Chapter 149 - 150: Divorce
Gu Yuanjin paid no mind to the other party’s darkening expression, walking over to support Li Cuicui. "Mother, what do you say we do next?"
Li Cuicui glanced at everyone in the courtyard. "I know this old woman isn’t very welcome today. All of you are probably cursing me under your breath. But some people just refuse to act like decent human beings and have to stir up trouble when things are peaceful.
"We came here today to put an end to this matter. Anyone who knows me knows that I’ve never mistreated my daughter. It was like I sent a daughter I raised so well to the He Family to toil and slave away.
"But as for how they’ve tormented Yuan Feng, I’m sure you, as their fellow clan members, know even more about it than we do.
"We only have one demand today: I want to take my daughter back. I’ll have to trouble the He Clan Leader to help write a divorce agreement."
"Mother, I don’t want a divorce," Gu Yuanfeng cried, rushing over to grab Li Cuicui. Luckily, Gu Yuanjin was beside her to steady her, or the force of the impact would have knocked Li Cuicui straight to the ground.
"Shut up! Is this your place to speak?" Li Cuicui gritted her teeth. ’I really don’t know how someone so foolish could have come from my own womb.’
"I don’t want a divorce," He Tuping also blurted out. If he didn’t speak up now, he’d truly lose his wife and child.
"This is not your place to speak," Gu Yuanhuo said, blocking his path with a voice full of menace.
"Didn’t you want to stay home and take care of your father and me?" Li Cuicui stared at Gu Yuanfeng. "As long as you get a divorce, Mother will arrange for you to move back into our own home. You won’t have to squeeze into that drafty grass hut, and you won’t have to serve your mother-in-law and sisters-in-law.
"As for the child in your belly, if you want to keep it, we’ll find you a good family willing to accept the child. If you don’t want it, I’ll swallow my pride and have your Brother Qi go to the Prefecture City to get you some medicine. I guarantee it won’t harm your body."
Seeing Gu Yuanfeng’s hesitation, Gu Yuanshui couldn’t help but add fuel to the fire. "Sixth Sister, before you were married, you were a famous budding beauty in our area. But look what you’ve gone through all these years. If you were to walk outside now, your sisters-in-law all look younger and healthier than you.
"Besides, it’s just a little brat in your belly, isn’t it? If you can’t bear to part with it, then just keep it. As long as you’re diligent, won’t you be able to support it?"
Gu Yuanfeng touched her own coarse-feeling face, then looked at Li Cuicui’s smooth, moisturized one. A wave of bitterness washed over her. ’Forget my sisters-in-law, I probably can’t even compare to my own mother anymore.’
Li Cuicui knew exactly what her own daughter was thinking at that moment. She cocked her head smugly, letting her daughter get a better look at the healthy sheen on her face.
’This face cream from the Seventh Wife really works wonders,’ she thought to herself. ’In past years, the cold wind would make my skin crack and hurt, but there’s not a single sign of it this year.’
"How can you act like this? We married her properly, paid a full bride price to bring her into the family! And now you think you can just take her away with a few simple words? Let me tell you, not a chance!"
Mrs. He Zhou moved to pull Gu Yuanfeng away but was blocked by Gu Yuantu, who had been standing silently to the side.
"A bride price?" Li Cuicui put her hands on her hips and proceeded to enlighten the surrounding audience once again. "You gave three taels of silver and some homespun cloth. I didn’t keep a single bit of it back then; I gave it all to my daughter as her dowry.
"But look at my daughter after all these years! Is she still wearing the same few sets of clothes she had before she married? And that cloth, haven’t I seen it on your eldest daughter-in-law?
"As for the silver taels, didn’t we settle the accounts that one time on the road? My daughter has put in far more than that, and you still haven’t paid it all back.
"If you really want to talk about it, I still have the dowry list. It looks like I’ll have to come knocking on your door to demand it all back."
"You..." Mrs. He Zhou pointed at Li Cuicui, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal.
At this point, the He Clan Leader had no choice but to step forward and speak. "My younger brother’s wife has indeed been unreliable in this matter, but it hasn’t reached the point of divorce.
"Look, aside from this, let’s sit down and discuss it calmly.
"When the time comes, we elders can have a talk with He Tuping about where he’s gone wrong. What do you say we let this matter pass for now?"
As the clan leader, he was in a difficult position. No matter the reason, for the wife’s family to storm over demanding a divorce, it meant the He Family was in the wrong no matter how you spun it.
Moreover, having listened for so long, everyone present had more or less figured out He Tuliang and his family’s schemes. No matter which part of the story got out, it would be detrimental to the entire clan.
Besides, Gaoling Village had been very high-profile with its recent reconstruction; basically, every single household had a brick and tile house now.
And with a top-scoring Scholar like Ancient Wen Heng backing them, the surrounding villages could only look up to them in the future. Who would dare to offend such people?
He shot a disgusted look at He Tuping. ’A man his age, still being wrapped around his older brother’s finger. Instead of building good relations with such powerful relatives, he goes out of his way to offend them.’
"We’re not as magnanimous as the He Clan Leader," Li Cuicui insisted. "If you don’t want this to blow up, I hope you’ll give us a final decision today."
The He Clan Leader shot a look at Mrs. He Zhou, signaling for her to come over and say a few conciliatory words. But she completely misunderstood his intention, put her hands on her hips, and charged forward.
"A divorce, is it? Fine! This old lady agrees! I’d like to see how a divorced woman like her is going to live her life!
"Take her away, now! From now on, the He Family has no such daughter-in-law.
"I’ll make it clear right now: if my second son doesn’t get a divorce, he can get the hell out with his wife!"
As soon as she said this, the He Clan Leader closed his eyes in despair. ’How did my clan brother ever marry such a stupid sow of a woman?’
Hearing this, Gu Yuanfeng also despaired. She stood silently behind her brothers. She didn’t even need to look to know what He Tuping’s choice would be.
"Mother, can you take me with you?" He Chuncao, who had walked over at some point, clutched Gu Yuanfeng’s hand, her voice filled with pleading.
Gu Yuanfeng stroked her head, tears dripping endlessly onto the ground, but she didn’t say a word.
Li Cuicui had no time for such trivialities right now. She and her sons began to negotiate with the members of the He Family across from them.
The He Family was clearly in the wrong, so not only did the Gu Family demand the return of most of Gu Yuanfeng’s dowry, but they also gained full authority over the handling of the child in her womb.
Anyway, according to Mrs. He Zhou’s logic, without Gu Yuanfeng, their family could definitely marry in an even more virtuous wife. They wouldn’t have to worry about continuing the family line. Besides, they didn’t even know what kind of goods was in her belly; if it was another girl, they would have suffered a great loss.
All the members of the He Family present shook their heads in silence. It seemed they would have to keep their distance from this branch of the family from now on.