In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

P.S.: Please vote for me this month! Keep up the daily 10,000-word goal this month and give me some motivation!

……

As Yang Guangming, Yang Xiangmei, and their group of four, carrying luggage of various sizes, stepped into the courtyard, they saw Granny Chen sitting on a small stool, picking vegetables to be stir-fried that evening while chatting with her neighbors, and Mrs. Feng, who was intently sewing cloth shoes with multiple soles by the daylight.

"Oh my! Isn't this Xiangmei?" Grandma Chen, with her sharp eyes, adjusted her reading glasses, which had slipped down to the bridge of her nose, squinted to get a closer look, and her face immediately broke into a surprised and kind smile. Her voice carried the warmth unique to old neighbors, "I haven't seen you in so many years! This... this is back from the Northeast? Oh my, you've really changed a lot!"

Mrs. Feng also looked up, stopped her needlework, and looked Yang Xiangmei over with kind eyes, her tone gentle:

"It's Xiangmei. She's changed, yet she seems the same. She looks more energetic. That air about her shows she's been out in the world. Is she... coming back with a child?"

Her gaze fell on the little girl standing right next to Yang Xiangmei's legs, with two pigtails, rosy cheeks, and a curious look in her eyes.

Yang Xiangmei immediately stopped, a genuine smile spreading across her face—a smile of relaxation and warmth that came from returning to her hometown.
"Grandma Chen, Mrs. Feng, it's me. I've been admitted to Fudan University, and I'll be living in Shanghai for a long time from now on, so I've brought my child with me. We'll be able to see each other more often from now on, and I'm sorry to bother you both."

As she spoke, she gently patted her daughter's back and softly guided her, "Xiaowen, be good, call her Grandma, call her Grandma Feng."

Luo Xiaowen was clearly uneasy about the unfamiliar surroundings and people. She gripped her mother's clothes even tighter, her face almost buried in the soft fabric. After hesitating for a while, under her mother's encouraging gaze, she called out in a barely audible voice, "Grandma...Grandma Feng..."

Seeing this, Yang Guangming smiled and lifted the heavy luggage in his hands, saying, "Grandma, Mrs. Feng, the child is shy and must be tired from the train journey. Let's go home and settle in first, and then we can have a proper chat another day."

"Alright, alright, go back and rest! This journey has been exhausting for both adults and children."

Grandma Chen waved her hands repeatedly, but her gaze remained lovingly fixed on Yang Xiangmei and her daughter. "Xiuying just came home, and when she sees Xiangmei back, I don't know how happy she'll be! It's truly a blessing from heaven; we've finally waited for her to come back..."

She watched the four people walk away, murmuring to herself, "Xiangmei, that child, went so far away back then, and now she's managed to come back on her own. It's truly not easy... Only she knows how much she's suffered..."

Mrs. Feng nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with relief: "Yes, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. Things will be smoother from now on."

Arriving at the front door, I pushed open the sturdy door and was greeted by a warm, familiar feeling of home.

Yang Xiangmei stood outside the threshold, and for a moment she felt as if she had traveled through a time tunnel and returned to the years when she had not married far away and was enjoying the company of her parents.

The furnishings in the house were largely the same as I remembered: the heavy old wooden table, the several well-worn chairs, the chest of drawers in the corner... everything exuded a familiar and welcoming feeling.

The walls seemed to have been repainted, making them brighter, and the furniture had been slightly rearranged. Several lush spider plants had been added to the windowsill, giving the old house a touch of life.

"Dad, Mom, we're back! Come out quickly and see who's here!" Yang Guangyao shouted loudly into the house, carrying the two heaviest travel bags, his voice filled with eager joy.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of hurried and slightly disordered footsteps came from inside the room.

Zhang Xiuying had just changed into some casual clothes and was coming out of the inner room.

When she saw her second daughter standing at the door, looking travel-worn but with bright eyes, and her timid granddaughter beside her, whose features vaguely resembled her daughter's when she was a child, Zhang Xiuying was completely stunned.

Immediately, her eyes reddened at a visible speed, and tears welled up and rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks.

"Xiangmei! My Xiangmei!" She rushed forward, almost stumbling, and hugged her daughter tightly, her arms so strong it seemed she wanted to meld her into her own bones. Her voice was choked with sobs, almost incoherent. "You're finally back! I've been waiting for my Xiangmei to come back! My heart... my heart has been thinking of you every single day!"

Yang Xiangmei also hugged her mother's increasingly frail body tightly, feeling her mother's body trembling slightly, and a thousand words were stuck in her throat.

The familiar scent of soap pods from her mother filled her nostrils, and in the end, it all turned into a trembling cry filled with endless longing and grievance: "Mom... I'm back... I'm really back."

Tears welled up silently, soaking the clothes on her mother's shoulders.

At this moment, Yang Yongkang also strode out from the inner room. He was wearing a worn-out undershirt, and his face still had that usual serious expression.

