Chapter 4

Sang Ran rode her bicycle with a relaxed expression.
Thinking of Sang Xiuxiu, who had been shamed by Zhang Cuixia until she was flushed with anger, covering her face and sobbing as she ran back home, she shook her head. Her future mother-in-law’s combat skills were truly impressive, she had effortlessly taken down a minor antagonist in one appearance.
Sang Xiuxiu would definitely avoid her from now on.
The night was mostly empty, but it was pitch dark, and Sang Ran felt a bit scared. She pedaled quickly, arriving at the hospital drenched in sweat.
As soon as she parked her bike, she spotted a thin, slightly stooped figure at the hospital entrance.
Sang Ran hurried over in quick strides. "Grandpa, why are you out here?"
"Just bored, taking a stroll," Grandpa Sang replied with a cheerful laugh. He reached out to take the large bundle of items she was carrying, but when she refused, he didn’t insist. Instead, he took her hand and urged her toward the ward. "Look at how tired you are. Go rest first. I’ve gotten familiar around here, I’ll fetch some water for you."
"Alright," Sang Ran obediently agreed.
But once they were back in the hospital, she ended up handling tasks like fetching water herself.
Grandpa Sang, worried she might be scared alone, stayed by her side the entire time.
Though his legs ached with every movement, as a farmer accustomed to injuries, he gritted his teeth and endured.
In the 1980s, everything seemed simple, but dangers still lurked.
Sang Ran didn’t say much, merely quickening her pace.
Back in the ward, the grandfather and granddaughter shared the soup she had brought before settling down to sleep.
That night, just as the doctor had predicted, Grandpa Sang developed a fever around midnight. But since they were already at the hospital, Sang Ran promptly called for a doctor. After an injection, his fever subsided by the next morning.

Early the next morning.
As expected, Zhang Cuixia came to visit Grandpa Sang, bringing Zhu Chang’an along with her.
At nineteen, he could still be called a youth, especially someone like Zhu Chang’an, the youngest son, doted on by his family, who appeared noticeably younger than his peers.
Thanks to his family’s good financial situation, he was taller than most and lean rather than overweight. His fair skin suggested he seldom did farm work. With small, single-lidded eyes and a faint, teasing smirk at the corner of his lips, even dressed in the progressive student-style shirt and trousers, his slouched posture exuded a roguish, unruly vibe.
With just one glance, Sang Ran sensed his nature, a somewhat chuunibyou rebellious teenager.
In a later era, with a bit of packaging, he might even debut as an idol.
But in the 1980s, he was the kind of person everyone would shake their heads at.
Even the usually good-natured Grandpa Sang couldn’t help but restrain his warm smile upon seeing him, a trace of disappointment flickering in his eyes.
Zhang Cuixia knew her own son well. No matter how much she didn’t want to admit it, she had to concede that this son of hers was truly unworthy of a girl like Sang Ran, pretty, filial, and well-behaved.
He really had stumbled into incredible luck to have saved Sang Ran at that moment.
Zhang Cuixia, being straightforward by nature and having developed a genuine fondness for Sang Ran after yesterday’s events, immediately slapped her son when she saw his attitude. She threatened, "Behave properly, or no meat for three days!"
At those words, Zhu Chang’an immediately straightened up, putting on an obedient smile. "Hello, Grandpa. These are the buns my mom made. Would you like to try one?"
Suddenly shedding his roguish demeanor, he now looked like a well-behaved young man at first glance.
Sang Ran smiled faintly at the corners of her lips, refraining from interrupting as she secretly observed the young man.
Zhu Chang'an was indeed still an unenlightened boy. The original host's appearance was quite similar to hers in her previous life, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and an oval face, making her a strikingly beautiful girl at first glance. Yet, he merely cast a calm glance her way and then completely ignored her afterward.
His attention was entirely focused outside the hospital room window.
It was the 1980s, and individual entrepreneurs were already emerging. The hospital was crowded, so there were many vendors hawking their wares nearby. Without the blaring of car horns, the sounds from outside occasionally drifted into the ward, tantalizingly stirring one's curiosity.
Grandpa Sang's complexion had improved significantly. Aware that his hospitalization was funded by borrowed money, he felt he had no right to say much and simply nodded, saying, "Thank you for taking the trouble to come. My condition is just a minor issue; there's no need for all this fuss."
"By the way, the soup from last night was delicious. You really went to too much expense."
The atmosphere was harmonious, and Zhang Cuixia chuckled, "Not at all. It just so happened that my eldest daughter gave birth to her second child, a girl, so I prepared some for you as well."
The two elders found common ground to chat about, leaving Sang Ran to focus on eating.
