The factory secretary said, “Here’s what we’ll do. Everyone, let’s calm down. There is work available at the branch factory. We’ll send Qian Lisheng there for a while.”

The women’s director began trying to persuade Lin Xia to endure and reconcile with Qian Lisheng, hoping they could restore their relationship and avoid divorce.

The factory office director also agreed with this opinion.

Getting a divorce is unpleasant to hear and has a negative impact.

If every couple who argued in the factory got divorced, that would be problematic.

However, Lin Xia remained firm.

She needed a divorce, regardless of the cost.

“Leaders, the job belongs to the Qian family. I’ll return it to them. From now on, we’re even.”

Seeing her insistence, the factory leaders did not force her to reconcile with Qian Lisheng.

Jiang Weidong said, “Lin Xia, the job position is an organizational arrangement, not a personal matter. The job position is not private property.”

With Lin Xia being such a dedicated and excellent worker, which factory wouldn’t want her?

It was impossible to let her leave.

If she had no skills, it would be easy to let her go, but with her skills, she couldn’t be released.

Qian Lisheng was anxious.

Did he want to let his mother’s job be taken without compensation?

But Lin Xia insisted on returning it.

Even if she had to go back to the countryside, it didn’t matter.

She wanted to start over and live a straightforward life without owing anyone anything.

Jiang Weidong, after a brief discussion with the factory secretary and the factory office director, felt it was feasible to let Lin Xia return the job to Qian’s mother, though she could only take the most basic position.

As for Lin Xia, she was a key member of the electrical group.

Even if she didn’t have a job, the factory had to offer her a position.

So Lin Xia wouldn’t need to worry about a job.

Qian’s mother, being older, would eventually retire.

The position would naturally be filled by someone within the factory.

Selling it to outsiders wouldn’t work.

Since Qian’s two sons and daughter-in-law already had jobs and no one was available to take over, Qian’s mother would at most work for another two years, receiving a salary of about twenty yuan a month.

The factory secretary thought this was a good solution.

The factory office director, seeing their agreement, had no objections.

Several people had discussed their plan and were about to go outside to announce it to Qian Lisheng and Lin Xia when they heard Qian’s mother shouting loudly from outside.

She had come by bike, furious, and was yelling outside the office, “Lin Xia, how has our Qian family wronged you? How could you destroy us like this? Huh? I gave you a job, let you earn money to support your family, and I didn’t say a word about it. For all these years, you haven’t given us any grandchildren, and I never said anything. I provided you with good food and took care of you, cooking and doing laundry. How have I not earned a single good word from you? I can raise a dog, and it will wag its tail at me. Why can’t I get any appreciation from you?”

Originally, when Lin Xia mentioned that she felt oppressed and uncomfortable, some people thought she was being pretentious and couldn’t empathize.

Now, with Qian’s mother’s words, some people’s expressions changed instantly.

Tong’s mother also came, fanning the flames: “It’s nothing special. Spoiling her like this, a country girl comes to the city, doesn’t appreciate her mother-in-law’s goodness, and still wants to ride on her mother-in-law’s head and defecate?”

She resented Lu Shaotang for hitting her son, mocked Lin Xia and Qian Lisheng for not having children, and was naturally jealous of Lin Xia’s promotion and salary increase.

Seeing Qian’s family in trouble was something she enjoyed.

If Qian Lisheng divorced, the Qian family would lose face.

And Qian’s mother would be even worse off.

Qian’s mother couldn’t boast about her daughter-in-law’s capabilities or earnings, could she?

These two old women’s back-and-forth was essentially providing evidence for Lin Xia.

The factory secretary, director, and women’s director all had dark expressions.

The factory office director instructed them to shut up and had the security team block them from causing a scene in the office.

Qian’s mother felt wronged.

She thought Lin Xia was too ungrateful and disrespectful.

She had been so good to Lin Xia, and yet Lin Xia was destroying her reputation like this.

By telling the leaders that the Qian family was bad and causing trouble, it seemed like she was mistreating her daughter-in-law.

She was determined to take advantage of the situation to suppress her daughter-in-law.

If Lin Xia was allowed to keep making scenes and demanding divorce, who could endure it?

She stood at the office door, stamping her feet and shouting, “Lin Xia, you bribe doctors and fabricate stories. I haven’t exposed you, and yet you dare to ask for a divorce in front of everyone, tarnishing the reputation of the man and the mother-in-law. Is there such a daughter-in-law in the world?”

