Gu Wanxing turned around and saw that it was her coworker from the same workshop, a woman named Zhang Xiumei, who was also a young wife from the back street of the village.
The two of them had a good relationship and often commuted to and from work together.
In her previous life, Zhang Xiumei had apparently ended up divorced too, though she didn't know the specific reason. After the factory shut down, they'd lost touch.
But on this day in her previous life, she had borrowed ten yuan and taken Zhao Chao to the hospital. Just as the child was getting her injection, Zhang Xiumei had come rushing over on her bicycle.
She'd been holding fifty yuan, saying that since she'd had the day off and gone back to her parents' home, she'd only returned that afternoon and heard from her mother-in-law that Gu Wanxing had come looking for her.
She was a good person. No matter how gossipy she was at the factory, at the very least, she had helped her before.
"I'm fine. You're back?"
Gu Wanxing forced a bitter smile.
Because her face was pale, that smile made her look like a resilient little wildflower in the wind and rain, drawing sympathetic looks from the many aunties and older women at the doorway.
Zhang Xiumei had also heard from her mother-in-law that Wanxing had come looking for her, probably to borrow money. She didn't have much in savings, but she could still help save a child.
So she'd tucked the money in her pocket and come over.
It was only at this moment that Gu Wanxing realized that in her previous life, Zhang Xiumei had also come to her house first.
She'd only rushed to the hospital on her bicycle after hearing from Liu Xifeng that the mother and daughter had gone there.
Zhang Xiumei squeezed into the courtyard and pulled her over to the corner by the wall.
"I heard what happened outside just now. What are you planning to do?"
Seeing the genuine worry on her face, Gu Wanxing didn't hide anything: "I want a divorce."
Zhang Xiumei glanced discreetly at the door of the north room, then turned around to block the prying eyes from the entrance.
"Wanxing, whatever decision you make, I support you. Take this for now. If it's not enough, I'll figure something else out. Since the child is already back from the hospital, keep it for other things. I'm in no rush to use it."
Gu Wanxing looked at the fifty yuan she'd pressed into her hand, still warm to the touch, and her heart seemed to warm a little in that moment.
"I don't need it right now. You take it back. It's not convenient to talk today—let's catch up another time. You should head home first. Aren't you on the night shift tonight?"
Just as she finished speaking, Zhao Chengfang's upper body poked out from the north room door: "Sister-in-law—hurry up, my brother's calling you."
"Xiumei, thank you."
Gu Wanxing pressed the money back into Zhang Xiumei's hands and thanked her sincerely.
"Hurry up!"
Zhao Chengfang grew impatient at their back-and-forth and urged them on repeatedly.
Gu Wanxing shot Zhang Xiumei one more grateful look before heading inside.
"Wanxing, don't be scared. If anything happens, just call for me. I'll take the night off tonight."
Watching that frail figure retreat, Zhang Xiumei felt a pang of pity. Her natal family was like that—no one to back her up. If her in-laws bullied her, she'd have to endure it alone.
Little did Gu Wanxing know that her good sister was feeling sorry for her. At this moment, she only found it utterly ridiculous.
When she came in, she heard Zhao Chengyan pleading on behalf of Gu Yuerou.
And the reason Zhao Chengfang had called her in was because Zhao Chengyan wanted her to put in a good word for Gu Yuerou—to say that Chaochao was fine and no compensation was needed at all.
"Mom, let it go. Chaochao's fine, there's no need to demand anything. Wanxing, don't you agree? You're fine too. Let's just drop the whole matter."
Zhao Chengyan's handsome face was currently wearing a fawning smile.
Gu Wanxing only felt like vomiting.
"Why should we drop it? My daughter almost drowned! Zhao Chengyan! Do you even have a heart? She's your biological daughter too. This can't just be brushed aside."
"That's right, why should we let it go? You get out of the way, don't cause trouble here."
Liu Xifeng nodded in agreement, shoving her son aside as she spoke.
Seeing the situation turning against her, Gu Yuerou began plotting her escape, lowering her head and sobbing:
"A-Yan, Xudong is still young. He definitely didn't mean it. He knows he was wrong."
Zhao Chengyan met Gu Yuerou's swollen, tearful eyes, and his heart bled for her.
"Enough! Chaochao's fine now, and Xudong knows he was wrong. He's just a child. What more do you want? Are you going to push Xudong into the water too?"
The moment he finished speaking, Qian Xudong, who had just stopped wailing, immediately burst into frightened tears, terrified that they might actually throw him into the river.
"Xudong, Xudong, don't be scared, don't be scared. Uncle Zhao will protect you."
Gu Yuerou hugged her son and cried even harder.
With that delicate, pitiful act, anyone who didn't know better would think she'd just lost her father.
"Stop crying. Anyone listening would think your child was the one who fell in the river and drowned." Gu Wanxing leaned against the doorframe with a cold laugh.
Liu Xifeng had almost been talked out of it by her son, but upon hearing this, she perked right back up like she'd been injected with adrenaline.
"You little slut, what are you crying for? Who are you trying to jinx?"
"Exactly. Pan Jinlian crying over Wu Dalang—a sweet face hiding a venomous heart."
Zhao Chengfang couldn't help but add her own jab.
"You shut up." Zhao Chengyan didn't dare scold his mother, but he could certainly reprimand his sister.
He glared at his sister with cold, fierce eyes, then turned around and immediately changed his expression, coaxing in a gentle voice, "Yuerou, stop crying. Why don't you head back first?"
"A-Yan, I…"
But the money hadn't been obtained yet. Gu Yuerou had calculated everything clearly in her mind, and letting go now was simply not worth it.
Gu Wanxing could tell from her hesitant expression that she was still thinking about Zhao Chengyan's savings book, and couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh: "You're not still hoping my man will lend you money, are you?"
"Gu Wanxing—what nonsense are you talking about?"
"What nonsense am I talking? Zhao Chengyan, if you keep this up, we're getting a divorce."
Hearing this, Zhao Chengyan glared at Gu Wanxing furiously, his teeth grinding audibly, unable to understand how she, who had always been so docile, could bring up divorce.
He tried to read something from her face, but all he saw was a resolute gaze, as if she truly meant to divorce him.
He also noticed that Gu Wanxing had changed—she wasn't like this before.
"You want to divorce me?"
"Yes." Gu Wanxing met his gaze directly, her eyes filled with determination.
Facing Gu Wanxing like this, Zhao Chengyan felt a moment of panic in his heart, and his tone softened considerably: "What's between me and Yuerou isn't what you think."
Gu Wanxing said coldly, "How can cold water steep green tea? If you weren't hot, would she have come to steep herself?"
Zhao Chengyan didn't understand, but Gu Wanxing hadn't expected that the first to catch on would actually be Liu Xifeng.
"Exactly. Flies don't land on eggs without cracks. If you wipe your own mess clean, can she still land on you?"
"And you," she turned to Gu Yuerou, "pay up right now. Two hundred yuan. Leave the kid here and go home to get the money, or I'll throw this little beast into the river."
Gu Wanxing kindly reminded her, "Mom, we should report this to the police. If the son does wrong, the father shares the blame. If the child wasn't taught properly, his father is also responsible. Let the police go find his father for the crime."
Liu Xifeng looked at Gu Wanxing with suspicion, feeling that today she was actually quite to her liking.
She used to be someone you couldn't get a word out of no matter how hard you kicked. Today she was quite talkative.
"That's right, call 110!"
Zhao Chengfang came out of the bedroom, shooting Gu Yuerou a sharp glare as she spoke.
Gu Yuerou began to panic:
"No, you can't."