Part 4
“That little girl is called Xiaohua, the little boy is Xiaoshan. The names were given randomly by the Director. Xiaoshan only came last year; he’s seven and no one wants to adopt him. Xiaohua was sent here right after birth. She was adopted by someone from the Inner District once, but returned because she has six fingers on her left hand.”
“Six fingers?”
“Mn, so she always deliberately hides her hand so others won’t see.”
Wen Rong: “So that’s it.”
“The reason she doesn’t like you is simple: because you’re from the Inner District.” Leon pulled the corner of his mouth. “She hates people from the Inner District.”
Wen Rong frowned. “They should have known she had six fingers when adopting her. Why live for a while and then return her for this reason?”
Leon asked him, “Why do you guess?”
“Did the wife get pregnant? Or did the family’s children not like her?”
Wen Rong looked serious, as if completely immersed in this question.
But the answers a person could come up with mostly came from their own cognition.
Leon reached out and rubbed Wen Rong’s head. “Better to think about what these children will do in the future. The orphanage has no adults, and for some reason, no one can be recruited. After we leave, these kids won’t know if they can eat.”
Wen Rong’s attention was successfully diverted. “Doesn’t the government care?”
“No one wants to come.”
“Can we transfer them to an orphanage in the Inner District?”
After saying it, Wen Rong regretted it a little.
Would they adapt to the Inner District? seeing the children in the orphanage there, would they feel a disparity? Could they integrate?
“It’s a good idea. We’ll go to the Outer District Government to ask later.”
The itinerary set, Wen Rong and Leon packed their things and went to the Outer District Government together.
The Outer District Government was close to the wire fence. The environment was very good, completely using the architectural style of the Inner District. Wen Rong even received a long-lost mobile signal inside.
Like rain after a drought, Wen Rong finally charged his phone and saw countless messages received.
He and Leon called Zhou Xie together, briefly explaining their current known information and mentioning the matter of sending the orphanage children to the Inner District.
The power President Zhou left behind still existed; Zhou Xie arranged the matter with one phone call.
Before even hanging up, a clerk following up on the orphanage accident came out to help them process the transfer procedures.
Before leaving, Wen Rong asked the clerk to teach him how to transfer money into the orphanage account. Once all the children went to the Inner District, the money would turn into pension funds for the adults through formal channels.
It counted as handling a major matter on his mind.
It was already night when they returned to the orphanage. The Hummer shook violently on the road. Wen Rong got a bit carsick and opened the window to take a few deep breaths of fresh air, but the stench rushed into his nose, completely blocking his throat.
“Mmph—”
“What’s wrong?”
“Hah… too smelly.”
“Then close the window. It’ll be better with the window closed.”
Between carsickness and fainting from the smell, Wen Rong struggled to choose the former and silently closed the window.
“Shall I turn on the AC?”
“No need—”
Suddenly, the Hummer braked sharply on the dirt road. Wen Rong and Leon lurched forward together.
The wound on his lower abdomen was completely pulled by the seatbelt. Wen Rong was in so much pain his brain went blank.
Bang bang bang bang.
Before they could react, outside the door, a small hand slapped the door hard.
Leon quickly rolled down the window. Xiaoshan’s crying rushed in.
“Wen… Big Brother wuu wuu wuu.”
The flashlight in the orphanage courtyard turned into a dim star in the darkness, almost invisible.
Leon frowned tight. “So late, why are you here?”
“Wuu wuu wuu.”
Leon got out of the car and carried Xiaoshan inside. Only then did Wen Rong recover from the sharp pain, holding his wound to ask, “Xiaoshan, don’t cry. Tell Big Brother what happened?”
Xiaoshan sobbed. “Xiaohua… Xiaohua…”
Wen Rong: “What happened to Xiaohua?”
“Class… classroom.”
Leon quickly closed the door and got in, stepping on the gas. The Hummer crushed the gravel on the dirt road, speeding madly toward the orphanage.
The orphanage children were all gathered in the courtyard by the bodyguards. Xiaoshan jumped out of the car and ran to the second floor. Wen Rong held his waist and chased after him, overhearing the children say “lots of blood.”
He already had an ominous premonition.
When he reached the classroom on the second floor, the floor full of blood nearly made him faint.
Fortunately, Leon supported him in time.
Wen Rong even felt his myopia had worsened; blinking hard, he still couldn’t see clearly what had happened.
Maybe the light was too dim, maybe there was too much blood, he couldn’t tell where it was flowing from.
Xiaohua was completely a little blood person, huddled in the corner. Hiding one hand behind her, she held a small knife in the other, aiming straight at them, screaming hoarsely, “Don’t come over!”