But when he saw his daughter and granddaughter standing at the door, his slightly cloudy eyes instantly shone with an uncontrollable excitement. His lips twitched slightly as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded repeatedly, repeating the simplest yet most sincere words: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back... Being home safely is better than anything else."

Immediately afterwards, the eldest brother, Yang Guanghui, and his sister-in-law, Li Guihua, also entered the house with their son, Zhuangzhuang, who had just returned from school.

Zhuangzhuang has grown quite a bit taller, and he looks chubby and healthy. When he saw so many people suddenly in the house, especially his unfamiliar second aunt and little sister, he blinked his big eyes curiously and peeked out from behind his mother.

When Li Guihua saw Yang Xiangmei, she was overjoyed and took her hand, looking her up and down, her eyes reddening: "Xiangmei! You're finally back! These past few years, Mom has been thinking about you so many times! Let your sister-in-law see, have you lost weight? You must have suffered over there, right?"

"Is that Second Sister back? We've been waiting for her to come back!"

A gentle and clear voice came from the doorway. Lin Jianyue was seen holding Jing Shu, who had two little pigtails and was as pretty as a porcelain doll, in one hand and carrying Zhiyuan in the other.

Upon seeing the scene inside, a bright smile immediately bloomed on her face. "That's wonderful! I was just talking to Jing Shu about how her second aunt and Xiao Wen were coming home sometime ago. What a coincidence!"

Almost simultaneously, Yue Xinlei also returned home from get off work, holding the hand of her eldest daughter, who was dressed up like a porcelain doll.

The small Shikumen gate was suddenly filled with the noise and joy of a long-awaited reunion.

The children darted around the adults' legs, chattering away; the adults greeted each other, asking about the hardships of their journey, and the house was filled with laughter that almost lifted the roof off.

Yang Xiangmei temporarily placed her luggage in the corner of her parents' room. Looking at this large family and those familiar and kind faces, her heart was filled with warmth and a sense of security. The loneliness and cold she had endured in Northeast China seemed to have been dispelled at this moment.

She pulled her daughter, who had been following closely behind her, down and knelt down to teach her to recognize people one by one. Her voice was gentle and patient: "Xiaowen, look, this is your maternal grandfather, this is your maternal grandmother, this is your eldest uncle, your eldest aunt, this is your youngest uncle, your youngest aunt, this is your second uncle, your second aunt... From now on, these are all our relatives, and they will all love Xiaowen very much."

Surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces and enthusiastic gazes, Luo Xiaowen became even more shy. Her face turned bright red, like a frightened little rabbit. She held tightly to her mother's hand and refused to let go, her voice so soft that it was almost inaudible.

But with her mother's gentle yet firm encouragement, she timidly called out each of the titles one by one.

Although the voice wasn't loud, it made Zhang Xiuying and Yang Yongkang beam with joy, and they responded repeatedly. Zhang Xiuying couldn't help but reach out and touch her granddaughter's soft hair.

"Jing Shu, come here quickly, let me show Xiao Wen your crickets and the picture books Dad bought for you yesterday." Lin Jian Yue tried to get the children familiar with the books first.

The adorable Yang Jingshu is over three weeks old. She walked over with a bewildered look, looked up at Luo Xiaowen with her little face, and then reached out her chubby little hand to take Luo Xiaowen's hand. She said in her childish voice, "Sister, come here, look at the cricket, it can chirp."

Children are naturally easy to approach, and before long, Luo Xiaowen was led by her cousin to the window timidly to look at the intricately woven cricket cage. The tension and timidity on her face gradually faded, and occasionally she could be heard to let out a soft exclamation.

Just then, a series of even more hurried footsteps came from outside the door, along with a breathless, excited voice calling out, "Xiangmei! Has Xiangmei returned? Guangming just sent someone to deliver a message!"

Before she could finish speaking, the eldest sister, Yang Xianglan, hurriedly walked in with her ten-year-old daughter, Honghong, and seven-year-old son, Amao.

She had clearly rushed over from home immediately after receiving the news; fine beads of sweat clung to her forehead, and her chest heaved slightly.

As soon as she entered, her gaze was fixed precisely on Yang Xiangmei, who was standing in the crowd.

"Big sister!" Yang Xiangmei's tears, which she had just stopped, burst forth again when she saw her sister whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

The two sisters quickly stepped forward and embraced each other tightly.

Yang Xianglan's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She patted her younger sister's back forcefully, her voice choked with sobs, "You silly girl, you finally decided to come back! I've missed you so much all these years! Are you doing well over there? Huh? Why didn't you write more letters..."

Honghong and Amao have grown up quite a bit and stood sensibly to one side, curiously observing their aunt who had returned from the far-off Northeast, as well as their younger sister Luo Xiaowen, who looked thin and small, only four or five years old.

