SLH | Chapter 67

Using a Trick to Help with Divorce

By the time a few people arrived, the drama had already ended, and the villagers who had come to watch the commotion were already dispersing in small groups.

“This Meng Yinhua really went crazy, she actually wanted to kill her husband!”

“Qian Youliang is no good. If Meng Yinhua doesn’t start planning for herself and her daughter, Shuang Yatou will eventually be sold into a brothel by Qian Youliang.”

“But where will they stay after the divorce? They can’t just take a child back to her maiden home. I heard that when Meng Yinhua got married, her family didn’t even provide a dowry.”

“There are several abandoned houses in the village. If they tidy them up, they can live there. Meng Yinhua and Shuang Yatou are both capable; they won’t starve.”

A group of people discussed what had happened at the Qian family as they walked away.

Liu Xiaomei heard this and looked anxiously at the tightly shut Qian family door.

“Did Old Master Qian agree to the divorce?”

Song Tingzhu said, “Let’s ask an aunt to find out.”

At the alley entrance stood two women talking. Song Tingzhu approached them to inquire and learned that after Meng Yinhua and her daughter were driven out by Qian Youliang, the group hurried to the abandoned house on the west side of the village.

The house was in disrepair, with broken walls and overgrown weeds. Qian Shuang’er squatted in a corner of the courtyard, pulling out weeds that were half as tall as a person, looking worried.

“Mom, are we really not going back home tonight?”

Meng Yinhua, holding a bamboo pole, was sweeping away the cobwebs inside the house.

“We’re not going back. This house looks rundown, but the inside is okay. Once I clean it up, we can live here.”

She had made up her mind not to return to the Qian family. The thought of not having to live under the same roof as Qian Youliang made her feel relieved.

“Later, I’ll borrow a quilt from your Aunt Yao. It’s warmer now, so we won’t freeze with just one quilt.”

Qian Shuang’er bit her lip and voiced her concern, “What if Grandma never agrees to your divorce with Dad?”

Qian Youliang is filial, and just his agreement isn’t enough. The old lady has to nod for it to truly be settled.

“Don’t worry, Mom will find a way.” Meng Yinhua comforted her daughter while sweeping away cobwebs.

But she had no solution. She thought that if the old lady didn’t agree, she would fight the Qian family to the end, even if it meant dying, and she would never let that beast Qian Youliang send her daughter to such a filthy place!

“Shuang’er Jie.”

While Qian Shuang’er was pulling weeds, she heard the voice of a little sister from outside the courtyard and turned her head to look.

“Xiaomei, Xiaoman, and brother-in-law, why are you here?” She glanced at the messy courtyard, rubbed the mud off her fingers, and looked embarrassed.

Liu Xiaomei frowned, “Are you and Aunt living here? You don’t even have a quilt. What will you do when it gets cold at night?”

“Mom said she’ll borrow a quilt from Aunt Yao later.”

Xu Xiaoman also worried for her little friend, “You don’t have any pots or pans or a well. What will you eat or drink?”

Qian Shuang’er forced a smile, “Mom and I have eaten, we’re not hungry. We’ll find something to eat tomorrow.”

Before she could finish speaking, there was a “grumble” sound.

Qian Shuang’er froze for a moment, then pinched her clothes and bit her lip.

Meng Yinhua, who was cleaning inside, heard the noise and called out, “Shuang’er, is someone here?”

When her daughter didn’t respond, her heart jumped, thinking it might be that beast Qian Youliang coming to take her daughter away. She grabbed a broom and rushed out, cursing.

“Qian Youliang, if you dare touch my daughter, I’ll fight you to the end…”

Seeing Song Tingzhu and the others, her anger dissipated.

Meng Yinhua dusted off her clothes and said nonchalantly, “There’s nothing here to entertain you, better head back quickly before you get dirty.”

Xia Ge’er tugged on Song Tingzhu’s clothes, a bit scared, “Xiao Shu…”

“Xia Ge’er, be good. Xiao Shu is going to talk to your Granny Meng.” Song Tingzhu patted the little guy’s head and asked, “Aunt Meng, do you really want a divorce?”

