Chapter 27: Return Home

~Oh my god, something big happened!~

Hearing Tinglan’s name, Zhao Xiangwan, who was putting on her cotton-padded jacket, froze. Only then did she recognize Aunt Lu—Tinglan’s mother, whom she had met on the train.

Tinglan had seemed calm on the train. Why had she done this after coming home? Zhao Xiangwan’s heart tightened. She quickly put on her shoes and followed Fan Qiuhan.

The neighborhood was in Luo County’s old city, filled with simple bungalows, narrow alleys, tangled electric wires, and uneven concrete roads. Tinglan’s house was just two doors down from Zhao Dacui’s. A large crowd had gathered at the door. Seeing Fan Qiuhan, they quickly made way. “Hurry! Let Qiu Meizi in! She’s a nurse!”

Fan Qiuhan studied nursing at a medical school and interned at Chengguan Hospital this year. Although she hasn’t officially started working, she’s enthusiastic and always willing to help. Neighbors often come to her when they have a headache or fever. Now that Tinglan has attempted suicide by cutting her wrists, she is the first person they think of.

Zhao Xiangwan followed Fan Qiuhan into the house, blinking several times before adjusting to the dim light.

A strong smell of blood filled the air. Zhao Xiangwan looked in the direction of the scent. On a camp bed in the corner, a thin hand hung limply, with a pool of dark red blood forming beneath the fingertips.

Fan Qiuhan rushed over and, after a quick check, sighed in relief. “She’s still alive!” She pulled out a prepared bandage, wrapping Tinglan’s wrist several times. After stopping the bleeding, she calmly instructed, “Find a car and take her to the hospital!”

A ding-dong sound came from the door, followed by a voice calling out, “Hurry up, the tricycle is here.”

In a flurry of panic, the neighbors wrapped Tinglan in a quilt and placed her on the tricycle, rushing her to Chengguan Hospital. Upon arrival, as Tinglan was wheeled into the emergency room, her mother slid down the snow-white wall and sat on the green terrazzo floor, tears streaming down her face.

“I didn’t expect this. I really didn’t expect this. I finally found her—why would she try to kill herself? I didn’t even say anything… I didn’t say anything…”

Zhao Xiangwan stood aside, dazed.

Tinglan’s mother turned and saw her, a flicker of guilt in her eyes. “You… why are you here?”

Fan Qiuhan, multitasking, answered on Zhao Xiangwan’s behalf. “She is my cousin.”

Aunt Lu seemed to find a place to vent her emotions. She cried out, “You saw her on the train, right? She looked crazy! Why would she try to kill herself? Haven’t we done enough for her? Why doesn’t she appreciate it?”

The neighbors, aware of Tinglan’s family situation, began chattering.

“I heard that Lao Jiang used to work at a fertilizer factory, and the company even gave him a house. Then he had a stroke, applied for medical retirement, and sold their house to move here.”

“I never heard them mention a child before, but suddenly they brought their daughter home last night. Judging by her condition, she must have suffered terribly. This family is pitiful—Old Jiang had a stroke, half his face is stiff, and his left arm is useless. Now, with this happening, how will he cope?”

The neighbors’ words only made Aunt Lu feel more aggrieved, and she sobbed harder.

“My daughter, Tinglan, was so obedient when she was little. She always did her homework and never played around like other kids. Her father and I only have her, and we were determined to make her successful. We were strict, but it was all for her own good.

She had everything she wanted at home. We only hoped she’d study hard, get into college, and bring us honor. When Tinglan was admitted to university, Lao Jiang set off 10,000 firecrackers and hosted a grand banquet. We were so proud.

But look at her now—half human, half ghost—and she’s pregnant with an evil child! ^[1]phrase used to describe an unwanted pregnancy, often out of wedlock.. Why is our life so miserable?”

Zhao Dacui didn’t have much contact with the Jiang family. She only knew that the couple used to work at the fertilizer factory, and after Jiang Fugui suffered a stroke, they sold their house and retired. They had no children—or so she thought. Seeing their struggles, the neighbors often helped them.

As a mother herself, Zhao Dacui couldn’t bear to see Lu Qinglian crying so bitterly. She sighed and reached out to help her up.

Zhao Xiangwan stopped her.

Her expression was stern. “Aunt, let her cry.”

A mother who drove her daughter to suicide doesn’t deserve sympathy. Let her cry. She should cry!

Perhaps because Zhao Xiangwan looked so severe, Lu Qinglian, who had been drowning in self-pity, was startled into silence.

[This girl is so bold. Who is she to Zhao Dacui? First, she yelled at me on the train for hitting Tinglan, and now she dares to lecture me? Outrageous! I can hit and scold my own daughter as I please. What does it have to do with her?]

Lu Qinglian was domineering at home. Although dissatisfied with Zhao Xiangwan, she didn’t dare show it. Instead, she looked at Zhao Dacui, seeking support.

Zhao Dacui coughed. She felt Zhao Xiangwan was too blunt, showing no mercy, but knowing the girl’s difficult upbringing, she couldn’t blame her.

“Qinglian,” Zhao Dacui said, “I’ve never seen your daughter before, and you never mentioned her. I assumed you had no children. Now that she’s back, that’s a good thing. You should cherish her, not push her to despair.”

Lu Qinglian hesitated, then started crying louder.

“I didn’t push her! I finally found Tinglan, and my heart ached seeing how thin she was. But after hearing a few words from others on the train, she insisted on going back to school. School? Looking like this? Wouldn’t people laugh at her?

