Reborn in the 80s: My Whole Family Secretly Hears My Thoughts and Goes Wild with Success! - Chapter 46

“Don’t ask me how I found out. Just answer me—is Li Zhigang going to pay back the money? If he doesn’t, how are we supposed to get by?”

“Our family… We’ll manage somehow. My brother needs it urgently. We can tighten our belts for a while—it’s not a big deal.”

Even though he had braced himself for it, Yue Mingde’s heart still sank at Li Yan’s words.

“Xiaoxin and Xiaohui are growing kids, and you say it’s ‘not a big deal’? Did you even give their tuition money to Li Zhigang?”

“He’s in a tight spot? That’s gambling debt! Gambling is a bottomless pit!”

Li Yan nervously glanced around and shoved Yue Mingde. “Keep your voice down!”

“He promised this is the last time—there won’t be a next time. Am I just supposed to stand by and watch loan sharks chop his hands off?”

“He’s my own brother.”

Yue Mingde couldn’t take it anymore. A vein throbbed on his forehead as he roared, “And Mingyuan is my own brother! Remember when he got hurt and I wanted to take money from home? What did you say back then?”

“You said we had to prioritize Xiaoxin and Xiaohui—that we had to put our own family first!”

“I… I wasn’t wrong.”

Li Yan hunched her shoulders and glared at him tearfully. “Yue Mingde, why are you yelling at me? So what if I used a little money from the house?”

“If you’re not giving it to me, which ‘vixen’ are you saving it for?”

“Li Yan, you’re impossible to reason with!”

Yue Mingde knew arguing was pointless. He gave her two choices: “Li Yan, either you get that money back from Li Zhigang, or we get a divorce.”

Li Yan turned her head away. “I won’t ask for it back. He said he’ll pay me once he gets back on his feet.”

“How long is ‘a while’? How is he supposed to recover—by gambling more? That’ll only drown him deeper in debt!”

Li Yan stubbornly repeated, “I’m not asking for it back.”

“Then we’re getting a divorce.”

“And I’m not divorcing you!” Li Yan shot him a furious look. “I gave you two sons. Divorcing me, Yue Mingde—have you no conscience?”

“Fine. Then I’ll go to the police. Li Zhigang already has a record.”

Yue Mingde turned to leave, but Li Yan grabbed his arm. “Yue Mingde, have you lost your mind? You’ll get my brother thrown in jail!”

“Last time, it was because of you that he got a criminal record! And now you want to ruin him again? Are you even human?”

Yue Mingde shook her off and stared coldly at her. “Li Yan, either Li Zhigang returns the money, or we divorce. You can keep what’s already gone, including the house we live in now.”

“If you refuse both, I swear I’ll make sure Li Zhigang ends up behind bars.”

“Yue Mingde, you bastard!” Li Yan’s eyes welled up, but she fought back the tears, glaring at him through blurred vision.

Yue Mingde clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay firm. He hated pushing her like this—seeing her like this tore him apart inside.

But he couldn’t take her family anymore. Li Zhigang and Li Zhiqiang were both bottomless pits—one a gambler, the other a troublemaker.

Every time Li Zhiqiang beat someone up, Yue Mingde was the one who had to apologize with gifts and money.

After all these years, they had barely any savings because every penny went to covering Li Zhigang’s gambling debts or Li Zhiqiang’s fights.

They’d fought over this countless times, and each time, he’d backed down because he couldn’t bear to see Li Yan upset.

But his patience and compromise hadn’t earned him any understanding—only entitlement. She kept pushing further.

“Let’s get the paperwork done. A clean break is best.” Yue Mingde glanced toward the school gate and urged her, “The civil affairs office will close soon.”

“I want Xiaoxin and Xiaohui. What if you remarry and your new wife mistreats my sons?” Li Yan wiped her tears, already scheming.

If she had custody, not only would Yue Mingde have to pay child support, but she’d also stay connected to the Yue family.

Whether it was Yue Guohuai and Wan Jiayin or Yue Mingli and Meng Fang, they were all useful to have around.

“I already asked them—they want to stay with me. If you insist on taking them, then you get neither the savings nor the house. That money is from my salary, and the house is under my name.”

“Li Yan, without the kids, you’ll have an easier time remarrying. This is for your own good.”

“At my age, and with kids? Who’d want me?”

Li Yan’s eyes burned with resentment. “Yue Mingde, how can you be so heartless? I must’ve been blind to marry you!”

“At least you see me clearly now.”

After nearly ten years together, Li Yan knew Yue Mingde well. Gentle as he seemed, he was stubborn—once his mind was made up, there was no changing it.

Li Yan got the divorce papers from the school, took half a day off, and went with Yue Mingde to finalize it.

Stepping out of the civil affairs office with their divorce certificates, both were dazed.

“I’ll start looking for a place. Once I find one, I’ll take Xiaoxin and Xiaohui and move out. I’ll return the keys to you then.”

“No rush.” Li Yan’s chest ached, as if something vital had been ripped away. “Can I still visit the boys?”

“Of course. Anytime you want.”

Yue Mingde hesitated, then added, “Don’t give all your money to your family. Keep some for yourself—just in case.”

“We’re divorced. Why do you care?”

The moment her family was mentioned, Li Yan shut down. Seeing this, Yue Mingde said nothing more.

They walked off in opposite directions, their paths diverging for good.

Li Yan tucked the divorce certificate deep into her bag, dreading how she’d explain this to her mother.

She’d be furious.

Well, she’d hide it as long as she could.

Meanwhile, Yue Mingde told Xiaoxin and Xiaohui about the divorce as soon as they got home. The three of them began packing.

The next morning, Yue Mingde left work early to visit Chen Minjie at Hualan Alley Elementary.

They had gone to the countryside together years ago, sitting side by side on the train before being assigned to the same village.

Later, they returned to Beijing—Yue Mingde to the screw factory, Chen Minjie to the elementary school, thanks to family connections.

Chen Minjie didn’t hesitate. Not only did he agree to help transfer the kids, but he also found Yue Mingde a decent place to live—a room in the courtyard next to his, rented out by an elderly couple whose daughter had already married and moved away.

The room was spacious enough for the three of them, and the landlords even offered to share their kitchen.

The rent was fair, so Yue Mingde paid the deposit on the spot.

By Sunday, Yue Mingde had borrowed a cart and moved in with Xiaoxin and Xiaohui.