Chapter 36: Encountering Kong Yizhang

Liu Chuxue looked around and spotted a bench not far away. "Mom, let me help you over there to sit for a bit. We need to save our strength; Dad is still counting on you to take care of him."

Her second daughter was her mainstay now. Her mother gave a soft response, "Alright, I'll listen to you."

Just as the two sat down, someone rushed past them, but as soon as the person had passed, they turned back. "Eh, is that you, young lady?"

Hearing the voice, Liu Chuxue looked up. To her surprise, it was Kong Yizhang. She blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

After asking, she explained guiltily, "I'm sorry, some things happened at home, and I was so busy I forgot to call."

Kong Yizhang quickly waved his hand. "It's fine. I'm just glad to know you're safe. Did something happen?"

She didn't hide it. "My father injured his leg at the construction site."

"Is it serious? Do you need help?"

"The commune health center couldn't perform the surgery, so they told us to come to the city for treatment. We just arrived, and the doctor said we need to do a few more tests. We have to wait for the results before a decision can be made."

"I see. What is your father's name? I'll see if I can find someone to look into it."

"Would that be too much trouble for you?"

"Not at all. I happen to have a few acquaintances at this hospital."

Liu Chuxue didn't stand on ceremony. After all, they were strangers in this place, and having someone to help would be wonderful.

She quickly provided his information. "Thank you for your trouble."

"It's nothing. I'll go find someone right away. Wait here."

Just as he was about to leave, he looked toward Liu's mother. "And this is...?"

Liu Chuxue quickly introduced her, "This is my mother."

Kong Yizhang greeted Liu's mother politely, but without much small talk, and hurried off to find someone.

Watching him walk away, Liu's mother asked with a puzzled expression, "Who is this person? How do you know him?"

Liu Chuxue hadn't intended to mention what happened in the cave that day, but she hadn't expected to run into Kong Yizhang here. It was even possible that the soldier from that day was staying in this hospital as well.

She whispered the events of the cave to her mother. "That's what happened. I didn't expect to run into him again."

Liu's mother hadn't realized just how much her daughter had gone through yesterday. Thinking back, she felt a wave of lingering fear. "Thank goodness it was a soldier. Otherwise..."

She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Her heart burned with resentment toward Ge Xiulan; in a situation like that, if it had been some lecher instead, her daughter's life would have been ruined.

At this thought, Liu's mother trembled with rage.

Liu Chuxue quickly hugged her. "Mom, I'm fine. I'll be more careful in the future and won't let myself get into danger again. Besides, I've turned a misfortune into a blessing."

To help her mother let go of the matter quickly, she whispered, "You saw it at the station earlier. Ever since I woke up in the cave, my strength has increased quite a bit. No one will be able to bully our branch of the family again. You can just treat me like a son."

Liu's mother knew her daughter was trying to ease her mind, but remembering her daughter's ferocity at the station, she asked, "That strength of yours—what exactly is going on? Why didn't I notice it before?"

Liu Chuxue patted her mother's hand. "I always had a fair amount of strength, I just never showed it. But ever since that day when Eldest Aunt plotted against me, I don't know if it was something triggered by the danger, but I feel like my strength has grown even more."

As long as her mother knew she was strong, she was satisfied; she didn't want to dwell on the topic. "Mom, enough. Having more strength is a good thing. At least if we encounter danger again, we'll have the ability to protect ourselves. Don't you think?"

Liu's mother thought it over and agreed. Seeing that her daughter didn't want to talk more, she gave up on asking further questions.

(End of Chapter)