As Zhan came out to the living room, his eyes met Shutong's. She was trying to call Mr. Yeol on her phone, clearly upset. Zhan bowed his head and wiped the tears streaming from his eyes. Shutong said, "Come, sit down for now, my child."
Zhan remained silent and didn't say anything to her because deep down he didn't feel he could sit in the living room as Shutong had asked him to. But not wanting to disrespect the woman who had stood up for him when Yiming was humiliating him, he simply sit on the carpet, his head down.
Shutong called Zhan's father-in-law three times. Finally, he answered. Angrily, she began complaining to him about what she had found when she came to Yiming's house and what Yiming had done.
Mr. Yeol listened to her until she finished, then cleared his throat and said, "Well, I think, Shutong, this isn't an issue you should dragged yourself into. You're not even in the country....you just came for a visit. I don't think it's proper for you to involve yourself in this matter. It's not done that way, alright? And since you saw that he let him go, he clearly thinks that's the right decision. Why should you worry about it? Even we, his parents, are not in the right position to question his actions, okay? It's his decision. So just stay out of what you know nothing about, Shutong. Didn't I hear that your flight is at two? Did you postpone your departure?"
Shutong couldn't say anything, stunned. Anyone looking at her could see she was speechless. Zhan kept his head down....Shutong hadn't put the call on speaker, so he had no idea what his father-in-law was saying.
Quietly, Shutong ended the call and put her phone down on the side of the chair. She had no answer to give to her brother. Her entire body went cold. It was clear that Mr. Yeol's family hadn't changed from how she had known them years ago. She only came to China once every several years when something important brought her.
Momy opened the living room door, her face twisted. All this while, she had been at the front door, waiting to see Zhan leave the house. But silently, she hadn't seen him come out.
Momy looked at Zhan and said, "Since this isn't your father's house or your mother's house, and Yiming clearly said he's done with you, why don't you leave and go your own way? Are you still waiting for your father to come? Will you call someone to come with a car to pack your things for you, or what?"
Shutong looked at Momy, shaking her head in frustration, and said, "Fear Heaven. Fear meeting Heaven. You also have children yourself..."
With an ugly expression, Momy rushed into the living room, cut her off, and pointed a finger at her, saying, "You see, this is a family matter. Remove your mouth from what doesn't concern you, Shutong, because you are an outsider to this branch. And you are not the one who gave birth to Yiming for me, that you're trying to drag yourself into what concerns his life. Who are you to even interfere? Do you think Yeol is enough to stop Yiming from doing what he intends to do? Honestly, remove your mouth and your eyes from what concerns my offspring. And as for him....any bastard could have given birth to him. What's it"
With that, Momy looked at Zhan and raised her voice: "Will you get up and find somewhere to spend the night before dark, or should I call Mei-Mei to come and throw you out of this house?"
Zhan stood up without letting his eyes meet Momy's. He walked slowly toward the door. Shutong couldn't say anything more; she just looked at Momy and shook her head.
Only after Zhan had left the compound entirely did he begin to wipe the tears falling from his eyes. He started thinking about how to get home without a single coin on him. He walked a long distance until he reached the main road where he could find transportation. Finally, after waiting nearly fifteen minutes, he found a shared rickshaw that would take him to his home.
When he got home, he didn't have the money to pay. By the time Zhan reached home, tears wouldn't stop flowing from his eyes. He himself didn't know what he felt in his heart about what Yiming had done to him....whether it was happiness or the opposite, he still couldn't tell. But he was deeply hurt and pained. He just held himself back from bursting into tears in the shared rickshaw.
After the rickshaw stopped right at their gate, he got out and said, "I'll be brought your money now. Thank you." Then he went inside their compound.
In the middle of the courtyard, he saw his mother's co-wives finishing up their afternoon food sales; the children would soon go out to sell. He greeted them without letting his eyes meet theirs and went directly to his mother's room. They all watched him go.
