Stepping out the door, Ji Dehua’s face still burned with anger—until he saw Ji Qiuyun and her two children, and his expression softened at once.
“Qiuyun, pay no mind to Big Brother. What does his opinion matter? You do whatever you see fit!” Ji Dehua rolled up his sleeves. “Come on, I’m going with you to Danan Village today. This divorce is happening, and it’s happening now.”
“It’s already high noon—there’s no need to rush off this very instant,” Zhao Mei put in thoughtfully. “Let’s head home first and eat. We can go once we’ve had a meal.”
Ji Dehua nodded eagerly. “That’s right, that’s right—let’s go home and eat first.”
Ji Qiuyun smiled and nodded. “Agreed.”
When they arrived at her younger brother’s home, Ye Qingyan and Ji Qiuyun went straight to the kitchen to help with the cooking, while Ye Qinghui accompanied his uncle to fetch water and chop firewood.
Times were hard for every family back then. Lunch was usually simple enough: steamed buns made from mixed-grain flour, served with pickled vegetables. But with Ji Qiuyun’s family visiting, Zhao Mei had fried two eggs—an extraordinary treat.
As soon as the meal was set on the table, Ji Qiming walked through the door.
“Qiming!” Zhao Mei called out. “Your little aunt has come to visit today, with Qinghui and Qingyan.”
“Little Aunt, Qinghui, Qingyan.” A warm smile spread across Ji Qiming’s handsome face. “Please go ahead and eat—I’ll wash up first.”
Earlier that day, Ji Qiming and several other young men from the village had been stopped by the production team leader right after finishing their shift, and sent to help repair the roof of the cattle shed. A smudge of dirt now marked his face.
Ye Qingyan watched him struggle—working the hand pump with one hand while trying to wash his face with the other—and stepped forward to help pump the water for him.
“Thank you, Qingyan,” Ji Qiming said softly, cupping his hands to catch the water and gently washing his face.
“You’re very welcome.” Ye Qingyan smiled, her eyes crinkling beautifully.
In the original story, this entire branch of her family was nothing but kind-hearted people. After her mother had married that fool, her uncle had visited her often, and her aunt would secretly slip her food to keep her going. They had been the very last ray of light in what had otherwise been a hopeless, dark existence.
Over lunch, the conversation turned to Ji Qiuyun’s plan for divorce. Ji Qiming looked thoroughly taken aback. “Little Aunt… you intend to divorce Uncle Ye?”
Ji Qiuyun swallowed a mouthful of bun and nodded. “I do. I simply cannot spend another day married to him.”
Not wanting his sister to relive it all, Ji Dehua briefly recounted the whole ordeal to his son instead.
Hearing all that Ji Qiuyun had endured over the years, Ji Qiming clenched his fists in righteous fury. “Little Aunt, I stand with you—divorce him! That man is good for nothing but raising his hand against you. You should have left him long ago.”
“Alas… Qinghui and Qingyan were still so small back then,” Ji Qiuyun sighed. “I could not simply walk away. But what truly made me make up my mind—he intends to marry Qingyan off to a fool, all for the sake of a 300-yuan bride price!”
Zhao Mei, being a mother herself, understood perfectly. Once you have children, they become your whole world.
Ji Dehua and Ji Qiming both cursed Ye Xingcai roundly. What kind of father would sell his own daughter’s happiness—her entire life—for three hundred yuan?
After the meal, Ji Qiming borrowed an ox cart, and the group set off for Danan Village.
Riding along, everyone chatted and laughed. But that lighthearted mood faded the moment they entered the village. All of them knew: getting the Ye family to agree to a divorce would be no easy task.
Ye Qingyan, however, was resolute. This divorce must happen.
If Ye Xingcai refused to consent, she would go straight to the Women’s Affairs Director at the commune and show him the medical records from the hospital. If the commune turned a blind eye—she would take it to the county. If the county ignored it too—she would go all the way to the city.
He had beaten her so badly she required hospitalization. How could anyone call that “ordinary family strife”? This was a serious matter. If she made enough noise and brought it to the authorities as a clear case of domestic abuse… Ye Xingcai himself might well end up behind bars.
Back at the Ye household, Old Mrs. Ye and Ye Xingcai were both at home. The group arrived just as Ye Xingcai was storming out—intent on finding Ye Qingyan and settling the score.
Earlier, he had pried open the iron chest in the woodshed, only to find every last banknote and grain coupon gone. Thinking back over the past few days, suspicion had settled squarely on Ye Qingyan. She had been seen entering the woodshed the very day they left for the hospital—and Ji Qiuyun had needed money for medical expenses. Everything fit perfectly!
He had no idea how that wretched girl had found the hiding place—but he was absolutely certain: she had stolen his money and coupons!
The moment he saw Ye Qingyan walk through the door, rage consumed him. Without a single word, he seized a wooden stool and swung it hard at her head—striking with murderous intent, as if he meant to kill her then and there.
Ji Dehua, close behind her, acted in an instant. He pulled Ye Qingyan safely behind him and kicked Ye Xingcai square in the chest.
Ye Xingcai went flying, landing hard on his back. He curled up clutching his stomach and wailed at the top of his voice, “Aiyah… Mother! Mother! Someone’s trying to kill your son—come quick!”
Old Mrs. Ye rushed out at the sound. “Which godforsaken wretch dares raise a hand in my house?”
“Me.” Ji Dehua glared back at her, cold and unyielding.
Ji Qiuyun and Ye Qinghui hurried to Ye Qingyan’s side, checking her anxiously for any injury.
“I’m unhurt,” Ye Qingyan said, shaking her head. “Uncle pulled me away in time. He didn’t touch me.”
“Ye Xingcai,” Ji Dehua bit out, “is this how you treat Qingyan? You raise your hand to her the very moment she steps through the door?”
Ye Xingcai pointed at her, his voice dripping with contempt. “This ungrateful girl needs a good lesson! You have no idea the shame she’s brought on this family. Knowing full well that Comrade Huo is Ye Yao’s intended—she had no shame and went to the youth settlement to lure him away!”
“That’s not true!” Ye Qinghui cut in. “It was Ye Yao who stole Qingyan’s fiancé! How dare you twist the truth? Which one of us is truly your flesh and blood?”
Ye Xingcai let out a cold snort. “You’ll say anything to defend your sister, won’t you? I tell you—this girl is simply eager to find a man. Well, I’ve already found her a match. She’ll stay right here and prepare for the wedding.”
Ji Qiuyun’s voice rose to a roar. “Enough! I will never let my daughter marry such a man!”
“Hah! So you’re still alive?” Ye Xingcai narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down with a sneer. “I’d half-expected you to die in that hospital—we were this close to preparing the mourning hall!”
Twenty years of marriage—and this was the sort of thing he said to her? Ji Qiuyun trembled with rage, her teeth grinding together.
“Ye Xingcai,” she said, her voice clear and steady, “I want a divorce.”
The words were out. And as she spoke them, the heavy weight that had sat upon her chest for so long seemed to lift.
Ye Xingcai stared in utter disbelief. It took him a long moment to find his voice. “Have you lost your mind? Divorce?”
Old Mrs. Ye planted her hands firmly on her hips and glowered at Ji Qiuyun. “In this family, we do not grant divorces—we only divorce wives. If you are tired of being here, then I shall write you a letter of repudiation this instant—and you will pack your things and crawl back to your parents’ home!”