Chapter 119: Take Off and Run
Lu Niannian hung up the phone and was lost in her own fantasy when she heard the sound of a key turning outside the door.
Zhou Hairong walked in looking disheveled. Seeing his daughter sitting on the sofa, he assumed she was waiting for him to come home and was immediately moved.
She smiled and asked, "Niannian, are you waiting for your mother?"
Lu Niannian looked in the direction of the sound, and her face twisted the moment she saw Zhou Hairong.
Since Zhou Hairong deliberately sent Pei Yanning to sabotage Xu Qiaofeng and Ning Tang's marriage, he was imprisoned for a long time for the crime of disrupting a military marriage.
This incident became known throughout the military compound and even the hospital; it was the talk of the town.
Lu Niannian went to work at the hospital and never mentioned Zhou Hairong, the director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, as her mother. She only said that Lu Jiaxiang, the director of the Surgery Department, was her father.
When Lu Niannian suddenly saw Zhou Hairong return, her expression didn't change, and her disgusted look was seen in Zhou Hairong's eyes.
Zhou Hairong was heartbroken and couldn't believe it: "Niannian, are you disgusted with your mother?"
Lu Niannian's heart skipped a beat when Zhou Hairong asked her a question. She hurriedly composed herself, but the hint of disgust in her eyes was not completely hidden.
She stood up from the sofa, her tone stiff: "Who's complaining about you? I was just... thinking about the hospital, I didn't realize it."
Looking at her daughter's evasive eyes, Zhou Hairong felt as if she had been pricked by a needle.
She had been living in constant fear while inside, her only thought being of her daughter. But now that she's finally home, this is the kind of attitude she's received.
She rubbed her rough hands, still smelling of unwashed soap, and asked cautiously.
"Niannian, are you alright in the hospital? Has anyone... said anything about you?"
"What could possibly be wrong?" Lu Niannian interrupted her impatiently and turned to walk towards the bedroom.
"Didn't my dad tell you? I'm in surgery now, with my dad by my side, no one dares to bully me."
Lu Niannian deliberately emphasized following my father because she didn't want Zhou Hairong to mention that he used to be the director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
That is now her shame, and a stain that Lu Niannian wants to completely erase.
With this stain on her record, how can she ever be with Xu Qiaofeng again?
Although Ning Tang is the daughter of a capitalist, she was adopted and abused from a young age, so those accusations simply don't apply to her.
Zhou Hairong stopped in his tracks, his fingers gripping the hem of his clothes tightly.
She was well aware of her current disgrace, but in front of her daughter, she still wanted to find some sense of existence.
"Mom used to know a lot of people in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department. If you need anything, Mom can..."
"No way!" Lu Niannian turned around abruptly, her voice rising several decibels.
"Aren't you ashamed enough? Everyone in the military compound knows what you did last time. Now, people in the hospital avoid you whenever you mention your name. If you come to the hospital to see me again, how am I supposed to face anyone?"
These words pierced Zhou Hairong's heart like iron spikes.
Her face turned deathly pale instantly, her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a word in rebuttal.
Yes, she was blinded by greed and wanted to help her daughter win back Xu Qiaofeng. In the end, she not only harmed herself but also implicated her daughter.
Zhou Hairong opened her mouth, but in the end, all that came out was a tearful apology: "Niannian, Mom knows she was wrong. Mom will never meddle again. Please don't treat Mom like this, okay?"
Looking at her like this, Lu Niannian felt no sympathy whatsoever; instead, she felt even more annoyed.
She snorted coldly, slammed the bedroom door shut, and shut out Zhou Hairong's cries and apologies.
Lu Jiaxiang returned at dinner time.
When he saw Zhou Hairong, his expression remained unchanged. He simply said, "It's good that you're back. Behave yourself from now on and don't cause any more trouble."
Zhou Hairong nodded quickly and hurried to the kitchen to bring out the dishes.
If it were before the incident, Zhou Hairong wouldn't have said a word to Lu Jiaxiang.
