Once Zhou Feng’er figured this out, a brilliant light ignited in her eyes. It was as if she could finally see a way out.
’How can I report my father, Zhou Mazi? I have no idea where to go in the city or who to look for.’
’That’s right! Gu’er said before to go to the village committee and find the director of the won’s federation. She must be the one who handles these things, right? I have to go back to the village. I’ll find the village committee, find the director, and report Zhou Mazi. Once he’s arrested and in jail, I’ll finally be free.’
The more Zhou Feng’er thought about it, the brighter the light in her eyes shone. Without a second thought, she left the hospital room.
The mont she stepped out the door, she saw Dingzi, Sun Jiaming, and Li Zhi escorting her father toward her. In truth, it was less of an escort and more like they were marching him there.
She didn’t give them a second glance and took off running. She had to get back to the village quickly. She wouldn’t feel at ease until she reported Zhou Mazi.
"You worthless bitch! What are you running for?! You get back here! I’ll beat you to death!"
Zhou Mazi started swearing the mont he saw Zhou Feng’er.
It was as if Zhou Feng’er didn’t hear him; she just kept running for her life.
Zhou Mazi hurled a few more curses but didn’t chase after her. He went into the hospital room. In his mind, his daughters could never escape the palm of his hand. He was their father; what he said, went. They had to obey, whether they liked it or not.
Watching Zhou Mazi enter the hospital room, Gu’er glanced at Sun Jiaming. He gave her a nod, and she knew Zhou Mazi must have signed the papers.
Gu’er couldn’t be bothered to waste another look on Zhou Mazi. Her thoughts turned to Zhou Feng’er, who had just fled.
"Feng’er has gone back to the village. She’s probably on her way to the village committee to report you."
Gu’er’s voice was flat as she spoke to Zhou Mazi.
"That damn worthless girl! She dares to report ? That’s rebellion! Just wait until I get back, I’ll beat her to death!"
Zhou Mazi’s eyes went wide with fury. He had already signed the papers, and that damn girl Zhou Feng’er still dared to go back and report him.
"You two, get a move on! Co with and chase her down! See if I don’t beat her to death when I catch her!"
Zhou Mazi barked at Zhou Duo’er and Zhou Cai. As soon as he finished speaking, he hurried out. Though he’d taken quite a beating, no bones were broken, so walking wasn’t a problem.
Neither Dingzi nor Sun Jiaming made a move to stop them. As they watched Zhou Duo’er and Zhou Cai leave with Zhou Mazi, the hospital room finally beca peaceful.
Gu’er didn’t care whether Zhou Mazi caught up to Zhou Feng’er, whether he beat her, or whether she successfully reported him. That was the Zhou family’s problem, and it had nothing to do with her. Let them tear each other apart. She would be pleased no matter who ca out worse for wear.
After checking on Li Hua’s condition, the doctor inford Gu’er that the surgery was scheduled for 8:30 the next morning.
The afternoon and night ahead would be agonizing, but Gu’er knew there was no use in panicking now. She couldn’t afford to break down; she still had to take care of Li Hua.
Throughout the night, Gu’er would jolt awake every ti she managed to close her eyes. Her mind kept replaying the scene from just after Cui Tie died, when she and Li Hua were thrown out of the Cui Family ho. She could still see herself, crying and clinging to Li Hua, begging her not to leave. The mory of how pathetic they looked then still filled her with a sour grief.
She hadn’t allowed herself to think about that scene in a long, long ti. She thought she had forgotten it, but it had always been there, buried in the depths of her mory. She had no sense of security. She was terrified of being abandoned.
’So it’s true,’ she thought. ’So mories are never forgotten, no matter how much ti passes.’
Gu’er got up and looked over at Sun Jiaming, who was slumped on the sofa. His eyes were closed; he must have fallen asleep. She went to the side of the hospital bed, and a tear dripped onto the back of Li Hua’s hand.
’Mom, you didn’t abandon then. From now on, it’s my turn to take care of you.’
