Chapter 8: Just Get a Divorce

Upon receiving Jiang Zhixun's call, Mother Jiang finally learned that Shen Qingqing had gone to the Great Northwest.

Thinking that she had finally come to her senses and decided to prioritize marriage and family, Mother Jiang was overjoyed.

"Since she went to your place, hurry up and apply for a house. It will make life more convenient for you two as a young couple."

Jiang Zhixun had never thought about keeping Shen Qingqing here.

Setting aside the fact that their marriage was awkward, the conditions here couldn't compare to those in Beijing.

Shen Qingqing also had a job as a translator; coming here would make everything inconvenient.

He asked, "Did you see her before she came to the Northwest?"

"I did."

Mother Jiang's tone was indifferent. "Counting the days, it should have been the day before she left for the Great Northwest. She came home to bring your grandfather supplements, and she even brought eggs and meat. She didn't stay for even half an hour before leaving again."

Mother Jiang knew that asking Shen Qingqing to give up her job was somewhat asking too much.

But circumstances forced their hand; someone had to compromise, right?

A married couple couldn't live apart for their entire lives; what kind of nonsense would that be?

Later, seeing that Shen Qingqing was a stubborn one, Mother Jiang had taken a step back and only asked them to have a child.

Since Shen Qingqing had remained silent, Mother Jiang's heart had gone cold halfway, thinking she was going to refuse again.

She hadn't expected that, without a word, she would actually go to Zhixun's side.

After all, she was a girl Mother Jiang had watched grow up. If it weren't for her son not coming home for three years, she wouldn't have harbored resentment toward Shen Qingqing.

She had allowed her to move out and rent a place alone.

Now that Shen Qingqing had made a concession, most of the resentment in Mother Jiang's heart had dissipated.

Hearing the other end of the phone, her son asked again, "Was she injured when she came home?"

Mother Jiang was puzzled, but she still carefully recalled the scene from that day.

"She cleaned your marital home once, and when she left, she took all her belongings with her. She didn't look injured."

At the time, she thought Shen Qingqing was going to draw a clear line between them and wouldn't even come back to live in the compound.

Mother Jiang had felt a bout of sulky anger again.

She hadn't expected that she had gone to the Great Northwest; then everything made sense.

Mother Jiang advised earnestly, "Qingqing is highly educated, beautiful, and has a good temperament. I can tell that she has feelings for you in her heart. Don't be stubborn anymore. No matter why you two got married, since you've registered the marriage, live your lives well."

"The girl has even chased you all the way to the Great Northwest. If you don't take this opportunity to make amends, you might as well just get a divorce to avoid wasting each other's time."

Divorce?

Jiang Zhixun had never thought of it.

He even felt that living apart like before was quite fine.

"If you want us to divorce, you'd better try persuading Shen Qingqing. If she wants a divorce, I won't object."

Mother Jiang said crossly, "If she wanted a divorce, would she have waited three years? Now that she has lowered herself, don't you go too far."

"Mhm."

Jiang Zhixun leaned against the wall, a nonchalant expression on his face, not taking his mother's words to heart.

His mind was still dwelling on the matter of Shen Qingqing being injured.

Since she was fine when she returned to the compound, the injuries on her body were most likely caused by a struggle on the way there.

There were all kinds of people on a train; it wasn't impossible for a delicate young girl like Shen Qingqing to be bullied.

Jiang Zhixun straightened up. "I'm hanging up."

"I haven't finished speaking!"

Mother Jiang said hurriedly, "Tell Qingqing to call me back. I have something to say to her."

"Whatever it is, wait until she returns to Beijing."

Hearing this, Mother Jiang instantly exploded. "She has already taken the first step, and you're pushing her back? Why are you so thick-headed!"

"This place isn't suitable for her."

"Then find a way to apply for a transfer back to Beijing!"

Although Shen Qingqing was an orphan, both of her parents were intellectuals, and she had been carefully nurtured since childhood.

