WBSGVS Chapter 116

Old Lady Li wasn’t young anymore. Li Lanhua was her third child, following two older brothers, with several younger siblings after her. As the first daughter, she had been quite fond of Li Lanhua when she was little.

But as more children came along, Li Lanhua became less noticeable.

Moreover, given the poor transportation and busy farming schedules of the time, they only managed to see each other once a year during the Spring Festival after Li Lanhua got married.

However, the nearby villages weren’t too far apart, so any major news spread quickly. For instance, this time, when the police drove to the Tang family in the middle of the night to make arrests, it was clear something serious had happened!

Big incidents like this traveled fast. The village leaders from nearby districts used their loudspeakers to preach to their communities:

“Stay on the right path!”
“Never break the law!”
“If you break the law, the police will come after you, even by car!”

The villagers were frightened. In no time, everyone knew about the Tang family’s trouble. Naturally, the Li family heard about it too.

Old Lady Li couldn’t sit still and decided to visit. She was accompanied by her eldest daughter-in-law, who was now responsible for taking care of her in her old age.

Her concern for her daughter was genuine, but there was another reason. With the authorities cracking down, if the Tang family had indeed committed a serious crime, the Li family needed to quickly sever ties.

It wasn’t about being cold-hearted. Life was already hard enough. A blow like this could ruin them all.

When Old Lady Li questioned her daughter, Li Lanhua’s expression froze.

Seeing this, her eldest daughter-in-law’s face turned grim as well. “Lanhua, has something serious happened?” she asked hesitantly.

Li Lanhua sighed and said, “Mom, sister-in-law, come inside, and I’ll explain.”

She invited them in, closed the door to keep out prying eyes from the Tang family, and began to explain.

“This situation has blown up because my in-laws sold Sanya to someone as a child bride.”

“What?!” Both women were stunned. Wasn’t this sort of thing fairly common?

Especially just last year, during the severe droughts, families in worse-off areas were selling not just their daughters but even their sons! Still, they couldn’t help but feel angry. This was their granddaughter after all. How desperate could the Tang family have been?!

Seeing their confusion, Li Lanhua said seriously, “That’s against the law. Since the founding of the country, human trafficking has been banned. People are citizens, not property. How could they sell someone?”

“Oh… oh…” The two women nodded along, still not fully grasping the gravity of the situation.

Li Lanhua continued, “When I found out, I went to the county government and caused a scene. The officials said they would help me get Sanya back. We didn’t even know where she’d been sold. The police arrested everyone involved, interrogated them, and discovered that not only the Tang family but also people in Yangjia Village who bought children were guilty. They were all taken in.”

“Gasp!”

“Gasp!”

Both women exchanged uneasy glances, realizing just how serious the matter had become. Seeing Li Lanhua’s expression, they dared not speak further.

Li Lanhua said, “Now, everyone involved is awaiting sentencing. They’re still under investigation, so I don’t know much more. I’ve already come back.”

Old Lady Li was silent for a while. When she finally spoke, she grabbed her daughter’s hand and said, “Daughter, have your family separate from theirs. Make sure the children stay away from them.”

Li Lanhua’s heart sank. Her expression grew unnatural. “Mom—”

“What is it?” Old Lady Li pressed.

Taking a deep breath, Li Lanhua said, “Tang Ersong was also involved in selling the child. He’s been arrested too. I’m divorcing him!”

“???”

Her mother’s jaw dropped.

Her sister-in-law was equally shocked but held her tongue, figuring this was a personal family matter that didn’t yet affect them directly.

Old Lady Li wasn’t so restrained. Her face darkened, and she raised her hand as if to strike, scolding, “Li Lanhua, how dare you talk about divorce?!”

Li Lanhua had expected this reaction.

She forced a bitter smile but held firm. “Mom, Tang Ersong even sold Sanya. For her sake, I can’t stay with him. Who knows what he might do in the future? Besides, there’s no guarantee he’ll even get out of jail. I’ve already filed for divorce in the newspaper. It’ll be official tomorrow.”

“You can’t divorce him!” Old Lady Li stomped her foot angrily. Despite her rage, she couldn’t bring herself to hit her daughter, knowing how much she’d already suffered. “Even if you have to live like a widow, it’s better than being divorced! Where will you live? Are you planning to remarry? What about Sanya? Have you thought this through?”

Tears welled in Li Lanhua’s eyes. “Mom, sister-in-law, I’m begging you to take us in for a while. Once my household registration is transferred, I’ll work hard with you all and earn my keep. I only ask for enough to feed Sanya and me!”

Her sister-in-law hesitated, then forced a smile. “Lanhua, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but think about Sanya’s future. If word gets out about all this, won’t her future husband mind?”

Li Lanhua’s face turned pale as she bit her lip and looked down.

She had thought about all of this. But staying with the Tang family seemed like a worse fate. She feared Sanya might not even survive long enough to have a future husband.

Old Lady Li sighed, taking note of her daughter-in-law’s reluctance. She said firmly, “Your sister-in-law has a point. I thought you’d matured after all these years as a mother. You need to think about your child. Besides, moving back here—”

Before she could finish, the door, which had been shut tightly, creaked open.

