Huang Xiaojuan didn’t expect that an ignorant country bumpkin like Xia Mian to be so sharp-tongued. Unable to defend herself, she screamed in frustration, “No, it’s not true!”
“Enough!” Officer Liu Hong commanded, showing no sympathy towards Huang Xiaojuan, “All of you, off to the police station for a statement!” She then turned to Xia Mian, “You too, you should tone it down. We’ll get a medical examination for the child first.” Though the officer maintained a professional demeanor, her tone was much softer towards Xia Mian.
Huang Xiaojuan had never had a run-in with the law and was now absolutely frightened. She only knew that going to the police station could ruin her reputation forever. Hearing about the medical examination, she quickly grasped onto it like a lifeline, “Officer, I also want to report her for assault! Shouldn’t I get an examination too?”
Aunt Liu spat in disgust, “You still have the face to report? What injuries do you have to examine? I think the child’s aunt didn’t hit you hard enough!”
“We shouldn’t say that,” someone commented, “She should go to the hospital and let the doctor check the color of her heart. It must be pitch black, isn’t it?”
Aunt Liu told Officer Liu Hong, “Wait a moment, Officer. I live right across the door. Let me fetch some clothes and food for the child. Adults can handle being hungry, but the child shouldn’t suffer any longer.”
“Auntie’s right,” a young woman added. She quickly handed over a bag of freshly bought egg cakes, “Here, let the child eat something first. Poor thing, his stomach must be empty.” Her voice cracked with emotion. Her own daughter was about the same age as this skinny boy. His situation was distressing for any parent to see.
But Xiao Feng was deeply afraid of adults. Seeing the hands approaching, he clung tighter to Xia Mian, whispering for help, “Auntie.”
His reaction saddened the woman. “Don’t be scared. I will give this to your auntie, okay? Let her feed you later,” she said, handing the food to Xia Mian.
Xia Mian, comforting Xiao Feng, didn’t refuse and thanked the woman, “Thank you, sister.”
“Just call me Sister Wang,” the young woman replied, smiling fondly at Xia Mian. “If you need anything, just come to me. I live upstairs.”
Following Sister Wang, Aunt Zhao handed over a pack of bottled milk, and a young man even brought over a whole watermelon, leaving Xia Mian dumbfounded.
The crowd joked, “How’s the child supposed to eat that?!”
The man scratched his head, “I just thought the kid might not have had the chance to eat watermelon before.”
Sighs and laughter followed.
Not long after, Aunt Liu returned with a set of clothes, “These were my grandson’s. He can wear these for now.”
“Thank you, Aunt Liu,” Xia Mian thanked her.
“Go on, then,” Aunt Liu encouraged, “Come back soon and have dinner at my place tonight. I’ll make some chicken soup for the child to help him recover.”
Huang Xiaojuan still tried to defend her reputation, “Aunt Liu, really, there’s no need. I’ve been wronged!”
She was met with unanimous disgust from the crowd.
The male officer intervened, “Let’s go!”
After arriving at the police station, they were taken separately to record statements. Xia Mian and Xiao Feng’s process was relatively simple, and afterward, they went straight to get a medical examination report.
The hospital they went to for the examination was The Ming City People’s Hospital, located right across from the Huagang family compound. The reception area, which was modestly sized, was crowded. As soon as Xia Mian and Xiao Feng walked in, they were met with stares from all directions. Xia Mian’s first reaction was to lower her eyes; her gaze lingering on the skull design on her chest, particularly its hollow eye sockets. She paused, contemplating.
Well… this kind of fashion choice may be unusual, but it couldn’t possibly be that shocking, right?
As she mulled over her thoughts, Xia Mian noticed a young nurse, her makeup meticulously applied, hastening towards her with sparkling eyes. The expression in her eyes made Xia Mian feel she was seen as fat prey.
Xiao Feng reacted even more strongly, immediately pulling Xia Mian back a step. This sudden movement nearly caused Xia Mian to lose her footing, and the back of her head came into contact with something solid.
With a disgruntled “Tsk!”, a firm hand supported her back, stopping her from falling.
Xia Mian turned around and saw a towering figure of a man. His features were obscured by backlighting, she couldn’t see his face clearly at first, noting only his lean, muscular build. The afternoon sun cascaded through the hospital’s clean windows, casting a warm, golden glow over his white lab coat, giving him an almost sacred halo.
The surrounding crowd murmured at his arrival, and in an instant, Xia Mian felt as if she were being pierced by the gazes from every direction.
“Dr. Ning.”
“Hello, Dr. Ning.”
“Ah, Dr. Ning’s here!”
Alright, the mystery was solved; the admiring gazes must be meant for him. His popularity was indeed astonishing, but this title sounded familiar…
“Dr. Ning~” A woman’s overly sweet voice rang out, filled with exaggerated worry, “Are you alright?!”
The nurse’s tone made it seem like Xia Mian was a tank, and her step back had supposedly crushed Dr. Ning.
Dr Ning! Xia Mian’s eyes suddenly widened in realization as she finally recognized the man: with sharp eyebrows, a high nose, and lips as red as cherries, he looked as handsome as if he had come straight out of a poster — it was the exact same Monk Tang who had intervened in her fight with Huang Xiaojuan earlier at noon!! In the rush to report to the police, she hadn’t noticed where he left. Unexpectedly, he turned out to be a doctor at this hospital.
Xia Mian’s expression immediately turned cold.
The nurse, who had finally caught up, frowned and immediately chided Xia Mian without even asking for a full story, “Little girl, be more careful when you walk.”
