Qin Suian only felt disgust.
“Fine then. Either split the household or get divorced. Pick one.”
Wang Fuyuan looked at Qin Suian with a headache, unable to understand what she was trying to do.
He could understand splitting the household, but divorce?
This was the first time in his life he had ever heard someone say that word.
A man could lose a wife, could replace a wife—but he had never heard of divorce.
“What exactly are you making a fuss about? Haven’t we already been embarrassed enough today? Divorce? Does that even sound reasonable? If word gets out, the whole village will laugh themselves to death! Even if you divorce, how will you face people afterward?
How will Xiaojun get married in the future?
Will Xiaomei still be able to return to her parents’ home?”
So Wang Fuyuan could actually speak so eloquently. Yet after Qin Suian had married into the Wang family for decades, she had never once heard him speak up for her or their two daughters.
What a joke.
“How will Xiaojun get married? To a family like the Lins? Wang Dahua was introduced by Jiang Xiumei herself, and the Lin family was handpicked by her. Back then, when I wanted to personally visit Lin Family Village and investigate them, Jiang Xiumei insisted on sending Jiang Yun instead.
And what happened afterward? When Jiang Yun came back, she couldn’t stop praising the Lin family. So the two of you already knew exactly what kind of people they were, didn’t you?
For the sake of a hundred-yuan bride price, you were willing to push Xiaojun into a pit of fire?”
Even later on, Qin Suian had never figured out whether Jiang Xiumei and Jiang Yun truly knew the Lin family’s situation.
But one thing she did know was that no matter how much Xiaojun’s bride price was, it would definitely end up being spent on Wang Yaowen and his brother.
Last year, when Wang Yaowen was shoved into the factory job, they had claimed they were still a little short on money and needed to “borrow” Xiaomei’s bride price.
At the time, they had made it sound so noble—saying that once Wang Yaowen became a permanent factory worker, Xiaomei would have more standing in her husband’s family and someone to support her.
And now, they had set their sights on Xiaojun’s bride price too.
“Big Sister-in-law, don’t falsely accuse me! I really didn’t know the Lin family was like that. I asked around from house to house, and everyone said Lin Mao was hardworking and reliable and that the family was well-off. I didn’t deceive you!” Once the fire spread to Jiang Yun, she finally panicked.
Qin Suian ignored her. Jiang Yun had little presence in the household, but she certainly never missed out on the benefits.
The dirty work and hard labor were done by Qin Suian and her two daughters. They worked the most, ate the least, and wore ragged clothes.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yun’s two sons—one got into a factory, and the other could attend high school.
As for Qin Suian’s two daughters, after elementary school, Jiang Xiumei refused to let them continue studying, saying girls didn’t need that much education and would be better off staying home earning work points.
Qin Suian had argued countless times, but Jiang Xiumei never budged.
And Wang Fuyuan didn’t even dare let out a fart in protest.
“Divorce, divorce—I think you’ve lost your mind! You really want to die!” Wang Fuyuan had never been this furious before. He hated Qin Suian to the bone.
Qin Suian had never been someone he liked in the first place. Back then, his family had been too poor to afford a wife, so they had arranged an exchange marriage.
Only the Qin family had been willing to forgo a bride price, with the sole condition that Wang Xue marry into their family.
So Wang Fuyuan had no choice but to marry Qin Suian, who was stubborn and blunt-tempered.
All these years, not only had Qin Suian failed to give him a son, but she also caused scenes every few days. And he had endured it all.
But now she actually wanted a divorce?
Did she think she was still some untouched young maiden? Some fairy descended from heaven?
After divorcing him, who would want her?
The more Wang Fuyuan thought about it, the angrier he became. He rushed forward recklessly, wanting to beat Qin Suian to death.
If she wanted a divorce, then he didn’t want to live with her anymore either!
“Fuyuan, then divorce her! A woman like this isn’t worth keeping!” Seeing the situation turning dangerous, Jiang Xiumei no longer cared about anything else and hurriedly spoke up.
