It was thus not exaggerating to say that Qi Minlan had suffered a lot because of this.
As Qiu Qin’s wife, Qi Minlan had been staying at home every day, but one had never seen the elderly couple treat her amiably.
On the contrary, they, especially Old Mrs. Qiu, was ‘serving’ that woman outside with good soup and beverages every day. Old Mrs. Qiu said that she wanted to nourish that woman’s health so that the latter could give birth to a healthy and intelligent grandson for the Qiu family in the future
Besides entering the house of the Qiu family openly and staying there, the position, status, and treatment that Qi Minlan should enjoy had all been taken away by that woman.
Qi Minlan did not make a fuss because she had no backing from Shi Peng However, this did not mean that she did not have any ability to retaliate.
Qi Minlan had noted down in a little notebook the number of times and frequency that Qiu Qin and the elderly Qiu couple visited the residence in which the mistress was staying at and what they brought with them each time.
She did not care whether Qiu Qin was willing to get a divorce. She only knew that she had already told Qiu Qin about this. If he refused to get a divorce, she would then insist on having one.
Anyway, the situation was already as such. Within a few days, Qiu Qin would fall from grace and revert to his original state—the moment before he had relied on her to climb up the ranks in the past. In fact, he would have a greater and more severe fall.
With this point alone, Qi Minlan would leave as fast as she could with no feelings of reluctance at all.
The more Qi Minlan behaved this way, the more worried Qiu Qin was. They had been married for so many years. In the absence of a special reason, Qi Minlan was capable of behaving distastefully by being a dog in the manger given her character.
Furthermore, the status of his wife was not some latrine but a big gold basin!
Unfortunately, Qiu Chenxi was not at home now. Qiu Qin could not even find a person that he could enquire about this.
Qiu Qin had no choice but to give a call to his old friend in Ping Cheng. “Good day, it’s me, Old Qiu. Right, can I ask you something? I heard that Zhai Sheng is going to be engaged soon. Do you know which family’s lady? Ah? You don’t know too. Oh, okay. Then, goodbye.”
Qiu Qin made a few phone calls before he managed to find out from one of the neighbors of the Zhai family that the Zhai family seemed to have such an intention.
He was still puzzled. Zhai Sheng was usually in the army camp. He also did not see him being romantically involved with anyone. Why was it that when there was news, it was already pertaining to his engagement? Who was that lucky young lady who had been chosen by the Zhai family and would be engaged with Zhai Sheng?
That neighbor even questioned Qiu Qin back.
After verifying that this news was true, Qiu Qin still felt worried.
That eye-striking divorce agreement that Qi Minlan left behind was still lying flat on the table.
More than one year ago, he had been pining for the appearance of this piece of divorce agreement but Qi Minlan disagreed. Today, Qi Minlan had taken the initiative for the divorce but Qiu Qin felt insecure suddenly.
“What exactly is the matter? Why did Qi Minlan leave? Who did you call just now? Zhai Sheng is going to be engaged? With whom?” It was certainly not his granddaughter, Qiu Chenxi. Otherwise, as the grandfather, why was he unaware of it?
Old Master Qiu asked a few questions simultaneously. “Didn’t we tell you clearly about the divorce agreement long ago? Don’t take it out to agitate Qi Minlan. Your matter with Xiao Liu still needs to be kept a secret. If she really sues you, you can’t even remain in your current position. Why is there a need to do that?!”
There was no point in fighting in a momentary fit of anger. It was meaningless. “Qiu Qin, don’t be anxious. Xiao Liu is a sensible child. She did not force you either. If Xiao Liu is really pregnant with your child, it will be fine. When the time comes, we can make some under-the-table arrangements and simply register the child’s name under Qi Minlan. It’s not difficult to do so.”
“Dad, you made a wrong guess this time. I’m not the one who gave Qi Minlan the divorce agreement. She was the one who gave it to me.” Qiu Qin gave a sarcastic laugh. “Dad, I feel strange about this matter. How is it possible that Qi Minlan will be willing to initiate a divorce with me? Dad, tell me, is it because…”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Old Master Qiu knew about the matter of the ancient tomb’s cultural relic after it had occurred but he silently agreed to what Qiu Qin did. “Besides the two of us, no one in our family knows about this. As for Qi Minlan, this woman who won’t do anything without any gain, she will stick to you more if she knows that you have such an avenue. Even if she wants to divorce, will she be willing to leave without making you pay a huge compensation? It shouldn’t be the case.”
“…” Qiu Qin hesitated whether he should mention the situation regarding Qiu Chenxi. “Dad, do you think I should sign the divorce agreement?”
“Logically, I hope that you will sign this long ago. Compared to you, Xiao Liu is considered young. However, in terms of age, she is not that young anymore. One has to give birth to a child as early as possible. It’s just right if Xiao Liu gives birth now. I don’t wish that the grandson of our Qiu family can’t lift up his head in front of others too. However… I heard that Shi Peng is doing quite well as a director in Ping Cheng. In just a short period of two years, he has achieved a lot and got promoted very quickly.”
With this brother-in-law, this marriage could not be ended so casually.
“Why don’t we do this? Try to delay this matter as much as possible. We don’t know what Qi Minlan is up to. Perhaps she will come back on her own accord after kicking up a fuss for a couple of days. If it really won’t do, you can spend some money to appease her. That kind of woman is easy to coax with a little money. For the sake of your future, what’s a small sum of money? Why did we earn so much money? It’s to find alternative routes in life in times of need and to avoid delaying your future due to lack of money.”
Whether they gave the money to others or Qi Minlan, it was also considered as a form of spending. After all, Qi Minlan had given birth to a granddaughter for the Qiu family.
Although it was not possible for Qiu Chenxi to be married to Zhai Sheng anymore, given Qiu Chenxi’s look, it would not be too difficult to marry someone who was slightly worse off than Zhai Sheng but much better than an average person. This son-in-law would also be of help to the Qiu family.
“Fine, let’s do that.” He had initially assumed that Shi Peng would not have great achievements after leaving the army and that he would lead a mediocre life and take care of his health while awaiting his death.
Due to this situation, Qiu Qin was completely disappointed with Shi Peng and did not pine any hopes on him.
Unexpectedly, within a short time span of two years, Shi Peng had performed so well and shown great achievements in that role of his. He was truly capable and hands-on.
For the sake of Shi Peng, this brother-in-law, he certainly could not get a divorce with Qi Minlan so easily. If he really had to divorce her, fine. He had to receive some benefits before he would even consider it.
With this thought in mind, Qiu Qin was unaware that Qiu Chenxi did not go traveling overseas. Instead, she had returned to Ping Cheng early in the morning and rented a place to wait for and reunite with Qi Minlan.
As for Qi Minlan, after she arrived in Ping Cheng, she and Qiu Chenxi stayed in a hotel for one night.
The two of them dared not return to their house in the Ping Cheng yet. They were afraid that Qiu Qin would receive news once they were back. Hence, they could only waste some money to stay in a hotel for one night first before deciding on what to do.
“Mom, have you brought everything?” Qiu Chenxi asked Qi Minlan anxiously.
“Don’t worry. I’ve brought everything. Fortunately, you told me about this. Otherwise, if I continue to be with your dad, I have yet to enjoy any good fortune, I will suffer badly.”
