Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

Zhou Fang walked a long way down the street.

The cold wind hit my face, but I couldn't feel it.

He walked all the way to the door of a small restaurant on the street and went inside.

I found a seat by the window and sat down.

"Boss, give me two of your signature stir-fried dishes, a bowl of fried rice, and two bottles of Shikumen liquor."

The dishes were served, but he didn't touch his chopsticks.

Just unscrew the bottle cap and pour it into the glass.

He kept drinking one cup after another.

The two bottles were quickly emptied.

"Boss, another bottle, please."

The door was pushed open.

A gust of cold wind blew in.

Cong Ying and two friends walked in, their eyes scanning the lobby.

She spoke a few words to her friends, and then her two friends found a spot and went over first.

She walked straight to Zhou Fang's table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Zhou Fang raised her head.

"Aunt Song called me," Cong Ying said, looking at the empty wine bottle in front of him. "I've been waiting for you to call me. But you never did. Why are you hiding here drinking alone?"

Zhou Fang's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the empty wine glass in front of him without saying a word.

Her mind was filled with memories of their days as educated youth in Xiaoquan Brigade.

At that time, Cong Ying, An Xiyang, and several others squeezed into one courtyard.

Anxi Yang always loves to laugh and can't stand hardship. Even if she cuts her finger while cutting pig feed, she will cry for a long time.

He was watching from the side at the time and thought the girl was really spoiled and that he would have to protect her well in the future.

It's been more than ten years.

He turned his face away, trying to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes.

"If you want to cry, just cry." Cong Ying knew their marriage was over. "That saying 'a man doesn't easily shed tears' is bullshit. If you're feeling frustrated, what's wrong with shedding a few tears?"

Zhou Fang rubbed his face, his voice hoarse:

"I've made a fool of myself in front of you."

"Who will laugh at whom is still uncertain." Cong Ying asked the boss to bring her a clean cup and poured herself a full cup of Shikumen tea.

"I just went to Beijing last week to meet my boyfriend's parents." Cong Ying picked up her wine glass and swirled it.

Zhou Fang was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at her.

"It's over." Cong Ying's tone was relaxed, even with a hint of a smile. "His family has connections within the system. Although I'm pursuing a combined master's and doctoral degree in medical school, one of my parents is a regular teacher and the other is a factory worker. They felt we weren't a good match."

"What did he say?" Zhou Fang asked.

Cong Ying sneered, "His mother criticized me to my face, saying that girls from families like mine are too strong-willed and won't be able to take care of their families in the future."

He just sat there, not saying a word.

After we left, he privately comforted me, telling me to be more understanding of his parents and that they were only trying to help him.

Cong Ying downed the wine in her glass in one gulp.

The alcohol hurts my throat.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but her smile remained serene.

"If I'm expected to understand his parents, who will understand me? I, Cong Ying, was once a proud and principled battlefield medic. I'm not afraid of hardship, nor am I afraid of going to the front lines. But I'm afraid of this endless, scheming, petty squabble."

Cong Ying had witnessed countless deaths and injuries.

After returning from the southwest, her mental state was completely different.

She can take things in stride.

"I just called him this morning. I told him that I, Cong Ying, dumped him. I don't want him anymore." Cong Ying laughed, tears streaming down her face. "That feels so good. That feels fucking good."

"Zhou Fang, west Yang will definitely regret this later. She doesn't know what a great man she missed out on."

A good man is never defined by his family.

Zhou Fang picked up her cup and clinked it against her empty one.

He tilted his head back and drank it all.

"Actually, I'm quite envious of you." Cong Ying looked at Zhou Fang. "At least you had a few years of loving and harmonious time together, and you have two lovely children."

As people grow up, many things become unavoidable. The most devastating thing is wanting something but not getting it; recognize this early and let go sooner rather than later. Perhaps your relationship has come to an end.

Zhou Fang breathed a sigh of relief.

I felt that the knot in my chest had loosened up quite a bit.

"Cong Ying, thank you."

Zhou Fang pushed the empty wine bottle aside. "After telling you all this, I feel much better. At least I was happy during those years. She wants to pursue her happiness, and I hope she will be happy in the future."

Cong Ying stood up and picked up the remaining half-full bottle of Shikumen liquor from the table.

"Just think positively. I'm going to my friend's table. Come back early after you finish eating."

"etc."

