Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The courtyard fell silent for a moment before Feng Yanwu exploded in rage.

"Is this true?"

Feng Yanwen felt it was too complicated to explain in a few words, so she nodded, silently admitting it.

Feng Yanwu's chest heaved as he quickly turned to Xu Jiefang. Under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, he strode over and landed a punch squarely on Xu Jiefang's face. A loud "thud" echoed—the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground as Xu Jiefang stumbled backward, knocking over a chair.

He stayed silent, but the whispers around them swelled.

Xu Jiefang wanted to fight back, but his brother-in-law was built like a tank—solid and unshakable. There was no way he could win.

Amid the chaos, the neighbors began whispering among themselves.

"What's going on? Xu Jiefang can't have kids? This is no joke—they’ve been pinning it on Teacher Feng for years!"

"No way, Xu Jiefang’s such a big guy."

"You don’t understand. He got hurt climbing trees as a kid. Who knows if it messed up his... you know? Anyway, folks don’t gossip about that stuff outright, but he didn’t deny it. Seems like it’s true."

"That’s messed up! Teacher Feng lost over ten years because of this, and Granny Xue has the nerve to demand money from her?"

"She’s always shameless."

...

He threw another punch, then another. Feng Yanwu wasn’t listening—he just kept hitting.

Xu Jiefang was a tall, strong man, but under his brother-in-law’s relentless assault, he could only stagger backward, unable to defend himself. Blood gushed from his nose. Soon, the crowd snapped to attention and rushed to intervene—some pulling them apart, others trying to mediate. Granny Xue screeched at the top of her voice.

"God! They’ll kill him!"

Feng Yanwu wasn’t done. His fists, like sledgehammers, continued to pound into Xu Jiefang’s face and ribs. "Say it! Admit it! Did you trick us?"

Xu Jiefang: "Xiao Wu, listen to me—"

Not denying it was the same as confessing.

Feng Yanwen took a few steps back, her face turning ghostly pale.

She had suspected before, but having it confirmed felt like the world had crumbled.

If it wasn’t her fault—if she had known the truth sooner—would she have divorced him? The question dogged her for years. She had brought it up many times, but Xu Jiefang always refused. She used to think it was because he had a sense of responsibility. Now she realized the truth.

He was scared no one else would take him!

Feng Yanwu grew even angrier. "What kind of damn man are you? It was your problem, but you made my sister take the blame! All these years, slaving for your family—what was the point? Your whole family’s been walking all over her!"

Granny Xue sat on the ground, slapping her thighs and howling. "You dare come here and beat people up? Fine! She’ll never get a divorce—not unless I die! If she dares find another man, we’ll call the police!"

She got cockier by the second, hardly even noticing that her own son was being beaten.

Feng Yanwen felt like she couldn’t breathe, her chest squeezing tight. Then everything went black.

————

After returning from the hospital, Feng Yanwen remained silent.

After today’s whole ordeal, it felt like all her energy had been drained. She didn’t even know how it all ended—only remembering Granny Xue shouting while Xu Jiefang remained silent, surrounded by a dense crowd of onlookers.

Just seeing that family made her head throb now.

Feng Yanwen got checked at the hospital—nothing serious. In the chaos, though, Xu Meng’s hair got messed up trying to catch those two chickens.

It took them a lot of effort just to get back home.

“Sis, why don’t you move back home? Divorce or no divorce, it doesn’t matter. I don’t believe their family can hold out forever,” Feng Yanwu said. “Whoever’s itching for the divorce loses leverage. Don’t worry, the Xu family won’t let Xu Jiefang stay single forever. When the time comes, he’ll be begging us to agree.”

Feng Yanwen shook her head. “I’ve got this place rented, and it’s steady here. What would I do if I went back? I want to earn some money myself, and Xu Meng still has to study. I’ll wait until after her college entrance exams before deciding anything.”

Three little faces peeked in through the door, each pair of eyes wide with curiosity.

Feng Yanwu knew they were the landlord’s kids, but hadn’t expected the landlord to be children themselves. His hand reached into his pocket for candy, then he remembered why he was there—there was nothing in his pocket. He grinned at them, teeth gleaming.

