Free Web NovelChapter 57: Chapter 57: If You Don’t Want It, Throw It Away
Qin Shanshan, who was being used as a punching bag, was absolutely fuming. She desperately fought back the urge to tear Su Li to pieces, forcing herself to look away before speaking.
"A gold ring? Who wouldn’t like one? By the way, Su Li, you didn’t look too good just now. What’s wrong?"
She switched back to her old, caring-older-sister persona.
Su Li was in sarcastic awe of her shamelessness. "Not a thing."
Su Li sounded listless, which made Qin Shanshan immediately perk up. "You can tell me anything that’s troubling you, Su Li."
Su Li rolled her eyes and didn’t answer.
"I saw Brother Tang Yuan didn’t look too happy either. Su Li, what happened between you two? Did you get into a fight?" There was a glint of excitement in Qin Shanshan’s eyes.
Su Li gave her a cold look. "We didn’t fight. We’re doing just fine."
"Oh? Is that so? But from what I saw..." Qin Shanshan said, unconvinced. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Su Li cut her off sharply. "You wouldn’t understand the affairs of a married couple, so don’t go making wild guesses or asking questions. Is this any of your business?"
Su Li couldn’t be bothered to waste words on her and spoke without a shred of courtesy.
Qin Shanshan’s chest heaved violently. She was furious all over again, but she gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger.
"You’re right. I shouldn’t have asked." She stared intently at the ring on Su Li’s hand and couldn’t stop herself from speaking again.
"Su Li, you really can’t give me the ring?"
Su Li laughed. "Give it to you? Qin Shanshan, you’ve got some nerve, asking a second time. Do I look like a fool to you?"
Qin Shanshan froze. "Su Li..."
Su Li sneered. "Back in the day, forget this stupid ring—I’d have given you gold bracelets or necklaces if you’d wanted them. But now..."
She let out a cold laugh. "Everyone in the village knows we don’t get along now. Qin Caihua, where do you get the audacity to ask me for a ring? I’ve seen shameless people in my life, but I have never seen anyone as shameless as you!"
Qin Shanshan’s eyes flew wide in disbelief. "Su Li!"
She was so angry she wanted to wring Su Li’s neck, but her words were honeyed. "It was all just a misunderstanding, Su Li. How could you think so poorly of me?"
Su Li could afford to be hostile, but Qin Shanshan couldn’t. She still wanted to get back on good terms with Su Li so she could keep visiting the Tang Family.
’Tang Yuanxiao only comes home once a year,’ she thought. ’I have to seize this opportunity!’
With that thought, fat tears began to roll down Qin Shanshan’s cheeks. She started confessing and pleading, trying to coax Su Li into forgiving her.
Su Li couldn’t be bothered to deal with her act. She cut the performance short and gave her a single word.
"Scram!"
Hearing that one word, Qin Shanshan could no longer hold back. Gritting her teeth, she ran off crying.
Sighing in relief, Su Li prepared to go back to work on the ring.
She had just slicked her hand with oil when Tang Yuanxiao returned.
"Momo wants to play outside for a bit..." Tang Yuanxiao started to say, then he saw Su Li struggling with the ring again.
He stopped short, his expression darkening. He changed his tune and asked, "Why are you still messing with that?"
"Of course I am. I’ll get this thing off even if I have to chop off my own hand!"
Su Li looked up, her gaze fixed on Tang Yuanxiao. "It’s just like the divorce. This marriage—I will end it, no matter what."
The ruthless determination in Su Li’s eyes made Tang Yuanxiao’s good mood vanish without a trace.
His face was grim as he spoke. "Then let me tell you something, Su Li. I will never divorce you."
They were right back to the same old argument. Before Su Li could speak, Tang Yuanxiao continued, "I know that if one person in a marriage is determined to get a divorce, they can always find a way. But Su Li, I’m advising you not to act impulsively."
"Acting impulsively won’t do either of us any good. How about this..."
