Chapter 196: A Daughter of My Own

Chapter 196: Chapter 196: A Daughter of My Own

"Qiangzi, Nuannuan, how come you’re back in a car? And who is this?" The Zhang family was quite surprised to see Xiao Li and his car when they opened the door.

"This is Li Rui," Zhang Wei Qiang said, introducing him to Zhang Dazhuang, Wen Xiu, Lin Qin, and Zhang Minzhen in turn. Then he turned to Xiao Li. "These are my parents, my wife, and my younger sister. And these two are my sons."

"A pleasure to meet you, sir and ma’am," Xiao Li said, jumping in with a grin as soon as Zhang Wei Qiang finished the introductions. He then greeted Lin Qin and Zhang Minzhen as well. "You can all just call me Xiao Li." He finished by pulling Zhang Su and Zhang Kai closer, adding warmly, "These two boys are built solid! It’s clear they’re chips off the old block."

The Zhang family was a little taken aback by Xiao Li’s forwardness, but they politely greeted him in return. Finally, Zhang Wei Qiang turned to Wen Xiu. "Mom, can you whip up something simple? Xiao Li needs to eat and get back on the road."

"Why rush off so late? Just stay the night with us," Zhang Dazhuang offered.

"He’s right," Wen Xiu, Lin Qin, and Zhang Minzhen all nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for your kind offer. I’d love to stay if I could, but it’s impossible," Xiao Li said, quickly waving a hand with a smile. "My boss, Manager Shao, is still helping out at the scene. I can’t just leave him there and stay the night. I have to hurry back to pick him up, and then go to the guest house to get the old gentleman and the young master."

’Manager Shao? The scene?’

The members of the Zhang family exchanged glances, unable to hide the shock and confusion in their eyes.

"Mom, Dad, something happened today. But Mom, could you first get something for Xiao Li, Nuannuan, and me to eat? We can talk about everything after that."

...

「The Lin family home in Xuanbei County.」

"Old man, you don’t think our son-in-law decided not to come because he’s angry we told Qin Zi and the others to stay away, do you?" Shen Ling asked in a low voice, feeling a faint unease as she watched a sullen Lin Wenji smoke his pipe.

"It’s hard to say. I don’t know why you believe in all that superstitious nonsense anyway."

Lin Wenji took a heavy drag from his pipe and said with irritation, "Hmph. And here I thought he was so reliable, but he drops the ball when it matters most. So many people asked me today why on a big day like Lin Bin’s, his own sister and brother-in-law were nowhere to be seen. I was so embarrassed I didn’t know what to say. And if you ask me, Qin Zi is just as unreliable. So what if you had someone tell her that her and the kids’ zodiac signs clash with her new sister-in-law’s, and that they shouldn’t come? Is that any reason to get into such a huff that she wouldn’t even try to persuade her husband to attend? This is just great. Now everyone’s going to think our daughter and son-in-law have some major feud with us and are cutting us off for good."

Shen Ling was silent for a long time. "...You’re overthinking it. It’s not as serious as all that. There must be a good reason our son-in-law didn’t come. Why don’t we go over to their place tomorrow and see? If he really is angry, we can try to explain it to them again."

"Hmph. If you want to go, go by yourself," Lin Wenji grumbled. "This is all your doing, with your superstitions and nonsense. Happy now? We’re at an age where we have to go groveling to our own daughter and son-in-law. Have you no shame?"

"Fine, we won’t go then. Qin Zi doesn’t hold a grudge. Even if she’s angry, it won’t be for long. You stubborn old goat, now you’re blaming me? Was I the only one who believed in it? You didn’t say anything against it when I brought it up!" Shen Ling retorted, unconvinced.

"I couldn’t be bothered to argue with you," Lin Wenji shot back with a glare. Shen Ling glared right back, refusing to yield. The old couple were both irritated and at a standoff when their son, Lin Bin, burst in frantically. "Mom, Dad, it’s terrible! A classmate of mine just ran over to tell me—I think the bus from Liuyun Town, from near Brother-in-law’s place, crashed on its way to the county seat this morning!"

