kvmb Chapter 989 Heli Shu
Chapter 989 Heli Shu
Fang Nanzhi didn't insist. As usual, she stayed for a while before going to read with her teacher, a routine she'd been doing every day lately.
However, as soon as she entered the study, a servant reported, "Master, Lord Li has knelt down at the gate of the Zheng residence, saying he will not leave until he sees Miss."
It was no secret that the young lady wanted a divorce; the master and his wife had even left the city because of it, so the servants changed their way of speaking.
A hint of displeasure flashed across Mr. Zheng's calm face.
What does it mean?
Is kneeling at the door a threat?
Actually, it's not a big deal for a son-in-law to kneel before his wife's family, but the Zheng family has no officials, while Li Mingxi is an official. To outsiders, the Zheng family always seems to lack confidence by kneeling like this.
Other thoughts might arise, such as, no matter what happens, Lord Li has already humbled himself, and the Zheng family is being unreasonable and ungrateful...
It's very bad for Zheng Wanru's reputation.
Fang Nanzhi raised an eyebrow: "Kneel? Sir, does he know the truth?"
A few days ago, Li Mingxi also came, but he couldn't get in. So he tried to send things in, but he couldn't get them in either, so he just waited at the door.
On the day he waited the longest, he finally saw Fang Nanzhi leave the mansion.
When Li Mingxi inquired about Wanru's health, Fang Nanzhi was naturally willing to tell her, even exaggerating a bit more...
"Wanru's pulse doesn't sound like that of a teenager; it sounds like that of someone in their thirties—"
"Women should not be exposed to the cold, and Wanru suffered greatly."
"Childbirth is already a difficult process for women. Some women have a second or third miscarriage after the first one, resulting in habitual miscarriage."
"Having gone through all this, I wonder if it will have any impact on my lifespan?"
Li Mingxi's face turned pale when he spoke frankly, and she felt a little better.
Hmph, this is nothing. Wanru's suffering is no less than his.
Li Mingxi shamelessly asked Fang Nanzhi to help pass on a message or send a letter to Wanru.
Fang Nanzhi kept a straight face, looking like she didn't dare to speak.
"I am merely a doctor, an outsider in this matter, and it is not appropriate for me to help Lord Li."
"Moreover, Wanru's mental state is not good right now. She already suffers from insomnia and nightmares, and she cannot be subjected to any more stimulation."
"Sigh, it's only because the Zheng family gave Wanru a strong constitution that she didn't survive the miscarriage; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to endure it, suffering severe bleeding and witnessing the loss of her child..."
Li Mingxi imagined that scene, and it felt like her heart was being pierced by an awl, her face became transparent, and she felt like she couldn't stand up.
Finally, forcing himself to stay awake, he staggered away.
Fang Nanzhi felt little sympathy at the time, but rather a sense of helplessness.
She realized that Li Mingxi might really be a good person, and genuinely cared for Sister Wanru, but...
She felt that romantic relationships were too complicated, so she decided to give up on them; she was still young and didn't want to suffer that kind of pain.
Mr. Zheng lowered his eyes and pondered for a while. Several days had passed, and only now did he learn the truth?
He scoffed. Was this grandson-in-law truly stupid, or simply unwilling to believe the truth?
His son and daughter-in-law have already taken action, with the help of their in-laws, and are going to formally discuss divorce with Li.
In that case, he can't drag this out any longer; he should act decisively and cut the Gordian knot.
"Please invite him to the study."
The servant accepted the order and was about to leave when a maidservant hurried over, bowed, and said, "Master, Miss says she wants to see Lord Li."
Mr. Zheng frowned slightly: "She's not well, why bother?"
"Miss said that she was in charge when things started, and now it's her turn to wrap things up."
The maid lowered her head and respectfully relayed the message.
Mr. Zheng remained silent. His granddaughter, who used to be mischievous, spoiled, and throw tantrums, had finally grown up.
“Sir, Wanru is very capable; she knows what she wants.”
Fang Nanzhi couldn't help but speak up to persuade her.
Mr. Zheng looked at his eager disciple, and the sadness in his heart suddenly eased a lot.
Perhaps, in some ways, they, as elders, are overthinking things.
The children have all grown up. Zhizhi, who used to be only as tall as his legs, caused a huge uproar in Beijing to overturn the case of her mother and uncle, but nothing happened to her.
Zhizhi wants to become a famous scholar in the future.
Wanru is a few years older than Zhizhi.
Why does he always think that his granddaughter is weak and can't compare to his grandson...?
He was wrong.
His granddaughter was also very bold from a young age.
Mr. Zheng smiled slightly: "Go forward and deliver the message."
For some reason, Fang Nanzhi noticed that the gentleman seemed to have suddenly seen the light, and her eyes darted around.
"Sir, I left something with Wanru. Shall I go and get it?"