For all his bulk, Feng Yanwu had a baby face. The second child wasn’t afraid of him at all and asked, “Is Aunt Feng okay?”

Feng Yanwen’s mood lightened a bit. “I’m fine. Go play.”

All three kids glanced behind her.

Sister Liu had caught wind of the fuss and dropped by. Seeing how messy the place was, she didn’t say much. Using the excuse of washing the kids’ bedding, she looked around the courtyard and, finding nothing serious, came over to greet Feng Yanwen.

“Little sister, what’s wrong?” She had overheard Feng Yanwu urging his sister and niece to move back home.

She couldn’t risk losing a tenant—she was very satisfied with Feng Yanwen.

Ever since Feng Yanwen moved in, everything had been great. The kids adored her, and during summer vacation, they even helped sell maps and made quite a bit of money. If they left, she’d never luck out with tenants like them again. They made her life easier. With so much going on in the neighborhood and several welfare cases to look after, she couldn’t handle any more trouble.

Xu Meng quickly invited Sister Liu to sit.

“Don’t bother. I’m heading out anyway,” Sister Liu said, though she had really come to find out what was going on with Feng Yanwen’s family. “Little sister, I understand your situation now. If there’s anything we can do to help, just let us know. You’re a tenant in our neighborhood now, which means you’re one of us.”

Her own ex-husband had been a scoundrel too, but she had managed to divorce him.

How could folks like this even exist, threatening to ruin her? They had it coming.

If someone like that lived in her neighborhood, she’d rip that old hag to shreds.

Feng Yanwen smiled at her. “Thank you, Sister Liu. I don’t plan on moving out for now, and Xu Meng still has school here.”

She knew what Sister Liu was most worried about. They weren’t close enough to get into it, so there were some things she couldn’t share.

Sister Liu sighed in relief and took the kids outside, leaving them to talk.

Feng Yanwen sighed, then changed the subject to something lighter, telling her brother about how Xu Meng had helped her with business during the summer. “I think staying here, at least I can earn some money. With the Xus, I had nothing to my name. At my age, I’m done wasting time. As for going back, I’ll think about it only if I really can’t stay here anymore.”

Besides, what would she do back home? Those busybody aunties would be shoving men at her.

For now, she just wanted peace with Xu Meng.

They talked well into the evening, when Feng Yanwu dug in his heels about leaving and finally took off.

Feng Yanwen watched her brother’s retreating figure and sighed silently. Somehow, little Wu had become so grown up.

Xu Meng didn’t dare ask her mother what she and her uncle had talked about. All she heard was Feng Yanwen tossing all night, barely sleeping.

The next day, Feng Yanwu showed up with several burly men.

"Sis, these are the guys I brought from the village."

Feng Yanwen glanced at them—they were indeed villagers. Some had grown up playing with Feng Yanwu, while others were his classmates. She nodded at each of them, but before she could even make tea, Feng Yanwu was already leading the group to the big locust tree.

The crowd headed off in a big group.

Sharp-eyed Sister Liu noticed them leaving and fell in step with Xu Meng.

Xu Meng lit up when she saw the warm-hearted woman. "Auntie Liu."

Though she didn’t know why, Sister Liu’s presence gave Xu Meng a sense of security.

They had set out early that morning, and by the time they arrived, most of the Xu family hadn’t even left the house. None of them expected Feng Yanwu to return so soon, and they were completely caught off guard—even Wang Meili, who had prepared a speech to mediate, was at a loss for words.

With so many people showing up, it was clearly not for reconciliation. Were they here to start something?

Granny Xue was about to make a scene, but Feng Yanwu wasn’t buying any of it. Whether she sat on the ground slapping her thighs or rolling around, he ignored her completely and walked straight up to Xu Jiefang. "Look, Xu Jiefang, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Xu Jiefang, still swollen-faced from the beating the day before, looked like hell.

The family had argued half the night but reached no consensus. Still, Xu Jiefang was adamant—there was no way he was getting divorced.

Give me a break—what kind of woman could he find after a divorce?

Would it be an unemployed woman from out of town? Or one who came with a child in tow?

These days, women were just as picky as men when it came to partners, and with Xu Jiefang’s circumstances, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Besides, wouldn’t finding a new partner cost money?

