Сохраним красоту - Глава 70
Feng Ning turned her head to the side, gritted her teeth, and said in a hoarse voice, "What Mother said was too hurtful."
"It's all my fault." Qiao Li approached Feng Ning, took her hand and said softly, "Today on the street, that person tried to snatch Bao'er from my arms. I was so frightened that I couldn't think straight and said those hurtful things. Please don't blame me."
Feng Ning pursed her lips: "I'm not feeling well right now either, and I can't pretend to be relieved."
"You silly child." Qiao Li chuckled, pulled Feng Ning down to sit next to her, and raised her hand to smooth the stray hairs at her temples: "I remember once when you were little, I scolded you and you sulked and hid away. You climbed up a tree and we couldn't find you, but you couldn't get down and fell, leaving a scar on the back of your shoulder."
As she spoke, she patted Feng Ning's shoulder and back. With such gentle and tender words, Feng Ning couldn't stay angry anymore. She sniffed and said, "I don't remember at all."
Qiao Li said, "Let your mother take another look at that scar; it might be even fainter now."
Feng Ning turned her head back. She had never seen that spot before. How could there be a scar there? Just as she was about to agree, there was a knock on the door. Then Long San pushed the door open and entered. He was somewhat surprised to see the two of them sitting together intimately. "I heard you two were arguing so much that I rushed over to check. It seems that everything is fine now."
Qiao Li smiled and said, "Fengfeng and I were talking about her childhood. It's been a long time since we had such a good chat." Shouldn't he, as her son-in-law, be a little more discreet and avoid the mother and daughter's heart-to-heart talk?
Long San seemed not to understand Qiao Li's implication. He reached out to Feng Ning and called her to his side. He carefully observed her expression. Feng Ning said, "My mother said that I fell from a tree when I was little and had a scar on my shoulder. She wants to see if it has faded now."
Long San lowered his eyes, took her hand and said softly, "Bao'er is crying so hard, she seems to be very frightened. Why don't you go and see her?" Upon hearing this, Feng Ning hurriedly said goodbye to Qiao Li and followed Long San. She was worried about Bao'er and didn't see Long San turn around. Instead, she saw Qiao Li's thoughtful expression behind her.
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51. The Long couple embarking on their journey
From that conversation until the treasure hunt, Feng Ning didn't have a chance to properly talk to Qiao Li again. Bao'er was indeed terrified that time, so Feng Ning spent a lot of time with her and threw her a lively and happy birthday celebration. Fortunately, children forget things quickly, and after a few days, she didn't quite remember. However, she no longer wanted to go out and clung tightly to Feng Ning.
Feng Ning felt most sorry for Bao'er. She always felt she owed the child a lot, that she had made a mistake that caused the child to be born with a dishonorable stigma. She felt she hadn't been responsible for her own life and had burdened the child's future. Feng Ning was always worried that when Bao'er grew up, she would be hurt by the gossip and judgment of others, afraid that she would blame herself, and even more afraid that Bao'er would suffer because of her identity. So she always tried to be as good to Bao'er as possible.
That's why Feng Ning was so concerned about resolving the feud between the Long and Feng families. Only by dealing with all this mess could she live with her head held high in the Long family and gain her parents' approval and blessings. Only then could Bao'er grow up happily, have a complete family, and a joyful childhood. Feng Ning thought she had to refute Qiao Li with facts and teach Bao'er that no matter what she had experienced, she must face it bravely and treat others with sincerity and love to achieve happiness and fulfillment. At least, that's what she believed so far.
So Feng Ning hardened her heart and told Bao'er that she was going on a long trip with Long San. As expected, Bao'er clung to her and cried loudly. Little children can't be reasoned with and don't understand the reasons, so she could only coax her gently.
Feng Ning went to Long Er and asked him to help keep Bao'er calm. After all, after she and Long San left, Long Er was the one to take care of and supervise Bao'er. If he couldn't learn to get along well with Bao'er, Feng Ning really wouldn't feel at ease leaving.
As a result, Long Er also discussed with Feng Ning: "Why don't you not go? Let Lao San and your father handle this matter."
"Will Second Uncle feel at ease with this?"
