Chapter 109: Pei Yanning Has Gone Mad
Upon hearing this, Xu Qiaofeng's hand on the steering wheel suddenly stopped.
When she turned to look at Ning Tang, the surprise in her eyes was almost impossible to hide.
His Adam's apple bobbed heavily, his voice even hoarser than usual: "Are you sure?"
"Tangtang, do you know what that sentence meant?"
Ning Tang's face turned even redder.
She instinctively clutched the sleeve of her clothes, unable to look directly into the man's aggressive eyes.
She could only stare at her fingers, nodding and whispering, "Mmm..."
"The staff at the guesthouse said that there are always empty rooms available, and they have all been cleaned up."
“You just finished a mission and drove for so long. It must have been too tiring for you to go back and forth like that.”
Actually, Ning Tang had some things she didn't say.
Although she said she didn't mind after being targeted by Xu Xiaozhen during the day, she was still a little sad.
I can't control my mind; I keep thinking those harsh words.
Am I really not good enough for Xu Qiaofeng?
Does Xu Qiaofeng really like her?
These questions kept tormenting my mind.
Ning Tang mustered her courage, wanting Xu Qiaofeng to stay, which would make her feel much more at ease.
Although Xu Qiaofeng is usually quite straightforward, he is very attentive to the woman he loves.
How could anyone not see Ning Tang's little scheme?
He felt a strange mix of emotions, a bittersweet feeling, and reached out to pinch the woman's cheek.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and said in a deep voice, "Okay, I'll do as you say, I won't go."
"I'll get the things down first, you wait for me in the car for a while."
Ning Tang then raised her head, her eyes shining brighter than the stars in the sky.
A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
Looking at his beautiful wife like this, Xu Qiaofeng felt all his fatigue disappear and even felt better.
I got off the bus.
Xu Qiaofeng took a canvas bag out of the trunk.
Inside were a few changes of clothes and some pastries that I bought for Ning Tang before the mission.
Their troops have apples in their logistics.
Xu Qiaofeng knew that Ning Tang had developed a sweet tooth since becoming pregnant, so he went to the mess hall and traded a pack of cigarettes for some apples.
He even specifically picked out a few that were big and red.
Seeing this, his teammates gathered around the mess hall and stopped, laughing and teasing him.
Xu Qiaofeng didn't feel embarrassed at all.
It's only natural for him to fetch things for his wife and treat her well.
People say you're afraid of your wife?
It doesn't matter; he's the woman he married, and he's happy with her.
The two walked side by side toward the guesthouse.
The night wind was cool, and Xu Qiaofeng naturally took off his coat and draped it over Ning Tang's shoulders.
The jacket still carried a faint scent of the man, along with the smell of sweat.
Ning Tang didn't mind at all; she felt that the taste had a strange, hormonal quality to it.
It made her feel especially at ease.
I ran into Wang Yingying as soon as I arrived at the entrance of the guesthouse.
Wang Yingying looked at the two of them, her eyes lighting up, with an expression that said, "I knew it."
"Ning Tang, it seems you won't be going home to sleep tonight, will you?"
Ning Tang's face instantly turned red to her ears, and she quickly explained, "Don't talk nonsense, I'm going back. Qiao Feng sleeps alone by himself."
The 1970s were a very serious time.
Even married couples should be mindful of avoiding suspicion when staying at hotels.
It couldn't possibly be as straightforward as Wang Yingying said, with the two of them sleeping in the same room.
In particular, if you want to stay in a guesthouse, you must have a certificate issued by your work unit.
Xu Qiaofeng was in such a hurry that he could only ask the guesthouse staff to call Pang Bo.
Fortunately, Pang Bo was on duty tonight. After receiving the call, he immediately went to the logistics department to get a temporary accommodation certificate.
He even went to the communications room to have someone send an urgent telegram.
By the time we finished everything, it was almost 8 p.m.
Ning Tang was worried that Xu Qiaofeng would be hungry that night, so she insisted on taking him to the guesthouse where they could have a meal.
After several hours of fussing, Xu Qiaofeng was indeed hungry.
The two went to the dining hall and casually ordered a few dishes that men like to eat.
As I was eating, a series of ghostly wails suddenly came from behind me.
Ning Tang frowned and subconsciously looked back.
The mother who favored boys over girls on the first night was now standing behind them, holding her son in her arms while her two daughters lay on the ground.
She was still holding a shoe in her hand, and was hitting the two children's faces and heads wildly.
The woman cursed viciously, "It's all your fault, you two good-for-nothings! You can't help with anything all day long!"
“Your brother is sick and comes to see a doctor. You don’t even help pay for him, and you’re just feeding him. You’re always complaining about being hungry.”
