After drinking the medicine and sleeping soundly, they felt much better. Although not completely recovered, Zhang Tieshan felt less uncomfortable than yesterday, and Zhang Tiehua could get out of bed and move around.
As the two were congratulating themselves, they saw Gao Feixue leading the local thugs charging towards them.
Seeing Zhang Tieshan’s bewildered look, Wu Caiwei felt an immense satisfaction. She waved the letter of divorce in her hand and said triumphantly, "Take a good look, this is for you. Originally, a letter of divorce is given by a man to a woman, but our family is different. You are marrying into our family, so naturally, it is I who will write you a letter of divorce. In a moment, you and your sister will pack your things and leave. Otherwise, the people behind me are not to be trifled with, and they will throw you both out directly, leaving with nothing."
The siblings were stunned. They had never imagined such a situation. Zhang Tiehua quickly stepped forward, "Sister-in-law, if you find me an eyesore in the house, I can move out immediately. You two have such a good relationship, and after so many years of marriage, you don’t even have a child. My brother has never said a harsh word. Are you two having some kind of misunderstanding?"
Wu Caiwei chuckled when she heard this, "You still have the nerve to talk to me about children? I am the only girl in my family. My parents, on their deathbeds, held my hand and hoped I would have a child with the surname Gao. I have always wanted to fulfill their wish, but why haven't we had one for so many years? You know the reasons best, don't you? Shall I tell everyone here?" Su Dan Xiaoshuo Wang
The thugs behind her perked up their ears, eager to hear the gossip and spread it later.
For a moment, Zhang Tiehua felt a pang of guilt, then she awkwardly laughed, "Sister-in-law, what do you mean? I don't understand. Can we control when you get pregnant?"
Seeing that she wouldn't confess until cornered, Wu Caiwei said with a half-smile, "Every time you pretend to care about me, what do you give me to drink? You know, and I know. I used to have feelings for him and thought we were family, so I didn't hold it against him. If he didn't want children, so be it. But that doesn't mean I haven't noticed. I've saved the dregs of the medicine every time, and I've even followed you. I know exactly which pharmacies you bought the medicine from. Shall we go to court and have an official settle this?"
Zhang Tieshan was shocked. He had never realized this woman was so cunning and had kept such a backup. He stepped forward to grab her hand, but Wu Caiwei immediately took a step back, evading him. She said displeasedly, "Just talk, why are you being so touchy? The letter of divorce has been written, and we have no relationship. I am going to get married, and you shouldn't ruin my reputation."
Hearing this, Zhang Tieshan felt incredibly wronged. He couldn't believe this woman was openly saying she was going to get married in front of him, did she not take him seriously at all?
However, this was not the time to discuss this. He quickly put on a fawning smile and said, "The Yang lady at the east end of town died in childbirth, and the Li lady at the west end of town died just after giving birth. I was worried about you, wanting to be with you for a long, long time. If something happened to you during childbirth, how would I live? If you like children, we can adopt one. There are so many orphans outside; pick one with good character, and I believe they will be grateful."
Wu Caiwei looked at the man who was trying so hard to defend himself. If the original owner were here, she might have softened her heart and believed his nonsense. But who was she? She gave him a deep look and directly ordered her men to drive them out.
"Don't touch me, Feixue, Feixue, you can't be so heartless..."
"Sister-in-law, we know we were wrong. Please forgive us this once..."
Unfortunately, their plea was met with the sound of a door slamming shut. They were forcefully pushed out. Using their momentum, they ran a short distance before stabilizing themselves and turning back to look at the closed shop door and the pointing fingers of the surrounding people. They had never been so humiliated in their lives.
Zhang Tieshan was not giving up. He banged on the door forcefully, "Feixue, open the door, let me explain properly..."
However, Gao Feixue paid him no mind. Instead, the commotion attracted quite a crowd. The old woman living next door, who had watched the entire spectacle, consoled them, "You young people really know how to have fun, locking people out directly. Unlike us old folks, who revolve around our children and are too tired to even argue."
"Yes, yes. Couples quarrel in bed and make up by night. There are no grudges that last overnight. But Feixue's temper is truly good. I wonder what you did to make her so angry." The old woman opposite joined in.
"I say, you haven't been seeing someone on the outside, have you? Don't be foolish. Feixue is good-looking, kind-tempered, virtuous, and can earn money. Where else would you find such a good girl?" Old Mrs. Xu, from across the street, sized him up and guessed.
...
Originally, Zhang Tieshan and Zhang Tiehua did not want to talk to them. After all, they had left the Gao family and didn't know where to stay, so they were in no mood to discuss these things. But as they spoke more and more outrageously, they had to explain or it would become incomprehensible.
He winked at Zhang Tiehua, who immediately understood. With some embarrassment, she stepped forward and choked out, "To be honest, what my brother did was indeed wrong. He cared too much about Feixue. Seeing that many women in our town died in childbirth, he was afraid of losing her, so he went to Doctor Li in town to get some contraceptives. That's why they haven't had a child after several years of marriage. Somehow, she found out and kicked us out. We meant well, but we did wrong. Could you aunties tell us where we can stay? We might have to spend the night outside tonight."
The crowd immediately began to discuss. Which man wouldn't prioritize continuing the family line? Although Zhang Tieshan had married into the family, they had agreed when they got married that the first son would have the surname Gao, and the second son would have the surname Zhang.
They did not agree with his reasoning. After all, what would happen to a woman if she had no children of her own in her old age? Even if she adopted one, could she guarantee that person would take care of her?
Any woman would find this unacceptable, and it was likely that Gao Feixue would not forgive him easily. Fortunately, one kind-hearted old woman generously lent them her old, disused small courtyard for a few days.
When they arrived at the place, Zhang Tieshan and Zhang Tiehua were dumbfounded. It was indeed an old courtyard. Grass had grown chest-high in the rooms due to the long period of disuse, and one could see the sky through the roof. Besides a few tattered bedding rolls, there was nothing else in the house.
Under normal circumstances, the two would have turned around and left without hesitation, but this was different. No matter how dilapidated the house was, it was better than sleeping on the streets.
Zhang Tieshan was determined to coax Gao Feixue into changing her mind. As long as they could get into the house, they would find a way to deal with her.
So, they both returned to the side of the Gao family shop, knocking on the door and constantly explaining. They hadn't eaten for two meals, and their stomachs growled with hunger, yet Gao Feixue did not show her face.