"Alright, alright, stop standing, sit down and talk, sit down and talk slowly." Zhang Xiuying wiped away her tears, but her face lit up with a smile, as if she wanted to make up for the smiles she had missed over the years. "Today is a joyous day. Our family's female scholar, Xiangmei, has returned. Our family is finally reunited! This is a wonderful thing!"

Looking at this heartwarming and perfect scene, Yang Guangming felt a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

He spoke up at the opportune moment, “Dad, Mom, eldest brother and eldest sister, I think everyone has arrived. I booked two tables at the nearby ‘Spring Breeze Restaurant’ in advance to welcome my second sister back and celebrate her passing the imperial examination with flying colors and her glorious return to Shanghai! Let’s get ready and head over there. We can eat and chat and give my second sister a proper welcome.”

“Oh dear, Guangming, with such a large family… going to a restaurant? That would cost so much!” Zhang Xiuying immediately felt a pang of worry about the cost, her brow furrowing slightly. “Just cook something simple at home, it’ll be lively and affordable…”

"Mom, don't worry!" Yang Guangming interrupted his mother with a smile, his tone relaxed and confident. "With my current salary, I can easily afford to have a nice meal now and then. It's rare for my second sister to come back, and the whole family can be together. The most important thing is to be happy! Money is meant to be spent, so spending it on this is worthwhile!"

As he spoke, he took out two bottles of Qibao Daqu liquor from the cabinet and shook them. "Look, I've prepared the liquor too. Let Dad, my eldest brother, and my second brother all have a drink today."

Seeing how thoughtful his arrangements were and how resolute his attitude was, everyone stopped saying anything and their faces lit up with expectant smiles.

The women helped each other tidy their clothes and hair, and the children were overjoyed to hear that they were going to a restaurant.

The family marched out of the Shikumen gate in a grand procession, passing through the alleyway gradually shrouded in twilight and dim lamplight.

The lively scene attracted many neighbors to stop and watch, and to say hello.

"Master Yang, do you have guests at home?"

"Hey, is this Xiangmei? Did you come back from the Northeast? You look so energetic!"

"I heard you got into Fudan University? That's amazing!"

The news that Yang's second daughter had returned from Northeast China and been admitted to Fudan University had already spread throughout the alley. Seeing this large family with smiles on everyone's faces, the neighbors couldn't help but feel genuine envy and admiration.

On the way to the restaurant, Yang Xiangmei walked between her mother and sister, who held her hands tightly on either side, as if afraid she would disappear again.

Yang Xianglan kept asking about the details of life in Northeast China, including the climate, food, and working environment, leaving no stone unturned.

Yang Xiangmei answered each question in a calm tone, but occasionally when she mentioned certain past events, her eyes would drift and dim for a moment, only to be quickly covered up by the joy of the sisters' reunion.

Luo Xiaowen was picked up by her second uncle, Yang Guangyao, and sat in his strong arms, where her view suddenly opened up.

She looked curiously at the brightly lit windows on both sides of the alley, listening to the laughter and chatter coming from inside, the opera playing on the radio, and the faint cries of street vendors.

This was completely different from the quiet scene in the small county town in Northeast China after nightfall, which made her feel both novel and a little at a loss. Her little hands unconsciously hugged Yang Guangyao's neck.

"Xiaowen, don't be afraid," Yang Guangyao felt the little girl's dependence and his heart softened. He said in a gentle voice, "Your second uncle is holding you. Look, that lit-up area is the restaurant, there are lots of delicious things there."

Chunfeng Restaurant is not too far from the alley. It is a time-honored brand with decades of history. The storefront is not big, but the black signboard with gold lettering is polished to a shine. The interior is quite spacious and clean.

Yang Guangming had booked a large private room at the back, where two large round tables covered with clean white tablecloths were already neatly arranged, giving the impression of a very formal occasion.

Everyone took their seats one by one.

The adults naturally sat around one table, while the children were seated at another table, with the slightly older Honghong helping to look after them. The table was just the right size.

When the waiter came over, Yang Guangming gestured for the food to be served immediately. He had already ordered the menu in advance, which consisted of affordable yet impressive local dishes.

Soon, the brightly colored and appetizing cold dishes were served first.

A variety of dishes were displayed in a circle: glossy, savory-sweet braised duck; tender, juicy poached chicken with yellow skin and white meat, served alongside a small dish of fragrant shrimp soy sauce; crisp and chewy jellyfish head salad; and crispy-shelled, tender, savory fried shrimp...

Following that, steaming hot dishes, each with its own unique aroma, were served one by one:
Braised pork knuckle, glistening with oil and stewed until tender and flavorful; steamed shad, its meat succulent and topped with slices of ham and shiitake mushrooms; braised lion's head meatballs, each the size of a child's fist, generously filled with ingredients and saturated with broth; crisp, bright green seasonal vegetables, simply stir-fried with minced garlic; and a hearty and delicious three-delicacy soup...

Finally, we served the children's favorite dish: eight-treasure rice, which is soft, sweet, and garnished with red dates, candied fruit, and rose petals.

