Chapter 138: Bowing Down to Apologize
Upon hearing the name Zhang Yanfei, Lu Niannian's crying expression abruptly stopped, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.
Zhang Yanfei is a kind person.
In the past, she might have tried to sow discord between the two sides.
But now Ningxin is pregnant, and I heard she's carrying twin boys. How could Zhang Yanfei, who is so sexist, possibly let this go after he hit Ningxin?
"Dad, I don't know," Lu Niannian said, crying.
Looking into Lu Jiaxiang's eyes, I suddenly felt a little unsure of myself.
"She provoked me first. If she hadn't provoked me, I wouldn't have even bothered to lay a hand on her..."
He hadn't finished speaking.
He was met with a glare.
Lu Jiaxiang interrupted her, his tone full of impatience: "Now that things have already happened, what's the point of you saying all this nonsense?"
"Zhang Yanfei wants me to give him an explanation. Either you apologize to Ning Xin, or I have to give up my position as the head of surgery. You choose one."
He put it simply.
Actually, Zhang Yanfei wanted more than just the position of director.
He was after the lucrative opportunities in the military region.
Lu Jiaxiang had just figured it out. If he insisted on putting Zhang Yanfei into the team despite the pressure, he wouldn't be able to handle the situation if something went wrong.
It's better to get off the chair yourself now to avoid creating more trouble for yourself.
As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.
But these words were like a bucket of cold water to Lu Niannian and her daughter Zhou Hairong.
It instantly extinguished the anger in their hearts, leaving only a chill.
How dare Zhang Yanfei?
An ordinary soldier with no background or status dared to threaten them.
Lu Niannian looked at Lu Jiaxiang with disbelief in her eyes: "You want me to apologize to that bitch? Impossible! It's clearly her fault, why should I apologize?"
“Exactly,” Zhou Hairong echoed.
"Are you crazy? Niannian is the victim. Our daughter's face has been injured and she's disfigured now. You want her to apologize to others? If anyone should apologize, it should be Ningxin!"
Zhou Hairong would absolutely not accept this method.
Lu Niannian was spoiled by her since childhood.
Let alone taking the initiative to apologize to others.
If they really did that, wouldn't that be blatantly slapping Zhou Hairong in the face?
The thought of this possibility made Zhou Hairong's face even uglier, as if it could drip water.
Looking at the two stubborn mother and daughter in front of him, Lu Jiaxiang felt his temples throbbing.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "What's wrong with apologizing? It's just saying some nice words, which is better than me losing my job! Do you think our family will still be like this without this director position? Will we still have any connections to find a good doctor to remove our scars every year?"
His words were understated.
This demonstrates the severity of the situation.
The mother and daughter, who had been shouting just moments before, immediately quieted down.
Zhou Hairong opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.
She knew Lu Jiaxiang was telling the truth. Without this position, their status in the military compound would plummet, let alone find a good doctor to remove Lu Niannian's scars.
Lu Niannian also fell silent.
She looked at her face, which was wrapped in bandages, and felt both hatred and fear.
He hated Ning for ruining her face.
She was afraid that she would really have to apologize to Ning Xin, but she was even more afraid that Lu Jiaxiang would lose his job and no one would be able to support her in the future, and she would have to live a life of humility from then on.
A deathly silence fell over the ward.
Only Lu Niannian's defiant breathing sounds were particularly jarring in the ward.
Just then, the ward door was gently pushed open.
A nurse came in carrying a dressing tray. Seeing the tense atmosphere inside, she paused for a moment and whispered, "Dr. Lu, it's time to change Miss Lu's dressing."
Lu Jiaxiang nodded and stepped aside to make way.
The nurse walked to the bedside and carefully unwrapped the gauze from Lu Niannian's head.
The wound was more red and swollen than in the morning, and the stitches were crooked, obviously torn during the struggle.
"hiss……"
Lu Niannian gasped in pain.
Tears welled up in her eyes again, but she dared not move, and could only bite her lip tightly.
While changing the dressing, the nurse couldn't help but say, "Ms. Lu, you need to take good care of your wound. You can't do anything else, or the scar will be even worse."
"Several patients like you have come to the ward downstairs. They are quiet and recover much better than you."
"Shut up!" Lu Niannian suddenly raised her voice, her eyes filled with hostility. "Who asked you to mention those bitches to me!"
The nurse was startled and almost dropped the tweezers in her hand.
Lu Jiaxiang frowned and said to the nurse, "You can go out now. You'll be fine after the dressing is changed."
The nurse quickly packed her things and fled the ward as if she were escaping.
The ward fell silent again.
Looking at Lu Niannian's red and swollen eyes, Lu Jiaxiang's tone softened.
In any case, he had watched this child grow up since he was a child.
