“Let’s get a divorce!”
Song Shulin’s voice trembled as he uttered these three words.
He had actually been reborn.
If he wasn’t mistaken, his wife must have been reborn too.
In their previous life, his wife and children had suffered endless grievances because of him. In this life, he would never let them endure even the slightest bit of hardship again.
“Third Brother, what nonsense are you spouting?” Song Erlin was the first to step forward and criticize Song Shulin.
Suppressing the anger in his heart, Song Shulin spoke calmly:
“What nonsense am I spouting? Didn’t Eldest Brother tell me to keep my wife in line? Since this woman dares to disrespect Eldest Brother, why should I keep her? Better to divorce her sooner rather than later.”
That way, she wouldn’t have to suffer being treated like a beast of burden in the Song family.
Seeing the look of restrained pain in Song Shulin’s eyes as he glanced at her, Shen Xiuzhen guessed that her husband had also been reborn.
She tugged at the corner of her mouth, revealing a bitter smile.
Since fate had given them both a chance to live another life, they would make sure to make it up to their children and make the Song family members—who had fed off their blood and flesh—pay the price they deserved.
“Fine, let’s divorce. The children will all come with me.”
Choking back tears, Shen Xiuzhen threw out these words before turning to go back to her room and pack her things.
In this life, apart from her children, she was willing to sacrifice everything else.
“Fine, they can go with you. If you have the guts, let’s go get the divorce certificate right now.”
Song Shulin naturally couldn’t bear to part with his wife and children, but the Song family was a place that devoured people without spitting out their bones. If they stayed here, their fate would be nothing but death.
“Let’s go, right now! Whoever doesn’t go is a coward!”
Shen Xiuzhen rummaged through the cabinets and drawers, found the marriage certificate and household register, and after coming out, threw them directly in Song Shulin’s face.
Seeing that the couple was serious, Old Mrs. Wang slammed the table and said:
“All of you, shut up!”
Song Shulin had no intention of listening to her. He stuffed the marriage certificate and household register into his pocket, grabbed Shen Xiuzhen’s hand, and headed straight for the main gate.
In this era, divorce was no small matter.
If anyone in a family got divorced, the entire household would be gossiped about and looked down upon.
But for people like them, who had been reborn, divorce was nothing to be afraid of.
“Eldest, Second, hurry up and drag them back!” Old Mrs. Wang was so angry she kept slapping her thighs.
A few minutes later, Song Shulin and Shen Xiuzhen were dragged back by their elder brothers and sisters-in-law, who pulled and tugged at them relentlessly.
“Third Brother, you were in the wrong just now. Apologize to Third Sister-in-law, and let’s just let this matter pass.”
Liu Zhaodi would never stand by and watch Shen Xiuzhen and Song Shulin get a divorce.
If they divorced, who would wash the clothes for the entire family of over twenty people? Who would cook the meals?
Could they possibly rely on Eldest Sister-in-law, that lazy good-for-nothing?
That was out of the question.
“Second Sister-in-law, don’t try to persuade us. I can’t go on living with Song Shulin anymore. Even if we don’t divorce today, we’ll divorce tomorrow.”
Tears streamed down Shen Xiuzhen’s face, one after another, and she couldn’t stop them.
Old Mrs. Wang cared deeply about face. Seeing that the neighbors were all leaning over the wall to watch the commotion, she immediately said:
“Divorce! Do you really think my Third Son can’t live without you, Shen Xiuzhen?”
“Mother, please don’t make things worse!” Song Erlin shared Liu Zhaodi’s view—even if Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law divorced, Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law absolutely could not.
If they divorced, the good days of the Song family would come to an end.
Song Shulin squatted on the ground without saying a word, silently waiting for his wife to continue acting.
Just moments ago, his wife had mouthed two words to him: separate households!
That’s right, either we split up the family, or we get a divorce. The Song family has to choose one.
As for using his daughter for a marriage exchange…
Pah! They can keep dreaming.
“Third Brother, Mom is right. If you divorce Shen Xiuzhen today, tomorrow Big Brother will have your sister-in-law introduce you to someone even better.”
Song Dalin said this deliberately. As the eldest brother-in-law, he had been publicly humiliated by his sister-in-law, and he couldn’t let that slide without retaliating.
Shen Xiuzhen sneered, “Then hurry up. I’d like to see what blind woman would be willing to rush into your Song family to be treated like a beast of burden.”
Seeing everyone veer further off-topic, Song Weimin was furious.
“Dad, shut up. We’re talking about me and Meili right now. Why are you egging on Uncle and Aunt to get a divorce?”
Song Dalin took a puff from his pipe and didn’t say another word.
Nothing in the world mattered more than his son’s marriage.
Once his son got married, he’d make sure Third Brother taught his wife a proper lesson.
A woman, always wanting to stick her nose into everything—she really had gone too far.
“Alright then, let’s marry Dani to Wu Meili’s brother. That settles it. Everyone go back and rest now. We still have to work in the fields this afternoon.”
Old Mrs. Wang made the final decision.
Song Dani ran out of the room crying, “Dad, Mom, I won’t marry!”
Earlier, Third Cousin said he had something to discuss with the adults and sent all the cousins back to their rooms.
She never expected they were discussing Third Cousin’s marriage, and even more shocking, they actually wanted her to be part of a marriage exchange.
Shen Xiuzhen rushed forward and hugged her eldest daughter tightly.
Thinking about it, it had been over twenty years since she last saw her eldest daughter.
The last time she saw her was probably right after she married Wu Dawei.
“No marriage. Whoever wants to marry can marry, but my daughter won’t.”
Song Dani blinked, completely bewildered by her mother’s actions.
Was this really her mother, who always put Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, and her cousins first in everything?
Could she have been possessed by something unclean?
“You don’t have a choice!”
Old Mrs. Wang stiffened her neck, and her words brought great satisfaction to the rest of the Song family.
Song Shulin, who had been waiting in vain for his wife to bring up splitting the family, spoke coldly, “Split the family!”
“What?” Old Mrs. Wang could hardly believe her ears. “I’m not dead yet. What do you mean, split the family?”
The rest of the Song family stood frozen in place.
That’s right, why split the family out of the blue?
The autumn harvest was coming soon. Bringing this up now was just plain foolish.
Song Shulin stood up abruptly. “What else? You keep finding fault with my wife one moment and my daughter the next. If I don’t split the family now, should I wait for you to kick us all out?”
“Who’s finding fault with your wife?” Song Dalin also stood up. He wasn’t as tall as Song Shulin and had to look up at him. “Your wife just talked back to me. Can’t I say a few words about it?”
“How did my wife talk back to you? She’s my daughter’s mother. You want to use my daughter for your son’s marriage exchange, and as her mother, she can’t even voice her opinion?”
After confronting Song Dalin, Song Shulin turned to Old Mrs. Wang.
“Dani is only fifteen this year, not even of legal marriage age. How can you just decide she has to get married? What? Is Song Weimin your grandson, but my Dani isn’t your granddaughter?”
“Oh dear!” Old Mrs. Wang, unable to out-argue Song Shulin, plopped down on the ground and began to throw a tantrum.
“Heavens above, I can’t go on living like this! My own son is trying to drive his mother to her death…”