Sun Xiaohong glared at Lin Yue fiercely, hoping to see pain, reluctance, or unwillingness on his face, but all she saw was cold-heartedness.

She couldn’t understand how a man could be so heartless.

When they were getting along, he was completely devoted, obedient, and never got angry no matter how unreasonable she was.

When she was pregnant, she would make him search all over the fields for sour dates in the middle of the night, and he did it without getting angry, carrying a flashlight to find them.

When she no longer craved the dates and wanted fried eggs instead, he made those for her.

Her three sisters-in-law gave money to her in-laws.

At first, it was saved with Lin Mother, but if she wanted it, she would make Lin Yue suffer.

She wouldn’t let Lin Yue into bed at night, and within three days, he would give in, meekly bringing up the idea of having her manage the household finances.

She firmly believed Lin Yue couldn’t live without her.

He was just easily swayed, manipulated by Lin Shu and Lin Auntie into being angry with her.

She thought that after a few days, he would come running back to her.

He was a pushover, spineless, and could never stand up to her—he would never escape her control!

She thought she could still use those happy moments to control Lin Yue, but Lin Yue had undergone deep reflection.

Mistakes made in youth don’t just disappear by ignoring them. They are like thorns deeply embedded in the heart.

Invisible, they seem to have disappeared, but they still cause pain from time to time.

Maybe he didn’t even know why it hurt, but the pain was there, reminding him.

Just like other men, he had immature fantasies starting from his early teens and couldn’t help but act on them.

He suppressed his confused and urgent desires, unable to find an outlet. When Sun Xiaohong tempted him, he immediately complied.

He was immersed in that simple and direct pleasure, not considering right or wrong.

His mother scolded him for being shameless, but Sun Xiaohong told him it was natural for a man to desire a woman.

Whenever he showed any hint of thoughts that shouldn’t be there, she would immediately find ways to flatter him and give him more stimulation.

He succumbed to that secret pleasure.

But such clandestine pleasure was inherently toxic, bringing shame to his parents and himself, and leaving him with a sense of guilt and shame.

It wasn’t Sun Xiaohong’s fault that she could bully his parents; it was in her nature to oppress others.

The fault was his.

He shouldn’t have invited the wolf into his home, shouldn’t have given her the opportunity to harm his parents.

His weakness allowed her to control him and, in turn, control his parents.

Before, he hadn’t thought much of it, thinking that living life was just about getting by without overthinking.

But now, seeing his mother beaten so badly by Sun Xiaohong, he suddenly felt that the damage is not something that can just disappear by not thinking about it.

The pain is present, and it continuously harms his parents and sister.

Perhaps one day, it might even lead to their deaths.

He wanted a divorce.

Initially, it was an impulsive decision.

But after the fight with Sun Er, his resolve only grew stronger.

After discussing it with his sister, he no longer had any doubts about getting a divorce.

He would no longer allow himself to be easily controlled or tempted by others.

From now on, he would focus on doing the right thing, taking good care of his parents, and living a proper life.

His third sister was right: adults must dare to cut their losses in time.

Divorce was the best choice for him, his parents, and the family.

Sun Xiaohong was still shouting.

Zhou Mother and others mocked the Sun family, “You make mistakes but refuse to acknowledge them, and now you don’t want to divorce. You’re taking advantage of everything!”

Old Sun, his face in disgrace, no longer cared about his daughter.

He roared for his wife and son to quickly help his daughter pack and leave.

He couldn’t afford to lose face.

If they stayed any longer, the Lin family might directly confront him about the scheme he set up years ago.

Lin Auntie shouted, “Don’t take any of the Lin family’s things with you!

Back then, you took our dowry money, and your daughter came into the house wearing our clothes.

The Sun family never contributed anything, not even a blade of grass.

Just take your daughter and leave. Don’t take anything from the Lin family!”

As soon as she said this, several women rushed into the west room to ensure nothing from the Lin family was taken by Sun Xiaohong.

Zhou Mother added fuel to the fire, “Does the Sun family owe us part of the dowry? That’s the dowry for three daughters!”

Lin Auntie immediately went to find the list of the dowry money from Lin Father and Lin Mother.

Lin Mother still kept it in a wooden box on the wall.

Back then, the Sun family had pressured them so much that they drained the Lin family’s savings.

The dowry for the three daughters, plus two gold bracelets given to the second branch of the family, and they even had to borrow some money.

Lin Auntie, who couldn’t read, had someone from outside the family read it out for her.

A teenager, who had studied a bit, took the list and read, “The dowry was eighty-eight worth of items, and the dowry in cash was two hundred eighty-eight.”

The women gasped in shock.

Zhou Mother shouted, “Isn’t asking for three hundred reasonable?”

Old Sun’s wife was furious, “That was the two families had an agreement. My daughter has been married for years, and she has given birth to a son, serving as a laborer…”

“Pah! ”

Lin Auntie: “What has your daughter done after marrying? She sleeps until the sun shines on her backside. Does she not know how to work in the village?”

