Ye Qinghui could see the reluctance and hesitation in Ji Qiuyun’s heart. In truth, he had long expected this and was already mentally prepared.
“Mother, Qingyan, come with me.”
The mother and her three children walked into Ye Qinghui’s room.
“Brother, what are your thoughts?” asked Ye Qingyan.
“To be honest, I’ve already thought this through.” Ye Qinghui managed a faint smile. “As a son, he would never let me leave.”
Before this, Ye Qingyan had already had a hunch that the Ye family would never allow Ye Qinghui to depart. She had simply kept quiet all along, fearing that speaking of it would make Ji Qiuyun hesitate and abandon the plan.
Ye Qinghui was already a grown man; even Ye Xingcai could not overpower him. Should he remain with the Ye family, he was fully capable of protecting himself. Naturally, his opinion still carried great weight, and Ye Qingyan wished to hear what he had to say.
“Qinghui, I cannot do this,” Ji Qiuyun said, her eyes reddening as she held his hand. “I want a divorce, but I intend to take you and your sister with me. I could never leave you behind like this.”
Ye Qinghui patted the back of her hand gently to comfort her. “Mother, listen to me. I am already nineteen years old—old enough to take good care of myself. They cannot harm me in the slightest.”
“But…” Ji Qiuyun said sorrowfully, “If I leave now, when you marry and have children one day, I will not be here to help you raise them. Who else will be there for you?”
“Then your daughter-in-law and I will raise them together,” Ye Qinghui continued. “Mother, do not only think of how much you will miss me. If you do not get this divorce, what becomes of Sister? Will she have any way to survive?”
Ye Qingyan looked at Ji Qiuyun quietly.
Tears rolled down Ji Qiuyun’s cheeks. She fell silent for a moment before steeling herself. “Very well. I agree. Qinghui, Mother is so sorry.”
“Mother, please do not say such things. You raised me through so much hardship, and I can never thank you enough. I shall come visit you both often.” Ye Qinghui forced a cheerful smile.
“That’s right, Mother,” Ye Qingyan added, looking toward her brother. “Brother can come see us whenever he has time. We will still see each other often. And Brother, rest assured—I will take good care of Mother.”
Ye Qinghui said with relief, “You have always been so sensible. I have every confidence in you.”
Once the three of them had reached an understanding, the rest proceeded smoothly. Under the witness of the Brigade Leader, both parties signed and affixed their seals to the divorce papers.
As of that day, Ji Qiuyun was no longer a daughter-in-law of the Ye family—and Ye Qingyan was finally free.
Mother and daughter packed their belongings and followed Ji Dehua and Ji Qiming back to the Ji family home. It was a modest house with only two bedrooms: one for Ji Dehua and his wife, the other for Ji Qiming. Zhao Mei had already tidied up Ji Qiming’s room so that Ji Qiuyun and her daughter could stay there temporarily.
Ye Qingyan set her bundle down and looked at Ji Qiming apologetically. “Uncle Qiming, I am truly sorry. Because of us, you will have to stay elsewhere for a while.”
“It is no trouble at all,” Ji Qiming said, shaking his head repeatedly. “I have been close friends with Li Erbao since we were small—we are like brothers.”
Zhao Mei said warmly, “Qiuyun, Qingyan—do not worry yourselves over anything. Please make yourselves at home and stay here without concern.”
Kind as their words were, Ji Qiuyun and Ye Qingyan did not take their kindness for granted. The very next morning, they rose before dawn, swept the courtyard, and prepared breakfast entirely on their own.
After breakfast, the two went to the Brigade Leader’s home. They showed Liu Hong their divorce certificate and informed him of their wish to transfer their household registration back to Xiangyang Village.
Liu Hong understood their purpose and nodded. “Qiuyun, I know you had no choice but to seek this divorce. Rest assured—I shall process your household registration properly. You may settle down here in peace.”
Mother and daughter thanked him profusely.
“No need for thanks.” Liu Hong then asked casually, “You are staying at Ji Dehua’s home now?”
“Yes,” Ye Qingyan replied with a nod. “We are staying at my uncle’s home.”
