Chapter 9: Paralysis

"Ningning, are you... are you alright?"

Once Aunt Hua had left, Su Qiuxin approached Hua Ning and asked in a low voice. Helping Hua Ning put on a performance for the doctors and nurses earlier had been a spur-of-the-moment decision fueled by heat of the moment. Then, before Hua Ning had even returned, Aunt Hua had arrived. With the barrage of scolding and verbal abuse from Aunt Hua, the flicker of guilt that had just sprouted in Su Qiuxin’s heart vanished instantly. Now, seeing Hua Ning’s face covered in red mercurochrome, it would be a lie to say her heart didn't ache.

Hua Ning couldn't quite discern what Su Qiuxin’s true feelings toward her were at this moment. However, considering she had helped corroborate the old woman’s—Grandma Hua’s—vicious behavior in front of the doctor, Hua Ning’s feelings were complicated. Regardless, this woman would be her mother from now on—her own mother. After repeating this to herself, Hua Ning forced a smile.

"Mother, I am fine."

As she spoke, Hua Ning glanced at Grandma Hua and lowered her voice further. "I think it would be best if we discharged ourselves and went home. If Aunt brings people to the hospital to make a scene, I fear that..."

Upon hearing this, Su Qiuxin wrung her hands together in anxiety. After a moment, she looked at Hua Ning with a resolute yet uneasy expression. "Ningning, I will listen to you."

Hua Ning smiled and helped Su Qiuxin back to her hospital bed to sit down. "Mother, rest for a moment; I will go find the doctor."

Throughout the entire process, Hua Ning did not spare a single glance for Grandma Hua. She was destined to be bedridden sooner or later anyway, so they might as well go home early.

By the time Hua Ning returned to the ward with the discharge papers, the room was in an uproar.

"Waaaah! Grandma, my father and mother have been eaten by wild beasts!"

Before she even stepped through the door, she heard Hua Hao howling at the top of his lungs. Hua Ning pushed the door open and was met with the sight of the brigade leader, who looked utterly troubled.

"Uncle Brigade Leader, why are you here?" she asked with a look of surprise.

Seeing Hua Ning return, Li Qingxi gave her a bitter smile and explained what had happened in the village.

"What? My second uncle and aunt, they..."

Even though she knew she had been the one to end the lives of the second uncle and his wife, Hua Ning’s eyes still reddened, her face reflecting absolute disbelief.

Li Qingxi hadn't expected the Hua family to suffer such a string of tragedies. First, Hua Zhongguo had sacrificed his life, then Grandma Hua and Zhongguo’s wife were hospitalized, and before they had even been discharged, the second uncle and his wife were gone as well.

Furthermore, the Hua house had been ransacked the previous night. Not only was all the grain gone, but Li Qingxi wasn't even sure if the money had been stolen too. Looking at the state of the house, which looked like it had been stripped bare, he guessed that even if there had been money, it was likely gone. Thinking of all this, Li Qingxi felt a massive headache coming on. Before coming to the hospital, he had already reported the case to the Public Security Bureau, but he knew the chances of recovering the money and grain were slim.

"Uncle Brigade Leader, how could this happen? First my father, then my second uncle and aunt... what will happen from here on out... wooo..."

Hua Ning covered her mouth, her expression one of total collapse as she began to sob. Yet, beneath the hand covering her face, the corners of her mouth curved up slightly. If not for her acting skills, she wouldn't have been able to squeeze out any tears at all.

Watching Hua Ning cry so uncontrollably, the honest man couldn't help but feel his own eyes grow moist. He sighed and patted Hua Ning on the shoulder. "Little Ning, from now on... your family will have to rely on you and your mother!"

To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that the second uncle and his wife were gone, Li Qingxi would never have said those words. After all, given Grandma Hua’s insufferable personality and Hua Hao’s arrogant, bratty nature, if the girl and Zhongguo’s wife were left to raise him, they would surely suffer. But there was no other choice.

Li Qingxi scratched his head, glanced at the blank-eyed Grandma Hua on the bed, and walked out of the ward with another sigh.

Seeing him leave, Hua Ning stopped crying and walked over to Su Qiuxin, who looked utterly grief-stricken and hopeless.

"Mother."

Su Qiuxin looked up, her eyes swimming with tears, and could no longer suppress her sobs. "Ningning, how are we supposed to live from now on?"

Su Qiuxin had taken Li Qingxi’s words to heart, which was why she felt such profound despair.

"Don't worry, you have me from now on." Hua Ning took Su Qiuxin’s hand and squeezed it firmly, offering comfort.

"Grandma! Grandma, what's wrong? Wake up!"

Suddenly, Hua Hao’s panicked voice rang out, interrupting the silence between mother and daughter. Hua Ning let go of Su Qiuxin’s hand and stood up to walk to Grandma Hua’s bedside. Seeing Grandma Hua’s eyes tightly shut and her face slightly twisted, Hua Ning raised an eyebrow in surprise, then gave a cold, internal sneer.

"Mother, watch Hua Hao and Grandma for a moment; I’m going to call the doctor."

After a thorough examination, it was determined that Grandma Hua was paralyzed and could no longer speak. Hua Ning was delighted by this result. She hadn't even had a chance to lift a finger before Grandma Hua had reached the state she had envisioned. Tsk, tsk, one could only say that Grandma Hua’s capacity for acceptance was quite poor.

It was at this moment that Hua Ning finally remembered her "convenient" cousin. Hua Hao, previously arrogant and untamed, had matured instantly after the sudden death of his parents and the paralysis of his grandmother. He realized clearly that if he remained as disobedient as before, his aunt and cousin might truly abandon him. Recalling the orphans in the village, Hua Hao was filled with panic. So, when Hua Ning looked at him, he offered a fawning, awkward smile and called her "Cousin" for the first time.

"Hmph!" Hua Ning gave a light scoff and said nothing more. He was just a child, after all.

Since the house had been robbed and people had died, Li Qingxi did not object when Hua Ning suggested taking Grandma Hua home. As it happened, he had driven the brigade’s ox cart to the hospital. By the time Hua Ning and her group returned to the Xin'an Brigade, it was almost evening.

"Uncle Brigade Leader, I will repay the money spent on my grandmother and mother’s hospital stay as soon as I can," Hua Ning said earnestly as she saw Li Qingxi off.

Li Qingxi knew the current state of the Hua family, but as the brigade leader, he couldn't bring himself to tell her she didn't have to pay. He nodded, "Your uncle knows your family is struggling; there is no rush to pay it back. The people in the village will understand."

Hua Ning smiled and agreed with Li Qingxi’s words. After all, a tall tree attracts the wind, and a display of wealth attracts thieves. If she paid the money back too soon, wouldn't that be telling the villagers that her family’s money hadn't been stolen? Thus, Hua Ning decided to drag out the repayment for a while longer.

After closing the main gate, Hua Ning returned to the main room. Su Qiuxin and Hua Hao were there, and Grandma Hua had been moved to the room where Hua Hao slept.

"Ningning, the house was robbed and the grain is gone. What will we eat from now on?" Su Qiuxin wiped her tears, her face full of sorrow. Hua Hao looked at Hua Ning with trembling anxiety, terrified that she might say she was sending him away.

Hua Ning sat down next to Su Qiuxin, patted her back, and spoke slowly. "Mother, tomorrow I will go to the brigade to borrow some grain."

Having said this, she turned to look at Hua Hao. "What are your plans for the future?"