Lin Shu and her sister-in-law came together this time, without bringing the two children along.

Lin Shu had always felt that there was something off about her brother-in-law and was afraid he might be influenced by Qian’s mother to bully her second sister.

When she called yesterday afternoon, she sensed something was wrong from her sister’s tone, and Lin Shu couldn’t sit still.

Since there wasn’t much work for the agricultural machinery team in winter, her sister-in-law Lu Da accompanied her to check on things.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the steel rolling mill, the gatekeeper called out to Lin Shu.

The old man asked about the children and their father, and then asked if Lin Shu was there to support her second sister in the divorce.

Lin Shu was smiling at first, but her expression instantly turned serious when she heard about her sister’s divorce.

She felt deeply worried for her second sister.

Don’t be fooled by her second sister’s strong and assertive personality; she mainly held herself to strict standards.

When others thought she was “marrying up” by being with Qian Lisheng, she worked hard, diligently earning money.

When Qian’s mother complained that giving her a job was a loss, she worked even harder to earn more wages to hand over to her mother-in-law.

Her second sister was someone who valued relationships deeply.

If someone provoked her, she would confront them directly, solve the problem face-to-face, never resort to petty tricks behind their back, and certainly never hold a grudge.

She had always been so grateful to her mother-in-law and to Qian Lisheng.

If she wasn’t pushed to a point where she had no other option, how could she possibly choose to divorce?

Although Lin Shu didn’t know the details of the divorce, she would support her second sister unconditionally.

The gatekeeper wanted to gossip more, but Lin Shu wasn’t interested.

She brushed him off with a few polite words and quickly pulled her sister-in-law along, not pausing for a moment.

When they arrived at the residential area, they ran into Tong Ailian.

Seeing Lin Shu and her sister-in-law, Tong Ailian immediately began gossiping.

Lin Shu cut her off immediately, “Where is my second sister staying now?”

If her second sister had divorced, she certainly wouldn’t be living in her old place.

She had no time for idle chatter or to listen to others’ nonsense; she needed to see her sister as soon as possible.

Tong Ailian seemed choked up, ready to spill the gossip but was shut down by Lin Shu.

She swallowed hard before saying, “She’s probably at the canteen having lunch.”

She then led the two of them to find Lin Xia.

Lin Xia had already finished her meal and returned to her workspace; she didn’t want to be surrounded by people in the canteen, gossiping about her situation.

These people claimed to be mediating the conflict, but all they talked about was how “Comrade Qian is such a good person,” and how “a wife should be more tolerant of her husband,” and “Comrade Qian doesn’t drink, gamble, or hit his wife, so what more could you want?”

Unexpectedly, upon returning to her workspace, she was confronted by Fu Xuemei, who blocked her at the door.

Xuemei put on a sincere and concerned expression. “I’m telling you, Comrade Lin, one should never forget their roots or be too selfish. Back then…”

Someone tried to criticize Lin Xia, saying, “So many people wanted to marry Qian Shifu (Master Qian), but he chose you! Instead of being grateful, you’re making a big deal out of small problems?”

Lin Xia didn’t want to argue with her and was about to push her away when she heard her third sister’s soft, sweet voice from outside.

This time, though, her voice carried a strong, determined tone.

“Who are you? Are you a matchmaker or someone who hands out ‘good person’ cards? If Qian Shifu is so great, why didn’t you marry him? Did he reject you? And now you’re sucking up to him and defending him? Is he really that great, or are you just that cheap?”

Lin Shu’s voice wasn’t loud, but her words were clear, her sweet tone rising and falling rhythmically, making it sound like she was reciting poetry even while arguing.

Even someone as experienced as Xu Mu (the mother of Xu) was left speechless by Lin Shu, let alone someone like Fu Xiumei, who was more of a tomboy.

Fu Xiumei was used to being blunt and outspoken, saying whatever came to mind without caring if others liked it.

She even earned a reputation for being straightforward. But she had never encountered someone like Lin Shu, who was so quick-witted.

Just as she was about to snap back, Lin Shu continued, “Who says a wife has to tolerate her husband? If a man slapped you on the street, you wouldn’t stand for it, so why should you put up with it just because he’s your husband?

“Is a man considered ‘good’ just because he doesn’t gamble, drink, or hit his wife? What if he insulted you ten times a day, calling you ugly, manly, saying your mustache is thicker than his, your Adam’s apple is bigger, your chest is flatter, and your feet smell worse—would he still be a good man?

“Back then, lots of people wanted to marry him, right? Including you, maybe? So why didn’t he choose you? Why did he choose my second sister? Clearly, he has high standards—he didn’t like your looks, your personality, or anything about you, so he aimed for my second sister, who’s beautiful and talented in every way! He was the one aiming high, so why act like he’s some kind of prince choosing a bride?

“You don’t like it? My second sister worked hard to improve herself. She passed the third-level electrician exam, something many men couldn’t do. She’s more outstanding than most men, so isn’t it Qian Lisheng who was the one reaching above his level?

