Chapter 16.1

Wang Meili instantly felt a chill spread through her heart.

Not to mention that the old lady still needed someone to care for her, just considering Xu Jiefang’s age—he couldn’t possibly remain a monk for the rest of his life. Right now, the Xu family hadn’t even split up yet. If he wanted to marry a wife, the family would inevitably have to spend money on it.

If the old lady could recover, then fine. But if she couldn’t, it would only make it even harder for Xu Jiefang to find a wife. Wang Meili had thought of ten thousand ways to resolve the issue, but it had never crossed her mind that Feng Yanwen would actually refuse to come back. Her expression changed slightly, and her tone softened:

“Listen to what you’re saying. You and Third Brother have been together for more than ten years. He’s been honest and never fooled around with other women. Why are you bringing up divorce? And at your age, with your condition, even if you leave him, it might not be easy to find someone else, right? Let’s not even talk about anything else—just look at Xu Meng. She’s not even your biological daughter. Do you think she’ll take care of you in your old age?”

This Feng Yanwen must have gone mad!

Back in those first few years of marriage, she had taken quite a bit of traditional Chinese medicine in order to have a child. Later, her skin improved, and even her periods became much more regular, but there was still no sign of pregnancy. At that time, infertility wasn’t as common as it is now, so having someone bring it up in public like this made her feel utterly exposed.

Hearing those words just now, Xu Meng found it laughable. What, women couldn’t live without men?

It was as if she hadn’t lived quite comfortably in her past life without dating or being in a relationship. She had no petty household disputes, no headaches from raising children. In fact, while her friends were dealing with useless boyfriends, she was traveling alone and living the kind of life others envied.

“Listen to what you’re saying. So what if I’m not her biological daughter? Stop trying to stir up trouble between us. Don’t worry. Even if my mom has no one to rely on, she can still live just fine on her own, and in the future, she’ll live better than every single one of you.”

“And another thing, don’t think about tricking my mom into going back just to take care of your old lady. You all keep harping on the fact that she can’t have kids, as if she’s been clinging shamelessly to your family. Right now, it’s you people who refuse to get a divorce. My mom doesn’t owe you anything. I’m afraid you’ve got other plans, like using her up while she’s still capable, then kicking her to the curb once she’s old. That kind of disgusting behavior really couldn’t get any worse.”

She had originally believed that selfishness was a natural instinct in everyone, but she hadn’t expected these people to be selfish to such an extent.

Wang Meili was a woman too, yet she constantly looked down on others and always used the issue of childbirth to needle people. If she wanted a child so badly, why not find someone else? Why keep harping on it every time?

This time, Feng Yanwen held her head high.

Xu Meng was right. She didn’t owe the Xu family anything.

“So, are you planning to get the divorce certificate before leaving?” Feng Yanwen shot back coldly, “Don’t bother pretending to be so righteous. I don’t care about that anymore. Xu Jiefang, if you truly cared about me, you wouldn’t have stood by while those people humiliated me. And when I said I wanted a divorce, I meant it. If you really want to argue, the bride price you gave me back then was eighty-eight yuan. I can pay it back to you right now.”

Xu Jiefang was dumbfounded, utterly frozen in place. What kind of words were these?

In the 1980s and 1990s, social values were still simple and conservative. It was generally accepted that women got the short end of the stick in marriage. Unless the woman had made a serious mistake, the man was usually expected to pay some kind of compensation for the loss of her youth if they divorced. Yet Feng Yanwen was actually offering to return the bride price he had given her back then.

Xu Jiefang had never imagined that Feng Yanwen could be this resolute. She wasn’t afraid of being gossiped about, nor was she afraid of struggling to survive on her own outside. He had never seen her like this before. Even back when she had been assigned to work at a school, she still carried the nervous self-consciousness of a rural woman who had just entered the city.

