CHAPTER 337: CHAPTER 337: BRIDE PRICE 3400

Thinking about it, with no other options left, Wang Qinghua started to question the hospital’s capabilities, planning to slander the county hospital. After all, she didn’t believe that the hospital could actually determine the paternity of a child. What a joke, as if such advanced technology existed! Wang Qinghua, being uneducated, was firm in her ignorant beliefs, deciding to blame the hospital so that Song Yuantao might give up on insisting on a divorce.

"Wang Qinghua, stop making excuses. That child is definitely not mine, and I am absolutely going through with the divorce," Song Yuantao said resolutely, throwing a bucket of cold water on her plans.

As bedfellows who had lived together for over a decade, Song Yuantao knew Wang Qinghua well. Once he was determined to divorce, he knew that she would come up with numerous reasons and excuses, but his desire for a divorce wouldn’t be swayed by them.

"Dream on, Song Yuantao. I won’t divorce you," Wang Qinghua continued to mock as she took the child and headed back to the bedroom, acting as if it had been Song Yuantao making trouble without a cause all along while she didn’t take it seriously and wouldn’t bother to argue with him.

Father Song had been silent throughout the whole ordeal, but the speed at which he smoked his pipe still betrayed his emotional turmoil.

Truth be told, as the head of the family with grown-up and married children who had their own families, Father Song always felt that he shouldn’t meddle in his children’s marriages. He trusted them enough to handle their own affairs. Besides, it has always been difficult for even a virtuous official to resolve domestic issues. He could reprimand his son if he made a mistake, but it was not his place as a father-in-law to lecture his daughter-in-law. Whether they were good or bad, his son was aware, and whether they could stay together was for them to decide.

"Yuantao, you’re not getting any younger, and this issue is indeed troublesome. Have you made up your mind about the divorce?" Father Song asked calmly and solemnly while taking a puff of his pipe during this tense moment between Song Yuantao and his wife.

Divorce was no small matter. Father Song, being prudent, asked his eldest son once more for his decision.

"Yes," Song Yuantao firmly replied, "Divorce." With no hesitation, it was clear that a man could tolerate anything, but a cuckold not.

"Alright, since you’ve made up your mind, then as your father, I will make the decision for you this time." Father Song put down his pipe and turned his gaze from Song Yuantao to Wang Qinghua, "Qinghua, you’ve been part of our Song family for over a decade now, and Niuniu is already ten years old. I’ve always stayed out of your business as your father-in-law, and your mother and I believe we have not mistreated you over the years. Knowing that you and your husband have been having a tough time, we have always helped as much as we could."

"..." What favor is there to talk about, when you clearly favor the second son’s family but still put on a pretense. Faced with the rare remarks from Father Song, Wang Qinghua felt anger but dared not speak out. Father Song was usually reticent, but when he made a decision about the Song family, there was basically no room for turning back, and now Wang Qinghua naturally started to feel utterly confused.

"After Yuantao got injured, you’ve been more anxious. I think that as long as a couple doesn’t make any fundamental mistakes, it’s understandable for them to tolerate each other’s temper in life. Yuantao is not very capable, and I know you’ve had a hard time these past two years, but it’s still not as bad as when you first got married. I thought you two could support each other through thick and thin. Now that the second son’s family is living a bit better and his wife is not so stingy, they haven’t lifted us in our day-to-day life. You’re so mindful and love to compare, always feeling that we’ve favored the second son’s family over these years, just because his wife had a son." Father Song shrewdly saw through the family affairs, pointing out Wang Qinghua’s thoughts in just a few words.

To be honest, Wang Qinghua was a good woman, but she changed a lot since the eldest son was injured and hospitalized. Small mistakes can be tolerated, but if this woman messed around outside and did such shameless things, that couldn’t be tolerated.

"Do you really think you’ve never favored the second son’s family? Dad, before you speak, can’t you ask yourself that?" Wang Qinghua truly believed that the older Songs were biased: "I won’t even mention other things, let’s talk about the bride price when I married into the family, it was just over 100 yuan, nothing special whatsoever. What about the second son’s wife! Her bride price was easily three or four hundred, and there were over a dozen banquet tables. This is also for marrying a wife, but the money spent on marrying the second son’s wife could cover three or four of me. I was also an unmarried girl back then. Even if I’m not that educated, Yuantao isn’t much either. Why should I, Wang Qinghua, be several heads shorter than Xu Xiuxiu? Even if Song Yuanhuan is capable and paid the bride price himself, don’t you as parents have any heart? I, Wang Qinghua, married in here, served you both three meals a day without fail, and barely went back to my own family on the second day of the new year. Yet Xu Xiuxiu went back to her family very often. Not to mention what she brought over, but we are both daughters-in-law, why can she be so domineering, and you just feel that because she had a son, you favor her?" Wang Qinghua bitterly listed all the grievances from when the original Xu Xiuxiu was around.

Wang Qinghua was speaking the truth there.

Father Song looked at Wang Qinghua with a heavy expression: "When you married into the Song family, our conditions were tough. That more than 100 yuan was all the Song family could offer." At that time, for his eldest son to get married, the Wang family demanded over 100 yuan as a bride price, and he agreed to it, draining all of the Song family’s savings.

To come up with the bride price at the time, the youngest son Song Yuanming broke his leg being naughty, and they didn’t even afford to have it looked at in the county hospital. Back then, Song Yuanming was just a boy under ten, but they let Old Song from the village have a casual look. Luckily, the boy was tough and never cried out in pain, something which Father Song still felt extremely guilty about to this day.

Later on, the second son dropped out of school to join the army, and he stayed there for over a dozen years. He worked hard to save some money, and the bride price of three or four hundred yuan was also based on the bride prices in the nearby villages at that time. In seven or eight years, prices had risen, and bride prices increased. Father Song had never thought that Wang Qinghua would dwell on this bride price issue for so long.

"Hmph." Wang Qinghua snorted, clearly disagreeing with everything Father Song had just said.

"Elder son, go to the county Police Station tomorrow and get divorced!" Father Song suddenly lost the will to talk further, standing up with some agitation, grasping his smoking pipe.

"Dad, don’t worry!" Yuantao immediately responded, reaching out to help support Father Song’s arm. Seeing Father Song push him away, Yuantao turned and erupted at Wang Qinghua: "Wang Qinghua, if you have any sense, let’s part on good terms. Take these 200 yuan and leave, or I won’t give you a dime, and I’ll make sure you regret it, believe it or not? Having an affair during the marriage and shaming yourself like this, let’s see if you can still hold your head up if word gets out."