Chapter 23: Clash
“Da da, da da~”
Leather shoes stepping on the stone slab road made a distinctive sound.
Wearing a pink floral long skirt, her black and thick long hair was braided into two fishbone braids, with stray bangs held by a pearl hairpin.
Such a youthful and beautiful young comrade, walking among a group of women all with neat short hair, Lenin-style women’s clothing, and red armband badges, naturally attracted even more attention.
Not to mention the young lads on bicycles frequently turning back, even the street thugs on the roadside momentarily forgot the terror of the Women’s Federation aunties and successively whistled.
“What are you doing, what are you doing? Want to act like hooligans?! You rascals again, haven’t been taught enough yet! All scatter!”
The people who had unconsciously gathered closer together immediately dispersed in a hubbub.
Some with thin skin were already flushed red from their excessive behavior, running off with legs pumping.
Others with thick skin who weren’t afraid of trouble laughed and cursed while hanging far behind, unwilling to leave.
“Yatou, don’t be afraid, ignore this bunch of rascals, with us here, they won’t dare do anything.”
Among them, the middle-aged auntie who looked like the director fiercely warned the group of rascals behind with her eyes, then turned her head and warmly spoke again.
“We’ll handle the matter you mentioned properly, thank you again for your strong support of our work, young comrade. Hand the house over to us, you can rest assured!”
“Then let’s meet at the house at five-thirty in the afternoon for the handover as discussed?”
……
Watching the people who had slowly walked away, Director Li’s smile couldn’t be reined in no matter what, and she couldn’t help but sigh aloud, “What a fine girl.”
Not only pretty and well-behaved, but she also solved a big problem for her, nothing could be better!
“Let’s go, we’ll first go to the Yan family to pick up Da Zhen and her three, with the biggest problem solved, this time we can definitely help them escape the sea of suffering in one go!”
The group instantly brimming with fighting spirit raised their heads and puffed out their chests as they turned and left.
“By the way, how old is that yatou just now, does she have a partner?”
“Sixteen or seventeen or so, so outstanding-looking, and her family background seems very good too, how could she lack introductions? You, better not even think about it!”
“Heh heh, look at what you’re saying, I have plenty of fine young lads on hand, I can definitely pick out one or two that match.”
“Hahaha, Comrade Wei Hong gotten addicted to matchmaking?”
……
Su Ning, who had left first, didn’t know that the group of enthusiastic Women’s Federation aunties were thinking of introducing her a partner, and was walking unhurriedly toward the small courtyard.
Zhang Ze and Mao Jinqian secretly following naturally gave a very ‘friendly’ warning to the rascals who still wanted to continue tracking and tailing.
“Brother Zhang, you say this Ning Ning yatou?”
How come after this series of actions, it left him totally confused, completely unable to understand?
On the contrary, Zhang Ze, who was rough but meticulous with always sharp thoughts, saw something from it.
After last night’s conversation with the old master, he pieced together seven or eight parts from the meaning he had deliberately revealed.
But obviously this was Su Ning’s private matter, aside from the faint heartache surging in his heart and more careful efforts to protect her well, he wouldn’t speak of such things, even to his best brother.
“You just need to know, from now on be sure to muster twelve times the spirit, with the attitude you had when taking on the highest difficulty mission!”
Forcefully patting his shoulder and leaving those words, Zhang Ze began to act.
With a few light steps underfoot for propulsion, long arms climbing and releasing, his movements were incomparably crisp and clean as he vaulted over the wall.
Mao Jinqian left in place scratched the back of his head, very obediently thought no more, suddenly exploded with extreme speed and vanished from the spot, a few shifts and he closely followed, dashing toward the previously appointed place.
……
“How come this yatou still isn’t here, could it be she won’t…”
“Shut up!”
His ears twitched, and he indeed heard the sounds behind the gate. Xu Zixin shed his irritable expression from waiting hours, the mild mask seamlessly returning to his face.
Striding with his long legs, he reached the door in a few steps, opening it while softly saying, “Ning Ning is here.”
“Come in quickly.”
The little face she raised was as always, exquisite and pretty, paired with the unique dimple of Xu family girls, adding even more sweet cuteness.
What a pity!
Xu Zixin looked at her meaningfully, inwardly pitying: if only Ning Ning were still as obedient and well-behaved as before.
She would still be his pearl in the palm, and in the future he could find her an even better family background for intermarriage, living worry-free with food and drink for life, wouldn’t that be good?
“Mom once said that this small courtyard carried all her expectations and blessings for me.”
So it has to be here, so…
As expected, father-daughter affection and blood connection really meant nothing in his heart.
Su Ning, whose heart had completely cooled, looked at him with even the last ripples in her gaze thoroughly dissipated.
Always decisive toward matters and people, she could soften her heart toward those she cared most about, and harden it toward anyone who wanted to harm her.
“Ning Ning, you should still remember the few sentences your mom said right after that, right?”
“What’s this, Dad not hiding it at all anymore?”
“That clever and sharp wit of yours was inherited from me since you were little, as expected my Xu Zixin’s daughter.”
“Not necessarily, after all I bear the Su surname.”
One sentence directly stabbed Xu Zixin’s sore spot, making a gloomy darkness rapidly flash in his eyes.
Su Ning, seemingly oblivious to it, walked step by step into the courtyard, stopping only by that wall of wild roses, as if attracted by the competing blooms.
The sunset slightly slanted, half-enveloping her in orange warm light, half merging into shadow.
“Ning Ning, your mother gave me this small courtyard.”
“Oh, really?”
Seeing her casually flick a flower with her fingertip, her completely perfunctory attitude made Xu Zixin, feeling all things slipping from control, show increasingly dangerous glint in his eyes.
“I advise you to think it over before deciding.”
Her fearlessness was nothing more than having some trump card he didn’t know, fully convinced he wouldn’t dare… or wouldn’t succeed.
Thinking of Fu Chenggong that old fox’s overt and covert warnings to him before leaving today.
Xu Zixin circulated energy again and again, constantly reminding himself: losing the initiative meant any move would put him at a passive disadvantage.
As long as they hadn’t truly torn faces, as long as he was still her father for a day…
In recent years Beijing City winds were rising, as for the Fu family, wait until that day…
Endure more than ten years, only to fail at the last step?
Heh~
—Obedient daughter, you probably haven’t truly understood your father yet.
……
Because of her change, things took a turn, everything no longer following the original trajectory.
Holding the proof of the house handover in hand, Su Ning’s heart sank bit by bit.
“Old fox…”
She was indeed caught off guard by his sudden maneuver.
The subsequent arrangements were half wasted by his pulling the logs from under the pot.
But the other half ‘surprise’, wouldn’t change because of his temporary hold back.
