How do you feel about your parents divorcing?”

“Are you with Mom or Dad?”

“Do you like Mom or Dad better?”

The thought made him not want to go to work at all.

He also worked at the steel factory, in the same workshop as his dad, but he was only a level-two welder.

Lin Yongnian blew his beard and glared. “It wasn’t me who wanted to divorce. It was your mom who insisted.”

“What was it about?” Lin Guodong didn’t understand.

His mom was always gentle, almost soft.

How could she possibly want to divorce his dad?

Lin Yongnian explained, “Why? It’s because of the second brother’s wedding. She lost face. She came back from the hospital and used that as an excuse to get me to divorce her. She even asked your second brother for job transfer money—she wanted 800 yuan!”

Lin Guodong and Zhang Jiao exchanged an incredulous look.

Could this really be something their mom would do?

Didn’t she always feel sorry for the second brother when he went to the countryside and suffered hardships?

How could she ask for that money?

Lin Yongnian continued, “Your mom didn’t really want to divorce. She just wanted to scare me and make me bow my head. After she got the upper hand, she couldn’t back down, so she forced the divorce.”

It sounded more like he was speaking about himself.

“You guys wait. It won’t be long before your mom comes back and remarries me,” Lin Yongnian said confidently.

“Mom’s too much. She wasn’t like this before,” Lin Guodong sighed.

As a woman, Zhang Jiao actually understood her mother-in-law.

If her man slapped her in front of so many people and didn’t apologize, she’d be making a scene too.

“Oh no, it’s already 8:20. We’ve got to hurry to work.” Zhang Jiao checked the time.

All three of them had to be at work by 9.

Lin Guodong glanced at his son and then asked Lin Yongnian, “Since Mom’s not home, who’s watching Junjun?”

Lin Yongnian thought for a moment. “Let’s send him to the daycare at the steel factory.”

Zhang Jiao didn’t want to send her son to daycare, but with no one at home, that seemed like the only option.