“What? Ning girl isn’t actually a biological child of the Jiang family? That’s huge!” The crowd perked up, excited to hear the gossip.
“No wonder Ning girl doesn’t look like her parents. I was wondering—Jiang’s eldest couple are so ordinary-looking, yet Ning girl is so beautiful. Turns out she really isn’t their daughter.”
“Exactly! She’s so pretty, and they’ve been tormenting her every day. I had my doubts, but now it’s clear—she isn’t their own. The Jiang family really is cruel.”
“Aunt Zhang, I heard a few days ago that things had improved, and she could be taken back. But she stayed in the countryside too long—she might really become a countryside girl.”
“I heard it then too, but didn’t think much of it. Now, looking back, they must have known from the start that she wasn’t their child.”
“I’ve been unconscious since yesterday. No one was home, I didn’t even get a sip of water. Now I’m hungry, thirsty, dizzy, and my head hurts.”
After speaking, Anning’s vision went black, and she collapsed into Aunt Zhang’s arms.
Aunt Zhang immediately held her, instinctively recoiling as her hands touched Anning’s skin.
“My God! Old Zhang, Ning girl is burning up! Hurry, get her to the hospital!”
At that moment, Sister Yang, the street office director, also arrived. She touched the other side of Anning’s forehead, her expression turning grim.
“Old Zhang, the Jiang family is difficult to deal with. You two—forget about this for now. Don’t bring trouble on yourselves.
“But please go to the police station, find Director Hong, and get a cart to transport Ning girl to the hospital for emergency care.”
“The Jiang family is heartless. They pushed her down and left her at home all day and night. This time, we report it to the police. Let’s see how the Jiang family deals with the street office.”
“They’re practically murderers. If Ning girl suffers any harm or aftereffects, the street office won’t let them off.”
“Yes, even if she isn’t their biological child, she grew up in their home. How could Jiang Chunmei lay a hand on her?”
“Right! Ning girl grew up under our eyes. Such a well-behaved girl, yet the Jiang family harmed her like this. They truly aren’t human.”
“Look at her wound—so large, it seems infected and pus-filled. Will it leave a scar?”
“With such a huge, terrible wound… it’s risky. A scar that size on a girl’s forehead could ruin her face. Such a beautiful girl—it’s a shame.”
Soon, Director Hong arrived with two police officers, pushing a wooden cart. The crowd cleared a path for them.
Seeing Anning’s condition, Director Hong’s heart sank. This girl was severely injured.
On the way back with Uncle Zhang, he had learned about the Jiang family. They moved here over ten years ago, and had been low-key for the first few years. Somehow, in the past two years, they’d become difficult, frequently clashing with neighbors.
The Jiang daughters-in-law were like raw meat in a grinder, constantly fighting. The station had mediated several times, with little effect.
But this time, it was serious. The girl’s face was pale, her lips peeling, the wound looked terrifying. A facial wound like this on a young girl—such a shame. The police wouldn’t let this slide lightly.
“Two female officers, please help lift the girl onto the cart. We’ll take her to the hospital, and the Jiang family must cover the medical expenses.”
Sister Yang and Aunt Zhang lifted Anning onto the cart. The street office director, along with the three officers, followed her to the hospital. The rest dispersed to go to work.
Soon, they reached the health clinic. The doctor, seeing Director Hong push in a young girl, immediately called for a stretcher. Anning was transferred onto it and taken to the emergency room for a full-body examination.
Everyone outside sat worried. Though she wasn’t their own child, seeing such a lively young girl lying there lifelessly made them uneasy. Even the doctors and nurses felt a pang of discomfort—who could inflict such heavy damage on a girl?
After about half an hour, the doctor came out. Anning, still unconscious, was being pushed by the nurse with an IV drip.
The doctor said to Director Hong and Sister Yang:
“This girl has suffered severe malnutrition for a long time, leaving her physically weak. This wound is too large, she lost too much blood, and it is infected. Clearly, treatment was delayed.”
“She now has a fever of 40.5°C. She will be weak for a couple of days. Once the fever subsides, she will need to be hospitalized for a few days. Luckily you brought her in on time; otherwise, she could have suffered permanent damage.”
“You should prepare some light congee or porridge to supplement her nutrition. She hasn’t eaten for over a day, and her stomach is weak. Porridge is easy to digest.”
“She will probably wake up in about an hour. Call me then, and I’ll check her again.”
The doctor shook his head and left.
In today’s world, some people don’t treat girls as human. Too many are like that. As a doctor, there was little he could do—but the girl’s face might be permanently disfigured.
In truth, Anning’s state was caused by Tuzi, to make her plan feasible. The Jiang family had dared to leave her at home like this. This time, Anning would teach them a lesson—there wouldn’t be another chance.
Her goal was to completely cut ties with this family and prevent the sordid events of the original story from happening.
Meanwhile, she wondered about Ge Laogou. What about those two scoundrels, Li Weiming and Xu Hongli? If they both died, Ge Laogou would face legal punishment—20 years in prison would be unavoidable.
Aside from Ge Laogou, there were those city officials she would deal with as well.
Anning was conscious—she could hear what was happening outside—but Tuzi had controlled her movements. In other words, she was fully aware, yet her eyelids and limbs wouldn’t move. She appeared weak and feeble, giving the doctors the impression of a critical patient.
Director Hong, the officers, and Sister Yang stayed with Anning. They needed to understand her perspective: how should this incident be resolved?
This matter could be serious or minor. At worst, it could be attempted murder; at best, just a family conflict where a mother punished her daughter.