But that wasn’t entirely Feng Yanwen’s fault. At that time, the gap between urban and rural areas was huge. In the eyes of outsiders, marrying into the city was like soaring into the heavens in one step.

And now, the woman he had suppressed for nearly twenty years was asking for a divorce. She actually wanted a divorce.

For a moment, Xu Jiefang’s mind went completely blank. His mouth hung open, but he had no idea what to say.

Sister Liu also felt that these people were infuriating. She took Feng Yanwen’s arm and said, “Come on, let’s go inside your place and talk.”

There were too many people around here. It was ultimately a bit embarrassing.

Xu Jiefang gave Sister Liu a grateful glance, but all he wanted now was to flee in panic.

She might just be acting out of anger right now, a little impulsive. Maybe if he came again next time and gave her a way to save face, she wouldn’t be so riled up and talk about divorce.

“I… I’ll go now. I’ll come see you again next time.”

—

Feng Yanwen only felt a rush of satisfaction.

Xu Jiefang’s expression, Wang Meili’s disappointment—she saw it all.

In the past, these two had caused her no end of frustration, but now, she had finally stood tall and held her head high for once.

When she first brought up divorce, she had still felt a bit lost. But the more she spoke, the more it felt like a shot of courage had been injected into her. It was as if a door had opened before her, and everything suddenly became clear.

Yes, what was there for her to be afraid of, really?

Only after stepping out did she realize how vast the sky and sea were, and how beautiful the world outside could be.

These past few days had felt like living in a dream—an ease she had never experienced before. Even Mengmeng’s review sessions were going much better than before.

Yes, despite being busy with so many things all day long, Xu Meng now had uninterrupted time to study. She didn’t have to worry about being interrupted halfway through reading, nor was she kept up night after night by a pile of frustrating matters. Feng Yanwen also helped her organize her study schedule and felt that Xu Meng had made great progress in English lately.

And who were the ones who made life so difficult before? It was that bunch of people with the surname Xu.

Sister Liu followed them back to Liu Jin’s house.

As soon as the three children saw Feng Yanwen return, they came running over cheerfully. One took over the pushcart, another tried to please her by saying they had set the water out to warm and asked if she wanted to take a bath first, while another said they had already swept the courtyard.

A smile gradually appeared on Feng Yanwen’s face. Pointing to the big chunk of watermelon left in the basket, she said to the eldest, “You all go ahead and eat first. No rush to bathe.”

With the sun this strong, even by nightfall the bathwater wouldn’t be cold.

The second child craned his neck and picked up the slice of watermelon. It was the same size as always.

Kids were naturally a bit greedy, and since Feng Yanwen had come back a little later today, the three children had been getting impatient waiting for her.

The eldest gave the second one a glare, then turned to Feng Yanwen with a smile and asked, “Auntie Feng, have you eaten yet?”

Xu Meng brought out two chairs from the house. “We already ate at noon. These were set aside just for you three. Hurry and cut them up to eat. And remember to clean up the bucket and the trash afterward.”

She sent the children off so that Feng Yanwen could have a private chat with Sister Liu.

“Got it!” Even the usually serious and reserved eldest couldn’t hold it in anymore. Hugging the watermelon, he ran off gleefully.

Sister Liu had been dropping by to check on them often these days. At first, she had been a bit uneasy, worried that things wouldn’t go smoothly. But after observing for a while, she saw that the children were tidier and more orderly than before, and the courtyard was gradually taking on the appearance of a real home. Most importantly, the children always had smiles on their faces now, no longer wearing the gloomy expressions they used to. That piece of watermelon just now wasn’t small either—at least three to four jin (1.5 to 2 kg).

This time of year, watermelons weren’t cheap, and they certainly weren’t something to eat every day. No wonder the kids seemed so happy all the time.

As a result, Sister Liu’s goodwill toward Feng Yanwen and her daughter shot up considerably.