“Who’s making a big deal out of nothing? It’s you people who can’t stand that my sister is more talented and beautiful than you. You’re jealous of her, and now that she’s getting divorced, you’re all ganging up to try to step on her.

“She’s just divorcing a man who doesn’t deserve to be her husband! What’s the problem? In your eyes, does getting divorced make her a criminal? Did it ruin her looks? Did she get shorter? Did she suddenly become dumb and unfit to be an electrician? What made you think that her divorce suddenly puts you on her level, that you can now compare yourselves to her, as if you’re better or more noble?

“Or are you, this useless gossip, the one who thinks you’re more virtuous, more obedient to men, and therefore better suited to be Qian Lisheng’s lapdog?”

“You lick Qian Lisheng’s feet and buttocks; how much benefit did he give you to have the audacity to harm a woman so much more outstanding than you?”

“You…”

Fu Xuemei’s face turned from red to white, then green to black after being insulted like that.

She was stunned, unable to find a single word to respond.

Usually, she was straightforward and brash, never holding back when she spoke, but now, she was completely at a loss for words in front of Lin Shu.

Unable to outargue Lin Shu, she got so angry that she swung her fist to strike, but Sister-in-law Lu Da grabbed her by the hair with one hand and held her chin with the other.

Sister-in-law Lu Da, who was taller than her by a head, easily pinned her down, twisting her in one move and subduing her.

“Someone from outside has come to the steel mill to cause trouble and bully others!” Xuemei, who usually acted like one of the guys and made fun of other women for being either too flirty or too fierce, was now humiliated by Lin Shu and subdued in a single move by Sister-in-law Lu Da.

She began to show weakness and called out for help!

Tong Ailian and Lin Xia were stunned by what they were witnessing.

Tong Ailian was genuinely scared of Lin Shu!

Oh my God!

That woman’s mouth—it wasn’t just a mouth; it was a lethal weapon!

Sister-in-law Lu Da shoved Xuemei away.

Xuemei, her nostrils flaring with anger, turned to run but accidentally hit the door frame with a loud “bang” and fell flat on her face.

She quickly got up and ran away.

Tong Ailian quickly thought back and realized that she too had spoken up for Qian Lisheng.

She had also been one of the people urging Lin Xia to reconcile with him.

Frightened, she chased after Xuemei.

Lin Shu stepped forward and hugged Lin Xia, tears streaming down her face with pity. “Second sister, you’ve been wronged! That dog of a man, Qian Lisheng, bullied you!”

Lin Xia, seeing her third sister, who had been scolding people just a second ago and was now softly crying, quickly wiped her tears away.

The grievances she felt from the factory workers’ misunderstanding and constant needling about her divorce melted away.

While wiping Lin Shu’s tears, she smiled and said, “I wasn’t wronged at all. Didn’t I cut my losses in time and kick him to the curb?”

Lin Shu broke into a smile through her tears. “Second sister, congratulations on your new beginning!”

Even though, even three or four decades later, women might still face criticism for divorcing, freeing oneself from a suffocating life and pursuing a new beginning is more important than others’ opinions and gossip.

She hoped her second sister would live for herself.

Sister-in-law Lu Da was still replaying Lin Shu’s words in her mind, regretting that she couldn’t remember them all! What a pity!

She wished she could go back and share them with her in-laws and the men.

“Lin Xia, you’re really amazing, being both an electrician and a team leader!”

Lin Xia said, “Sister-in-law, you’re really amazing! You can drive a tractor and work in the fields!”

The two of them started praising each other back and forth.

Lin Shu interrupted their exchange and asked her second sister what was really going on.

Although others said that Lin Xia was tough and outspoken, she wasn’t one to hold grudges.

All she wanted was to get a divorce, and now that she was divorced, there was no need to badmouth her ex-husband’s family.

After all, she did benefit from marrying Qian Lisheng.

If she hadn’t married him, she wouldn’t have had the chance to improve herself and become an electrician.

She explained that Qian Lisheng couldn’t accept her improvement, and the gap between them kept growing.

She briefly mentioned the issue with the medical report, emphasizing how Grandma Jiang spoke up and Qian Lisheng immediately admitted in a defensive tone that he was infertile, which made some people think Grandma Jiang was just trying to protect Lin Xia.

But Lin Xia didn’t care about that at all. She was already cured and didn’t fear people accusing her of faking it.

She was divorced from Qian Lisheng, so whether he could have children or not was none of her concern.

Lin Shu understood the situation clearly: Qian Lisheng wasn’t suddenly becoming petty; he had always been like that.

He just hid it well before because he was superior to Lin Xia in every way.

Now that he couldn’t have children and Lin Xia was healthier and more capable than him, his sense of superiority was gone, leaving him unbalanced.

That was much scarier than infertility!

Lin Shu gave her a thumbs up, agreeing that divorcing him was the right choice!

Lin Xia, worried that they might be hungry, decided to take them to the cafeteria first and then to the guesthouse to get a room.

Her heavy heart felt lighter as soon as her sisters arrived.