Former Wife

[Detailed explanation of this chapter's content is attached at the end]

Su Jiang checked the in-game time; it was nearing midnight.

He initiated a trade with Mop God of War, placing a set of rare Lv.10 standard equipment obtained from the Adventurer's Guild, white-grade equipment and common skill books dropped in dungeons, along with all his gold and silver coins onto the trade window. To him, their only purpose was to be sold.

Mop God of War was shocked and quickly asked, "How did you get this equipment? And did you farm all this gold by yourself? Did you rob a Great Dragon? Or maybe mug the Adventurer's Guild?"

"Neither, I just completed a quest," Su Jiang replied vaguely. The Meta World did have rewards for first clears, but they weren't announced publicly. Instead, when any player cleared a dungeon for the first time, they would see the name of the player who achieved the first clear.

Currently, no one else besides Su Jiang had managed to clear it, so the news of the dungeon's completion was still unknown to everyone.

Although Su Jiang wanted to share the strategy for the dungeon, he figured no other player could currently inflict such exaggerated slow-down effects on the monsters. So, he decided against it.

Mop God of War looked utterly bewildered. "What kind of quest gives such outrageous rewards? Are you the game company's favorite son or something?"

Hearing this, Su Jiang suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Alright, I'm going to sleep. Are you buying or not? If you are, tell me how much."

"Yes, of course, I'm buying. With this set of standard equipment, my brother will definitely be able to clear the dungeon."

Su Jiang remained noncommittal about Mop God of War's words. Wanting to brute-force their way through with just a set of rare Lv.10 equipment wasn't impossible, but it would heavily test their skills.

Soon, Mop God of War finished calculating the trade amount and said, "The current market exchange rate for silver coins is 1:18. Six gold coins, plus 118 silver coins, for a total of [amount]. My brother said he'd buy the Lv.10 rare equipment for a hundred thousand yuan. And for these white-grade equipment and common skills, we'll take them all for ten thousand. The total is [amount]."

"Do you have any objections to this price?"

Su Jiang opened his mouth. A set of rare equipment for a hundred thousand? Was he going crazy, or did they just have too much money to spend?

Of course, Su Jiang couldn't voice his thoughts. He managed to maintain a calm expression and said, "No problem, let's do it."

"Okay."

Mop God of War acted quickly. After the trade was completed, 120,000 yuan was swiftly transferred to his virtual account.

Su Jiang logged off immediately. After withdrawing the money to his bank card...

"Dong..."

"SMS Reminder: Your account ending in 2688 received ¥[amount] at 22:43 on September 23, 2023. Your current balance is ¥[amount].5 (China Merchants Bank)."

"Ten thousand a day, amazing! The money from selling equipment and silver coins now is enough for me to buy twenty thousand gold coins in half a year!"

Having worked for ten years, along with other accounts, Su Jiang's current liquid savings were around 900,000 yuan, including his severance pay from being laid off, which was mainly used for his mortgage and living expenses. He also had 800,000 yuan in fixed deposits for emergencies. In total, it was less than 2 million yuan.

Earning a hundred thousand in a single day stimulated Su Jiang, making him feel invigorated. He almost wanted to log back into the game and sell a few more sets of rare equipment to that clueless buyer.

Never mind. Even though he didn't have to work, Su Jiang still preferred not to disrupt his routine.

He glanced at the content of another text message.

While Su Jiang was playing the game, Lin Jing had replied to his text.

It contained only a simple time and location.

Tomorrow morning at ten, the coffee shop on the first floor of Hesheng Plaza.

"Heh, I thought you'd leave me hanging for a few days before replying," Su Jiang sneered, then proceeded to wash up and go to bed.

The next morning.

Su Jiang arrived at the coffee shop.

Lin Jing was already seated by the window, wearing a fitted white dress, her long hair flowing. Her eyes seemed to hold a hint of sadness as she gazed out at the bustling crowd.

There were one or two single young men in the shop, looking restless, seemingly contemplating approaching her for her WeChat.

