Chapter 79: 079. Zhengzheng Leaves (Second Update)
Translator: 549690339
Though she had been at odds with Ning Jing during the day, when it was time for bed, Zhengzheng was still obediently taken away by Ning Jing.
Early in the morning of October 15th, Su Liang got up, washed and didn’t go for a run or practice martial arts. Instead, she stayed in the kitchen, busying herself with cooking for Ning Jing.
Aside from breakfast, she also needed to prepare lunch. On the first day of the exam, they wouldn’t be released until the afternoon.
Su Liang had asked Ning Jing the night before what he wanted to eat. She considered making dishes, but they would be cold by the time he ate them, and it wouldn’t be convenient. In the end, she decided to make stuffed pastries with meat and vegetarian fillings.
Apparently, in the past, some people cheated using the food they brought to the Provincial Exam, so afterward, inspections became very strict. Once caught, the consequences went beyond disqualification from the examination; there would even be jail time. Thus, very few people dared to risk cheating under such heavy punishment.
After breakfast, the sky just started to brighten, and Zhengzheng was still fast asleep.
Carrying the box of books that Su Liang had bought for him, Ning Jing left through the back door alone.
After taking a few steps, Ning Jing heard the door close and turned to look back, but Su Liang was already out of sight.
Ning Jing turned away and walked through the alley, in the direction of the Examination Hall in Pingbei City.
The early arriving examinees had already formed a long line and were being inspected one by one.
Ning Jing noticed someone staring at him but didn’t pay attention to it.
When it was finally his turn, Lin Shuzhi was standing at the entrance of the Examination Hall. As he did for other examinees, he said a word of encouragement to Ning Jing without showing any special treatment.
“Thank you,” Ning Jing responded with a slight nod.
Lin Shuzhi saw the several stuffed pastries in Ning Jing’s box, and upon taking them out, their delicious smell wafted out and they were still warm.
He didn’t know if Ning Jing bought them or if someone made them for him, but when he thought of Lin Xueqing, who had gotten up early to cook for Ning Jing, Lin Shuzhi gave a faint sigh.
Lin Xueqing wasn’t good at cooking, but she enjoyed it. In the past, her two older brothers and Ning Jing praised her cooking no matter what she made.
However, things had changed.
Ning Jing carried his box of books into the Examination Hall, and Lin Shuzhi spotted someone lurking at the corner, anxiously peeking in this direction. He recalled the two men’s corpses found near Qianshan Academy after Ning Jing left yesterday. Although he didn’t think Ning Jing was the one responsible, he had a hunch it was related to him.
Lin Shuzhi cleared his thoughts and continued to encourage the next examinee with a gentle smile.
On the surface, everything was peaceful.
Just as Su Liang had sent Ning Jing off and returned to her room, she saw Zhengzheng’s bewildered little face sitting on the bed. As soon as he saw her, his mouth turned down, and he began to cry.
Thinking about the child’s experience of being abducted, Su Liang figured he must have called for someone and gotten scared when nobody answered.
Su Liang quickly went over, hugged Zhengzheng, and gently patted him to soothe him.
After a while, when there was no sound, she looked down only to see the little guy had fallen asleep again in her arms…
There was no time to practice martial arts or read when she had to take care of the child. Su Liang still had to go out today.
Unable to leave Zhengzheng at home or carry him in the basket as she did the day before, Su Liang had no choice but to disguise herself as a man, and they went out by carriage.
Inside the carriage sat the young master, Zhengzheng. There was plenty of space for him to play at will, and as long as he didn’t leave, no one would discover him.
After all, some people in Pingbei City wanted to kidnap the child, and with Ning Jing absent, Su Liang didn’t want to get into trouble.
The carriage stopped outside the Yonglong Embroidery Workshop. The manager who met with Ning Jing the day before noticed it right away, but Su Liang’s disguise made it difficult for him to be certain.
Su Liang didn’t get off the carriage. The manager came out and politely asked,
“What would you like to buy?”
Su Liang took out the jade token that Yang Yu had given her, showed it for a moment, and then quickly put it away.
Seeing the token. the manager instantly recognized that this “voting man” was
Yang Yu’s “most important friend” mentioned in the letter. He hurriedly invited Su Liang inside.
