r18novel Chapter 43 New Life and Undercurrents
Chapter 43 New Life and Undercurrents
After completing all the formalities and returning to the courtyard house with the divorce certificate that symbolized liberation, Tan Jinhua—yes, she should now call herself by her own name—felt much lighter on her feet, as if she had shed the shackles she had carried for decades.
She closed the door, bolted it, and the first thing she did was to thoroughly and without reservation inventory all the family's savings, in accordance with the divorce agreement.
She moved a stool, stepped on it, and reached into the deepest part of the kang cabinet to retrieve the small tin box that Yi Zhonghai had hidden so carefully, thinking he was being discreet. Using the key he had concealed, she opened it. Inside were neatly stacked bills of ten yuan each, a thick wad. She counted them carefully; there were exactly 1,500 yuan. She then laboriously moved the heavy kang mat aside and, from under the mattress in the corner closest to the wall, pulled out an old envelope. Inside was a bank savings account; opening it revealed a deposit of over 4,600 yuan.
Even when she was almost about to give up, on a whim, she knocked on the bottom of a small wooden box in the corner and found two small gold bars wrapped in red cloth in a hidden compartment! Adding up all the cash, the numbers on the bankbooks, and the gold bars, the total amount was more than 6,100 yuan! This number made her gasp. Yi Zhonghai had accumulated such a substantial fortune over the years, yet she had lived a life of meticulous calculation and near-stinginess for so long.
Finally, her gaze fell upon the dusty tin biscuit box atop the kitchen cupboard. An idea struck her. She moved a stool, stood on tiptoe, and with some effort, removed it. Blowing away the thick layer of dust, she opened the rusty lid. Inside, as she had expected, was a thick wad of loose banknotes, mostly ten and five yuan notes—nearly nine hundred yuan in total! And beneath the money were several yellowed letters, speckled with mold, all signed He Daqing.
In the afternoon, Tan Jinhua invited two staff members from the subdistrict office to witness the transaction. She first went to the bank, divided all the money in half, then separately withdrew the money belonging to Sha Zhu from Yi Zhonghai's half, took out another 300 yuan, and deposited the rest. Accompanied by the subdistrict staff, she went directly to the court to pay Yi Zhonghai's fine, and had the subdistrict office record the details of the money's whereabouts, write a witness certificate for filing, and completely cleared things up with Yi Zhonghai.
She made sure every single account was clear, transparent, and aboveboard, never taking advantage of anyone or dragging things out. She wanted everyone to know that she, Tan Jinhua, lived an upright life even after leaving Yi Zhonghai.
As evening fell, people gradually returned to the courtyard after get off work, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys. Tan Jinhua, holding the tin biscuit box, stood quietly under the hanging flower gate, waiting. When she saw Sha Zhu's familiar figure enter the central courtyard, she took a deep breath and went to greet him.
"Zhu Zi, come here for a moment." Her voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable, unprecedented power. Under Sha Zhu's questioning gaze, she firmly placed the cookie box into his hands: "This is what your auntie got back from Yi Zhonghai, with interest, on behalf of your father and, more importantly, for yourself. The 1470 yuan the court awarded, not a penny less, is all here. Most importantly, this," she pointed specifically to the several yellowed letters, "These are letters your father sent from Baoding years ago, all hidden by that heartless Yi Zhonghai, not letting you and your siblings see a single word. Now, they're returned to their rightful owner."
Sha Zhu blankly accepted the unexpected box and instinctively opened it. When he saw the thick wad of banknotes inside, and especially the letters, and saw his father's familiar yet unfamiliar handwriting on the envelopes, this usually reckless and fearless man's eyes instantly reddened, his lips trembled violently, his throat felt like it was blocked by something, and his broad shoulders shook slightly. For a moment, he was choked up and unable to utter a single word. Years of grievances, misunderstandings, and resentment found an outlet in that moment.
At this moment, many curious neighbors were drawn to this unusual scene and gathered around. Tan Jinhua took a deep breath, turned around, and announced to her familiar neighbors—as if bidding farewell to her past self and declaring her commitment to a new life: "Listen up, everyone. From today onwards, Yi Zhonghai and I have completed all the formalities and are divorced. The neighborhood committee and the court have both stamped the papers. From now on, please don't call me 'Auntie' anymore; that's all in the past. Call me by my real name—Tan Jinhua! Or, based on my age, call me Sister Tan or Auntie Tan, whatever you prefer!"
These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm pond, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples and a buzz of discussion.