Aunt Fin was just coming out of the bathroom. She watched Zhan as well, even though Zhan didn't see her.
Zhan entered his mother's room, threw himself into her lap, and quietly burst into tears. Lina didn't say anything at first; she just looked at him in surprise. Then Aunt Fin came into the room as well. Her heart sank, and she stopped at the doorway, looking at Zhan.
Barely able to speak, Lina lifted Zhan's head with all her courage and said, "What happened?"
Zhan couldn't say anything; he just cried intensely. Immediately, tears filled Lina's eyes as well. She embraced Zhan without saying anything more, letting him cry as much as he needed.
Calmly, Aunt Fin came into the room, sat on the edge of the mattress, and remained silent. Lina wiped her eyes and gently patted Zhan's back, trying to calm him, but she didn't stop his crying. They stayed like that for over five minutes.
Then Zubei Mama pulled back the room curtain and said, "Well, the shared rickshaw driver is waiting at the gate to be paid."
She was speaking, but her eyes were on Zhan and Lina. The neighbor's child who drove the rickshaw had come into the compound to tell them, but she had quickly stood up after the child informed them and headed to Lina's room, not letting the child come all the way in. Ever since Zhan arrived, they had been straining their ears to hear any word, but silence...they hadn't even heard a cough from Lina's room.
Aunt Fin picked up her handbag and left the room, pulled the curtain out of Zubei Mama's hand, and went out to the driver. Only then was Lina able to lift Zhan's head. Their eyes met, and Zhan lowered his reddened eyes.
Lina managed to say, "What happened, my child?"
Zhan lowered his eyes, fresh tears falling, and said, "He said he's done with me."
The tears that had been clinging to Lina's eyes spilled over as she looked at Zhan without blinking. Zhan covered his face against Lina's body and began a new round of crying.
Lina held him tightly and said in a trembling voice, "May Heaven make this the best thing for you. Be patient, okay?"
Zhan just nodded his head, sobbing. Just then, Aunt Fin returned to the room and found them like that. Aunt Fin sat next to Lina, watching them.
Barely able to speak, Lina looked at Aunt Fin and said, "He divorced...him."
Aunt Fin couldn't say anything; she was so shaken she just kept looking at Lina without blinking. Immediately, tears filled her eyes as well. After a while, she wiped the tears falling from her eyes and went out, Lina lifted Zhan, who had gone quiet in her arms, and saw that he was asleep.
:
:
Zhan slowly opened his eyes. Lina said, "Have you eating?"
Zhan shook his head at her. Lina said, "Go cleanse your face."
Zhan stood up, walked slowly, and left the room. As Zhan was sitting, Aunt Fin watched him and said, "Should i get you some food?"
Zhan shook his head at her and said quietly, "Not now." Then he stood up, climbed onto his mother's bed, and lay down. Immediately, deep sleep overtook him. From Lina to Aunt Fin, no one in the room could say anything. They just sat there until nearly six o'clock. Aunt Fin held a holy book and read silently in her heart.
Meilin came back with the children they taught on Fridays. Lina told them to go fan the coals and start cooking.
They heard Nenne's voice in the courtyard saying, "Well, Zubei, you need to be sorry because you've caused a healthy loss today. The apprentice boys were playing rough and knocked over Suwei's tray of goods, and it spilled on the ground. Then they ran away. Knowing the punishment you would give her, she came to me crying like her soul would leave her. Right now, she's at my house...I told her to stay there. Here are the tray and plates; your goods have been collected for you. Not a single takeaway sold....they just knocked over the whole thing."
Antu Mama released a deep breath, looking at Zubei, who had found a place to sit after hearing what Nenne was saying. Nenne burst out laughing and giggling, saying, "Those street boys, all of them ate the food that spilled on the ground and stuffed themselves. Don't worry Zubei, heavens will give you merits for the food."
Then she headed to Lina's room, pulled back the curtain, and said, "Lina, do you have a scooper or a ladle? I need to check the stew."
