Lin Jingwen glanced at the clock by the bed. It was five‑thirty in the afternoon. She had been unconscious all afternoon, and not a single person had checked on her. She wasn’t surprised anymore, nor did she feel hurt or angry. Getting angry at that family of scoundrels was only punishing herself, harming her own body.
In her dream, the doctor had told her that it was precisely because she bottled up her resentment and fought against herself every day that her risk of breast cancer had increased.
She had to divorce—leave immediately. Staying here even a moment longer felt like courting illness.
She touched her forehead; it seemed a little warm, but she didn’t feel much pain or discomfort. Nothing serious, no need for medicine.
She regretted not having awakened earlier through that nightmare, but was also grateful: she was thirty‑four, not forty‑four or fifty‑four. She still had a healthy body.
Opening the wardrobe, she pulled out a large green military duffel bag and began packing her things.
Just then, the door banged open. Zhang Lanxiang stormed in, pointing at her and shouting: “You’re awake? Then hurry up and cook! Do you even know what time it is? If you don’t cook, are you trying to starve us? Not only can’t you bear children, but you’re also selfish, without a shred of filial piety—truly rotten!”
“I’m rotten? You old hag are the rotten one! All you do is curse your daughter‑in‑law! Do you know what people say behind your back? They call you a decrepit old witch, the most notorious evil mother‑in‑law in the whole neighborhood!”
This time Lin Jingwen didn’t hold back. She let out all the words she had swallowed for years.
“You’re crazy! How dare you insult me!” Zhang Lanxiang’s eyes bulged with rage. She raised her hand to strike.
But Lin Jingwen seized her wrist, twisted hard, and Zhang Lanxiang cried out in pain.
“Yes! Your son has already driven me mad. If you dare hit me again, I swear I’ll hit you ten times over!”
Lin Jingwen shoved her back forcefully, her disgust evident.
In truth, Lin Jingwen had no intention of risking jail time over this old woman. If she really injured her, wouldn’t that make her rebirth and second chance meaningless?
So she would never actually strike Zhang Lanxiang, nor risk being falsely accused and trapped here.
“You… you…” Zhang Lanxiang pointed at her, so enraged she could barely speak.
“I want a divorce!” Lin Jingwen declared again.
“What? You want a divorce?! Just over some silly housing dispute? If word gets out, people will laugh you to death! Are you insane? After divorce, where would you go? You’ll be left to starve!”
This time, Zhang Lanxiang laughed in fury, convinced that saying the word “divorce” was absurd, proof that Lin Jingwen had lost her mind.
In those days, divorce was unheard of. A woman wasn’t supposed to even think of it. Unless a man cast her aside, she was expected to die in her husband’s household.
Having spoken her resolve, Lin Jingwen treated Zhang Lanxiang’s ranting as nothing but hot air, not worth a response.
With a stubborn and malicious old woman like her, reason was useless—she couldn’t understand human words.
Lin Jingwen bent her head and kept packing, stuffing whatever she could into the bag.
As she did, she realized that after eight years in this house, her belongings were pitifully few. Clothes for all seasons, shoes, and daily necessities together barely filled one bag.
Finally, Lin Jingwen wrapped her quilt in a bedsheet, slung it over her back, picked up the bag, and without a word shoved past her mother‑in‑law Zhang Lanxiang—who was standing at the door watching the drama—and walked out.
“Hey! Are you blind?!” Zhang Lanxiang staggered as the luggage bumped into her, nearly falling backward, and immediately flew into a rage.
Pointing at Lin Jingwen as she reached the doorway, Zhang Lanxiang shouted: “Who goes back to her parents’ home carrying bedding? Put it down! Our Li family can’t afford to lose face like this!”
*Bang!*
Her only reply was the loud slam of the door.
The shock made Zhang Lanxiang’s whole body jolt. She glared at the door, panting furiously.
“Hey, Mom, the third daughter‑in‑law went back to her parents’ place, huh? Such a temper! I bet she’ll stay half a month before coming back,” said eldest sister‑in‑law Huang Juan, gloating as she came out to watch.
“Should we chase after her? Letting the third daughter‑in‑law leave with bedding looks bad,” added second sister‑in‑law Gao Qin, frowning.
“Chase her? For what? She’s been acting up over this housing issue, thinking she got the allocation because she served Director Yang’s mother. But in the end, it was all thanks to Anping’s face! Anping said the house would go to Xinping, and just over that, she runs back to her parents. She even said she wants a divorce—what a joke!”
Zhang Lanxiang finished sourly, then declared firmly: “Just wait. Within three days, she’ll crawl back. You all know she’s spineless—she can’t live without Anping for a moment.”
Huang Juan and Gao Qin exchanged a look, their faces full of disdain. They had never seen anyone more obedient than the third sister‑in‑law. Unlike them—when life felt unfair, they would at least quarrel with their husbands. But Lin Jingwen had never done that. So her sudden outburst shocked them.
“The third sister‑in‑law actually said the word ‘divorce.’ That’s outrageous!”