"I naturally trust the third brother to handle things." Long Er's words were sincere.
"How can my mother be at ease?"
Long Er fell silent, his brows furrowing slightly. He understood that without Feng Ning acting as guarantor, Qiao Li would have even more reason to cause trouble. He weighed whether it was better to let Qiao Li make a scene or to be kinder to Bao'er, the little girl. But Feng Ning made him decide quickly, because she said, "Alright, I won't go. I'll stay here with Bao'er and play in the mansion. Anyway, Long San isn't here, so my daughter and I can be free."
Long Er narrowed his eyes and quickly said, "Then you should go." Qiao Li's tantrums and Bao'er's whining were nothing compared to Feng Ning's shamelessness. With Lao San not home, no one would be watching her. If she was unhappy and caused trouble at home, it would be even harder to deal with. Besides, her words just now clearly implied a threat. If he didn't get her way, it wouldn't just be his afternoon snacks that would suffer. Her status was different now; he really couldn't bring himself to be ruthless towards her.
Thinking of this, Long Er said again, "You should go with Lao San and get things done quickly so you can come back."
"What about Bao'er?"
Long Er gritted his teeth and replied, "Leave it to me. I'll make sure she sees you off happily and joyfully."
The next day, as expected, Long Er brought Bao'er over to cultivate their relationship. Feng Ning was worried, so she secretly hid to watch. She saw Long Er and Bao'er sitting face to face. Bao'er looked at Long Er innocently and nervously. Long Er didn't speak, and she didn't dare to speak either. Feng Ning waited for a long time, but Long Er just sat there without moving. Poor little Bao'er also sat stiffly.
Feng Ning was heartbroken and was about to roll up her sleeves and rush over to give Long Er a good beating to avenge her daughter when she saw Bao'er finally tired of sitting. She opened her little mouth and let out a delicate little yawn, then her little head squinted and nodded little by little, almost falling asleep. Long Er looked troubled and looked around as if he wanted to call for help. Feng Ning quickly hid herself well. After a while, seeing that Bao'er couldn't sit still anymore and was about to fall asleep, Long Er quickly reached out and supported her.
While Feng Ning was anxious, Long Er was inwardly cursing. He had wanted to have a clear talk with Bao'er, letting her know that her parents were going out and that she was temporarily under his care as her second uncle, and that she should be obedient and not throw tantrums or cry. But when he met the little pink-cheeked girl's eyes, he didn't know how to start. So he sat there, and the little pink-cheeked girl sat there too, still staring at him, making him feel very awkward.
Before he could even come up with a solution, she fell asleep without a word. She just sat there and then collapsed onto the floor – was she really asleep or trying to scare him? Long Er cradled Bao'er's little head, seeing that she was truly asleep with her eyes closed. He felt utterly helpless, but holding her like this wasn't a solution. He simply moved her closer and held her in his arms, planning to have a maid take her away if she didn't wake up soon. But not long after he held her, Bao'er started snoring and drooling, getting him all over himself.
Long Er's face turned green. He was about to look up and call for the maid when he caught sight of Feng Ning peeking out the window. Not only was she looking, but she even dared to cover her mouth and laugh. Enraged, Long Er shouted, "Feng Ning!"
Feng Ning swiftly withdrew her head, followed by the sound of her running away, accompanied by arrogant laughter. Long Er was furious. Women are indeed troublesome, whether big or small; finding a wife and having children is just asking for trouble.
That day, Long Er didn't know exactly what he had said to Bao'er. Feng Ning didn't dare to ask Long Er directly, because she couldn't help but laugh whenever she saw him, only to be met with glares and disdain. She figured that even if she did ask, Long Er probably wouldn't tell her. Anyway, after Bao'er returned, she no longer seemed so unwilling, and at night she reluctantly agreed to sleep with the maid instead of sticking to Feng Ning's bed. Long San was overjoyed and praised his second brother for his resourcefulness.
Five days later, Bao'er personally agreed to let her parents go out to take care of important business. So Feng Ning set off in a hurry, with her husband on the left and her father on the right.