This table of dishes included chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and was of a very high standard, comparable to the wedding banquet of Yang Guangyao and Yang Guangming a few years ago.

Looking at the table full of dishes that she usually couldn't bear to eat, Zhang Xiuying couldn't help but secretly marvel, estimating that this meal would probably cost her youngest son almost half a month's salary.

But seeing the happy faces of her children and grandchildren sitting around the table, especially her second daughter's eyes filled with emotion and a little unease, she swallowed the words she was about to say. She simply kept picking up the serving chopsticks, putting food on this person's plate, ladling soup for that person, muttering to herself:

"Eat, eat it while it's hot! Xiangmei, eat more, look how thin you are! Xiaowen, come on, Grandma will give you a lion's head meatball, it's soft and delicious..."

Yang Guangming opened the bottle, first filling his father's glass, then pouring baijiu for his eldest brother, second brother, and himself, and then pouring a glass of soda for everyone else.

He raised his glass first and said loudly, "Today, our family can sit here together in a happy reunion. First of all, we want to celebrate my second sister, who, through her own hard work and under such difficult circumstances, was admitted to Fudan University and returned to Shanghai in glory!"

Welcome back to our lovely little niece, Xiaowen!
Come on, everyone, let's raise our glasses to Second Sister and Xiaowen, and to this rare family reunion! Cheers!

Cheers! Welcome home!

Everyone happily raised their wine or tea glasses, their faces beaming with genuine smiles. Even the children imitated the adults, raising their soda bottles and clinking them together, making a crisp, pleasant sound.

The room was filled with cheerful laughter and well wishes, instantly creating a lively atmosphere.

While enjoying the sumptuous meal, everyone chatted excitedly about the changes over the years and their own recent situations.

Yang Guanghui and Li Guihua talked about the factory's recent production tasks and the trivial daily life at home; Yang Xianglan, on the other hand, asked more concernedly about her younger sister's life and work in Northeast China, her tone full of heartache.

Looking at her closest family members, Yang Xiangmei felt a mix of emotions as she experienced the long-lost warmth and liveliness that almost melted her heart.

In those cold and lonely nights in Northeast China, in those moments when she suffered injustices but could only swallow them silently, she dreamed of such scenes countless times. Now, these once unattainable dreams have finally become a tangible reality.

She answered her family's questions carefully, her tone calm and her eyes bright. Only when she mentioned certain past events would a faint, almost imperceptible shadow flash across her eyes, but it was quickly dispelled by the genuine warmth in front of her.

Seeing her granddaughter Xiaowen finally adapt to the new environment and smile, Zhang Xiuying felt sweeter than if she had eaten honey.

She couldn't resist picking up another piece of tender yellow scrambled eggs with her chopsticks and lovingly placing it in Xiaowen's bowl.

"Xiaowen, eat some more eggs, they're nutritious." Zhang Xiuying smiled and, in Mandarin with a heavy Shanghai accent, like any grandmother who loves her grandchildren, casually teased her, trying to make her feel more relaxed. "Tell Grandma, at home, does Dad love you more, or does Mom love you more?"

This was originally just a common remark made by elders to tease children and liven up the atmosphere. In the alleyways of Shanghai, it is played out in different families almost every day.

The dinner table was noisy, with most of the adults engrossed in their own conversations and not paying much attention to the little incident happening here.

However, Luo Xiaowen raised her head, blinked her big, clear eyes, looked at her kind and warm-smiling grandmother, and without any hesitation, answered clearly in her clear and childlike voice, "Mom loves me the most!"

She paused, a serious expression far beyond her years and a hint of tattling on her face, and added, "Daddy and Mommy are divorced. Daddy is bad, I don't like Daddy."

A child's world is simple; she is simply stating the most basic and direct facts in her understanding. She doesn't fully comprehend the heavy meaning behind the word "divorce," nor does she know what kind of turmoil it will bring.

Luo Xiaowen's voice wasn't loud, but after she said the first sentence, "My mother loves me the most," everyone's eyes turned to her.

When the word "divorce" was uttered clearly, her voice was like a thunderclap without warning, flashing with blinding lightning, instantly striking the once noisy and warm private room.

Centered on Zhang Xiuying, the surrounding sounds seemed to be abruptly cut off by an invisible hand.

Yang Yongkang, who was closest to the camera, froze instantly, his wine glass hanging in mid-air; Yang Guanghui, standing next to him, had his smile frozen on his face, the corners of his mouth still upturned, but his eyes were filled with astonishment; Li Guihua's chopsticks fell into the dish with a soft "clatter".

A little further away, Yang Guangming, who was holding a wine glass and preparing to toast his second brother again, suddenly stopped, and the wine spilled over the rim of the glass; Yang Guangyao, who was sitting opposite him, also froze on his face, turning into incredulous shock.

Lin Jianyue and Yue Xinlei stopped talking almost simultaneously, exchanging a look of shock and worry.

