Chapter 9: Guilty Conscience

The younger daughter’s fever had just subsided yesterday. Today, the sight of the neck full of blood was stinging to Qiao Dongliang’s eyes. “What happened to you, Nan Nan? Don’t cry, tell Dad, what is this blood?”

Qiao Nan did not speak. She cried so hard. Her crying made Qiao Dongliang felt extremely bad.

The security guards at the door were already staring at them. The blood on the neck of Qiao Nan had not only gained the attention of Qiao Dongliang but also the others.

“Uncle Qiao, it’s better that you take Qiao Nan to the hospital to treat the wound.” Zhai Sheng reminded him that even though the wound was not bleeding now, it had to be treated.

Qiao Dongliang nodded many times. “Yes, Nan Nan, don’t cry. Dad will take you to the hospital. You...”

At this time, Qiao Dongliang remembered the young man that came. When he saw his daughter’s misery earlier, he simply forgot about the man.

There was no doubt that the young man must have brought Nan Nan here.

Qiao Dongliang wanted to thank him but he was stunned when he saw his face.

Zhai Sheng, of course. Qiao Dongliang knew who he was.

What made Qiao Dongliang particularly stunned was the reputation of the Zhai family. Even if everyone lived in the same quad, Qiao Dongliang never once thought that his family would have anything to do with the Zhai’s. “Zhai, Zhai Sheng, thank you for bringing Nan Nan here.”

Obviously, Zhai Sheng was his junior but Qiao Dongliang was not used to calling him by his name.

“No worries.” Zhai Sheng did not have much reaction. “Uncle Qiao, I’ll leave now.”

Uncle Qiao would deal with everything else properly.

As soon as he left, Qiao Dongliang went straight to apply for half a day leave from the factory and took Qiao Nan to the hospital.

News about the blood on Qiao Nan’s neck quickly spread in the factory, so Qiao Dongliang’s team leader also knew that his daughter had been bullied and was bleeding. He graciously agreed to let Qiao Dongliang take the time off.

However, no-one would expect that the person who hurt Qiao Nan was none other than Qiao Dongliang’s wife – Ding Jiayi.

“Why are you here again?” The doctor could still recognize the patient who came yesterday.

Most importantly, the case of malnutrition despite having the means to visit the hospital was very rare, so the father and daughter pair left a deep impression with the doctor. “What is this?!”

As soon as he saw the blood of Qiao Nan’s neck, the doctor frowned and held Qiao Nan’s shoulder to let Qiao Nan turn to her side.

When he touched her ear, Qiao Nan shouted in pain.

“It takes a great deal of strength to be able to slit open the ears. You guys are really...”

Having taken a clearer look at the wound in the ear, the doctor’s eyes were full of blame and disapproval. Yesterday was fever and malnutrition. Today was a bleeding wound.

The doctor’s suspicion now was not whether the family favors male over female, but whether this daughter was their biological one.

Qiao Nan rubbed her eyes. “Doctor, don’t blame my dad, my dad doesn’t know anything.”

“... Young lady, don’t practise filial piety foolishly, your dad doesn’t know, what about your mother? To allow the child to be bullied to this extent, don’t tell me the mother is already dead?”

The doctor noticed that, since yesterday, each time he mentioned her mother, this lady would not speak. What was happening?

Qiao Dongliang was so furious that both his hands were clenched into fists. If the younger daughter was not bullied by the children in the quad, then there was only one person who could have done this to her – his wife!

The nurse was quick to attend to her. First, she helped Qiao Nan clean the blood on her neck, then dealt with the wound by applying a red colored medicine and bandaging the wound.

Nevertheless, when the nurse was bandaging, Qiao Dongliang specifically asked the nurse to cover Qiao Nan’s entire ear so that it would look more serious.

The nurse looked at Qiao Dongliang strangely but acted according to his wish. In her heart, she felt bad about wasting the bandages.

After leaving the hospital, Qiao Nan awkwardly touched her ear which had become so heavy. She tilted her head and looked at Qiao Dongliang.

Qiao Dongliang peered at his younger daughter who looked so clean, her black and bright eyes prettier than shining black pearls. His heart softened. “Nan Nan, don’t be afraid. Dad will protect you.”

Rubbed on the head by Qiao Dongliang, Qiao Nan felt a little awkward.

In her life, her relationship with her father was not good at all. Her dad didn’t even want to look at her.

In the previous life, she did not have a good relationship with her father. Her father was not even willing to take one more glance at her.

Qiao Nan knew every well that her father’s attitude towards her was not his fault. She only had herself to blame.

Every time her mother made her suffer because of Qiao Zijin, her father always disapproved and dissuaded.

But at that time, she was totally brainwashed and she thought that as long as she cared for the family, and her parents did not quarrel, it would be worth her sacrifice.

Every time her dad helped her, she stood on her mother’s side and beg for mercy. This resulted in him losing face and feeling heartbroken. Over time, her dad was not willing to bother about her anymore.

Saddened by the misfortune but angered by the lack of resistance. This quote portrayed her father’s feelings exactly.

Qiao Nan stood over and leaned close to Qiao Dongliang. In this life, she would not let her dad be disappointed and sad anymore. She must first stand on her own two feet!

When Qiao Nan ran out of the house and disappeared for half a day, Ding Jiayi was initially indifferent. She expected Qiao Nan to have nowhere to go, and would then obediently return home.

She would then ask Qiao Nan to accede to her wants again. She did not believe that Qiao Nan would still refuse to agree, unless Qiao Nan did not want to come back to this home forever.

But an hour and two have passed and the sun was setting. It was almost time for Qiao Dongliang to be off-work, Ding Jiayi still did not see any signs of Qiao Nan. She began to feel uneasy.

“This wretched girl, she was too spoilt. This wild girl, half the day is gone and she is still not back. I’ll see how to deal with her when she is back!”

“Mom, don’t you think something will happen?” Qiao Zijin’s face was one of doubt. Since yesterday, Qiao Nan had been acting strangely.

She kept having this feeling that Qiao Nan was not the same as before. Though it was just a fever, her feverish head seemed to have been enlightened. It was not so easy to lie to and cajole her anymore.

“What could happen? After she comes back, I will give her a good discipline!” When the elder daughter softened, Ding Jiayi sat up straight, displaying her protective behavior towards Qiao Zijin.

Soon, came the voice of Qiao Dongliang. Both mother and daughter’s face could not help but change, and they rushed outside.

But when the two of them saw that Qiao Nan actually came back by riding on Qiao Dongliang’s bicycle, their faces, in particular Ding Jiayi’s, turned black instantly.

Ding Jiayi rushed forward a few steps and tried to pull Qiao Nan down from the bicycle. At this time, when Qiao Nan turned sideways and revealed her fully bandaged ears – now white, fat and without a single sight of flesh, she felt guilty all of a sudden.

Ding Jiayi remembered that before Qiao Nan ran out, she had grabbed Qiao Nan’s ears. At that point, Qiao Nan looked like she was in a lot of pain and had even retorted by biting her. Could it be that, with that grip, she had broken Qian Nan’s ears in her anger?”

She, she did not think she had used that much strength.

Qiao Zijin was also shocked. She grabbed Ding Jiayi, “Mom, when Nan Nan ran out, I saw blood on her clothes.”