bookrandom Chapter 263 Return to the Village
Chapter 263 Return to the Village
Seeing that Grandpa Yan agreed, Li Guihua took her daughter's hand and quickly went back to the house to pack her luggage.
Yan Zhu covered his swollen chin, his eyes flashing with resentment, but he could only glare helplessly at Li Xiangyang's tough attitude and the hunting rifle on his body.
A short while later, Li Guihua came out carrying a small bundle containing a few changes of clothes for herself and her daughter.
Apart from that, she took almost nothing with her.
"That's all?" Li Xiangyang asked, frowning.
Li Guihua nodded and said softly, "That's enough, nothing else matters."
Li Xiangyang glanced at his sister with heartache, then turned to the Yan family members: "I'm taking them away today. See you at the commune tomorrow."
Old Master Yan snorted coldly: "Take him away if you want, see you at the commune!"
Li Xiangyang didn't say anything more. He carried his bundle in one hand and held his niece's hand in the other, and strode out of the Yan family home with his sister.
Xiaolan was a little sleepy and started to stagger as she walked.
Seeing this, Li Xiangyang handed the bundle to his sister and squatted down, saying, "Xiaolan, shall I carry you on my back?"
The little girl nodded and obediently climbed onto Li Xiangyang's back.
Li Xiangyang carried his niece on his back, pushed the cart, and headed towards the guesthouse.
These days, if you want to stay overnight at a guesthouse, you basically have no chance without a letter of introduction. Fortunately, Li Guihua had been married into the family for a long time and knew the staff, so she managed to persuade them to give her two rooms.
After entering the room, Xiaolan quickly fell asleep.
Li Guihua gently pulled the blanket up, then sat down on the chair by the bed and sighed wearily.
"Sister, what exactly caused you and your husband to come to this?" Li Xiangyang asked in a low voice.
Li Guihua was silent for a moment, then a shadow of the past appeared in her eyes: "Actually, my relationship with my husband was alright before. It's just that after Xiaolan was born, Grandpa Yan kept talking about wanting a grandson, but I just couldn't get pregnant..."
"Later, Zhu Zi's attitude changed. He often said hurtful things and even hit her..." Her voice choked with emotion.
Li Xiangyang clenched his fists, wishing he could go back and punch Yan Zhu a few more times.
"What about Xiaolan? How are they treating Xiaolan?" Li Xiangyang asked.
Li Guihua shook her head: "They looked down on Xiaolan because she's a girl, calling her a money-loser, so naturally they never gave her a kind look. If I hadn't tried my best to protect her... if it weren't for unavoidable circumstances, I really wouldn't want to get a divorce. How would Xiaolan and I live after the divorce...?"
"Sister, don't worry. After the divorce, if you want to find work in the city, you can live with Mom and Xiaohua in the county town. I bought a house there. Of course, if you want to stay in the village, you can live in my old house. It's empty now, except for the two ponds I dug."
“We’ll go to the commune tomorrow morning to complete the divorce procedures, and then we’ll go back to Xiaoliang Village. As for how you want to live your life afterward, there’s no need to rush. Go home and think about it slowly,” Li Xiangyang advised.
Li Guihua nodded, a glimmer of hope finally appearing in her eyes.
Li Xiangyang glanced at the clock on the wall, got up, and walked out: "Sis, it's getting late, you should rest too."
Li Guihua hummed in agreement, and after Li Xiangyang left, she lay down next to Xiao Lan.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, after breakfast, Li Xiangyang took his sister and niece straight to the commune.
Along the way, Li Guihua seemed a little nervous, and Xiao Lan was also somewhat uneasy.
"Sister, don't worry, I'm here for you," Li Xiangyang comforted her.
Upon arriving at the commune compound, Li Xiangyang discovered that the Yan family had already arrived.
Grandpa Yan, Yan Zhu, and several relatives stood at the door, each with a different expression.