The entire private room fell into an eerie, suffocating silence in an instant.

It was as if time had stood still at that moment!

Only the children at the next table, oblivious to what was happening, continued to play and make noise, which only served to accentuate the deathly silence and heaviness in the private room.

The color drained from Zhang Xiuying's face at a visible speed, turning her deathly pale.

She stared blankly at her granddaughter, her lips slightly parted, as if she didn't understand, or perhaps she couldn't believe what she had heard.

Her hand holding the chopsticks began to tremble uncontrollably and violently. The wooden chopsticks slipped from her trembling fingers with a "thud" and fell onto the clean floor, making a crisp and jarring sound that seemed particularly abrupt in the silence.

"Divorce...?"

As if burned, Zhang Xiuying murmured and repeated those two incredibly heavy words that she had never imagined would be associated with her daughter.

She turned her head sharply, her gaze fixed on her second daughter, Yang Xiangmei, who was sitting not far away. Her eyes were filled with panic, confusion, and a despair as if the sky had fallen. Her voice trembled violently and broke into a sob, suddenly rising in pitch, "Xiangmei! Xiaowen... what Xiaowen said... is true? You... you and Xingbang... you... are divorced?"

Her tears flowed uncontrollably, like a flood bursting its banks!

It was as if years of accumulated worries, longing, and the immense heartache brought about by the confirmation of the worst-case scenario at this moment had erupted completely like a volcano.

“You…you’re all alone in Northeast China…with the child…such a huge thing…why didn’t you tell your family? How could you bear it all by yourself?! How much suffering you’ve endured…how much injustice you’ve suffered! My silly daughter…my poor Xiangmei…”

She pounded her chest, sobbing uncontrollably, her body swaying precariously, almost collapsing.

Yang Yongkang suddenly stood up, his face ashen, his lips trembling, and his white beard shaking. He wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word. He felt a rush of heat to his head. He could only slam his calloused hands, which had been used all his life, heavily onto the white tablecloth, making the bowls and plates on the table clang and spill soup.

Yang Guangming and Yang Guangyao also stood up instantly.

The brothers' faces were initially filled with shock, which was then replaced by immense regret and anger.

Yang Guangyao's forehead veins bulged, his fists clenched, and his teeth grinding together: "Luo Xingbang! How...how dare he! How dare he treat you like this! He seemed honest and kind to you back then, but I never...I never imagined he would turn out to be such a heartless bastard! I...I was truly blind back then!"

He was so angry he was trembling, wishing he could rush to the Northeast immediately, drag that heartless man out, and give him a good beating.

Yang Guangming's heart sank instantly, a strong, burning sense of self-reproach and regret surging up inside him, almost overwhelming him.

It was him! He was the one who personally went to the Northeast. He felt that Luo Xingbang was a down-to-earth and hardworking person, and that Luo's parents were reasonable people with decent family conditions at the time. Only then did he feel at ease and agree to the marriage on behalf of his wife's family.

Yang Guangming never imagined that the "ideal match" he had initially chosen would ultimately bring such deep harm and such an ending to his second sister.

If he had known earlier that his second sister would suffer such injustice in that marriage and would eventually get a divorce, he would have tried his best to stop it and keep her by his side no matter what.

His advantage of rebirth and his foresight seemed so pale and powerless at this moment!
"Mom...Dad...Big brother, second brother, little brother...please calm down, don't be like this..."

Under the spotlight, Yang Xiangmei's face turned ashen, devoid of any color.

She quickly stood up, walked briskly to her mother who was almost collapsing, and firmly supported her mother's violently trembling body.

Seeing her family so agitated, saddened, and even angry and remorseful because of her, her eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up in her eyes. But she bit her lower lip tightly, forcing herself not to let the tears fall.

She knew she couldn't break down right now.

She gently patted her mother's back, trying to keep her voice steady and calm her family's volatile emotions.

"Mom, Dad, it's okay, really... It's all over now. Look, I'm doing great, aren't I? I got into university, and I came back safely with Xiaowen. From now on... I can stay with you forever. We'll never have to be apart again."

She took a deep breath and forced a reassuring smile, though it was pale and strained, tinged with obvious bitterness and exhaustion.
"Let bygones be bygones. I just want to look forward now. Maybe I can be assigned to work in Shanghai after I graduate from university. I'll work hard and raise Xiaowen well. Then our family will be truly reunited, and we'll have nothing to worry about anymore."

Yang Xiangmei's efforts to maintain composure and her tearful words of comfort were like a bucket of ice water, slightly extinguishing the raging anger in her family's hearts caused by shock and heartache.

Zhang Xiuying leaned against her daughter, who was much thinner than she remembered, and felt her daughter's trembling as she tried to remain calm. Her crying gradually subsided, turning into suppressed and heartbroken sobs, and her shoulders kept shaking.

Looking at his second daughter's feigned strength, Yang Yongkang felt a tightness in his chest. He sighed heavily, his sigh filled with helplessness and heartache for his daughter. He slumped back into his chair, as if he had aged several years in an instant.