Besides, she’s pregnant with a bastard child! How can she go to school like this? Her father told her to have an abortion before the hospital closed for the holiday. Was that wrong? Should she really keep this child? Why did she try to kill herself just because he scolded her a few times?

I ran everywhere searching for her, begged at one police station after another, sold my house, lost my job, and lived frugally just to find her. I finally found her, and this ungrateful girl didn’t even say thank you—she tried to kill herself instead? Why is my life so miserable?”

Zhao Dacui was stunned. Having given birth to three daughters herself, she quickly grasped the situation. “Qinglian, from what you’re saying, Tinglan wasn’t married—was she abducted or deceived in college?. You… you… if you know she suffered, how could you scold her?”

Lu Qinglian stiffened at the word “abducted,” suddenly looking nervous and stumbling over her words.

“No, no, no, no, no—she wasn’t kidnapped!” By the end of the conversation, her face flushed red, and she slapped her thigh. “Anyway, I didn’t say anything harsh about her.”  

Lu Qinglian and her husband, Jiang Fugui, were both from the countryside. Due to health issues, they had only one daughter. Back in their hometown, they were constantly criticized for not having a son to carry on the family line. Determined to prove their critics wrong, they vowed to raise their child to be outstanding. They even asked the most educated chief engineer at the factory to pick a name—Jiang Tinglan, inspired by the phrase “An Zhi Ting Lan” (where can one find fragrant orchids?) from “Yueyang Tower.”  

Jiang Tinglan lived up to their expectations. Well-behaved, sensible, and academically brilliant, she was admitted to Kyoto University of International Business and Economics in 1989—a bright future ahead. To celebrate, Jiang Fugui threw banquets not only at the fertilizer factory but also back in their village, even arranging opera performances. It was a moment of immense pride.  

But after Jiang Tinglan was abducted, their colleagues and relatives mocked Jiang Fugui. “What’s the use of a girl, no matter how educated? She still got kidnapped. Might as well have married her off early.” Some even cruelly speculated that she’d been sold to a remote mountain village, doomed to a ruined life.  

Jiang Fugui, a proud man, couldn’t bear the constant taunts. The stress triggered a stroke, leaving half his body paralyzed. In his frustration, he smashed pots and bowls at home, declaring he no longer had a daughter. Last September, the couple sold their company-assigned house and moved into two rented rooms in this old part of the city, living in seclusion.  

Lu Qinglian had resigned herself to a bleak future, thinking the money from the house sale would be enough for retirement. But then, the police called—Tinglan had been found. Jiang Fugui refused to fetch her, so Lu Qinglian went alone to Nanshan Police Station in Qinghe County and brought her daughter home.  

Yet Tinglan’s return only exposed what they’d tried so hard to hide—her abduction. That night, harsh words were exchanged. Unable to bear her parents’ disdain, Tinglan slit her wrists.  

Her suicide shattered Lu Qinglian’s plans, and as she spoke, her true feelings became clearer.  

Zhao Xiangwan couldn’t hold back. “Better to die with dignity than suffer a life of humiliation.”  

Lu Qinglian’s expression twisted. She pointed at Zhao Xiangwan, trembling. “Da Cui, who is this girl in your family? And you’re not stopping her?”  

Zhao Dacui shielded Zhao Xiangwan like a mother hen. “This is my niece. She’s young and speaks without thinking. Don’t take it to heart.” She then shot Zhao Xiangwan a warning glare.  

[This kid, spouting such harsh truths! Why provoke unnecessary trouble?]  

Hearing her aunt’s real thoughts, Zhao Xiangwan pressed her lips together and lowered her head.  

The neighbors quickly stepped in, trying to smooth things over.  

“Ah, raising a child isn’t easy. Now that she’s back, at least you two have someone to rely on, right?”  

“No matter what hardships she’s faced, the family should handle it together. Don’t push her too hard—lower your expectations.”  

“Ah! How heartbreaking for parents.”  

But Lu Qinglian couldn’t grasp their underlying thoughts—though Zhao Xiangwan heard them loud and clear.  

[I used to pity this couple, but they brought this on themselves. Why hide their child’s kidnapping like it’s shameful?]  

[So obsessed with face (reputation). Zhao Xiangwan’s right—they deserve this for caring more about appearances than their own daughter!]  

[They drove the girl to suicide and still worry about losing face? What kind of monsters are they?]  

Justice resides in people’s hearts.  

Some parents see their children as tools to fulfill their own unmet dreams. When the child succeeds, they boast; when the child “fails,” they discard them. To Zhao Xiangwan, such parents were terrifying.  

Amid the crowd echoing Lu Qinglian’s sentiments, Zhao Xiangwan’s cold, clear voice cut through.  

“Tinglan was abducted, but her university enrollment still stands. If you explain the situation to the school, she can resume her studies. This is a good thing—why treat it like a disgrace?”  

Lu Qinglian froze, as if the idea had never occurred to her.  

The neighbors perked up. “She can still go to school? But she’s pregnant—how can the university accept her after missing so long?”  

Zhao Xiangwan nodded firmly. During her internship at the Public Security Bureau, He Mingyu had mentioned a similar case—a kidnapped college student who, after rescue and psychological recovery, was allowed back by her university. With a police certificate, reinstatement^[2]refers to formal permission to resume studies after an absence..  was possible.