Chapter 54: Thank You
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The voice sounded familiar. Before She Ning could react, the person had already walked quickly to her.
"What a coincidence, little Ning," she said, her voice filled with surprise. "I was just about to visit you."
Lin Qingxu looked down at the person in front of him, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Yesterday, they took Tongtong to the hospital for a check-up. After hearing about the treatment process, the doctor exclaimed how dangerous it was and criticized their previous wrong actions of standing upside down and jostling her. He said bluntly that if the foreign object had been expelled any later, the child would have died.
The child only has a minor throat injury; otherwise, his physical condition is quite good.
After listening to the doctor's words, Lin Qingxu was even more grateful to She Ning. After resting for a night, she urged her husband to bring the children to Xiahe Village early in the morning.
"Auntie, it's you! Is the little girl feeling better?" She Ning said in surprise.
Yesterday, before Lin Qingxu left, she said she would come to thank her. She Ning thought it was just polite talk and didn't take it too seriously. After all, saving people was her own choice, and she didn't expect anything in return.
She hadn't expected Lin Qingxu to not only come, but also to come so quickly. Compared to the later generations where people would fall down and save others only to be extorted, the people of this era were incredibly simple and honest.
"Thanks to you, it's nothing serious for her, she just needs a few days of rest." Thinking of the doctor's words, Lin Qingxu still felt a lingering fear, and her gaze towards She Ning became even more tender.
"Oh, right." She suddenly realized, then turned and shouted in the direction of the village secretary's house, "Tongtong, come and see the sister who saved you."
The little girl was wearing a red tutu, with two little braids and a trendy metal butterfly clip in her hair. When she heard her mother call her, she hugged her delicate doll and skipped out of the yard, completely unaffected by yesterday's adventure.
"Hello, sister." Shen Xiaotong ran to Lin Qingxu's side and obediently stood still to greet her. Her voice was a little hoarse. She had never met She Ning before, but after she woke up yesterday, her parents told her that it was an older sister who saved her.
After calling out to everyone, she shyly hid behind Lin Qingxu, holding onto her clothes with her small hand, and occasionally peeking out to steal a glance at She Ning.
His eyes were full of curiosity.
"Hello, Tongtong." Seeing her burying her head in the sand, She Ning smiled and replied. The little girl looked about the same age as She Ni and had similar personalities. They should be able to become good friends.
Lin Qingxu naturally noticed her daughter's little gesture and affectionately patted her head. She looked at She Ning and said sincerely, "Ning, please go home and tell the adults in your family first. Later, my husband and I will bring the child to your house to thank you."
She Ning was never good at handling such situations. She originally wanted to say that it didn't need to be so formal, but when she met her sincere eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say the words of refusal.
She nodded stiffly, said goodbye, and then quickly went to the car and called her younger sister, who was watching the car with great interest, and her grandmother, who was chatting with someone else, back home.
Even before She Ning and Lin Qingxu started talking, the villagers would occasionally glance at them and speculate about their relationship.
Lin Qingxu arrived in a car, wearing a light blue short-sleeved dress, a silver Plum Blossom brand watch, round-toed leather shoes, and the most fashionable perm hairstyle at the time. It was obvious that she was a city person. How could the widowed mother and daughter of the She Ning family know such a person?
When She Ning came over to call for them, they wanted to ask her a few questions, but she came and left quickly, giving them no chance to speak.
Watching helplessly as She Ning led She Ni and Chen Yuzhen away, they could only force themselves to suppress their gossipy thoughts, though they were still itching to gossip.
Along the way, She Ning briefly told her grandmother about saving people yesterday, and also mentioned that Lin Qingxu would be coming to thank her later.
Upon receiving this notification, Chen Yuzhen immediately got busy after returning home. Those people didn't look like ordinary people, and fearing she might be impolite, she quickly arranged for She Ning to boil water and had She Ni take out the candies, cookies, and other snacks from the cupboard, put them on a plate, and place them on the table in the main room.
When they were almost done with their work, someone knocked on the open gate of the courtyard.
Outside the door, village party secretary She Aijun and his wife Yang Hongli stood at the front, with Lin Qingxu holding her daughter's hand in one hand and carrying gifts in the other, and her husband Shen Jiaguo carrying things in both hands beside her.
"Yuzhen, I apologize for bothering you today," said Yang Lihong, an old acquaintance and second aunt, with a smile.
