Chapter Six: I Hope You Keep Your Word

Wei Yao rested in the hospital for another night with her two children. The next morning, Liu Chunling, the deputy director of the neighborhood committee, arrived at her ward. Seeing that Wei Yao looked relatively well, she finally felt a sense of relief.

"Little Wei, how did you sleep last night?"

"Much better, thank you, Director Liu."

Just as Liu Chunling was about to speak, the attending physician pushed the door open. Seeing someone there so early, he understood they were there to help Wei Yao, having already heard about the situation from the nurses that morning.

"Better? You’ve been suffering from long-term malnutrition, and with this head injury on top of it, you need to take proper care of yourself. Don't brush this off. If you keep going like this, you’ll be looking at an early death in twenty or thirty years. As for your two children, I’ve had the pediatrician check them; they also need proper nutrition. Order some milk for them to drink, and make sure to come back for regular check-ups after you’re discharged, do you understand?"

Wei Yao’s face turned pale. She looked down at her two children, tears of heartache streaming down her cheeks.

Liu Chunling naturally heard every word. As the deputy director of the neighborhood committee, she knew what kind of temperament Wei Yao had, but she never expected this young woman to be such a paper tiger, bullied for so many years simply because her husband was away.

Wei Yao glanced at Liu Chunling from the corner of her eye. In the past, she had been too proud and afraid of being looked down upon, wanting to break away from the Song family. But the hard path had proven impossible; a single label of "lacking filial piety" was enough to suffocate her. She had been forced to show weakness—a tactic she had actually learned from Song Liping.

When Song Dagui arrived, he looked extremely displeased. He had originally intended for the family separation to be handled in front of the neighbors, but he hadn't expected Wei Yao to be unable to leave the hospital, forcing the matter to be settled right there in the ward.

With his daughter-in-law hospitalized with the children and the in-laws coming to the hospital to demand a split, he could already imagine how the neighbors would gossip about his family.

"Why are you so late? You’re really holding things up. Hurry, hurry. I’ve just gone over the accounts with Little Wei. The money and rations earned by Song Mingrui and his wife over the years, plus the five hundred yuan from the sale of the side room, total four thousand two hundred yuan. The child is filial, so we’ll let the used rations and the items sent by her maiden family slide."

Chang Yongqin and Song Liping’s expressions changed. They had only managed to scrape together three thousand seven hundred yuan, even after selling everything they could and borrowing from everyone around them. They hadn't realized the amount owed was so high.

"Director Liu, that’s not how a family split works. You can't just count the money Wei Yao and Song Mingrui earned. You have to account for my mother taking care of the household chores and raising the children for over four years. And my father hasn't skimped on buying things for Song Yang and Song Hui—how is that to be calculated?"

"Stop calculating! You’ve left your daughter-in-law malnourished and your grandchildren in need of regular medical check-ups. If this continues, the three of them might not even survive."

Chang Yongqin’s expression was equally ugly. She had originally intended to speak softly to Wei Yao, hoping she would show some mercy for the sake of the family, but Wei Yao just kept her head down, saying nothing. It was Deputy Director Liu who had become her mouthpiece.

"Oh, Director Liu, that’s a bit too harsh. My wife has taken care of them with all her heart; she hasn't mistreated them all these years. Now that Little Wei wants to split the family, we old folks have emptied our coffers. Children are a debt; if she wants to split, let it be. Little Wei, we will give you what is owed. Mother is even willing to let your family keep the side room. If you just nod, I’m still willing to take care of you after you leave the hospital, alright?"

"Please, spare me. Let’s just settle according to what we agreed. And by the way, give me the stamp for collecting Mingrui’s remittances. Don’t say anything else; it’s all just repetitive nonsense, and there’s no point in going over it again."

Seeing that she wouldn't listen to reason, Song Dagui simply handed over the bag he was carrying.

"Since your mind is made up, we’ll do as you wish. The money and the stamp for Mingrui’s remittances are in the bag. Three thousand seven hundred yuan. You can have the house Liping is currently living in—a large sixty-square-meter place, enough for you and the children. From now on, our three and a half rooms plus the side room belong to Liping and her three children; don't think about it anymore. Besides, you must go to the Public Security Bureau and have them release Li Ying. If you agree, you can go to the neighborhood committee to process the paperwork once you're discharged."

Wei Yao thought for a moment, nodded, and looked toward Liu Chunling.

"Very well, I agree. Consider the missing portion of the money as Mingrui’s filial piety to you. Rest assured, unless something else happens, I will never set foot in your house again."

"Good, you said it yourself. I hope you keep your word."

Song Liping looked at Wei Yao with disgust. In truth, she hadn't wanted to stay in the original place for a long time anyway. The neighbors were everywhere, and every time something happened in her home, the whole tenement building knew about it. These petty, gossiping city dwellers were infuriating.

After the document was signed and the fingerprints were pressed, the agreement was reached, and the Song family didn't linger.

Once they left, Wei Yao thanked Liu Chunling profusely and entrusted her with a few matters. The latter looked surprised for a moment before nodding.

"It’s good to be cautious. I could tell right away that your mother-in-law is no simple character. It’s best to keep your distance from this family as soon as possible. Oh, and one more thing: when your husband returns, if he treats you poorly, come find me. Our neighborhood committee and the Women’s Federation are not just for show."

"Thank you, Director Liu. Once I have everything settled, I will definitely come to thank you in person."

After Director Liu left, Wei Yao threw the money and the stamp into her storage space. Song Yang and Song Hui were already awake. She stood up shakily to breastfeed Song Hui and pulled a thermos from her storage space containing hot chicken noodle soup. The mother and children ate with great relish.

That evening, Chen Shumin hurried home. As soon as she entered, she slammed her bag onto the dining table. Lu Guangyao, who was drinking tea in the living room, was startled.

"Shumin, what are you doing? You scared me!"

"You’re asking me what I’m doing? You’ve caused big trouble, haven't you?"

Lu Guangyao frowned, glanced at her, and curled his lip.

"Have you lost your mind? I’ve been resting all day and haven't gone anywhere. What trouble could I have caused?"

Chen Shumin paced back and forth in front of him, only catching her breath after a long while.

"When Mingrui left, what did he tell you? He asked you to keep an eye on his family. How did you look after them? Did you even pay any attention?"

"What do you mean by that? Haven't I been paying attention? Every time Mingrui goes away, don't I send people to ask about his wife's situation? Everything was fine! His father is a formal worker, and while his mother doesn't work, she is a very kind person. His sister has had a hard life, widowed at a young age, but I’ve checked with her unit—she’s an educated and cultured woman. If such a family can still stir up trouble, it’s likely the problem lies with Mingrui’s wife."