“Exactly! She must have lost her head from anger. The third brother hasn’t even mentioned divorcing her, yet she’s the one shouting it.”
“Enough—go cook. With the third sister‑in‑law gone, you two will handle meals these days!” Zhang Lanxiang barked at her daughters‑in‑law.
At that, Huang Juan and Gao Qin’s faces fell. They instantly regretted not stopping Lin Jingwen earlier. When she was around, they didn’t have to cook, wash clothes, scrub pots, or clean dishes.
Lin Jingwen carried her bag and bedding out the door and strapped them to the back seat of her bicycle.
This bicycle was something she had bought herself second‑hand, to ride to and from work. It was one of the few valuable possessions she truly owned.
On the road, whenever neighbors asked what she was doing, Lin Jingwen answered plainly: “I’m getting a divorce. I’m moving out on my own.”
The neighbors: “!!!”
What?! Divorce?!
Lin Jingwen actually said she wanted a divorce!
That news was explosive.
But when people pressed her for details, she only said she was in a hurry and had no time to chat, then pedaled away on her bicycle.
The neighbors: …
“Hey, wait, don’t go! Tell us more!”
Stuffed with unanswered questions, the neighbors went straight to the Li household to ask what was going on.
When they heard Lin Jingwen had been telling everyone she wanted a divorce, Zhang Lanxiang was furious. She cursed Lin Jingwen a hundred times in her heart, then snapped impatiently at the neighbors: “She’s just quarreling with Anping, nothing serious. In a couple of days, she’ll come back on her own! Divorce is such a big thing—how could it be real?”
After sending off wave after wave of curious onlookers, Zhang Lanxiang fumed: “Just wait till she comes back—I’ll make sure to teach her a lesson!”
Meanwhile, Lin Jingwen went to the state‑owned restaurant where she worked and explained her situation to Manager Fang. She wanted to apply to temporarily live in the staff dormitory.
“Oh, so you’re just using divorce to pressure your husband? But the dorms are already full—there’s no space,” Manager Fang replied. He filtered out her words entirely, not believing she truly meant divorce. To him, she was just looking for a place to hide for a few days.
Manager Fang filtered out her words entirely, not believing she truly meant divorce. He assumed she was just looking to hide for a few days.
Hearing there was no place to stay, Lin Jingwen felt disappointed and said, “I really do want a divorce, I’m not just trying to manipulate that scumbag.”
Manager Fang curled his lip, still unconvinced.
Seeing that he couldn’t understand, Lin Jingwen stopped explaining.
It was 1984—divorce was rare. Even women beaten nearly to death by their husbands were told to endure, to believe the man would change, rather than being advised to leave. And Li Anping didn’t hit or curse her. He was a university lecturer. She herself couldn’t bear children, and the fact that he hadn’t divorced her was seen as her “good fortune,” proof she had a good man and a good life. So whenever she told people she wanted a divorce, no one believed her.
“If you’re only staying a few days, you could consider the restaurant’s warehouse. But in the dead of winter, it’s too cold,” Manager Fang said, glancing at the bedding strapped to her bicycle. “Those two quilts you brought won’t be enough.”
Lin Jingwen hesitated, then shook her head. She had just received her wages two days ago. With what she had saved, she had about a hundred yuan. That was enough to rent a place.
An apartment with heating cost about fifteen yuan a month; a simple house without heating could be less than ten.
Now she no longer had to support Li Dongle, nor spend money on her husband or in‑laws. Her monthly salary was sixty‑five yuan—she could easily afford rent.
Her hesitation came only from habit: years of thrift and self‑sacrifice.
If not for the awakening brought by her dream, if she had only left home in anger over the housing issue, she surely would have chosen to stay in the cold warehouse—just to save a few yuan. But now she chose to spend money to rent a place, and specifically one with heating, to treat herself better.
At that moment, Lin Jingwen truly felt the joy of leaving the scumbag husband and no longer having to raise his child—it was wonderful!
Her wages were finally her own, to spend entirely on herself.
It was mealtime, the busiest hour at the restaurant. Manager Fang, after exchanging a few words with her, told her to go help in the kitchen cutting vegetables.
“Manager Fang, I’m off duty today. I need to go find a place to live, otherwise I’ll have nowhere to sleep tonight. So I won’t be helping in the kitchen.”
Lin Jingwen gave him an apologetic smile, but her tone was firm in refusal. She no longer wanted to be the “good person.” From now on, if the work weren’t hers, she wouldn’t do it. Helping in the kitchen now would exhaust her, and she wouldn’t earn a penny more. The only possible benefit was a bit of leftover food.
Manager Fang stared at her in disbelief, shocked that she would actually refuse.
The old Lin Jingwen would never have refused. She would only nod and say, “Yes, yes, I’ll go right away,” the most obedient worker, enduring everything like an old ox.
“Manager Fang, I’ll be going now.” Lin Jingwen pushed her bicycle and walked away.
Manager Fang watched her back disappear into the cold wind, feeling unsettled.