Chapter 587: Extra—Su Ping 2

Chapter 587 Extra Story—Su Ping 2

He left the hospital, but he always felt exhausted. Just standing up wore him out, and he would break out in a cold sweat with the slightest movement, completely wiped out. He told his father he might not have fully recovered yet, but his father said he just needed more sleep—sleep would restore his health.

He stayed at home resting for a while, but his stepmother grew increasingly impatient, complaining that a grown man like him was just mooching off the family. His father stayed silent.

He packed his things and told his father he was going back to work in the mines. His father finally smiled and told his stepmom to fry him some egg pancakes to nourish him.

His stepmother stopped scolding him and even apologized, saying the family was under financial strain—Su Lei’s treatment had cost a lot, and they still had debts. The only two eggs left in the house were used to make him egg pancakes, and she reminded him to remember the family’s kindness, to be filial in the future, and to be a good role model for his brother.

He left home with a sack slung over his shoulder, dead tired. His mother had told him to take care of An An, but now An An had a home of her own. He wanted to find his mother, to find his grandmother—his grandmother had always loved him the most. He went to the train station but didn’t know where to buy a ticket or how to get home.

He thought of going to see An An, but he was afraid the Zhao family would mock her for having a foolish older brother.

With nowhere else to go, he could only return to the mines in Wuzhen. The dormitory there still had his bed, and after work, the canteen would let him eat his fill.

On the way to Wuzhen, he encountered a ragged beggar—she looked just like An An after being beaten, avoiding people, her eyes full of wariness, she was skin and bones, her ankles covered in open sores.

She barely had the strength to move, but when she caught the scent of the egg pancakes in the air, she slowly picked up a rock and glared at him, ready to defend herself.

He thought she must be hungry, so he gave her the egg pancakes. He wished someone would do the same for An An if she were ever that hungry.

She wolfed down the food desperately, just like how An An had devoured coarse steamed buns after starving for two days.

She asked him his name, and he said, “I’m Su Ping. My little sister is Su An. Grandpa named us, hoping we’d live safe and peaceful lives.”

Her voice was hoarse as she said, “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Your eyes are so clear—you must not be a bad person.”

She let the rock fall and walked away.

He went to the mines. He felt terrible—his body ached, he had no strength, he couldn’t stand, and he kept breaking into cold sweats. He thought he must be sick.

He didn’t have the strength to swing the hammer. He couldn’t climb out of the mine. He called out for his grandma, for his mother, for An An.

No one came.

He desperately wanted to go back to Ninety-Three, but he couldn’t find the way. He didn’t know how to get home, where to catch the bus. Why was he so stupid? He was too stupid to even find his way home. If only he knew how to go back.

In the dream, he struggled and collapsed at the bottom of the mine, never making it back up. He was tall but so thin, so weak. His eyes were glassy, wide open—he looked so pitiful.

Su Ping jolted awake, tears streaming down his face. The dream had shaken him to the core, his heart aching so much he couldn’t stop sobbing. He couldn’t find his grandma, couldn’t find his mother, couldn’t even see An An. No one gave a damn about him.

Not a single person.

Hearing the noise, Ren Shan burst through the door, her voice urgent. “Su Ping, what’s wrong?”

The dream had felt too real—so real that Su Ping’s chest still ached, making it hard to breathe.

“Shan Shan, I dreamed I died. An An was beaten—so many people hit her. Su Jianjun hit her, Ji Qingqing hit her, Zhao Daxing hit her. So many people bullied her. They didn’t let her eat, they made her do so much work.”

“They bullied me too. I got sick, I was in so much pain. I wanted to go home to find Mom and Grandma, but I didn’t know the way. I couldn’t see An An, I couldn’t find Grandma. No one wants me anymore. No one wants me.”

Su Ping grabbed Ren Shan’s hand, sobbing uncontrollably.

Ren Shan patted his back soothingly. “It’s not real. None of it’s real. Ji Qingqing is dead. An An divorced Zhao Daxing. Su Jianjun was executed years ago. Didn’t you go back to Ninety-Three alone a few years ago?”

“You even brought me back rosa laevigata wine. You know how to go home. Grandma and Auntie are still there. You can find them. How could no one want you? I want you. I’ve always wanted you.”

Su Ping was drenched in sweat, gripping Ren Shan’s arm in fear. “Shan Shan, what if Xiao Zuo hits An An too? His family is so far away. And people say you’re going to marry someone else, that you’ll leave for another home. Don’t leave. What if they hurt you?”

"I don’t want you to go to someone else’s home. Can we stay in our own home? I had a dream about you. You became a beggar, covered in wounds. One of your eyes was injured, and there were scars on your face. Your ankles were all festered. I gave you a savory egg crepe to eat, and you said I was a good person..."

Ren Shan comforted him, "I won’t go to someone else’s home. I’ll stay in our own home. If Xiao Zuo dares to hit An An, then An An can leave him and come back to live with us."

Su Ping gradually calmed down. "Shan Shan, you're so kind."

Ren Shan smiled. "Because you’re good. Being with you makes me better too."

"An An said when she grows up, she’ll get married and move to someone else’s home. Are you like An An? Will I not see you for a long, long time?"

Su Ping’s tone was very uneasy. In recent years, not just others, even his mother, Wang Xiaocui, had been talking about Ren Shan’s marriage.

Ren Shan’s eyes darkened. "All women have to get married when they grow up. Otherwise, people will mock them as unwanted old maids."

Su Ping looked at Ren Shan seriously. "Someone wants you. If others don’t, I do. If you can’t marry anyone, then marry me. If you marry me, you won’t have to go to someone else’s home. We’ll stay together. I’m scared someone would hurt you. You’re smart—help me look after An An. If Xiao Zuo bullies her, we’ll bring her back, okay?"

"I might get lost. You’ll take me to find An An then!"

"Okay!"