Chen Fangchun had lived most of her life plainly and decently, and had always considered this a virtue. Even with a single glance or gesture, she never wanted to cause misunderstanding or discomfort.
She had only met Liu Hongjuan twice. Back then, Liu Hongjuan had been warm and polite, praising her Manman inside and out.
Blame her.
Blame these old bones of hers—for getting sick, making Manman spend money, causing her trouble, and now coming to disturb her.
“It’s no trouble, no trouble at all.”
“Manman…”
Chen Fangchun’s hands trembled as she made to leave.
Chen Man caught her, holding those hands in her palms. “Grandma, are you thirsty?”
Liu Hongjuan’s gaze cut over, full of warning.
Zhong Kaihui on the balcony also turned his head.
Chen Man didn’t look at them. “Let’s go, I’ll buy you some water.”
She led Chen Fangchun toward the door.
Zhong Kaihui frowned and strode over to block them. “Grandma, Xiao Man, there’s water right here in the house—why go out to buy it? Sit down quickly. My mom knew Grandma was coming and tidied up the room.”
Chen Man glanced at the room Liu Hongjuan lived in. It was crammed full of stuff—there wasn’t even a place to step.
“The doctor says my grandmother needs rest and quiet, and it’s best she has a room to herself. How about clearing out your study for her?”
Zhong Kaihui froze.
Liu Hongjuan squeezed forward, smiling only at Chen Fangchun. “That’s where my son works. His boss thinks highly of him—the whole family lives off his salary. There are important documents in there. No one can touch them.”
Chen Fangchun looked at Chen Man.
Chen Man stood a few steps away, eyes lowered, her face expressionless.
As if she were used to it.
As if she’d known long ago it would be like this.
As if she’d heard these words so many times that she no longer had the strength even to feel hurt.
Something slammed hard into Chen Fangchun’s chest.
Her eyes suddenly stung.
She wanted to say something, but her mouth opened and closed, and nothing came out.
This was Manman’s mother-in-law.
This was Manman’s home.
What right did she, an old woman who had just walked in the door, have to speak up?
Liu Hongjuan kept talking. “Oh right, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? I don’t know if there’s enough food. Xiao Man, go cook.”
Chen Fangchun turned her head and looked at Liu Hongjuan.
The smile on Liu Hongjuan’s face was the same as ever, warm and affectionate, as if everything she’d just said had been concern.
But what lay beneath that smile, Chen Fangchun could see all too clearly.
The maternal granddaughter’s husband she had thought so highly of stood to the side, like a bystander.
Chen Fangchun gripped Chen Man’s hand in return.
That hand was cool. Sler fingers, distinct knuckles. The hand she had held since Chen Man was small.
Zhong Kaihui said, “Grandma, my mom’s all bark and no bite. Don’t believe me? Ask Xiao Man.”
He frowned and looked at Chen Man.
Chen Man’s face was calm. She stood quietly beside Chen Fangchun, saying nothing.
Zhong Kaihui waited for her to speak.
Shouldn’t she, at a time like this, worry that Grandma would make herself sick with anger? Worry that the neighbors would hear and it would look bad? Worry about propriety—and then choose to yield, to smooth things over?
Chen Man tightened her grip on Chen Fangchun’s hand. “Grandma, let me take you for a walk in the park.”
With that, without waiting for Zhong Kaihui to speak, she led Chen Fangchun away.
Zhong Kaihui moved to chase after them, but Liu Hongjuan grabbed him. “Son, hurry up and pack your things. We’re going to your aunt’s house for dinner today. Lock the door.”
Zhong Kaihui shook off her hand. “Mom, you really know how to make a mess of things. They left without even a sip of water after walking in the door—what will the neighbors say about me?”
By now, everyone had seen Chen Man bring someone back through the neighborhood gate, and the neighbors upstairs and downstairs had long since pricked up their ears to listen.
His reputation was probably cracked now.
Chen Man took Chen Fangchun to the convenience store at the entrance of the neighborhood.
“One bottle of hot water, please.” She handed over the cup.
The clerk recognized her. “Don’t you live right here? Just go home and drink it—why make me heat it up for you?”
Chen Man smiled and glanced back. “Thanks.”
Following her gaze, the clerk saw Chen Fangchun standing at the door, looking sickly, with a wound on her forehead and a face ashen and livid.
The sky darkened.
Chen Man found a restaurant and took Chen Fangchun to eat first. She asked the waiter for a cup of water, popped the pills out of their blister packs, and laid them out one by one.
Chen Fangchun didn’t touch her chopsticks. “Manman, can you take me back?”
“Grandma, after we eat, I’ll take you to see the rental place. We’ll sleep there tonight.”
