Chapter 1: Let's Get a Divorce
all had furrowed brows and remained silent!The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive."Bang!"The sudden sound of a door slamming open startled everyone in the hall. All eyes turned to Zhou Yang at that m...China. A mysterious hospital!
In the heavily guarded VIP ward, a solemn silence hung in the air. An elderly man, his eighties or perhaps even nineties, lay on the bed, connected to a plethora of tubes and monitors. He spoke in a feeble voice, recounting something...
More than ten middle-aged men in suits were constantly recording in their notebooks.
Only the old man's raspy, feeble voice and the rustling of paper and pen broke the silence in the ward.
After a long time, the old man finally finished his business. He lay in bed gasping for breath, his eyes dimming, as if they would extinguish at any moment!
At this moment, a general with two stars on his shoulder walked up to the old man and said with sadness, “Zhou Lao, all of us comrades remember the follow-up plans for your project. The organization has asked me to inquire: do you have any unfulfilled wishes”
The old man's cloudy eyes seemed to gain a glimmer, and with his last ounce of strength, he said: "After I die... please bury my ashes in the Bajiaoling Brigade of Yunshan County... and bury them with my wife and children... Youwei... Ba'er... I'm coming to find you..."
As he spoke, the old man's voice grew softer and softer until finally, he closed his eyes.
At this moment, the heart monitor beeped with an alarming sound. The curve on the top screen fluctuated less and less until it became a straight line!
In the ward, everyone bowed their heads in solemn silence, their hearts heavy with grief.
"Comrades, I now announce a sad piece of news. Academician Zhou Yang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, national meritorious scientist, nuclear power expert, and astronomer has passed away at the age of 70! For four years since his passing, Comrade Zhou dedicated himself to the cause, working tirelessly until his death, leaving behind an impressive legacy for our nation..."
........
"Hiss!"
Gritting his teeth against a sharp pain in his temples, Zhou Yang slowly opened his eyes amidst the heart-wrenching wails of his child.
What caught the eye was a row of beams, very old-fashioned. There were no ceilings, just exposed beams blackened by smoke and ash. On top, you could still clearly see webs of various sizes.
"Isn't this the mud-brick house where I lived when I went to the countryside as a young man over forty years ago"
All that was familiar instantly awakened Zhou Yang's pain memories sealed for decades!
Zhou Yang didn't have time to think further. A sudden, loud shout from outside the hall interrupted his thoughts: "How could you be so foolish He doesn't want you anymore, why are you still thinking about him!"
"Xiaowei, I just can't understand. What kind of love potion did Zhou give you He said to divorce, and you divorced"
"As a woman with a baby and already divorced, who else could you possibly marry Even if you don't think about yourself, think about Bao'er!"
At this moment, another voice, which sent shivers down Zhou Yang's spine, came from outside: "Brother, I understand everything you said. But this chance to return home, he has been waiting for five whole years. If I don't let him go back, he will hate me for the rest of his life... sniffle...sniffle..."
"Does he dare Does Zhou forget who he's been relying on to feed him all these years"
"Damn it, if he dares to leave you, I'll chop him up!"
"Yeah, if he dares to make you unhappy, I'll..."
Hearing the familiar sound, Zhou Yang struggled to get up from the kang and pushed open the tightly shut wooden door, swaying unsteadily!
In the hall, there is a woman and four men plus one child!
A woman sat on the ground holding a child, her shoulders shaking as she let out muffled sobs.
And the child was hiding in the woman's arms, crying and shouting, "Bad uncle"!
As for those men, some standing and others squatting, they all had furrowed brows and remained silent!
The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
"Bang!"
The sudden sound of a door slamming open startled everyone in the hall. All eyes turned to Zhou Yang at that moment.
Leaning against the door frame, Zhou Yang's gaze was fixed on the woman!
It is her... Li Youwei.
The woman who made him wake up from his dreams countless times in tears, and also the one he felt guilty about for his whole life!
Seeing Zhou Yang, Li Youwei hurriedly got up from the ground and took Bao'er out of her arms. She quickly walked over and asked with concern, "Are you awake"
Looking at Li Youwei's red and swollen eyes, recalling decades of piercing guilt and longing, Zhou Yang could no longer hold back. He pulled the woman into his arms and held her tightly.
No matter if this is a dream, he must embrace this woman with all his heart!
He wanted to tell her about his guilt and pain, and also about his longing for her.
But at this moment, it was as if all sound had disappeared. There were no words to express the overwhelming emotions, only tears streaming down my face as I held her tightly.
Li Youwei was also frightened by Zhou Yang's reaction. She knew he couldn't stand the hardship of rural life and wanted to go back to the city!
Now the opportunity is right in front of him, but she and her child have become the biggest obstacle on his road back home!
Watching her beloved man cry his heart out, feeling the immense pain in his heart, Li Youwei felt like a knife was twisting in her own.
She loved him, loved him to her bones, she wouldn't allow him to suffer even the slightest bit of grievance!
She knew Zhou Yang's heart was no longer here. Forcing him to stay would only turn him into a lifeless shell and make him hate her for life!
Resisting the pain in her heart, Li Youwei gently patted Zhou Yang's back, helping him catch his breath, while tremblingly saying, "Don't cry... I... I agree to a divorce with you..."
Having said that, Li Youwei seemed to have used all her strength, and her body swayed and fell into Zhou Yang's arms!
"Divorce!"
Hearing these two words, Zhou Yang came back to his senses!
Doesn't this scene seem so familiar
Holding the woman's hand, he suddenly tightened his grip, feeling the realness of her touch. The faint scent of flowers from her body wafted into his nose, and Zhou Yang's expression became agitated, his body trembling slightly!
"I'm reborn This can't be a dream"
"Right, this must be when he just received the notice to return to his hometown and confronted his wife about a divorce."
Because of this, I was beaten up by several older cousins. If it hadn't been for Li Youwei stopping them, I might have been killed.
That is to say, the tragedy has not yet happened, everything is still in time!
Thinking of this, Zhou Yang couldn't help but feel his heart racing and his body trembling even more violently!
And his reaction was clearly misunderstood by Li Youwei. Just moments ago, he was crying uncontrollably, but now that she said she agreed to a divorce, he stopped crying altogether and became excited like this.
In an instant, Li Youwei's face was full of despair!
She always knew that this man was a swan from the sky, the prince charming in fairytales.
He was an intellectual from the city. Not only was he good-looking, but he was also cultured, knowledgeable, and well-spoken.
Whether it was the other female educated youths from the 知青 point, or girls and young wives from surrounding villages, they all adored him.
And she's nothing but a little country bumpkin, not even close to Cinderella.
He married her not because he loved her, but because his father was the head of the brigade and she had four older brothers. Their family had a lot of manpower and surplus grain!
Therefore, their union and love are unrelated; it is merely a story of a country girl taking advantage of a fallen prince.
She was already content to have been able to live with him for four years.
If letting go of her own happiness could bring him a lifetime of joy, she would willingly fold her wings and give him the freedom to fly!
After solidifying her thoughts, Li Youwei looked at Zhou Yang's pale and handsome face, forcing back the pain in her heart and said, "Let's get a divorce!"
.......ng, "Bad uncle"!As for those men, some standing and others squatting, they all had furrowed brows and remained silent!The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive."Bang!"The sudden sound of a door slamming...