"Listen, Xiao Wu—we messed up, I admit that. But back then, if it weren’t for us, your sister wouldn’t have finished college. And now you all talk so lightly about divorce, saying we wasted over a decade of her life—but what about my decade? Doesn’t that count for anything?" Xu Jiefang tried to play the emotional card.

Feng Yanwu scoffed. "That’s crap! If anything, it’s my sister who’s been too kind. She should’ve divorced you back then. Plenty of people got divorces just to move to the city—let alone after getting into college! My sister is a college graduate! Last night, the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Did you all see she got into college and were afraid she’d run off, so you lied and told her she couldn’t have kids? You played on her good nature, bullied her because she was too decent, didn’t you? If it weren’t for you, my sister could’ve gone to college just fine—it’s not like our family couldn’t afford to support a teacher-training student!"

Back then, teacher-training and medical students had their tuition fully covered by the state, including living expenses.

What gave the Xu family the right to claim they supported Feng Yanwen’s education?

If not for their interference, Feng Yanwen could’ve gotten into an even better university.

As the argument grew heated, Wang Meili was getting antsy. "What’s the point of bringing all this up now? Sure, your sister-in-law is capable, but she still lost her job, didn’t she? And she’s supposed to be a college graduate—yet all she does is stay home raising kids and cooking?"

Xu Meng sneered. "So you had a hand in exploiting my mom’s labor too. Is this all you’re good for—throwing your weight around at home? Look how proud you are of yourself."

Wang Meili had said similar things before.

She and Feng Yanwen were around the same age, and her competitive nature always made her compare herself to Feng Yanwen.

At first, Feng Yanwen was just a country girl, but then she got into college, successfully leaping through the "dragon gate," becoming someone different.

But what did Wang Meili have? A nowhere job, living the same monotonous life day after day. She had often mocked Feng Yanwen to her face, calling her a "barren chicken."

Back when she gave birth to Xu Jia, Granny Xue had dressed her down the same way—and now she was doing the same to Feng Yanwen!

This was what one woman had said to another.

Xu Meng said, "Doesn’t that sound familiar? The old hag cursed you like that, and now you curse me the same way. Doesn’t that strike you as ironic? If she’s a barren chicken, what kind of prized catch does that make you?"

The crowd burst into laughter, and Wang Meili’s face turned pale.

While they were talking, Li Xiuzhi rushed over with a few people in tow—probably local officials.

Li Xiuzhi was dead set on making Feng Yanwen pay up—at the very least, enough to cover the third son’s wedding. But she had no business saying that. She’d spent all of last night working the old lady over emotionally, tugging at her heartstrings and appealing to reason, even bringing up Xu Dawei’s marriage prospects to push her buttons. Xu Dawei was the family’s golden boy, the old lady’s pride and joy—there was no way she wouldn’t think about him.

Ever since Feng Yanwen dropped the divorce bomb, Li Xiuzhi had been a nervous wreck.

Last night, the couple whispered under the covers for half the night. With Xu Dawei grown and now dating, money was tight everywhere in the house. Where were they supposed to scrape together cash for the third son’s wedding?

But the third son was barely in his forties—they couldn’t just let him die a bachelor, could they? Li Xiuzhi had another card up her sleeve: she knew the third son had some savings stashed with the old lady. Since Feng Yanwen had no hold over the third son, she wanted to use that money to buy a house.

But what if later the third son married a strong-willed woman who wanted to manage the money herself?

So it was better if the third son didn’t divorce after all.

When bullying didn’t work, she switched to sweet-talking. Li Xiuzhi put on a sugary smile and stepped forward: “Come on, sis, we’re family. What’s the big deal we can’t work out? It’s not like we’ve committed any crimes. Yesterday, your brother even beat up the third son to blow off steam, and we didn’t say a word, did we? The neighborhood leaders are here too. Let’s clear the air today. From now on, if anyone dares to look down on you for not having kids, I’ll be the first to stand up for you!”

The officials were really in a bind. They’d heard the whole story.

Was this really about whether or not she had children?

They’d been stringing her along for over ten years, insulting her every day, letting her take the blame for everything—and now they thought an apology would fix it?