"Now look what's happened! You've eaten up all the money for my brother's medical treatment! I'm going to beat you to death!"
Ning Tang looked at the two little girls curled up on the ground.
Her little face was filled with fear, her hair was disheveled, and there was blood at the corner of her mouth.
As a mother herself, her heart clenched instantly.
Ning Tang instinctively tried to stand up, but Xu Qiaofeng gently pressed her wrist down beside her.
Xu Qiaofeng's eyes darkened, and he shook his head at her: "Let's assess the situation first, don't act rashly."
He knew Ning Tang was soft-hearted; even he, a grown man, couldn't stand it, let alone her.
But this woman clearly has an unreasonable personality.
If you rush forward rashly, you might be falsely accused.
Sure enough, the more the woman hit him, the fiercer she became.
The shoe made a slapping sound as it hit the girl's face.
Even the people eating nearby who didn't want to get involved couldn't stand it anymore.
An older woman couldn't help but speak up: "Comrade, the child is still young. Let's talk things out. Don't hit him like this!"
"none of your business!"
The woman turned around and glared at the older woman, spitting as she spoke.
"This is my family's money-losing child. I can beat him however I want. Even if I kill him, that's my business. It's none of your concern!"
After saying that, it seemed like he was venting his anger, or perhaps he was deliberately showing it to others.
The force of the blows increased, and you could hear the whooshing sound of the wind.
The woman was so scolded that she couldn't speak. She could only clutch her heart and sigh, lamenting how terrible it was.
The older girl on the ground, about five or six years old, was tightly protecting her little sister in her arms.
She craned her neck and shouted at the woman, "We didn't eat your money! You spent all the money for my brother's medicine on lavish meals at the state-run restaurant, you're lying!"
"You dare talk back!"
The woman's eyes turned red with anger, just like the rabid dogs in the village.
He raised his hand to slap the two children across the face.
"stop!"
Xu Qiaofeng's voice, as cold as ice, suddenly rang out from all around.
He stood up, and his imposing aura instantly made everyone present feel breathless.
The woman's hand froze in mid-air. Just as she was about to curse, she turned her head and saw Xu Qiaofeng in his crisp military uniform.
His arrogant attitude from just now immediately diminished.
She stiffened her neck, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had done something wrong: "Who are you?"
"What business is it of yours how I educate my own children?"
"You think you can beat your own child to death?" Xu Qiaofeng frowned.
He walked up to them, his gaze sweeping over the red marks on the two girls' faces. When he saw the bloodstains at the corners of their mouths, his eyes grew even colder.
"Slapping a child's face or hitting them on the head with a shoe—is that what you call disciplining them? If you hurt them badly, can you take responsibility?"
The other diners around them chimed in.
"Exactly! What kind of mother is that? She's too cruel!"
"The child already said that you paid for the medicine, and you're still blaming the child!"
“I also have mothers in my hometown who favor sons over daughters. I really don’t understand how she could discriminate against her own daughter when they are both women.”
"Good heavens, how can such a young child be beaten like this? Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"
The woman's face turned pale and then red as she listened to the comments.
She stepped back, still holding her son in her arms, but still tried to argue.
"I...I was just taking my son to get some nourishment! He's sick, doesn't he need to eat something good? What's wrong with these two good-for-nothings going hungry for a couple of meals?"
"To nourish the body?" Xu Qiaofeng sneered, pointing to the boy in the woman's arms.
The boy was wearing a clean little jacket, with a round face and bright eyes; he didn't look sick at all.
"Your son looks much stronger than these two girls. But these two children look pale; they probably haven't eaten enough for days."
Ning Tang then walked over, squatted down, and gently took the older girl's hand.
The girl's hands were cold and thin, covered with chilblains and scars.
The two were initially quite frightened, but when they realized that Ning Tang was the beautiful aunt who had treated them to braised pork before, they immediately smiled at her.
"Auntie, don't be afraid, we're not in pain."
Ning Tang watched as the little girl, who was clearly in so much pain that she couldn't help but shed tears, still tried her best to comfort herself.
It felt like something was blocking my heart.
She warmed the two children's hands in her own, trying to soothe them with her body heat.
Ning Tang asked softly, "Silly child, how could it not hurt?"
"There's some ointment in Auntie's room. I'll apply it to you later and the pain will go away."
The woman turned green with anger upon seeing this.
She was holding her son and about to drag the two worthless children away.
"Don't play the good guy. Our family matters are none of your business!"
As the woman spoke, she reached out and pulled her eldest daughter's arm away with such force that the sound could be heard.
The child cried softly from the pain.
Ning Tang instinctively shielded the child behind her, frowning as she said, "Don't hit him! The child is already in so much pain, can't you be gentler?"