Hearing Jiang Xiumei’s voice brought back a sliver of Wang Fuyuan’s reason.
“Fine! Then we’ll divorce! Tomorrow we’ll handle the paperwork!” Blinded by rage, Wang Fuyuan finally gave in.
He would be the one casting Qin Suian aside!
“Sure. But I’m not finished yet. I have several conditions.
First, I helped build this house back then too. Calculated as labor wages, that’s at least twenty yuan.
Second, all these years, Xiaomei, Xiaojun, and I earned full work points. Together, that’s at least four or five hundred yuan. Even after subtracting the grain we ate, there should still be at least three hundred left.
Third, Xiaomei’s bride price was fifty yuan. Back then, you didn’t give her a single dowry item. I want that money returned to her.
Fourth, Xiaojun comes with me.”
Qin Suian stared at Jiang Xiumei and stated her demands word by word into her ear.
“In your dreams!” Wang Fuyuan had never expected Qin Suian to demand money too. She was reaching for the heavens!
“No money! Just one life! If you’ve got something, come at me! Worst case, I’ll die together with you!” Wang Fuyuan was enraged out of his mind, speaking recklessly, wishing he could strangle Qin Suian to death right now.
“Your life isn’t worth much. Jiang Xiumei’s life is worth a little more.”
This time Qin Suian truly meant business. She sliced Jiang Xiumei’s neck, leaving a bloody cut.
The pain made Jiang Xiumei burst into tears.
Now she was truly terrified. She didn’t want to die!
“I agree! I agree to everything! Let me go—I’ll get you the money right now!” Jiang Xiumei was scared out of her wits.
She hadn’t expected this madwoman Qin Suian to really use the knife.
Was a few hundred yuan worth all this violence?
“Have Jiang Yun get it. Xiaojun, take the keys off her.”
Qin Suian loosened her grip slightly.
Xiaojun had been too frightened to speak, only crying as she watched Qin Suian. Hearing her mother’s words, she snapped out of it and searched Jiang Xiumei’s pockets, finding a ring of keys.
“Hurry, hurry! It’s in the big chest in my room!” Jiang Xiumei feared that even a second’s delay might cost her life.
Jiang Yun grabbed the keys and hurried toward the room.
“Wang Fuyuan, go write the divorce papers. Today we’ll get the brigade seal, and tomorrow we’ll go to the county office to finalize it.”
After seeing blood, Wang Fuyuan had calmed down somewhat.
This Qin Suian had truly gone crazy—and she genuinely wanted the divorce.
As if finally making up his mind about something, Wang Fuyuan entered the house to fetch paper and pen.
“Mom…” Xiaojun cried out tearfully.
Even now, she still couldn’t understand how things had suddenly escalated to divorce.
But she wasn’t stupid. She knew that, aside from her older sister, the only person in the family who truly cared for her was her mother.
If her mother left and she stayed in the Wang family, would she have any good days ahead?
She might even be married off to a family worse than the Lins.
Even begging for food with her mother would be better than staying in the Wang household.
Once she realized that, Xiaojun’s heart settled considerably.
“Don’t cry, Xiaojun. Mom won’t let you suffer anymore.”
What Qin Suian regretted and blamed herself for most was failing to see through the Lin family back then, ruining Xiaojun’s life.
This time, she would not repeat the same mistakes.
Xiaomei, Xiaojun, and Xiaohu—she would not lose a single one of them.
“Xiaojun, persuade your mother. If she really divorces, how will you get married in the future?” Having finally caught a chance to breathe, Jiang Xiumei remembered to use Xiaojun to pressure Qin Suian.
“If all marriages are to families like the Lins, then not marrying is better. Jiang Xiumei, do you think I really don’t dare use this knife?”
Qin Suian pressed the blade tighter.
Jiang Xiumei immediately shut her mouth.
She glanced at Wang Xianghua, who was crouching there like a wooden stump, and inwardly rolled her eyes.
He was a completely useless coward. Whenever trouble came, all he did was squat down, hug his head, refuse to hear or see anything—as if none of it had anything to do with him.