“I have some errands to run, so I won’t come in today. Please get me the best cotton cloth,” Su Liang said.
The manager understood, went back into the store, and soon returned with a
roll of cotton cloth and the most expensive silk in the shop.
Su Liang took them and put them in the carriage.
As the curtain of the carriage swayed, the manager caught a glimpse of a little boy inside, and he hesitated for a moment.
Su Liang handed him a banknote.
Regaining his senses, the manager hastily took it.
Then, she drove the carriage away.
Zhengzheng pulled open the bag of cloth, inside lied the house key and a note of the house location given by Yang Yu to Su Liang.
Yang Yu knew Ning Jing was in trouble, so the house was registered under the Yang Family’s name instead of using Ning Jing or Su Liang’s names, but they could move in at any time.
When they passed by the examination hall, it was heavily guarded, and no idle people were allowed to approach.
Su Liang took a look and hurried the carriage back.
Once back home, Zhengzheng wanted to play on the swing one moment, stack building blocks the next, then thirsty, then hungry.
Su Liang finally experienced the difficulties Ning Jing had faced taking care of Zhengzheng before.
In the evening, the Examination Hall’s gate opened, and the candidates poured out one by one with tired expressions.
Ning Jing walked in the front and left as soon as the door opened.
Lin Shuzhi, who was waiting outside, wanted to say something to him but found that Ning Jing disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Some people who had been watching nearby all day felt as if they had just seen a ghost, Ning Jing seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Kids always forget grudges easily.
When Ning Jing entered the house with his book box, Zhengzheng excitedly ran over to him, “Uncle Ning!”
Ning Jing put down the book box, picked up Zhengzheng, and saw that he was wearing new clothes, which Su Liang must have bought today.
Su Liang, with an apron tied around her waist, poked her head out of the kitchen and casually asked, “Tired?”
“Tired.” Ning Jing’s answer surprised her.
But then Ning Jing continued, “Couldn’t come out early, it was suffocating inside.’
Su Liang: …So the part he found tiring wasn’t that the questions were too difficult or that he had no confidence, but that he wasn’t allowed to turn in his answers early and felt annoyed?
“Did anyone follow you?” Su Liang asked again.
Ning Jing shook his head, “Shook them off.”
He wanted to take a bath first, and Su Liang had just heated the water.
By the time Ning Jing finished bathing and changed into clean clothes, the sky had already darkened.
Lanterns were lit under the eaves, casting a hazy glow.
In the courtyard, the little swing gently swayed in the night breeze, and Zhengzheng’s giggles came from the small living room.
Su Liang looked up to see Ning Jing, her eyes filled with amazement.
His face was still the same, cold and indifferent. His ink-black hair hung at the back ot his head, and he wore the black gown that Su Liang had bought tor him a few days ago. It was a bit large, which added a sense of elegance and detachment.
“Uncle Ning!” Zhengzheng stood on a chair and waved his little hand at Ning Jing.
On the table was only the egg custard that Zhengzheng was eating; the rest of the dishes were still warming on the stove.
When Ning Jing brought the dishes over, they began eating.
Su Liang was very curious about the Imperial examination. Ning Jing had previously given her a copy of the questions from the Court Examination.
Now, as Su Liang asked, Ning Jing talked about today’s exam questions.
For each question, Su Liang would ponder for a moment, share her insights, and then inquire about Ning Jing’s answers.
Some of the answers were quite different.
“It seems I would definitely fail if I took the Imperial examination,” Su Liang said.
“You’re right,” Ning Jing succinctly expressed that, although he was there for the exam, he agreed more with Su Liang’s opinions.
“You’re right!” Zhengzheng grinned at Ning Jing.
Su Liang then asked Zhengzheng who he wanted to sleep with tonight.
Zhengzheng looked at Ning Jing, then at Su Liang, and answered crisply, “With
Uncle Ning! And Auntie! Together!”
Su Liang couldn’t help but smile, “Being greedy like that is not good. You can only choose one. Why don’t you sleep with me? Your Uncle Ning said he’s tired today.”
Time quickly came to October 17, the final day of the Provincial Exam.