Xu Meng shot back with a line that’d go viral years later: “If apologies worked, what do we need judges and cops for? You think everything can be fixed with a sorry? Are your family’s apologies that precious?”

“Everyone here is a neighbor. You tell me—what kind of life has my mother lived in this house? Wasn’t she either beaten or insulted every day? If the old lady was in a bad mood, she’d humiliate my mom. Remember that time they dumped freezing water on her in the dead of winter? If that’s what you call a good life, then thank you very much.”

This wasn’t just Feng Yanwen’s memory—many people in the courtyard remembered it clearly.

One bitterly cold winter, Feng Yanwen had stayed late at school for evening study. By the time she got home, the public bathhouse was closed. Feeling unwell but desperate to bathe, she heated water and washed indoors. Just as she crouched into the tub, Granny Xue went berserk, barged in holding a basin of icy water, and poured it straight onto Feng Yanwen’s head.

It was winter. Feng Yanwen shivered violently, dried off quickly, and dove under the covers—but couldn’t get warm. She came down with a bad fever—right smack in the middle of finals. It messed up her school duties, and her superiors used it as an excuse to fire her.

When Xu Jiefang found out, he simply said, “Aren’t you fine now?”

That’s the kind of man he was.

The crowd burst out laughing again, their eyes full of curiosity and scrutiny toward Xu Meng.

Before, she’d just been the quiet, pretty one. The family always bragged about Xu Jia—Granny Xue often praised that granddaughter as capable, responsible, and hardworking. No one expected Xu Meng to be like this—to fight so fiercely for her mother, to step up when her mom was being bullied. She was truly a good girl.

Granny Xue shrieked, “She must’ve hooked up with some guy outside! How else could she afford new clothes and file for divorce?”

Feng Yanwu snapped, “That’s bullshit!”

Granny Xue smirked smugly. “You all judge for yourselves—look at Feng Yanwen. She’s only been gone a month, and already she looks completely different. If she hasn’t been sleeping around, I’ll eat my words!”

Now she wasn’t crying anymore. Her beady eyes darted back and forth, sizing up Feng Yanwen.

Feng Yanwen was still young—she’d have no trouble finding another man after the divorce. But her husband, Jiefang, was already in his forties—he’d never find someone as good as her again.

“That’s bullshit!” Sister Liu shoved her way through the crowd. She’d had enough.

She flashed her ID badge and red armband, stood tall, and shouted, “Everyone quiet down! I’m Liu Yuhua, director of the Changchun Street Neighborhood Office. Feng Yanwen currently lives in our district—I have the right to speak.”

The crowd broke into murmurs.

"Oh, it's Comrade Official Liu."

"Is Feng Yanwen living on Changchun Street? Isn’t that whole area just housing?"

Sister Liu was definitely a cadre—she had an air of authority the moment she stepped forward. As she pushed through the crowd, someone even made way for her. It took some effort, but finally she reached the front. When Granny Xue saw this plump, petite woman, she gave a scornful sniff.

What sort of neighborhood official is this? Could she be fake, trying to scare people?

But surprisingly, when Sister Liu appeared, the official from the Big Locust Tree area called out, "Liu Yuhua, it’s you!"

Liu Yuhua was a local celebrity, having been honored city-wide last year.

Sister Liu nodded calmly. She raised a hand, signaling the onlookers to quiet down. Once the noise lessened, she said, "Granny, though you’re not from our district, Feng Yanwen does live in our street, so I’ll represent the Changchun Street Office and help mediate this family dispute."

Without even asking her opinion, this Sister Liu—who usually seemed so amiable—was acting quite forcefully.

The cadres from the Big Locust Tree area didn’t say anything. Why was a street official from Changchun Street stepping in?

Sister Liu cleared her throat and continued, "Granny, throwing around accusations is reckless. I can confirm that since Feng Yanwen moved to Changchun Street, there hasn't been a single adult man in her home. Even her rental agreement was handled by me—I can swear to that on my honor."

Granny Xue wasn’t convinced. "How’d she scrape together rent money? She doesn’t have any!"

