38 Sisterly Affection, Part Fourteen

Because the children were worried about Zhang Qingxue living alone, he had to leave? The problem was, he never intended to separate! From beginning to end, it was Zhang Qingxue who had been stirring up trouble with him. Was the whole point of this commotion just to drive him away? This was the ancestral home of the Yu family; regardless of who in the family left, it certainly shouldn't be him. Yu Shanmeng looked at his three children, his eyes filled with disappointment. His eldest son had remained silent throughout, leaving the decisions to his younger siblings. He turned his gaze to Yu Xuehai and said, "I am not leaving." He paused, then added, "I never wanted to argue with your mother, nor did I want to separate from her."

"But I want to separate from you!" Chu Yunli said calmly. "I will say it again: if you refuse, I will make sure everyone in this city knows that Zhang Qingyao is a loose woman."

Yu Shanmeng glared at her fiercely. "Why must you drag others into the affairs between us..."

"It was she who inserted herself between us," Chu Yunli said, scanning him from head to toe. "If it weren't for her, would you have ended up like this? Injured, with no one to tend to you, and coming back home to wait on me... Our family is wealthy and has servants to handle your daily needs, but if we were a poor family, I would have to do everything myself. Yu Shanmeng, I am not a fool, nor do I have the kind of martyrdom that sacrifices oneself to fulfill others. Sign the separation agreement obediently and move out! Otherwise, you will surely regret it!"

The two stared at each other, neither willing to yield. Finally, it was Yu Shanmeng who broke first. He said dejectedly, "I don't understand why you..."

"Yu Shanmeng, I have said it many times, and I have explained it to you very clearly. It is you who refuse to understand." Chu Yunli turned to the clerk. "Write it!"

The clerk raised his brush. Seeing this, Yu Shanmeng hurriedly said, "Wife, you are a woman alone, what will you do after the separation? What about the children? They are all at the age of marriage; if their prospects are delayed because of this, you will definitely regret it. A son can just marry a sensible wife, but Xuejiao is a girl. If you, as her mother, cause such a public scene with a man, who would dare to marry her later?"

Chu Yunli remained indifferent. "Do not trouble yourself over that. I have already made plans for Xuejiao's marriage. I will not arrange any betrothal for her before she turns eighteen. That is still a long way off." By then, Chu Yunli would have the confidence to help Yu Xuejiao choose a good husband.

The separation agreement was written. Yu Shanmeng did not want to press his thumbprint on it, but he feared that Chu Yunli would actually go and ruin Zhang Qingyao's reputation. Moreover, he reasoned that with three children between them, even if they had a falling out, there was still a possibility of reconciliation. Thus, he finally pressed his thumbprint onto the document.

Since the print was pressed, they were no longer husband and wife and could not live under the same roof. Chu Yunli knew that Yu Shanmeng owned two properties, so she ordered someone to send him to one of them to stay temporarily. She also reminded him, "This courtyard is Xuejiao's dowry; don't you dare mess things up inside."

Yu Shanmeng: "..." He was still alive, for heaven's sake! After he died, these assets would indeed be divided among the three children, but as long as he was alive, no one could lay claim to them. He wanted to argue, but no one was willing to listen. Besides, he was severely injured and lacked the energy to speak. He decided to wait until he had recovered before bringing it up again.

For the three children, the separation of their parents had little impact on them, other than their father moving out.

On the other side, Madam Zhang had demanded that Zhang Huiniang and her daughter move out, but after waiting two days, there was no movement; the mother and daughter were still living at the Zhang residence. Madam Zhang, having nothing better to do, rolled up her sleeves and marched to the Zhang house. Chu Yunli, fearing she might be at a disadvantage, quickly followed.

Zhang Huiniang’s eyes had been swollen from crying these past few days, and no one dared to mention Madam Zhang in her presence, or she would start cursing. Even though Madam Zhang was currently fighting with Master Zhang for a separation, such things were rare, and since the couple had children and were already middle-aged, people assumed it was just a normal quarrel. Even if they spoke of separation in a fit of rage, the servants believed it was unlikely they would truly part ways. After all, Zhang Huiniang was a married daughter who had returned for a short stay, whereas Madam Zhang was the rightful mistress of the house.

Because the servants shared this consensus, Madam Zhang entered the house easily. She asked around and learned that the mother and daughter were staying in the courtyard Zhang Huiniang had occupied before her marriage, and there had been no sign of them planning to leave.

Madam Zhang was so angry she laughed. She stewed in her rage all the way to the entrance of Zhang Huiniang’s courtyard. When a maid guarding the gate tried to stop her, her fury hit its peak.

"In my own home, I, the mistress, am being blocked? This is absolutely absurd. Who the hell has such audacity?" Madam Zhang kicked the maid hard. "You blind thing, don't you know who the real master is!"

The maid had no choice but to block her, as she had received strict orders. If she let Madam Zhang in, she would surely be punished. When the foot hit her stomach, she had already instinctively stepped back, so the kick only grazed her; it didn't hurt much, and she could have stood perfectly still. But the maid’s eyes shifted, and she decided to stumble backward a few steps, sit on the ground, and wail, clutching her belly... Since she was already down, she wasn't getting up.

The commotion at the door naturally caught Zhang Huiniang's attention. She had been living her life, only to be divorced by her husband’s family, all thanks to her "generous" sister-in-law. She hated her deeply. Seeing the culprit invading her courtyard, she was furious. "And you call yourself a lady of the house? Can't you wait to be announced? Are you in such a hurry to die that you can't spare a moment?"

