Chapter Four: Breaking Away Alone

Song Hui, terrified, curled up in Wei Yao’s arms, crying loudly. Song Yang, small and fragile, trembled with fear as he hurriedly tried to hide behind Wei Yao.

“Mother, since you say that, then let Song Mingrui and I take the children and live separately. From now on, don’t even mention Li Ping coming home for dinner. Even if she stays for good, the two of us won’t say a word. I can’t ask for the big house; just give us this side room, and that will be enough.”

“What did you say? You want to separate and live apart? Impossible. If you want to leave, you leave on your own. My son, grandson, and granddaughter all carry the Song name. They won’t follow you.”

Chang Yongqin snorted coldly, throwing the cabbage stems she held onto the dustpan.

“You rotten scoundrels, still dreaming of living separately? I tell you, no way. There’s only one eldest son in this family. He’s meant to care for my parents in their old age. We worked hard to raise him. Both of you should serve the Song family like beasts of burden. Ha! Yesterday, I heard from Xiaochun that you reeked of meat. Not only did you secretly buy egg cakes, but you also went out to eat alone. Selfish, mean, shameless, ungrateful wretches.”

“So what if I eat out? You locked my son and daughter in a room until they cried from hunger. Huihui has been eating only rice cereal sent by my family since she was born. I didn’t even see a single meat coupon during my confinement. You call me selfish and ungrateful? What about you, fighting over rations with a new mother, and those were things sent from my family!”

Thinking back on the past, Wei Yao’s heart ached. She couldn’t understand how she had been cursed, how she had suffered so much and yet still hadn’t left in time.

“Enough. Always dredging up old grievances. What do you want? I’m telling you again, you will never live separately. My Mingrui carries the Song name. If you want to take him away, forget it. If anyone’s leaving, it’s you. Petty, crude, utterly lacking in manners. The Song family will never accept a daughter-in-law like you. You’d better go back where you came from as soon as possible.”

Tears streamed down Wei Yao’s face just thinking about her previous life. She didn’t even need to pinch her thigh to cry.

Before she could say a word, Deputy Director Liu, who had been listening outside, stormed in fiercely. She held Wei Yao’s medical records in her hand. Though angry about the Song family’s behavior, she still hoped, as a family, to give them one chance.

Wei Yao’s words upon entering had clearly suggested this, but she never expected the Song family to be so unreasonable. They were driving Wei Yao to despair!

“Such arrogance, Chang Yongqin, claiming your family is so noble. I wonder what kind of official household you really are.”

Startled by the reprimand, Chang Yongqin and Song Li Ping, who usually fought fiercely at home, suddenly fell silent when faced with an authority figure.

---

“Director Liu, what brings you here? Please come in. Do you have any instructions?”

She glanced at Liu Yanling and then at the few people following her. Two were familiar street officials; the other man and woman were strangers to her.

“What are you staring at? These two are police officers. They came with me in response to Wei Yao’s report.”

“What? A report? It’s just a little quarrel between family members. We were already settling it ourselves. No need to trouble Director Liu and the officers.”

“You say no need, but it is needed. Cut the nonsense. Bring out the ones responsible for the violence and chaos.”

Chang Yongqin nearly fainted under the rebuke and glared fiercely at Wei Yao.

“Xiao Wei, didn’t I tell you at the hospital? Tell the police your head injury was just an accident. You’re an adult now; how can you blame the child?”

“Wei... sister-in-law, please say something!”

Wei Yao’s mother and two others stood in a corner, trembling in fear like quails, evoking sympathy from the police and Deputy Director Liu. Liu felt awkward—such cruelty to a daughter-in-law and children in their community was abhorrent.

“Xiao Wei, don’t be afraid. Tell us what happened; we’re here to help.”

“Deputy Director Liu, it’s not me, really not me. I have injuries all over—on my head, on my body. What kind of person would hurt herself? Wuwu... Mingrui and I are not unfilial. Since marrying into the Song family, we hand over our wages. I went back to work immediately after confinement. Mingrui is hardly ever home. Yangyang and I survive on wild vegetables and cabbage stems every day. Look at us three women compared to my parents, Li Ping and her mother, Li Ying, and her children. They constantly beat and scold us, even threatening to kill Yangyang. If we can’t live separately, we might not survive. Wuwu...”

“Shut up! Do you want to destroy our Song family?”

“Wei Yao, try slandering my son again. If he says a few harsh words, you take it seriously?”

---

Chang Yongqin and Song Li Ping stomped furiously. Their fierce gazes made Wei Yao stagger backward, her head injury making her look faint. Two police officers immediately stepped in front of her.

“What’s going on? You want to lay hands on her in front of us? Hand over Li Ying now, or if we have to go to the school, things won’t be pretty.”

Under the stern gaze of the officers, Song Li Ping finally felt fear. Swallowing hard, she ran outside. Though unwilling to hand over her son, she knew that if the police went to the school, the child’s reputation would be ruined, and he might even be expelled.

“Xiao Wei, family ties are strong. You really want to send your nephew to the police? Think about how you’ll explain that to Mingrui when he comes home!”

Wei Yao sobbed, “I’m barely hanging on to life with my child. What does it matter if I’m heartless or not? Don’t say anything more. If Mingrui blames me, then we’ll get a divorce. I’m desperate. I have to make sure my child survives.”

A typically strong woman breaking down like this stirred pity. Everyone in the neighborhood had lived here for so many years; no one was unaware of the family’s sordid affairs.

As the crowd whispered endlessly, Chang Yongqin stood alone in the yard, gripped by an unprecedented panic. She felt as if a monstrous beast was baring its teeth at her, about to devour her whole.

She quickly composed herself and waved her hand. “Fine, if you want to separate, then separate. You can have the side room, but all the wages you handed over before were for family expenses—food, drink, everything costs money. This month, I won’t ask for your wages. Pack up and move over there!”

As soon as she finished speaking, disdain flashed across the faces of those present. Such a foul mouth, talking big but worthless. A dung beetle burrowing in manure, shameless to the end.