Lina didn't let her eyes meet Nenne's and said, "Let me check for you. Good afternoon."
Nenne squinted her eyes and said, "And who is that lying on your mattress?"
Lina didn't say anything; she got up to get Nenne a dry scooper. Aunt Fin greeted Nenne without looking at her.
Nenne looked at Zhan and said, "Who do I see lying there like Zhan?"
Aunt Fin put down the holy book in her hand, still not looking at Nenne, and said, "It's him."
Nenne came into the room and said, "So that's it? You've shown me no respect to the point that he would enter this neighborhood, and didn't come to my house to greet me? Even if he didn't go to greet anyone else, he should at least do it for his father Aiyin's sake, since I gave birth to Aiyin and he gave birth to him."
From Lina to Aunt Fin, no one said anything to Nenne. Nenne said, "Did him...his husband bring him here? That one is also a bastard since he doesn't bother to come to my house and greet me. Besides destiny, how would we even know him well enough to marry Zhan to him...a man who doesn't see our worth? When you talk to him, he answers you with arrogance and swagger, saying he's Mr. Yeol's son. Who doesn't know the theft that his father committed in the government before he went into business? Or do we turn a blind eye?"
Aunt Fin said, "Well, he divorced him..."
Nenne turned and looked at Aunt Fin for a few seconds, then said, "I didn't hear what you said, Fin?"
Aunt Fin, with tears in her eyes, said, "That Yiming divorced him."
Nenne couldn't move from where she stood. Slowly, she said, "Divorced as in marriage, or divorced as in what?"
Aunt Fin didn't answer her. Zhan was still lying down but had turned his back to Nenne after her noise woke him from his sleep.
Nenne released a deep sight, her voice trembling, and said, "So my son is not meant to live peacefully in this world like everyone else?"
She left and went back to the courtyard, breaking down in intense tears, saying, "Heaven knows what's between me and Zhan and his mother. Their greatest wish in this world is to see Aiyin ruined. Their greatest wish is to see Aiyin in difficulty, in distress. Besides all the beating and insults that Yiming gave him, wouldn't he...he...have endured and stayed because of his father's sake? No....he....he....had to accept the divorce with both hands and come back to this house, so that their conflict with Aiyin could start fresh?"
Zubei and Antu Mama had already stood up upon hearing what Nenne was saying.
Crying, Nenne said, "I have never seen a son whose greatest wish is to see his father in disgrace. You see, he has returned to see what will be done to his father....whether he will be sent back to prison or a death sentence will be passed on him. I am ruined. Heaven has given Aiyin wives and children who don't pity him and who will cause his end. Now if Zhan is lucky that Yiming said he's done with him, shouldn't he be saying he has nowhere to go since he serves Him?"
Xiao Aiyin entered the compound with a bag of peanuts he had bought.
Nenne saw him and broke down in fresh tears, saying, "Zhan, he....he....ended the marriage and came back to see what they will do to you, Aiyin."
Xiao Aiyin stopped and looked at Nenne.
Nenne kept ranting: "He's there in his mother's room, lying down, waiting to see what kind of car will come to take you away. Honestly, ever since we went to his house with Fin, I knew there would be big trouble because there's no blessing in Fin's day. And if she's not careful, from her to Lina, they will just go back to their hometown. Anyone who doesn't want peace for my son....they don't want peace for me, honestly."
Xiao Aiyin just found a mat, sat down, and couldn't say anything.
Zubei said, "By Heaven's will, this is what happened, Zubei? One month and some days of marriage, and now there's been a divorce? Now we have two divorcees in this house?"
Angrily, Nenne said, "Will he....he....stay and become a divorcee for whose father in this house? Even if he doesn't want to, I will go and apologize to Yiming for him to take him back, because in our lineage, no one has ever been a divorcee unless the husband died. So if Zhan bad character wasn't enough to make Yiming kick him out before he was ready....Zhan is the one who, whenever any bad thought comes to his mouth, he throws it at a person. Or if you tell him something he doesn't agree with, he gives you a look of disdain and contempt and rolls his eyes. Another time, you talk to him, he'll ignores you....we all know this is his nature, not that he's evil. There's also pride, like the king of a rock. Well, not every man can take that. So I will go and apologize to Yiming, and ask him to have respect for Heaven and take Zhan back..."
