Chapter Twenty-Five: Then Let Us Divorce (Part Two)

Mrs. Li saw her daughter coming out and struggled to stand, reaching out to grasp her daughter's hand.

Gu Xiaoyao felt the roughness of her mother's fingers and palms, which made her uneasy. She was not accustomed to such closeness with others.

"Xiaoyao, you don't need to worry about me. I truly will be fine here."

"I won’t live here any longer. I’ll live apart from your father."

Mrs. Li was unwilling for her daughter to keep worrying about her affairs. She felt herself to be a useless mother; these matters ought to be resolved by herself.

"I heard what he said just now. Do you think simply moving to another place will solve anything?"

Gu Xiaoyao had seen many men like Gu Dacai: useless themselves, but keen to exert their masculinity over women weaker than them.

"If I just move out, he won’t come often..."

Mrs. Li spoke these words with a guilty conscience. After so many years, she knew exactly what kind of man her husband was.

Madam Yang originally wanted to speak up for Mrs. Li, but seeing Gu Xiaoyao’s cold attitude, she somehow dared not approach.

"Xiaoyao, it’s really not possible for you to take your mother and brother back to Lotus Village..."

Gu Xiaoyao no longer wished to linger here. She looked at the two women and spoke a sentence that shocked them.

"You think it’s impossible for me to take Mother and Brother back to Lotus Village because they have a home and a husband here. If that’s the case, then let’s divorce."

"As long as Mother divorces Gu Dacai, there shouldn’t be any further problems."

Divorce?!

Mrs. Li was bewildered, Madam Yang was astonished.

How could the word divorce come up so suddenly? It seemed far too abrupt.

"This—this—this, Xiaoyao, how can you talk about divorce!"

Madam Yang was so shaken that she could barely finish her sentence. She had never imagined her daughter-in-law would consider divorcing her son.

Gu Xiaoyao found Madam Yang’s words flawed.

If things cannot go on, there’s only the path of divorce. Besides, with Gu Dacai’s character and usual behavior, were it another woman, she would likely have returned to her parents long ago.

"Grandmother, Gu Dacai has always beaten my mother. The suffering she’s endured all these years—you’ve seen it with your own eyes."

"If it were a strong-willed woman, she would’ve divorced long ago, not stayed here."

"I know my mother is gentle, but that shouldn’t be a reason she can be bullied forever."

"A man like Gu Dacai deserves to remain single for life, so he won’t ruin another woman."

The things Gu Dacai had done could not be listed even on several sheets of paper. Gu Xiaoyao felt there was no reason to linger over such a man.

"Mother, do you not want a divorce? Would you rather stay here, living with someone like him, worrying every day, anxious every day? And what about my brother? If one day you’re beaten to death, he’ll turn his violence on my brother."

Some people won’t wake up without harsh medicine. Before Gu Xiaoyao was married, Mrs. Li’s greatest fear was that Gu Dacai would beat her children.

So whenever Gu Dacai lost money and wanted to vent his anger, Mrs. Li would protect the children.

"What? Divorce? I absolutely refuse, unless I’m dead!"

Gu Dacai, lying there, heard the word divorce and became so agitated that he spat as he spoke.

"Li, if you dare divorce me, believe me—I’ll take you with me when I go!"

To those listening nearby, his words were shocking, but Gu Xiaoyao only felt he was like a ruined dog howling.

"Mother, don’t pay any attention to him. If he dares come again, I’ll break both his legs."

"In short, do you want a divorce? Do you want to bring my brother and live with me?"

"My brother is growing up. If he stays here, what kind of person will he become? Can you control that?"

These pointed questions left Mrs. Li flustered and breathless, unable to stand steadily.