Not to mention, like today, when she took the initiative to cook.
Zhou Hairong is still thinking about his position at the hospital, hoping that if he humbles himself and pleases Lu Jiaxiang, he might be able to go back to work.
At the dinner table, she kept putting food on Lu Niannian's plate, trying to ease the tension.
"Niannian, eat more of this fish. It's good for your brain. You work hard at the hospital, so you need to nourish yourself properly."
Lu Niannian moved the bowl to the side and said in a cold tone, "No need, I can pick it up myself."
Lu Jiaxiang saw this, put down his chopsticks, frowned and said, "Niannian, your mother just got back, be nicer to her. No matter what, she's still your mother."
"Dad!" Lu Niannian raised her voice, "Have you forgotten what she did last time? Because of her, I can't even hold my head up in the hospital! Now, whenever people mention me, they all say I'm the daughter of that woman who ruined a military marriage. How can you expect me to be nice to her?"
Zhou Hairong paused, holding the chopsticks, feeling humiliated and ashamed that his daughter had pointed her finger at him.
She hurriedly wiped her face, trying to appear calm: "It's all my fault. I'll stay home from now on and not go out so I won't cause you any trouble."
Lu Jiaxiang sighed and didn't say anything more.
After all, he had truly loved Zhou Hairong back then.
If she hadn't insisted on leaving home while pregnant, leaving behind Lu Niannian, a child who doesn't resemble him in any way, he wouldn't have been so cold to her for so many years.
The meal ended in this oppressive atmosphere.
——
In the garden downstairs from the military hospital, golden ginkgo leaves carpeted the ground.
When the wind blows, it swirls and lands on the stone pavement.
Ning Tang was wrapped in the off-white knitted cardigan that Xu Qiaofeng had brought. Her body was warm from the sun, and she felt a little sleepy.
She nearly miscarried after being hit by a car and spent nearly a month in the hospital.
Now that she can finally be discharged from the hospital, Xu Qiaofeng specially canceled his afternoon training session to accompany her for a leisurely stroll in the garden.
"Walk slowly, don't tire yourself out."
Xu Qiaofeng carefully supported her arm, his eyes filled with tenderness.
In his other hand, he carried a thermos containing pigeon soup that had just been stewed that morning. He had specifically instructed the guesthouse to serve Ning Tang the soup while it was still hot to help her recover.
Ning Tang smiled and nodded, taking very slow steps.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on her face, making her usually stunningly beautiful appear gentle and serene.
Just as the two walked to a bench deep in the garden, preparing to sit down and rest for a while.
A slightly hunched figure suddenly emerged from behind the tree.
The moment Ning Tang saw who it was, her body tensed up instinctively, and she gripped Xu Qiaofeng's hand even tighter.
It is Ning's mother.
Ning's mother was wearing a faded blue cotton jacket.
Her hair was haphazardly pulled back, her face was deeply lined, and there was some dust on it that she didn't know where she had gotten it from.
Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Ning Tang, and she quickly walked forward.
But when he was still two steps away from the two of them, he deliberately staggered and almost fell.
"Tangtang! My Tangtang!" Ning's mother's voice was deliberately shrill with sobs, and her outstretched hand trembled in the air.
"You're finally alright! Mom has been praying for you before the Buddha every day, afraid that something might happen to you. If anything were to happen to you, how could Mom go on living!"
Xu Qiaofeng frowned instantly, silently shielding Ning Tang behind him, his eyes as cold as ice: "Comrade Ning, please be mindful of your actions. Tangtang has just been discharged from the hospital and cannot withstand your torment."
Ning's mother seemed not to hear Xu Qiaofeng's words and continued to cry to Ning Tang, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Tangtang, Mom knows she was wrong. I shouldn't have treated you badly before. I shouldn't have pressured you over trivial matters. And I shouldn't have listened to your ungrateful sister and argued with you."
“While you were in the hospital, Mom waited outside the hospital every day, just wanting to see you, but I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me, so I could only hide in the distance…”
As she spoke, she took a crumpled cloth bag out of her pocket and opened it.
