As she stepped inside, a middle-aged man in his fifties sat in a wheelchair, a blanket draped over his legs, reading a newspaper with his head lowered.
For a moment, Song Qiaoan felt dazed. In her previous life, she had been imprisoned by Wang Shichang and hadn’t even been able to see her uncle one last time before he passed away.
Now, the scene before her felt so real it was almost dreamlike. Her nose stung, and she quickly blinked to hold back her tears.
“Uncle!” She forced a bright smile, her tone light, afraid she might start crying the next second.
“Qiaoan, you’re here?!” Shen Zhengming looked up at the sound of her voice, surprised and delighted. “You child, why didn’t you tell me in advance? I could’ve asked Uncle Wang to prepare some of your favorite dishes.”
“Oh, no need for that I just wanted to surprise you.” Song Qiaoan walked closer, lifting the thermos in her hand. “I made bird’s nest porridge for you. It’s still hot give it a try.”
She poured out a bowl and handed it to him. The porridge was soft, fragrant, and steaming.
Shen Zhengming hadn’t had much of an appetite, but perhaps it was the porridge’s delicious taste or perhaps Song Qiaoan’s sweet persuasion he ended up finishing two full bowls in one go, still wanting more.
Whether it was his imagination or not, the lingering fatigue he’d felt earlier seemed to fade after eating, and he felt much more energetic.
Song Qiao’an didn’t miss the surprise in his eyes. As expected, adding the spiritual spring water made all the difference. If she had known it would be this effective, she could’ve just brought two buckets of it wouldn’t that have been easier?
“You and Uncle Wang both have to finish it later. I worked hard on this, so no wasting,” she said playfully.
Shen Zhengming laughed, promising repeatedly, “Don’t worry, we’ll finish every last drop!”
After the laughter faded, the smile on his face softened. Concern crept into his eyes as he looked at her and spoke carefully, “Qiaoan, tell your uncle the truth… did you run into some kind of trouble?”
He couldn’t be blamed for worrying. This child rarely visited except during holidays. For her to suddenly come like this how could he not be concerned? Was she being bullied at home?
Thinking of Song Jianren the coward who had brought his mistress and illegitimate child into the house back then made Shen Zhengming’s chest tighten with anger. If not for Qiaoan, he would’ve long since thrown that beast out.
He knew that Qiaoan had grown distant from him over the years, likely because of Song Jianren’s manipulation. But no matter what, the child was innocent. He didn’t want her caught in the middle of adult conflicts.
As long as Qiao’an lived well, he was willing to let go of grudges and step back, not interfering in their lives.
Suppressing the surge of emotions, he asked gently, “Did your father wrong you? Did Zhang Meilan and her children bully you? Whatever it is, you can tell your uncle. I’ll stand up for you.”
Song Qiaoan’s eyes grew moist. Her uncle was still the same no matter what happened, he would always stand firmly behind her, someone she could rely on forever.
“My dad is forcing me to marry Wang Shichang, and he even wants me to take an exam in Song Jiabao’s place.” She thought she had grown strong after living two lifetimes, but saying this in front of her uncle still made her choke up.
The more Shen Zhengming heard, the darker his expression became, his brows tightly furrowed. “Outrageous! How dare they treat you like this? Song Jianren, that useless fool he has no ability of his own, yet he dares to make you cheat on an exam? Has he lost his mind?!”
“Uncle, calm down.” Song Qiaoan quickly patted his back. “I’m not going to let them bully me for nothing. I already have a plan.”
“What plan?”
“I’m going to report them but not now. The exam hasn’t started yet, so reporting them now won’t lead to real punishment. I’ll pretend to go along with it first. Once Song Jianren has arranged all his connections and bribery, and the evidence is solid, I’ll report them on the day of the exam. By then, they won’t be able to deny anything.”
Hearing her plan, Shen Zhengming’s eyes flashed with surprise and approval. He had thought Qiaoan came to ask for help, but she had already thought everything through.
The child had grown up… He felt both relieved and heartbroken. He couldn’t imagine how much she had suffered in that household to become so mature and decisive at such a young age.
His nose stung as guilt welled up he felt he had failed his late elder sister. Back then, after she passed away, he should have hardened his heart and taken Qiaoan in to raise himself, instead of letting Song Jianren stay with those illegitimate children. If he had done that, Qiaoan wouldn’t have suffered like this.
Seeing her uncle’s expression grow somber, Song Qiao’an quickly changed the subject. “Uncle, do you know anyone in the Education Bureau? Or could you find out some internal arrangements for the exam day?”
Song Jianren must have bribed quite a few people. If she wanted her report to succeed, she had to do it in one decisive move find someone powerful enough to suppress them.
“I understand what you mean.” Shen Zhengming composed himself and said seriously, “Don’t worry, leave this to me. I’ll help you look into it.”
“Mm! Thank you, Uncle!”
After the founding of the country, the Shen family like many national bourgeois families had their industries gradually incorporated into state-owned enterprises. Though their financial strength was no longer what it used to be, their connections remained. After all, the development of many industries back then had relied on the Shen family’s support.
Handling this matter wouldn’t be too difficult. What truly worried Shen Zhengming was Wang Shichang.
The Wang family was not like the Song family. They weren’t just wealthy they also held power. If Qiaoan really married into that family, it would be like a lamb walking into a tiger’s den. Her life would surely be difficult.
Moreover, Wang Shichang himself was no simple man. Though Shen Zhengming didn’t know him well, he instinctively disliked him, feeling that he was hypocritical and insincere completely unworthy of Song Qiaoan.
“Qiaoan,” he hesitated, testing the waters, “do you really plan to listen to your father and marry Wang Shichang?”
Song Qiao’an shook her head. “Of course not. I’m planning to go to the countryside in Nancheng… to find Fu Chen.”
“Find… Fu Chen?!” Shen Zhengming was even more shocked, momentarily at a loss for words.
He had almost forgotten about him. Fu Chen was indeed a good young man. The Fu family, with its century-old foundation and upright family values, would naturally raise an outstanding eldest son.
He had a good relationship with Old Master Fu, but who would have thought that after one storm, everything would change?
When the Fu family got into trouble, he believed Old Master Fu had been wronged. But in times like these, everyone was concerned for their own safety who would dare stand up and speak for them?
Given Song Jianren’s opportunistic nature, he would surely force Qiaoan to cut ties with Fu Chen at the first opportunity. But judging from what the girl said… could it be that they hadn’t divorced yet?