Chapter 180: Trouble Arises
“Dong dong dong… dong dong~”
“Ning Ning, Ning Ning!”
Accompanied by the urgent knocking on the door, the visitor shouted loudly toward the inside.
Su Ning, who had already prepared to rest, felt her heart inexplicably jolt at the sound, grabbed the jacket from the wooden rack at the foot of the bed, and quickly walked out while putting it on.
Seeing the door open, Su Jianqun let out a breath of relief and spoke anxiously, “Ning Ning, there’s a telephone call for you. They said something happened over in Beijing City and asked you to call back immediately. Grandpa Fu is still waiting for you in the village committee office, so hurry over!”
“What?”
What happened in Beijing City? Was it the Fu Family? Did Grandpa Fu have an accident?
How could that be!
But thinking again of the Yan Family where the incident had happened ahead of time, her mind suddenly buzzed, and without caring to say more, she turned and ran toward the village center.
“Hey, Ning Ning…”
Su Jianqun had just started to speak when he could only see the back of her head already disappearing rapidly into the night, leaving her courtyard gate ajar.
Because he was not at ease, he quickly followed behind her.
She somehow made her way in the dark all the way to the village committee office. When she picked up the telephone receiver, her mind was still blank until she heard the familiar yet somewhat distorted voice from the other end, and only then did her senses gradually return.
“Hello, Ning Ning? Is that Ning Ning?”
“It’s me, Uncle Fu. What happened?”
“What did you say?”
The fingers gripping the earpiece involuntarily tightened. Su Ning’s eyes, full of worry and anxiety, instantly turned to icy coldness as Fu Xingguo’s words fell.
“Uncle Fu, I understand. I’ll rush back as soon as possible.”
Nearby, Su Qingshan and Su Jianqun looked at the person whose face was as gloomy as water, then glanced at the telephone she had hung up forcefully.
For a moment, they really didn’t know whether to ask or not.
“Old man, something came up in Beijing City and I need to go back. I’ll have to trouble you to help me issue a proof and take care of the health clinic…”
“Hey, special situations call for special treatment. You have an emergency, and everyone in the village will understand.”
Waving his hand, Su Qingshan issued the travel proof for her without another word and neatly stamped it with the brigade’s official seal in red, “Here, I didn’t fill in a specific date, so you can handle it yourself when the time comes.”
“Thank you, old man.”
“No need for polite talk. Is there anything we can help with? If there’s something, just say it. Don’t think this old man with his creaky arms and legs can’t keep up with you!”
Shaking her head, Su Ning smiled and refused, saying she could handle it herself, thanked him again, and turned to leave.
Su Qingshan, still pondering in his mind, watched her receding back and sighed silently. He glanced at his little grandson nearby, who was still standing there dazedly lost in thought.
Irritated, he raised his hand and knocked the pipe stem on his head, “What are you standing there for? It’s so dark out, why aren’t you going to see Ning Ning back? Are you waiting for the feast to start?”
“Oh oh oh, I’ll go right now!”
Clutching his head and not daring to cry out in pain, Su Jianqun immediately turned obediently and chased after her.
When they reached the steep slope not far from the old residence, Su Ning thanked the young man who had escorted her all the way and waved to him, “This is fine, young man. It’s late, you should hurry back. I’m just a few steps away.”
“Then… alright. Ning Ning, tomorrow morning the young man will go send you to the county town.”
Tomorrow wasn’t market day, so there was no ox cart going specifically to the county town.
The two agreed on the departure time for the next morning, said goodbye, and then Su Ning continued toward the courtyard gate.
As expected, she wasn’t the only one who heard Su Jianqun’s earlier commotion.
Having come out a step too late, they had lost sight of her. With no other choice, Fu Jiaming and Luo Shuangshuang could only wait anxiously at the main gate, pacing back and forth while looking around.
“Ning Bao Gai!” “Su Ning!”
“What happened?”
Seeing her, Luo Shuangshuang was first delighted, then quickly stepped forward, held her hand, and asked repeatedly with concern, “Which family has an emergency?”
“A call from Beijing City.”
Beijing City?
Looking back at Fu Jiaming, he returned a look that said he also didn’t know.
She rarely mentioned matters about her family in Beijing City; what they knew was only what she had willingly shared.
“I’m planning to go back tomorrow.”
“Do you need me to go with you?”
“No need. Didn’t you say Uncle Luo already handled the school matters? Take care of the school first.”
