Gu Hong said hatefully, “What exactly do you want?”
Shu Juan said, “Until I find a place to stay, my child and I will continue living here. Once I’ve settled into a new place, I’ll sign the divorce.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Hong immediately said, “Finding a place is easy—I’ll have an agent find one for you tomorrow!”
Shu Juan looked at him and said, “But I have no money right now. If you could cover a year’s rent for me, that would work.”
Zhou Hui nearly jumped out of her skin at that, shrieking, “What? A year’s rent? Rent these days costs tens of thousands a year—why don’t you just go rob a bank!”
Gu Hong ground his molars and said, “You actually dare to think I’d pay rent for that bastard child of yours!”
Shu Juan said calmly, “Then let’s just wait until I get through this rough patch before we talk about it.”
After weighing his options, Gu Hong pointed at the child in Shu Juan’s arms and said, “Fine then—after the divorce, you take that bastard and leave with nothing. The house and the car aren’t yours, and don’t expect a single cent of compensation from me!”
This time Shu Juan relented and agreed. She had no energy left to haggle. “Fine.”
After walking through the gates of life and death, she had come to understand many things.
In her current situation, she couldn’t fight anything. All she could do was let herself go.
Gu Hong, with a businesslike and self-righteous air, added, “But you still have to fulfill your responsibilities. You have to pay child support for Qianqian until he comes of age.”
Shu Juan turned to look at Gu Qianqian behind her.
Gu Qianqian, with righteous indignation, huddled beside his grandfather, glaring at her.
Shu Juan thought to herself that child support was her duty—it would be her final obligation and her last bit of affection for him.
Zhou Hui seized the opportunity to press her advantage. “Qianqian is only in kindergarten now, but in the future, his schooling and living expenses will add up to a lot! You need to pay at least twenty thousand a month! Not a cent less!”
Shu Juan didn’t bargain and agreed.
Zhou Hui immediately regretted asking for too little, so she added, “And in the future, when Qianqian goes to college, or studies abroad, or gets married and buys a house—you can’t just wash your hands of it as his mother! Whatever Qianqian needs, you have to pay your share!”
Shu Juan said, “Then let’s talk about it when he actually gets into college, actually goes abroad, and actually manages to get married.”
Zhou Hui’s face darkened at that. “What do you mean by that! What kind of vicious mother curses her own son like that!”
Gu Hong, afraid Shu Juan might change her mind, drafted the divorce agreement that very night.
Having Shu Juan leave with nothing and pay child support for Gu Qianqian was already a sweet deal for Gu Hong.
Twenty thousand a month in child support would not only cover Gu Qianqian’s schooling and living expenses—it would support the whole family’s livelihood.
As Gu Hong wrote the agreement, Gu Jianguo stood by watching over his shoulder, afraid Gu Hong might suffer even the slightest loss.
Zhou Hui hadn’t had much schooling, so she didn’t meddle in that part, but she wasn’t about to let a single shred of benefit slip by. She cast a sidelong glance at Shu Juan and said, “And another thing—you say you have no money, but is that really true?
“I’m telling you, if there’s any money left in your bank accounts, that’s marital property belonging to both you and Hongzi, and it has to be split with him!”
Gu Hong looked up at Shu Juan upon hearing this, and after a moment said, “To be fair, as far as I’m concerned you’re leaving with nothing, but if you still have money in your hands, that’s ours together. I still have Qianqian to raise—you can’t keep it all to yourself. Show me all your bank information so I can verify.”
Shu Juan couldn’t help but laugh—a pale, bitterly ironic smile.
This family, before throwing her out the door, had to make sure they stripped her completely clean.
But that was fine. Shu Juan pulled up her bank information one by one on her phone—all of them equally empty. If anything remained, it was just a few yuan or a dozen or so.
After Gu Hong confirmed everything, he was finally satisfied.
Once the divorce agreement was written, he handed it to her to sign.
Shu Juan glanced at it and signed her name.
Zhou Hui said with her nose in the air, “Once that divorce agreement is signed, you’re no longer a member of this household. As an outsider, you’ll have to pay rent and living expenses—otherwise, don’t expect to drink a single drop of water or eat a single grain of rice in this house!”