Hmph.

Su Jiang had been fooled by her picturesque, Jiangnan-beauty-like appearance in the past. It was only after they got married that he discovered her true nature: a shrew at home.

She presented herself as a melancholic, gentle, and courteous Jiangnan woman to the outside world, but at home, she was a lunatic who threw tantrums everywhere.

Lin Jing was exceptionally skilled at changing faces and putting on an act. Her superficial beauty had deceived countless people.

Su Jiang truly didn't want any further contact with this lunatic.

He recalled that when he first discovered her infidelity, his immediate reaction wasn't anger or sadness, but relief. It was because this gave him a valid reason to divorce her.

However, Su Yu was another matter. Even though she was the one at fault, Su Jiang knew he wouldn't be able to get custody of Su Yu.

This was because Su Yu was less than a year old at the time.

The lawyer had also mentioned that children under two years old were generally awarded to the mother, and given Su Jiang's frequent overtime work, the chances of him gaining custody were practically zero.

Therefore, Su Jiang had no choice but to give up and, according to the court's ruling, pay child support monthly.

Why did Su Jiang still have to pay her money when she was clearly the one at fault?

Su Jiang didn't know either.

It was a court-ordered judgment, and he had to comply.

"I believe a qualified ex-husband should be like he's dead. Besides providing child support, he shouldn't interfere in our lives."

As soon as Su Jiang sat down, Lin Jing spoke.

Before Su Jiang could speak, Lin Jing scoffed again, "Or are you regretting it? Want to remarry me? That makes sense, you're thirty-five, crippled and old, what woman would want an old man like you?"

Damn it!

What is this old woman thinking? Even if she looks young for her age, she's still thirty-five. What makes her think I'd get back together with her?

She's completely crazy!

Su Jiang was stunned by Lin Jing's words, but for Su Yu's sake, he chose not to provoke her and changed the subject.

"I heard you found a new boyfriend recently?"

Lin Jing's expression instantly darkened. "Are you spying on me?"

Su Jiang knew that if he didn't answer well, she would start her usual shrieking.

It had always been like this. If they were out drinking or having barbecue with friends and another woman appeared, she would investigate thoroughly. But if she went to a bar or a party and he asked about it, she would get angry.

Su Jiang felt annoyed inwardly, but he put on a show of concern. "No, a friend told me."

This was a lie. He had temporarily hired someone to investigate.

When Lin Jing heard this, she immediately assumed that even after so long since their divorce, Su Jiang was still paying attention to her whereabouts and must want to get back together.

She said smugly, "Hmph, it has nothing to do with you anyway. I won't get back with you, so give up on that idea."

This woman...

Su Jiang suppressed the urge to retort. Then, he had an idea and decided to play along. He put on a disappointed expression and said, "Alright, since we have no chance of getting back together, can Su Yu come stay with me for a while? I haven't really seen Su Yu much."

Lin Jing blurted out without thinking, "Dream on."

Actually, she found Su Yu troublesome. Not only did she frequently need to go to the hospital, but recently there were all these procedures and vaccinations that were driving her crazy, making her feel like she had no freedom at all.

Her life wasn't meant to serve Su Yu.

But to spite Su Jiang, Lin Jing didn't want to give Su Yu back to him.

Su Jiang thought for a moment and said with a helpless expression, "In that case, alright. I might be going abroad for a while. I don't have anything worth remembering in this city, so I might not come back."

Lin Jing: "?"

"What do you mean? You don't want to pay child support anymore?"

Lin Jing suddenly looked up, her smug demeanor vanishing without a trace.

"Once I'm settled abroad, domestic laws can't touch me," Su Jiang replied evasively, but the implication was clear.

Lin Jing wasn't stupid. The fact that she could keep dating men without any trouble showed she had some intelligence, even if she was prone to occasional outbursts.

"You want custody of Su Yu?"

"Yes."

"Heh heh..."

The refusal that was about to come out turned into a twitch. For the sake of child support, Lin Jing forced herself to calm down.