Gu’er vowed silently in her heart.
The next day, Gu’er and Sun Jiaming had breakfast together. She made sure to eat a lot, knowing she needed strength. She could only take good care of Li Hua if she was well herself.
Sun Jiaming watched Gu’er with a look of tender pity. She was being so strong, not crying constantly or needing to be consoled. But seeing her like this made his heart ache for her all the more.
After breakfast, Li Zhi and Dingzi arrived as well. Lin Shan also stopped by, but seeing that so many people were there to help, he left for work. He told Gu’er to call his office if she needed anything.
As he left the hospital, Lin Shan felt a deep sense of relief. ’Gu’er found a good man in Jiaming. Even though he’s from the village, he’s upright, magnanimous, and open-minded. He treats Gu’er well, takes responsibility when issues arise, and is honest and kind. I don’t have to worry that Sun Jiaming will ever treat Gu’er badly. It’s truly her good fortune to have found him.’
’Then there are her friends, Li Zhi and Dingzi. Li Zhi is quick-witted, his family has connections, and he’s undeniably good to Gu’er.’
’As for Dingzi, he may be a man of few words, but people like him are absolutely loyal. You could doubt anyone else in the world, but you could always trust Dingzi. With two friends like that helping her, Gu’er has really hit the jackpot.’
’Then there’s Liu Yuan, who visited the house that one ti. He was also kind to Gu’er during her hardest tis—another good friend.’
’From the looks of it, the girl doesn’t have much luck with female friends. She doesn’t seem to have any close girlfriends or bosom buddies, but she’s certainly not lacking for male friends.’
’I hope Li Hua’s surgery is successful and she pulls through. Otherwise, the girl will definitely be weighed down by guilt.’
’As for the Zhou family... since the girl wants them to descend into internal chaos, then I’ll give them a little push. Let their family fall into disarray. As long as it doesn’t affect her, they’re all irrelevant. I see nothing wrong with that, because not a single one of them is a good person.’
Gu’er had no idea Lin Shan was thinking this. If she had, she would have found it strange herself. In her past life, she didn’t have any close "sisters" because she rarely socialized, and it was the sa in this life. To this day, she didn’t even have what people from a later era would call a "bestie." It really was a bit odd. As for her rapport with n, Gu’er hadn’t thought much about it. Liu Yuan was a friend, and Li Zhi and Dingzi were business partners. She had no ulterior motives; it was all just normal friendship.
All of Li Hua’s pre-operative preparations were complete. Her hair had been shaved, and she was wheeled into the operating room.
The waiting was the most agonizing part, but Gu’er managed to remain composed. She didn’t want to make everyone else worry too.
After what felt like an eternity, the doors to the operating room opened.
Gu’er hurried over, anxious and afraid. She was so scared she didn’t even dare to ask.
"Doctor, how did the surgery go?"
Sun Jiaming saw Gu’er’s internal conflict and asked on her behalf.
"Rest assured, the surgery was a success. The patient should wake up as early as tonight, or by tomorrow at the latest."
The doctor’s face showed a mix of fatigue and delight. He had successfully perford a surgery, and he, too, was pleased with the result.
"Thank you. Thank you, Doctor."
Gu’er felt there could be no better news.
She felt a sudden wave of relief, and her legs almost gave out. Sun Jiaming reacted quickly, catching and steadying her.
The head surgeon then went over a list of post-operative instructions, and Gu’er nodded along to every point.
Li Zhi and Dingzi also let out a quiet sigh of relief. It was a good thing the surgery was a success. If sothing had happened to Li Hua, it would have been a devastating blow to Gu’er. And of course, from the bottom of their hearts, they didn’t want to see this poor woman die, either.
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Thank you to Li Xuexiang and Tian Gongnan for the sachets, to Dong Hanlele and Jiajia03 for the peace charms, and to Xiaoxiaojin for the monthly ticket. Thank you all for your support.
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