Chen Fangchun froze. “Manman, you…”
She lowered her head. “It’s all my fault for dragging you down. I never should have come. These old bones of mine—why didn’t they get buried sooner, instead of causing you trouble?”
Chen Man gripped her hand tightly.
The one who should feel guilty was her.
She should have hidden it from her maternal grandmother, shouldn’t have upset her. But she wanted to keep her grandmother by her side. Liu Hongjuan would never let her grandmother live in that house—Chen Man knew that perfectly well, yet she still brought her there.
Letting her grandmother hear those words—she couldn’t bear it.
But thinking of what she had to do next, this was the only way.
In the car on the way here, she had already contacted a rental agent. Her grandmother would surely refuse to move into a rental, but only by seeing that family’s true face with her own eyes could Chen Man persuade her.
Chen Man’s eyes reddened, though she said not a word about her own situation. “Grandma, you’re my only family left. Just keep me company, let me watch you take care of your health, okay?”
Chen Fangchun’s hands trembled badly. She stared at her blankly and nodded.
Originally, merely being unable to have children, merely Liu Hongjuan’s mistreatment, wouldn’t have been enough for Chen Man to give up this marriage. She didn’t want to disappoint her grandmother, didn’t want her to worry.
Bringing her grandmother here now was, in truth, building a “wall” for herself.
And this was only the first step.
……
She knew Zhong Kaihui and Liu Hongjuan far too well.
With preparation made in advance, she wouldn’t be caught helpless.
After the meal, Chen Man took Chen Fangchun to the apartment the agent had recommended and signed the contract on the spot. A delivery runner brought over daily necessities.
Chen Fangchun pressed a plastic-wrapped bundle of small bills—over a thousand yuan—into Chen Man’s hands. “I’ll listen to you. I’ll stay here. You go on back.”
The old woman figured that as long as she didn’t go to that house, Liu Hongjuan wouldn’t give Chen Man a hard time.
“All right. Wait for me—I’ll come see you tomorrow after work.”
Chen Man didn’t refuse. She put the money away carefully, looked around one more time, and only then left. Before going, she added the building security guard on WeChat and exchanged a few words with him.
Back at the neighborhood, the house was empty, as expected.
When they were first married, her ID card and household register had been kept in the bedroom cabinet. At some point, Liu Hongjuan had taken them.
She’d said her hometown needed proof of residence, so she was holding onto them for now.
Back then, how could Chen Man have imagined things would come to this?
If she could find them, fine. If not, she’d have to report them lost, just like with a bank card.
She was just heading toward Liu Hongjuan’s room when the door sounded.
Zhong Kaihui walked in, carrying two bowls that looked like leftover takeout from somewhere.
“Wife, you’re back? I texted you and you didn’t reply. Don’t do that again. I even brought you food. Oh, by the way—where’s Grandma?”
“She’s staying with a relative. The old lady hasn’t seen her in ages, they had a lot to catch up on, so she didn’t come back.”
Chen Man didn’t want to alert anyone, so she headed toward the bathroom.
Zhong Kaihui glanced at Liu Hongjuan’s room next to the bathroom, his eyes darkening.
Once inside the bathroom, Chen Man immediately opened the government services platform—filing a loss report online first.
When she came out, Zhong Kaihui grabbed her in a hug.
“Wife, I was wrong. Isn’t it enough that I admit I was wrong? Don’t be angry. Let’s stop fighting. I will never divorce you.”
He had seen the clothes Chen Man had packed.
Chen Man pushed him away forcefully. “Zhong Kaihui, I’m not the one who wants a divorce—your mother is forcing me. You know exactly how she treats me, how she treats my maternal grandmother.”
Zhong Kaihui glanced at the entrance door, left open a crack.
“I talked to her. I told her to apologize to you, and to your grandmother. Let’s not do anything rash. No divorce. Wife, think of all these years we’ve been together.”
“There’s no point. Your mother will never change.”
And neither will you.
Chen Man’s attitude was firm.
Just then, the older woman from upstairs passed by and pushed open the crack in the door to peek in. “Still fighting, you two? Aiya, Xiaohui, your mother really did go too far. It’s only natural for Xiao Man to be upset. Go on, comfort her properly.”
Zhong Kaihui froze.
A flicker of annoyance crossed his eyes, but he kept smiling. “You’re right. It’s all my fault. I’ll make it up to her properly.”
Then he turned to Chen Man, his voice lower and softer. “Xiao Man, don’t be stubborn. I’ll do anything you want. Stop being angry—if I have to, I’ll kneel on a durian, okay?”
The older woman was taken aback, and her look at Chen Man turned speechless: Doesn’t know how to cherish what she has. Where else could you find such a good man?