Lying in bed with Xiao Feng in her arms, Xia Mian carefully contemplated the matter of leaving the Zhang family. After dealing with those two thugs yesterday, she fully understood Zhang Qiming’s unscrupulousness. She wasn’t afraid, but she had Xiao Feng to consider.
Putting aside the issue of avoiding harm, this child was only four and a half years old. Perhaps a better environment could heal his psychological scars. Still, going directly to Yan City was definitely not feasible. Even if they left secretly, both she and Xiao Feng were still minors. Zhang Qiming and Second Uncle Xia could simply report them missing, and they’d be forced back under their control.
So, the first thing she must solve was Xiao Feng’s household registration. If she could transfer Xiao Feng to her family register, at least she wouldn’t leave any loopholes for Zhang Qiming to exploit when she took the boy away — for example, accusing her of abduction. As for the issue of custody, that could be addressed gradually.
Xia Mian thought about the living room, which felt somewhat empty without two main pieces of furniture, and figured transferring the registration shouldn’t be too difficult. Even if Zhang Qiming was unwilling, wasn’t there Huang Xiaojuan? And if that failed, she could use the Huang family…
If that still didn’t work, she could just push a little harder!
Xia Mian calculated the time. Zhang Qiming would return in four days, but before that, she needed to arrange for Huang Xiaojuan to take the blame for the missing stamp album…
…
The next morning, after confirming that Xiao Feng was fine, Xia Mian took him out to buy some children’s essentials. Her hometown, the small county town of Mingxi, was very small, and the variety of items available wasn’t as extensive as in the city.
Right, she planned to take Xiao Feng back to her hometown! According to her plan, the Zhang family was about to face a series of storms, and the two of them would rather stay out of it. If they wanted her to return, they would have to come and ask her personally!
The evening before their departure, Ning Shaoyun brought Huo Yuchen upstairs to thank Xia Mian. A whole day had passed since the incident, and Ning Shaoyun had finally recovered. She and Ning Shaobai had gone out to buy quite a few things as a gesture of gratitude today.
Ning Shaoyun obviously knew their situation in detail and had bought practical items targeted for them. For Xiao Feng, it was clothes, shoes, toys, and children’s nutritional products. For Xia Mian, it was several beautiful dresses, which she genuinely loved—truly befitting a little angel!
Ning Shaoyun also brought a CD player and some English discs. “I heard you’re in high school, and these are very useful for learning English,” she explained softly.
As she spoke, Ning Shaoyun pulled out a black leather address book and handed it over, “This has my contact information, phone numbers, and address. If you need any help, you can contact me anytime.”
This offer was sincerely made with the intention of staying in touch for a long time. Xia Mian happily accepted, “Don’t worry, sister, I’ll definitely reach out if I need anything.” She hadn’t expected this pleasant surprise. Having Sister Ning to turn to in the future meant she no longer had to deal with Ning Shaobai reluctantly!
Ning Shaoyun smiled. Seeing her packing, she asked curiously, “Are you leaving?”
“Well,” Xia Mian replied, “I’m taking Xiao Feng back home for a bit, to see our relatives and discuss what to do next.”
Ning Shaoyun nodded, “That makes sense. It’s better to have the adults involved in such matters.”
“When will you be back?”
That would depend on when Huang Xiaojuan’s thievery was exposed — Xia Mian silently thought. But she said to Ning Shaoyun, “It depends on what the elders decide.”
Ning Shaoyun added, “My grandmother also mentioned that you could take the exam to attend Huagang First High School.”
“Please convey my thanks to Teacher Mi,” Xia Mian expressed her gratitude. “But I need to think about it. If things aren’t settled here, Huang Xiaojuan might cause trouble. High school is very important; it would be problematic if she ruins it. Plus, there’s Xiao Feng; I really can’t leave him alone with the Zhang family.”
“Are you thinking about moving out on your own?” Ning Shaoyun asked. “Separating from their family is indeed a solution, but it really does need to be handled by the elders.”
Xia Mian nodded.
Huo Yuchen tugged at his mother’s hand, “Mom, the little brother from that day.” Today, the little guy was dressed in a stylish sports outfit. When he was not covered in tears and snot, he truly stood out from the other kids around here.
Xiao Feng hid behind Xia Mian, a bit shy, but he remembered his auntie teaching him how to greet people. He peeked out and softly called, “Hello, big brother,” then looked at Xia Mian. He actually remembered this big brother, who had cried so miserably that day.
Huo Yuchen didn’t realize he was viewed as a pitiful figure by Xiao Feng. A six year old kid was quick to forget — after being comforted by his family, he had pushed the terrifying memories of that day to the back of his mind, only remembering one thing, “Did little brother also get a shot?”
Ning Shaoyun helplessly patted her son’s head and quickly changed the subject, “Little brother didn’t get sick, but he hasn’t played with toys. Wouldn’t it be nice to teach him to play with your toys?”
Xia Mian also wanted Xiao Feng to be more outgoing and brave. “This big brother’s name is Chenchen. Why don’t you let him show you how to play?” She gently nudged the boy.
Xiao Feng obediently called out, “Brother Chenchen.”
Chenchen immediately puffed up his little chest and, mimicking an adult, gently patted Xiao Feng’s head, “Little brother Xiao Feng.”
Xia Mian picked out a bunch of toys and placed them on the sofa, then went to prepare some snacks and small treats for the two little guys.
Ning Shaoyun stayed over to help—partly because she still felt traumatized and couldn’t let Chenchen out of her sight, and partly because she wanted to escape the overwhelming enthusiasm of the neighbors, “The neighbors are too enthusiastic.” She sighed.
Xia Mian understood; since Ning Shaobai’s identity as a wealthy heir had been forced into the open, Teacher Mi’s house had been besieged by visitors these past few days.
And their questions were endless:
“Do rich people live in big mansions? How many rooms do they have?”
“Why is Dr. Ning’s phone so small? Is it very expensive?”
“Is Dr. Ning really going to inherit tens of millions yuan? Did his stepmother really hire someone to kill him?”
Although most of the time it was just curiosity, being the receiving end of the barrage was still uncomfortable.
However, Xia Mian, a teenage girl who was typically very curious, surprisingly did not ask any extra questions, putting Ning Shaoyun at ease.
Xia Mian was indeed not curious; She had heard too many stories about mistresses, stepmothers, illegitimate children, and disputes over family fortunes among the riches, either from online gossip or from TV drama and other media. Instead, chatting about clothes and fashion with Ning Shaoyun was much more enjoyable for her.
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