Such vicious words would have been tolerated by Madam Zhang in the past, but things were different now. She lunged forward and slapped her across the face. Zhang Huiniang, struck, looked at her in disbelief and shrieked, "How dare you hit me?"

"I won't just hit you; I'm going to throw you out. My house cannot afford to shelter a shameless woman like you." Madam Zhang pointed toward the main gate. "If you don't want to be humiliated, leave on your own."

"This is my home," Zhang Huiniang retorted indignantly. "When I got married, my brother said this courtyard would always be mine. I can come back and stay whenever I want. With my eldest brother here, this house is not for others to dictate, not even Qingdong!"

Madam Zhang grabbed her. "Today, I will show you whether I have the final say in this house." With that, she dragged her toward the exit. Both were women, and neither had much strength. One pulled, and the other resisted; soon, both were panting for breath. Madam Zhang looked at the servants nearby and shouted sharply, "Help me!"

The servants looked at each other in hesitation. Madam Zhang’s authority in the household was immense; eventually, two or three maids stepped forward to drag Zhang Huiniang out.

Hearing the news, Zhang Qingyao rushed over. Seeing the scene, she scolded, "How bold!"

"I ordered it," Madam Zhang said, crossing her arms. "You get out, too!"

The Gao family residence was being watched by government officials, so it was habitable, but Zhang Qingyao did not want to be supervised by bailiffs, nor did she want to live alone with her child. Thus, she refused to go anywhere.

"This is my home. I am not leaving."

Madam Zhang sneered. "It was one thing if you didn't know your own origins, but now that I’ve had such a fallout with your mother, you aren't deaf or blind. Knowing the truth and still refusing to leave—are you shameless, or just thick-skinned? Either way, this house doesn't welcome you. Get out!"

Zhang Qingyao had lost a lot of weight recently, looking as if a gust of wind could blow her away. Madam Zhang reached out and gave a slight pull, and without much effort, Zhang Qingyao stumbled forward and fell to the ground. Madam Zhang froze, looking at the person who had fallen before her. At that moment, a man’s angry roar came from behind: "Madam, what are you doing?"

Hearing Master Zhang’s questioning voice, Madam Zhang was stunned. She glared at Zhang Qingyao on the ground. "You set me up?"

Zhang Qingyao ignored her, lying on the ground and sobbing pitifully. There was no need for her to say anything; Master Zhang stepped forward, grabbed Madam Zhang’s hand, and pulled her away violently. Madam Zhang was about to be dragged forward, but Chu Yunli stepped in to separate them, saying, "Father, Mother was trying to send them away, not to pull them to the ground. Zhang Qingyao is faking it; she is just playing the victim because she saw you coming!"

Master Zhang turned and scolded, "Qingxue, you have disappointed me greatly."

Chu Yunli shrugged. "You have disappointed me, too. Father, no matter what happened, you always protect that mother and daughter. We are the ones who are truly family! Do you intend to spend your whole life with them?"

"Don't waste words with him," Madam Zhang said harshly. "As long as I am the mistress of the Zhang family, this mother and daughter cannot stay the night!"

Master Zhang was furious and blurted out, "Then you are no longer the mistress! Get out!"

Madam Zhang turned back and looked at him coldly. She had been the one to suggest leaving, and this man hadn't wanted to, but now that he was willing, it was only for the sake of that mother and daughter. A smile curled on Madam Zhang's lips, though it looked more like she was crying. Her laughter grew louder, and she wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes as she laughed. "Zhang Hui, I should be thankful that that mother and daughter didn't take my life. Otherwise, I fear I would have already been killed by you."

Master Zhang had spoken impulsively and pursed his lips. "You... don't be so aggressive."

"It is you who are forcing me," Madam Zhang shouted. "You don't even care about your business for their sake. The Kong family used to place a large order with you every year, but this year they went to someone else, and yet you are still running around everywhere. What are you so busy with?"

He was busy acting as a matchmaker for Zhang Huiniang and her husband, and busy running errands for the Gao family.

Master Zhang was speechless. "Some things have happened recently... if you weren't causing trouble, there wouldn't be so many complications."

"The trouble was caused by that mother and daughter themselves; it was bound to come out sooner or later. I merely pointed it out," Madam Zhang said, no longer crying. "Either they get out, or you accept the divorce papers!"

Master Zhang: "..." He didn't want to choose either.

"I see you just came here on purpose to pick a fight."

Madam Zhang was blunt. "Yes! I am forced to live in my daughter’s house, while the culprits who caused my marriage to fall apart are enjoying the service of servants in my own home. Why?"

Master Zhang was silent. "Huiniang has nowhere else to go."

"Are you incapable of understanding, or are you deaf?" Madam Zhang said angrily. "I told you long ago, Zhang Huiniang has a dowry; she absolutely has her own house..."

"She doesn't," Master Zhang interrupted. Mentioning this made him angry again. When his sister married, he had been afraid that the secret of her having a child out of wedlock would be discovered and that her husband’s family would despise her, so he had prepared a massive dowry for her, giving her forty percent of the wealth accumulated by the Zhang ancestors. With so much wealth, he had asked about it yesterday, thinking he should go to the Fu family to retrieve it... The Fu family was also shameless; after the divorce, they didn't even mention the dowry. But his sister had actually said it was all spent.