Sister Liu glanced at Xu Meng. The street office knew about their recent street stall business. Since small private ventures were now allowed, they hadn’t interfered much. So Sister Liu knew exactly what this mother and daughter were up to—and was stunned by the old hag’s cheapness.

She’s an adult, right? Can’t even afford rent money, and still dares to bring it up?

A surge of anger rose in Sister Liu’s chest. "You’ve got nerve bringing *that* up! The first rent payment she gave me was for half a month. At first, the two of them crashed in a shack. Only after earning a little from their stall did they manage to pay the full rent. Their business is officially registered with the street office, so spare us your snide remarks. Let me make this clear: Feng Yanwen and her daughter are running a legitimate business—one that can withstand scrutiny."

Xu Meng’s chest swelled with gratitude. Actually, Sister Liu didn’t have to speak up—no one would’ve blamed her, as this matter had nothing to do with her.

But by doing so, she’d invited trouble for herself. Xu Meng could only feel deep gratitude toward her.

By this point, even Xu Jiefang felt ashamed. Now everyone knew how harshly his family had treated his wife—not only slaving like an ox but also keeping every penny from her. How could such a stingy bunch claim there were no major conflicts?

"Jiefang, what do you have to say?"

Xu Jiefang stood staring at his shoes, mute. Finally, he muttered, "I don’t agree to a divorce."

But things had spiraled out of his hands. The family’s deception over the past decade hadn’t even been addressed yet, and the old woman’s nasty attitude had already left a mark. Who would dare side with the Xu family now?

Feng Yanwu shouted, "You don’t get to decide whether the divorce happens or not! I don’t agree either. No matter what it takes, the two of you are going to the civil affairs bureau today. Even if my sister never remarries, she won’t waste her life in your household."

His companions joined in, threatening to wreck the Xu household.

Granny Xue couldn’t take it anymore. With Xu Jiefang’s willpower already broken, he was shoved down and beaten again—having already been hit the day before. Granny Xue finally lost control, bawling, "Xiao Sanzi, just let it go. We’re no match for this harpy. Mom’ll find you someone better later."

They wouldn’t wrap things up today, but the two signed the divorce agreement first.

Granny Xue finally relented on demanding compensation from Feng Yanwen—she didn’t have the gall to say it in front of so many people.

Feng Yanwen also dropped her financial claims. With divorce imminent, she wanted no further ties to this family over money. Over the years, Xu Jiefang’s earnings had all gone to the old woman, so retrieving any of it would be near impossible. Money-wise, they were square.

When it came to the child, all hell broke loose again.

Granny Xue insisted that Xu Meng, originally adopted by them and bearing the Xu surname through distant kinship, must stay with the Xu family. But neither Xu Meng nor Feng Yanwen wanted her to remain. Considering Xu Meng was old enough to make her own decisions, her wishes had to be respected. In the end, she stayed with Feng Yanwen.

Granny Xue seethed with resentment—like fattening a hog just to lose it at market.

The divorce agreement was signed, and each walked away with their own copy.

Officials from both neighborhood committees served as witnesses, admitting there was no way to resolve the dispute.

Xu Meng finally breathed a sigh of relief. Earlier, she had worried that her mother might be dragged into an endless dispute and never get the divorce finalized. Then, when it came time to sign the agreement, she feared the Xu family might try to hold onto her just to cause trouble. Judging by Granny Xue’s expression, she looked like she couldn’t wait to pawn Xu Meng off for profit. Of course, Xu Meng could always run away again, just like in her past life—but then what? Would they turn on her mother afterward?

Seeing that there was still time, Feng Yanwu dragged everyone straight to the civil affairs office.

After all, they lived far away. What if the Xu family changed their minds later and dragged things out endlessly? So the whole group trooped over to the civil affairs office.

Xu Jiefang had wanted to make one last attempt to fight back, but who knew his brother-in-law would be so forceful? Anyway, causing a fuss in front of everyone would only make him look worse. And seeing how firmly Feng Yanwen had set her mind, there was clearly no turning back. As they walked along, regret crept into his heart. If only he had treated her better before, maybe things wouldn’t have come to this.

But now it was too late to think about that. By the time they reached the civil affairs office and he held that small green booklet in his hands, it hit him—this marriage was done for good.