Chapter 771 There Must Be a Representative from Her Parental Family
After Zhai Sheng left, he did not go back to the Zhai family’s residence. Instead, he went to the hospital.
When Zhai Sheng reached the hospital, he saw Qiao Dongliang sit quietly by himself. He lowered his eyes and was silent. He was deep in his thoughts as if he were pondering some important issues. He was so still as if he was not there. However, everyone that had seen Qiao Dongliang could feel that he seemed to be deeply troubled.
“Uncle Qiao.”
“You are here.” Qiao Dongliang looked up and noticed the stiffness in his neck. “Nan Nan?”
“I have sent Nan Nan back home. I have arranged for her to stay with Shi Qing for the time being.”
“That’s good.” Qiao Dongliang had a reluctant smile on his face. “You have taken care of Nan Nan much better than me. I can feel assured with you by her side.”
Although he was not used to having him by his daughter’s side, Qiao Dongliang had always been approving of Zhai Sheng. “Do you know what I was thinking just now?”
“I don’t know.” Zhai Sheng did not say anything else apart from sitting down quietly beside Qiao Dongliang. Ding Jiayi’s ward was right in front of him.
After four hours of emergency treatment, Ding Jiayi’s life was no longer in danger. But two of the ribs at her abdominal cavity were broken. One of them even pierced her lungs. Thankfully, the wound was not too deep and it did not go through it.
Even so, Ding Jiayi was rescued from the brink of death.
“I was reminded of what happened three years ago. Three years ago, it was also about this time of the year. You brought Nan Nan, who was covered in blood, to the factory to look for me. That day, Nan Nan cried very badly. I took her to the hospital. It was then that I realized that even though the society was well-developed, Nan Nan had been suffering from malnutrition…”
Qiao Dongliang let out a deep sigh. “In fact, I still have that outdated way of thinking. I feel that sons are better than daughters as they can carry on the family line. Therefore, I have not treated Zijin or Nan Nan well. I have lost the right to be a soldier because I have two children. I feel that I have sacrificed more than enough for them. Every day, I will lead a mundane life, shuffling between work and my house. I work hard to support my family and to provide my children through school. As a father of two children, I have a clear conscience.”
“It was until then that you realized that you are wrong?” Zhai Sheng asked.
“Yes, until that time.” Qiao Dongliang covered his face with his hands, as if he was too ashamed to face others. “That time, I realized that because of my hands-off approach and Ding Jiayi’s biased attitude toward Zijin, Nan Nan suffered a lot of injustice all these years. But over the years, Ding Jiayi had been brainwashing me that Zijin was better and she would have a brighter future. As such, I even thought of getting a husband for Zijin and for him to take our surname. I knew that Nan Nan had suffered injustice, but I did not seek justice for her. Instead, I asked Nan Nan to give in and compromise. I am only good with words, but I did not follow through with actions.”
“…” Zhai Sheng knew that it took a lot of courage for Qiao Dongliang to admit his mistakes that he once committed. Not every man had the courage to do that.
The child would not point out his father’s mistakes. A father’s pride did not allow him to admit his own mistakes as well.
Thereafter, Zhai Sheng remained silent throughout. He did not make a single comment or say a word. He sat by Qiao Dongliang’s side as he listened to him quietly.
“I was going around in circles. Although Nan Nan refuses to be too harsh, some people are out to drive her to a dead end. Even if she owes Ding Jiayi and me in previous life, she has repaid her debts in this life. But there will be more in store for Nan Nan. Zhai Sheng, you know Nan Nan’s temper. No matter whether she has self-confidence or not, there is no way that she will not mind that you come from an established family. Even if you feel that whatever you do is for her own good, don’t you think you should control yourself? Perhaps you should take a step back and consider whether what you have done is really what she needs.”
“Uncle Qiao, you don’t have to worry. I understand what you mean.”
“You are a smart person. Unless you are not willing, I know that you will understand my meaning.”
“Has Uncle Qiao come to a decision?”
“Yes.” Qiao Dongliang nodded.
“You told me to consider whether what I did for Nan Nan is really what she needs. Uncle Qiao, you should know best how Nan Nan’s personality is.”
“You can be assured that my decision has nothing to do with Nan Nan. It is for my own sake. I am an ordinary person. I just want to lead a simple and peaceful life. I cannot stand so many ups and downs. Since she cannot lead a simple life, it only goes to show that we are not meant for each other. Although we have once been together, we will have to go our separate ways sooner or later. Right now, it is time to part.”
This time, Qiao Dongliang had really made up his mind.
It had dragged on for three years. Qiao Dongliang was exhausted.
Unlike the hesitation that he felt previously, he felt as if a load was being lifted off his shoulder when he thought of ‘divorce’ this time. He felt relieved.
“I am glad that you have made up your mind.” Zhai Sheng did not express any opinions. “Uncle Qiao, this is for you.”
Zhai Sheng took out a passbook from his pocket. “Nan Nan passed this to me when I sent her home. In fact, Nan Nan is prepared.”
Qiao Dongliang bent forward and broke into tears when he looked at the numbers in the passbook
It had been more than a year since he last saw Qiao Zijin. She did not ask him for a single cent for her school fees. On one hand, he was worried, but on the other hand, he felt reassured.
Over the past decades, he had spent all his hard-earned money on Qiao Zijin. Now that Qiao Zijin had been out of his life for more than one year, he could spend all his money that he earned in this one year on Qiao Nan.
What he had given Qiao Nan was so much lesser than what he had given Qiao Zijin.
No matter how much he had given her in this one year, it was his love for his younger daughter. It was also a form of compensation for her.
To his surprise, Nan Nan did not spend a single cent of the money that he gave her. In fact, she even saved up the money that she earned from giving tuition to the children. She gave him all her hard-earned savings that was meant for her college fees.
Qiao Dongliang felt so bitter inside. He was rendered speechless!!!
Qiao Dongliang cried silently beside Zhai Sheng. Zhai Sheng sat quietly beside him. When Qiao Dongliang finally stopped sobbing and calmed himself down, Zhai Sheng passed him a cup of water. “The weather is hot. have some water.”
Zhai Sheng could tell from Qiao Dongliang’s chapped lips that he had not had a sip of water or taken any food since this morning when he sent Ding Jiayi to the hospital. It had been a whole day. “Uncle Qiao, I will check around and get you some food. Nan Nan will no longer have a good mother in this life. But at the very least, she must not lose her father. On the day that I marry Nan Nan, she cannot possibly do without anyone from her family.”