Antu Mama said, "Well, have you even gotten to him? He has no intend to take him back. If he could, he wouldn't have divorced him in the first place."
Nenne hurled an insult at her angrily. Just then, a greeting was called from the gate.
Xiao Aiyin stood up and looked toward the exit. Nenne fell silent, sweat pouring off her. Then she began to cry quietly, saying, "We belong to Heaven and to Heaven we return. Lina has not brought us a blessed family. You see, they've come to take Aiyin."
Zubei Mama draped her shawl and headed toward the exit from the compound. She saw a car parked at the gate. The man standing near the car approached her, looking at her.
Zubei Mama greeted him, even shaking his hand. He responded and said, "Is the owner of the house inside?"
Zubei Mama said, "Yes, by Heaven's will, he's fine, sir."
The man said, "Alright. I am Mr. Yeol's driver. I was sent to bring something to the owner of the house."
Zubei Mama said, "Well, I am his wife....the mother of his children. Can I receive it and give it to him? He's not feeling well."
The man said, "No problem." He reached into his pocket, took out an envelope, and handed it to her. She took it. He greeted her and went back to get into his car.
Zubei Mama returned to the house, turning the envelope over in her hands. Her heart sank because when something like this is brought, it usually means a summons.
Nenne saw the envelope in Zubei Mama's hand and broke down in intense crying: "We belong to Heaven and to Heaven we return. So this is how Aiyin will end, Zubei? Another court document has been brought for him?"
Xiao Aiyin took the envelope from Zubei Mama's hand, tore it open, pulled out the paper inside, and unfolded it, it was the divorce papers Zhan signed, it has been stamped and sealed. Now Yiming and Zhan's legally divorced.
(God's knows how they did it without Zhan being in the court)
Antu Mama took the paper from his hand...she had gone to elementary school...and looked at it, reading the content aloud, though with difficulty.
Nenne stopped her crying after hearing Antu read what was on the paper and said, "Listen to that cursed, wretched person? Divorce, as if Zhan killed his father or mother? May Heaven curse his blessing. Besides destiny, what will Zhan do with him? His father is a government thief, and he is a thug. As for us, this divorce is a joy to us entirely, since we never agreed to the marriage. And even today, if Zhan leaves, he will find a husband who will show him a better life than Yiming in every way, honestly. Our only sadness is that Yiming has made him a divorcee.
Every day I lived in fear of his marriage to that bastard...I never wanted him, but there was nothing I could do. Besides temptation, whose good parents would take their child and give him to a cursed person like Yiming? Zhan must just be patient because Aiyin has hurt him...hurt his life...since Aiyin is the one who caused him this disaster.
When they told you Aiyin, 'Your child is the one they want,' after you were released from prison, if you were a decent father, you would have bitten your finger and said, 'No, I don't agree...send me back to prison to die there.' But because of fear of worldly punishment, not the afterlife, you chose to sacrifice your own child for your own selfish freedom. And now after Yiming has taken his virginity, he has sent him back to us. He only married him for pleasure.
Heaven is enough for us...we will not forgive him, honestly."
With that, Nenne burst into tears, pulled a stool, squatted down on it, and sat there singing her cries. Then she said, "So now, should we go and apologize, for him to respect Heaven and take him back, since the scholars say divorce can rebuke?"
***
Around 10 p.m., Aunt Fin sat next to Zhan, who was holding a cup of millet porridge that Lina had made for him since he couldn't eat solid food.
Aunt Fin said, "Haven't you drunk the porridge?"
