Restarting life by going to the countryside to support medical work

Chapter 682 Persuasion
"Ningning, don't rush to speak, let me finish."

Seeing Ningning move her lips, her face flushed as if she wanted to say something, Luo Min calmly said...

"First of all, I want to make it clear, Ningning, I'm not here today to confront you. To be precise, I'm actually the one who's standing between you and your brother Dacheng, because you've known each other for much longer than I have."

Secondly, as I just said, liking someone is not illegal.

Feelings, whether romantic, familial, or platonic, are the hardest things to control. They arise from emotion but must be restrained by propriety. Your affection for your brother Cheng has not caused me or the family any trouble. You are still my favorite little sister and the children's favorite aunt.

But now you're not coming home because of this, and that really hurts me.

I criticized your brother Da Cheng last night; his approach to this issue was too crude.

Of course, as your brother Cheng's wife, I am indeed very pleased with his actions, but he made a mistake.

Ningning, running away from this kind of thing isn't the solution. Do you think you can accept what others have to say?

Hearing this, Ningning shook her head firmly despite some hesitation. She knew very well that she really couldn't accept other men.

She had tried dating other men, but the extreme physical and psychological discomfort forced her to give up.

She thought she might end up alone for the rest of her life.

It's true that she likes Li Yancheng, but she never thought about getting him. She wanted to bury this feeling deep in her heart, as long as she could see the man she liked often.

What she didn't expect was that what she thought was a secret was actually known to everyone.

So, after the man she liked and her sister-in-law each had a heart-to-heart talk with her, she felt ashamed and developed a desire to avoid them, wanting to bury her head in the sand like an ostrich.

She hid at the school and didn't dare go back even during holidays, fearing that she would cause conflict in Da Cheng's family.

"Sister-in-law, I'm sorry, I... Am I a bad woman? I know I shouldn't like Brother Dacheng, but I just can't control my heart."

Waaah... I don't know what to do, I can only hide here.

After suppressing her emotions for so long, Ningning finally couldn't hold back when facing Luo Min, and threw herself into her arms and cried loudly.

Luo Min tenderly raised her hand and gently stroked Ningning's hair.

She didn't say anything, just held Ningning in her arms, letting her vent the unease that had been suppressed in her heart for so long.

Nearly ten minutes passed before the crying gradually subsided.

After the crying completely stopped, Ningning seemed a little embarrassed or something, and buried her head in Luo Min's chest, unwilling to lift it up for a long time.

"What's wrong? You've soaked my shirt with tears, and you still don't want to get up? Are you too embarrassed to see me?"

Hearing Luo Min's teasing words, Ningning belatedly realized what was happening and quickly sat up straight to look at her sister-in-law's chest.

Indeed, the front of her beige short-sleeved shirt was completely soaked with her tears. Luckily, she didn't have a runny nose, otherwise, with both snot and tears, the shirt would be completely unwearable if it wasn't washed.

Ningning stuck out her tongue and smiled a little shyly.

"I'm sorry, sister-in-law."

"Silly girl, why are you apologizing to me?"

Luo Min raised her hand and used the pad of her thumb to wipe away a tear that was still clinging to Ningning's face.

"You've cried, and I've said what I needed to say. Now, tell me your thoughts. You've been living here for a while now, what are your thoughts?"

"Sister-in-law, you're really not angry with me?"

Ningning didn't answer Luo Min's question, but instead cautiously asked a question in return. Her big, wet eyes were heartbreaking to look at.

"Silly girl, why would I be angry with you? You haven't done anything unforgivable. Your brother Cheng is so outstanding, it's normal for you to like him."

But Ningning, do you know that comparing your brother Dacheng to other men your age is unfair to them?

???

Ningning was completely baffled by these words; she didn't understand what they meant.

What do you mean by unfair? Aren't we all human? Why is it unfair?

"Your upbringing." Seeing the blank look on Ningning's face, Luo Min knew she didn't understand what she meant, so she explained.