“Xiaohua.”
Xiaoshan rushed forward abruptly, but Leon pulled him back in time.
“What’s going on?” Leon asked the doctor who had been standing by the door.
The doctor was anxious too, waving bandages around. “Someone found her cutting her finger here and called me. Who knew she wouldn’t let anyone near? She even slashed me just now.”
There was indeed an obvious bloodstain on the doctor’s hand. Wen Rong looked at Xiaohua’s hand, and Xiaohua happened to extend it, giving him a huge fright—below the pinky finger, a sixth finger hung on the back of the hand in a grotesque shape, swinging with Xiaohua’s weak movements like a floating corpse.
Wen Rong had just experienced being stabbed; the feeling of stitches was still deeply carved in his brain. Seeing a similar wound on Xiaohua’s hand now, every cell began to ache violently, completely losing the ability to speak.
“That’s a steak knife. Where did she get it?” Leon asked.
The doctor looked blank.
The bodyguard shook his head too. “We left in a hurry this time; we didn’t even bring steak.”
“Can we hold her down to stop the bleeding? It looks like she’s still bleeding now.”
“She won’t let anyone near. Don’t know where she picked up that steak knife. If scratched, one needs antiviral shots, and I didn’t bring that many. Besides, we can’t use forceful means on a patient in this stress state. What if she gets agitated and stabs herself? She dared to cut her own finger.”
Xiaoshan jumped up. “Big Brother Wen, go find Dr. Li. Dr. Li can cure Xiaohua.”
Wen Rong woke as if from a dream, cowardly turning his face away, daring not look at Xiaohua’s hand. “Driving there takes half an hour; it’s better than staying deadlocked here.”
“Alright. Doctor, you go treat your own wound. We’ll take her to find… Dr. Li.” Leon patted Xiaoshan’s shoulder. “Can you persuade Xiaohua to come with us?”
Luckily, Xiaohua wouldn’t let Wen Rong and Leon near, but accepted Xiaoshan. Under the doctor’s guidance, Xiaoshan simply bandaged Xiaohua’s wound, then supported her as she stumbled into the car.
The Hummer raced on the road, shortening the half-hour drive by half. When they knocked on Dr. Li’s door, the power cut just happened.
Fortunately, they had gone to the District Government to charge their phones during the day. Leon took out his phone; the small flashlight became the only light source.
This forced everyone to gather around Xiaohua’s wound. Wen Rong held the light, Leon held Xiaohua down, and Dr. Li disinfected and stitched.
It felt like returning to the night they stitched him up.
Wen Rong felt every stitch landing back on himself. It hurt terribly; his back was covered in cold sweat.
I want it to end quickly.
End quickly.
He closed his eyes and prayed.
However, every second was as long as that night.
Xiaohua bit on a towel. In her teary eyes, the usual hatred could no longer be found. She had no strength left to hate, like a puppet completely drained of life, only capable of feeling pain.
He didn’t know how long passed. With a snap, the gospel that once belonged to Wen Rong announced the end of the torture at this moment too.
Wen Rong let out a heavy breath. Thinking that the doctor gave him a shot after returning to the orphanage, he asked Dr. Li, “Her wound is so deep, does she need antiviral shots?”
Dr. Li was exhausted. Shaking her hands, she went to the cabinet to pour a bowl of water, drinking while saying, “Where would the Outer District have such things? Depend on fate. If lucky, won’t die.”
“Our doctor brought some. I’ll go get it.”
Wen Rong and Leon rushed back to the orphanage without stopping.
On the way, Leon asked him if stitching was like this that day too. Wen Rong originally wanted to say yes, but on the tip of his tongue, somehow it turned into “Dr. Li said it’s all like this here.”
Silence all the way. When they returned to Dr. Li’s place with the medicine, Xiaohua was asleep, and the sky was faintly brightening.
The Hummer was a big target, and the local Mayor had bad intentions. Wen Rong and Leon weren’t suited to stay here, so they could only leave Xiaoshan here to take care of Xiaohua and leave before being discovered.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they opened the door, they ran into Xiaochun face-to-face.
Surprisingly, Xiaochun was extremely calm today. She even glanced at Leon. “Wow, haven’t seen you for a short while, and you dyed your hair?”
Wen Rong thought, Do Leon and Shi Ye look alike?
He immediately explained, “They aren’t the same person. This is my Senior.”
Xiaochun: “Where did your man go?”
Wen Rong: “?”
Leon: “…”
Dr. Li came out after giving Xiaohua the shot. Seeing they hadn’t left yet, she said anxiously, “Why haven’t you left?”
Xiaochun hurriedly said, “Don’t go out yet. The Mayor is going out this morning. It wouldn’t be good if you bumped into him on your way back.”