"I won't give you custody of Su Yu..."

As long as custody remained with her, she held the upper hand.

Lin Jing snorted, "If you give me ten thousand every month as child support for Su Yu, I can temporarily place Su Yu with you."

Su Jiang's heart skipped a few beats.

His original bottom line was thirty thousand. He had planned to use money to force the issue if she refused.

No, when we divorced, Lin Jing knew my salary was fifteen thousand a month. She shouldn't know that after the divorce, even though I'm in the same position, my salary has already doubled.

This ten thousand, she probably guessed my bottom line. I thought she'd had a change of heart, but she's asking for her bottom line right away.

Su Jiang didn't agree too quickly. To make the act convincing, he pretended to think seriously for a moment before saying, "I agree."

Lin Jing gave him a look of contempt, as if she had found his weakness. "Heh heh. I'll send Su Yu over tomorrow. Remember to transfer the money next month, darling~"

After reaching their temporary agreement, Su Jiang calmly watched Lin Jing leave.

Only after her figure disappeared did Su Jiang let out a relaxed sigh. As long as she sent Su Yu over, everything would be fine. Anyway, she wouldn't see Su Yu again after this.

Years of dealing with her had taught Su Jiang never to show a triumphant expression in front of this woman, especially as her ex-husband. She couldn't stand the man she had abandoned living better than her.

[If you find this ridiculous, have you never had a girlfriend? If you find Lin Jing's character unbelievable, have you never seen a girlfriend angry? Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run, right? I know there are good girls in the world, but the one the protagonist met isn't one of them.]

Here's an explanation of the plot (don't call me ignorant of the law, I've checked online):

① Child support is legally required. Su Jiang didn't dare to object when Lin Jing raised it to ten thousand. If this escalated to court as extortion or blackmail, Su Jiang would be at a disadvantage because his salary had already increased to thirty-five thousand, which was different from when they divorced. Legally, if the salary increases, child support should also increase. Su Jiang hadn't increased it, and Lin Jing assumed Su Jiang's profession hadn't changed, so his salary hadn't either, which is why she hadn't investigated this matter.

② If it really went to court, Lin Jing's lawyer could simply argue that Su Jiang concealed his salary and that the child support provided was insufficient to cover Su Yu's living expenses and tuition fees. In that case, Su Jiang would be the one failing to fulfill his obligations.

③ Even without a job, child support must be paid. However, the father can negotiate with the mother. With a woman like Lin Jing, she would absolutely not agree, so don't even think about it.

④ Unless the child is over eight years old, a judge will give more weight to the mother's opinion during a divorce. If the child is under two years old, they will be awarded to the mother 90% of the time (unless the mother doesn't want the child, or suffers from a serious illness or mental disorder that prevents her from providing a better growth environment for the child).

⑤ When they divorced, Su Yu was only half a year old. Now Su Yu is five years old.

⑥ Lin Jing simply likes to use tantrums to solve problems; she has not been diagnosed with a mental illness and is quite skilled at pretending. To outsiders, she appears to be a virtuous wife and loving mother, and the divorce was entirely Su Jiang's fault. Su Jiang, being an honest and upright programmer, wouldn't explain these things.

⑦ This is the last time the protagonist sees Lin Jing. The next time they meet, Lin Jing will be in a box.

⑧ This isn't a power fantasy, but it is a power fantasy. The protagonist had serious personality flaws in his past life, so don't expect him to be decisive and ruthless here.

⑨ Tomato has many books. Transformation novels are a niche genre. If you like them, read them. If not, feel free to leave. Let's part on good terms.

The comment section is full of "legal experts" that just leave me speechless. (sweat emoji)

Off-topic: Honestly, I wish the laws you mention would actually work in reality. Unfortunately, laws are static, but judges are human. Humans have biases, and I won't elaborate on which side the current judicial system favors.

Some people are also talking to me about public order and good morals. Things that don't even exist in reality (helping the elderly, false accusations on the subway, marital rape) – it's normal for them not to be in a novel either