If the snack shop closed, they could always open a new one. If business wasn’t good in Anqing County, they could move to Fengxian City, or directly to the provincial capital Shangdu, where the consumer market was larger and good business would bring even more profit.

Divorce was not an option.

Although Xia Ziyu knew the reasons for the shop’s closure and her parents’ fights, and though she wanted to follow Xia Xiaolan’s example and cut ties with the shortsighted Xia family members, she couldn’t do it. In 1984, divorce carried a terrible stigma. Xia Xiaolan had nothing left to lose, but Xia Ziyu had to consider Wang Jianhua’s opinion.

Even if Wang Jianhua didn’t mind her parents’ divorce, what about Wang Guangping and Ran Shuyu?

Setting aside Ran Shuyu, Wang Guangping had initially been extremely cold toward her, and though his attitude had slightly improved, Xia Ziyu couldn’t risk testing his tolerance further. Spouses should share life’s joys and sorrows – this was deeply ingrained in the older generation’s mindset. Of course, many couples couldn’t bear being dragged down by their partner and abandoned each other in times of hardship… Since Ran Shuyu could endure hardship with Wang Guangping, the Wang family valued staying together through thick and thin. If even the most quarrelsome couples could maintain their marriage, why should Xia Ziyu’s parents divorce?

Even in later years, coming from a single-parent family might make potential partners think twice, let alone in the 1980s.

Those who wouldn’t mind were extremely rare, and Xia Ziyu didn’t want to take that gamble.

After the divorce, could her mother Zhang Cui sustain the business alone? Although Uncle Zhang Manfu could help, he wasn’t particularly clever. Xia Ziyu knew her parents would cherish her brother Xia Junbao, but compared to outsiders, she could only trust her parents.

Sure, her parents had their flaws, but didn’t everyone?

If they earned ten thousand, their self-interest would ensure they’d save at least five thousand for her – others might not be so generous.

With Xia Changzheng and Zhang Cui’s relationship so tense, Xia Ziyu grew anxious. In this state, they couldn’t even manage their own lives properly, how could they cause trouble for others? Would they just let Xia Xiaolan smoothly get into university?!

This time, Xia Ziyu didn’t send a telegram. Instead, she wrote a long, emotional letter recalling how difficult it had been for the family to reach their current position, how they had secretly started the business in the county town, and how they had gradually built a better life. She had gotten into university, and in the future, her brother Xia Junbao would also attend university and become an urban resident. Their lives were improving steadily – not just compared to other Xia family members, but throughout the entire village and township, whose family could match their family of four?

At this time, others could only envy them, yet their family members failed to cherish what they had, creating domestic conflicts for others to mock.

Xia Ziyu recalled past hardships while painting a beautiful picture of the future.

At the end of the letter, she stated that if her parents divorced, she would choose neither of them and never return home, telling them to act as if they never had such a daughter!

Xia Ziyu’s letter combined stick and carrot, especially the final point about treating her as if she didn’t exist… How could they accept that? How much honor had Xia Ziyu brought them? Just because she got into university, both Xia Changzheng and his wife were more respected wherever they went.

Without Xia Ziyu, who would help them leave their rural life behind and become urban residents?

Xia Ziyu’s letter finally got Xia Changzheng and Zhang Cui to sit down and talk calmly. For two months, the Xia and Zhang families had been destroying each other’s property, and Xia Changzheng and Zhang Cui were truly angry. Especially Zhang Cui – with her cooking skills, she figured she had nothing to fear from divorce… Xia Ziyu’s letter hit home with Zhang Cui – if necessary, she could give up the shop near County No. 1 Middle School and open another snack shop elsewhere. She had experience in this business, and Zhang Manfu and Jiang Lianxiang could help – what did she need Xia Changzheng for?

Zhang Cui was even more eager for divorce than Xia Changzheng.

Xia Changzheng was being pushed by his family and found himself in an awkward position.

Without Zhang Cui, he couldn’t run a snack shop himself – he lacked the skills.

Xia Hongbing and Wang Jingui couldn’t talk nonsense anymore after trying at “Zhang’s.” Xia Hongbing had strength but no skill in kneading dough, and Wang Jingui’s cooking was terrible – though she often cooked at the Xia household, rural people prioritized sustenance over taste. As long as they could fill their stomachs, who cared about flavor? Wang Jingui had never bothered to study cooking skills before. The Xia family had been desperately poor, eating sweet potatoes when they had them, considering steamed corn buns a treat, and rarely seeing meat or oil twice a year. She had never even seen dishes like lamb noodle soup, spicy soup, or how to season meat bun fillings.

Zhang Cui’s skills had been guided by Xia Ziyu.

After three to four years of practice, Zhang Cui had developed her current expertise – even if Wang Jingui took over the shop, she couldn’t run the business.

The Xia family had started the fight, but by the end, the Zhang family had the upper hand.

After receiving Xia Ziyu’s letter, Xia Changzheng himself felt relieved. If things continued, the couple would truly break apart – Zhang Cui had already taken Xia Junbao back to her family. After the divorce, he would be a man without a wife or son… Xia Dajun was a cautionary example.

Marry another wife?

That would require money, and Zhang Cui held all the major funds!

Even if he married again and had another son, there was no guarantee the child would get into university. Xia Changzheng knew that Xia Ziyu spent more time with her mother than with him – if it came to that, Xia Ziyu would certainly only care for Zhang Cui. Just like Xia Xiaolan, who had followed Liu Fen.

Xia Changzheng couldn’t take that risk, and Xia Ziyu’s letter gave him a way out.

Old Mrs. Xia never learned to compromise, insisting on making Zhang Cui completely submissive, while Zhang’s family supported her… Xia Changzheng dejectedly told Old Mrs. Xia:

“Ziyu says having divorced parents is too shameful, and she’ll never return home. Mother, how can we divorce? The third Brother and his wife tried running the shop, but the business couldn’t work without Zhang Cui. If you want to force her to admit wrongdoing, you’re pushing me to be like Second Brother – I might as well leave home too, as I can’t bear the shame of divorce!”

Two months after the New Year, there was still no news from Xia Dajun.

Having left while injured, what had happened to him outside? Could he have died somewhere?

Who knew? In these times, someone could be killed, buried by the roadside, and never found even after becoming bones.

Old Mrs. Xia was getting anxious.

As a widow who had raised three sons, she counted on them for support in her old age.

Now her most obedient son Xia Dajun had run away, and if Xia Changzheng left too, what would she do? Rely on Xia Hongbing? She knew exactly what her third son was like. His wife was even worse – lazy and greedy. Not one promising person in Third Brother’s family. Old Mrs. Xia could imagine what kind of life she’d have depending on Xia Hongbing in her old age.

Moreover, her proudest achievement – her university-educated granddaughter – had declared she wouldn’t return home if her parents divorced.

Old Mrs. Xia had denied herself comfort and squeezed Xia Dajun and Xia Hongbing dry to support Xia Ziyu’s education, waiting eagerly for the day she could become an urban resident alongside Xia Ziyu.

If Xia Ziyu never returned, what was Old Mrs. Xia still fighting for?!

This finally led to the Xia and Zhang families sitting down for “peace talks.”