There were noticeably fewer candidates taking the exam on this day compared to the first day. Some of them, discouraged by their poor performance during the previous two days, chose not to continue.
As Ning Jing entered, he saw Lin Shuzhi again.
This time, Lin Shuzhi spoke differently to Ning Jing, “Come to the academy after the exam today.” His voice was deliberately lowered.
Ning Jing glanced at Lin Shuzhi’s brow and nodded slightly in agreement.
At noon, the Provincial Exam officially came to an end.
The guards at the Examination Hall were withdrawn, and many people gathered outside.
Lin Shuzhi didn’t do as he told Lin Xueqing – waiting for Ning Jing to tie him up with a rope. He also stopped Lin Xueqing from coming to Ning Jing.
Ning Jing planned to return home first before going to Qianshan Academy.
A tall figure approached through the crowd and grabbed Ning Jing’s wrist!
Ning Jing had sensed this early on but didn’t avoid it, as he didn’t want to use force here.
The man was in his thirties, with average looks and a waist sword, resembling a guard from a wealthy family.
“Where’s my son?” The man’s voice was low.
The crowd was noisy, but Ning Jing heard him clearly. He looked in the direction the man came from and saw a carriage parked outside the crowd.
Ning Jing easily shook off the man’s hand. The man’s eyes flashed with surprise as Ning Jing said, “Follow me.”
Ning Jing walked lightly and swiftly, with the man following at a distance.
Seeing Ning Jing enter a mansion through the back door and disappear, the man hesitated for a moment before leaving in haste.
As Ning Jing came to the gate of the courtyard, he saw Su Liang sitting in his previous spot, and Zhengzheng sitting on the stone table. They were playing with building blocks, forming the shape of a large tree.
Zhengzheng turned his head, saw Ning Jing, and called out to him cheerfully,
‘”Uncle INIng!” HIS tone was upDeat.
Ning Jing nodded slightly and said, “Zhengzheng, you’re so talented.”
Zhengzheng happily clapped his hands and told Su Liang, “Auntie, you’re so talented too!”
Su Liang looked at Ning Jing, returning his previous words, “Go study.” Ning Jing: ..
As Ning Jing came out after washing, Su Liang stood up, “It seems like someone is knocking on the door.”
“The Wan Family has come.” Ning Jing said, touching the fluffy ball on Zhengzheng’s little red hat.
Su Liang sighed as she saw the child climbing all over Ning Jing’s body, “I’ll go open the door.”
Su Liang opened the door to see a man standing outside, with an understated yet luxurious carriage parked beside him.
“Are you Miss Su Liang?” The man asked with a bow.
Su Liang nodded, and the curtain of the carriage was lifted. A young and beautiful woman looked out, her eyes rimmed with red, “Is my child…?”
“Please come in.” Su Liang opened the door wide, allowing the carriage to enter, and closed it again.
Turning back, the man was already helping the woman off the carriage.
“I am Wan Hui. Master Cheng Yun said that Miss Su and Master Ning saved my son and asked us to come to Pingbei City to fetch him. Is my child here?” The woman’s expression was anxious.
Su Liang nodded, “Miss Wan, Zhengzheng is fine. Please follow me.”
Seeing their interlocked fingers, this man was likely Wan Hui’s husband, whom she had brought into the family.
As Su Liang led Wan Hui and her husband to the courtyard gate, they could hear the sound of a child’s laughter.
Wan Hui pushed her husband away, stepped past Su Liang, and ran into the yard. She saw the small figure and called out, “Zhengzheng!”
Zhengzheng heard her and looked up, still holding two small building blocks in his hands. He stared at Wan Hui blankly, not reacting for a moment.
Wan Hui rushed over and embraced Zhengzheng, her tears breaking through, “My child…”
The man stepped forward, embracing the mother and child, and let out a long sigh, “It’s all right now.”
“Mom?” Zhengzheng reacted, dropped the building blocks, his little face excited, calling out to his mom, and then calling out to his dad.
The family of three reunited, Ning Jing walked over to Su Liang, and the two stood quietly, not saying a word.
After a while, the emotionally calmed Wan Hui and her husband sat in the small hall, and Su Liang poured them tea.