Zhan picked up the cup and continued drinking the porridge slowly. Aunt Fin fell silent and didn't say anything else, looking at the bag of items that she and Lina had packed to take to Zhan's place tomorrow, since she was going to his house. From ground pepper, dry scooper, potash, camphor, ginger, cloves, soup thickener, even bean flour, and many other things...they were all in the bag. There were also new cooking pots they had bought for him.
Aunt Fin released a hidden sigh and looked at Zhan, who had been unable to finish the porridge in his hand.
Slowly, she pulled him close to her body and said soothingly, "Be patient, son. May Heaven make this the best thing for all of us. Don't put anything in your mind, okay?"
Zhan nodded at her. Aunt Fin didn't say anything else to him because she didn't even want to ask what had happened between them....that would only add to their pain. Lina sat on a low stool; Meilin was sleeping on her body.
Then Samei's Mama greeted and entered the room, looking at Lina, saying, "What is this news I'm hearing in this town, Lina?"
Lina just stayed silent, looking at her.
Samei's Mama sat on a mat, looked at Aunt Fin and Zhan beside her, and said, "Fin." Aunt Fin smiled slightly and said, "Good evening, Same's Mama."
Samei's mama said, "So Is it true? We belong to Heaven and to Heaven we return."
Aunt Fin said, "Where did you hear it, Samei's Mama?"
Samei's Mama said, "This news has spread in the neighborhood? On my way back from Wuhan, nearly five people told me this on the road before I even got home. Honestly, I just put down the bag in my hand after entering the house and came straight here."
Aunt Fin said, "Well, may Heaven make us well."
Samei's Mama looked at Zhan with pity and said, "How are you feeling, Zhan?"
Zhan lowered his eyes and said good.
Samei's Mama said, "Well, may Heaven make this the best thing for all of us. And if the marriage hasn't ended, Heaven will decree that you return to it, and you will return."
Aunt Fin released a sigh and said, "It's already registered, Same's Mama."
Samei's Mama couldn't say anything; she just looked at Aunt Fin. Anyone looking at her could see her entire body had gone cold. Lina said nothing in the room. After nearly ten minutes, Samei's Mama slowly stood up and said, "Well, may Heaven make us well. May Heaven make this the best for all of us. I'll come by in the morning, if all goes well."
Lina greeted her. Samei's Mqma left the room, unhappy. Lina knew clearly that it was her co-wives who had spread the news in town, because even Nenne wouldn't tell everyone this news...she hated exposing secrets.
Aunt Fin released a sigh because the exact thought Lina was having was also in her heart.
Zhan looked at Aunt Fin quietly and said, "Aunt, do you have Yu-Bin's number?"
Aunt Fin said, "I have it."
Zhan said, "I want to call him."
Aunt Fin said, "There's no credit on the phone, and it's already night. Wait until tomorrow morning, then you can talk to him."
Zhan nodded at her, then stood up and lay down on his mother's bed.
Antu Mama's son greeted at the door of Lina's room, lifted the curtain, and said, "Our father says Zhan-ge should come."
Lina and Aunt Fin just looked at the boy. He turned and left the doorway. Zhan sat up after hearing what his stepbrother said. Since returning home, he hadn't even seen his father. He got down from the bed, adjusted his hair cap, and left Lina's room.
They watched him go, and they felt tears gathering in their eyes.
Zhan walked slowly until he reached his father's doorway. His father was sitting on a mat alone at his own doorstep. Zhan knelt by the edge of the mat, bowed his head, and greeted him quietly.
Instead of answering, Aiyin said softly, "Forgive me, my child. I failed you as a father. I caused you all this. But everything happened because I am a nobody. Everything happened because..."
The silence that followed made Zhan lift his head and look at his father. He saw tears in his father's eyes. He didn't know when he himself burst into tears.
His father said, "I am sorry for failing you, my child. By the blessing of the obedience you have shown me, you will not lack, if all goes well. My wish for you since you were born was to give you the best of everything I could. But Heaven did not intend that. Destiny has defeated me..."
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