Seeing Meng Yinhua frown, he continued, “I have a way. If Aunt Meng is determined to divorce, just follow the plan, and it will surely work.”

Meng Yinhua hesitated for a moment before asking, “What plan?”

“Though it’s past Qingming, it’s still a bit cold at night, and this house is so rundown. If Aunt Meng or little Shuang’er catches a cold and falls seriously ill, I wonder if Old Lady Qian would be willing to spend money to invite a doctor.”

Meng Yinhua sneered, “That old woman who only cares about money, she even cries over eating an egg. She wouldn’t spend money on a doctor.”

After speaking, she realized what Song Tingzhu meant.

The next day, before the rooster crowed, Meng Yinhua was already knocking on the Qian family door, looking flustered.

Old Lady Qian, upon learning the reason, cursed for a good half hour.

By the time the villagers had breakfast and headed to the fields with their hoes, they were already gossiping.

“What’s up with the Qian family? I heard the old lady crying and shouting in the courtyard this morning. Did something happen to Qian Youliang?”

“It’s not Qian Youliang, it’s Meng Yinhua and Shuang Yatou! Last night the wind picked up, and the mother and daughter, driven out without warm clothes, fell ill. Shuang Yatou developed a high fever that night and is still unconscious in that abandoned house!”

“Old Lady Qian is a miser and always favors boys over girls. Asking her to spend money on her granddaughter’s treatment is tough.”

“That’s right. Meng Yinhua begged from night till morning and only got a few copper coins, as if she were a beggar.”

The woman shook her head, “Even though it’s her own granddaughter, she has such a hard heart.”

As they spoke, they saw the Liu family ox cart passing by and called out, “Zhu Ge’er, Huzi, are you two heading to town?”

Song Tingzhu turned around and nodded with a smile at the aunts.

As the ox ran far, Liu Hu held the reins and asked his wife, “Will this plan work? What if the Qian family really calls a doctor for Qian Shuang’er?”

Song Tingzhu smiled, “They won’t. The old lady wouldn’t spend the money.”

If the old lady cared about her granddaughter, she wouldn’t have let her son act that way.

Upon reaching town, the couple first went to the pawnshop on North Street to discuss business with Pan Youquan, then took the ox cart to Wanshun Restaurant on West Street.

“Master Liu, you’re finally here.” The waiter, Wang Xiang, saw them and quickly led them to the backyard.

“Other restaurants have been causing us trouble lately. Just yesterday, someone threw a dead rat into a wine jar. The manager was so upset he couldn’t eat. Please help comfort him.”

The waiter led them to the back and returned to the front hall.

Inside the back hall, Liu Sansheng was so worried he had mouth sores and had no appetite for the food on the table.

Wei Qiurong tried to comfort him, “Dear, you should eat something. Don’t get sick from anger.”

Liu Sansheng frowned and sighed, “I really can’t eat. Just take it away. You’ve been busy all morning, go rest.”

Wei Qiurong looked worried and was about to take the food away when Liu Hu’s voice came from outside.

“Third Uncle, Third Aunt, my wife and I came to see you.”

“Huzi and Tingzhu are here.” Wei Qiurong smiled and quickly pulled Song Tingzhu inside.

“Please help persuade your Third Uncle. It’s normal for a successful business to attract envy, but he can’t skip meals because of it. If he gets sick, what good is the money?”

Song Tingzhu said, “Third Aunt is right.”

Seeing his husband place a wine jar on the table and pour each of them a cup, he said, “This is a four-month-old distilled wine. Please try it.”

“Is it made with a different method?”

Liu Sansheng, drawn by the rich aroma, felt his anger dissipate.

Song Tingzhu smiled, “The method is the same, but the storage time is different. We have a few small jars at home that we plan to store for over six months. The aroma will be even richer, and it will be worth calling it ‘Fragrant for Miles.'”

