Chapter 31: Divorce

Fang Zhiyan’s brow furrowed tightly the moment he heard those words.

Oh, marvelous. First the small fry, now the old guard.

To think they would come to his home to cause trouble one after another. Did they really think that because his household consisted only of a widow and her son, they were easy targets?

Fang Zhiyan let out a cold laugh and hung up the phone.

Xu Qiushuang, standing nearby, had clearly heard the voice on the other end. She spoke up quickly, "Why don't you go back and see what's going on?"

"I am truly sorry, Teacher Xu. I had no idea something like this would happen," Fang Zhiyan explained apologetically.

Xu Qiushuang, however, appeared very understanding.

"It's fine. You should hurry back."

Fang Zhiyan nodded. Without hesitation, he grabbed his coat, stepped out, and hailed a taxi to head straight home.

By the time he reached the outskirts of the urban village, he could hear someone wailing and making a scene from a distance. The noise was deafening.

The sound of that shrill, dry howling could be heard for miles—it was utterly wretched!

Fang Zhiyan frowned, pushing through the crowd of onlookers to find an old woman standing in the center.

Her hair was grey and her face was lined with wrinkles, making her look like a witch from the Middle Ages. With her face smeared with tears and snot, she looked as though she had been severely mistreated.

The moment she spotted Fang Zhiyan, his grandmother, Zhou Dongmei, rushed over to him.

She grabbed his clothes and wailed, "Zhiyan! Look at these people! They’re all mocking me, bullying me, and laughing at my misfortune!"

Fang Zhiyan frowned and swatted her hand away. "What does that have to do with me?" he asked coldly. "Why are you here at my house?"

Hearing this, Zhou Dongmei let out a sigh and began to complain, "We’ve been waiting for you and your mother to come back. Why are you so stubborn? At the Fang house, you’d at least have a roof over your heads and food to eat. All you’d have to do is some light work. Who didn't start by working hard? You're young; surely you don't intend to just sit at home eating and waiting to die?"

This was clearly a jab at Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu, standing nearby, frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but Fang Zhiyan interrupted her.

"Enough. You’re only here because you want money, aren't you?"

"Oh, you child, why be so blunt?" Zhou Dongmei stopped crying the moment Fang Zhiyan got straight to the point. "Regardless of everything, you and your mother have lived in our house for so long. Now that you want a divorce for no good reason, is it really asking too much to want some money?"

Zhou Dongmei squinted at Fang Zhiyan, showing not a shred of a grandmother's affection. Her eyes were filled with nothing but calculation.

Yet, this was exactly what Fang Zhiyan wanted.

As long as his mother could get a divorce, he would do anything.

"Fine. It’s not too much to ask. But you must bring my father here to divorce my mother. Otherwise, I won't give you a single cent," Fang Zhiyan said coldly.

"Deal. As long as you pay up, we’ll divorce. Pay us first!" Zhou Dongmei said, her eyes darting around shiftily. She held up a finger. "At least three thousand yuan. Otherwise, no divorce!"

Three thousand yuan?

A flicker of fury ignited in Fang Zhiyan’s eyes. In the early 2000s, a resident doctor’s monthly salary was only about two or three thousand yuan. As an intern, Fang Zhiyan only earned one thousand. In this era, the average monthly wage was barely a thousand. Zhou Dongmei’s demand wasn't just for money—it was a demand for his life.

Fang Zhiyan couldn't be bothered to humor her. "One thousand is all you get. Take it or leave it, and we’ll see you in court. Once the police arrest you, at your age, you can look forward to rotting in jail."

Zhou Dongmei had little awareness of the law. Hearing this, she was instantly frightened. Seeing that Fang Zhiyan was firm on the one thousand yuan, she hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing. After all, a thousand yuan for free was a windfall. In the Fang household, where no one worked, she had no idea where such money would come from. Getting it for nothing was good enough.

"Fine. One thousand yuan. Pay up first."

"No. We go to the Civil Affairs Bureau first!" Fang Zhiyan said decisively. "My mother and I will wait for you there. Once the divorce is finalized, you get the money. Otherwise, wait for a court summons."

Without another word, Fang Zhiyan pulled Jiang Xu away.

Zhou Dongmei, feeling anxious and weighing her options, hurried back home.

Half an hour later, Fang Zhiyan waited at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau for the late-arriving Fang family. Along with Zhou Dongmei and Fang Jianjun came his second uncle, Fang Jianye.

His father, Fang Jianjun, looked at him with a trace of indignation. He glared at Fang Zhiyan before shifting his gaze to Jiang Xu.

"Are you sure you want to divorce me? Once you're divorced, you'll be a woman nobody wants. Who would even be with you then? I advise you to go home, cook, wash, and clean. At least you'll have a place to stay."

Jiang Xu frowned, while Zhou Dongmei smacked her son hard. "Are you an idiot? Do you want the thousand yuan or not?"

A flash of disgust crossed Fang Zhiyan’s eyes. "Enough with the nonsense. Without you, my mother’s life will only get better. Just sign the papers!"

"Pay the money first!" Zhou Dongmei urged from the side.

Fang Zhiyan remained calm. He pulled one thousand yuan from his pocket. His grandfather had given him eight hundred, and he had saved two hundred of his own to make up the total. This money was meant to bribe Fang Jianjun into signing the divorce agreement. To Fang Zhiyan, the money was far less important than liberating his mother from this hell.

"Sign it. The money is right here; it’s not going anywhere," Fang Zhiyan said with cold indifference.

Fang Jianjun gritted his teeth and signed the divorce agreement.

Only then did Fang Zhiyan toss the money over.

In an instant, the Fang family scrambled on the ground, clawing at the bills as if terrified the wind might blow them away.

After reviewing the documents and confirming that both parties were divorcing voluntarily, the staff at the Civil Affairs Bureau issued the divorce certificate.

Holding the certificate in her hands, Jiang Xu finally broke down in sobs. After all these years, the mountain that had been crushing her had finally vanished. She could finally live as a normal person.

Fang Zhiyan let out a soft breath and looked at his mother. "Mom, you’re free."

Jiang Xu nodded vigorously.

"From now on, I will make sure you live a good life," Fang Zhiyan continued. "We won't suffer like this ever again."

Jiang Xu wept with joy.

Meanwhile, the members of the Fang family were still on the floor, scrambling for the money. Fang Zhiyan ignored them entirely and led his mother out of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Back in the hall, Zhou Dongmei had searched for ages and only found three notes. Fang Jianjun had only two. The remaining five were nowhere to be found.

"Where’s the money?" Zhou Dongmei cried out in a panic. "Hurry, you two, look for it! There should be five hundred more! Find it!"

Just then, Fang Jianye suddenly let out a cry of delight.

"Oh? Here, I found it!"

"Give it here!" Zhou Dongmei demanded as she saw him pick up the cash.

But this time, Fang Jianye wasn't willing. He pulled his hand back, eyeing them both with suspicion.