Chapter 133: It’s Her

Chapter 133: Chapter 133: It’s Her

Lu Zhengchuan gazed at her profile. He saw a maternal glow he had never seen on her before.

He pressed his lips together and frowned. "Let’s just wait for the checkup results."

Su Wan hadn’t expected him to be so stubborn. A flash of anger rose in her, and she stormed ahead without a word.

Lu Zhengchuan hurried after her, reaching for her hand. Still angry, Su Wan deliberately pulled away.

Lu Zhengchuan stopped and watched her back. Seeing that she had no intention of stopping, he sprang into action, catching up to her in just a few strides.

Su Wan saw him out of the corner of her eye. She felt a sense of relief, but also a lingering worry. She caressed her belly and couldn’t help but pray in her heart, ’My two babies have to grow up healthy. I will never, ever give up on them.’

Just as the two of them arrived home, they saw police officers in the courtyard.

"What’s going on?" Su Wan felt a surge of unease at the sight of the police. When she saw the cuts and bruises on Father Su and Mother Su’s faces, she rushed forward anxiously. "Dad, Mom, who hit you? What happened?"

"Thank you both for your cooperation. We’ve collected the evidence. The case regarding Zhang San and his gang of hooligans, who were called in by Comrade Hu Xiang to cause trouble over a business dispute, is more or less settled."

"The police station has calculated your losses. Comrade Hu Xiang will provide full compensation. Additionally, the police will reprimand her, award you damages for this incident, and suspend her business license for a year." After explaining the details, the officer gathered his things to leave.

Hearing this, Su Wan’s brow furrowed slightly. She understood now that some business rival had come to make trouble for her parents.

The police officers turned and saw Lu Zhengchuan in his military uniform. They instinctively raised their hands in a salute.

Lu Zhengchuan nodded to return the salute and watched them leave.

"Wanwan, it’s nothing serious," Mother Su said. "It was just that woman from the next street. She was jealous that your father’s and my business was doing so well, so she called her brother over. They pretended to be thugs to try and make trouble for us."

"Luckily, our son-in-law got back just in time and caught the whole group. He sent them straight to the police station. Now they’ll have to serve three months in jail and pay a fine." In truth, Mother Su didn’t even know Hu Xiang.

It was only from the details the police officer provided that she learned who Hu Xiang was.

It turned out she was the woman who often came to the stall, always asking questions but never buying anything. Mother Su had been too busy serving customers, greeting everyone with a smile. She never had the time to figure out what others were thinking.

Who would have thought that Hu Xiang, green with envy over their business, had gone home and set up her own stall right at her doorstep to sell tea eggs.

But it was obvious her heart wasn’t in honing her cooking skills, and as a result, her business was no match for theirs at all.

After a while, she even started selling leftover tea eggs from the day before. The result, naturally, was that her business got even worse.

In the end, blinded by jealousy, she resorted to this scheme to try and ruin Mother Su’s business.

After hearing all the details, Su Wan wrapped her arms around her mother. "Mom, this must have been so hard for you. It’s all my fault you got hurt."

"Silly girl, this has nothing to do with you. Your mom, me, I’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like to earn my own money now. I have no intention of giving up this business. Even if you asked me to, I wouldn’t."

With that one sentence, Mother Su shut down any words of persuasion Su Wan was about to offer.

Su Wan opened her mouth to speak, then fell silent.

"Alright now, you silly girl, don’t be such a stranger with your own mother. The most important thing is for you to take good care of yourself. Your father and I aren’t going to be taken down by a little trouble like this."

"Hmph. They really think we’re easy to bully. The police may have sorted it out, but we can’t just let this go."

Su Wan was surprised. "Mom, what are you going to do?"

"Your father and I cooked a pot of tea eggs for the neighbors. We’re all going over to the Hu Family’s place together to demand an explanation and make a scene. Otherwise, people will think we’re pushovers."

Seeing her mother so full of fighting spirit, Su Wan knew her worries had been for nothing.

Her mom really wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Then, Su Wan watched as Mother Su and Father Su, one armed with a broom and the other with a feather duster, led a group of neighbors straight for the Hu Family’s home in the next alley.

Among the crowd were Old Wu and others she recognized.

Seeing her standing worriedly at the doorway with her large belly, Old Wu, holding his tobacco pipe, tilted his head up and said, "Comrade Su Wan, don’t you worry. There are a lot of us. The Hu Family will have to apologize to your parents. We’re all from the same alley. Those people have no sense of decency. We’ll go have a word with them."

"You just stay home and focus on your pregnancy. Rest easy. Let us old folks handle a small matter like this."

Then Old Wu led the group of old men and women away.

Their procession to demand justice was all business, no bluffing.

Seeing how many people there were, Su Wan figured her parents definitely wouldn’t be at a disadvantage. She felt happy that they had such good relationships with their neighbors.

"Wanwan, these neighbors are all wonderful. It’s also thanks to you winning over Old Wu in the beginning. I hear he’s the elder who has lived in this alley the longest. Everyone here respects him."

Lu Zhengchuan perceptively brought a stool over and placed it behind Su Wan, then squatted down to help Aunt Zhao wash vegetables.

"Wanwan, you rest first."

Su Wan’s back and legs were already aching from standing so long. Hearing this, she didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down on the stool, watching the two of them work while caressing her belly.

The atmosphere was surprisingly leisurely and peaceful.

"Auntie," Lu Zhengchuan said to Aunt Zhao, "could you tell me what’s been happening lately? I’m usually at my post with the army, so I can’t always look after Wanwan. Please, tell me more about her."

The moment Lu Zhengchuan made this request, Aunt Zhao shot the couple a teasing look.

Su Wan felt a little awkward under her gaze.

But she didn’t say anything to stop her.

Aunt Zhao just laughed and said, "Oh, this past while, Wanwan has been so hardworking and diligent! And so capable..."

"Those paintings of hers... they’re as beautiful as photographs."

"She even knows how to fix bicycles. She taught me how, too! Now, whenever someone in the neighborhood has a broken bike, they just push it over for Wanwan to take a look, and she can almost always fix it."

"And she can fix radios, too."

"I only just found out that Wanwan studied physics. I don’t know what physics is, I just know she can fix all sorts of machines."

"Because of all that, Wanwan is incredibly popular in the alley. Why else do you think so many old men and women were willing to go help when Sister Su rallied them? It’s because Wanwan has helped them even more in their daily lives."

Aunt Zhao went on and on, showering Su Wan with praise.

Su Wan felt shy and uncomfortable, and when Lu Zhengchuan looked over at her, she didn’t dare to meet his gaze.

Lu Zhengchuan’s eyes were filled with amazement. He was a simple, unrefined man. He was competent at his duties in the army, but if you asked him to do physics research, that would be impossible.

"Alright, Wanwan, Zheng Chuan, I’m going to start making dinner. You two rest for a bit. We’ll eat once Sister Su and the others get back."

Aunt Zhao carried the basin of vegetables into the kitchen, and before long, the aroma of cooking food began to drift out.

Lu Zhengchuan led Su Wan by the hand into the bedroom.

Su Wan handed him the checkup report from the hospital.

"These are my prenatal checkup reports from the past few months. You can take a look." Su Wan knew he was worried, so she gave him the reports to put his mind at ease.