Old Sun was also enraged, “What’s going on? Are you not letting us leave?”

Zhou Mother: “Refund the money!”

Sun Xiaohong, with red eyes, yelled at Lin Yue, “Lin Yue, are you dead? They are pressuring me like this, and you just stand there watching without doing anything?”

Lin Yue didn’t look at her.

In the end, it was the brigade secretary’s wife who mediated, “Here’s the deal: In the case of the divorce, the Lin family won’t pursue the dowry issue.

After all, Lin Yue was also at fault initially, so let’s consider it a loss to avert a disaster.

As for the Sun family, don’t bring up the past anymore, and don’t make further demands. Just apologize for your daughter beating up her mother-in-law.”

Old Sun nearly spat out blood from anger.

In the end, he had to lower his head and apologize for not educating his daughter properly.

His daughter wouldn’t be able to find another suitor in the neighboring villages.

Old Sun gritted his teeth and instructed his sons to take his daughter away.

Sun Xiaohong cursed loudly, spewing every kind of filthy language, prompting the other women to urge them to leave quickly.

Lin Yue was also shocked. He hadn’t expected Sun Xiaohong to have such a foul mouth.

Sun Xiaohong: “Damn it, Lin Yue, you dead bastard! There are still my clothes and my money in the house, and my…”

She had been in charge of the household, and the dividend money and contributions from her three older sisters were all with her.

She had saved over 200 yuan in total.

That was her money!

In these years, she hadn’t supported her family back home and had even pocketed money from her father to add to her own stash.

She wanted to take all that money with her!

She really regretted not taking the money to her family earlier.

She didn’t expect Lin Yue to be so heartless, agreeing to the divorce so readily.

She thought Lin Yue was just intimidating her to make her submit.

She planned to pacify him and get through this, believing he would soon be like before and listen to her.

“Just you wait, you bastard…”

But Lin Auntie wouldn’t give her the chance. She even took off her shoes and pushed her out.

Lin Shu watched coldly, but felt a sense of relief.

Sun Xiaohong, who had harmed her daughter and caused trouble for Lin’s parents, was finally gone.

It seemed like the Lin family lost, but in reality, they gained.

The 300 yuan bought Lin Yue’s freedom, got rid of the potential big trouble of Sun Xiaohong, and helped him grow.

It was worth it.

After all, men’s growth is a mysterious thing. Some never mature even as they age, while others grow up after facing great trials.

Compared to those men who only grow up after their parents or lovers are sacrificed, Lin Yue’s experience is relatively mild.

She patted Lin Yue’s shoulder and said, “It’s good that you’re cutting your losses. Your better days are ahead.”

Lin Yue’s tears welled up, and he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve. “Sister…”

Lin Shu replied, “…First, let’s go to the village office and get the divorce papers sorted out.”

In those days, people in the countryside usually didn’t go to the commune to register their marriage.

It was enough to hold a wedding and banquet, and maybe write a marriage agreement at the village office.

Then, they would transfer the woman’s household registration to the village, and her work points would be earned there.

Divorce… was rare, but not unheard of.

They would go to the village office to write up a divorce agreement and transfer the woman’s household registration back, so her work points would no longer be counted in that village.

Lin Auntie thanked each of the women who came to support them, “Thanks to all of you, Lin Yue would have been controlled otherwise.”

“Lin Yue’s mother is still ill, so we won’t have a banquet for now. When the pomegranates at home ripen, Lin Yue will visit each of you to deliver them.”

The women smiled and said, “Lin Yue is a smart kid. He should become a tractor driver for our commune and help with farming in the future.”

“Yes, don’t worry. With Lin Yue’s good conditions, he’ll find a good match and won’t be deceived again.”

The village chief’s wife also comforted Lin Mother, “Spending money to avoid big troubles will bring good times. Take good care of yourself. We’ll come back to visit.”

The other women also said their goodbyes and went home to cook.

Lin Shu went inside to talk with Lin Father and Lin Mother.

When the time was right, she said her farewells and prepared to leave.

Lin Mother held her hand tightly, reluctant to let go.

She had been looking for a pillar of support, and now suddenly realizing that her third daughter had become capable and unafraid, she couldn’t help but want to rely on her.

Lin Shu said, “Mother, don’t worry. I mean what I say. I will take care of you as promised.”

“You don’t have to worry at all about being left alone in old age.”

As long as Lin Yue doesn’t cause trouble, Lin Mother should easily live another thirty years.

After the economic reforms, making money was easier, and retirement wasn’t a problem.

Lin Mother nodded and wiped her tears.

She suddenly felt a sense of being reborn, as if the heavy burden on her shoulders had been lifted.

She could finally take charge again!

This feeling!

She felt invigorated and said, “Don’t rush off. Let me make you some noodles. Lu Da, don’t leave yet. Try my cooking. I’m really good at making noodles.”