Chapter 16 Family Conflict
As family members returned home one after another and learned about what had happened, Grandpa Zhang frowned with worry, while Li Guizhen couldn’t hide her schadenfreude. Her expression was too obvious, and Yang Jianjun shot her a fierce glare. Unfortunately, Li Guizhen was the type of person who lacked self-awareness and didn’t even notice Yang Jianjun’s dark expression.
By a little past eight in the evening, Grandma Yang and Yang Qing returned after finishing their IV drips. Yang Qing’s fever had subsided, but his spirits were still low. Grandma Yang, on the other hand, had tears in her eyes and a look of deep distress on her face. Yang Jianguo kept his head down, hunched over, and remained silent. The entire family gathered in the main room, and even Yang Jiabo stubbornly refused to leave.
Grandpa Zhang took a couple of puffs from his cigarette and said in a somber tone, "Jianguo, we all know what kind of person you are. Tell us, did you go gambling again? Is that why your wife ran away?"
Yang Jianguo, squatting near the doorway, didn’t respond. His head was lowered, and his expression was unreadable, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"If you don’t say anything, I’ll go ask around myself," Grandpa Zhang said, his calm voice hiding a simmering anger.
"At a time like this, you should just come clean. Look at the state your life is in!" Grandma Yang was furious.
"Second Brother, everything has happened. There's no point in you hiding it." Yang Meizhen said, her tone filled with disappointment.
"Will it make a difference if I say anything?" Yang Jianguo finally spoke up.
"It might not change anything, but we’ve all been dragged into this mess with you. Don’t you think you owe us an explanation?" Yang Meizhen had no respect left for her second brother.
"Mom and Dad are getting old. Jianguo, can’t you just give them some peace of mind?" Even the usually quiet Yang Jianjun couldn’t help but chime in.
"How am I not giving them peace of mind? I’m not the one who ran away with someone else," Yang Jianguo muttered quietly. He glanced around at his family and realized they wouldn’t let him off the hook until he came clean. So, he began to explain everything honestly.
When the tractor was first bought, Yang Jianguo had been full of enthusiasm and determination to make a fortune. But his diligence lasted only three months before his laziness kicked in. He started skipping work to gamble with others. He didn’t gamble big, but the losses added up, and he soon found himself in debt.
As fewer and fewer people hired him to haul goods, and the money they earn is not as much as before. So Huang Xiufen urged him to sell the tractor and open a small restaurant. At first, Yang Jianguo hesitated, but the debt collectors were relentless. After some thought, he gritted his teeth, sold the tractor, paid off his gambling debts, and handed the remaining money to Huang Xiufen.
The amount of money they had was far from enough to open a proper restaurant. At most, it was enough to set up a roadside stall, which was far from what Huang Xiufen had envisioned. Huang Xiufen wasn’t stupid, as soon as she saw the amount of money, she knew what Yang Jianguo had done. Immediately, the two of them had a huge fight. Well, it wasn’t really a fight, more like Huang Xiufen venting her anger unilaterally while Yang Jianguo stayed silent, enduring her scolding and hitting.
With such a small amount of money, of course, their business plans fell through. Huang Xiufen told Yang Jianguo to go out and find work. But Yang Jianguo couldn’t handle hard labor, he refused to do anything too strenuous, and no one wanted him for lighter jobs. So he wandered around all day, leaving early and coming back late.
Huang Xiufen was ruthless. Seeing that Yang Jianguo was useless, she decided to abandon even her son. One day, after Yang Jianguo had been wandering outside all morning, he returned home to find the house cold and empty. Huang Xiufen was gone, leaving only little Yang Qing sitting at home, sobbing.
Yang Jianguo sensed something was wrong and pressed Yang Qing for answers. Even though he was young, Yang Qing could still explain what had happened. Yang Jianguo learned that after he left, a man had come to their house, and Huang Xiufen had left with him.
Huang Xiufen knew his character well, and he knew hers too. Remembering the money from selling the tractor and all the earnings he had handed over to her, he frantically searched the house. Sure enough, she hadn’t left a single cent for him or their son. Yang Qing, terrified by his father’s frantic behavior, burst into loud cries, which finally caught Grandma Yang’s attention.
Huang Xiufen’s actions were cruel. Before leaving, she hadn’t cared for Yang Qing at all. The child had been running a low fever the day before, but she hadn’t noticed. By now, the low fever had turned into a high one, and the child was nearly delirious. Grandma Yang was furious with Huang Xiufen, wishing she could drag her back and beat her up.
"How could she be so heartless? Is she even human? Is she even a mother?" Grandma Yang gasped in anger.
"From what I see, Huang Xiufen must have had someone else outside long ago. She was never the faithful type," Li Guizhen said with schadenfreude. She disliked Huang Xiufen and was happy to see her suffer.
" Sister-in-law, you’re not much better yourself," Yang Jianguo retorted sarcastically.
"Whether I’m good or not is not your concern."
"And what my wife does isn’t your concern either."
Li Guizhen laughed and said, "You talk as if I care. Are you even a man? Huang Xiufen cheated on you, and you’re still defending her."
"Enough, both of you," Grandpa Zhang interjected, glaring at them. "Let’s talk about what to do now."
"I want to divorce her," Yang Jianguo finally mustered some courage.
"No, we can’t just let it go like this," Grandma Yang said, unable to swallow her anger.
"We don't know where she has gone now. How can we do anything if we can’t even find her?" Yang Meizhen rolled her eyes.
"She’s gone, but her family is still here. I’ll go ask her mother how she raised such a shameless, heartless woman. I’ll make sure everyone in their village knows what kind of woman Huang Xiufen is."
"Don’t involve the family," Grandpa Zhang advised.
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