After the scans came out, Zhao Xuefei was fine and hadnât sustained any internal injuries, but Gu Chunxiaâs left ring finger and little finger suffered comminuted fractures.
If the doctor hadnât noticed her hand was swollen during the examination, everyone might not have realized that her hand was the most severely injured.
"They said my mom stole something, so they stomped on her hand hard," Zhao Jingmiao sobbed as she cried.
She was supposed to stay in the hospital for observation for a few more days, but since it was the New Year, the hospital was understaffed. The doctor prescribed some anti-inflammatory medication and suggested she recover at home.
After all, hospitalization would incur a significant expense.
Gu Chunhai wanted Gu Chunxia to stay in the hospital for observation to be safe, but Gu Chunxia was adamantly against it, and they reluctantly brought her home.
"This matter cannot be left as it is," Old Sir Gu said regretfully, looking at his daughter and grandson lying on the kang. He pounded his own leg.
If it werenât for his leg injury back then, he wouldnât have allowed Old Mrs. Gu to marry their daughter so far away.
"Dad, Iâm fine, itâs just that Iâll have to trouble Chunhai and Lingling," Gu Chunxia said with tears streaming down her face.
Since returning, her tears hadnât stopped.
In her heart, she felt she had done well at her husbandâs home all these years, respecting the elders and taking good care of the children, and she tried not to argue with her sisters-in-law.
But why?
Clearly, she had done more for that family than anyone else, but in return, she was treated this way.
She hadnât even seen any twenty yuan, so why did they insist she stole it? And the meat, hadnât she just quietly fed a piece to Zhao Xuefei when the family was cooking meat crisps?
Yet, her brother-in-lawâs two kids were eating meat crisps, each with a full bowl. And her son couldnât even have a bite?
They claimed she was the only one who had entered Old Mrs. Zhaoâs room, but she clearly saw that her brother-in-law had also been inside.
Her words were dismissed as excuses, which incited the familyâs violence against her.
"What kind of talk is that? Weâre all family," Gu Chunhai said with a dark expression, looking at his sister on the kang. "What are you thinking about this issue?"
"They can beat me however they want, but I canât watch my child being bullied," Gu Chunxia cried.
Perhaps itâs the strength of a motherâs love; after being bullied all these years, she finally couldnât take it anymore and fled with her child.
When she saw her brother-in-law kicking her son, Gu Chunxia was terrified to her core.
"I want to separate from the family," Gu Chunxia said.
All these years, she and her husband had done enough for that family. Just because they werenât smooth-talking or couldnât please Mrs. Zhao, even though they did the most work, they were criticized the most.
Even their two children were mistreated and bullied at home.
If Zhao JianShe doesnât agree, then Iâll just... Iâll just..." She couldnât bring herself to say the word "divorce."
In this era, getting a divorce, no matter how justified, subjects you to discrimination, and even the children face ostracism.
Another unspoken reason was that Zhao JianShe, just like her, was a straightforward person who treated her and the children well.
"Alright, I understand. You can stay here comfortably, and weâll talk about it once you recover," Gu Chunhai said. "You donât need to worry about this; Iâll handle it."
Gu Chunxia always came back with good news, concealing the bad. When asked, she would say everything was fine, so Gu Chunhai never expected that family to be this vile.
If Zhao JianShe can be sensible, he would help them separate from the family. If Zhao JianShe sides with his family, then even if it means supporting his sister and nephew for a lifetime, Gu Chunhai would help her get a divorce.