Lin Anning recounted last night's events in front of everyone.
Of course, she omitted the incident in the small building.
She only mentioned that she woke up with a heart attack and discovered the door was locked, so she jumped from the second floor and was taken to the hospital by a kind comrade.
People were now holding their bowls and moving closer to listen to the exciting tale.
Zhao Hua looked at Lin Anning, her mouth twitching slightly, struggling to maintain her smile.
She stepped forward, grabbed Lin Anning's wrist forcefully.
"Anning, you're not well, sometimes you can't distinguish between dreams and reality."
"There you go, go inside and take your medicine."
So failing to ruin her reputation, now you're trying to pin the label of mental illness on her?
Lin Anning shook off Zhao Hua's hand and cried out in pain.
"Mom, you hurt me. Don't you believe me? I have proof."
As she spoke, two police officers squeezed in, dragging in Ma San who was bound tightly.
At the sight of Zhao Hua, Ma San raised his hands, pointing at her and shouting.
"It's her, it's her, it was her! Police comrade, she told me that there's a pretty daughter in her family who's still single, and asked me to have a look. She's the one who gave me this key."
Watching Ma San take out a key from his pocket, Zhao Hua's face turned instantly pale.
Her eyes opened wide, tears rolled down like beans.
"Anning, you don't trust your mother? You trust a petty crook over me?"
Zhao Hua grabbed Nie Dazui who was nearby and started wailing miserably.
"Her auntie, others might not know, but you're very aware that ever since Anning came back, I, as a mother, haven't had a peaceful night's sleep. I've always thought and acted for her sake."
"I don't understand what's wrong with me as a mother to deserve such slander, no matter how great the hatred is!"
Naturally, Nie Dazui didn't believe Lin Anning's words. If it weren't for the police being there, she would have taken the opportunity to teach this ignorant girl a lesson for Zhao Hua.
Su Jiaojiao was eating a steamed bun when she saw this commotion and was also stunned.
A look of mercy crossed her naive face.
"Sister, were you watching a movie with this gentleman last night?"
"Did he take advantage of you? Are you saying this because you are afraid you can't explain it properly?"
Yes, that's how Su Jiaojiao was in her previous life.
Always seeming to be explaining for her, but the more she tried, the darker the picture she painted, leaving her utterly indefensible in the end.
This time, Lin Anning remained silent, but Ma San became anxious and began to clamor.
"What movie? I just entered your house yesterday, didn't do anything, and even got my head bashed and bleeding by her!"
Lin Anning stepped forward and stared steadily at Su Jiaojiao.
"I drank the milk you gave me before bed, perfect, let's go to the police station together."
Seeing Lin Anning approach Su Jiaojiao, Zhao Hua stopped crying, stepped forward quickly, and pushed her away.
"Don't make things difficult for Jiaojiao. If you have anything to say, tell me."
Unable to dodge in time, Lin Anning hit the door.
A dull pain on her forehead, and without looking, she knew it must have swollen up.
"Mom, they're both your daughters; I just asked a couple of questions, why would you start hitting me?"
Lin Anning's eyes reddened, tears were on the brink of falling.
Her appearance made everyone around uneasy.
"Don't put on airs in front of me; you're not—"
Zhao Hua, infuriated, also ripped off her usual gentle disguise.
"Mom!"
Su Jiaojiao quickly held her back, biting her lip.
Her big eyes blinked, squeezing out two tears.
"Sister, it's my fault. I saw you haven't been sleeping well lately, I was worried about your health, so I added some of mom's sleeping pills to the milk, but who knew my good intention could go so wrong."
Then she helped Zhao Hua walk up to Ma San, speaking with a sobbing voice.
"Comrade, could you please repeat what you've said before? Be honest, you can't slander my mother!"
Strange things happened; Ma San, who had been yelling before, now looked at Su Jiaojiao with a dubious flush on his face.
Wiping her hair with her hand, she stammered.
"She, she stood at my family's doorway and said, the key was thrown on the ground, so I just picked it up..."
Only then did Su Jiaojiao look as though she had been vindicated, gazing at Lin Anning with a sense of grievance.
"Sister, did you hear everything?"
Ma San's attitude changed too quickly, and Lin Anning frowned, feeling something was off.
It was the same in her previous life; whenever Su Jiaojiao appeared,
she'd smile at someone, act coquettishly, and white could be turned into black.
Could it be that Su Jiaojiao also had some kind of "Golden Finger"?
Fortunately, the police officers were very diligent. Even though Ma San had changed his statement,
they still grabbed Zhao Hua and dragged him away.
Su Jiaojiao glanced at Lin Anning and hurriedly followed.
"Mom, don't be afraid, I'll go with you."
At this moment, Lin Jianguo, who had been silent inside the house, came out.
With a furrowed brow, he spoke in a grave and earnest tone.
"Anning, I know you're upset at your mom, thinking she favors your sister.
But no matter how angry you are, you can't pin this false charge on her.
You haven't been to the hospital in over half a year, and just happened to go yesterday?
You didn't come home last night and went out with friends, and no one said anything to you.
Go and explain things clearly to the police officers."
Despite the blazing early summer sun, she shivered all over.
Look, these were her "good parents."
They were spotless, while she got all the dirt dumped on her.
"I disappeared for a night, and you still have the mind to go shopping at the department store with Su Jiaojiao?
Drugging, locking up, the ruffian who suddenly barged in.
If it were Su Jiaojiao last night, would you still take it so lightly?
You can't give me justice, but the police officers will."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Lin Anning's vision went dark, and she fainted to the ground again.
The people around her were startled and, forgetting their meals, rushed to help and send Lin Jianguo to the hospital with her.
The duty nurse frowned immediately upon seeing Lin Anning.
"What's the matter with the family? Didn't I say when she was discharged today that Comrade Lin's body is frail and needs more rest?"
"It's only been a few hours, and she's been brought back to the hospital!"
Lin Jianguo was scolded until his face turned red with embarrassment, and the neighbors who followed heard everything.
Oh, so Lin Anning really was in the hospital yesterday.
Everything she said was true!
———
By the time Lin Anning left the hospital again, it was already the third day in the morning.
She hadn't touched the medicine from the pharmacy.
The weakness in her body was congenital; it was there from the womb and had to be carefully nurtured.
The wounds on her face and body, she hadn't treated either.
Let everyone see them; only then could the Lin Family's facade be torn away.
She touched her flattened stomach and sighed.
Now that she had fallen out with the Lin Family, life became even harder.
She had to find a way to return to Hongqigou; that was her true home.
Looking up, she saw the faded slogan on the wall opposite.
"Broaden the heart with vast lands and an unswerving determination to root in the countryside."
That was it; she would go down to the countryside.