“Girl, don’t laugh, but I’ve been divorced too.” Sister Liu smiled warmly, getting straight to the point, as if to say, so go ahead and tell me—there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Now it was Feng Yanwen’s turn to be surprised. She had always seen this Sister Liu as cheerful and easygoing, and her husband seemed to treat her well too. There had never been the slightest sign that they were a second-marriage couple.

Sister Liu patted her hand. “I’m not making this up. My previous husband didn’t act like a proper man. Back in the seventies, he became the factory director and ended up having an affair with a young widow who worked there. I was so furious I filed for divorce. It was only after that I met Brother Zhang. Listen, never wrong yourself for the sake of others. I overheard a bit just now—is it that you can’t have children? Honestly, what’s the big deal about that? If a man has a conscience, he wouldn’t make things difficult for you over something like this. Look at some of our national leaders—several of them didn’t have children either.”

At that, faces full of kindness and warmth floated through Feng Yanwen’s mind, and she suddenly didn’t feel so upset anymore.

Someone who truly cared about you would never drive a knife into your heart again and again.

“Actually, I’ve thought it through. I have Mengmeng now, so what’s the big deal about having children? If someone has no conscience, even your own flesh and blood might not be good to you. But if someone has a kind heart, even without a blood relationship, they can still treat you well, right?” Feng Yanwen let out a sigh. “I had a really hard time before. Not only did I do all the housework, but I also had to endure endless frustration and humiliation. He never gave me any of the money he earned. After I lost my job, I had to hold out my hand and ask for money just to buy something, and even then, I had to watch his mood. Just thinking about living like that now—it’s simply impossible.”

Sister Liu glanced at Feng Yanwen and thought to herself how young she still looked.

It was probably because she had never given birth—her figure was slimmer than most women her age.

“Girl, have you ever seen a doctor about your condition? Taken any medicine? Medical care is a lot better now than it used to be. If there’s something that can be treated, you should still get it checked out.” Although not being able to have children wasn’t life-threatening, Sister Liu believed that if it could be treated, it was worth trying.

Feng Yanwen sighed. “When I was little, I fell into a river one winter. Later, they said it caused uterine cold. After I got married, I could never conceive. His family did take me to see doctors, and they said it was because of that. I went through a round of treatments, but it didn’t help much. And now I’m already thirty-six. Even if I got treated and found someone new, I’d still be considered an older mother.”

Back then, the legal marriage age was eighteen. Rural girls often married young, and since Feng Yanwen had found a fiancé from the capital city, as soon as she turned eighteen, the two of them registered their marriage. Xu Jiefang was eight years older than her. That age gap hadn’t seemed obvious before, but once he passed forty, he started aging rapidly. When the two of them walked together now, they looked like they belonged to two different generations.

This was also one of the reasons why Xu Jiefang was unwilling to divorce—at the very least, Feng Yanwen was pleasant to look at, easy on the eyes.

Sister Liu said in surprise, “You’re only thirty-six? That’s not old at all. In the past, women didn’t practice birth control. Some were having children well into their late forties. As it happens, my husband’s younger sister works at the hospital. Why don’t you go see her and get a bit of treatment? Even if you’re not aiming to have children, women have all sorts of health issues. It’s good to regulate your body anyway.”

This time, Feng Yanwen didn’t object. She nodded and agreed.

As soon as Sister Liu left, Xu Meng urged her to hurry and go take a bath.

Since there was no coal stove at home yet, they had to rely on sun-warmed water for baths. The sky was already starting to darken, and if she dawdled any longer, she’d have to wash up with cold water.

The three little ones had already tidied themselves up. Under Xu Meng’s supervision, the eldest and second child were carrying small buckets and washing clothes at the doorway, while the youngest squatted nearby playing with a piece of cardboard. When Sister Liu left, she had seen them chatting and laughing as they washed, a stark contrast to how they used to be. Back then, it wasn’t uncommon for them to wear the same clothes for several days in a row.

Feng Yanwen glanced up at the sun and quickly got up to take a bath.