"Don't mention it, come in and sit down." Chen Yuzhen greeted them warmly, inviting them to sit in the main room. At the same time, she asked She Ning to bring out the prepared sweet soup.
The sweet soup was steaming hot and gave off a faint sweet aroma. As Chen Yuzhen poured water for the guests, she said, "Please don't be shy, everyone. Have some sweet soup to soothe your throats."
"Yuzhen, we're all family, no need to be so polite. Your leg is injured, please sit down." Taking the tin thermos from Chen Yuzhen's hand, Yang Lihong pulled over a chair from the table and placed it under her bottom, gesturing for her to sit down and talk.
Amidst a group of female guests, it was inappropriate for the grown man, She Aijun, to interrupt. He silently nodded in agreement with his wife's statement.
Unable to refuse, Chen Yuzhen sat down around the table with She Ning. She Ning sat next to Lin Qingxu, while Chen Yuzhen sat near Yang Hongli.
Yang Hongli took Chen Yuzhen's hand and introduced Lin Qingxu and Shen Jiaguo to her.
Lin Qingxu is the daughter of Yang Hongli's eldest sister, and Shen Jiaguo is her husband. She Ning glanced at the person beside her. Her brow bone does resemble Yang Hongli's, and both of them have high, straight noses, just like Shen Xiaotong.
From Yang Hongli, She Ning also learned that her cousin, She Xiuni, was now working for Lin Qingxu as an editorial assistant at the Municipal People's Daily.
Shen Jiaguo was the purchasing manager of the city's pharmaceutical factory.
Lin Qingxu's trip to Xiahe Town was not only to fulfill Shen Xiaotong's birthday wish of going to the beach, but also because she hadn't seen Yang Hongli in a long time and planned to visit her after the beach trip.
Who knew that such a thing would happen so suddenly? Shen Xiaotong was their only child, and if she were gone, their world would collapse.
Lin Qingxu sat to the side holding her daughter, her eyes full of gratitude. She gently put down the gifts in her hands, looked at Chen Yuzhen, and said sincerely, "Aunt Yuzhen, we really owe a lot to Aning this time. If it weren't for her, I don't know what would have happened to my Tongtong."
"You must accept this small gift."
Inside the gift bag lay a cardboard box bearing the Seagull brand logo, while the other two bags contained malted milk powder and various biscuits and pastries.
On the market, Seagull brand watches cost at least several hundred yuan, in addition to the watch voucher required. This gift is too expensive.
Chen Yuzhen quickly waved her hand, pushed the item back in front of her, and firmly refused, saying, "We don't do this among our own people, Qingxu, take it back quickly."
“Ah Ning just happened to be passing by. Anyone else would have done the same. We’re all family, it’s only right to help each other out,” Chen Yuzhen continued.
She Ning nodded in agreement. She did good deeds out of her own good nature, not for any reward.
Lin Qingxu looked down at her daughter, who was nestled obediently in her arms, with affection, then raised her head and shook it. She said firmly, "Aunt Yuzhen, this doesn't represent all my gratitude. You don't know how important Aning's actions are to me."
If the Friendship Store hadn't run out of Sanyo tape recorders, she would have bought one for She Ning. But it's okay, she had someone hold onto one, and they'd have it in stock when she got back to the city and deliver it to her then.
“My dear sister, this is just her way of showing her love, so please accept it,” Yang Hongli advised from the side.
Shen Jiaguo chimed in, "Yes, Aunt Yuzhen, please don't be so polite. We came here to thank you in person and bring a small token of our appreciation."
They argued back and forth, and Chen Yuzhen had no choice but to accept the gift. However, she kept it in mind and planned to ask She Hongmei to buy her some gifts in return when she returned that evening.
While the adults were still chatting, She Ning played with She Ni and Shen Xiaotong in the yard. When no one was looking, she secretly juiced two Linglong fruits and made them into sugar water for the two children to drink.
The warm, smooth syrup tastes wonderfully sweet.
"It's delicious, thank you, Sister Aning." After taking a sip, Shen Xiaotong was surprised to find that her throat didn't hurt as much anymore. Her eyes lit up, and she took small sips of the cup, smiling sweetly at She Ning as she thanked her.