"It's none of your business if I hurt my own child!"
The woman suddenly threw a tantrum, sat down on the ground, slapped her thighs, and burst into tears.
"My life is so miserable! My husband died young, and I'm struggling to make a living with three children. Now, even educating my children is being interfered with by outsiders! I can't live like this anymore!"
Her cries were deafening, and she deliberately sidled up to Xu Qiaofeng's feet, trying to make a scene.
People around her frowned; some felt sorry for her, while others saw through her trick.
"Isn't this just being a scoundrel?"
Why didn't you say you were unlucky when you were hitting the child?
"Maybe her husband was angered to death by her."
"Exactly, marrying a woman like that will bring unrest to three generations; even the dead ancestors will be brought back to life by anger."
Xu Qiaofeng's face was so cold it could freeze, and he stepped forward and said in a cold voice.
"If you really want to live a good life, get up and talk things out. Throwing a tantrum won't solve anything; it will only make the child more upset."
The woman wouldn't listen at all; instead, she cried even harder, and secretly touched her son in her arms.
Ning Tang noticed her subtle movements and her heart skipped a beat.
Just as he was about to remind Xu Qiaofeng, he saw the woman suddenly stand up while holding her son.
She pushed through the crowd and ran out of the cafeteria, shouting, "I'm not arguing with you! Can't I just take my child home?!"
When the two little girls saw their mother run away, they were afraid of being beaten, but they still instinctively followed her.
Xu Qiaofeng reacted quickly and immediately gave chase.
But the woman ran fast and hurriedly, deliberately squeezing into narrow alleys.
By the time Xu Qiaofeng emerged from the alley, the woman and child had vanished without a trace.
He could only turn back to the canteen, his face grim: "She got away."
Ning Tang frowned and said worriedly, "Won't she go back and beat the children again? Those two children are so pitiful."
"Tomorrow I'll have Pang Bo contact the local police station and ask them to help look for it."
Xu Qiaofeng patted her head to comfort her.
"Don't worry, at least the child is safe for tonight. Let's go back to the guesthouse and think of something tomorrow."
People around Ning Tang also tried to persuade her.
"Comrade, you've done your best. This kind of person is impervious to reason and can only be managed by the police station."
"Yes, don't let this affect your mood, you're pregnant."
"Yes, yes, but the baby in your belly is more important."
Ning Tang nodded, and together with Xu Qiaofeng, they packed their things and headed upstairs at the guesthouse.
Ning Tang and Xu Qiaofeng chatted for a while longer in the corridor.
It wasn't until almost 9:30 that the two parted ways at the door.
Fortunately, Ning Tang carries her own key every day, so Pei Yanning doesn't need to open the door for her.
Just as I was about to insert the key, the door was suddenly opened from the inside.
Pei Yanning was standing opposite her.
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Ning Tang with an ugly expression.
"Did Xu Qiaofeng come looking for you?"
"You left work early, why are you only coming back now? What were you doing out there?"
Pei Yanning likes Xu Qiaofeng, and she doesn't care even though she knows Ning Tang is his wife.
I was heartbroken when I found out that the two of them had been gone for a long time.
Ning Tang was startled by the sudden opening of the door.
Seeing Pei Yanning's hostile face, his brows furrowed instantly.
She tightened her grip on the keys, her tone calm yet distant.
"My husband and I went out to eat, it's normal for us to be back late, it's none of your business."
"It has nothing to do with me?" Pei Yanning took a step forward, her eyes filled with jealousy.
"Ning Tang, don't be so smug! So what if you married Xu Qiaofeng? Do you really think he loves you? He's only after you're pregnant with his child!"
These words made Ning Tang feel very uncomfortable, and Xu Xiaozhen's harsh words from earlier that day echoed in her ears again.
But she quickly composed herself and looked coldly at Pei Yanning.
"My relationship with Qiaofeng is none of anyone else's business. If you have nothing else to say, I'm closing up shop."
"I won't let you turn it off!"
Pei Yanning reached out and pressed down on the door panel, raising her voice several decibels.
"Is Xu Qiaofeng staying here tonight? Are you...?"
Before she could finish speaking, she revealed an ambiguous yet disdainful expression.
"Everyone is careful to avoid suspicion. Aren't you two afraid of gossip when you live together outside?"
"Fine, I'm going to report you for being shameless and having illicit relationships!"
As she spoke, Pei Yanning went crazy and started grabbing Ning Tang's clothes.
They looked as if they were checking her body for any marks that shouldn't be there.
Ning Tang's first reaction was that Pei Yanning had gone mad.
When he came to his senses, he picked up the porcelain jar next to him and smashed it over her head—
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