The buns Zhang Cuixia had brought were quite substantial. Sang Ran managed to eat two before she couldn't handle any more, so she gave the rest to Grandpa Sang.
But how could Grandpa Sang indulge so freely in such treats? After eating one, he initially didn't want any more, but Sang Ran insisted he have another. He was determined to save the rest, planning to keep them for his granddaughter to eat at noon.
Worried he might overeat, Sang Ran set them aside.
Watching Sang Ran busily tending to things, Zhang Cuixia's eyes flickered with thought. She took out one yuan and said, "Chang'an, take Sang Ran to buy some snacks."
"Alright!" Before Sang Ran could refuse, Zhu Chang'an had already snatched the one-yuan note, grinning as he playfully tugged at Zhang Cuixia's sleeve and whined, "Mom, one yuan isn't enough. It'll be gone after buying just a little chestnut cake. Give me one more, please!"
Zhang Cuixia, who doted on her youngest son the most, though somewhat reluctant, handed over another yuan. "Fine, fine, here you go. But don't bully Sang Ran! Otherwise, there won't be any next time!"
"Got it!" Zhu Chang'an waved his hand dismissively, then grabbed Sang Ran, who had been sitting quietly, and pulled her up. "Come on, let's go out."
Sang Ran's lips twitched slightly. Seeing Zhang Cuixia's expectant expression and Grandpa Sang's conflicted look, clearly thinking the boy was too much but too polite to refuse, she smiled and said, "Grandpa, Auntie, we'll go out to play now."
"Go ahead, go ahead." Zhang Cuixia's smile grew even warmer.
This young girl was truly adorable and polite, much better than her own son.
Turning to Grandpa Sang, her smile became even more ingratiating. "Uncle, don't you think these two children look like a perfect couple? Both so good-looking."
Grandpa Sang smiled bitterly.
In Sang Ran's memories of the original host, her interactions with Zhu Chang'an were few and far between. The first time they met was at their wedding, right after the celebration, the original host was nervously wondering how to avoid sharing a bed with him.
But Zhu Chang'an, reeking of alcohol, had already rummaged through the room for money and run off. Before leaving, he fiercely threatened her, warning her not to cause any trouble.
The original host was timid and cried all night out of fear.
Later, though they lived under the same roof, if Zhu Chang'an was home, the original host would voluntarily sleep on the floor. Occasionally, if he saw her on the floor and was in a good mood, he might go out to have fun and minimize his time at home.
Then came the time when Zhu Chang'an got into a fight and injured his leg. The original host took care of him for a while, but he remained sullen and uncommunicative, especially toward her, always shooing her away.
In summary, in the original host's memories, Zhu Chang'an was nothing but a fierce troublemaker.
Unable to gather any useful information, Sang Ran decided to adapt as things unfolded.
She obediently followed behind Zhu Chang'an, her eyes filled with curiosity as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Once outside the hospital, Zhu Chang'an felt the air was much fresher. Just as he was about to happily sigh, he glanced back and saw the girl trailing behind him, her eyes darting around as if she couldn't take it all in, occasionally letting out soft exclamations of awe.
"Country bumpkin!" Zhu Chang'an sneered.
Hearing the sound, Sang Ran looked over, her eyes curving into a smile as she pretended not to have heard clearly. "What did you say?"
Her voice was a bit softer now, clear, pleasant, and gentle, far more pleasing than what he was used to hearing. Zhu Chang'an felt a slight stir in his heart and suddenly felt too embarrassed to repeat his mocking words. His gaze shifted awkwardly as he changed the subject. "Nothing, just asking what you want to eat."
Sang Ran shook her head, offering a shy smile. "I don't know. I've never had any of it."
This was the truth. The original host's parents favored boys over girls. Even though she had done well in junior high, she wasn't allowed to continue her studies, while her younger brother had dropped out on his own.
How could she afford the delicious treats in town?
Zhu Chang'an gave her a sympathetic look. "I'll take you to eat."
"Okay." Sang Ran nodded, taking two steps forward to walk beside him. She smiled slightly. "Thank you."
"Cough, cough, cough!!" Zhu Chang'an suddenly choked on his own saliva, quickly turning his face away and covering his mouth as he coughed a couple of times. Then, as if spotting something, his eyes lit up, and he turned back to Sang Ran, who was waiting for him. "Come on, this way. I'll take you to eat."
Sang Ran followed him to a stall selling rice cakes.
Without delay, Zhu Chang'an handed her one yuan and said with a smile, "Here, one for each of us. This is yours. Buy something and play outside for a bit. Wait" He glanced at his watch. "Half an hour, no, forty minutes, and I'll be back. Got it?"
Sang Ran's smile nearly faltered, and she doubted her own ears.
