Chapter 27: Parting
Unknowingly, she had strolled for a long time. Su Ning, whose mood had already calmed down, slipped back into the room, gazing at the faint white streak of dawn on the horizon at the window before slowly closing her eyes.
……
In her sleep, she kept having the illusion of being stared at with scorching intensity, making her whole body tense up with heat.
“Hiss~”
“Hehe, Sister Ning Ning, did I scare you?”
“What do you think?”
Her voice, just after waking up, lacked its usual crisp brightness.
Low and husky, with a slightly heavy nasal tone and an upturned ending, it felt like being struck by an electric current—Fu Ying’s goosebumps visibly rose on her arms, and her heart pounded wildly.
Fu Ying couldn’t help but clutch her chest tightly and nagged at her, “Sister Ning Ning, you absolutely must not use this tone with others, especially men!”
“By the way, Sister Ning Ning, when you get there, are you planning to live in the factory dormitory?”
“I think you should find a safe and nice small courtyard to live in by yourself, Sister Ning Ning! Otherwise, I won’t feel rest assured as a female comrade!”
“I still have quite a bit of pocket money left, I’ll sponsor it all for you, Sister Ning Ning!”
First startled by the face that suddenly loomed large in front of her eyes, then bombarded by this rapid-fire nagging.
It took a good while for her to come back to her senses. Su Ning, shaking off the foggy feeling, poked Fu Ying’s face with a wry smile.
“What on earth are you talking about, you girl.”
“Stop, alright, no need to worry. I have a plan for the house.”
“Oh right~”
Fu Ying slapped her forehead hard, only then realizing belatedly.
The Su Family’s ancestral home was right in Star City of Xiangnan. The Su Family, which once had factories and shops all over the country, certainly had property on its home turf in Xiangnan—how could it not?
“Sister Ning Ning, I don’t want you to leave.”
“You promised me you’d go shopping and play with me during the holiday, but you didn’t do it. Can’t you just stay a few more days?”
“Didn’t we agree on it last night?”
Changing from poking to pinching, Su Ning patiently persuaded her, “I promised you too. When you and Tingzi go there, I’ll take you both to have fun properly, right?”
“Then promise me, once you’re settled, write me a letter right away—no, letters are too slow, send me a telegram!”
“Alright, I promise everything. There, happy now?”
“Ning Ning, Ying Ying, you’re both awake? Get up quickly, it’s time for breakfast!”
Li Hehua had been standing by the wall outside the door for who knows how long. Hearing the two inside speaking, she snapped awake, wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, and called out loudly.
Old Master Fu, who had woken up early, after waving a bamboo slip to ‘supervise’ the two Fu father and son running thirty laps around the house with weights.
Having vented a night’s worth of gloom and discomfort, he now sat refreshed at the main hall doorway, holding a large enamel cup and sipping big-leaf tea one gulp after another.
As for the father and son duo, trembling with exhaustion, backs aching so they couldn’t straighten up, lying in the courtyard utterly despondent…
Hmph!
Fu Chenggong snorted coldly; even glancing at them twice hurt his eyes: As long as he was happy, who cared about those two!
During breakfast, Old Master Fu, now clear-skied after the rain, showed no trace of last night’s explosive temper and returned to his usual kindly demeanor toward her.
One old and one young—one chattering endlessly while the other listened quietly—both cherishing the time they still had together.
Fu Xingguo, who was habitually ignored by his old man and directly overlooked by his wife, had tears welling in his fierce eyes as he slammed down his chopsticks: If no one helped him with food, couldn’t he just grab it himself?!
“Dad, have some vegetables. Aren’t braised beef your favorite?”
Hearing his daughter’s words, Fu Xingguo looked up joyfully: His little cotton-padded jacket was still the best…
She picked up a big piece of braised beef, bypassed his bowl entirely, grinned sweetly, and put it into Ning Ning’s bowl beside her.
——Heh heh, that leaky, wind-battered thing could be tossed away!
……
Beijing City train station.
Green iron train cars, windows opening from bottom to top, people on the platform carrying snakeskin bags and bedding rolls on their backs all squeezing inside with all their might.
Su Ning and her group, who had bought sleeper berths thanks to Fu Chenggong’s connections, went straight to the sleeper carriage up front. The several big men went first to drop off the luggage and find the beds.
Li Hehua and her daughter, left at the carriage door, hadn’t even spoken when they began choking up.
Fu Ying clung even tighter to her hand, refusing to let go, tears streaming like an open faucet.
Old Master Fu, his eyes also red-rimmed, gripped her other hand and patted it firmly. “Remember what Grandpa said: once you’re there, give me a call right away. If it’s no good out there, come back home, got it?”
“Mm, I know, Grandpa Fu.”
Su Ning smiled in response, her tears flung away with the nod. “You take care too. Getting angry harms your health—don’t get mad, don’t sneak drinks, and don’t…”
“Hahaha, you little girl, so young yet worrying blindly. I still have to watch over you marrying and having kids for that old guy. Rest assured, I’ll be fine!”
“Auntie, when you have time, I’ll come back. Then you have to make my favorite dishes again!”
“Alright, I’ll make them all for you. Ning Ning… you must take good care. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll listen to your Grandpa Fu and come back to work! Whatever you want to eat, Auntie can make it for you anytime…”
Li Hehua wiped her eyes and couldn’t say another word.
Though she didn’t know the exact reasons, after hearing the gist yesterday, she had already cursed Xu Zixin thoroughly in her heart—very filthily, extremely filthily, and dragging her own man into it too!
“Alright, the whistle’s blowing! Ning Ning, get on quick!”
Fu Xingguo and Fu Ting, who had finally squeezed their way down, didn’t have time to wipe the sweat pouring off their heads. Hearing the whistle, they turned and urged, “Hurry, Ning Ning!”
“Sister Ning Ning, wuuu~”
“Ning Yatou, remember to call!”
“That small bag has the food Auntie prepared for you, Ning Ning, don’t forget!”
……
In eighteen years, she had experienced two deaths of loved ones. This was the first time she understood why parting from the living could pair with it to form a term.
Looking at the figures outside the train growing smaller and smaller, she could no longer hold back. Covering her face, she squatted on the ground and cried her heart out.
Zhang Ze and Mao Jinqian watched with headaches as the person curled into a ball, sobbing with her whole body shaking—they truly didn’t know how to comfort her.
Zhang Ze silently withdrew his two fingers that had been in scissors position and secretly patted his other hand before carefully squatting down.
“Ning Ning? Stop crying now. Xiangnan isn’t far from Beijing City—it’s just three or four days by train. Brother Zhang and Brother Mao can accompany you back anytime!”
“Yeah, yeah, Ning Ning.”
Su Ning gradually stopped crying, now feeling embarrassed. She pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her face shyly. “I’m fine now, Brother Zhang, Brother Mao. Let’s go to the carriage.”
“Alright, as long as you’re not crying, that’s good! Not crying is good!”
Seeing her finally stop the tears, the two sighed in relief and escorted her one in front and one behind to the sleeper carriage.
In the small carriage, six beds—their three tickets were for two lower berths and one middle berth.
Zhang Ze and Mao Jinqian, who had rushed off hurriedly to pick her up after stowing their things, remembered clearly: before leaving, they had placed two small bags on the left lower berth bed, stuffing all the large items underneath.
But now, in just a short while, not only was the once fairly clean bed covered in footprints, the bag on the bed had even been directly opened by someone.
“Who did this?!”
Is there any little angel in the human world? Pretty, kind-hearted, super cute ones, vote! Spend a dime to get Pear on the list, wuuu~ Kneeling thanks~