“Niannian, I know you’re upset, but now is not the time to throw a tantrum. Zhang Yanfei is not someone to mess with, and Ning Tang refuses to help us. Apologizing is the only way out.”
"No!" Lu Niannian insisted stubbornly. "You go if you want, I'm not going!"
Zhou Hairong nodded in agreement: "That's right, if anyone should go, it should be you. You can't go every year and suffer this injustice. If all else fails, we'll think of another way. We'll always be able to find someone to help us."
"Other options?" Lu Jiaxiang sneered. "What options are there? Ning Tang won't speak to Commander Xu, and Zhang Yanfei won't let it go. Besides apologizing, tell me, what other options are there?"
His words silenced Zhou Hairong and Lu Niannian completely.
Yes, they know quite a few people in the city.
But there was no one who could truly rival Commander Xu.
Seeing their distraught appearance, Lu Jiaxiang felt a little irritated.
He walked to the window, looked at the crowds coming and going downstairs, and suddenly thought of Ning Tang.
If Ning Tang is willing to help him, there might still be a chance for things to turn around.
But Ning Tang had already rejected him just now.
And it made a very ugly scene.
As if remembering something, Lu Jiaxiang suddenly turned his head to look at Lu Niannian on the hospital bed.
“Didn’t you say before that you knew Ning Tang? Go talk to her and ask her to plead for us. If she’s willing to speak up, Zhang Yanfei might relent.”
Lu Niannian's face turned even uglier when she heard the name Ning Tang.
She and Ning Tang didn't get along to begin with, and they had even argued before because of Xu Qiaofeng. Now, asking her to beg Ning Tang was worse than killing her.
"I'm not going!" Lu Niannian turned her face away, her tone resolute. "She already dislikes me. If I beg her, she'll only laugh at me even more!"
"You're not going? What do you expect me to do?"
Lu Jiaxiang's temper flared up again.
"Either apologize to Ning Xin or beg Ning Tang, choose one! Don't waste time here, I don't have that much time!"
Lu Niannian was driven to tears by him, but she still refused to give in.
Seeing her daughter's aggrieved expression, Zhou Hairong felt bad too.
She grabbed Lu Jiaxiang's arm and whispered, "Don't pressure Niannian anymore. How about... how about I go and beg Ning Tang? I'll say some nice things to her, maybe she'll agree."
Zhou Hairong's thinking was simple.
I was Ning Tang's superior before, and even though things turned ugly later, I should still give her some face.
If she, as an elder, were to truly apologize, would Ning Tang have the nerve to refuse?
Lu Jiaxiang paused for a moment, then shook his head: "It's no use you going. Ning Tang's personality is such that once she's made up her mind, she won't easily change it. Unless..."
He paused, his gaze falling on Lu Niannian: "Unless Niannian goes, after all, they are all girls, they might get along well."
Previously, Lu Niannian had often talked about Ning Tang and Xu Qiaofeng in front of Lu Jiaxiang.
He wasn't listening carefully at the time and thought the three of them had a good relationship.
Lu Niannian still refused to move, and just kept crying.
Lu Jiaxiang looked at her, his patience completely exhausted.
He turned and picked up his coat, his tone icy: "I'll give you a day to think it over. Either apologize tomorrow, or beg Ning Tang. If you refuse in either case, then I can't help you. You'll just have to wait to be replaced by Zhang Yanfei. If things don't go well for our family, you won't have a good time either!"
After saying that, he stopped looking at the mother and daughter, walked straight out of the ward, and slammed the door shut.
Only Zhou Hairong and Lu Niannian remained in the ward.
Zhou Hairong walked to the bedside, hugged her daughter, and gently patted her back: "Niannian, don't be sad. Mom will think of another way. If it really doesn't work, Mom will go and apologize to Ningxin. I can't let you suffer."
Lu Niannian leaned against Zhou Hairong's chest and cried even harder.
She felt a mixture of hatred and fear; she hated Ning Xin, she hated Ning Tang, and she was even more afraid that Lu Jiaxiang would really lose his job.
But she just couldn't swallow her anger and apologize.
Zhou Hairong patted his daughter's back, his mind a jumble of thoughts.
She said she would apologize, but she knew better than anyone else what was going on in her heart.
To actually lower oneself to beg Ningxin would be more painful than tearing out her flesh.
Lu Jiaxiang's words kept echoing in her ears: the position of head of surgery, the prestige of the military compound.
More importantly, Nana needs connections to help her daughter recover from the wound on her face as soon as possible.
They cannot be willful in any of these matters.
"Niannian, how about... we go and beg Ning Tang for help?"
Zhou Hairong spoke cautiously, his voice low, while observing Lu Niannian's expression.
“You’re the same age as her, both girls. If she’s mindful of your past relationship, she might relent.”
