Chapter 5: Old Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

“It definitely wasn’t Lanlan herself who said that.” When it came to her daughter, Tan Aizhi was still confident.

Song Xilan had never been the kind of girl who liked to show off.

Moreover, from the very beginning, the couple had reminded her that before they had confirmed their relationship, she should not reveal anything about her family to the other party.

So, Song Xilan definitely wouldn’t have said anything.

However, Yang Jingyu would probably learn about Song Xilan’s parents’ situation through Zheng Qiaoling. But Song Baili, as the director of a food factory, couldn’t really help with Yang Jingyu’s career as an actor in a dance troupe. So, at first, Yang Jingyu paid no attention to Song Xilan.

Emotions gained through external forces can never last. What if her uncle retired one day? Or if he met a girl from a more prestigious family? Where would that leave their daughter?

The couple’s final conclusion was that this man’s character was questionable, and he was not a suitable match.

But their daughter was so excited, how could they make her change her mind?

It was really troubling.

Song Baili couldn’t sit still: “I’ll go check at the intersection to see if Lanlan has come back yet.”

Tan Aizhi: “I’ll go too.”

The couple put on their coats, tied their scarves, and left the courtyard. As they walked to the streetlight at the intersection, they saw a red figure running towards them from a distance.

The couple was so familiar with their daughter’s appearance that they recognized her at a glance.

Tan Aizhi’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest: “That’s our Lanlan!”

The couple hurriedly jogged towards her and soon realized their daughter was crying, her soft, fair face windburned and reddened.

They both felt heartbroken. Tan Aizhi immediately stepped forward and embraced her daughter, “Lanlan, what happened? Don’t scare your mom, who bullied you?”

Song Xilan was filled with both the anger of being replaced and betrayed by her lover, and the fear of meeting a terrible man. Running all the way back, exhausted and scared, her throat hurt from the cold wind, and all her grievances turned into tears in front of her parents. “Wah!” She burst into tears in her mother’s arms.

Song Baili and Tan Aizhi exchanged glances, both filled with anger. Their daughter was usually cheerful; there’s no way she would cry like this unless she had suffered a great injustice. It must have been that scoundrel Yang Jingyu who bullied her.

Tan Aizhi gently patted Song Xilan’s back: “Good girl, don’t cry, the wind is strong here, don’t inhale too much, let’s go home first. Mom made you some old ginger sweet potato soup.”

“Mm.” Song Xilan nodded obediently, closing her mouth but still sniffling uncontrollably. She knew she could get sick from the wind, and being sick would make her uncomfortable. She had to take care of her body and avoid falling ill.

Tan Aizhi took the scarf off her husband’s neck and tightly wrapped it around Song Xilan’s head and neck, covering her entire neck and head, leaving only her eyes visible.

The scarf carried her father’s warm scent, which made Song Xilan feel at ease.

Halfway home, Tan Aizhi suddenly remembered: “Where’s your lunchbox and bike?”

Song Xilan paused, a bit embarrassed: “I… I forgot.”

The couple quickly filled in the blanks in their minds: Their daughter, full of genuine affection, shyly handed a lunchbox of dumplings to that scoundrel Yang Jingyu, only to have him say or do something that broke her heart. She had even abandoned the lunchbox and bike, only wanting to rush home to the safety of her parents.

Seeing their daughter in such a miserable state, they couldn’t bring themselves to blame her.

Tan Aizhi quickly said, “If the lunchbox is lost, it’s lost. We’ll buy a new one tomorrow. As for the bike key, I’ll give it to your dad, and he’ll go get the bike.”

Bicycles were one of the most valuable possessions in a household at that time; they couldn’t just be left out, losing it would be a big deal.

Song Xilan patted her pocket: “The key is with Qiaoling.”

When they arrived at the hall earlier, Zheng Qiaoling helped her park the bike and had put the key in her pocket. Since the two of them were going back together, it didn’t matter whose pocket the key was in.

“Lanlan!” Someone called from behind.

The family turned around, and sure enough, the bicycle, along with the lunchbox, had returned on its own, and Zheng Qiaoling was with it.

Zheng Qiaoling panted as she got off the bike: “Lanlan, why did you leave by yourself? I waited for you for so long, I almost thought something happened to you.”

Song Xilan quickly took the lunchbox: “Sorry, Qiaoling, I suddenly didn’t feel well and wanted to rush home, I forgot to tell you. Thanks for bringing it back, I’ll come to find you tomorrow.” She winked at her, signaling to stop talking about it.

Since everything was fine with the lunchbox, it was best not to worry her parents.

Her parents had always reminded her to be careful outside, especially with suspicious strangers. If she encountered one, she should keep her distance, even if they asked for help.

If a grown man couldn’t handle something, there was no way a little girl could be of any assistance.

She realized now that it was her fault for being too kind.

Although Zheng Qiaoling was quite puzzled, she cleverly gave a knowing look: “Then I’ll head home first. Goodbye, Uncle and Aunt!”

Song Baili pushed the bike, and the family of three went home.

As soon as they entered, Tan Aizhi hurried to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of old ginger sweet potato soup: “Lanlan, come drink some sweet soup to warm up.”

There’s nothing more important than food in this world.

The soup had brown sugar in it, and it smelled sweet. The sweet potatoes were cooked so soft they almost melted with a bite.

Song Xilan took the spoon and slowly ate, all her anxiety and worries beginning to calm down. She also wanted to tell her parents about what had happened earlier.

Suddenly, strange words appeared in her mind, words she had never encountered before. She wanted to ask her parents if they had heard of such things and if something was wrong with her brain.

But just as she was about to speak, she felt like her throat was blocked. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make a sound.

Oh no, had she really caught a cold from the wind, and now her throat was hoarse?

“Mom, my throat…” Her voice was soft and sweet, just like usual.

Tan Aizhi looked at her with concern: “What’s wrong with your throat?”

“It’s nothing, I just suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in my throat.”

“It must be from running back in the wind and crying earlier. You inhaled the cold air. Tomorrow, I’ll make you some loquat and pear syrup to soothe your throat.”

Song Xilan tried several times but realized that whenever she tried to speak about the strange words or their contents, her throat would close, and she couldn’t say anything.

But saying anything else was fine.

So it wasn’t that her mind was playing tricks on her; something truly strange was happening. Was this… a special ability?