Wen Rong and Leon had to stay temporarily at Dr. Li’s place.
Dr. Li didn’t mind. She boiled a big pot of water and made a bowl of plain noodle soup for everyone.
The boiling water was the only sound in the room.
Wen Rong tried to explain: “Actually, that wasn’t my man.”
Xiaochun: “My Auntie said you are. You have lots of scandals too; he hugged you.”
Unexpectedly, Dr. Li was also a Blue Book enthusiast.
Wen Rong frowned. Leon explained gently, “Those were all hyped up by himself.”
Xiaochun: “Oh oh oh, then you—”
Just as she was about to say something shocking, Xiaohua’s crying came from the inner room. Xiaochun started: “Xiaohua is here?”
Dr. Li: “Mn. Don’t know who taught her. She went to the garbage dump, picked up a knife, and cut off that finger.”
“She cut off her finger?!”
“Cut halfway, sewed it back for her. Why are you so excited?”
Xiaochun’s face turned deathly pale instantly. “I taught her.”
Dr. Li was stunned. “What?”
Xiaochun dodged everyone’s gaze, explaining bracingly, “After the accident at the orphanage, didn’t she run here every day? I lied to her and said this place doesn’t accept girls with six fingers.”
Wen Rong’s head exploded with a boom.
A child less than seven years old found the courage to slice her finger with a steak knife because she wanted to be a prostitute.
It was so absurd he couldn’t even imagine it.
How could she think like that?
Under the stove, Leon pulled Wen Rong’s hand, fingers drilling into his palm, attracting Wen Rong’s attention.
Wen Rong looked at him. Leon smiled, signaling with his eyes for Wen Rong not to lose composure.
Wen Rong lowered his head to organize his emotions.
Just then, a man knocked on the door.
“Hey! Dr. Li, are you home?”
Dr. Li quickly glanced at Xiaochun. Xiaochun understood, snatched the bowls from in front of Wen Rong and Leon, and dumped them back into the pot.
Dr. Li prompted Wen Rong again. “Quick, hide inside.”
Wen Rong hadn’t figured out the situation yet when he was pushed into the inner room with Leon, and the outer door was locked.
“Early morning, you cooked so much noodles?”
Dr. Li opened the door.
“Xiaoshan and Xiaohua are both here. I was afraid it wouldn’t be enough, so I cooked more. Do you want some? Xiaochun, get a bowl for Brother Yong.”
“No need, I ate.”
Dr. Li: “Xiaochun, if you have nothing to do, go back to sleep. You have to work tonight.”
A clear order to leave. The following conversation seemed to be a secret between Dr. Li and this “Brother Yong.”
Wen Rong looked at Leon and whispered, “Is it bad if we listen to what follows?”
“Given this soundproofing, we have to listen even if we don’t want to, right?”
With a click, the door closed, and Xiaochun left.
The uninvited guest outside thought the coast was clear and got straight to the point: “You have a pretty good relationship with those people from the orphanage.”
“I delivered most of the kids, can it be bad?”
“I mean the Director.”
“Good enough that they didn’t invite me to the banquet for the funeral?”
Bang. Something crashed to the ground.
“Keep pretending. Those four bitches definitely left the ledger with you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Get out. If you don’t get out, I’m calling the Mayor.”
“Call him. If he comes, I’ll tell him the ledger is right here with you.”
“You need evidence when you speak!”
“I’ll search right now.”
Dr. Li suddenly raised her voice. “Zhang Yong, how many times has it been?! You really aren’t afraid of getting sick or injured one day, right? I’m telling you, if you dare smash my things again, from now on, you, including your brother, your younger brother, your sister—none of you are allowed into my place.”
This was a sentence equivalent to a deterrent force.
In a dangerous place like the Outer District, professional doctors were too scarce!
And Dr. Li was the only one within a hundred miles.
Before long, the sound of the door closing came. This inexplicable conversation ended.
Just as Wen Rong wanted to ask Leon if he understood the “ledger” they talked about, with a click, Dr. Li opened the door, quickly walked around Wen Rong, crawled under the bed, fished out something like a photo album, and threw it to Wen Rong.
Wen Rong didn’t expect the answer to jump straight into his arms. He was startled. “This…”
“Take it and get out quickly. When the Director sent it over, I knew it was a hot potato. Whatever you do with it is none of my business.”
So the directors were persecuted because of this ledger!
Wen Rong felt the joy of approaching the truth. Without time to read it, he quickly thanked Dr. Li and called Senior Leon to head for the door together.
“Whoa, whose car is this?”
“Hummer. Several million a pop.”
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