Chapter 100: A Person of True Temperament

Zhang Jianhan waited outside Old Su’s clinic for nearly half an hour before he saw Old Li driving a white Camry, bringing Old Su back.

Old Li was Zhang Jianhan’s good friend, in his thirties, not very tall but sharp and capable. As the captain of the Criminal Investigation Team in Binyang County, he immediately sprang into action upon receiving Zhang Jianhan’s private call for help. Using his intelligence network, he quickly located Old Su drinking with villagers in a rural suburb.

Old Su had stayed at Kang Jimin’s house for three days and met Zhang Jianhan once, but when Kang Jimin briefly introduced Zhang Jianhan, he had to leave early due to other matters. Old Su was quite surprised to see Zhang Jianhan suddenly appear at this moment, a bad feeling stirring in his heart.

“Xiao Zhang, is something urgent going on?” Old Su asked as soon as they met.

Zhang Jianhan smiled and replied, “Uncle Su, my father has some urgent matters to discuss with you. He asked me to drive over and invite you upstairs. Uncle, please go inside first and pack your things. You’ll probably be staying at my father’s house for a few days. I’ll wait for you at the door, alright?”

Though puzzled, Old Su nodded and pulled out his keys to unlock the door. Zhang Jianhan turned to Old Li with deep gratitude. “Thanks, Brother Li! Sorry to bother you so late.”

“Don’t mention it, brother. When you called, I was still having a drink, haha!” Old Li, sporting a full beard, glanced inside the house and then asked Zhang Jianhan, “I haven’t heard much about Old Su’s medical skills. How come he’s so familiar with your renowned old man?”

Zhang Jianhan smiled faintly. “They’re both doctors, so I guess they get along well. Brother Li, my father once said that Uncle Su is quite skilled in bone-setting and uses some very effective herbs.”

Old Li nodded in agreement. “That’s true. I’ve heard people say Old Su is a good man who often goes to the countryside to help villagers lacking medical resources. He’s quite respected in the surrounding areas. But I didn’t expect him to be close with your old man! Haha! Is there a consultation going on? If word gets out, his business might be booming.”

“I’m not sure either. He just got back home and my old man immediately put him to work. And now I’m troubling you!” Zhang Jianhan laughed. “Brother Li, next time you come up, you owe me a couple of drinks. Last time at your place, three of my team’s big guys were knocked out by your crew. Those guys kept complaining you won because of numbers and relay tactics—said it was an unfair win, haha! They’re still itching for revenge.”

Old Li laughed heartily. “Sure! A few dozen kilometers and a quick drive, I’ll let you know when I’m coming up. Alright, you have urgent business, so I won’t keep you. I’m going back to check on the guys and their drinking.”

Neither was too formal. Old Li got into his Camry, waved, and drove off. At that moment, Old Su came out, locked the door, and Zhang Jianhan took the bag from his hands, placing it on the back seat. Zhang Jianhan opened the front right door for Old Su to get in, closed the door, then slid into the driver’s seat to head back to Lanning.

Once on the secondary road, Zhang Jianhan began to explain the details to Old Su, though he withheld the distressing part about Su Fang’s collapse and suffering.

Old Su listened, his heart heavy with sorrow and mixed emotions. After a long silence, he murmured, “What am I to do now? My poor child… Xiao Zhang, did you see Xiao Fang at the hospital? Are mother and child really safe?”

Zhang Jianhan understood Old Su’s feelings and knew it was better to prepare him mentally. “Uncle, don’t worry. The head nurse in charge is an old colleague of my mother’s. She even delivered Xiao Ning when he was born. With nearly thirty years of experience, she’s very reliable. She happily reported the situation to us—there’s no mistake.”

Old Su relaxed slightly, shaking his head as he said, “Sigh! I knew about Xiao Fang and Xiao Ning the day after they got together. Seeing how close they were, I didn’t have the heart to say anything. Who knew Xiao Fang would be so willful and irresponsible! Sigh—thank goodness mother and child are safe. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do now. My wife died early, and this poor child is all I have. If anything happened to him…”

Seeing Old Su break down in tears, Zhang Jianhan apologized softly, “Uncle, Xiao Ning has let you down, and our family has let both you and Xiao Fang down.”

Old Su waved his hand dismissively. “No need for that now. At this point, I don't want to bring up the past. The rights and wrongs are unclear! It’s also Xiao Fang’s fault. She must have run away to avoid embarrassing me. She’s suffered a lot these seven or eight months! Last week your godmother even called me, upset that Xiao Fang hadn’t moved back home yet. She told me to talk to Xiao Fang, sigh! So that’s the reason. Looks like we old folks have been completely kept in the dark. That girl is too immature. I blame myself for not seeing this sooner, sigh—”

At this moment, Zhang Jianhan deeply admired Old Su’s understanding nature. He had braced himself for a scolding but realized he had underestimated Old Su. A wave of guilt washed over him. “Uncle, neither you nor Xiao Fang are to blame. The fault lies with Xiao Ning. I hereby apologize to you on his behalf.”

Old Su sighed and shook his head repeatedly. “I like Kang Ning too. If it weren’t for this disaster, he wouldn’t have had to wander far and wide. Though we’ve only spent a little over twenty days together, I understand and trust him. I suspect he still doesn’t know about Xiao Fang’s situation. But… but now it’s a fact we must accept. I just hope Xiao Ning can soon clear his name so Xiao Fang will have someone to rely on.”

The car slowly pulled into the expert residential area and stopped in front of Kang Jimin’s small house. Kang Jimin was already waiting there. As soon as Old Su stepped out, Kang Jimin grabbed his hand and hurried inside. In the main hall, he knelt on one knee before Old Su and performed a deep bow. “Brother Su, I apologize for being unfilial to you!”

Old Su was taken aback by Kang Jimin’s straightforward loyalty. He quickly embraced him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move his steadfast old brother. Moved, Old Su knelt down as well, clutching Kang Jimin’s shoulders, tears streaming. “Brother, brother, please get up and speak… Ah? Don’t do this—I can’t bear such a grand gesture from you!”

Only then did Kang Jimin help Old Su to his feet. The two old friends supported each other and sat by the sofa, silently weeping without a word.

Zhang Jianhan, who had followed behind carrying Old Su’s bag, witnessed the entire scene. He found it hard to believe that Kang Jimin, who had never bowed to anyone in his life, was kneeling now. It was clear how deeply the moment moved both men.

Zhang Jianhan instinctively stopped in his tracks, standing at the doorway, watching the two elderly men with mixed and aching emotions. His sharp eyes slowly blurred with unshed tears.