She knew more than one foreign language, had beautiful handwriting, and was highly proficient in writing articles.

Professor Shen and Father Jiang were good friends; Mother Jiang had seen Shen Qingqing since she was a child.

Back then, Shen Qingqing could sing, play the violin, and paint.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a talented woman.

This was also why, three years ago, Mother Jiang had agreed to let Shen Qingqing marry Jiang Zhixun.

Setting aside personal emotions, any family would be lucky to have such a wonderful woman as a daughter-in-law!

Fearing that her son might actually send Shen Qingqing back, Mother Jiang softened her tone.

"It's rare for her to go to the Great Northwest, and the train ride is so exhausting. She isn't like you, with thick skin, who can handle the back-and-forth tossing. Let her stay there for a while, and when the New Year comes, you can go home together to visit relatives."

There was no response from the other end of the phone, making Mother Jiang anxious again.

"She's just a young girl; what if something happens to her on the road?"

Jiang Zhixun's eyelids lifted slightly as he gave an "mhm." Mother Jiang didn't even know which question he was answering.

"I can't reason with you. Tell Qingqiq to call me back, and I'll talk to her."

"Mhm."

This time, he actually hung up.

When Jiang Zhixun returned to the ward, Shen Qingqing's IV drip wasn't finished yet, but her emotions had stabilized.

The sister-in-law in the next bed was away, so taking advantage of the moment, Jiang Zhixun asked Shen Qingqing, "How did you get injured?"

Shen Qingqing didn't hide it. "I encountered a harasser on the train."

She had encountered quite a bit of trouble on this trip.

Swallowing her grievances was not her style.

Seeing as she had suffered, perhaps Jiang Zhixun would decisively agree to a divorce.

In the future, she wouldn't come to the Great Northwest again.

The man's cold and distant expression finally stirred with emotion.

"Why didn't you say so before?"

The words were somewhat impatient, laced with anger.

If it had been when they first met, Shen Qingqing might have cried, but now her heart was calm, without even a ripple.

Looking at Jiang Zhixun, she asked back, "Did you ever give me a chance to speak properly?"

From the moment they met in the cafeteria, he had seemed eager to send her straight to the train station.

Then they ended up at the hospital.

It was only because Sister Li had gone to the restroom that they even had a chance to discuss private matters.

Jiang Zhixun's deep eyes stared at Shen Qingqing without blinking.

Shen Qingqing did not back down and stared back.

She was half-leaning against the hospital bed with a pillow behind her, and the scarf around her neck had been untied.

Jiang Zhixun was tall; she had to tilt her chin up to meet his gaze.

Her swan-like neck was exposed to the air, slender and fair.

She clearly looked very fragile, yet she maintained a proud posture.

Jiang Zhixun thought to himself: *Who said her temperament had improved? She's being quite rebellious right now.*

"This is no time to throw a tantrum. Tell me what the situation was like, did you look for a conductor, where is the harasser now, and did you report it to the police?"

Jiang Zhixun asked several questions in rapid succession.

He was very calm and rational.

Shen Qingqing suddenly felt a bit discouraged, and her tilted chin lowered bit by bit.

Seeing Sister Li returning with the IV bag, Shen Qingqing gave Jiang Zhixun a deep look, then lay back on the bed, turning her back to him.

This gesture of refusing to communicate infuriated Jiang Zhixun.

He considered himself emotionally stable, but as soon as Shen Qingqing appeared, she began to provoke his emotions.

They had only met a few hours ago, yet he had already lost count of how many times he had been angered.

Jiang Zhixun walked around to face Shen Qingqing.

"I'm asking you a question. Did you hear me?"

Shen Qingqing pulled up the quilt and covered her head.

Jiang Zhixun's chest heaved twice as he stared intensely at the quilt, as if he wanted to burn a hole through it.

His handsome face was dark, looking quite intimidating.

Seeing this, Sister Li shook her head repeatedly.

"You can't be fierce when talking to your wife, Captain Jiang. You can't do that."

(End of Chapter)