Mr. Zheng instantly saw through her thoughts and felt somewhat helpless.
“You don’t need to help, Wanru. She probably wants to handle it herself.”
Ok.
Fang Nanzhi obediently took a book from the book box, ready to read.
Li Mingxi fell ill. He had been traveling around for days, and the shock he suffered after investigating the truth caused him to develop a fever.
But Li Mingxi was burning with anxiety and couldn't care less about her physical discomfort. All she wanted to do was see Wanru and explain things to her.
He knelt at the entrance of the Zheng residence, dragging his ailing body. The cold wind calmed him down considerably. He thought he would return empty-handed again today, but when the gate opened, he was invited into the backyard.
Zheng Wanru was lying on the tatami mat, but Zhizhi wouldn't let her get down.
She heard the door open and footsteps approaching; Li Mingxi stepped out from behind the screen.
The man, who was originally quite handsome, has become much thinner, with dark circles under his eyes and a very pale face.
Zheng Wanru sighed. After all this time as husband and wife, things have come to this point, and we're both in such a sorry state. It really is a case of being destined to be apart.
"Wanru".
Li Mingxi had prepared many things to say, but the moment she saw the person, she couldn't say a word.
Skin and bones, how much suffering did Wanru endure?
No wonder my grandfather was so angry, no wonder Dr. Fang spoke to him with resentment.
"Well, sit down."
Zheng Wanru was much calmer than him; after processing this for so long, she had mustered up a lot of courage.
Li Mingxi didn't sit down; instead, with a "thump," he knelt down straight.
"Wanru, I'm sorry, I didn't know... I didn't know that my mother would do such an excessive thing in order to set rules."
"And our child, I... I failed to protect him."
"I know that nothing I say can make up for the hurt you've suffered, but please give me a chance. I will make it up to you..."
Zheng Wanru listened attentively to his confession, and to how, even at this moment, he only used the word "excessive" to describe his mother.
He talked about compensation, but didn't mention right or wrong at all.
She understood then; even though she had long since realized it, she was still heartbroken for some reason.
Along with that, the pain, resentment, anger, and sadness that she had been trying to suppress all these days surged up.
Yes, how could Zheng Wanru not hate after losing a child and almost losing her life?
She just didn't want her family to worry, and she tried hard to convince herself.
Her expression turned cold, and she asked bluntly.
"Li Lang, if you had known I was pregnant before you came to the capital, would you have taken me with you?"
Li Mingxi clenched her fists, her eyes showing a clear hint of panic.
"If your mother punished me by making me kneel on the porch in winter, and you were there at that time, would you have taken me away?"
No, given Li Mingxi's personality, she would only call a doctor for her afterwards and tell her not to hold it against her mother.
Alternatively, he could kneel with her under the eaves, and perhaps his mother-in-law would feel sorry for her son and spare her the punishment, but secretly find other ways to torment her.
"If you were present when your mother locked down the house after your miscarriage and forbade anyone to call a doctor, what would you do?"
"Go and beg your mother? But what if your mother cries? She cries about how hard it was to raise her son, and she cries about how her reputation will be damaged. What would you choose?"
Zheng Wanru's eyes were cold and aloof.
Li Mingxi looked up, her heart filled with sorrow: "Wanru, I... I will listen to my mother again and not disregard your life."
"You are my first wife."
His voice was light and airy, but everything he said was from the bottom of his heart.
Zheng Wanru believed in him. No matter what, Li Lang still had his bottom line. So, she hadn't completely misjudged him.
“But you can’t go against her, Li Mingxi, you’re too blindly filial. If you can’t persuade your mother, she will put you under house arrest, drug you, and wait for me to die peacefully. Then she will tell everyone that I died from a miscarriage and hemorrhage, and in a year or two, she will arrange for you to get married again.”
Li Mingxi wanted to argue, but he couldn't, he could...
"Mother did something like that, didn't she?"
Zheng Wanru spoke without any mercy.
She had long discovered that her husband lived under his mother's control. Mother and son rarely argued, and on the few times they did, her mother-in-law did just that.
Li Mingxi's face turned pale, as if she had been stabbed hard.
“Even if you are at home, you still can’t protect me. So, Li Lang, the greatest sincerity you should show in apologizing today is a divorce agreement, not begging for my forgiveness.”
Zheng Wanru spoke softly, but her words were icy cold.
"Wanru, we are in love, I..."
Li Mingxi didn't want a divorce; he couldn't bear to part with her.
He could never forget the spring banquet, when the little girl disregarded all decorum, climbed a tree to retrieve a fallen kite, and asked with a smile if it was his.
That vibrancy immediately captured his heart.
“Your mother has already agreed. The doctor said that I was exposed to too much cold and that I might have difficulty conceiving in the future, so she agreed.”
Originally, her maternal grandparents wanted her to endure it, and that their elders would step in to deflate Li's arrogance, so that she could continue living in a daze.
