Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

That familiar figure was none other than Xu Dashan.

When several people recognized Xu Dashan as the one setting up the ladder, the cheerful atmosphere in the store immediately changed.

Xu Bei frowned even more, a variety of guesses popping into his mind. "What's he here for?"

Xu Juan muttered in a low voice, somewhat frightened, "They're not here to start a fight, are they?"

Zhao Fengying and Xu Li exchanged a glance.

Only the mother and daughter knew about their visit to Xu Dashan, but they were still unsure of his intentions, so neither of them spoke up.

Soon, Xu Dashan, shivering from the cold, limped in and opened the door.

When he saw the steaming heat inside the store, and that Zhao Fengying, Xu Bei, Xu Li, and Xu Juan were all there, dressed and looking very well, his already unpleasant expression became even more unpleasant.

"You guys are all doing pretty well these days! It's just my brother who's stuck in a miserable situation!"

Zhao Fengying was initially inclined to ask Xu Dashan how he got limping, since they had been married for so many years and it was impossible for them to have no feelings for each other at all.

Upon hearing this, he immediately retorted without any politeness, "You brought this mess on yourself! If it were any other man this age, wouldn't he be protecting his wife and kids? Would he be so biased towards his mother and sister without any regard for right or wrong... Just say it already, what are you doing here! Don't just babble!"

Xu Bei, Xu Li, and Xu Juan also reacted with cold expressions.

Xu Bei, in particular, wanted to see what Xu Dashan, who had come alone, was up to before deciding how to respond.

Xu Dashan was both angry and indignant, but at the same time he knew that he was not without fault in making things this way.

If he had known beforehand that his mother and sister's visit from their hometown would turn his little family upside down and even cause them to break up, he would have done everything in his power to stop them.

Unfortunately, there's no going back in this world.

"Weren't you so anxious that you went to my workplace to find me? And you were even desperate to get a divorce referral letter..."

Xu Bei hadn't expected his mother to have gone to Xu Dashan's workplace without his knowledge. He interrupted her and looked at Zhao Fengying, "Mom! When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?"

Xu Juan was also kept in the dark. "Yes, Mom, you've been keeping this from us!"

Feeling somewhat guilty under the accusations and questioning of her children, Zhao Fengying quickly replied, "I was just afraid you would stop me or insist on coming along!"

Then, looking at Xu Dashan with dissatisfaction, she questioned, "Xu Dashan, why are you saying these things in front of the child!"

"So what if I said something? You can do it, but I can't say anything?!" Xu Dashan pulled a thin piece of paper from his coat pocket and slammed it on the counter. "Besides, I kept my word. This is a divorce referral letter from my workplace!"

When Xu Bei and Zhao Fengying saw the letter of introduction stamped with a bright red official seal, which turned out to be a divorce letter, their expressions varied.

Xu Bei was genuinely surprised that Xu Dashan had driven out so quickly, and his heart was filled with a mixture of surprise and joy.

After all, in this day and age, a letter of introduction from one's employer is the key obstacle to getting a divorce.

Xu Li and Xu Juan exchanged a glance, both somewhat incredulous, and peered over to look again and again.

Zhao Fengying's feelings were the most complicated; her eyes instantly welled up with tears. She wiped them as she pressed, "How did you manage to open it so quickly? What trick did you use?"

Xu Dashan looked at his wife, who had been through thick and thin with him for over twenty years, tears welling in her eyes, her own eyes reddening. He tilted his head slightly and said, "A living person can't be killed by holding their pee! I used a little trick in the workshop, causing a minor safety accident, and it scared the director and secretary half to death. To appease this injured employee, they issued this letter to me..."

Although Xu Dashan spoke lightly, Xu Bei also worked in a timber processing plant and knew all too well the dangers of sawing down houses. Instantly, he felt a mix of emotions.

Zhao Fengying stood on tiptoe and looked at Xu Dashan outside the counter. "How badly is your leg injured...?"

Xu Dashan quickly changed his stance. "It's nothing, but I only dared to do something so risky because it's winter and I'm wearing thick clothes. Even if you push me harder in the summer, I wouldn't do anything like that!"

Seeing his parents chatting away, Xu Bei was worried that things might change after the letter of introduction had already been issued, and that his mother might change her mind again. So he had to speak up.

"So when are you planning to go?"

Xu Li chimed in, "It's almost three o'clock now, the Civil Affairs Department should still be open, right?"

As Zhao Fengying pulled down her sleeves, she said, "Anyway, I always carry my household registration book and marriage certificate with me. Now that the letter of introduction has been issued, let's go take a look."

Even now, Xu Dashan doesn't want a divorce, but reality is pushing him step by step, so he has no choice but to bite the bullet and move forward. "Okay, I don't have to go to work today anyway, so let's go now."

So, Xu Li and Xu Juan stayed at the shop to mind the store, while Xu Bei drove Zhao Fengying and followed Xu Dashan to the bureau building, which was very close to their shop.

Throughout the journey, the three remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts, and did not exchange many words.

Once inside the government building, I went up to the second floor and found the office with the wooden sign for the Civil Affairs Section.

When they finally stood at the door, Xu Bei clearly sensed Xu Dashan's hesitation and his subconscious step back.

Zhao Fengying, carrying a cloth bag, didn't go in immediately. Instead, she stood in the corridor and peered inside.

Xu Bei also stood at the door, looking around at the layout of the office.

In the corner stood several metal filing cabinets with peeling paint.

There are two old-fashioned writing desks facing each other under the window directly opposite the door.

Behind them sat a man with glasses and gray hair reading a newspaper, and a middle-aged woman wearing arm sleeves writing materials.

The man was the first to notice someone at the door, put down his newspaper, and asked, "What do you want?"

Zhao Fengying tightened her grip on the cloth bag in her hand. "Comrade, is this where you file for divorce?"

The man nodded immediately. "Yes. What are you getting a divorce? Is it related to your workplace? Did your workplace mediate?"

Faced with a series of questions, Zhao Fengying selectively answered, "I don't have a workplace, but he does. It's been mediated..." as she walked inside.

Xu Dashan sighed and followed him in, limping.

Xu Bei chose to stand outside the office door and wait silently.

But he also had a clear understanding of what was happening inside.

Aside from the gray-haired man, the middle-aged woman quickly switched to a businesslike mode.

The two of them pressed each other to find out the reason for the divorce.

Xu Dashan glanced at Zhao Fengying and said irritably, "We're incompatible, fighting every day, this is unbearable! The letters of introduction have already been issued, you don't need to ask anymore, just get them done for us!"

The middle-aged woman immediately retorted coldly, "It's not that simple. Even if we have the letter of introduction, there's still the issue of how the assets and children will be distributed!"

Zhao Fengying truthfully stated, "The property and house were allocated to him by his work unit, and the family's savings belong to me. Besides my youngest daughter who is still in her first year of high school, the other two are my eldest daughter who is married and my son who is an adult and doesn't need my support. All the children want to stay with me."

The middle-aged woman looked at Zhao Fengying, who was unemployed, with some sympathy, and her attitude softened a little. "Okay, you have to fill out the form first. This is the 'Divorce Registration Application Form.' Write neatly, don't scribble."

Zhao Fengying and Xu Dashan both picked up pens and began filling in the characters on the writing table.

Standing outside the door, Xu Bei watched this scene, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him...