All three women turned to look.

Qingli stepped inside, smiling sweetly. “Grandma! Auntie!” she called out brightly.

“Wow, San Ya has grown into such a fine young lady!” Li’s eldest sister-in-law said warmly with a smile.

Grandma Li also smiled gently. “She has grown. So much taller now.”

San Ya pressed her lips together, pretending to be shy, and asked, “What are you all talking about?”

Li’s eldest sister-in-law quickly chimed in, “San Ya, your parents are planning to get a divorce. Do you know what that means? It means they won’t be living together anymore…”

She hoped San Ya would react like a typical child, throwing a tantrum to stop her parents from separating. Most kids couldn’t stay calm upon hearing their parents were splitting up. If San Ya caused a fuss, maybe Li Lanhua would waver and reconsider.

Seeing her sister-in-law’s attempt, Li Lanhua opened her mouth to interject. After all, it was this very child who had orchestrated the divorce.

However, before she could speak, she saw San Ya nodding along attentively, her eyes filled with curiosity. Li Lanhua shut her mouth, now more curious about her daughter’s next move.

Li’s eldest sister-in-law continued, “San Ya, your mom is just confused right now. You should talk to her.”

San Ya blinked her eyes innocently and then smiled brightly. “Auntie I’m the one who suggested they get divorced. Tang Ersong isn’t worthy of being my dad, nor is he fit to be my mom’s husband. And as for the issues after the divorce, there’s no need to worry about that.”

Li’s eldest sister-in-law froze. “What??”

Grandma Li furrowed her brow, clearly displeased. Kids shouldn’t meddle in adult matters. Was the girl trying to drive her mother to ruin?

Li Lanhua anxiously twisted her hands in her lap, knowing her mother wasn’t one to let such a statement slide. She feared her daughter would be scolded any second.

But then, San Ya pulled a small bundle of cash from her pocket, her face lighting up with a cheerful grin. “Grandma, Auntie, here’s twenty yuan. Could you help my mom and I transfer our household registration and food rations? Also, could you help us find an empty house in the village? We’re willing to pay an annual fee to the brigade or even buy it outright if necessary.”

The three women stared in shock. “What?!”

Twenty yuan!

That was no small amount. In these times, a typical worker earned five or six yuan a month at best. Less stable jobs, like a waiter at the town’s state-owned restaurant, paid as little as 2.50 yuan monthly. As for rural farmers, the average monthly income was often just one yuan—or even less for those with fewer work points.

And yet, San Ya had just pulled out twenty yuan like it was nothing!

Li Lanhua’s face went pale as she instinctively tried to push her daughter’s hand holding the money back down. She would rather endure another beating than let her daughter hand over so much money.

After all, twenty yuan was an unimaginable fortune. Many people toiled for years and still couldn’t save up that much.

But San Ya wasn’t concerned about their reactions. She placed the money firmly into Grandma Li’s hands. In her mind, adult matters were best dealt with directly. She was confident that her grandmother wouldn’t refuse such a substantial sum.

Once the money was accepted, not only would her grandmother stop complaining about the divorce, but living in Li’s village would also become much easier. With this financial gesture, they could ensure some goodwill and protection.

Grandma Li had many sons and grandsons, making the Li family a large and influential presence in the village. If anything happened, their extended family could offer support where needed.

Li Lanhua could only watch helplessly as the money was handed over. Her heart ached as she turned her face away. Twenty yuan—just like that, gone!

Grandma Li’s expression was blank with shock, clearly processing the gravity of the situation. Li’s eldest sister-in-law, however, was thrilled.

With a smile, she quickly changed her tone. “Oh, what’s the big deal? We’re all family. When will you pack up your things? Why not move in today? We’ve got a spare room at home, so you can stay there for now. Besides, after the divorce, the Tang family will cause trouble.”

Helping with the household registration and food ration transfer was a trivial matter when such a sum of money was involved. On top of that, the eldest sister-in-law assumed that if San Ya could casually offer up twenty yuan, she probably had even more tucked away. Supporting them might even be profitable.

Hearing her words, Grandma Li snapped out of her daze, her sharp gaze turning to her daughter-in-law.

Caught, Li’s eldest sister-in-law offered an awkward smile and stammered, “Mother, I just mean… if Lanhua stays with the Tang family, things could get dangerous. What if they get violent and refuse to let her leave? They might even beat her to death!”

Grandma Li’s eyes flickered with unease. She tightened her grip on the money, her lips pressing into a thin line. She cast a long, penetrating look at San Ya—this granddaughter, once so inconspicuous, had now become a pivotal player in their family drama.

With such a large sum in hand, at least they could silence the gossip and accusations that were bound to follow. But still… divorce! The mere thought of it stung her pride.

Back at home, the Li family would undoubtedly face relentless judgment from the neighbors for a long time.

Li Lanhua watched her mother anxiously. If the Li family didn’t agree to take them in, even with money, she and her daughter would still face significant challenges.

Finally, Grandma Li exhaled heavily, her tone sharp but resigned. “Fine. Pack your things and leave. Once the newspaper prints the divorce announcement tomorrow, the Tang family will find out. If you don’t leave now, you might not get another chance.”