Chapter 33 Stomachache
The afternoon sun slanted into the tailor shop. Afen was sorting the cloth when the door was gently pushed open.
"Welcome, what kind of clothes would you like to have made?" Afen raised a professional smile, but was slightly startled when she saw who it was.
This middle-aged man in his forties was dressed in a neat suit. His eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were steady and deep, and his every move revealed his good upbringing.
The man did not answer immediately. His eyes wandered around the store and finally stopped at Su Hong who was measuring the size of a customer.
Afen felt that this person looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him.
Su Hong had just put away her tape measure and was about to greet the new customer, but she froze the moment she saw the other person's face clearly.
Twenty years seemed to have stopped for this man, and his face was almost exactly the same as in his memory.
She subconsciously looked at her daughter Su Nian in the inner room, and only after confirming that her daughter didn't notice this side did she manage to calm herself down.
"It's you..." Su Hong heard her voice tremble slightly, "After so many years, you haven't changed at all."
"You too, still the same as I remember." The man spoke slowly, each word sounding like it was carefully considered.
Su Hong took a deep breath and made a "please" gesture: "Mr. Chen, you are not here to ask me to make clothes, right? Why don't we go out and catch up?"
After watching the man turn and leave, Su Hong hurriedly told Afen, "Take care of the store. I'm going to go talk to an old friend."
The two sat facing each other in a quiet and elegant teahouse nearby, the aroma of tea lingering in the air. The rustling of the sycamore leaves outside the window added a touch of awkwardness to the silence.
"How have you been these years?" Chen Ran finally spoke, his voice low and gentle, like the lingering sound of a cello.
Su Hong's fingertips gently stroked the rim of the celadon cup, causing subtle ripples in the Biluochun tea. "It's pretty good," she smiled, looking up. "I've opened a small shop and have a daughter. Life is simple but stable."
Chen Ran's gaze lingered on her face, as if he were trying to see through the years to see the girl who had helped him modify samples in the workshop. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye back then?"
The steam from the tea blurred Su Hong's expression. She took a sip, the bitterness in her throat unclear whether it came from the tea leaves or the memories. "I was too young back then, and I always thought...breaking up would be better for everyone."
"I've looked for you." Chen Ran's voice suddenly became hoarse.
Su Hong's hand holding the cup trembled slightly: "You...looked for me?"
"The first thing I did after returning from France was visit your hometown," he said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "The villagers said you had moved away a long time ago. I thought... you really didn't want to see me anymore."
Su Hong lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting shadows. She was pregnant at the time, and her parents had moved away while her belly was barely noticeable. Back then, the gossip of the villagers could kill. Later, she and her daughter made their way to the provincial capital.
Chen Ran's parents' words, "Don't delay his future," still lingered in her ears. The plane ticket to Paris lay in his drawer. She sighed softly and changed the subject: "You look like a successful person now, don't you?"
"Not bad." Chen Ran suddenly looked into her eyes. "Is your husband...good to you?"
This question was like a needle, accurately piercing the softest part of Su Hong's heart.
Su Hong's heart suddenly sank, and her fingers subconsciously clenched the teacup, her knuckles turning slightly white.
It's been decades, why stir up more trouble? He should have a family, so it's better not to get involved in the future.
Thinking of this, Su Hong replied vaguely: "It's okay."
At this moment, the phone rang suddenly. Su Hong saw that the caller ID was Afen, and her heart suddenly tightened.
"Sister Hong! Nian Nian suddenly feels a little uncomfortable in her stomach, please come back and check on her!" Afen's anxious voice came from the receiver.
Su Hong stood up suddenly, spilling her tea on the table. "I'll be right back!"
"I'll take you there." Chen Ran had already picked up the car keys.
"No need!" Su Hong almost shouted, then realized her mistake and forced a smile. "I can go back by myself. We can talk another day..."
Before she finished speaking, she turned around and walked out of the tea room quickly. The sound of her heels hitting the ground was so rapid that it seemed like she was chasing something, or escaping from something.
Chen Ran stood there, looking at her back as she almost jogged, his brows slowly furrowed.
The soft light in her eyes when she mentioned "daughter" just now, the sudden panic when she answered the phone, and the "No need" that she blurted out, were like scattered puzzle pieces, faintly forming a vague outline in his mind.
When Su Hong rushed into the shop, Su Nian was lying on the cutting table, her face pale. "Where does it hurt?" She reached out and touched her daughter's forehead.
"My stomach... hurts." Su Nian's voice was weak.
"Go to the hospital!" Su Hong had just helped her daughter out of the tailor shop when she saw Chen Ran park his car in front of the store.
"Is the child feeling unwell and needs to go to the hospital? Take my car." He rolled down the window.
Su Hong wanted to refuse, but after Ah Fen had tried to hail a taxi for a long time without success, she agreed. She asked Ah Fen to go back to the store and help her daughter get in the car.
"Si Yan, Nian Nian has a stomachache now. I'm taking her to the hospital." After getting into the car, Su Hong dialed Si Yan's number, her fingertips trembling.
"Auntie, don't worry. Go to the nearest People's Hospital and pay attention to see if there is any bleeding." The voice on the other end of the phone was steady, but could not hide the anxiety.
Su Hong subconsciously looked at the hem of her daughter's skirt and said, "No." She knew that her daughter was pregnant and any discomfort could be a big deal.
"I'll be there right away." Si Yan's voice was filled with the sound of wind, as if he was running.
When Chen Ran parked the car steadily in front of the emergency building, Si Yan was already waiting at the door.
He quickly ran forward to open the car door, and saw Su Nian with a distressed look on her face. His heart was broken, and he picked her up and took her to the emergency room.
Chen Ran looked at a card that fell on the back seat, picked it up and took a look at it, "The child's medical card--" and quickly handed it to Su Hong.
After examining her, the emergency doctor said, "It's probably because she drank iced mung bean soup. Pregnant women should avoid eating raw or cold food."
When Su Hong heard that her daughter was fine, she politely said to Chen Ran, who was still waiting outside, "Thank you for troubling us today. You've helped us a lot. I'll treat you to dinner another day."
"I'm glad the child is okay." Chen Ran looked at Su Nian who was supported by Si Yan. His gaze paused for a moment between the girl's eyebrows. He thought for a moment, but said nothing and turned away.
Si Yan was worried, so he took Su Nian to see Director Liu of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. After a careful examination, Director Liu tapped Si Yan's forehead and said, "You have to keep a close eye on me from now on. Don't touch anything cold. As my fiancé, you need to be more careful."
"I understand, Aunt Liu." Si Yan responded with a smile, and put his arm around Su Nian's waist, his movements as gentle as if he was holding fragile porcelain.
Su Hong followed behind, feeling a mixture of emotions as she watched her daughter lean on Si Yan's shoulder. She was truly blessed that nothing had gone wrong today.
On the way home in the car, Su Nian was so sad that she almost cried, "It's all my fault. I made you worry. I'm sorry..."
"Silly child, it's mom's fault. Our family will never drink mung bean soup again." Su Hong hugged her daughter and patted her shoulder.
"I am also responsible." Si Yan looked at Su Nian in the rearview mirror and felt a little scared. He would have to pay more attention in the future.
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