Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Feeling Timid Near Home
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Her hair was being pulled, but Sheng Ning did not fight back. Instead, she calmly said, “Sister Zhang, if you don’t let go of me, we won’t need to go back to the village. We could go straight to the police station, how about that?”
When Widow Zhang heard about going to the police station, she got scared and didn’t dare to use much force, freezing in place.
The man who had been sitting at the back of the car had already stood up and squeezed to the front. Upon hearing Sheng Ning’s words, he quietly stopped his actions.
What a bold and composed girl with a meticulous mind.
A trace of amazement appeared in the man’s eyes.
“Sister Zhang, if you don’t let go, I can report you. If you get caught, you’ll be detained,” Sheng Ning added.
Upon hearing the word “detained,” Zhang Fang immediately loosened her grip. She couldn’t afford to be caught. If she got arrested, where would she put her face?
The bumpy car ride finally came to a halt. The driver impatiently opened the door and said, “We arrived, all of you get off quickly.”
Sheng Ning, who had felt like she was living through years on that car ride, quickly jolted off the vehicle, clutching her meager belongings.
By the time the man wanted to look for her, she had already disappeared.
From the town, it wasn’t far to Sheng Ning’s house, only about a half-hour walk. Coincidentally, today was market day, and the streets were bustling. Sheng Ning walked along the path that felt both familiar and unfamiliar, her emotions in turmoil. After decades away from her hometown, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the fresh air, and could almost smell the scent of nostalgia.
After crossing a small bridge over a winding stream, she could see the poplar trees at the village entrance and the two broad threshing grounds on the east and west sides. Sheng Ning’s house was at the west end of the village, very close to the threshing ground. Standing under the poplar trees, she could clearly see the wide-open door of her home.
Standing at the threshing ground, Sheng Ning suddenly felt a pang of apprehensiveness as she neared her home.
Thinking about her past life, she covered her mouth and sobbed uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her face, and her crying became almost hysterical. Even in her past life, when she’d been sentenced to prison, she hadn’t cried .
“Ningning, what’s wrong?” a middle-aged woman’s voice sounded from behind her. Sheng Ning turned back in disarray to see her stepmother, Shen Luhua, standing right behind her.
At this time, Shen Luhua hadn’t yet endured the pain of losing her daughter from her previous life. At forty years old, she wore her hair meticulously neat and had a gentle elegance that was uncommon among rural women.
Sheng Ning knew that when her stepmother didn’t smile, she was actually a very serious person. With thin lips that took on a sharp, cold look when not smiling.
“Ningning, why have you come back? Why are you crying?” Shen Luhua asked anxiously, seeing her stepdaughter cry without saying a word. For this stepdaughter, Shen Luhua was always extra cautious. Being a stepmother was no easy task, and she had learned this firsthand with Sheng Ning.
“I’m sorry…” Besides these three words, Sheng Ning couldn’t think of what else to say.
“Don’t stand at the door, come home with me quickly. If your father knows you’re back, he’ll be very happy.” After Sheng Ning joined the Song and Dance Troupe, she hadn’t written any letters home. Although her father didn’t say anything, he would often stand at the threshing ground looking out. Half a month ago, two letters had arrived, both related to the marriage. The content had made the old man very happy, but the Xu family’s attitude had suddenly changed, making the old man so angry he lost his appetite.
Shen Luhua’s voice wasn’t quiet, and everyone in the yard heard it. The first person to run out was her stepsister, Sheng An. Sheng An was only a year younger than her and had healthy, glowing wheat-colored skin.