"Your eldest brother Cheng and your brother were born before the liberation. Their childhood was spent in war, amidst gunfire and artillery fire."

They have witnessed too many separations and deaths since they were young.

Because of their special family environment, they were very independent from a young age. You could even say that your brother Cheng and your brother are both somewhat chauvinistic.

This is due to their upbringing and subsequent work experience.

Ningning, your brother and your Dacheng brother both deal with criminals when they work. Many of these people are vicious and ruthless. They have been through thick and thin, faced life and death, and now they are both in high positions.

Their life experiences, and the marks they left on them, shaped their unique charm. How should I put it? They are undeniably attractive, especially to women who lack such experiences.

"Hmm... Sister-in-law, are you saying I'm ignorant?"

"You've been protected too much by them since you were little. They always take care of everything for you, so now when you encounter a problem, you just run away instead of thinking about how to solve it."

Is running away the solution? You're hiding at school and not even going home; are you planning to hide like this for the rest of your life?

Luo Min raised her hand and poked Ningning on the forehead.

Ningning pouted and explained, "Sister-in-law, I'm not trying to run away. I'm scared. I'm scared of becoming the kind of person I hate. I'm scared that I won't be able to control myself and will ruin the relationship between you and Brother Dacheng. I'm even more scared that I will lose you both forever because of this."

So...so..."

"What a silly girl." Before Ningning could finish speaking, Luo Min reached out and pulled her into his arms again.

“When I married your brother Cheng, you were only twelve or thirteen years old. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I watched you grow up, right?”

Ningning, nestled in Luo Min's arms, nodded.

"Since I've watched you grow up, how could I not know what kind of person you are and what your personality is like? Ningning, it's perfectly normal for you to like your brother Dacheng."

But as I said before, you can't use him as the standard when you're looking for a partner. That's unfair to other men. Everyone is an independent and vibrant individual. You're a college student, so you should understand this better than I do.

We all have our own personalities and life experiences. What your brother Da Cheng has experienced from childhood to adulthood is something no one else can replicate. You simply cannot find another brother like Da Cheng.

"Then I won't look anymore, I'll just stay here alone," Ningning said in a muffled voice, nestled in Luo Min's arms.

Upon hearing her say this, Luo Min's first reaction was that the girl was just saying it out of spite. But when she looked down and saw the determination in Ningning's eyes, she realized that the girl was not joking.

"No marriage, no children? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm not joking, sister-in-law."

Ningning sat up straight from Luo Min's embrace and spoke again in a very firm tone.

“Sister-in-law, I can assure you that no matter what, I will not ruin your relationship with my brother Dacheng. I am your sister, your aunt who brings joy and laughter, and I will not do anything out of line.”

“You don’t need to promise me anything. If I didn’t trust you, why would I come here to question you about why you didn’t go home and why you were hiding from us?”

"Sister-in-law, thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet, Ningning. Do you know how old you are?"

"thirty"

"That's right. Have you ever seen a healthy person with a very good job who is still unmarried at this age?"

Seeing that Ningning wanted to speak, Luo Min shook her head and continued, "Ningning, do you know how many rumors and gossips you will have to face in the future?"

"Sister-in-law, isn't this enough?"

Ningning shrugged nonchalantly.

In fact, in this day and age, someone her age who hasn't married and had children is considered an anomaly, which is one of the reasons she stayed at school.

Although there were people gossiping at school, they were much better than the neighbors in the alley where she grew up... those gossipy people in the alley...

But it's alright, after all, Ningning is Li Yancheng and Jin Zhihai's sister, and their status is what it is. Even if the neighbors in the alley gossip, they are very careful. It's not wrong to take advantage of one's age, but one has to consider who one is taking advantage of.

Are you sure you won't let those gossips affect your mindset?

As the old saying goes, "Words can kill," and the destructive power of gossip should not be underestimated.

Luo Min expressed concern about this.

“Sister-in-law, I’ve been living like this for the past few years. It’s not like this just happened today. I’m used to it. Let whoever wants to say what they want. As long as I’m doing well, that’s all that matters.”