"Crashed? What happened? Did it just break down on the road?" Realization dawned on Lin Wenji and Shen Ling’s faces. "No wonder. I knew your brother-in-law wouldn’t miss your engagement without a good reason." ’As long as he didn’t skip it because he was angry, everything is fine.’ They both let out a sigh of relief.

"No. It would be a relief if it had only broken down," Lin Bin said, his voice grim. "My classmate heard it might have gone off a cliff."

"What did you just say?" Lin Wenji and Shen Ling were horrified, the color draining from their faces in an instant.

...

「Lihua Village.」

It wasn’t until after Xiao Li had left that Zhang Wei Qiang finally told them about the accident, downplaying his role in going down the cliff alone to rescue people. When he finished, everyone was struck with lingering fear. Lin Qin immediately pulled Gu Nuan Nuan into a hug and burst into tears. "Nuannuan, from now on, you’re this auntie’s own daughter."

Lin Qin was flooded with regret. ’Just last night, I was secretly complaining about Gu Nuan Nuan making a fuss, thinking she was being too much trouble.’ She couldn’t bear to imagine what state she’d be in right now, hearing the terrible news, if it weren’t for Nuannuan’s unusual persistence that kept her husband off that death-trap of a bus. She didn’t dare to think what would have become of her and her two children if her husband had never returned.

The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. She held Gu Nuan Nuan, her body trembling uncontrollably as her sobs grew more and more unrestrained.

"It’s okay. I’m standing right here in front of you, safe and sound, aren’t I?" Seeing his wife was so terrified she’d lost all composure, Zhang Wei Qiang no longer cared that his parents, sister, and children were watching. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, trying to comfort her. But Lin Qin just clung to him tightly, as if for dear life. Forgetting all about appearances, she sobbed brokenly, tears streaming down her face. "...If it... if it hadn’t been for Nuannuan... and you... you were really in that accident... how could the children and I possibly go on... Our family... would have been completely destroyed..."

Lin Qin wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stop crying. No one else was much better off; tears streamed down all their faces.

After the wave of relief had passed and late at night when all was quiet, everyone went back to their rooms. Zhang Su turned to Zhang Kai with a very serious expression. "You’re not allowed to talk bad about Nuannuan behind her back anymore, got it? From now on, you have to treat her like our real sister, just like I will."

"Bro, I was just grumbling a little, saying she was too coddled. How is that talking bad about her?" Zhang Kai retorted, unconvinced. "Besides, you agreed with me back then, didn’t you? You also thought everyone was making too big a deal over her."

"Forget about the past. I’m talking about the future," Zhang Su said, his face flushing slightly. "That was when we didn’t know her well enough. But now that I think about it, what’s wrong with a girl being a little coddled? Girls are supposed to be delicate and cute, right?"

"But bro, you’ve always hated girls who act all delicate..." Zhang Kai didn’t get to finish before Zhang Su smacked him on the back of the head. "Can other girls even compare to our Nuannuan? What, did you not hear Mom? She said we have to treat Nuannuan like her own daughter from now on. Mom’s own daughter is our real sister. Our closest sister, closer than our cousins from Second Uncle’s and Third Uncle’s families. You don’t get it? Or are you refusing to accept her?"

"Who said I wouldn’t accept her? What do you take me for, some ungrateful lowlife? I’m just not buying your sudden change of heart..." Zhang Kai grumbled, pursing his lips.

"Then cut the crap and get to sleep. Too bad if you don’t like it. Who’s fault is it you were born after me?" Zhang Su gave Zhang Kai another authoritative rap on the head.

’Boo hoo, what’s so great about being born first? All you ever do is bully me...’ Zhang Kai was fuming but didn’t dare say it aloud. Cowed by his older brother’s tyranny, he could only mutter the complaint to himself. But of course, grumbling aside, he felt no real dissatisfaction toward his brother at all.