“Oh right, Dad. You haven’t shared where you are going. Why don’t we do this? No matter where you’re going, change your itinerary. I’ll pay for both your expenses. The two of you should follow the route of Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand. I heard that this is fun. What a rare opportunity this will be for you to go overseas!”
If she sent her parents out of the country, even if her father found out about Qiao Nan’s situation through whatever channels then and wanted to rush back, so be it. Once they were overseas, her father would be unfamiliar with both the place and language. When her father finally thought of a way to return, he had to rush back to the country first before rushing to the capital. When her father stood in front of Qiao Nan, everything would have been done and Qiao Nan’s corpse might even already be cold then.
Qiao Dongliang, who wanted to pack his luggage, couldn’t take time off to chat with Qiao Zijin. It could also be said that he didn’t particularly want to bother himself with Qiao Zijin. It was just that when he heard Qiao Zijin saying so many things alone but wasn’t feeling tired, and after confirming that he had brought along everything he wanted, Qiao Dongliang took some time to answer Qiao Zijin’s question. “No. You’ve said before that when I was young, I didn’t go out much. At this age, if something happened to me when I’m out, wouldn’t I be adding trouble to both you and your sister?”
Qiao Dongliang was self-conscious.
In his current situation, what he could do was not to help his children but to live a better life himself and create lesser trouble for his children. That would be the biggest way he, as a father, could help his children.
Holiday? An overseas holiday? Sorry, but he didn’t have this thought at all.
“Then, you…?” If he wasn’t going on a holiday, why did he pack his luggage? It couldn’t be that her father was still throwing tantrums with her mother, right? Previously, he said that he wanted to sleep in separate rooms from her mother. Indeed, her father’s methods had upgraded and he no longer wanted to stay in the same house as her mother.
Was there such a need?
“I’m going to the capital to see Nan Nan.” Qiao Dongliang didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with this matter. As such, he could naturally openly say, “Nan Nan is already forty years old. Her first pregnancy is tough as she’s carrying three children. I made a call to the capital today. The Zhai family said that Nan Nan has already headed to the hospital to protect her children. I have to make a trip to the capital personally and see for myself Nan Nan’s situation so that I can feel at ease.”
“Qiao Nan is in the hospital to protect her children?” Qiao Zijin’s eyes shone and her tone became excited. If Qiao Nan was in the hospital to protect her children, this meant that the answers she had gotten from the doctors on the internet were true. At this age, Qiao Nan was pregnant with triplets and she wasn’t willing to go for an abortion. This simply meant that she was courting her own death.
Right, Qiao Nan was now seven months pregnant. Indeed, any bad situation should have happened now. If that was the case, she couldn’t continue to stay in Ping Cheng and wait for good luck to come to her. It was time for her to take the initiative and fight for her happiness.
Thankfully, she asked her father. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known about Qiao Nan’s situation. “Dad, it’s tough on you to travel all the way there.”
“How is that tough? No matter how far it is, it’s not tough to visit Nan Nan.” Qiao Dongliang placed his bags on the table and was ready to wash up and sleep. Only if he rested earlier today would he have the energy and physical strength to care about his daughter and grandchildren tomorrow after taking a train to the capital. “It was much tougher when I was a young soldier. I’m a burly man. You don’t have to worry about me. After I’m gone, keep an eye on your mother. If you two could come up with less bad ideas, it would be better than anything else.”
As long as Zijin came up with less bad ideas, he could save quite a bit of thought and energy. As long as Zijin did this, that would be the greatest filial piety to him.
“Dad, don’t be anxious. I haven’t finished my words yet.” Qiao Zijin rolled her eyes. What she wanted to express was not this at all. “Dad, I’m just trying to say that I know you’re concerned about Nan Nan, so you don’t find it tiresome at all. However, I feel heartache for you. Why don’t we do this? I’ll go on behalf of you to visit Nan Nan. Dad, you’re my and Nan Nan’s birth father. However, regardless of how close you are to her, you’re a man. Nan Nan and I have both grown up and we have our own family. If there’s really anything, it isn’t that convenient for you to take care of Nan Nan. I’m different. Nan Nan and I are women. I’m her birth sister. No matter what kind of situation Nan Nan runs into, there wouldn’t be an inconvenient time for me to take care of Nan Nan.”
How could a father be involved when his daughter was going to give birth? Compared to her, how could it be more convenient for her father to help?
“Don’t.” Once he heard Qiao Zijin’s suggestion, Qiao Dongliang rejected Qiao Zijin’s ‘good intentions’ without thinking. “You have thought too much. After Nan Nan got pregnant, the Zhai family specially hired a confinement wife to take care of Nan Nan. I just want to see Nan Nan for myself and confirm that she and the children are well. Help? I didn’t have such thoughts. There are so many people in the Zhai family. How would they need my help? Don’t forget that Nan Nan has her in-laws.”
Her father-in-law would be as inconvenient as him, the birth father. That was alright. Nan Nan still had her mother-in-law.
He never thought that he would be able to help Nan Nan. As for Zijin? Really, Zijin could just save her thoughts. He would accept Zijin’s ‘good intentions’ on behalf of Nan Nan.
Something had already happened to Qiao Nan. How would Qiao Dongliang dare to let Qiao Zijin help Qiao Nan? Qiao Dongliang wasn’t so bold and wasn’t that confident of Qiao Zijin.
“I can go on behalf of you as well. I’m young and I don’t get motion sickness.” No matter what, she would be more useful than her father, right? “Dad, don’t worry. After I see Nan Nan, I would definitely tell you everything about Nan Nan’s condition.”
No matter what happened, her father couldn’t go on this trip to the capital. Only she could go.
Qiao Dongliang waved his hand. He had already decided on this matter. There was no room for changes. “You don’t have to say anything anymore. I must make a trip down myself. It’s your business if you want to visit Nan Nan or not. You can just decide for yourself. Also, it’s not early anymore. I’m done with dinner, so I want to rest now. Go out. Also, remember to help me close the door.”
“…” Qiao Zijin was so furious. She was talking reason to her father. Why was it that he didn’t understand at all and insisted on his way? Why must he be so annoying?
However, Qiao Dongliang had already said those words. If Qiao Zijin continued to dawdle, she would seem ill-intentioned. The more this happened, the more Qiao Dongliang would be unwilling to let her go to the capital to visit Nan Nan on behalf of him.
