"But this is bad, our whole family will be ruined. Father and mother only want Second Brother and Sister-in-law to escape, leaving us behind as targets for them! How can parents be so cruel in this world?"
"I don’t matter, I’m an outsider anyway! I haven’t given birth to any child for the Tian Family. But you, you’re also their flesh and blood, how can they be so heartless? It’s all because of me that you’re dragged down!"
Lady Chen’s soft crying, like numerous fine needles, pierced into Tian Wuhu’s heart, numbing him with pain.
After feeding the horses, he was still worried about the troubles at home, thinking of checking on what his parents were discussing, while also planning to contribute to the family in any way he could.
But halfway back, he encountered his crying wife. After asking a few questions, he learned that his Sister-in-law might be pregnant, and his wife had been scolded by his mother because of this.
He comforted his wife with a few words, finally managing to calm her down.
Then the two of them searched the house for something good to celebrate with Second Brother.
But he was not favored, so apart from their own food and drink, they were rarely given pocket money.
The valuable things were mostly from before he got married.
After searching for a long time, they finally found a Golden Leaf tied with a red string at the bottom of a box.
The red string had already turned black, but the Golden Leaf was still glowing brightly, with its veins clearly visible, exquisite and beautiful.
Lady Chen looked at the Golden Leaf, unable to put it down, "Husband, this Golden Leaf is really beautiful. I’ve never seen such a beautiful thing before."
Tian Wuhu looking at the Golden Leaf, suddenly remembered that after their family moved to the county and the business started to improve, his mother had given it to him for his birthday, saying that it was a blessed item, and that their family’s good fortune was thanks to this Golden Leaf, urging him to wear it well without losing it.
He obediently wore it until he was about to get married, finding it inappropriate then, he took it off and stored it away.
Now seeing this Golden Leaf, since it was a blessed item, he decided to give it to his future nephew, letting the blessing protect him.
Thinking this, Tian Wuhu asked Lady Chen to re-tie the Golden Leaf with a new red thread, found a red bag to put it in, and together they went to the front yard to congratulate the Second Brother and his wife.
They felt relieved that the Tian Family finally had an heir. If it was a nephew, their future might depend on him.
However, when they reached the wall, because the door was not closed, they overheard Shopkeeper Tian’s conversation.
Tian Wuhu and his wife were stunned, soon hearing that Tian Sihai was about to come out, Tian Wuhu quickly pulled Lady Chen into the darkness.
They watched Tian Sihai and his wife pack several bags and then enter the house again, listening to Shopkeeper Tian’s instructions.
Seeing Tian Sihai and his wife sneak out through the back door, disappearing into the night.
The couple returned to their courtyard in silence.
Tian Wuhu wanted to laugh but couldn’t.
He wanted to cry but his eyes were dry.
After a long while, he spoke, "Ah Fang, it’s my fault that I’ve dragged you down in this life! The Tian Family is facing disaster, I don’t know what tomorrow will be like. I’m useless but I can’t drag you down! I’ll write you a divorce letter right now! This way, if something happens to the Tian Family, it won’t involve you!"
He immediately looked for paper and a pen to write the divorce letter.
Back then, he was the eldest son of the Tian Family and had attended school for a few days.
Lady Chen burst into tears, "Husband, I won’t leave! I’ll stay with you!"
Tian Wuhu resolutely shook his head, quickly wrote a divorce letter, gathered all the valuable things he had saved over the years into a package, and also stuffed the Golden Leaf into it, pushing it to Lady Chen.
"Tomorrow morning, take this divorce letter and package back to your parents’ home! If there’s an opportunity, remarry and live a good life!"
Lady Chen, naturally timid, holding the divorce letter and package, could only cry.
Tian Wuhu softly comforted Lady Chen the whole night, but despite her crying and pleading, he did not change his mind.
At dawn, he ignored her pleas, dragged her, opened the back door, and cruelly pushed her outside.
Lady Chen knocked on the door for a long time, unable to get it opened.
Holding the package, looking at the gradually lively street, feeling extremely lost.
Then the neighbor woman came out to buy vegetables, seeing Lady Chen.
Because Zhang Qiu Ju was unwilling to let go, thinking that since the eldest brother and his wife couldn’t bear sons and inherit the family business, she left all household chores to them.
Lady Chen often came out to buy vegetables, and since Tian Wuhu was honest and often helped the neighbor woman, the couple had a good relationship with her.
The woman saw Lady Chen holding a package, crying with swollen eyes, thinking of what had happened at the Tian Family yesterday, immediately understood a bit.
She pulled Lady Chen aside, asking in detail.
Lady Chen, now helpless and lost, with no idea what to do, told her everything.
The woman thought Shopkeeper Tian and Zhang Qiuju were too cruel, and felt pity for Tian Wuhu; despite such circumstances, he still remembered to save his wife.
She couldn’t help but suggest, "Your husband cares for you! Can you really watch him die? I heard from my master that it’s specifically against your father-in-law! If you truly want to save your husband, you might as well plead with those causing trouble and ask them not to act up, maybe your husband can be saved!"
Lady Chen, having no ideas of her own, believed her, "Really? If I plead with them, my husband can be saved?"
The woman vaguely said, "There’s no other way now, is there? Treat a dead horse as if it were alive! If it works, your husband’s life will be saved!"
Lady Chen, hearing that her husband’s life could be saved, agreed.
She didn’t know the troublemaker’s address.
The woman added, "I heard they live in Swallow Alley, go there and ask around."
Lady Chen, with a goal, bit her teeth, thanked the woman, and went to Swallow Alley.
After she left, the woman showed a bit of guilt, clutching the hard purse in her bosom, steeled her heart, and returned home.
After the woman entered her house and Lady Chen had gone far, a man jumped down from the tree between the two houses, spat on the ground, "Old Devout Woman, for the sake of Silver, you’ve really lost conscience!"
After saying this, he looked around, and quickly disappeared into the alley.