spoiled brat

Chapter 36 35. Countercurrent (5)

Zhao Zhao sneered, "Where did they go?"

The servant raised his hand and shook his finger, whispering, "They went outside the city and won't be back for a few days. Sister Zhao Zhao, if you have any serious illness, you should go and see another doctor."

In this area, only Manager Zhang is knowledgeable in both medicine and childbirth. Where can we find any other doctor? Moreover, the woman's belly is unusually large. Ordinary midwives, in their confusion, would only know how to use a rolling pin to roll it out, which would not only fail to save her but also cause the death of both mother and child.

Zhao Zhao was extremely anxious, her forehead alternating between cold and hot. No longer caring about anything else, she called out to the slightly swaying curtain behind the medicine cabinet:
"They promised to repay me when they received my favors, but they turned against me and became my enemies when faced with even the slightest difficulty!"

The servant paused for a moment, then whispered a reminder: "Sister Zhao Zhao, my manager really isn't here... It's no use talking nonsense here."

Zhao Zhao sneered and pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, the very same one that Manager Zhang had used to wrap arsenic: "Do you recognize this handkerchief?"

The servant was completely baffled. After examining it closely, he hesitated and said, "I have seen my manager use this kind of material before..."

“That’s it.” Zhao Zhao walked to the chair and sat down, the handkerchief hanging from her fingertips: “I found this in front of your pharmacy. It was stained with arsenic. The murderer who poisoned four people in prison a few days ago was your shopkeeper.”

She inexplicably accused him of something, and the servant, realizing he had said the wrong thing, panicked, slapped himself a few times, and turned to go to the back room.

Before the servant could lift the curtain, Manager Zhang came out.

His face was grim, and he was about to point at Zhao Zhao and say something about justice and conscience, but Zhao Zhao smiled and spoke first:

"Uncle Zhang, you're back."

Manager Zhang watched Zhao Zhao grow up. His feelings for Zhao Zhao changed repeatedly, first looking down on her, then feeling grateful, and finally resentful.

He used to find Zhao Zhao's smile somewhat cute, but after the arsenic incident, he completely saw what kind of person Zhao Zhao really was: cold-hearted, selfish, and self-serving. It's best to stay away from this kind of person.

Manager Zhang felt a little uneasy as Zhao Zhao's smiling eyes locked onto him. But then he thought, he hadn't done it, he hadn't killed anyone, so could Zhao Zhao really pin the blame on him?
Zhao Zhao slowly twisted the handkerchief with her delicate fingers and said, "Uncle Zhang, come with me. Let's not fall out. We can still help each other in the future."

"Zhaozhao, you should leave. There's no need to waste your time here," Manager Zhang refused. "If you delay any longer, your mother and the baby in your belly won't survive."

"If you have any grievances, take them out on me. I'll repay what I owe you and make up for what I've wronged you," Zhao Zhao sneered. "But if you dare to play with my mother's life—I'm telling you this right now, if anything happens to my mother today, you'll die the same way those four people in prison did!"

Threatened by a young girl with blond hair, Manager Zhang slammed his fist on the table and stood up angrily, saying:

"You've gone completely lawless!"

Zhao Zhao stood up, like an enraged snake, and said menacingly, "Uncle Zhang, know your place! My only family in the world is my mother. If she's gone, do you think I'll let you get away with this?!"

Yeah yeah.

Zhao Zhao is a shameless woman who has nothing to lose, but she herself is a legitimate businesswoman with a family and a business.

Manager Zhang's bones went limp, and he collapsed to the ground. He finally understood why some people were not to be trifled with; once provoked, it was as if they were haunted by evil spirits.

Seeing that he had gone limp, Zhao Zhao grabbed him by the back of the neck and dragged him out.

The two stumbled into Su Chunfeng's backyard, where a group of people quickly surrounded them, their faces full of anxiety:

"Zhao Zhao'er, the baby is too big, it can't come down!"

In my ears were the shrill screams of the young woman, like the muffled sobs of a cracked flute, interspersed with the worried cries of several women who had given birth.

The room was in complete chaos, like a boiling pot of water. Zhao Zhao pulled Manager Zhang outside and said softly, "Uncle Zhang, do a good job delivering the baby, you'll be well rewarded," before shoving him inside.

It was already night, and the baby still hadn't been born.

Yao Niang was in so much pain that she could no longer make a sound. She used all the last bit of strength she had left in her body to go down there. The fetus was so big that it felt like all the bones in her body were about to crack.

In her dazed state, Yao Niang heard Manager Zhang and the girls standing beside her exclaim in surprise, "We can see the ends! They're twins!"

Zhao Zhao stood outside, peering through a latticed doorway. She only caught a glimpse of the scene before turning her head away, unable to bear the sight any longer.

It turns out that childbirth is really that difficult for women.

Zhao Zhao leaned against the wall, slowly slumping to the ground. She, who had never believed in gods or Buddhas, even made prayer gestures, hoping that those who had never respected gods or Buddhas would bless her mother.

"Zhao Zhao'er".

Xiao Duo's voice rang in his ears. He retrieved the opium pipe from the house. It had witnessed Zhao Zhao's sins, and now it was time to mock Zhao Zhao's weakness.

"Take a puff."

Zhao Zhao took the pipe and took several deep drags like a thirsty person begging for water. The tobacco was a bit raw today, making it particularly pungent, which brought tears to her eyes, and she choked up, saying:

“Xiao Duo, I’m afraid that what I did will be punished on my mother… I’m afraid that the person who loves me the most in this world won’t live to see me grow up.”

Having grown up together, Xiao Duo knew Zhao Zhao's personality well. She never needed comfort from others; she only needed people to listen to her quietly like a stone and understand her unconditionally.

Xiao Duo glanced inside the room: "When I went to invite him earlier, he made excuses to refuse. Was it because of...?"

Zhao Zhao nodded.

Xiao Duo said worriedly, "I'm afraid he'll hold a grudge against you and won't do things wholeheartedly..."

“No, he won’t do that.” Zhao Zhao shook her head. “He’s not stupid; he can’t be coerced or bribed.”

Xiao Duo lowered her eyes and said softly, "Actually, you can't blame him entirely. We got along so well before, he probably thought we were all on the same side. You tricked him and almost caused trouble... Anyone would feel resentful."

Manager Zhang is worldly-wise but weak-willed, yet he has a keen eye for people.

Zhao Zhao is indeed a cold-hearted, selfish, and self-serving little beast—not because she is particularly bad, but because despite having a beautiful face, she never intends to develop feelings for anyone.

She only talks about interests.

Helping Manager Zhang wasn't out of a sense of kindness, but simply for mutual benefit.

"An army is raised for a thousand days to be used for one." Shouldn't Manager Zhang repay her favor?

Xiao Duo put it tactfully and added, "Zhao Zhao'er, you need to change... You're so smart, smart enough to manipulate people's hearts. If you were more considerate of other people's feelings when you do things, you would go further and fly higher in the future."

Zhao Zhao looked at him for a while, wanting to say something, but then held back. In the end, she just sighed softly and said perfunctorily, "Okay."

(End of this chapter)