“Stop crying. See? I’m perfectly fine.”
Xiao Jingping’s voice was a little hoarse. He hadn’t expected Wang Meixia to have changed so much in just one year. She had lost a great deal of weight, and there wasn’t a trace of color in her face.
A wave of guilt surged through him. He was the one who had dragged her into this mess, forcing her to endure the gossip surrounding divorce at her age.
Standing outside the window, Xiao Mandong listened carefully. She wanted to see exactly why Wang Meixia had come.
“All right, stop crying,” Old Master Xiao said. “You’re already divorced. What are you two doing clinging to each other like that? Tell us—why have you come today?”
His son’s marriage had been a scheme from the very beginning. The moment something happened to the Xiao family, the Wang family had demanded a divorce. He didn’t believe for a second that they had braved the snow to come here without some ulterior motive.
Only after hearing his father did Xiao Jingping realize that his actions had been inappropriate. He quickly let go of Wang Meixia.
But Wang Meixia clung tightly to the front of his shirt and refused to release him.
She regretted it. She wanted a divorce from Zheng Chao.
The place where they lived now was the Cai family’s old house. It was run-down and drafty, with wind blowing in from every direction. They had spent two days gathering firewood, and then the snow had started falling. They had no idea how they were going to make it through the winter.
What was more, ever since Zheng Chao had arrived there, he had become a completely different person. He had only worked one day at his temporary job before declaring that it was too exhausting. Then he had pulled strings to find her work washing vegetables in a cafeteria. A grown man was supposed to stay home and look after the child while she went out to earn money? It was utterly ridiculous.
The baby was still nursing, yet Zheng Chao had actually told her to express her milk ahead of time so he could dilute it with water and feed the baby. What kind of person said things like that?
And then there was his mother-in-law, who even made her wash her underwear.
She truly couldn’t endure another day of such a life.
Jingping was different. In their twenty years of marriage, he had never made her do any work. He could earn money and endure hardship. Judging from the Xiao family’s circumstances, they could still afford to eat fine grain, which meant they clearly had some wealth. If she remarried Jingping, things would surely return to the way they had been. He would keep her warm and well-fed and dote on her in every way.
She bit her lower lip and tightened her grip on his shirt. There was only one thought in her mind: She had to remarry him. She absolutely had to.
“Dad, I know you have a problem with me, but back then, I was only trying to protect Zhenyu. I regret it now. Raising Zhenyu alone is too difficult. I came here this time because I want to remarry Jingping.”
Xiao Jingping stood there in a daze, his Adam’s apple bobbing. The room fell so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Li Fengmei tightened her grip on Wang Yuanyuan’s hand, barely able to suppress her excitement. If the two of them remarried, they would still be one family. Things would return to the way they had been, and whatever the Xiao family had would surely be shared with the Wang family as well. They wouldn’t have to worry about starving anymore.
Xiao Zhenyu stood to the side with his head lowered, rubbing his fingers together as his heart pounded. If his mother and Xiao Jingping remarried, would people stop questioning his identity?
Xiao Jingping looked at Wang Meixia’s broken, pitiful appearance, and the tension inside him suddenly eased.
“Don’t cry anymore. Sit down and talk.”
Wang Meixia stopped sobbing, though tears still clung to her face.
Xiao Mandong could stand it no longer. With a loud bang, she kicked the door open.
The smile tugging at Li Fengmei’s lips froze.
“You… What are you doing here?”
Wang Meixia’s face went deathly pale. Her lips trembled, and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
“Mandong, you…”
Xiao Mandong cut her off.
“Wang Meixia, does Zheng Chao know you want to remarry my father? Or did you all discuss this beforehand and decide that the Xiao family should continue supporting him?”
“You… Don’t talk nonsense, Xiao Mandong. Your grandmother’s health is poor. Watch your tone.”
Wang Meixia had never expected to run into Xiao Mandong here, much less have her say Zheng Chao’s name outright. Her legs felt weak. This daughter of hers truly was her nemesis.
“Don’t use me as an excuse, Mandong. Say whatever you have to say,” Old Lady Xiao said bluntly. “Your father has never been very clearheaded. If you don’t spell things out, he might get cheated by the Wang family again.”
“Mom, how can you say something so unpleasant? I’m sincere—”
Before Wang Meixia could finish, Xiao Mandong interrupted her again.
“Dad, Wang Meixia has already remarried, and she’s even had—”
“Shut up, Xiao Mandong! I’m your mother. Don’t you dare make things up about me.”
As she spoke, Wang Meixia grabbed Xiao Mandong and tried to pull her outside.
“Come out. I need to talk to you.”
Xiao Mandong shook off her hand with a cold laugh and followed Wang Meixia outside. She stood in the snow, curious to see what Wang Meixia wanted to say.
Wang Meixia led her to the corner of the courtyard and lowered her voice.
“Xiao Mandong, you know your grandmother has a heart condition. And as for Xiao Zhenyu’s situation, you have no proof. Before you speak, think carefully. If your grandmother gets worked up and something happens to her, it’ll be too late for you to regret it…”
The moment she opened her mouth, Wang Meixia unleashed a string of threats. After a pause, her tone softened, and she put on the concerned expression of someone acting for another person’s sake.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell your grandparents about your divorce either. Just focus on your work. After I remarry your father, I’ll take good care of your grandparents too. I’m your mother. How can there be lasting resentment between mother and daughter?”
“Wang Meixia, you’ve already remarried and even had an illegitimate child. What, did my father owe you something in a past life? Are you determined to bleed him dry for the rest of his life?”
The moment Xiao Mandong finished speaking, Xiao Siyuan rushed out. His face flushed bright red as he pointed at Wang Meixia and shouted:
“Wang Meixia, you’re married and have had a child, yet you still want to remarry my uncle? Are you insane? Or do you think our Xiao family is easy to fool?”
His shout was loud enough for everyone inside and outside the house to hear.
When Wang Meixia heard Xiao Siyuan’s words, she collapsed directly into the snow.
She was finished. Completely finished.
Old Lady Xiao immediately snatched up the broom on the ground and began beating the members of the Wang family with it.
“Get out! I knew the Wang family had no good intentions coming here. You’re already married to someone else, yet you still came crawling over to talk about remarrying. Have you no shame? You were the ones who insisted on getting divorced back then. What, have you spent all your money now? Are you trying to sell your daughter for money again?”
Xiao Zhenyu hurriedly grabbed Old Lady Xiao.
“Grandma, don’t get worked up. My mother had no choice. After the divorce, people pointed fingers at her. She just wanted someone to rely on…”
“Smack!”
Old Lady Wang slapped Xiao Zhenyu across the face.
“Xiao Zhenyu, you knew your mother had remarried, didn’t you? A divorce already meant she had nothing more to do with our family, let alone a remarriage. What exactly did you come here for today? To mooch off us?”
“Grandma… The Wang family was reported by Xiao Mandong. My eldest uncle lost his job, and I was forced to go to the countryside. Our life is difficult now. Is it really wrong for us to come here and ask you for help?”