Wan Hui was only 25 years old this year, with only one child, Zhengzheng, who resembled his mother in looks.
Wan Hui had no makeup on, and her haggard appearance could not hide her beauty. It was said that Third Master Li, who was smitten with beautiful women, fell in love with Miss Wan at first sight, and used all his means to get her.
Unfortunately, after marrying her, the scumbag lost interest in her and went on to pursue other beauties.
“Auntie! Uncle Ning!” Zhengzheng grabbed Wan Hui’s hand, affectionately calling out to Su Liang and Ning Jing, as if sharing his joy of finding his mother with them.
Wan Hui saw her son being raised plump and dressed exquisitely cute, seemingly as if nothing had happened, even more lively than before. She knew that Cheng Yun’s words were true, Su Liang and Ning Jing had taken great care of Zhengzheng.
Wan Hui handed Zhengzheng to her husband, and was about to kneel down but was stopped by Su Liang, “There’s no need for that.”
“I really don’t know what to say…” Wan Hui’s eyes reddened as she tightly held Su Liang’s hand.
“We just happened to come across him, maybe we’re fated with Zhengzheng!” Su Liang smiled.
Wan Hui nodded heavily, “The two of you must be the noble people in my son’s life! If there’s anything I can do for you both, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Su Liang looked at Ning Jing, who had no intention of speaking.
So, Su Liang said, “We don’t need Miss Wan to bother with anything, just please take good care of Zhengzheng in the future and don’t lose him again.”
“I won’t. If that Li bastard dares to take my son again, I’ll fight him to the death!” Wan Hui gritted her teeth when mentioning Third Master Li.
Listening to her, Su Liang felt that Zhengzheng’s background might not be what they had thought.
Excited to see his parents, Zhengzheng wanted to play with Ning Jing after a while, completely unaware that they would soon be parting.
Although Wan Hui repeatedly offered her gratitude, Su Liang politely declined. Initially, they had thought of asking the Wan Family to deal with Ning Yao, but now that they had feelings for Zhengzheng, Su Liang only wished for the family of three to be safe and sound.
Wan Hui took the initiative to mention that if Ning Jing needed help from the Wan Family, she would definitely do her best.
“No need.” Ning Jing spoke for the first time, his expression indifferent.
“We want to take our child home as soon as possible and find a way to make the Li family pay.” Wan Hui sighed softly, “If there’s anything I can do for both of you in the future, I’ll do my best.”
“Alright.” Su Liang nodded.
She packed all the clothes she had bought for Zhengzheng during these days, filling a large suitcase, along with a pile of building blocks. The little wooden puppet Ning Jing had made for Zhengzheng was proudly shown to his parents.
When Wan Hui carried Zhengzheng out of the door, she noticed a cute little swing in the courtyard, obviously made for children to play with.
She was deeply moved.
“Zhengzheng, say goodbye to Uncle Ning and Auntie Su.” Wan Hui instructed her son.
“Goodbye!” Zhengzheng said with a grin.
However, when Wan Hui was about to carry Zhengzheng out of the courtyard, he realized that Ning Jing and Su Liang were still standing in the same place, and he suddenly panicked, “Uncle Ning! Auntie! I want my Auntie!”
Wan Hui tried to comfort Zhengzheng, promising to take him home, but he simply wouldn’t listen and began to cry.
Ning Jing walked over, took Zhengzheng aside, and said something. In the end, with sobs and reluctance, Zhengzheng was taken away by his parents.
“What did you say to him?” Su Liang was curious.
Ning Jing shook his head, “Secret.”
Su Liang:…
After the child left, the courtyard suddenly became quiet, and Su Liang felt a little unused to it. She had wanted to accompany them, but eventually, they had to part, and the child should return to his parents.
“I’m going to Qianshan Academy, you’re coming too.” Ning Jing called to Su Liang.
“What are we going to do there? Why do I need to go too?” As Su Liang spoke, she got up and went back to her room to change her clothes.
Ning Jing’s voice came from outside the door, “You wanted to Imow Lin
Xueqing’s feelings for Ning Jing, didn’t you? You should see for yourself..”
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