"But have you thought about your future? It doesn't matter now that you're young, but what about when you get old?"

“Aren’t there Huansheng, Xiaoyu, and Pengpeng? I’m their aunt. If they dare to ignore me, I’ll beat them up.” Ningning clenched her fist and waved it, pretending to be fierce.

“I don’t care about you anymore. Whether you get married or not is up to you. Anyway, No. 20 Meishan East Alley is your home. You can’t not come home.”

"Yes, my dear sister-in-law." Ningning gave a playful salute.

"Alright, then go home for dinner tonight. What do you want to eat? I'll have your brother Da Cheng cook it for you."

"Um... Sister-in-law, I want to eat oil-splashed pulled noodles."

"No problem, I'll call him in a bit and tell him to come home on time after get off work this afternoon so I can make you some oil-splashed pulled noodles."

"Hey, sister-in-law, where did my brother learn to make this kind of noodle? I've never seen it around here before."

Although the Li family has never lacked money, they have always purchased grains and oils in rations. As for dishes like oil-splashed noodles, which use a lot of oil, Li Yancheng had never made them before. It was only in the last two years, when things have gotten better, that he showed off his skills at home, and everyone in the family exclaimed how delicious they were.

Not only that, he also made mutton stew with bread, and even went out of his way to find a small stone mill to steam rice noodles and wheat noodles at home. He would buy baked flatbread from outside and then braise meat to eat with it. It was an authentic Shaanxi flavor, and they all ate it with their mouths full of oil.

Luo Min enjoyed the meal, but it also left her with many doubts.

She had worked in a rural village in Qin Province for a short time, but she had heard a lot from the old people in that village. She was puzzled as to how her husband, who had been on a business trip to Qin Province, could learn how to cook the local food in such a short time and even speak the Qin dialect.

She always felt that her husband had a secret. Sometimes she felt that she knew him very well, but other times she felt that looking at her husband was like looking at flowers through a fog.

However, Luo Min was a smart woman, and she didn't press the matter further. She believed that her man would tell her when the time was right.

Moreover, she preferred to believe that it was because her man was smart that he learned it after only two trips to Qin Province.

"Why worry about so much? As long as we have food to eat, that's enough."

"That's right, hehe, I get to eat Brother Dacheng's cooking again today. Sister-in-law, you don't know, I've been craving it for so long. The food in the school cafeteria is really awful."

"But you didn't go back then, you insisted on waiting for me to come and invite you."

"I'm just shy, I..."

"Okay, no need to say so much. Remember, Ningning, we are family, no matter what."

"Sister-in-law, you're so kind. No wonder Brother Dacheng loves you so much."

……

Meanwhile, in the interrogation room of the Yangchao Branch Criminal Police Team, Jin Zhihai leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, squinting at Mao Hongwei, who was sitting there being interrogated by the pre-trial investigator.

This kid is pretty tough. No matter how you ask him, he either laughs it off, cries foul, or rambles on. In short, he'll give you his answer and I'll give mine. He's pretty good at resisting interrogation. But the more he acts like this, the more it shows that there's something seriously wrong with him.

If he was the mastermind behind everything, then his behavior could be explained.

Assuming he is the mastermind, then the breakthrough should be focused on the other three; hopefully, we can find something there.

Thinking of this, Kim Ji-hae, who was leaning against the wall, straightened up, said nothing, turned around and walked out of the interrogation room, taking out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it as he walked.

He didn't sleep a wink last night, relying entirely on cigarettes and strong tea to keep going.

Sometimes it's not that these police officers like to smoke, but they have no choice. They often have to stay up all night while handling cases, and they can't do it without something to keep them going.

Not to mention male police officers, many female police officers in the criminal investigation team who are on field duty also smoke constantly when they stay up all night.

Smoking is harmful to health? Who cares about that now?

After stepping out of the interrogation room, Kim Ji-hae looked up at the azure sky. In the interrogation room, where lights were needed even during the day, the bright sunshine outside gave him a sense of being in another world.

(End of this chapter)