Yuan Zheng continued to berate him sharply, “Have you forgotten your position? How dare you keep a mistress outside and divorce your wife for her? Did all the education you received go to waste?”
Gu Shaoxuan’s face turned pale, and he stammered timidly, “Uncle, I didn’t.”
His uncle had always admired the military, emulating soldiers in every gesture and action. Later, he enlisted and had now risen to the rank of regimental commander. The sheer integrity he exuded made even Gu Shaoxuan’s mother uneasy, let alone a nephew four years his junior.
“Didn’t? Then why are you divorcing her? Why did you cause her to miscarry?”
Gu Shaoxuan’s lips trembled, but no words came out. Though it wasn’t his intention, these facts were undeniably true.
At that moment, Nan Jin spoke up weakly, her voice barely audible. “Uncle, his heart is no longer with me. This marriage exists in name only. When I lost the child, my heart died along with it.”
“I’m willing to divorce him, but I want him to compensate me with a thousand yuan. They refuse. I hope you can stand up for me, Uncle.”
Gu Shaoxuan’s expression darkened, and his voice turned cold involuntarily. “Xiao Zhu, what nonsense are you talking? I explained everything clearly to you. Why must you be so stubborn?”
Nan Jin didn’t look at him. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Yuan Zheng, her eyes pleading. If Yuan Zheng didn’t help her, as an orphan, it would be difficult for her to extract anything from the Gu family.
Earlier, he had said he would grant her wish. Surely, he hadn’t been lying to her?
Yuan Zheng, frustrated by his nephew’s behavior, punched him again and said coldly, “Did you hear that? You’re still married, and she’s just suffered a miscarriage. She’s already at a disadvantage. If this escalates, not only will you have to pay more, but it will also damage your reputation and future.”
“Not just your future, but your father’s and your brother’s too. Think carefully.”
Gu Shaoxuan’s heart grew inexplicably anxious. He had a feeling that if he agreed today, he would truly lose Nan Zhu.
Breaking free from Yuan Zheng’s grip, he sat by the bed and reached out to take Nan Jin’s hand. She wanted to pull away, but she was too weak to resist.
Holding her icy hand, a flicker of heartache crossed Gu Shaoxuan’s eyes. He clasped her hand between his palms and pleaded, “Xiao Zhu, please stop this, alright? You know I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I was forced into a corner.”
“Give me six months, just six months. I promise we’ll remarry by then.”
“It’s not safe for a woman to carry a large sum of money. I’m only thinking of your well-being.”
Nan Jin tried to withdraw her hand but couldn’t. Tears welled in her eyes, and her voice trembled uncontrollably. “If you say we’ll remarry in six months, why won’t you give me some money to ease my mind?”
Hearing this, Gu Shaoxuan’s expression softened slightly. “Is it really just about peace of mind?”
“Even if we divorce, you can still live in the school’s staff quarters. I’ll give you five yuan every month for expenses, and with your own salary, that should be more than enough.”
Nan Jin felt like scoffing inwardly. She didn’t look at him but turned to Yuan Zheng instead, her voice hoarse and helpless. “Uncle, do you think that’s enough?”
She worked at a textile factory, earning only forty yuan a month, while he, a university lecturer, made sixty-eight yuan a month. Yet he gave her a mere five yuan each month, acting as if it were some grand favor.
Such a scumbag—she absolutely refused to tolerate this treatment. She was afraid of getting breast cancer from the stress.
Moreover, given Liang Yurou’s temperament, Nan Jin had no intention of divorcing him in six months, nor did she plan to remarry him later.
A man who’d been tainted—she was afraid of catching diseases.
Of course, she kept these thoughts to herself.
All she wanted now was to secure a thousand yuan peacefully and finalize the divorce.
Yuan Zheng, under her intense gaze, felt another surge of inexplicable anger.
He stared at Gu Shaoxuan for a moment before speaking calmly, “In that case, Xiao Zhu, file for divorce. When it comes to it, forget a thousand—he’ll have to give you three or five thousand, since he’s the one at fault.”
Gu Shaoxuan hadn’t expected his uncle to say such a thing. His face turned pale, and he whipped his head around to stare at him in disbelief.
“Uncle!” His voice was full of shock—was this really his uncle?
Yuan Zheng said coldly, “Calling me ‘Dad’ won’t help. You’re the one in the wrong here. If you can’t meet her demands now, you’ll only have yourself to blame when this blows up.”
“No matter how you two handle it, go pay her hospital bills first.”
“You have three days to think it over. If you still refuse, I’ll help Xiao Zhu submit the application.”
Nan Jin’s lips twitched upward slightly before she suppressed the smile.
She had considered using legal means to protect her rights, but as an orphan facing a family like the Gus, she knew she stood no chance.
If they firmly refused, she’d likely be powerless.
But with Yuan Zheng’s help, things were different.
Gu Shaoxuan was momentarily speechless, utterly baffled as to why his uncle would side so strongly with Xiao Zhu.
Even if they’d played together as children, that was years ago.
Now, Nan Zhu was his wife—why was his uncle acting like this…?
“Hurry up and pay the medical bills!” Yuan Zheng grabbed him, pulling him up and shoving him toward the door.
At the doorway, Gu Shaoxuan glanced back at Nan Zhu. “I’ll come see you later.”
With that, he turned and went to settle the fees.
Nan Jin looked at Yuan Zheng and softly said, “Thank you.”
Yuan Zheng sat down, studying her for a long moment before asking, “Are you really sure about this?”
Nan Jin closed her eyes, her voice barely a whisper. “Do I have a choice?”
When Gu Shaoxuan went to pay the medical bills and learned it would cost over a hundred yuan, his chest tightened as if stuffed with cotton, leaving him deeply unsettled.
The thought of his uncle’s warning that Nan Zhu might escalate the situation only added to his headache.
After paying, he completely forgot that Nan Zhu still needed someone by her side and strode out of the hospital.
When Gu Shaoxuan returned home, Gu Qingya was still crying, with Yuan Limei trying to comfort her while cursing loudly.
Liang Yurou sat nearby, occasionally adding fuel to the fire with a few remarks.
Seeing him return, all three women looked up.
Liang Yurou stood and approached him, gasping softly at the bruise on his face. “Brother Shaoxuan, what happened to your face? Who hit you?”
Irritated and distracted, Gu Shaoxuan turned to Gu Qingya, his tone harsh.
“Qingya, why did you follow her to the hospital and hit Nan Zhu? She’s still your sister-in-law. Is that any way for a younger sister to act?”
Gu Qingya had hoped her brother would stand up for her when he returned, but instead, he scolded her without even hearing her side.
She was already fuming and hurt from her encounter with Nan Zhu, and now a surge of anger rushed straight to her head.
She abruptly lifted her clothes, revealing a patch of red, swollen skin on her stomach, her voice hysterical.
“It was clearly that wretched woman who hit me! She scalded me with a boiling kettle until I ended up like this. Not only do you and Uncle not believe me, but you’re even taking her side?”
“Big brother, I’m your own sister! How could you scold your own flesh and blood for the sake of an outsider?”