Upon seeing Li Xiangyang and his two companions approaching, Old Master Yan snorted coldly, while Yan Zhu glared at them resentfully, but due to Li Xiangyang's imposing presence, he dared not step forward to provoke them.
Li Xiangyang led his sister and niece straight to the Civil Affairs Department, and the Yan family followed them in.
The clerk in the civil affairs department, a middle-aged man wearing glasses, looked somewhat confused as so many people poured in: "What's going on? What are you all doing here?"
"Let's get a divorce," Li Xiangyang said succinctly.
The clerk took out the registration book, carefully inquired about the situation, and then looked at Yan Zhu and Li Guihua: "Did you two voluntarily agree to a divorce?"
Li Guihua nodded: "Voluntary."
Yan Zhu hesitated, glancing at his father and then at Li Xiangyang, before finally gritting his teeth and saying, "It's my choice."
"What's the reason for the divorce?" the clerk continued.
“Their relationship is strained,” Li Guihua said softly.
Yan Zhu did not refute, but stared at the ground with a gloomy expression.
The clerk asked a few more questions and then began filling out the divorce certificate.
Just then, Old Master Yan suddenly spoke up: "Wait, divorce is fine, but the child must stay with the Yan family."
Li Guihua's expression changed, and she gripped Xiaolan's hand tightly: "No! The child must come with me!"
"If the child were with you, could you support him?" Old Master Yan wouldn't budge an inch.
"Grandpa Yan, that's a good question. How much do you think is enough to support them? Name your figure, and I'll see if I have the money. My sister may not have it, but I do. Whatever you say, I'll give you. Is that alright? The law stipulates that after a divorce, the custody of children must consider the child's wishes and the environment most beneficial to their growth." Li Xiangyang looked at the clerk. "Right?"
The clerk nodded: "That's the regulation."
Li Xiangyang crouched down and asked softly, "Xiao Lan, who do you want to live with?"
Without hesitation, Xiaolan hugged Li Guihua's leg: "I want to stay with Mom."
Yan Zhu's face darkened: "Xiao Lan, how about coming home with Daddy? Daddy will buy you candy."
Xiao Lan shrank behind Li Guihua and timidly shook her head.
“See?” Li Xiangyang straightened up. “Xiaolan’s wishes are very clear. As for her growing environment, you don’t need to worry about it. After we return to the village, I will give my old family house to my sister.”
The clerk nodded after listening to Li Xiangyang's words: "If the child wants to live with his mother, and the mother can provide better living conditions, then according to regulations, the child should be raised by the mother."
Seeing the situation was turning sour, Old Master Yan's face darkened: "Then we should at least be given the right to visit, shouldn't we?"
Li Xiangyang glanced at his sister, and seeing her nod, he said, "Okay, but only if you respect Xiaolan's wishes."
Although the Yan family was unwilling, they had no choice but to accept it.
Ultimately, with the mediation of the clerk, the two parties reached an agreement: Xiao Lan would be raised by Li Guihua, and the Yan family would have visitation rights; as for the division of the family property, since Li Guihua didn't want anything and was too lazy to argue with the other party, the procedures were completed quickly.
Holding the divorce certificate, Li Guihua seemed to have a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, and a long-lost sense of ease appeared on her face.
As Li Xiangyang walked out of the commune gate, he glanced back at the Yan family following behind and said coldly, "From now on, if you want to visit Xiaolan, give us a heads-up. Whether you want to see her or not is up to you. If you're still not behaving properly here, don't blame me for being impolite."
Yan Zhu gritted his teeth, but dared not lash out because people from the commune were still present.
Old Master Yan, however, remained silent with a gloomy face.
After leaving the commune, Li Xiangyang took his sister and niece straight to the bicycle parked at the entrance of the town.
He put Xiaolan on the front bar, let his sister sit on the back seat, and then stood and pedaled, heading towards Xiaoliang Village.