He paused for a moment. "Let’s try living together for one year. If you still feel the same way after that, we can talk about divorce then."
Without a second thought, Su Li retorted, "Impossible. I don’t agree."
"Su Li, you have to agree to this whether you want to or not. It’s settled."
Tang Yuanxiao’s expression was cold, and his tone was even colder.
"Tang Yuanxiao!" Su Li cried, exasperated.
Tang Yuanxiao cut her off sharply. "Su Li, I have a temper too."
He took a deep breath. "Ever since I got back yesterday, all you’ve talked about is divorce. I won’t even get into how scandalous and unconventional that is; let’s just talk about the issue itself."
"You have your reasons for wanting a divorce, and I understand that. It was my fault for leaving you here alone all this time, which is why I’ve been tolerating your anger. But don’t you think you should give me some time to process this, a reason to accept it?"
"Su Li, put yourself in my shoes. If I suddenly came home and demanded a divorce out of the blue, could you just accept it immediately?"
Su Li was rendered speechless.
Tang Yuanxiao gave Su Li a long, hard look, then walked to the side and went back to his work.
Neither of them spoke for a long time after that.
Eventually, Su Li managed to get the ring off.
She sat in the side room, staring at the ring in front of her. She closed her eyes and sighed.
Tang Yuanxiao kept himself busy around the house all afternoon. In the side room, Su Li tried to quiet her mind by studying, and she stayed there until Little Tang Mo returned.
Hearing Little Tang Mo call out to her, Su Li picked up the ring and left the side room.
Tang Yuanxiao was squatting in front of Little Tang Mo. He glanced at her as she came out and said,
"Uncle Li is raising some fish in his pond. I’m going to buy a couple and cook them for you tonight. I know how to prepare fish."
"Oh," Su Li mumbled, holding the ring out to Tang Yuanxiao.
"I got it off. So... I’m giving it back to you."
Tang Yuanxiao’s gaze swept over Su Li’s red, swollen finger, then to the ring offered before him. His jaw tightened.
"If you don’t want it, then throw it away." He threw the words at her and turned to leave.
"Tang Yuanxiao!" Su Li hadn’t expected such a reply. She hurried after him and grabbed his arm.
"Take it back." Su Li stubbornly pushed the ring toward Tang Yuanxiao. "In my current situation, it’s not right for me to keep something so valuable. You can give it to your mother, if you want."
Tang Yuanxiao glanced down at her hand on his arm. "Let go."
"Tang Yuanxiao," Su Li said, her frustration boiling over. "I don’t want it! Don’t you understand? I don’t want to owe you anything!"
"I don’t know that," Tang Yuanxiao’s voice was ice-cold. "All I know is that you don’t take back a gift once it’s been given. If you don’t want it, throw it away."
With a single, sharp movement, he wrenched his arm from her grasp and strode away without a backward glance.
Furious, Su Li raised her hand to hurl the ring at Tang Yuanxiao’s back. Just as she was about to throw it, she heard Little Tang Mo’s timid voice.
"Mama?"
Su Li’s arm froze mid-air. She changed its trajectory, using her raised hand to scratch her head as she turned around with a smile. "What is it?"
"Mama, were you and Papa fighting?"
Little Tang Mo asked, taking Su Li’s hand. Even as he asked, he already knew the answer in his heart.
Little Tang Mo wasn’t a foolish child; he had been watching the entire time, so he had figured it out.
Looking into Little Tang Mo’s dark eyes, which seemed to understand everything, Su Li couldn’t bring herself to lie.
"Mm... not really fighting. We were just bickering. It’s nothing serious."
"Oh, I see." Little Tang Mo nodded. "Then, Mama, you and Papa shouldn’t argue or fight. Brother Gousheng says it’s really scary when his mom and dad argue and fight."
"Okay, I understand," Su Li promised, forcing a smile.
When adults argued and fought, it was always the children in the house who were the most frightened.
