——————
"Jinghong, you are now a mother of three, can you really bear your children being pointed at and called ’mother-born but fatherless’?"
Xie Tiesheng sighed, then continued before his daughter could retort:
"Da Niu, I raised you, how could I not know your temperament? But, even if this marriage has wronged you, Dad still wants to advise you. Even if not for yourself, you have to think about your children——"
Xie Jinghong really faced the prospect of divorce and returning to her parents’ home, facing it moment by moment.
Seeing his daughter’s face turn pale with his questions, he turned his head away.
Upon turning his head, he met Fan Jiefang’s dark and honest face, then Mr. Xie immediately scolded Fan Jiefang without holding back:
"Fan Jiefang, oh Fan Jiefang, when you asked to marry my Da Niu, you repeatedly assured me, you would protect her for life, grant her peace and joy, and never let her be sad... How have you been doing these years?
Do you think I would be happy just scolding my daughter? If you hadn’t continually hurt Da Niu’s heart, would she think of returning to her parents’ house whenever there is an issue?
She doesn’t trust you, doesn’t believe that you would protect her and her four children with your life, what is there for you to be pleased about? You, you..."
By the end of his scolding, seeing his son-in-law looking soul-lost at his daughter, the last few words were just suffocatingly swallowed.
Fan Jiefang’s face, rebutted by his father-in-law, turned red and his eyes welled up—turning to see his wife crying on Yan Jinsu’s shoulder, her sobs muffled in her palms, while Yan Jinsu gently comforted her and also gave him unfriendly looks, he felt deeply ashamed and blamed himself.
Although the couple were not much different in age, he had delayed their wedding because he had joined the army, while Xie Jinghong had a fiancé who changed his mind after the engagement, leading to their late marriage.
Initially in the marriage, just holding hands would make his wife blush uncontrollably, and she was especially caring and attentive towards him. They had shared deep affection, especially during the first three years of marriage, which were incredibly sweet and loving.
What caused the increasing distance between them?
Fan Jiefang felt a pang of bitterness in his heart—
It was his own brother, his own mother! And that sister-in-law who thrived in chaos!
For what? Was it really for family harmony? Only his own mother and brother were truly harmonious!
As he sided with them time and again, making his own wife and children endure, he and his wife had grown increasingly distant!
"Xiao Hong, please give me another chance, I don’t want to lose you or the children, you are my dearest loved ones!"
Fan Jiefang, distressed and self-reproaching, walked behind his wife, facing the wary eyes of Yan Jinsu and the sidelong glances of his father-in-law, slowly expressed himself, and deeply pleaded.
In the end, Fan Jiefang walked away alone.
Xie Jinghong, hearing his woeful plea, which sounded like an eternal lament, covered her mouth and ran back to the west wing, discomposed.
The remaining Fan Jiefang squatted on the ground, dejected, making Xie Tiesheng and Yan Jinsu quite embarrassed, fearing that if this grown man couldn’t take it and really started crying in front of them, how could they face each other in the future?
Fortunately, Fan Jiefang didn’t lose his composure to that extent; squatting on the ground, he rubbed his face a few times before standing up straight and assured Xie Tiesheng:
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