Chapter 179: Grandparent and Grandchild
"Su Qing, we’re going to be relatives. Don’t you think you took it a little too far?" Despite his interest in Su Qing, getting kicked by her in the middle of the street was utterly humiliating. People were already starting to look, and he could even see some of them pointing and whispering. He’d never been so disgraced in his entire life.
When had he ever been bested so badly by a woman? And to make matters worse, he saw that pretty boy in the wheelchair smirking. He was sure An Zhihan’s smile was mocking him.
It was all more than Wu Tao could take.
"Heh. I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen. Since you wouldn’t listen, I had to kick you. Remember this: next time you see me, keep your distance. Otherwise, I’ll kick you again," Su Qing said coldly.
Hearing Su Qing, a bystander who’d noticed the commotion laughed. "Well, what do you know? It’s the male comrade harassing the female comrade. If you ask me, she did right to kick him. He deserved it."
Wu Tao was seething, but he didn’t dare try to hit Su Qing. He knew his own limits—he was skilled at charming girls, but fighting was not his forte. After the kick she’d just landed, he had a gut feeling that if he got any closer, she’d definitely kick him again.
Discretion is the better part of valor!
So Wu Tao shot Su Qing an angry glare and said, "Fine. You’re something else. Hmph."
With that, Wu Tao turned and shot a vicious glare at An Zhihan. ’That pretty boy is no good, either.’
Just as Wu Tao was about to scramble to his feet and leave, Xiao Feng, who stood behind An Zhihan, had had enough. His face hardened as he glared at Wu Tao. "What’s with that look? You keep glaring, and believe me, I’ll gouge both your eyes out."
Though Xiao Feng was just taking care of An Zhihan’s daily needs in Xiyuan County, he was actually a trained martial artist. The force of his glare was so intense that Wu Tao, who had been about to get up, was scared right back onto his rear with a PLOP.
His backside already throbbed from being kicked to the ground, so this second fall was just adding pain to pain. Wu Tao couldn’t help but let out a yelp, which sent the onlookers into another round of laughter.
Humiliated and furious, Wu Tao knew he was outmatched and couldn’t possibly save face now. Gritting his teeth, he shot one last angry look at Su Qing before turning and limping away.
Once Wu Tao left, the crowd of onlookers dispersed. Su Qing gave a slight nod to Old Mrs. An and Mrs. Lin. She never would have guessed that the people she’d helped on the street the other day were actually connected to An Zhihan. And from the looks of things...
A suspicion began to form in Su Qing’s mind.
And sure enough, An Zhihan said to her, "I really didn’t expect to run into you today."
Seeing her glance at Old Mrs. An and Mrs. Lin, he gestured toward them. "This is my grandmother, and this is Mrs. Lin, who looks after her."
Then, turning to Old Mrs. An, he said, "This is a friend of mine, Su Qing."
Old Mrs. An smiled at An Zhihan. "Miss Su and I have met before."
Su Qing laughed. "Grandma An, please, just call me Su Qing. I’m just a girl from the countryside, not any ’Miss’."
Now it was An Zhihan’s turn to be surprised. "You’ve met?"
Mrs. Lin began, "Last time..."
Old Mrs. An, fearing Mrs. Lin would reveal that she had fainted, quickly cut in, "Mrs. Lin and I slipped on the street a few days ago, and Miss Su Qing helped us."
Old Mrs. An’s words made An Zhihan’s heart clench. He quickly asked, "Are you all right? Did you go to the hospital to get checked out?"
"It was nothing serious." A flicker of joy went through Old Mrs. An’s heart. ’Is my little grandson actually worried about me?’
Su Qing didn’t understand why Old Mrs. An wasn’t mentioning that she had fainted, but it was their family’s business, and not her place to interfere. Besides, she could vaguely sense the rift between An Zhihan and his grandmother. So, she went along with the story. "Grandma An and Mrs. Lin were fine that day. Don’t worry."
An Zhihan nodded. He glanced at the supply cooperative and asked, "Are you heading to the supply co-op?"
Su Qing shook her head. "No, I was visiting an elder’s home today and was on my way back. I was just passing through when I ran into that guy."
"Oh, I see." An Zhihan recalled the look in Wu Tao’s eyes. "That guy said you two would be relatives? He doesn’t seem like a good person. You should probably steer clear of him from now on."
"Yeah." Su Qing nodded. "He’s dating my older cousin. But I’m not close with her family, so we don’t see each other much. If he ever comes looking for trouble again, I’ll just kick him again."
Hearing this, Old Mrs. An recalled the conflict she’d investigated between Su Qing and An Zhiwei back in Laxian County. She smiled. "Miss Su Qing, you have a very bold personality. You remind me of myself when I was younger."
Mrs. Lin also smiled. "She is a bit like you were when you were young."
Su Qing smiled. "I just have a bit of a fiery temper."
"A bit of fire is a good thing." Old Mrs. An nodded. "That way, a girl won’t be taken advantage of."
With that, Old Mrs. An looked at Su Qing and said, "Speaking of which, I still haven’t properly thanked you for helping me the other day. Why don’t you give me your address? I’ll pay you a personal visit in a couple of days to express my gratitude."
Hearing this, Su Qing quickly replied, "Grandma An, there’s no need. It was nothing, really. Not worth mentioning. You don’t have to go to such trouble."
Mrs. Lin smiled. "You may feel it was nothing, but to us, it was a great kindness. We must thank you."
"Really, there’s no need." Su Qing had only helped because it was the right thing to do; she hadn’t expected any reward.
Old Mrs. An smiled. "Even setting aside the fact that you helped me, you’re an acquaintance of my Zhi Han, and I’ve taken a liking to you. Just think of it as me coming over for a friendly visit."
Since Old Mrs. An had put it that way, Su Qing had no choice but to give her the address. Old Mrs. An beamed. "Excellent. I’ll drop by for a visit in a few days."
"Okay." Su Qing smiled and nodded. Knowing An Zhihan and his party were heading to the supply co-op, she didn’t prolong the conversation and said her goodbyes.
After Su Qing had left, An Zhihan pursed his lips. He then asked Old Mrs. An, "That day you fell... you’re really all right?"
Hearing this, Mrs. Lin smiled at Old Mrs. An. "Old Mrs. An, the young master is worried about you."
"I am not. I was just asking," An Zhihan said, pursing his lips uncomfortably. He had A Feng start pushing him toward the supply co-op.
"Sigh." Old Mrs. An let out a soft sigh. She wondered if the rift between her and An Zhihan could ever be truly mended in her lifetime.
Mrs. Lin comforted her from the side. "Old Mrs. An, take it slowly. Things will get better. The young master is just feeling a bit conflicted right now."
"I hope so," Old Mrs. An murmured softly.
Meanwhile, Wu Tao limped home. When Mrs. Wu saw him, she cried out in alarm, "Wu Tao, what happened to you?"