Chapter 49: Infertility

"To be honest, we didn't really want to leave back then, but picking up and moving away from our hometown is never easy," Mrs. Zhang sighed heavily. "At first, we were really conflicted about whether we should go or stay. Then, we heard that Deng Qingrong had been hospitalized; it sounded like something had happened to her."

"What could possibly happen to her? If it were anything serious, would she have been energetic enough to come and disgust me later on?" Zhang Guanghui scoffed.

"Word was that she was terrified people would suspect she had secretly given birth to another child and abandoned it, so she deliberately threw herself into heavy labor to prove she was perfectly fine. She hadn't even finished recovering before she started pushing herself, and she pushed too hard, leading to a massive hemorrhage that landed her in the hospital for emergency surgery. People were saying they didn't know if she’d be able to have children ever again because of it—if she couldn't conceive or give birth anymore, wouldn't that be a massive loss for her? When I heard that, I hurried home to discuss it with my husband. We figured that if the rumors were true and she really couldn't have more children, she would definitely try to get her daughter back."

Mrs. Zhang instinctively gripped Zhang Guanghui’s hand a little tighter. "I know that, logically, we should return a child to her birth parents, but when we looked at that tiny little face, no bigger than a palm... and thought about how a pair of parents who could just give away their child simply because she was a girl... how could they possibly raise her properly? So, we steeled ourselves. Call it immoral if you want, but we decided there was no way we would let Deng Qingrong have the chance to take the child back. That was why we finally made the decision to leave our hometown."

"Mom, that wasn't immoral—you saved me from a fiery pit!" Zhang Guanghui rolled her eyes. "You didn't see how miserable Deng Qingrong’s son is! If you had returned me back then, I probably would have ended up worse off than him!"

Huo Yan, hearing her mention Chang Junchao, glanced at Zhang Guanghui without being too obvious.

"Why were you so sure that Deng Qingrong would specifically come after Zhang Guanghui to reclaim her?" Ning Shuyi had also noted that remark, but she didn't react immediately, instead asking Mrs. Zhang, "Wasn't there an older daughter before her?"

"I have no idea what became of that eldest daughter," Mrs. Zhang shook her head, saying with a touch of pity, "No one ever saw that child. Whether she was given away or just secretly abandoned, it's hard to say. I suspect she couldn't find that child, or knew there was nowhere left to look, which is why she dug up information about my daughter and came to harass her."

"So, you all believe that Deng Qingrong tracked Zhang Guanghui down specifically to reconnect?" Ning Shuyi asked again.

This time, not just Mrs. Zhang, but Zhang Guanghui herself shook her head.

"I don't think so. I have no idea how she found out we were living in this city. At first, I assumed she was targeting me, but later, when I went to her home, I realized she and her son had clearly been living there for a long time. They hadn't moved there just to find me," Zhang Guanghui stated matter-of-factly.

"By the way, there is one more thing we need to confirm with you," Ning Shuyi looked at Zhang Guanghui, then at her mother sitting beside her. "Regarding your date of birth, is the information registered in your household records accurate?"

"This..." Zhang Guanghui hesitated, unsure, and turned to look at her mother.

"Huihui’s date of birth is registered accurately!" Mrs. Zhang said with great certainty. "We were keeping a close eye on Deng Qingrong back then, terrified that if we looked away for a second, she’d make the child disappear. So, I can tell you not just the date, but the exact hour of her birth—it is absolutely accurate! My husband and I always felt that whether it’s birth parents or adoptive parents, it's best to keep a clear record of when a child enters this world."

Ning Shuyi nodded and did not press the matter further.

Huo Yan spoke up then, asking Zhang Guanghui, "What is your impression of Chang Junchao?"

"Who?" Zhang Guanghui seemed not to have processed the name at first. It took her a beat before she realized, "Oh, you mean Deng Qingrong’s son, right?"

Huo Yan nodded.

Zhang Guanghui sighed. "How should I put it? My impression of him is complicated; it changed over time. When I first saw him, I actually found him quite grating. Every time I looked at him, I couldn't help but think that he was the reason Deng Qingrong had abandoned me and the sister before me. She threw us away, regardless of whether we lived or died, just to have a son like him!

"But later, when I went to their house to find Deng Qingrong and saw how she treated him, I suddenly understood. Even though Deng Qingrong favors boys over girls, her underlying motive is simply to have a son to rely on in her old age. So, the son isn't a treasure in her eyes; he's just a convenient tool. She treats him with such arrogance, ordering him around as if it's her right, and he just swallows his resentment. He looks like a person living under immense pressure. In that moment, my inner knot finally unraveled.

"Think about it: even though Deng Qingrong’s harassment is annoying, at least I was lucky enough to have wonderful parents. They have always loved me, provided me with the best conditions they could, and gave me a good education—that’s how I became who I am today! As for Deng Qingrong’s son... how should I describe him? A walking corpse, perhaps? That feels like the most fitting description. If he hadn't felt a similar kind of suffering, he wouldn't have stood up for me in front of her. Compared to me, being born in that house as a boy was actually even more miserable. I only suffered at the beginning, but he has to suffer for most of his life. Though, I suppose he's been living like this for over twenty years; he’s probably long since become numb."

"How exactly did Chang Junchao speak up for you at the time?" Ning Shuyi asked.

Zhang Guanghui recalled, "He couldn't really get a word in; Deng Qingrong is extremely overbearing toward him. I was arguing pretty fiercely with her, telling her that if she dared to cause trouble at my workplace, I wouldn't let it go. Her son was behind her, trying to calm her down, saying that since she had given me away when I was a child, the bond between mother and daughter was already severed. He told her he would be the one to look after her in her old age, and that she should stop harassing my life and stop tormenting others."