Jia Zhangshi curled her lip, her triangular eyes filled with undisguised contempt, radiating a sour, rotten air: "Tch... What's so glorious about getting divorced? It's immoral! Whose family are you now? Going back to your parents' home? Will they even accept you? A woman still needs a man to have a stable life. You've made a mess of things, leaving yourself in this awkward position, tsk tsk tsk..." She shook her head, as if Tan Jinhua had done something incredibly stupid.
The other older women had much more complex expressions, whispering among themselves. Some looked sympathetic and muttered, "Sigh, what Old Yi did was so immoral and hurtful. It's good that she's divorced. Jin Hua has finally escaped a hellhole, saving her from suffering a lifetime with that kind of person..."
But some people felt both curious and bewildered, and more worried: "This... this can really happen? I've only ever heard of it in books and plays, but I've never seen it in our troupe... After a divorce, without children, how will she live? It's so hard to be alone... If she's sick, there's no one to even bring her a bowl of water..." In their eyes, there might be a hint of admiration for Tan Jinhua's courage, but more than that, there was a deep-seated fear, worry, and uncertainty about leaving a man to live alone, as if it were a dead end.
Several old men squatting in the corner smoking mostly shook their heads, thinking that women were just fussy and unreasonable. "We've been married for decades, what deep-seated hatred could possibly prevent us from getting along? Just make do, isn't that how every family goes? Getting a divorce, isn't that shameful? What will the neighbors think of our No. 95 compound?" "Exactly, a woman without a man to lead the household, can't hold her own, who will she rely on in the future? Starve? I bet she'll regret it sooner or later!"
However, Tan Jinhua, at the center of this media storm, felt unusually calm and even a sense of relief. She was no longer an "old lady," no longer an appendage or fig leaf for Yi Zhonghai; she was Tan Jinhua, a complete and independent "person" who could decide for herself what to eat tomorrow, how to spend her money, and no longer had to live in a huge lie and endless repression.
Although the road ahead is unknown and will inevitably be difficult, the feeling of being grounded and completely her own new life made her stand up straight for the first time, and even her breath carried the taste of freedom and hope.
As dusk deepened, the smoke from the chimneys and the noisy chatter in the courtyard gradually subsided, and lights came on in each household as they prepared simple dinners. But inside the Jia family's house in the middle courtyard, the usual lively atmosphere was absent; a greedy emotion was frantically growing and fermenting in Qin Huairu's heart. Through a crack in the window, she pieced together a piece of news that made her heart pound—Shazhu had brought back a huge sum of money! A staggering 1,470 yuan!!
For so many years, she had to make a living under the shrewish and calculating mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, like a third-class maid, having to meticulously calculate every penny she earned. Her mother-in-law clung tightly to her father-in-law's pension and most of Jia Dongxu's income, treating her like a thief, while constantly lamenting that the family was so poor they couldn't afford food, that Banggeng and Xiaodang were hungry and cold, putting her in a precarious position. She meticulously planned every day, haggling with market vendors over a single penny or a wilted vegetable leaf. At night, looking at her children's sleeping faces, clearly pale and thin, she felt a sharp pain in her heart, filled with helplessness and guilt. She desperately needed money! She desperately needed it!
With this money, even just a portion of it, she could immediately and completely change her and her children's lives!
She had to get Sha Zhu to continue helping her! He used to bring her lunchboxes and support her family, though his motives weren't pure. Now that he was richer, there was no reason for him not to help! She was confident she had a thousand ways to make him willingly part with his money—complain, show weakness, shed a few tears, occasionally offer a glimmer of hope or a fleeting touch…
But then, a strong sense of contempt and disgust surged up again. She saw Sha Zhu's unkempt and slovenly appearance, the black dirt and grease that were always stuck in his fingernails, his worn-out work clothes that smelled of sweat and grease, and his undisguised, staring, and drooling gaze whenever he stared at her, like a sticky tongue licking her skin.
Just thinking about his gaze made Qin Huairu feel like she'd been crawled over by the dirtiest slug, giving her goosebumps and making her stomach churn. Even in her most destitute and difficult circumstances, Qin Huairu was still a well-known beautiful girl in the neighborhood. How could she possibly be interested in such a crude and uncouth cook who only knew how to work around the stove?
"Pah!" she spat inwardly. "Someone like him isn't even fit to carry my shoes! He reeks of pork fat, and he thinks he can get his hands on a swan? Dream on!"
She only wanted to squeeze every last drop of value out of him, to suck his flesh and blood and money to nourish herself and her children, but she would never allow this tool to touch her in the slightest. In fact, she had to desperately maintain a false sense of superiority in her heart to cover up the embarrassment of begging.
"I have to think of a way... I have to get him to take out the money willingly..." Qin Huairu's eyes flickered, and calculation quickly replaced her brief struggle and disdain.