The 99th Divorce

Ye Youyou rested at home for a day before setting out for the bus stop the following day. She purchased her trip ticket and spent the entire journey sleeping.

When she was young, her grandfather had a huge yard. In the yard were chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. Every time she entered, the animals would cause a ruckus. Furthermore, on the ground would be the manure of the different animals. The stink would be evident the moment she stepped in.

Many years had passed since she had last been back. Yun Town had changed drastically.

Following her memories, Ye Youyou found the old eucalyptus tree from the past. This tree was a few hundred years old. Back then, it was said to possess divine power, so many people would come to worship it.

Further up beyond the tree, the second house on the third alley was her grandfather’s house. Ye Youyou was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans and carrying a huge backpack. When she entered the alley, she was met with a stainless steel security door.

This place had been renovated. It was now a villa. The yard of the past was no longer there, much less the chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats.

Ye Youyou was beginning to think that she might have come to the wrong place. She stood at the entrance for a while contemplating whether to call Ye Qianqian and ask for more details when the door suddenly opened.

It was a man whose skin was tan from the sun. He looked to be around 50 to 60 years old. His hair was cut short, and he looked alert and clean. He wore a striped, short-sleeved shirt and kept his face clean-shaven.

When he saw Ye Youyou, he gave had a look of surprise. As realization set in, he called out, “Qianqian?”

He took a second look and realized the individual wasn’t identical to Ye Qianqian. “Youyou?” Ye Zhenhua called out in disbelief. “Is that you?”

He was speaking in the local dialect, one that Ye Youyou hadn’t heard for many years. Even when she spoke to Ye Qianqian, she used Mandarin.

The dialect caught Ye Youyou unaware. It brought her back to her childhood, when her father would carry her on his shoulders and run about. He would always say, “Youyou is the best. Youyou is beautiful...”

Ye Youyou understood what was said, but the man in front of her felt so foreign. She wanted to reply in dialect, but the words wouldn’t come. She realized that she couldn’t speak it any longer.

Ye Zhenhua watched her. He switched to Mandarin as he asked again, “Are you Youyou?”

He was used to speaking in dialect. When he spoke in Mandarin, it carried a heavy local accent.

Ye Youyou lifted her lips and smiled as she replied, “Yeah, I’m Ye Youyou. I’m back.”

Ye Zhenhua smiled when he heard that. His smile reached his eyes. He looked touched. He glanced to the left and right before asking, “Whom did you come with?”

“I’m alone.” Ye Youyou looked at him. Her eyes were glistening as she said, “I’m now living with Older Sister. I no longer have any relationship with my mom.”

Disappointment showed in Ye Zhenhua’s eyes, but he regained his senses and said, “Come on in!”

Ye Youyou nodded her head and entered. The yard had been done up nicely. It was now a beautiful garden. In the garden were various kinds of flora and fauna. It looked elegant and pleasing to the eye. When she saw it, she was taken aback.

The flowers included roses, Chinese roses, and jasmines. These were all Ye Tian’s favorite flowers. These were the flowers grown in the villa in the Capital except that they had been arranged in a more elegant and exquisite manner. The flowers had bloomed very well. It was obvious that someone had been taking good care of them.

Ye Zhenhua saw her eyes and laughed as he said, “I was just bored, so I planted them for fun.”

Ye Youyou smiled back. Her heart came to the realization that he still loved Ye Tian, the woman who had left him for the sake of money.