Inside were a few shriveled red dates; if you looked closely, you could see wormholes on them.
It's obviously something that's been sitting there for who knows how long.
Ning Tang wasn't stupid. Given her mother's selfish and self-serving nature, she probably just picked up those red dates from the ground on her way here.
"Mom knows you're weak, so she specially asked the educated youth who were sent to the countryside for some good things to help you recover, but she didn't dare to give them to you, so she just kept them in her bosom every day..."
Ning Tang looked at her meticulously planned appearance, but felt no emotion whatsoever; she just wanted to sneer.
She knew Ning's mother too well; ever since she was a child, Ning's mother had been adept at using such self-inflicted suffering to gain sympathy.
It was Ning Xin who hit her, but Ning's mother pretended not to know and scolded her every day for being an ungrateful wretch, saying that she should not have taken her in in the first place.
When she goes out, she's afraid her neighbors will find out she's abusing herself, so she puts on airs in front of them, saying how hard it is for a woman to raise two children.
"Just say what you want to say."
Ning Tang's voice was very soft, and the way she looked at her mother was as if she were a clown.
"No need for so many detours."
Ning's mother didn't expect Ning Tang to be so direct, and her sobbing voice faltered for a moment.
Then he put on an even more aggrieved expression, his knees slightly bent, as if he were about to kneel down to Ning Tang.
"Tangtang, Mom knows you're doing well now. You have such a good person like Captain Xu who cares about you, and you also have such a good job at the military hospital."
“But Mom is different. She came back from the Northwest with very little money. She was injured there and was just sent back to the city. Now she doesn’t even have a place to stay. She sleeps under bridges every day and doesn’t know where her next meal will come from…”
As she spoke, she deliberately tugged at the hem of her clothes, revealing the dirty, black fabric underneath.
“It rained a few days ago, and Mom got soaked. She's in a lot of pain all over, but we don't even have money to buy medicine. Tangtang, you're Mom's only daughter, you can't abandon Mom!”
"Please have pity on your mother and let her live with you. I promise I'll take good care of you, do your laundry and cook for you, and never cause you any trouble!"
Xu Qiaofeng's face grew increasingly grim as he listened. He took a step forward, standing in front of Ning Tang, his tone icy.
"Stop trying to upset Tangtang."
Seeing Xu Qiaofeng's firm attitude, Ning's mother's eyes flickered, and she suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud.
His knees slammed heavily against the stone pavement, making a dull thud.
She raised her head, her face full of pleading, tears mixed with the ash on her face, making her look as disheveled as a stray dog: "Captain Xu, I know I wasn't human before, but I truly want to atone for my sins now! Tangtang is pregnant and needs someone to take care of her. As her mother, I want to do anything to make it up to her, even if it means working like a slave!"
She crawled two steps, trying to tug at Ning Tang's clothes, but Xu Qiaofeng coldly stopped her: "Don't touch her!"
Ning's mother's hand froze in mid-air, then she turned to Ning Tang and cried, "Tangtang, just believe me this once! I don't want a title, I don't want money, I just want to be your nanny, to do your laundry, cook for you, and take care of you during your postpartum period. After the baby is born, I can even help you take care of the baby. How can we, mother and daughter, continue to be so distant?"
Ning Tang understood the scheming in those words perfectly.
The so-called nanny position was just a pretext to move into the Xu family home under the guise of taking care of her.
Living in the military compound would allow her to escape the hardships of returning to the Northwest, and she could also use her status as the mother-in-law of the Xu family to hold her head high in front of others.
As for atonement, it was merely a pretext to conceal her ambitions.
A woman like Ning's mother has said more yellow flowers than she has eaten meals.
Ning Tang looked at her kneeling on the ground and suddenly laughed, her laughter full of mockery.
"Be a nanny? You can't even take care of yourself, how can you expect to take care of me?"
Her gaze fell on Ning's mother's legs, her tone icy.