"mutual affection?"
Lu Niannian suddenly raised her head, her face streaked with tears, her eyes filled with resentment.
"When has Ning Tang ever shown me any affection? She's just waiting to see me make a fool of myself! Back at the Xu family, she deliberately humiliated me. Now that I'm down on my luck, should I go and beg her? She'll definitely trample me underfoot!"
Zhou Hairong was speechless after being rebuked and could only sigh.
She knew Ning Tang's personality all too well.
She is aloof and arrogant, and cannot tolerate any injustice.
But given the current situation, they really can't find any other way out except for Ning Tang.
"We can't just stand by and watch your dad lose his job, can we?"
Zhou Hairong's voice was trembling with tears; he was also terrified.
"Without this position, our family is finished. Where will you get the money for scar removal? All those people who used to fawn over us, won't they turn around and kick us while we're down?"
These words struck a nerve with Lu Niannian.
She subconsciously touched the gauze on her face, the pain in her forehead making her frown.
She cannot be disfigured.
She was the most dazzling girl in the military compound. The man she was going to marry had to be a true hero, someone who could never live his whole life with a scar on his face.
The crying gradually subsided.
Lu Niannian bit her lip, her lower lip turning white from the bite, her eyes filled with struggle.
She couldn't swallow her anger and apologize.
He begged Ning Tang; she couldn't bear the shame.
But unfortunately, she had to choose one of these two paths.
I don't know how much time passed.
Lu Niannian finally relented, her voice hoarse: "I...I'll go and beg Ning Tang."
Zhou Hairong suddenly raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Really?"
"What else can we do?"
Lu Niannian gave a self-deprecating laugh, but tears of grievance fell again.
She felt incredibly frustrated.
"I can't let Dad lose his job, and I can't let my face be ruined."
Lu Niannian paused, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes.
"If Ning Tang doesn't help me, I'll... I'll cause trouble at the Xu family's house and at the military region. I refuse to believe that Ning Tang can just stand by and watch me be ruined!"
Zhou Hairong quickly covered her mouth and looked nervously towards the door.
"Keep your voice down! If anyone hears us, we'll really be in deep trouble!"
Lu Niannian shook off her hand, her eyes filled with resentment: "Mom, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Ning Tang cares about the Xu family's reputation and her own, she wouldn't dare not help me."
Nothing was said that night.
The next morning, Lu Niannian forced Zhou Hairong to take her out of the hospital.
The gauze on her face was still wrapped in a thick layer, attracting a lot of stares when she went out, making her wish she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
The Xu family's residence was not far from the Lu family's; it was a small, detached house with its own courtyard.
Lu Niannian stood at the door, looking at the tightly closed door, her face turning pale and then purple.
Zhou Hairong encouraged her from the side: "Don't be afraid, go in and talk it out properly, and soften your attitude."
Lu Niannian took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on the door.
The person who opened the door was Aunt Zhang, the aunt of Xu Qiaofeng's family.
Seeing Lu Niannian's appearance, he was stunned for a moment, genuinely not recognizing her, and then politely asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for Ning Tang." Lu Niannian's voice trembled slightly.
She was practically cursing him to death in her heart. How dare someone from the countryside look at her like that?
Normally, she would have slapped him already.
Aunt Zhang looked her up and down, then frowned: "Tangtang isn't home. She went to the military region early this morning."
Lu Niannian's heart sank: "What is she going to the military region for?"
"It seems like they went to discuss some business."
Aunt Zhang answered truthfully, then paused and added, "If you have any urgent business, you can go to the military region to find her."
Aunt Zhang didn't recognize the person in front of her as Lu Niannian from next door.
She thought it was a colleague from Ningtang Hospital who had come to her house on important business.
Did you go to the military region?
Lu Niannian's face paled even more instantly.
Did Ning Tang go to see Zhang Yanfei?
What were they talking about? Was it about yesterday?
Zhou Hairong panicked and grabbed Lu Niannian's arm: "Niannian, what... what should we do? Should we go back?"
"go back?"
Lu Niannian gritted her teeth, a hint of malice flashing in her eyes.
"No, I must see Ning Tang! If she dares to help Zhang Yanfei and Ning Xin, I won't let her get away with it!"
She turned and walked towards the military region.
Her footsteps were hurried and fast, as if something was chasing her from behind.
Zhou Hairong dared not delay and quickly followed.
The military district gate was heavily guarded. Lu Niannian only managed to get in after giving Lu Jiaxiang's name.
She hurried along, asking for directions to Zhang Yanfei's office.
This attracted the attention of many soldiers.
Finally, she saw Ning Tang in front of an office building.
Ning Tang was standing in the corridor, seemingly talking to the person in front of her.
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