Chapter 223: 223 Men's Dignity
The man put down the axe, and the woman seemed to calm down a bit; the atmosphere was no longer as tense as before.
Du Heng then also let go of the woman's hand he was holding.
However, as soon as he relaxed, the woman suddenly dashed out, snatching up a wooden stick from the ground as she went.
The man might have been truly furious this time, as he didn't hold back. He raised his arm, taking the stick's blow, then violently snatched the stick from the woman's hand.
Afterward, he raised the stick high over his head.
Du Heng was startled. One blow like that, and her head would surely crack open.
"Stop!" Du Heng yelled, surprisingly halting the man in his tracks. The woman, probably terrified by the man's action, stood rooted to the spot with her eyes closed.
At this moment, the woman was no longer as calm as before. Tears streamed down her face.
Du Heng stepped between them, took the stick from the man's hand, and glared at him. "What do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea what the consequences would be if that stick landed? This is your wife! How could you bring yourself to strike her?"
The man looked angry, aggrieved, and somewhat at a loss.
Having scolded the man, Du Heng turned to scold the woman. "And you! I couldn't even hold you back. What did you think you were doing, trying to chop someone with an axe? Who gave you the guts? And was it you who threw that kitchen knife earlier? Don't you know you nearly split my head open? I could report you to the authorities right now, do you realize that?"
"What's so serious that it can't be discussed, that you have to resort to such foolish methods? Today, never mind killing this man, even if you just nicked his skin, you'd go to jail, believe it or not!"
Unable to hold it in any longer, the woman collapsed onto the ground and started to wail.
Du Heng was genuinely unnerved by such an extreme woman.
Seeing her crying so heartbrokenly, he couldn't bring himself to feel any sympathy. Instead, he maintained a stern face. "Since you two can't sit down and have a proper conversation, I'll call Director Gong from the police station right now. You can talk things over there."
This statement was part threat, part genuine intention.
Seeing Du Heng pull out his phone, the man quickly panicked and rushed to stop him. "Don't make the call!"
Du Heng frowned. This man's behavior is strange.
"Fine then. Go find your village's women's director, or someone else. Let them help you resolve your issues."
The man remained silent and didn't move.
Du Heng didn't understand why, nor did he particularly want to. He was still preparing to call Gong Daoyang.
Just then, the woman finally spoke up. "I want a divorce."
A divorce? So be it. Why shout so loudly? And if you want a divorce, why resort to brandishing weapons and nearly get yourself implicated too?
"I won't divorce her," the man replied curtly this time.
Du Heng frowned at the man. Given the situation, why wouldn't he agree to a divorce? He shouldn't really provoke her to the point where she snaps and attacks him with a kitchen knife in the middle of the night. At that point, never mind this man, even Zhang Fei would meet a bitter end on the spot. That would be a true tragedy.
"It's not up to you. Even if you don't want to, she can go to court and sue for divorce, and it can still be granted."
"If I don't go, they can't rule on it."
This man is being quite shameless. Du Heng was speechless.
The woman scrambled up from the ground, pointed at the man's nose, and said, "You're not a man! Why are you dragging me down like this? Do you get some sick pleasure from making me live like a widow, sexually frustrated?"
Did I just stumble upon some deep, dark secret? Du Heng's eyes widened as he turned his gaze to the man.
Du Heng had originally thought that hearing such words, so damaging to a man's pride, would make the man fly into a rage. Yet, the man didn't refute her, merely looking at the woman with a hint of humiliation.
Damn it, could it really be true?
Now that the cat was out of the bag, the woman spoke with even less restraint, her finger practically poking the man's face. The things she said were so vile, Du Heng couldn't bear to repeat them. Especially when she spat out those words involving 'fingers,' Du Heng exclaimed he couldn't stand it. This woman was too wild, too brazen; she'd say anything!
But from this, it was clear she had no intention of saving the man any face and was determined to air such private matters, unafraid of outsiders knowing.
Du Heng really couldn't listen anymore; it was an assault on his ears.
To sum it up, the man was too quick on the draw, surrendering before the battle even began.
Du Heng quickly interrupted her and turned to the man. "What are your thoughts on this?"
"Anyway, I won't divorce her."
That one sentence reignited the woman's fury, and she looked ready to erupt again.
Du Heng once again played firefighter, calming both of them down as their emotions flared up again, and managed to persuade them apart.
If it were any other matter, I'd be helpless. But this particular issue, for me, as long as it's not a physiological defect, it's hardly a problem at all.
"Let me introduce myself again. My name is Du Heng, the Dean of our Health Clinic. Back in March, I saw patients in your village. I wonder if you remember me?"
The man's gaze towards the woman was complex, with humiliation outweighing other emotions; she, however, glared back at him defiantly.
"I've heard of you," the man finally said, his head lowered as he yielded to the woman's furious gaze. "You saved Li Qiuhua from Shang Ling Village, and you're excellent at treating paralysis."
Du Heng now felt a twinge of pity for the man. A man lacking virility truly has no dignity.
"It's good that you've heard of me. In that case, would you both allow me to act as a mediator and help you reconcile?"
The man nodded. "Alright."
The woman shook her head emphatically. "There's nothing to mediate. Either he divorces me, or he kills me. Otherwise, I'll go shout about it all over the village, and then we'll see who's disgraced!"
Du Heng shook his head but didn't offer any other opinions. Instead, he asked, "I haven't asked your names yet. Would you mind telling me?"
The man lowered his head. "Yang Wei."
Hm? Oh! Though the name itself was coincidental, it inevitably made one's mind wander. Damn these homophonic puns!
Du Heng quickly turned to the woman. "And your name?"
"You Fang."
"You Fang, let me ask you a question. If Yang... if your husband didn't have this problem, would you still want a divorce?"
The woman glanced at the man opposite her, thought for a moment, but said nothing.
"How did you two meet?"
"We were introduced by a matchmaker. We got married soon after getting to know each other."
"Does he gamble?"
"No."
"Drink excessively?"
"No, not that either."
"Then is he jobless, lazy, not earning money, or neglectful of his family?"
"None of those. He operates a crane; his income is quite good."
Du Heng looked intently at the woman. "Then is he good to you? Has he ever hit you?"
You Fang fell silent. After a long pause, she said, "No, he treats me very well."
"Then let me ask you again: if his body had no issues, would you live a proper life with him?"
The silence stretched even longer this time. The man looked at You Fang with hopeful eyes, desperate to hear an answer that would make him happy.
"I don't want to cause trouble either; I also want to live a proper life. But I'm only twenty-five this year. How long am I supposed to endure this kind of life?"
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