Volume One, Chapter 15: Song Wanxi Fiercely Defends Her Brother

Song Tianyou put on a calm facade. “Don’t listen to Mom’s nonsense. You’re so busy, just leave your brother’s family matters alone and go back.”

“Your sister’s here, right?” Song’s mother came out from inside. Seeing Song Wanxi, she hurriedly pulled her into the room.

“Mom,” Song Wanxi greeted.

Song’s mother gritted her teeth and scolded in a low voice, “It’s all your fault. You better come handle this quickly. If your brother and sister-in-law get divorced, I won’t let you off.”

Song Tianyou closed the door and entered the room, annoyed. “Mom, what does this have to do with my sister?”

Before he finished speaking, the door suddenly opened, and Mai Li violently threw a ceramic vase.

With a loud crash, the vase shattered into pieces, and the door slammed shut again with force.

The three people outside jumped in fright.

Seeing the gift he had painstakingly prepared for his sister smashed to pieces, even the most patient Song Tianyou could no longer hold back.

His eyes reddened as he shouted angrily into the room, “Mai Li, divorce—if anyone’s leaving, it’s you!”

Song’s mother anxiously grabbed his arm and beat on it, “You foolish boy, how expensive is it to marry a wife? Even if it’s for your son, you can’t let her go!”

Tears filled Song Tianyou’s eyes, his anger barely contained. “Mom, she’s always creating trouble, always quarreling. She looks down on me for having no ability, no money, a small house, and an old car. Even though my sister’s birthday passed so long ago, I spent eighty yuan to make her a ceramic vase by hand as a gift, yet she still argued with me. I’ve had enough of this life.”

Song Wanxi picked up the broken ceramic shards from the floor, her heart aching at the sight of her brother’s painstakingly prepared gift.

Not because the gift was broken.

But because her brother was on the verge of breaking.

She approached Song Tianyou, took his rough hand in hers, and spoke softly, “Brother, let’s not endure this anymore.”

Song Tianyou nodded through his tears.

They were fraternal twins, but life’s hardships had aged Song Tianyou by ten years.

Song’s mother anxiously pointed at Song Wanxi. “Wanxi, don’t act recklessly. If your brother divorces, I’ll make you compensate his new wife.”

Wanxi met her gaze unflinchingly. “Mom, I’ll take responsibility for this.”

Only then did Song’s mother fall silent.

Wanxi went to the door and knocked. “Sister-in-law, we’re all adults. Let’s come out and calmly talk about the divorce. If you don’t want to talk, then we’ll go straight to court and follow the legal process.”

Wanxi sat down on the sofa with her mother and brother, waiting.

***

After a while, Mai Li arrived late and sat heavily on the single sofa, her weight obvious.

Her plump figure only accentuated Song Tianyou’s lean, dark frame.

Mai Li’s face was cold, her eyes sideways looking out the window, exuding an air of superiority.

Song Tianyou, furious, wanted to speak, but Wanxi pressed his hand down and spoke first.

“Sister-in-law, let’s discuss the divorce.”

Mai Li remained silent, expression unchanged.

Wanxi calmly explained, “This house was fully paid for by me and gifted to my brother and parents; it’s his premarital property. The car, though not valuable, is also premarital property. Over all these years, my brother handed all his money to you to manage. Two years ago, there was about five hundred thousand yuan in savings. Without his knowledge, you lent it all to your brother to buy a house. That money counts as marital property, and you need to return half to my brother. The fruit shop was invested in by me and run by my dad and brother, but it should also count as joint property. We will cash it out and give you half. As for who my nephew stays with, we respect his choice.”

Mai Li’s face darkened. She clenched her teeth and snarled, “I’ve never seen such a wicked sister-in-law. You’re deliberately trying to break up my family.”

Song Tianyou grew angry again, his face turning dark. “Mai Li…”

Wanxi stopped him, speaking softly yet firmly. “Sister-in-law, I am here to break up your family.”

Mai Li grit her teeth and spat, “See? With a wicked sister-in-law like you, my son has no home.”