Before setting off, she spoke a few words to Qiao Li, saying, "Mother, we will definitely return successfully, and the matter between the Long and Feng families will be resolved satisfactorily. Don't be angry with me anymore. When I come back, we, mother and daughter, will have a good chat." She hugged Qiao Li tightly, not noticing Qiao Li's cold and stiff posture. She then hugged Bao'er, reluctantly giving her several instructions, before patting the head of the little adult-like Long Qingsheng and waving goodbye to everyone.
After Feng Ning and the other two finally left, Long Er looked down at Bao'er, who was holding onto his clothes. Bao'er also looked up at him, her big eyes already filled with tears. Long Er quickly said, "We made a promise, you're not allowed to cry."
Long Qingsheng frowned and said, "Bao'er is a girl, why can't she cry? We boys don't cry, but girls can cry. If Bao'er is unhappy, it's okay for her to cry. Your mother and I are not leaving for now. You can come to me if you need anything."
Upon hearing this, Bao'er immediately switched sides and took Long Qingsheng's hand. Long Er was stunned to see his clothes suddenly empty. Had he been rejected by these two kids again? Long Er was very embarrassed, but he couldn't do anything about it, so he could only rub his nose and accept his bad luck.
Qiao Li watched the family's harmony with a blank expression, as if she were an outsider. Since marrying Feng Zhuojun, she had never been separated for so long. She was already extremely unhappy, and now her face darkened. She snorted coldly and turned to leave.
The next day, Qiao Li made an excuse that she was not used to living in the Long family and moved out on her own. She was not popular in the Long family, so no one tried to stop her.
Feng Ning was unaware of what Qiao Li had done. Filled with anticipation for a bright future and curiosity to uncover the truth, she set off on her journey. This was the first time she had been so close to Feng Zhuojun. The fatherly care was something Feng Ning longed for, and as they chatted and talked along the way, their father-daughter bond grew stronger.
Feng Zhuojun and Qiao Li have completely different personalities. He is easygoing but indecisive, and it takes him a while to make a decision. However, this treasure hunt is not as simple as just following a map. The routes and locations are filled with coded clues and hints, involving the things the two old men experienced together and the paths they walked together. Therefore, Long San and his companions have to solve the mystery while finding their way, and at the same time, they have to deliberately create a maze to avoid being discovered. Because the Long family's treasure has attracted a lot of covetousness in the martial arts world, if they are not careful on this trip, they may also encounter disaster.
Therefore, there were many things to arrange and prepare for the journey. Neither Feng Zhuojun nor Feng Ning had any ideas. Feng Zhuojun was indecisive, while Feng Ning, being a husband, was never lenient. So, everything that needed to be arranged was done in advance by Long San, the son-in-law and husband. What hotels to stay in, what food to eat, which routes to take, who to meet, how to verify the mystery, how to deal with outsiders, etc., Long San made all the decisions along the way, truly taking great care of everything. And his treatment of Feng Ning was even more outstanding, considerate and meticulous, simply a model husband.
Feng Zhuojun saw and remembered everything. On this day, Long San went out to look for clues, leaving Feng Ning and Feng Zhuojun to guard the map and seal. The father and daughter had a chance to be alone, and Feng Zhuojun said to Feng Ning, "Feng Feng, I think my son-in-law is indeed good to you."
Feng Ning was secretly pleased with herself. As she sewed a new outfit for Long San, she happily replied, "That's right. If he doesn't treat me well, I won't stay with him. I'll raise Bao'er on my own."
Upon hearing this, Feng Zhuojun sighed, "Fengfeng, it's my fault for being useless and wronging you. If I weren't incapable of avenging your grandfather, you wouldn't have had to marry into such a miserable family. Over the years, I've always worried about you... Don't blame your mother, she did it all for me..."
"I know, I know." Feng Ning waved her hand casually: "Mother likes Father more than me, I don't blame her, after all, she is still my mother."
Feng Zhuojun hesitated, then stopped, and finally said only, "Father is sorry."
"Father, please don't say that. I have a good daughter now, and a husband who treats me very well. I'm healthy and happy. It couldn't be better. Why would I talk about whether I'm worthy or not? That's just asking for trouble." Feng Ning smiled, put down what she was doing, hugged Feng Zhuojun's arm, and said coquettishly.