Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Mengyu wept piteously, yet there was clearly not a shred of sorrow in her eyes.
After all, from the very first day she married into the Liang Family, she had been waiting for this moment.
She only wanted to laugh.
The laws of the current dynasty were harsh; if a woman initiated a divorce, she first had to serve two years in prison.
Nor could she use Liang Baishan’s faults to threaten him into agreeing to a mutual separation. If a wife sued her husband, even if the charges were proven true, the wife would still have to serve two years in prison.
And out of consideration for her father’s reputation, she could not afford to be cast out as a disgraced, divorced wife.
Fortunately, no matter how difficult it had been, she had won this game.
In truth, Mengyu still felt a sense of indignation in her heart.
The Gu Family had prospered, yet only her brothers enjoyed the fruits of that power. As for her and her sisters, whether they married into noble houses or humble cottages, they all had to live while bowing to the whims of their husbands’ families.
Her parents possessed wealth and influence, yet when she wanted to divorce a man with neither power nor status, she had to exhaust every scheme and even metaphorically flay a layer of her own skin.
What exactly must a woman do to truly hold her destiny in her own hands?
When Mengyu departed, she still left two chests of her dowry for Liang Wenxiu.
Xiaowu was fuming. “Miss, it’s one thing not to hold the Liang Family accountable, but you actually left them so much money! If you ask me, this isn’t being kindhearted-it’s being a pushover!”
Mengyu countered with a question: “If you drive a dog into a dead-end alley, what will it do?”
Xiaowu answered tentatively, “A cornered dog will jump over a wall to bite?”
Mengyu nodded.
“It is good that you understand this principle. If the Liang Family had no hope for the future, they would certainly rather go down in flames with me than let me go.
“Now that Liang Baishan has passed the provincial examinations, he has a career to pursue. Xinyu has a child, which can tie her down and serve as a tether for Liang Baishan. Since the Liang Family has something to look forward to, they naturally won’t continue to entangle themselves with me.
“The reason I gave Liang Wenxiu two chests of dowry is because I know Madam Liang will surely fight her for them. Regardless of who wins, the Liang Family will only grow more divided.
“Liang Wenxiu will also forever remember my kindness. As long as she remembers, Luquan Village will never forget that I was the one wronged by the Liang Family. Only in this way will my father’s official reputation remain untarnished, and my life after returning home won’t be difficult.”
Qianfan smiled. “What Miss gave wasn’t a benefit, but a nail to prick them with.”
Xiaowu grumbled, “The logic is sound, but it’s just so frustratingly submissive.”
Mengyu laughed.
“It is submissive, but the imperial laws are right there. If you want me to change them by my strength alone, I cannot do it.
“Besides, my goal was to escape the Liang Family. To achieve one’s goal, one must naturally pay a price.”
Mengyu spoke calmly, but Qianfan felt a pang of heartache for her.
If nothing else, the act of avoiding the arsenic Xinyu had planted was a gamble. They were betting that Xinyu wouldn’t notice there was an identical soup pot in the corner cupboard of the kitchen.
Qianfan had to swap the poisoned pot for the safe one after Xinyu had added the poison but before she served the soup.
Then, Xiaowu had to rush to the kitchen before everyone else to swap the poisoned pot back.
If there had been even the slightest slip-up, Mengyu might truly have lost her life.
Mengyu patted her hand reassuringly. “The road to survival is inherently difficult.”
Besides, after returning to the Gu Family, there was still a hard battle ahead.