Sutan quickly scrambled to the doorway.
With both feet outside the threshold and the rest of her body inside, she crossed her arms, her cold, sharp gaze fixed on Zhou Jianfeng.
Under no circumstances could she afford to show weakness. The moment she showed fear, Zhou Jianfeng would think she was intimidated by him and would walk all over her from then on.
Zhou Jianfeng turned around, his dark eyes bloodshot and red, the veins on his forehead bulging.
His expression was somewhat ferocious.
Taotao had knelt down and begged her, yet she remained so ice-cold that she didn't react at all.
Zhou Jianfeng could not comprehend what kind of woman he had married.
How devoid of humanity, how much of a beast could a woman be to remain so cold and unfeeling?
No.
Even beasts had animal instincts, but Sutan had not a shred of humanity.
She was even worse than an animal.
Sutan was so thin it was skin and bones, making her naturally large eyes look even bigger—like the eyes of a dead person.
Sutan lowered her gaze, her frosty eyes falling upon the child standing just past her waist.
The child had a rosy complexion and looked bright and spirited, but unfortunately, he took after Qin Hongmei, turning into such a little green tea at this tender age.
His clean eyes darted back and forth.
Heaven only knew how much malice he harbored in his belly.
Feeling Aunt Sutan scrutinizing him, Taotao lifted his little chin, forced the corners of his mouth upward, and put on what he thought was his most charming smile.
"Aunt Sutan, I am really well-behaved and very easy to raise!"
Qin Hongmei placed a hand on her son's shoulder, looking at Sutan with guarded wariness. "Sutan, if you have any issues, take them out on me! Taotao is still just a child!"
"Sutan, I want you to apologize to Hongmei and Taotao right now!"
Zhou Jianfeng raised his clenched fist, waving it in front of Sutan.
The corners of Sutan's mouth curled into a mocking sneer, her eyes full of disdain. "Zhou Jianfeng, is your brain flooded with water or did a donkey kick you in the head?"
Pointing right at Zhou Jianfeng, Sutan said word by word, "I haven't even settled accounts with you for sending me to the detention center just for her sake!"
"I was released yesterday, and today you're forcing me to hand over my job to her, and now you're forcing me to raise her kid!"
"You call me inhuman? Are you fucking human?"
Sutan never let anyone walk all over her. Since Zhou Jianfeng refused to speak to her like a civil person, she certainly wouldn't be polite to him either.
"And you!"
Sutan's yellowish finger shifted toward Qin Hongmei. "If you can't afford to live, then drop dead! If you can't afford to raise kids, keep a better leash on your womb!"
"Do you take my lack of resistance to mean I'm a soft persimmon for you to squeeze whenever you please?"
Sutan's gaze, sharp as icicles, swept over Taotao for a second. "Anyone who didn't know better would think he was my son!"
"Sutan, you've fucking lost your mind, daring to speak to me like this! If I don't beat you to death today, I'll take your family name!"
Zhou Jianfeng grabbed the fire tongs from the honeycombed coal bucket and swung them straight at Sutan.
Having prepared in advance, Sutan turned and bolted outside.
As she ran, she cried out and wailed:
"Jianfeng, I really was wrong! It's not that I don't want to take care of Taotao, but we just got married, and you're already making me raise Hongmei's son!"
"I'm afraid I won't raise him right. If I don't discipline him, you'll say I don't care, and if I do say something to him, you'll complain that I did!"
"Shut your fucking mouth, Sutan!"
Zhou Jianfeng strode out, the air biting with a freezing chill.
He reached Sutan, grabbed her by the collar at the back of her neck, and hoisted her up.
In his other hand, he held the fire tongs, his tightly clenched knuckles turning white.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sutan caught sight of Hechengming running over. She broke free with all her might and darted behind Hechengming.
"Sutan, get over here right now!" Zhou Jianfeng pointed and ordered.
Sutan shrunk her neck, her eyes filled with terror. "If I go over there, you'll beat me to death! Zhou Jianfeng, I'm a human being too. The moment you divorce me, I'm moving out of this house!"
"You're dreaming if you think you can make me your free babysitter!"
Hechengming cast a fierce glare at Zhou Jianfeng, his eyes freezing cold.
Sutan felt as though Hechengming were an ice cave—though the temperature was low, it felt safe.
"Zhou Jianfeng, did you hear that? Sutan wants a divorce. If you dare lay a single finger on her again, I'll go straight to the leaders at your meat processing plant and see if someone with personal conduct issues like yours is fit to keep being a leader!"
Zhou Jianfeng's pupils constricted slightly.
"Sutan, what is he to you? Why does he always protect you?" Qin Hongmei deliberately chimed in from the side.
Zhou Jianfeng's anger, which had finally subsided a little, flared up even higher.
"Hechengming, don't think that just because you're a soldier I won't dare do anything to you! As long as Sutan and I are not divorced, she is my wife for another day!"
"What the hell do you think you are?"
Hechengming lowered his gaze, his frosty eyes sweeping over the finger pointed at him.
His lips, pressed into a straight line, curled up on one side.
"Then let's see if you can lay a single finger on her!"
The next second, an intense murderous intent flashed in Hechengming's eyes.
Unable to withstand the pressure, Zhou Jianfeng took a step back, raised the fire tongs, and yelled reluctantly, "Sutan, you want a divorce, don't you!"
"I'd like to see what kind of state you'll end up in after leaving me. I'll be waiting for the day you crawl back and beg me!"
Zhou Jianfeng forcefully hurled the fire tongs to the ground, picked up Taotao, and said softly, "Hongmei, let's go!"
"Since she claims we're not keeping things proper, we'll show her what improper really looks like!"
Yanking Qin Hongmei's arm, Zhou Jianfeng stormed off in a rage.
Sutan blinked, not expecting the battle to end so quickly, especially after she had wasted so much energy imagining various scenarios in her head.
Hechengming turned around and caught sight of the lingering annoyance in Sutan's eyes.
"Do you really want a divorce?"
"Did you expect me to keep him around to celebrate the New Year?"
Sutan clapped her hands together. "You've saved my dog's life yet again. I owe you two favors now, and I can pay you back later if you need anything."
Hechengming found it hard to adjust to Sutan's split-second shift in demeanor.
Had he not witnessed it with his own eyes just now, he would have suspected Sutan was putting on an act.
Ignoring the confusion and scrutiny in Hechengming's eyes, Sutan tucked her freezing hands into her pockets.
"You heard what Zhou Jianfeng said just now. There's no way I can go back to my parents' home after a divorce, so I need to find a safe place to settle down."
"Do you know anywhere I can find a secure apartment with low rent?"
Hechengming stared at Sutan for a long moment, realizing she was truly divorcing and not just playing around.
His gaze shifted for a couple of seconds.
"There are empty courtyards in our unit's family quarters!"
Hechengming said in a low voice, "The courtyard is a bit bigger than this one, and it also has three rooms facing south. It'll be plenty of space for you to live alone!"
Sutan's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Her face brimmed with joy.
"Do you have time right now? Can you take me to go look at it?"
Seeing the anticipation in Sutan's eyes, Hechengming agreed, "Alright."