Liu Hong stroked his chin curiously. “I seem to recall Ji Dehua’s house being rather small. Why not stay at your eldest uncle’s home? He certainly has spare rooms there.”
“We have had some differences with that side of the family,” Ye Qingyan answered tactfully. “It would not be appropriate to impose upon them.”
Her meaning was clear enough. After serving as Brigade Leader for over a decade, Liu Hong understood the situation at once—so there had been a falling-out.
Liu Hong turned to Ji Qiuyun. “In that case, I shall allocate a plot of land for you. You may build two adobe rooms to live in for the time being.”
“We are most grateful for your help, Brigade Leader,” Ji Qiuyun said gratefully.
Ye Qingyan thought for a moment and ventured to ask, “Uncle Liu, might I ask—why is the house at the foot of the Rear Mountain uninhabited?”
“That house…” Liu Hong wore a troubled expression. “Long ago, it belonged to a landlord’s family. Years ago, in the turmoil of those times, every last member of that family perished. Since then, the villagers have considered the place ill-omened, and none have been willing to live there.”
In truth, it was worse than mere bad luck—rumors abounded that the house was haunted. But as Brigade Leader, Liu Hong could hardly say such things aloud; it would be tantamount to endorsing feudal superstition.
Others might fear ghosts and keep their distance, but Ye Qingyan was not afraid. When one could barely scrape together a living, what was there to fear from ghosts? To have a roof over one’s head was blessing enough—and that house was built entirely of brick and tile!
Ye Qingyan asked with a smile, “Uncle Liu, does this house now belong to the Brigade? If so, might I ask how much it would cost to purchase?”
Her words stunned both Liu Hong and Ji Qiuyun. Ji Qiuyun tugged at Ye Qingyan’s hem—surely her daughter had lost her senses?
Liu Hong looked at her closely. “The house does belong to the Brigade now. Are you certain you wish to buy it?”
“I am,” Ye Qingyan replied with a modest smile. “Though I have no money at present—might I give you a promissory note? I swear I shall repay every cent.”
Liu Hong sighed. “Very well. I shall sell the house to you for one hundred yuan, and the land it stands for shall be recorded as your family’s homestead. How does that sound?”
Ye Qingyan agreed at once. “That is perfect! I shall write the note immediately.”
She had inspected the house the previous afternoon: six spacious brick-and-tile rooms, with ample open ground both in front and behind—ideal for growing vegetables and fruit. Though situated at the foot of the mountain, its high, sturdy walls kept wild boars and other beasts at bay. At merely one hundred yuan, it was an absolute bargain! Were it not for those haunting rumors, such a price would be unthinkably low.
Ji Qiuyun stood watching as Ye Qingyan wrote out the promissory note. Her lips moved as if to speak, yet in the end she remained silent.
Ye Qingyan handed the note to Liu Hong. “Uncle Liu, it is written.”
“Good.” Liu Hong accepted it. “I shall send men to repair the roof within the next day or two. Once all is put in order, you may move in.”
“Thank you so much, Uncle Liu!” Ye Qingyan said gratefully. “You truly are an excellent leader who cares deeply for the villagers. Under your guidance, Xiangyang Village is certain to thrive.”
Liu Hong laughed heartily. What a bright, poised young woman—she was clearly destined for greater things.
As they walked away from the Brigade Leader’s home, Ji Qiuyun asked uneasily, “Qingyan… are we truly going to live there? Are you sure you would not reconsider?”
“Mother, that house is perfectly fine,” Ye Qingyan replied calmly. “As the saying goes: if one never acts wrongly, one need not fear ghosts knocking at the door in the dead of night. There is no reason to fear such idle tales.”
Her tone softened as she continued, “Besides, staying here means Uncle Qiming must inconvenience himself elsewhere. It would not do. And waiting for a new homestead to be granted—then sourcing materials and building from scratch—would take ages.”
Every word her daughter spoke rang true. Ji Qiuyun resolved to trust her judgment. From now on, it would be just the two of them, relying on one another. So long as her daughter was happy, she too would find happiness.