She clenched her fist, staring at his rather handsome face, and felt a strong urge to punch him. But she quickly composed herself. They weren't married yet, she couldn't hit him. If she did, the marriage might fall through, and the original host's mission might remain unfulfilled.
She maintained her smile. "Okay, then hurry back. I'm a little scared alone."
Although the young girl was smiling, her bright, large eyes blinked naturally, conveying a pitiful expression.
Zhu Chang'an, a typical straightforward guy, finally picked up on it a little. Feeling both reluctant and conflicted, he said, "Alright then, I'll try to be back in half an hour."
He didn’t seem too happy about it, did he?
Sang Ran’s smile widened, and she appeared even more well-behaved. "Okay."
Zhu Chang’an steeled himself and turned to leave. After a few steps, he couldn’t help but glance back. There she was, standing in front of the rice cake stall, a slender girl. Her loose floral blouse, typical of summer wear, didn’t look tacky on her; instead, it gave off a vibrant and lovely vibe. Amidst the crowd dressed in shades of gray, black, and dull blue, her colorful presence somehow evoked a sense of loneliness.
Zhu Chang’an shook his head, wiped his face, and chuckled again. He dashed toward an alley entrance and called out cheerfully, "Heizi, how did you know I was here?"
Song Jianguo paid for the items and turned around to find the girl beside him staring off into the distance. Puzzled, he asked, "What’s wrong?"
Su Ya snapped out of her daze and shook her head. "Nothing."
Song Jianguo nodded. "Then let’s go buy the bicycle first."
The two were shopping for their wedding.
"Mm." Su Ya followed him but couldn’t resist glancing back once more. She saw the boy who had unhesitatingly abandoned Sang Ran running off toward another direction, linking arms with a young man who looked carefree and irresponsible.
Left behind, Sang Ran stood there all alone, looking utterly pitiful.
How tragic.
It was as if she were seeing her past self.
For a moment, Su Ya felt a pang of guilt, but she quickly clenched her teeth and told herself not to care. If you don’t look out for yourself, heaven and earth will conspire against you. She didn’t want to end up as miserable as she had in her previous life, nor did she want to wait for Sang Ran to condescendingly hand her money like charity.
She wanted to be the one giving out money!
She glanced at the man beside her, tall, handsome, loyal, and capable. How wonderful.
But seeing Sang Ran reminded Su Ya of their former engagement, stirring a slight bitterness in her heart. She whispered, "I just saw Sang Ran."
Song Jianguo nodded calmly, his expression unchanged. "Yeah, her grandfather is sick and hospitalized. She’s here to take care of him."
Su Ya was about to respond when she suddenly remembered: around this time in her past life, Sang Ran’s grandfather had fainted while fishing, spent an afternoon in the river, fell seriously ill upon returning home, and nearly died.
Sang Ran had been raised by her grandfather. To pay for his treatment, she had caused a scene at home and almost resorted to begging door-to-door. It was the Song family who had stepped in with money back then, enabling Sang Ran’s grandfather to be hospitalized.
The place where she had just seen Sang Ran was near the hospital. So, who provided the money this time?
Su Ya couldn't help but think of that figure. She knew Zhu Chang’an, he was one of the people who used to hang out with her husband in her previous life. His family was well-off, but he met a bad end later, dying young.
Su Ya had once envied Sang Ran's good fortune, losing Song Jianguo but gaining aZhu Chang’an. However, when she thought about the Zhu family's future circumstances, she felt at ease again.
As for the person who gave Sang Ran money, it definitely couldn't be the Zhu family.
Zhang Cuixia might dote on her youngest son, but she was terrible to her daughters-in-law. In her past life, after Zhu Chang’an became disabled, Zhang Cuixia sweet-talked a wife for her son. But on their wedding day, the couple started arguing, and from then on, they quarreled every few days, there wasn't a single peaceful day. They divorced in less than a month.
After the divorce, the ex-wife told everyone how stingy Zhang Cuixia was, despite having money, she wouldn't even let her eat an egg, which was why she divorced.
Zhang Cuixia never refuted these claims. Whenever someone brought it up, she would just curse and complain. With someone like that, how could she possibly give Sang Ran so much money to treat Sang Ran's grandfather?
Grandpa Sang was a pitiful man.
It was just a shame this didn't happen twenty or thirty years later. Otherwise, when Su Ya returned home in glory, she could have given some money to help them through their difficulties.
As she was lost in thought, she heard Song Jianguo continue, "Last night, someone came to our house and mentioned this matter. It was the Zhu family who lent her the money, not our family. Don't misunderstand."
Su Ya stared at him in confusion, momentarily losing control of her volume as she exclaimed sharply, "Who? The Zhu family?!"