Wanxi remained composed and confident. “You were like this before you married my brother—plump and plain-looking. My brother never thought you unattractive, but you despise him for being poor. While he can’t give you riches, he provides a comfortable life. Over the years, he handed you all his earnings, you never worked a day, and all the housework was done by my mother.”

“You carry an outdated bag, but at least it’s Louis Vuitton. Your phone is the latest model. Your bracelet is jade. You wear both diamond rings and gold necklaces. The shop’s durians are yours to eat freely. Your online shopping fills my nephew’s room with packages, yet you never unpack them. Your life is better than most; what more do you want?”

“My brother secretly hid some money to buy me a ceramic gift, and that’s enough to infuriate you and make you think life is unbearable? You secretly lent your family fifty thousand for your brother’s house, and my brother never said a word!”

Mai Li’s arrogance waned.

Used to domineering at home, now no one coddled her, and she grew anxious. She angrily demanded, “Once a daughter marries out, she’s water spilled. What right do you have to interfere in our family matters?”

“I’m taking charge of this,” Wanxi said fiercely but gently, “Sister-in-law, forgive my bluntness. With your sloppy appearance, your out-of-control appetite, and your laziness, even if you were eighteen and unmarried, no wealthy man would look twice at you. You’d better take care of yourself.”

Having said that, Wanxi picked up her bag and stood. “Brother, if your wife keeps arguing with you, just go straight to court for divorce. I’ll find you a new wife—young, beautiful, and fit. I’ll pay the bride price, and host a grand wedding banquet for you.”

Mai Li’s face turned pale. She was so furious and aggrieved she cried.

Wanxi said goodbye. “Mom, I’m going back first.”

Song’s mother was dumbfounded, unable to react immediately.

She had never seen her daughter so resolute.

Though she spoke softly, her words were shocking. The relationship between sister-in-law and sister was completely shattered, but it truly frightened the overbearing Mai Li.

Even she was tempted to find a new daughter-in-law.

***

“I’ll walk you out, sister,” Song Tianyou stood and followed her out.

At the subway station:

“Sister, do you really think I should get a divorce?” Song Tianyou, though willing to suffer himself, couldn’t bear to see his son endure hardship.

Wanxi forced a bitter smile and took her brother’s rough hand. “Brother, I’m playing the villain not to break you two apart, but to let sister-in-law know you have me backing you up, and that you’re not someone to be bullied. You can’t always appease her; otherwise, she’ll only grow more arrogant.”

Song Tianyou nodded.

“After this, sister-in-law will probably ease off. Don’t buy me gifts anymore; she’ll feel jealous.”

Song Tianyou grew angry recalling, “Since she married in, she’s disliked you at every turn. No matter how good you are to her or how good you are to our nephew, she acts blind to it and targets you. She checks my phone to see if I called you. We hardly meet throughout the year, yet she guards against you like you’re a mistress.”

Wanxi smiled bitterly. “Brother, some women are naturally competitive. Because you treat me well, she feels jealous. Luckily, you have a son, not a daughter.”

Song Tianyou’s eyes reddened. “Does marrying a wife mean I can’t have a sister?”

Wanxi’s eyes glistened with tears as she looked at him tenderly. “Brother, you don’t have to do anything for me. I know you care for me and treat me well, but I want you to be happy and live a comfortable life.”

Song Tianyou stroked her head, full of pain. “Does You Jin treat you well? Do your in-laws care for you?”

Tears welled in Wanxi’s eyes, her throat burning. She couldn’t say a word, biting her lip to hold back tears, nodding firmly.

Song Tianyou smiled with relief. “Now that you have a husband who loves you, I can rest easy.”

Wanxi pressed her lips together and turned toward the turnstiles. Entering the station, she squeezed through the crowd, smiling faintly as she waved back at him.

Song Tianyou smiled indulgently and called out, “Message me when you get home.”

Wanxi shook her head in refusal.

She quickened her pace, tears slipping down her pale cheeks.

With a jealous sister-in-law by her brother’s side, she dared not contact him first or send messages.

With You Jin by her side, and Wu Weiwei along with a swarm of other women outside, she dared not tell her brother or parents.

Her life was a mess, and she didn’t know what to do—she was just enduring it.