The atmosphere in the private room became unusually heavy and frozen, as if even the air had stopped moving.

The children seemed to finally realize something was wrong, and they all quieted down, staring timidly at the adults with their big, bewildered eyes. Even the most lively Jing Shu didn't dare to make a sound.

Lin Jianyue quickly got up, poured a cup of tea for her mother-in-law Zhang Xiuying, handed it to her, and gently comforted her: "Mom, drink some hot water first and calm down. Second Sister is right, it's more important that people come back safely than anything else. From now on, we'll be a family together, and we can overcome any obstacle."

Yue Xinlei and Li Guihua, their eyes also red, came over, crying along with her, offering words of comfort, and gently patting Zhang Xiuying's back.

"Xiangmei, what... what exactly happened?" The eldest brother, Yang Guanghui, asked in a deep voice, his tone filled with concern, confusion, and a sense of guilt as the eldest brother for failing to protect his younger sister. "Luo Xingbang... how could he... weren't you two always... had a good relationship?"

All eyes were once again focused on Yang Xiangmei.

His gaze held heartache, doubt, anger, and an urgent expectation that she would explain what had happened.

Yang Xiangmei knew that things had come to this point and could no longer be hidden, nor was there any need to hide them anymore.

She took the hot tea from Lin Jianyue, holding it with both hands as if trying to draw strength and warmth from the slightly hot cup.

She paused for a moment, her eyes lowered, as if organizing her thoughts, or perhaps trying to calm the turmoil in her heart that had been stirred up again by the forced recollection.

After a long while, she finally raised her head, her gaze slowly sweeping over the faces filled with concern and worry. She took a deep breath and spoke slowly in an unusually calm tone, yet seemingly containing immense pain. Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Xingbang...and his parents, actually...are not bad people, at least, they are not the kind of unreasonable and wicked people."

Unexpectedly, she first defined the situation of her ex-husband's family, without launching into an emotional accusation or blame as everyone had expected. This calmness was all the more heartbreaking.

“When we first got married, I was working at a hospital and he was working at a lumber mill. His family was considered well-off in the area. I was living a very happy life there, with no worries.”

Her gaze was somewhat unfocused, as if she had traveled through time and returned to those distant, warm, and hopeful days.

“Luo Xingbang was very good to me. He was considerate, family-oriented, and gave me all his salary. His parents were also quite polite to me, and they would give me gifts during holidays. Those days were peaceful and stable, and I always thought... it would continue like that until we grew old.”

Her tone gradually lowered, carrying a deep sense of helplessness and resignation to the capriciousness of fate.

“Until…until I gave birth to Xiaowen.”

The private room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even the children were affected by the somber atmosphere, sitting obediently in their chairs, not daring to make a sound. Only Yang Xiangmei's calm voice, which contained immense pain and vicissitudes, echoed low in the air.

"When I gave birth to Xiaowen, I... I had a difficult labor."

Yang Xiangmei's voice trembled slightly, "After a day and a night of struggling at the county hospital, the baby was finally born, but... but because of this difficult labor, my body was damaged... the doctor told me very clearly... that my uterus was severely damaged, and that I... will never be able to have children again."

She paused for a moment, as if saying the words "infertility" had taken all her strength, and she needed a short breath to continue.

Her gaze fell on her daughter Xiaowen, who was being gently embraced by Lin Jianyue and looking over at her with some unease. Her eyes were filled with complex and indescribable emotions, including maternal love, relief, and a trace of unspeakable sorrow.

"In this life, I am destined to have only one daughter, Xiaowen. It is impossible for me to give the Luo family another son."

Zhang Xiuying couldn't help but cry again, tightly grasping her daughter's cold hand as if only that could give her some strength. "My poor daughter... How could you keep such a big thing from the family... You're going to break my heart..."

She thought of her daughter in a faraway land, enduring immense physical and emotional trauma alone, with no family members to rely on. Her heart ached as if it were being stabbed.

Yang Xiangmei grasped her mother's rough but warm hand and continued speaking, her tone carrying a sense of world-weariness and profound weariness:

"The Luo family... they have only had one son for three generations, and they especially longed for a grandson. Their whole family, especially his parents... find it very difficult, or rather, they simply cannot accept this reality."

Since Xiaowen was born and I recovered, the atmosphere at home... has completely changed.

Her voice carried a suffocating weariness that had been suppressed for a long time. "On the surface, we may still maintain basic politeness, but inside... it's completely different."

Luo Xingbang... he is actually able to accept it, or rather, he is trying to convince himself to accept it.

He told me that having Xiaowen as a daughter was enough, as long as the three of us lived a good life together. Our feelings for each other... back then, were genuine.

But his parents...they couldn't accept it.

Yang Xiangmei's eyes dimmed completely, losing their previous brilliance and leaving only desolation. "They are all influential cadres in the local area. There are some things that cannot be said openly, let alone forcing us to divorce, as that would affect their reputation."