“Fragrant for Miles, what a great name!” Liu Sansheng laughed, “It sounds grand!”

Liu Hu said, “This jar isn’t quite ‘Fragrant for Miles’; it’s more of a ‘Spring Brew.'”

“Spring Brew.” Liu Sansheng nodded, “A great name for wine. Next year, when the restaurant launches new products, we’ll use this name. Come, Huzi, have a drink with Third Uncle.”

Wei Qiurong quickly said, “I’ll go to the kitchen and have them prepare some dishes to go with the wine.”

Liu Sansheng said, “Have Shunwang get half a pound of pig ears from the butcher. They go well with wine.”

“Okay.”

Seeing her husband finally have an appetite, Wei Qiurong was all smiles and agreed.

After three rounds of drinks, Liu Sansheng, half-drunk, poured out his woes to Liu Hu.

“They’re too much, trying to sabotage my business with dirty tricks. They dream of seeing my restaurant fail, but I’ll show them! My restaurant will not only survive but thrive, proving to those who hide in the shadows that I’m not so easily defeated!”

Liu Sansheng raised his wine jar, reminiscing, “Back when I was struggling alone in the county, I’ve seen it all, even spent time in jail.

Let me tell you, Huzi, in jail, people cry and wail every day, and every now and then, you’d see someone dragged out covered in blood. Who’s seen such scenes? Compared to what I’ve seen, their tricks are nothing!”

Liu Wenbin, back from school, joined the table. With the two young ones present, Wei Qiurong tugged at her husband’s sleeve, reminding him, “Why talk about this? Don’t scare the kids.”

Liu Qing, however, looked intrigued, “Dad, tell me more. I want to hear.”

Wei Qiurong glared at her little brother, “What do you want to hear? Why are you interested in jail stories?”

Liu Qing stuck out his tongue playfully, “Just curious.”

After the meal, Liu Sansheng was thoroughly drunk. Liu Hu helped carry him inside, and the couple took the ox cart back to the village.

“Mom, we bought the fabric.” Song Tingzhu carried the fabric inside.

Ruan Xiulian took it, feeling the material, “This fabric is nice, smooth to the touch. It’ll be cool to wear in summer.” She asked her daughter-in-law, “Was it expensive?”

Song Tingzhu smiled, “We’ve made money, so you and Dad should enjoy it. Later, we’ll take you to the capital for a trip.”

Ruan Xiulian beamed, “Alright, I’ll be waiting.”

－

As the late spring rains came, the distillery stopped work for two days. On the third day, when the sun came out, they resumed.

Song Tingzhu and his husband left after dawn. Passing the old banyan tree, they heard two women discussing the Qian family and stopped to ask.

“Auntie, did you say there was a murder at the Qian family?”

“Yes, last night Yinhua cried at the Qian family door, saying Shuang Yatou was dying. Qian Youliang watched his daughter fall ill and refused to pay for a doctor. He’s worse than an animal.”

“Sigh, Yinhua and her daughter are suffering. The daughter’s illness will cost a lot to cure. Old Lady Qian is a miser; she won’t pay. So, she let her son sign the divorce papers. When Yinhua was driven out, they only gave her clothes and quilts, not a single copper coin. With no money and a sick daughter, how will they live?”

Song Tingzhu was puzzled, “Why can’t they live? Aunt Meng is hardworking. Even if she has to reclaim and farm land, as long as she’s diligent, they won’t starve.”

The woman sighed, “Divorce is better than being abandoned, but it still brings shame. Even if Shuang Yatou recovers, who would marry her?”

Song Tingzhu was unfazed, thinking that others only dared to look down on them because they weren’t strong enough.

“Husband, do you have money with you?”

“I have some.” Liu Hu handed over the money bag, knowing what his wife intended, he said, “I’ll go with you.”

Song Tingzhu smiled, “Alright.”

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Author’s Note: Here’s what I have for now. The next chapter is a small climax and can’t be split [heart emoji]