Xia Mian didn’t want to bother with a stupid woman in love. Just as she was about to leave, she felt a tight grip on her thigh. Looking down, she saw Xiao Feng looking up at her fearfully, whispering, “Auntie.”
Xia Mian quickly bent down to hug him, “Don’t be scared, Auntie is here.” Xiao Feng’s little face buried in her shoulder, as if hiding from something frightening.
Ning Shaobai’s gaze fell on the child in Xia Mian’s arms. His index finger, tucked in the pocket of his white coat, unconsciously tapped twice, his tone decidedly gentle, “Here for a medical examination report?”
Seeing Ning Shaobai’s concern for the child, the beautiful nurse immediately bent down and said tenderly, “Don’t be scared, baby. Tell sister what happened to you?”
Xiao Feng became even more frightened. He clung tighter to Xia Mian, as if wishing he could hide inside her pocket.
Xia Mian was surprised by Xiao Feng’s reaction when she heard an older nurse call out in a displeased tone, “Huang Xiaoxia! What are you doing? Go deliver the medicine to bed number three!”
Xia Mian sharply raised her head, “What’s your relationship with Huang Xiaojuan?”
Huang Xiaoxia, feeling Dr. Ning’s gaze also turned at her, blushed slightly, “Huang Xiaojuan is my sister. She lives just above Dr. Ning’s grandparent’s flat…”
“No wonder,” Xia Mian sneered coldly. Holding Xiao Feng in her arms, she turned away and left, making sure to glare at Ning Shaobai for the last time.
Ning Shaobai raised an eyebrow, while Huang Xiaoxia indignantly said, “Young girls these days truly don’t know manners. Dr. Ning, please don’t take it to heart.”
Glancing at the pretentious nurse, Ning Shaobai casually asked, “You don’t know that child?”
Huang Xiaoxia paused, “No, I don’t.” Then she put on a very affectionate facade, “That child is so adorable. I really love children.”
That boy should, logically, also call her ‘auntie.’ Recalling the child’s obvious fear when seeing her just now, Ning Shaobai snorted derisively and headed straight for the consultation room. Seeing Huang Xiaoxia still following, he impatiently said, “The head nurse called you to deliver medicine; you’ve delayed long enough.”
With a playful gesture, Huang Xiaoxia stuck out her tongue and walked away.
…
By the time Xia Mian left the hospital, it was already 4 PM. The detailed report would take another two days, but all the necessary medications were prescribed, including treatments for bruises and nutritional supplements. Xiao Feng suffered moderate malnutrition, but fortunately, there were no major developmental issues; appropriate nutritional supplementation should suffice.
What infuriated Xia Mian was discovering several subtle scabs around the child’s mouth during the examination, confirming he had indeed been pricked with needles. No wonder Xiao Feng was so terrified by Huang Xiaojuan’s threats that he dared not even cry!
Regardless of how many times she beat Huang Xiaojuan, Xia Mian’s fury couldn’t be quelled.
As they walked out of the hospital’s gate, Xia Mian fished out five or six yuan from her pocket. In an era where the average worker’s salary was a few hundred yuan, having this much pocket money as a high school student was quite good. However, it was far from enough to buy the nutritional supplements Xiao Feng needed. Xia Mian, who could only afford a pack of White Rabbit Creamy Candy, immediately unwrapped one and popped it into Xiao Feng’s mouth, then lifting him up, “Let’s go home and eat something delicious!”
Caught off guard by the sudden treat, Xiao Feng paused for a moment. As the sweetness spread in his mouth, his eyes squinted in delight, and his small hands wrapped around Xia Mian’s neck.
Feeling both heartache and satisfaction, Xia Mian became even more determined to deal with that beastly couple. She wasn’t the original Xia Mian; but that did not mean she could turn a blind eye to the injustice Xiao Feng suffered. After the Zhang couple had leeches off Xiao Feng’s mother and treated the boy this way, did they really think they could live peacefully? Not a chance!
As Xia Mian and Xiao Feng returned, they found quite a crowd gathered at the entrance of their apartment building. Their neighbor, Aunt Liu, informed her that Huang Xiaojuan had already returned from the police station.
Xia Mian paused, then realized that the setting of the novel was roughly in the 1990s when the public’s legal awareness was weak. Issues like domestic violence and child abuse were often treated as family disputes and resolved through mediation. However, even so, it seemed too quick for Huang Xiaojuan to be released.
As if reading Xia Mian’s thoughts, Aunt Liu mentioned, “Someone must have pulled some strings. Xiao Zhang is well-liked, and he knows people at the police station.”
Sister Wang knew more details, “It’s that Gao Yongfeng. He has wide connections.” She then lowered her voice, “I heard he has contacts in both the underworld and the police.”
In her previous life, Xia Mian had heard that in some small places, it was connections rather than the law that mattered more. She didn’t expect to encounter it so directly.
Aunt Liu added, “You mean that tall and skinny man who sells insurance? He looks quite sharp.”
“Yes, him,” Sister Wang confirmed, then she changed the subject, “By the way, that critical illness insurance he talked about last time seemed pretty good…”
As the conversation turned toward insurance, Xia Mian carried Xiao Feng upstairs. She wasn’t too disappointed; although incarcerating Huang Xiaojuan would have been the best outcome, the opportunity to personally punish the evil was also satisfying!
After all, she was still itching for a bit more action!
Xia Mian knocked on the door, but Huang Xiaojuan played dead and didn’t respond.
See, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?
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Thank you !
I am so angry, cannot wait to see how they will be punished!
Oooooh… The perfect opportunity for what? Now I’m intrigued! Can’t wait for more 🤭