The stalemate continued until her grandfather and father arrived, due to her mother-in-law's attitude.
Zheng Wanru closed her eyes, not wanting to recall it anymore.
“Li Lang, our fate has run its course. Consider that after I married into your Li family, I was dutiful to my parents-in-law and considerate to my husband. Although I have no children, I still…” Zheng Wanru hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Let’s get a divorce and give me my freedom.”
Li Mingxi's eyes were already red, and he couldn't bring himself to say any more apologies or promises.
The damage has been done.
"it is good."
His voice was hoarse, as if all his strength had been drained away.
The maid brought over a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Li Mingxi's hands trembled, but she still managed to write the divorce papers.
"Mrs. Zheng is gentle, virtuous, filial, and respectful... but alas, she entrusted herself to the wrong person and has suffered many injustices... Our fate was shallow, and we shall part ways hereafter... Her dowry shall be returned in full, and she shall be compensated with gold..."
Li Mingxi signed and pressed his fingerprint in a daze.
He looked at the person on the bed and forced himself to say, "Wanru, from now on, may you live a peaceful and joyful life."
Zheng Wanru looked at him intently and nodded.
She will.
Li Mingxi didn't know how he got out of the Zheng residence. As soon as he stepped out of the threshold, he fell to the ground. Fortunately, a servant was waiting at the door and helped his master into the carriage in time to call a doctor.
As soon as Li Mingxi left, Fang Nanzhi couldn't sit still in the study.
"gentlemen."
Mr. Zheng was also worried: "Hmm."
The master and apprentice immediately went to the backyard, where they found the divorce papers.
Out of guilt, Li Mingxi not only wrote a document to return the dowry, but also gave all of her private property to Zheng Wanru.
Mr. Zheng breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the divorce agreement: "Send someone to deliver it. With this divorce agreement, it will be easier for your parents to make their move."
"Mm." Zheng Wanru nodded.
Seeing that his granddaughter seemed to be in low spirits, Mr. Zheng couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
"These are Li Mingxi's properties. If you don't want them..."
If the granddaughter wants to distance herself from the relationship... that's not out of the question.
“Grandfather, I want it.” Zheng Wanru interrupted; she was not a three-year-old child.
Money is something to have, why wouldn't she want it?
“This is what he owes me, what he owes that child.” Zheng Wanru’s eyes reddened, and she unconsciously gripped the corner of the blanket tightly.
“Grandfather, I still hate him.”
"When we met today, I had a plan. I deliberately questioned him and then showed weakness step by step, raising his guilt to the extreme. What I wanted was the divorce papers and these assets."
She was no longer the innocent and naive little girl in her grandfather's heart.
A divorced woman is heartbroken. Even if she has her family backing her, she will still take precautions to protect herself.
A large hand landed on her head, and it had been there for many years. The compassion and love seemed to flow down from her head as well.
"Good job, kid," Mr. Zheng praised.
How can it be wrong for a young woman to be shrewd, know how to protect herself, and plan for the future?
Zheng Wanru looked up, her heart finally at ease: "Grandfather."
Fang Nanzhi didn't disturb them, quietly withdrew, and looked up at the blue sky.
This matter is finally temporarily resolved, and she will help Wanru recover her health.
On the 29th, Zheng Wanru's brothers finally returned, and they already knew about the changes in the family.
A group of young men, instigated by Fang Nanzhi, decided to teach Li Mingxi a lesson.
They did bring some men with them, cough cough, guards borrowed from Fang Nanzhi.
Putting a sack over someone's neck and beating them would be a way to vent one's anger again, and let Li Mingxi's mother experience what it feels like for her child to be mistreated.
As a result, when the Zheng brothers found the inn and saw their former brother-in-law, who was still feverish and too sick to get out of bed, they fell silent.
I can't do it myself. If I accidentally kill someone, who will be responsible?
But they still gave the person a warning and then left.
Whether the warning worked or not, Li Mingxi left that very day, accompanied by a doctor, and headed back to his hometown.
Fang Nanzhi was a little disappointed, thinking that it wouldn't be a bad idea to beat him up after he recovered...
Mr. Zheng saw everything and felt quite helpless.
"Zhizhi, have you finished reading your law book?"
Assaulting an official is a serious crime.
Fang Nanzhi was startled: "Well, sir, tomorrow is New Year's Eve and the day after tomorrow is New Year's Day, so I won't come for acupuncture. I'll come back the day after tomorrow."
Her eyes were clear as water, and she kept thinking to herself, "For the sake of the New Year, please don't punish her by making her copy books, please don't punish her..."
Mr. Zheng saw through her little trick, gave a light snort, and ultimately decided not to pursue the matter.
Fang Nanzhi breathed a sigh of relief. She behaved herself all afternoon and studied very hard.