Chapter 26: A Drunken Outburst

"Where should I look for you in the future?" Shen Nanzheng asked instinctively.

Wen Ran felt a headache coming on; she had never realized he was so shameless before! She retorted, "Are you planning to hold me accountable? I told you to go to the hospital for a dressing, but you’re the one who refused."

"Heh!" Seeing such a playful side to his young wife, Shen Nanzheng couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Wen Ran felt a shiver down her spine, wondering why he was laughing so much. It didn't feel like the Shen Nanzheng she remembered!

Shen Nanzheng said with a straight face, "It's not about holding you accountable. I want to write a letter of commendation to your workplace."

"That won't be necessary." Wen Ran didn't want the hospital to know she had been the one to write the prescription, so she refused firmly. "I'm leaving now. Goodbye."

She hopped on her bicycle and hurried away.

The curve of Shen Nanzheng's lips deepened involuntarily. He watched until her figure became a blur in the distance before heading in the opposite direction.

Wen Ran didn't look back; she cycled straight home. Perhaps because she was fortunate enough to have reconnected with Shen Nanzheng, she felt exceptionally lighthearted, and her lips remained curled in a smile.

It wasn't until she reached the residential compound that she remembered her parents had just divorced. Even if she was happy, she couldn't show it too obviously, so she quickly wiped the smile from her face.

The residential compound was still lively in the evening. Lu Meiqin, who enjoyed being around people, was chatting not far from their bungalow. Seeing her return from afar, she hurried over. "Ranran, you're finally back!"

Wen Ran stopped her bike. "Mom, is there any food left? I'm starving."

"Yes, yes, we were just waiting for you to eat!" Lu Meiqin said as they walked, not forgetting to greet the neighbors. Wen Ran exchanged a few polite words as well.

Dinner was quite good; Lu Meiqin had brought it back from the canteen. Knowing about the divorce, the others didn't look down on her; instead, they were even more attentive. Of course, that might have been due to Factory Director Wei and his wife. If only the Director had shown concern, rumors would have spread quickly, but with Teacher Liu, the Director's wife, also being supportive, it silenced the gossip.

They were just enjoying their meal when Song Jianshe suddenly stumbled into the room.

"Lu Meiqin, what exactly are you hiding from me?"

"What kind of drunken madness is this? We’re divorced now; what are you doing here!" Lu Meiqin smelled the alcohol and covered her nose. She hadn't taken the remaining half-bottle of liquor when they moved, so Song Jianshe must have just finished it tonight.

Song Jianshe plopped onto the bed. "This was a premeditated divorce! You tricked me!"

Lu Meiqin shoved him, but he didn't budge. "Stop with this drunken nonsense. Didn't you always threaten me with divorce? What do you mean it was premeditated? You and your mother were both dying for me to leave so you could marry off a young girl. Now that we're actually divorced, you're unhappy?"

"Don't give me that nonsense! Tell me, how did you get in good with the Director and his wife?" Song Jianshe demanded urgently. "The more I think about it, the fishier it gets. I lost the workshop director position, and now everyone looks at me like I’m the one in the wrong!"

"If it’s not your fault, is it mine?" Lu Meiqin grew angrier as she thought about it. "This is all your own doing! You won't reflect on yourself, yet you have the nerve to come ask me! We're divorced now; I won't bother you, so don't you bother us!"

Song Jianshe shook his finger, slurring his words. "No, I'm not wrong. You're the one who needs to reflect! Tell me, have I ever laid a finger on you? Have I ever gone out and done anything to betray you?"

"Hah!" Lu Meiqin sneered. "You didn't hit me, but think about how much stuff you’ve smashed from the day we married until now! You didn't hit me only because you were afraid of what outsiders would say. You think you're so great? And as for betrayal, you never let me catch you, but do you think I don't know who you've been harboring in your heart? Some things are better left unsaid. I've been disgusted by you for years and I'm done taking your abuse. Get out!"

Song Jianshe had only meant to vent his drunken frustration, and he was still somewhat clear-headed. Hearing Lu Meiqin’s words, he feared she might know something, and he felt inexplicably guilty. Wen Xin's true parentage was a family scandal; if that got out, he would be completely finished. It wouldn't just destroy him; it would destroy his younger brother's wife and Wen Xin as well. Thinking of this, most of his drunkenness faded. He wiped his face and said, "You’re just being unreasonable. I didn't come here to discuss that!"

Wen Ran saw his guilty conscience. She didn't expose him yet, nor did she tell her mother, as she had her own plans. Standing in front of her mother, she said to this father who had never truly cared for her, "You’re the one being unreasonable. You're drunk. If you keep pestering us, I'm going to call the factory security office!"

"Song Wen Ran, even if we're divorced, I’m still your father!" Song Jianshe couldn't stand her icy tone, as if he weren't her father, but her enemy.

Wen Ran said calmly, "You don't need to shout. When you made me go to the countryside for Wen Xin and let her take my job, why didn't you think about being my father then?"

"You didn't go, did you!" Song Jianshe said irritably. "If you had just gone, none of this would have happened!"

Wen Ran couldn't be bothered to deal with him. She opened the door and said, "Get out!"

Song Jianshe hesitated, but Lu Meiqin shoved him out the door. Once outside, he didn't dare make a peep. It was clear he still wanted to keep his job at the factory and didn't dare cause too much of a scene. Lu Meiqin knew this and showed him no mercy.

She locked the door and asked, "Ranran, do you hate your father that much?"

"Let's not talk about him. Let's finish dinner." Wen Ran didn't answer directly, but changing the subject said everything. Lu Meiqin sighed and didn't press further.

Having such a father—how could one not hate him? But thinking about how her daughter had lost even the last bit of expectation for fatherly love, she felt a pang of heartache.

Wen Ran felt for her mother, who had been exhausted all day. After dinner, she diligently cleaned up and then used the massage techniques from her memories to soothe her mother's muscles and bones. Lu Meiqin’s fatigue truly eased; her shoulders and neck no longer felt like they were weighed down by stones. She asked with relief, "Do they teach you this in nursing school?"

Wen Ran smiled. "I learned it from a book."

Lu Meiqin didn't know how professional the technique was; she only knew it felt wonderful. Closing her eyes, she said, "I never expected my daughter to have such a talent. This is wonderful."

"I'll massage you every day from now on," Wen Ran said, her hands moving with perfect pressure. She had learned massage for her mother, but in her past life, her mother had been so mentally incapacitated that she didn't even recognize her; no one had known how much she had suffered.

She definitely hated Song Jianshe; she didn't even want to call him "Dad" anymore. They chatted idly, eventually talking about the Director and his wife. Just as Song Jianshe was confused, they were also deeply puzzled.

Before they could figure it out, the next afternoon after work, Teacher Liu, the Director's wife, arrived at their door again—this time carrying a chicken!