But... that endless emotional abuse, that pervasive oppressive atmosphere, is more unbearable than direct physical or verbal abuse; it's more capable of eroding a person's spirit and hope.

At home, the smiles and warmth of the past are gone.

During mealtimes, it's often eerily quiet; the only sound is the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

The way they looked at me... no longer held the gentleness of before, but instead carried undisguised disappointment, resentment, and even... an invisible, heavy pressure that made it hard for me to breathe.

She described those specific and minute details in a calm voice, yet everyone present could feel the despairing and cold atmosphere of the family as if they were there.

“They would sigh and lament in front of me, saying that the Luo family line was about to end and that they were sorry to their ancestors.”

When relatives and neighbors ask, he will give vague answers and avoid eye contact.

He would deliberately show distance to Xiaowen, unlike how he would be warm and affectionate towards other people's boys.

After a while, it became incredibly stressful; every day felt like torture.

Yang Xiangmei's voice carried a deep weariness, "I can endure it myself. For the sake of Xingbang, for the sake of preserving this home that once gave me warmth, I can endure anything, swallow my pride and bear the pain."

I tried my best to do everything well, working tirelessly, taking care of all the housework, and being even more respectful to them... but it was no use.

No use at all.

Once the seed of change is planted, it will only take root, sprout, and grow into a towering tree.

Her gaze fell gently but firmly on her daughter, Xiaowen, once again.

"But... I don't want Xiaowen to grow up in such an environment. She's still so young, like a blank sheet of paper, with a sensitive and fragile heart."

She shouldn't have to watch her grandparents treat her mother coldly every day, she shouldn't be deprived of the genuine love from her grandparents and the warmth of family, and she shouldn't have to bear the heavy psychological burden of "because I'm a girl, my mother isn't liked" at such a young age.

That's so unfair to her.

Her tone became resolute, carrying a mother's unwavering strength.

“A year ago, in 1976, after much deliberation and struggle, I finally… finally made up my mind and took the initiative to ask Xingbang for a divorce.”

He...he initially disagreed, and he was in great pain and struggled a lot.

I know he also can't bear to part with our years of relationship, and he can't bear to part with Xiaowen.

However, with his parents who gave birth to him and put enormous pressure on him on one side, and me and my daughter on the other, he was caught in the middle, suffering just as much, and gradually becoming silent and thinner.

Those days were torture for all three of us.

Finally… he compromised, or rather, he chose to compromise with his parents' expectations.

Yang Xiangmei's voice was soft and ethereal, as if she were telling a distant story unrelated to herself. But the immense pain and heartbreak of being abandoned by her loved ones, hidden beneath her calm surface, moved every listener and evoked a pang of sorrow.

"The divorce process... went relatively smoothly, since it was my initiative to initiate it, and their family probably felt relieved."

The division of property was simple; I only took Xiaowen's share and what belonged to me.

After the divorce, I moved with Xiaowen to the dormitory that the hospital arranged for me.

That period was the lowest point and the darkest time of my life.

Yang Xiangmei took a deep breath, changed the subject, and a faint but tenacious light rekindled in her eyes, as if she had finally seen a ray of dawn in the dark night. "At that moment, I received a letter and a thick stack of review materials from my younger brother in Shanghai."

In his letter, he encouraged me, saying that the world was changing quietly and that I must not give up my studies or hope. He said that one day the country would reinstate the college entrance examination, which would be the only chance for people like us to change our destiny.

At that time, I could hardly see where the future lay, and I felt that my life had hit rock bottom.

Studying, reading, and doing exercises became my only spiritual sustenance and the only way for me to temporarily forget the troubles of reality.

Winters in the north are long and cold; the dormitories are like iceboxes.

After Xiaowen fell asleep at night, I would read and do exercises under the dim light. When my fingers got cold, I would breathe warm air on them and rub them. When my feet got cold, I would wrap an old blanket around myself…

She described those lonely and arduous nights of struggling against fate, but her tone was unusually calm, as if she were telling someone else's story. "I put all my energy and all my expectations for the future into it. I dared not stop, for fear that if I stopped, I would be completely crushed and swallowed up by the cold reality and the despair."

Unexpectedly, after studying so hard for just one year, the college entrance examination was actually reinstated.

What I never expected was that my casual, "let's give it a try" attitude actually led to my admission to Fudan University, and to a pretty good program at that.

She looked at Yang Guangming sitting opposite her, her eyes filled with sincere and undisguised gratitude, "Speaking of which, I really have to thank you, little brother."

If it weren't for his encouragement, sending me those valuable review materials, and repeatedly reminding me and pointing me in the right direction in his letters, I would have been completely lost.

I might... I might really just stay in that small county town in Northeast China, clinging to that hopeless job and the broken memories of my marriage, living out my life in a daze, my heart ashen.

Otherwise, I would never have the opportunity to sit here today, reunited with my family, and starting a new life.