Old Lady Jiang was still there.

She pushed open the door and went out to confront Qian’s mother, “What are you talking about? Stop making a scene and embarrassing yourself.”

Qian’s mother: “What am I saying? Ask her. She pretended to go to the hospital for surgery and bribed the doctors. She said…”

“She got better and could have a baby, but what happened? Nothing! Fake excuses!”

She turned to the factory secretary and said, “Secretary, tell me, can someone who is dishonest like this be allowed to be a group leader? Can she get a salary increase or continue working at the factory? I want that job back; don’t let my good reputation be tarnished!”

She was adamant.

She could both offer Lin Xia a job and take it away.

She wanted Lin Xia to rely entirely on the Qian family, to be forced into a submissive position at home, and to make Lin Xia regret and reflect on her actions by making her live as a maid for several years.

Qian Lisheng watched from the side, implicitly agreeing with his mother’s actions.

He too felt that Lin Xia didn’t deserve to have a job.

Without one, she would have to obediently listen to him, not dare to resist, and would be too afraid to bring up divorce.

Without a job, she would depend on him for support, providing money to his rural parents, and she wouldn’t dare to casually talk about divorce.

If he showed even a hint of dissatisfaction, she would fear that he might leave her.

Qian’s mother was making a fuss to reclaim the job and refused to agree to a divorce.

She wanted to humiliate Lin Xia thoroughly, making her bow her head in apology and reflect properly.

“If we’re divorcing, return the bride price, and also pay back for everything you’ve consumed from our family—food, drink, and money spent.”

Not only was Old Lady Jiang angry, but even the women’s director was shocked.

“What are you talking about? Lin Xia has been your daughter-in-law for these years. Hasn’t she done laundry, cooking, and housework for you? Hasn’t she worked hard to earn money to support the family? Isn’t her salary also given to you? How can you speak so unreasonably?”

Old Lady Jiang said, “If we’re talking like this, then you need to calculate the cost of hiring a maid for these years. A maid costs around thirty yuan a month, while you only pay twenty. And if you’ve had Lin Xia help you at work, shouldn’t you also be paying her? What kind of society is this? Are you hiring people? Isn’t this like a capitalist?”

Tong’s mother said, “If she weren’t so insistent on the divorce, would you be this angry? Hurry up, apologize to your mother-in-law and make amends. Just go back and live a good life.”

Lin Xia remained firm on the divorce.

Qian Lisheng said, “Lin Xia, stop dragging this out!”

Lin Xia responded, “Yes, your mother is right. I can’t have children and I can’t delay your life!”

At this moment, she only wanted the divorce, even at the cost of self-deprecation.

Before, there was no open conflict; her mother-in-law appeared kind, and Qian Lisheng was always smiling.

They seemed like good people. Now, with the masks torn off, their malice was uncontrollable.

It was terrifying.

Lin Xia was resolute in not continuing to live with him.

It was said that a clean break was best, but the Qian family clearly treated her as an enemy.

The shouting about fabricating stories started again. “Now you’re feeling guilty and confessing?”

Fu Xiumei and her group joined in from outside, adding fuel to the fire.

With her shouting, her faction also joined in the commotion.

If it weren’t for Old Lady Jiang’s protection, and if Lin Xia hadn’t had some backing from the factory leaders, suggesting a divorce would have led to Qian’s mother and her old women allies drowning her in spit and curses.

“Today, you either go back and live a good life or leave for the countryside and never come back to the city!”

Qian’s mother was fierce, glaring and threatening.

As long as Lin Xia wasn’t Qian’s daughter-in-law, she shouldn’t expect to stay at the steel rolling factory!

Qian’s mother’s actions infuriated Jiang Weidong.

He felt it was necessary to warn Qian Lisheng.

He wanted Qian Lisheng to take the initiative to set Lin Xia free.

But Old Lady Jiang was quicker.

She clapped her hands, turned in circles, and shouted, “Look at this! You city folks think you’re so cultured and look down on us country people. Look at you now, acting like a bully!”

Qian Lisheng: “Factory Director Jiang!”

Old Lady Jiang pulled a long face and shouted loudly, “Enough of this nonsense. Qian Lisheng, you think you’re so clever, working with doctors to fabricate stories? Those doctors are university graduates. Are they worse than you?”