Night was like water, and in Beijing, Ning Gang hung up the phone, his brow furrowed in concern.
No sooner had Old Master Ning set down the newspaper, preparing to head to his room to sleep, he noticed his eldest son’s deeply furrowed brows and decided to sit back down.
"What’s the matter, has your younger brother run into some trouble that he needs your help with?" Old Master Ning asked his eldest son.
"It’s not him, it’s the business with the couple, Qi Taiguo," Ning Gang said as he handed the teacup to the old man.
Old Master Ning raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did the two of them have a quarrel?"
Ning Gang shook his head and replied, "If only it were that simple; marital spats can be resolved from the head of the bed to the foot, but no, that’s not the case."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "You’re aware of what the fourth brother mentioned before, right? About Jiang Conghe’s daughter, Chiang Qing, setting her sights on Qi Taiguo."
Old Master Ning nodded, "Yes, I’ve heard something to that effect. And then?"
"Chiang Qing has been acting so recklessly because there’s a reason for it. The fourth brother somehow got wind of the news— that girl had intermittent schizophrenia as a child, and now, it seems she’s having an episode!"
Upon hearing this, Old Master Ning straightened in his seat, his eyebrows knitting together, "That serious?"
Ning Gang made an affirming noise, "She seems to have gone mad; otherwise, she wouldn’t be so stubbornly fixated. Jiang Conghe’s wife even rushed over."
It looked like the situation was indeed quite serious.
Just bring her back for treatment, and all will be well," Old Master Ning said, relaxing his brows.
"If only it were that easy. You’re familiar with Jiang Conghe’s wife, Lu Shufen, a woman who holds herself in high regard. Saying she dotes on her child would be an understatement. Seeing her daughter wronged, she would definitely not let the couple off the hook. With Qi Taiguo away for training, only Cheng Su was left at home. When Lu Shufen showed up, an argument broke out."
At this, Old Master Ning’s brows furrowed once again.
"Cheng Su had a miscarriage!"
"What?" Old Master Ning exclaimed, looking stunned, "The child, had a miscarriage?"
Ning Gang nodded and said, "It was Lu Shufen. She pushed her, causing her to hit the corner of a table."
Old Master Ning felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. At his age, he could hardly bear to hear such distressing news, especially when it was about an occasion that should have been joyful.
"The child is alright though?"
Ning Gang replied, "Her constitution is quite strong; with proper rest, there won’t be any serious issues. But as it happened, Qi Taiguo returned from training at just that time. He ended up hitting Lu Shufen and almost strangled Chiang Qing to death."
That was truly the most troublesome part—for Qi Taiguo to have quelled one matter only to stir up another so soon; how could Ning Gang not be troubled?
Old Master Ning stared blankly for a moment before saying after a long silence, "It’s not his fault. Any man would be unable to tolerate such a thing." Especially since he was a soldier of martial spirit.
"Now that this has happened, it can’t be kept hidden. Jiang Conghe will definitely exploit the situation. The fourth brother thinks we should cover for him. Dad, what do you make of all this?" Ning Gang said with some dissatisfaction, "If our own house is not in order, how can we hope to bring peace to the world? I’m thinking, is Qi Taiguo too lacking in ability to cope with situations?"
Old Master Ning looked at his son and said, "Exactly right, eldest son. If our own house is not in order, how can we bring peace to the world, and if we can’t protect our own people, how can we protect our country? His wife has suffered a great wrong, he’s lost a child; if he had remained silent, would you dare to rely on him?"
Ning Gang frowned.
"While it was indeed a rash act, under such provocation, who could remain calm and collected? The key is that he didn’t completely lose his reason," Old Master Ning sighed, "A person pushed to the limit has no choice but to fight back."
"What are you suggesting, Dad?" Ning Gang asked cautiously.
"Matters of the heart are also domestic affairs; it’s not right for us to intervene. But you said something earlier that makes sense—if our own house is not in order, how can we bring peace to the world? Isn’t Jiang Conghe also failing to manage his own household? Allowing his wife to cause someone to miscarry—frankly, isn’t that akin to killing someone?"
Ning Gang was taken aback, his face thoughtful.