Looking into his second sister's eyes, which appeared exceptionally calm and resilient after experiencing immense pain, Yang Guangming felt a mix of emotions.

He recalled that when he went to Northeast China, Director Huo did mention that the Luo family had only one son for three generations. At the time, he and his second sister, who were immersed in the joy of being in love, did not pay much attention to it. They just felt that Luo Xingbang was a good person and his family was well-off, so they both thought it was a good match.

Who could have imagined that this seemingly insignificant, even overlooked, point would later become a fatal hidden danger and an insurmountable chasm that destroyed my second sister's marriage and happiness?

The capriciousness and unpredictability of fate made him, a person who had experienced rebirth, feel a deep sense of powerlessness and awe.

He possesses vision and understanding that transcends this era by decades, and has a magical ability to change many things, seize countless opportunities that are unattainable for ordinary people, accumulate wealth, and improve his family's material life.

However, it is still impossible to ensure that every loved one's life will be completely smooth and happy, and it is impossible to foresee all the potential hidden reefs deep within human nature.

All he can do is try his best to provide a little bit of help to his loved ones when they encounter hardship and setbacks, to be a guiding light, to minimize the damage as much as possible, and to help them find their way forward and the courage to move forward again.

He couldn't fully comprehend the hardships his second sister endured to overcome her difficulties and get into university, but he felt a deep sense of pride and heartache for her.

"It's all in the past, Xiangmei."

Yang Yongkang spoke again in a deep voice, breaking the long silence.

He looked at his daughter with a complex expression, a mixture of heartache and pride. "It's better that we're divorced. Staying in that kind of family, with those in-laws, would have been torture. I would have never been able to hold my head up high."

The fact that you were able to get into university on your own is the most successful thing you can do and the thing that makes your parents proud! It's better than anything else!
From now on, take Xiaowen with you, stand tall, and live your own life well.

As long as Dad is here, as long as this family exists, I will never let you suffer any more injustice!

“Dad’s right!” The eldest brother, Yang Guanghui, quickly chimed in, his tone firm. “Xiangmei, you’re educated and capable. After graduating from university, the government will assign you a job—a secure, government-affiliated position! What kind of good family can’t you find? There’s no need to be sad over those old-fashioned, feudal families who don’t know how to cherish things. It’s not worth it!”

"That's right! Xiangmei, from now on, our whole family will be in Shanghai. If we look after each other and work together, we'll definitely make a prosperous life, a hundred times better than in the Northeast!" Yang Guangyao said loudly, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere in the private room with his enthusiastic tone. "From now on, Xiaowen will be a good child of our Yang family. All of us uncles and aunts will love her!"

Li Guihua, Lin Jianyue, and Yue Xinlei also offered words of comfort, saying they would help take care of Xiaowen more in the future so that Yang Xiangmei could focus on her studies. They would all lend a hand with family matters and children's affairs, so she could rest assured.

Looking at each of her family members sitting around her, seeing the unreserved heartache, support, and encouragement in their eyes, the last bit of gloom and unease in her heart brought about by revealing the past was completely dispelled by this deep and solid family affection.

She nodded vigorously, and the tears she had been holding back finally streamed down her face again. But this time, they were no longer tears of grievance and sadness, but of relief and warmth.

"Yes, I know. Thank you, Dad, thank you, Mom, thank you, my older brother and sister-in-law, and thank you everyone. Right now, I just want to study hard, cherish this hard-won opportunity, and work hard to raise Xiaowen to adulthood healthy and happy. With you all here, I believe things will only get better and better in the future."

With the comforting words of her daughter, son, and daughter-in-law, Zhang Xiuying gradually calmed down.

She pulled her granddaughter Xiaowen into her arms, stroking her soft hair and thin back with her rough hands, her heart aching, and said firmly:

“My poor child… Don’t be afraid anymore. She has her maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather who love her, and so many uncles and aunts who love her. Our Xiaowen is the precious darling of the Yang family, the apple of our eye! No one can make Xiaowen suffer any more!”

Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating and their emotions had calmed down a bit, Yang Guangming got up and went out to pay the bill.

This lavish welcome dinner, which was full of twists and turns, ultimately cost nearly thirty yuan, about one yuan and fifty cents per person.

In an era when the average worker's monthly salary was only thirty or forty yuan, this was definitely a considerable expense, almost equivalent to an average worker's entire month's wages.

After paying the bill, the family left the restaurant with mixed feelings, and returned to the old Shikumen house deep in the alley under the heavy night.

What should have been a joyous and happy night of reunion was inevitably tinged with heaviness and heartache due to the unexpected revelation of the truth behind Yang Xiangmei's divorce.

The initial excitement upon arrival has been replaced by silence and contemplation.

The adults remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

The streetlights in the alley were dim and yellow, casting flickering shadows that stretched the family's figures long, sometimes separate, sometimes intertwined. (End of Chapter)