“You said you were injured in the Northwest and had difficulty walking, but when you came out from behind the tree just now, your steps were very light, and when you knelt down, your knees didn’t even flinch.”
"You're faking that injury, aren't you?"
Ning's mother's face turned pale instantly.
He subconsciously pulled his legs back and stubbornly argued back.
"I...this is an old problem of mine, it gets better and worse! I was just too excited to see Tangtang and forgot about the pain..."
"Yeah?"
Ning Tang took a step forward and looked down at her.
“I’m a doctor, and I can read people’s gait better than anyone else. When you walk, your feet land evenly, your knees bend naturally, and you don’t show any of the movements you would expect after an injury.”
"The injury you're talking about is completely fake. And the medical record you bought from that shady clinic says it's a bone fracture."
"Judging by the time, you should still be using crutches right now, but you knelt down so hard just now. If you really had a fracture, you should be in too much pain to stand up by now, right?"
Every word was like a hammer blow to Ning's mother's face.
Her face turned from white to green, then to red, and finally became ferocious.
She hadn't expected that Ning Tang would notice even these details!
"You...you're talking nonsense!" Ning's mother tried to argue, but her voice was already weak. "I am injured! If you don't believe me, I can go to the hospital for a checkup!"
Ning Tang was too lazy to argue with her and said directly, "Xu Qiaofeng was following behind you that day. He saw you bribing the doctor and forging medical records."
"After you left, he went back to the clinic. The doctor, afraid of getting into trouble, told you everything about you."
“You violated regulations by escaping back from the Northwest, and on top of that, you forged medical records. That’s enough to make you go back and face the consequences.”
"I won't allow it!" Ning's mother suddenly got up from the ground, her guilt gone.
She stared intently at Ning Tang.
Once reported, the days of finally escaping back will be completely over.
She hasn't even moved into the military compound yet, and hasn't enjoyed a single day of happiness. How can she go back?
Madness instantly overwhelmed her reason.
Ning's mother caught a glimpse of several fist-sized stones scattered around the flowerbed not far away.
He bent down, picked up a piece, and clutched it tightly in his hand.
She glared fiercely at Ning Tang: "You ungrateful wretch! I raised you all these years, and you actually want to send me back? I'll risk my life today to make sure you get away with this!"
Before she finished speaking, she picked up a stone and smashed it into Ning Tang's stomach.
She knew Ning Tang was pregnant. If this hit her, it would not only cause Ning Tang unbearable pain, but also make Xu Qiaofeng regret offending her forever!
"Watch out!" Xu Qiaofeng's pupils shrank, and almost instinctively he shielded Ning Tang behind him.
At the same time, he raised his right foot and kicked Ning's mother hard in the abdomen.
The kick was delivered with tremendous force, and Ning's mother was sent flying two meters backward like a rag doll.
He crashed heavily to the ground, and the stone in his hand fell to the side with a clatter.
She clutched her stomach, curled up on the ground in pain.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his back, and he let out a painful groan: "It hurts... my stomach..."
Xu Qiaofeng showed no pity, helping Ning Tang back two steps to ensure she was away from danger.
He then coldly looked at Ning's mother on the ground: "If you dare to lay a finger on her, I won't let you off!"
Ning Tang leaned against Xu Qiaofeng's chest, her heart still pounding.
For a moment just now, she really thought the stone would hit her stomach.
She composed herself, looked at Ning's mother groaning on the ground, her eyes devoid of any emotion: "Xu Qiaofeng, call the officers from the police station."
The two stood there, watching Ning's mother struggle on the ground.
When Ning's mother saw that they were really going to call the police, she panicked completely. Ignoring her stomach pain, she got up and tried to run away.
But they were stopped by security personnel who arrived in time.
"Comrade! I've been wronged! They're the ones bullying this old woman!"
Ning's mother tried to argue her way out of it, attempting to make herself appear pitiful.
The security guards were stunned, thinking they had misunderstood. Just as they were about to ask what was going on, Ning's mother took advantage of the moment and immediately ran away!
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