After taking a sip, Xiao She Ni's eyes narrowed with delight. Then, noticing that She Ning hadn't, she held up her cup and offered it to She Ning, saying, "Sister, you should drink too."
A sweet smile graced her fair and delicate face, and her moist eyes were filled with the image of She Ning.
"Thank you, Xiaotong, thank you, Nini." Gently patting their hair, She Ning replied softly.
"Sister, drink." The small cup was pushed forward again, almost touching She Ning's lips.
Seeing She Ni standing on tiptoe, pursing her lips and trying her best to hold the cup up, She Ning didn't refuse. She took the cup from She Ni, pretended to take a big gulp, and then handed the cup back to She Ni.
Finding no flaws, and seeing that her older sister had drunk from it, she happily took the cup to the side, and the two children gathered together, chattering and playing together.
Before leaving, since Grandma had difficulty moving around, She Ning and She Ni filled the trunk of the car completely with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as seafood they usually dried and mountain produce picked and dried from the mountains.
Before leaving, Lin Qingxu left her address and contact information for her place of residence and workplace in the city, so that they could contact her next time they were in the city.
He especially emphasized that Chen Yuzhen must be told this during her next follow-up visit.
She Ning wanted to say that it wasn't necessary to go to so much trouble, as Grandma should be fully recovered by the next follow-up visit with the spirit rice and the Linglong fruit. However, when she met Lin Qingxu's unyielding and dismissive gaze, She Ning imitated Wang Weiwei by pinching her index finger and thumb together and pulling it towards her mouth. She didn't say anything, but blinked and agreed.
Seeing this, Lin Qingxu's eyes crinkled with laughter. "Little rascal, hurry back, we're leaving."
"Sister Aning, Nini, remember to miss me!" Shen Xiaotong waved goodbye reluctantly from the car window.
After playing together for an afternoon, they had become good friends. The sudden separation made She Ni very reluctant to part. She hugged She Ning's waist to hide her emotions and said to Shen Xiaotong, "I will miss you, Tongtong. Let's play together again next time you come back."
The car started, and She Ning and She Ni stood still, watching the taillights disappear around the corner before slowly walking home.
She Ni was a little down. Usually, she was as talkative as a lark and didn't say much along the way.
She Ning glanced at her sideways. Her fair face was pouting, her lips almost sticking out of their sockets. The friendship between children is truly enviable; it not only comes quickly but is also pure and sincere.
"I can take you to the city next Sunday," She Ning said suddenly as she led her home, gazing at the sunset on the horizon.
Still lost in her own emotions, She Ni was a beat slow to react. After regaining her senses, she excitedly took She Ning's hand, ran in front of her, and walked backwards while looking into her eyes to confirm, "Take me to the city next Sunday, really?"
"Hmm, let's see how you do," She Ning said.
"I guarantee I'll behave well," She Ni replied confidently, patting her chest.
"Sister, sister, will Mom and Grandma be going?"
What are we going to the city for?
"You are not allowed to walk backwards, it's very dangerous."
"Okay, sister."
"Sister, sister..."
In a good mood, She*Nightingale*Ni went online again. The setting sun shone on the way home, casting long, long shadows of the two holding hands.
In the town hospital, in a ward.
Chen Shengnan sat on a chair by the hospital bed, peeling an apple with a knife in hand.
The person in the hospital bed had bandages on their arm and their right foot dangling off the bed frame. Looking at the apple that had been peeled and was uneven, she said with some sympathy, "Why don't you leave it alone? Apples taste pretty good even without peeling, and they're full of vitamins."
"Shut up!" Chen Shengnan yelled at her without even looking up.
Then, in the midst of their conversation, without realizing it, she used too much force, and a piece of apple peel along with a thick layer of apple flesh was peeled off. Chen Shengnan caught it with quick reflexes and then skillfully stuffed the apple flesh, peel and all, into her mouth.
As she chewed on her apple, her gaze shifted to the person on the hospital bed.
"This has nothing to do with me." Leaning back on the pillow, Zhu Feng immediately explained upon seeing this. Chen Shengnan still stared at her without blinking. After a while, she raised her uninjured hand in surrender, "Okay, okay, I won't say anything. You can practice slowly."
"I'm not practicing anymore." Putting down the knife, she handed her the bruised apple. Chen Shengnan quietly looked at her right hand, which was wrapped in a white bandage. She gripped it tightly, and then a sharp pain shot through her hand.
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