Zhou Fang called out to her, her face flushed red.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't have enough money on me." Zhou Fang's voice was so low it was almost inaudible. "Anjia wants to split the construction site in the new city and the house in Haishi. I want to pay it all at once and not have any more entanglements in the future."

"Could you lend me some money? I'll pay you back as soon as Liu Yukun gets back from out of town."

It just so happened that Liu Yukun went to another city.

Huang Ronghua had no money on him, and Zhou Fang didn't want to borrow money from the store either.

Without saying a word, Cong Ying turned and shouted to her friend:

"You guys eat first, I'll go back and get something and be right back."

She pulled Zhou Fang out of the restaurant.

When they arrived at Cong Ying's house, she took out a bankbook from a drawer and handed it to her.

"There's three thousand five hundred yuan in here. It's the subsidies and merit awards I received back in the Southwest, plus what I've saved from seeing patients at the traditional Chinese medicine clinic." Cong Ying didn't ask him how much he was short, and gave him all of it directly.

"Thank you." Zhou Fang clutched the bankbook in her hand. "I'll pay you back soon."

"I'm not in a hurry. You should take care of what's right now."

Half an hour later.

Zhou Fang stood once again in front of the imposing, ornate iron gate of the An family home.

Without hesitation, he rang the doorbell.

The door opened quickly, and Mother An stood behind it, looking wary.

"What are you doing back here? Trying to renege on your debt?"

Zhou Fang pushed open the door and went inside.

An's father and An Xiyang sat on the sofa.

An Xiyang's eyes were red and swollen. When she saw Zhou Fang come in, she immediately stood up.

"I've calculated it all." Zhou Fang placed his bankbook and Cong Ying's bankbook together on the coffee table. "The house in Haishi is entirely yours. The construction site and house in Xincheng will be split in half based on their current market value. Plus, all the savings we've accumulated over the years are here."

There was a moment of deathly silence in the living room.

The mother reacted the fastest.

He grabbed the passbook from the table, flipped it open, glanced at the numbers, and immediately broke into an uncontrollable smile.

"At least you know what's good for you." Mother An stuffed the bankbook into her pocket. "Why didn't you just do it this way earlier?"

"Get it in writing." Zhou Fang looked at An's father. "Write a divorce agreement. Make the ownership of the money and the house clear. No matter what happens to you abroad, don't bother me and Da Bao and Er Bao anymore."

Father An nodded and took the paper and pen.

"Okay. Write it clearly."

The agreement is made in duplicate.

Zhou Fang quickly signed her name with a pen.

An Xiyang held the pen, her hand trembling violently.

Looking at the two powerful words on the paper, she suddenly felt a huge emptiness in her heart.

"Sign it," Mother urged from the side, "Hurry up and sign it so we can break off the relationship quickly."

An Xiyang closed her eyes and signed her name.

"The marriage certificate was issued in Qingyang, and we'll go complete the formalities today." Zhou Fang put away the agreement.

An Xiyang didn't say anything and silently went upstairs to get her documents.

The two remained silent the entire way.

I used my connections to buy a ticket and boarded the train to Qingyang.

They arrived at the Qingyang County Civil Affairs Bureau on the second day.

The clerk flipped through the couple's divorce agreement and then looked at the two of them.

"Have you thought it through? Are you really going to divorce me?"

"Really?" Zhou Fang answered decisively.

The stamp was pressed down with a click.

Two green divorce certificates were handed out.

Zhou Fang picked up her book and stuffed it directly into her pocket.

An Xiyang clutched the divorce certificate, her fingertips turning white.

Only now did she truly realize that the man who had cherished her for over a decade and held her in the palm of his hand no longer belonged to her.

"Let's go, I'll take you to the station." Zhou Fang turned and walked out.

Anxi Yang followed behind him.

Walking on the familiar streets of Qingyang County, they have so many shared memories here.

As she passed a steamed bun shop, she instinctively wanted to stop. Zhou Fang used to bring her a meat bun when he went out.

Zhou Fang did not stop walking; she left resolutely.

As they approached the train station, Zhou Fang saw Song Xianglan carrying a canvas bag as she came out of the bank.

"Godmother," Zhou Fang greeted as she stepped forward.

Song Xianglan turned around.

He saw Zhou Fang, and then glanced at An Xiyang, who was a few steps behind him with her head down.

Anxi Yang hurriedly stepped forward and whispered, "Aunt Song."

She knew that Song Xianglan was very good to the two children and had always taken good care of her.

Now that things have come to this, she feels somewhat ashamed to face anyone.