Liu Chunlan grew angrier the more she spoke:
"These local women are all crazy, if you ask me. Each one is uglier than the last, yet the bride price they demand is higher than the next.
"I just don't get it, are they lined with gold to be worth so much?
"And it's not just the bride price, they also want a house in the city and a car at home.
"On what grounds? Why don't they bring these things themselves?
"We're all human, is it somehow nobler to give birth to a daughter?"
Liu Chunlan spoke so furiously that spit flew from her mouth.
Wang Hao, however, only said one thing:
"Mom, you complain and badmouth people when they ask for a bride price, but when Lin Wanyi didn't ask for one back then, you called her cheap and worthless.
"What exactly do you want? I think you just sincerely don't want me to get married, do you?
"Do you want me to be single for the rest of my life? Are you going to provide for me? Are you going to wash my clothes, cook for me, and raise my kids?
"Mom, are you even my real mother?"
For a moment, Liu Chunlan was left speechless.
She wanted to explain that it wasn't that she disliked Lin Wanyi.
On the contrary, she was a thousand percent satisfied with her.
She was honest, virtuous, didn't cause trouble, and never spent money recklessly. The key was that she didn't ask for a single penny of bride price when they got married.
She remembered when Li Suhua called her back then. Li Suhua had said:
"In-laws, we don't want a single penny for the bride price, and we won't sell our daughter to get rich.
"So, you must respect her in the future and not bully her."
At that time, she had accepted Lin Wanyi in her heart, and she approved of her in-laws' family values.
But she couldn't tell Lin Wanyi this; she had to constantly keep her in check.
Otherwise, Lin Wanyi would get arrogant and walk all over her.
She was the mother-in-law; she couldn't let Lin Wanyi overpower her.
But now, she suddenly realized that she might have been too hard on her.
She had actually driven them to divorce.
That couldn't happen.
She suddenly reacted, "Son, isn't there a cooling-off period for divorce?
"Listen to Mom, when the cooling-off period is over, you back out.
"When the time comes, just cry and beg her. She is soft-hearted. For the sake of the child, she definitely won't go through with it."
How could Wang Hao not have thought of that?
If he divorced Lin Wanyi, where would he find another wife?
It wasn't that Liu Chunlan hadn't looked around for him, but the bride price alone was enough to make him back off.
He had even secretly contacted a girl once. At that time, Lin Wanyi was at home taking care of the child, and his mind had wandered.
That girl thought he was single and started talking about marriage, but she asked for 680,000 yuan for the bride price.
Wang Hao behaved himself after that. 600,000 yuan—when would he ever be able to come up with that?
He didn't want to be a bachelor for the rest of his life; he wanted a wife, kids, and a warm bed.
Only Lin Wanyi. Only her.
But right now, the first thing he had to do was transfer the property to the new owner.
The contract was signed; he couldn't back out of this.
Besides, he hadn't even received his 500,000 yuan yet.
Before leaving, he warned Wang Meijuan:
"Have everything packed up before I get back, otherwise if they kick you out, it's not my problem."
Wang Meijuan wouldn't move; she had made up her mind not to.
She told Liu Chunlan:
"Mom, Lin Wanyi took the money, not us, so what are we afraid of?
"If they want us to leave, they have to give the money to me, otherwise I'd like to see who can step over me to get in."
Liu Chunlan was planning the same thing. She didn't believe Lin Wanyi could just throw her out.
But Lin Wanyi did exactly that.
When she returned from the housing bureau, Lin Wanyi thought about how Liu Renzhi was the one taking over the house, so she had to clean it up for him.
So she and Lin Jiajun came back together.
Looking at the rooms that hadn't changed at all since she left, Lin Wanyi knew she had guessed right.
They didn't want to move.
Wang Hao was very frustrated. He slammed the table:
"Mom, Sis, what are you trying to do?
"I signed the contract, took the money, and the house has been transferred. What are you still hanging around here for?
"This isn't my house anymore, you guys need to leave right now."
Liu Chunlan and Wang Meijuan acted as if they didn't hear him.
Wang Hao paced around the living room in anger, accidentally stepped on Li Borui's ball, and almost tripped.
Furious, he kicked the ball out the door.
Wang Meijuan went and picked it back up:
"Haohao, what is wrong with you? Why take it out on a ball?
"If you can't stand my son, just say it."
"I can't stand him."
Wang Hao really did say it: "Can you just get out? I'm telling you to get out, okay?"
Wang Meijuan's eyes immediately turned red:
"Haohao, I'm your sister, your own flesh and blood, how can you treat me like this?
"Is it just because I'm poor? Because my husband is a disappointment?
"That's exactly why I need your help, why I need my maiden family to back me up.
"I finally managed to get Li Borui to the city for school, and now you're telling me we have nowhere to live?
"Did you even think of me, did you?"
They were arguing fiercely, but Lin Wanyi had already taken out a large trash bag:
"Jiajun, put everything into the bags. Whatever it is, just stuff it all in."
Lin Jiajun went into Li Borui's room.
He swept a pile of toys from the desk into the trash bag. Li Borui screamed like crazy:
"Ah, my Ultraman, my Ultraman!
"Mom, he put all my toys in the trash bag, Mom, Mom!"
Wang Meijuan hurried into the room, pointing at Lin Jiajun:
"What are you doing? These are my son's things, can you afford to pay for them if you break them?"
Lin Jiajun ignored her and continued packing. Wang Meijuan reached out to grab him, but Lin Wanyi suddenly slapped her across the face:
"Wang Meijuan, have some shame. This house has nothing to do with you, what right do you have to occupy it and refuse to leave?
"I've given you face for too long, now get out!"
Wang Meijuan covered her struck cheek:
"Lin Wanyi, you're asking for death!"
She turned and lunged at Lin Wanyi, but Lin Jiajun blocked her right away:
"You dare try to hit my sister? Do you not see me standing here?"
Wang Meijuan was mad with anger: "Haohao, Haohao, you're a younger brother, why aren't you helping me?"
Wang Hao puffed fiercely on his cigarette, as if he hadn't seen anything.
Wang Jianguo and Liu Chunlan tried to go help, but they were blocked outside by Lin Jiajun.
In the end, Wang Meijuan was slapped several times by Lin Wanyi.
And Li Borui's things were all thrown into the hallway by Lin Jiajun.
Immediately after, Lin Wanyi went into the master bedroom.
Seeing the carefully chosen bedsheets and covers with several cigarette burn holes made by Wang Jianguo made her anxious.
She simply bundled up the four-piece bedding set and threw it out.
Lin Jiajun continued throwing everything into the trash bags.
Liu Chunlan wailed to the heavens:
"Oh my god, these are my clothes, what right do you have to touch my things!
"Lin Wanyi, you bitch, you bitch!"
Slap!
Lin Wanyi mercilessly slapped Liu Chunlan across the face.
Liu Chunlan was so angry she could barely stand:
"Lin Wanyi, I am your mother-in-law, how can you just hit me?"
It would have been better if she hadn't said that. Once she did, Lin Wanyi backhanded her with another slap:
"What mother-in-law? I don't even have a husband anymore, where would I get a mother-in-law?
"You dead old hag, Wang Hao and I finally divorced, are you happy now?
"Are you pleased?
"Let me tell you the truth, I am very happy too, I am thrilled!
"I can't wait to set off firecrackers to celebrate!"
