"Great, this is really great..." Jenny pressed her palms together, light flashing in her eyes as if she could already see her own glittering golden future.
"..."
"Did that guy say when the demolition is happening??"
Milton Hopper couldn’t answer, "No."
The light in Jenny’s eyes dimd, "So it’s still just pie in the sky then?"
Milton stiffened his neck and said, "Who says it’s pie in the sky! Eldest brother said the Governnt has already issued the docunts, it just hasn’t been announced yet. Nobody knows right now, and Eldest brother won’t even let talk.
You lot, listen up, not one of you is allowed to breathe a word outside."
Jenny said, "You take for an idiot? For sothing like this, of course I’m not going to talk."
Milton looked at his eldest sister and urged, "Sis, you have to hurry up and divorce brother‑in‑law now, move your household registration back. Eldest brother said with this kind of thing the sooner the better—if you’re late it’s useless."
Mother Hopper said, "Then should our family build a few more houses? I see in other villages when they’re being demolished, they all try their best to add on as much as they can, so when they asure the area, they can get more."
These past years, rural demolitions had made a lot of people rich.
Especially in big cities, those suburban villages one after another were driving Luxury Cars, with several apartnts at ho, while people struggling in the City Center might not be able to buy even one place their whole life.
"Build, of course we have to build!"
Father Hopper raised a very practical question, "Where’s the money going to co from?"
Jenny said, "Isn’t there brother‑in‑law? Ask brother‑in‑law for it."
"..."
"Sis, you divorce brother‑in‑law, he has to pay you alimony, right? We won’t even ask for much, just 75 thousand." Jenny opened her lion’s mouth.
Ashley, who had been silent, was biting her lip till it almost bled, "There isn’t that kind of money at ho."
"Doesn’t brother‑in‑law have so rich little sister? Tell brother‑in‑law to go hit up Sienna Johnson. That Sienna has plenty of money." Jenny said viciously, "If that really doesn’t work, then we’ll just sell the little villa and the BMW, and we’ll go straight back to Hopper Village!"
"I’m not getting a divorce!" On the matter of divorce, Ashley refused to budge.
"Sis, can you not be so stubborn? Didn’t we already say? It’s a fake divorce. After we get the units from the demolition, if you still think Marvin Rafael is worth it, you can just remarry him." Jenny tried to persuade her.
"If we get divorced and so other woman sets her sights on Marvin, then what?"
Ashley wasn’t completely clueless. She knew that once they divorced, she wouldn’t be protected by the law anymore; if Marvin really wanted to marry soone else, she wouldn’t be able to stop him.
"Sis, can you not be so ignorant? He’s just so old man from the countryside, and only you treat him like so kind of treasure. If our whole family gets a huge payout from the demolition and moves to the City Center, you can pick whoever you want, and he’ll be better than Marvin Rafael!
I for one look down on those mud‑legged peasants in the sticks. I’m going to marry a pale, clean City Center guy, live in an apartnt, and drive a little car." Jenny’s ambitions were sky‑high; all she wanted was to go to the big city to chase her dreams.
Milton said, "Sis, you really should divorce brother‑in‑law. Brother‑in‑law has nothing now."
"What’s that supposed to an?"
"To save , brother‑in‑law used the family’s car, house, and savings all to grease palms. Brother‑in‑law also told us to go back and pack up; he said the new owners will be moving in in a few days...
Brother‑in‑law told you to go back with him and live in the old house, and told the rest of us to go back to Hopper Village."
Jenny shouted, "What? He sold everything?"
"Yeah."
"How could brother‑in‑law do that? The house and the car, my sister has a share in those too."
"What did you want to do, let keep rotting in the detention center?" Milton roared.
"You should have stayed inside. You’ve been a walking disaster since you were a kid; out here you’re just more trouble."
Milton stepped forward and slapped Jenny across the face, scolding, "You rotten bitch, believe it or not I’ll kill you!"
"Milton Hopper!"
The siblings couldn’t stand the sight of each other; words exchanged and they were about to start a full‑on fight.
Father Hopper said, "Enough, both of you, cut it out!"
"Mom, Dad, just keep spoiling him, you’ll regret it sooner or later!" Jenny covered her face, glaring hatefully at Milton.
"Sis, hurry up and call Marvin Rafael and talk about the divorce." Milton urged.
Ashley insisted, "No! I’m not getting a divorce!"
"Sis, are you stupid? If you don’t divorce him, when the demolition cos you won’t get a share of the units."
Ashley couldn’t bear to leave Marvin, and she was tempted by those demolition apartnts too, "Marvin sold his car and house for . If I divorced him now, would I still count as a human being?"
Milton coaxed, "Sis, if you still like Marvin, then you should all the more divorce him. He’s got nothing now. If you get a place from the demolition, giving it to Marvin would be great, wouldn’t it?"
Once the house was in his hands, Milton had no intention of giving it to anyone; anything belonging to the Hopper Family was his.
"Mom, Dad, talk so sense into my sister, she’s lost her mind." Milton said to his parents.
The two elders listened to their son the most. Hearing him talk like this, the whole family started in on Ashley, who cried and refused to agree.
In the end, Milton just called Marvin directly and told him about the divorce.
"I don’t agree!" Marvin said.
"Marvin, my sister’s dead set on divorcing you. You clinging to her like this, what’s the point?" Milton mocked.
"I’m flat broke now because I saved you, and you people just want to kick away with one swift kick? Dream on! Let tell you, I’ll drag this out with your sister for the rest of my life if I have to." Marvin shouted.
"Marvin, do you know my sister hit your mom?"
"What?"
"Aren’t you the most filial son ever? What do you want a wife like that for?"
"..."
"Marvin, just get divorced. My sister won’t take a thing from you, as long as you divorce her."
Milton talked on; anyway, Marvin had nothing left. Even if they wanted to squeeze sothing out of him, there was nothing to squeeze.
"Fine, divorce! Your sister better not regret it!" Marvin was silent for a long ti, then finally agreed to Milton’s terms.
"Heh, why would she?" The one who’d regret it would be you, Marvin!
Having gotten this done, Milton felt another apartnt was about to fall into his lap. He was secretly delighted, laughing at how stupid Marvin was.
"Didn’t you say you wanted a divorce? Let’s do it now!" Marvin sounded like he’d been pushed past the edge and lost his mind.
Milton couldn’t be happier, "Sure, the Civil Affairs Bureau should still be open. I’ll take my sister over right now. You bring the household registration book and everything."
"Half an hour later, see you at the Civil Affairs Bureau!"
"Mm, got it."
Hanging up, Milton said to Ashley, "All set! Sis, let’s go, I’ll take you to the Civil Affairs Bureau and get this marriage dissolved."
Ashley burst into uncontrollable sobs, "You’re all going to drive to my death."
"Sis, what are you doing? Your good days are still ahead of you."
Jenny chid in, "Yeah, sis, didn’t you hear Milton? Marvin has nothing now. You really want to stay with him and suffer?"
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