“Su Ning, you can tell us anything, we can help you too…”
“I know. If there’s a need, I won’t stand on ceremony.”
With the conversation at this point, Fu Jiaming and Luo Shuangshuang could only temporarily set aside their worries and give up pressing further.
……
The next day, after simply packing a suitcase, Su Ning hurriedly went to the agreed meeting place with Su Jianqun, not even having time to meet Yan Bei face-to-face to say goodbye.
When she arrived in Gu City by cart, Zhang Ze, who had received the message and bought tickets in advance, was already waiting at the train station entrance to meet her.
The two boarded the train and set off on the road back to Beijing City.
……
Four days later, returning to Beijing City again, though less than half a year had passed, it gave her a feeling of being in another world.
“Ning Ning, should we go to the hospital first or to the old commander’s place?”
“To the hospital first.”
She estimated that Uncle Fu hadn’t dared tell Grandpa Fu about this, so aside from Fu Xingguo, the rest of the Fu Family probably didn’t know she was back yet.
Since that was the case, of course she should handle things there first before going back, so as not to affect their mood when meeting and reuniting.
Zhang Ze had no objection to this. He picked up her luggage and his own, and they left the platform together to take the car to the hospital.
Following the information from Uncle Fu, Su Ning found the hospital room where Xu Zixin’s family was.
“Su Ning, you finally deigned to come back?!”
Seeing her push open the door and enter, Xu Zixin was first stunned, then reacted and immediately stood up, his face full of sternness, no longer showing any trace of the fatherly demeanor from before.
After several months, because of that near-miscarriage last time, Qian Huiru’s this pregnancy had not been easy at all, and near delivery, she had almost died along with the child.
During this time, not only did he have to take care of the hospital, but also manage work, leaving Xu Zixin feeling utterly exhausted.
His hair, once combed meticulously, now oily and messily disheveled; the stubble standing on his chin; and his wrinkled clothes even carrying a faint odd smell—all showed he had no time or energy to care for himself.
Seeing this biological daughter who was now like an enemy, how could he have the strength to continue maintaining the mask of a loving father?
“Hurry up and go get a blood test…”
“I didn’t come back to hear this from you.”
Coldly interrupting his taken-for-granted demand laced with a commanding tone, Su Ning gripped the bag at her side tightly, “If you want my blood, then tell me everything about my mother first!”
“No! You go get tested first and wait for the results…”
“You have no right to bargain. Right now, you’re the one begging me. Of course, you can choose to keep hiding it, and I can investigate it slowly myself.”
“Don’t you have any conscience? The one lying there is also your own younger brother. As the elder sister, isn’t it your duty to save him?!”
“That’s your Xu Family’s son, Xu Shanshan’s own younger brother. What does it have to do with me, an outsider surnamed Su? I’ve only ever had one own younger brother. How dare that one born by Qian Huiru compare?”
“You! Bastard! Su Ning, Su Ning, how did you become like this? Today I must teach you what…”
A chill flashed in Zhang Ze’s eyes. With agile movements, he pulled the person beside him behind his back, “Deputy Director Xu, oh no, now it should be Director Xu. I advise you to think carefully before you act.”
“You… you’re from the Fu Family?”
“That slap last time, the old commander’s anger hasn’t subsided even now. Are you tired of sitting in the director’s position already?”
Hearing this blatant threat, Xu Zixin forcibly suppressed his raging emotions and slowly lowered his raised hand.
Fine, fine, fine, very fine, the Fu Family…
He’d like to see how long that old thing Fu Chenggong could remain smug!
Breathing in and out forcefully several times, Xu Zixin, barely suppressing himself, looked up again, and surprisingly, that familiar smile was back on his face.
“Ning Ning…”
This smile, this form of address, couldn’t help but make Su Ning feel nauseated, “Either say it, or say nothing at all.”
“Fine, but you have to guarantee to go get the blood test immediately after hearing it.”
She looked at him noncommittally, neither promising nor refusing aloud.
Anxious Qian Huiru quickly stepped behind him and quietly tugged at his sleeve.
Seeing them staring at each other with neither speaking again, she stomped her foot in frustration. Nothing was more important than her son—what was it but the situation when that bitch Su Jinglei died!
“When your mother had the accident, she was rushed to the local hospital. After giving birth to the stillborn child, the stimulus caused a massive hemorrhage, and that’s how she passed away.”
