"Qianqian, what do you think Zhang Jingjing ans by this?" He Wenyu sipped her milk tea, sitting with Luo Qianqian at the milk tea shop near the school gate, occasionally glancing at the unruffled Luo Qianqian.
"Just wait, maybe sothing ca up," Luo Qianqian detected her friend’s gazes and gave her a faint smile.
The incident began on Monday—Jingjing had also skipped a grade and moved up to Class Two in the fourth grade, joining Jiang An. Zhang Hongru was initially thrilled about his daughter’s advancent, seeing it as a sign of her academic success. He had noticed her good behavior over the winter break; she either studied or read books at ho obediently and even helped the neighbors when she went out, which made him proud. However, the day after news of the grade skip reached ho, Ma Lina claid she was so upset by Jingjing that she called an ambulance and was admitted to the hospital. Considering Ma Lina was close to her due date, Zhang Hongru arranged a private room for her and accompanied her every day after work, leaving Jingjing alone at ho. Although Jingjing had been advised by Luo Qianqian, she could not swallow her pride and decided to confront her father with her test paper for a signature over the weekend. The teacher hadn’t assigned such a task; it wasn’t midterms or finals—just a minor pop quiz, and perfect scores were common. Jingjing intended to stage a scene of fatherly love and filial piety in front of Ma Lina to provoke her, especially since Ma Lina was about to give birth.
"Qianqian, Xiao Yu, sorry for being late." The car from Jingjing’s house stopped in front of the milk tea shop. "Co on, I’ll treat you to so ice cream."
"Why so slow?" He Wenyu had already finished her milk tea, casually tossing the plastic cup into the trash bin, and picked up her bag to get into the car.
"Don’t even ntion it, the phone at my place was acting up today, I had to borrow the neighbor’s phone to call Uncle Wang to pick up, and even their phone wasn’t working," Jingjing said, clearly frustrated.
"Alright, don’t be mad, let’s be happy." Be happy while you’re off to irritate soone. But with the driver there, Luo Qianqian wouldn’t say it so bluntly.
Noticing Uncle Wang glancing at her through the rearview mirror, Luo Qianqian returned a smiling face.
"Miss, we’re here." The car stopped at the entrance to the obstetrics and gynecology departnt of the central hospital, and the three rushed out of the vehicle. Jingjing was about to head into the hospital when Luo Qianqian and He Wenyu stopped her.
"We should buy sothing, even just a couple of apples, as a gesture of visiting the sick." At the very least, no one should be able to fault them on the surface; that’s what Luo Qianqian thought, wise beyond her twenty-so years.
Jingjing, with a face full of reluctance, carried the fruit basket, asked the nurse for the room number, and pushed open the door. To her surprise, Zhang Hongru was also in the room, feeding Ma Lina so porridge: "Dad, I ca to visit the hospital, and the teacher told us to get our test papers signed by our parents." As she spoke, she placed the fruit basket on the bedside table and continued, "There wasn’t any exotic fruit nearby, so I just bought so stuff. Want anything? Should I wash them for you?" Her eyes innocent toward Ma Lina, yet she had stopped calling her ’mother’ long ago. After saying this, Zhang Hongru’s gaze on Jingjing beca even more tender.
"Jingjing really has grown up; you’re acting like a big sister now. Bring the test paper, and I’ll sign it," Zhang Hongru put down his bowl, addressing the two who followed Jingjing, carrying a box of milk: "You must be Jingjing’s friends, right? It’s good of you to co by, but you didn’t have to bring anything."
Of course, Jingjing had paid for these things; they wouldn’t carry so much money with them, but they still offered shy smiles: "Mom told to learn diligently from Sister Jingjing and that we should not visit an aunt without bringing sothing. We are grateful for how Sister Jingjing has looked after us." He Wenyu bowed her head, finding it hard to admit that the person who had just ordered Jingjing around was the sa Luo Qianqian standing there, appearing so well-behaved.
"Then uncle will gladly accept it," Zhang Hongru took the gifts, then gently addressed the two: "Jingjing also owes a lot to you for taking care of her." Although he felt Jingjing seed much older than these two children and not quite like a classmate, as a local leader, he still had to make the courtesy statent; after all, they had co to visit.
Ma Lina frowned at Luo Qianqian: "Aren’t you the kid Jingjing bullied before? Didn’t you skip a grade?" Then suddenly rembering that it seed Jingjing had also skipped a grade this week, her expression turned unpleasant.
"Is Jingjing Sister bullying ?" Luo Qianqian pointed to herself and asked with confusion. In her heart, though, she was secretly pleased, fearing that you wouldn’t ask.
"Oh, you an the ti when Jingjing Sister knocked over my things and then you ca to pay for them?" Luo Qianqian looked down with a thoughtful appearance.
"Yes," Ma Lina nodded without suspicion.
"Auntie, back then I was so envious of Jingjing Sister, to have a mom like you. Everyone knew it was Jingjing Sister who made the mistake, even the teacher was scolding her, but only Auntie, you firmly defended her. Jingjing Sister herself was embarrassed, but Auntie, you said she did nothing wrong and even doubled the compensation and then gave her extra pocket money. If it were , I would definitely cause trouble every day to get more pocket money." Seeing Zhang Hongru’s darkening face, Luo Qianqian continued with an innocent look on her upturned small face: "My mom wouldn’t do that, if I made a mistake she would definitely teach first how I should act and how to correct it, and there would be punishnt so that I wouldn’t make the mistake again next ti. Maybe that’s what a real mom is like." The last sentence was spoken softly, but in the small size of the hospital room, it was heard clearly by everyone.
"Isn’t that right," He Wenyu chid in quickly as Ma Lina tried to interject, "Jingjing Sister is the object of envy in our entire class. Not only is her mom beautiful, but she also gets a lot of pocket money, and even when she wants to go out to play, Auntie would let her take a leave of absence. Not having to go to school at all, I want to be a child like that in my next life too." As if.
"You!... Ah. My stomach..." Ma Lina pointed at the three of them, her gaze sowhat unfriendly, but the way she clutched her stomach didn’t seem feigned. Luo Qianqian quickly opened the ward door and shouted, "Help!!!"
He Wenyu shouted, "It’s coming!!!"
Zhang Jingjing cried out, "Quick, save her!!!"
When Zhang Hongru saw the children’s reactions, he couldn’t bother with anything else, and he rushed to comfort Ma Lina. After all, the Zhang family’s future generation was in Ma Lina’s belly; there couldn’t be any accidents, or it would be too late for regrets. With this in mind, he yet said, "Don’t be excited, don’t be excited, be careful with your belly, take deep breaths, deep breaths."
Before long, Ma Lina was rushed into the operating room for a cesarean delivery.
"Dad, don’t worry, my little brother will be fine." Zhang Jingjing went over to Zhang Hongru and spoke softly.
Zhang Hongru hugged Zhang Jingjing and she felt her father’s hands trembling: "May mother and child be safe, may heaven bless them, may heaven bless them."
With things like this, Luo Qianqian and her companion couldn’t just walk away. So they sat in the chairs opposite Zhang Hongru, quietly waiting for the results, since cesarean deliveries are quick.
"Wah wah wah." Soon, the cries of twins echoed through the corridor, and Zhang Hongru rushed excitedly to the door of the operating room.
At the sight of the operating room door opening, the nurse, looking troubled, said, "Twins, mother and child are safe," then went back into the operating room.
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