Chapter 1209: 1082: The Sky Is Falling on Our Family

In the snow that barely covered the ankles, a deep footprint was immediately left. Mai Miao bent her body forward as she walked, tightening her bulky coat against the cold wind, and glanced ahead in the dim light of the distant street lamps.

Where exactly have her dad and her second uncle gone?

The "knock, knock, knock" at night echoed through the courtyard of Zhang Guofu’s house.

After a moment, Zhang Mingzuo’s voice rang out, "Who is it?"

Mai Miao continued to knock rhythmically on the door with more effort. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to answer; it’s that if she raised her voice, the commotion would alert her sisters-in-law to some things.

Zhang Mingzuo cursed silently but still came to the door with a precautionary, "Who is it? If you don’t answer, I won’t open the door."

"Second Brother, it’s me, keep your voice down."

Zhang Mingzuo was startled and quickly unlocked the door, momentarily forgetting to ask why she hadn’t brought her key, urgently pulled her by the arm, and looked around, "Has that Dong family’s boy been bullying you? That bastard has a death wish!"

"No! Lower your voice."

Zhang Mingzuo hurriedly pulled her inside, "Come in and warm up; we can talk then."

Mai Miao grabbed him, "I can’t go in, think of a way to get Third Brother out here too, but keep it from the sisters-in-law. Our family’s sky is about to fall, sob..."

Zhang Mingzuo was so shocked by her words that he trembled, shut the courtyard door, "Little sister, don’t cry, I’m here, the sky won’t fall, don’t cry, now tell me what’s going on?"

"Our dad wants to divorce mom, sob... I can’t find dad anywhere, Second Brother, I’ve looked for a long, long time, everywhere, but I still can’t find him or Second Uncle?"

Zhang Mingzuo was even more confused by these disjointed words, "Who says they want a divorce? Didn’t I tell you, let mom stay at grandma’s for a few days, once dad cools down, I’ll bring her back? Tonight dad even sent a message saying he wouldn’t return because he had something to do, don’t listen to the nonsense others say."

"No, you guys don’t know, uncle originally intended to have dad visit him today but changed his mind and took Second Uncle over instead... later mom argued with Second Uncle... somehow dad was at the door..."

Zhang Mingzuo frowned upon hearing this and without a word, he pushed the courtyard door open with one hand and pushed her inside, "Lower your voice, let’s go to the study and talk."

"Shouldn’t we go find dad first?"

"No need, he’s fine with Second Uncle with him."

Zhang Mingzuo nudged her into his dad’s study, then came up with an excuse to bring out Zhang Mingyou. Today their oldest brother was still working in the provincial city, so only the three siblings could discuss this.

Zhang Mingyou entered the study and immediately saw Mai Miao with red eyes, and he swore, "Damn that Dong family to the nineteenth generation ancestors, did he hit you?"

This pair of twins indeed!

Zhang Mingzuo nudged him, "Lower your voice, it’s not brother-in-law’s fault, mom’s at it again."

"Even so, we can’t let our little sister go out so late by herself," Zhang Mingyou muttered and frowned, "Mom went to you again to unload her troubles, huh?"

Zhang Mingzuo sighed and waved his hand to interrupt, "Little sister, uncle tends to exaggerate things. This time he’s definitely siding with mom, you shouldn’t believe everything."

Mai Miao nodded, "I know how he is. So when Aunt went to talk to me, I asked once, then asked mom again, and it matched up pretty well."

"Then explain to us again, let your third brother hear what happened."

Having drunk some hot water, in the warm room, Mai Miao calmed down and explained the situation more thoroughly than before.

After hearing everything, Zhang Mingyou scratched his head and looked at his silent brother and sister, "Don’t you both find yourselves speechless too? Uncle is really unreasonable. Why stick his nose in our business? We’ve said we’ll bring mom back after dad calms down, what exactly does he mean?"

"And now he wants to talk to our Second Uncle? Is he out of his mind, afraid the situation isn’t stirred up enough? Well, now he must be pleased with himself, right?"

Zhang Mingzuo patted him, "Don’t put the blame on others, I think it’s highly likely mom asked him to step in, maybe even told him that Second Uncle looks down on her."

Mai Miao looked sorrowful, "Second Brother, Third Brother, I didn’t expect even Second Uncle would know. I know him too well; he’s beyond endurance. If dad wants a divorce, he will definitely support it."

Zhang Mingyou looked at Zhang Mingzuo, the brothers exchanged a glance, the implicit meaning in their eyes understood without words, both realizing there’s still another matter, but uncertain if their Second Uncle has discovered it?

Zhang Mingzuo thought for a moment, and slightly shook his head at his brother. It’s impossible, with Second Uncle’s temperament, if he knew, he would have already gone to the Huang Family to flip tables, let alone drink together?

"I calculated while on the way, and it turns out if dad decides to divorce, the elders might not support mom anymore."

"Grandpa wouldn’t tolerate a daughter-in-law who drives wedges between his sons; if grandma knew mom no longer cared about her son’s wellbeing, besides we’re all grown up, she wouldn’t oppose either; Second Uncle and Little Uncle needn’t be mentioned, Second Aunt can’t decide, Little Aunt won’t interfere."

"Uncle actually asked me to persuade dad more, to think about my future, how the husband’s family would see it, how my colleagues would view it; how can I possibly say that? If it weren’t for us four siblings all these years, dad wouldn’t have tolerated this. But what about mom, if I don’t persuade, what will happen to her?"

"From age nine, I always feared mom making foolish mistakes again. Often, I had to conceal things from grandparents or worry dad would one day get so angry he’d hit her.

While others played, I didn’t dare spend a day outside longer, afraid that without me, if they fought and divorced, we wouldn’t have a home anymore."

Mai Miao wiped away the tears on her face, taking a deep breath.

"On my tenth birthday, dad said he’d grant me a wish. Actually, I knew he meant buying me something we wanted, but I played a trick.

I told him I wished for our family to be happily together and that mom and dad would never fight or separate... Dad agreed with a smile, but I knew he spent the whole night in this room in a daze..."

As she spoke, Mai Miao was already choked with sobs.

Zhang Mingzuo turned away to wipe his tears, stepped forward to hug her, and patted her quietly, "Rest assured, Second Brother will make your wish come true, even if I have to kneel before dad to make him agree."

"No, Second Brother, before coming into this room, I intended to find dad and Second Uncle and planned to kneel until they agreed to have mom back, but now I don’t think that way anymore."

"Little sister?"

"Third Brother, let’s release dad! Let’s let him decide this time. He lived for us in his first half of life; from now on, he should live for himself."

Having said this, Mai Miao pushed Zhang Mingzuo away, looked around the room, "Have you noticed, this is dad’s room. Out of 365 days in a year, he spends 300 days here."

Mai Miao wiped her tears with both hands, put on her coat, silently released a blast of news, and left, leaving the two brothers sitting there in a daze...