The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 580: Chapter 571: The Stepmother Who Refused to Be a Stepping Stone 59 (Bonus Chapter for 650 Monthly Tickets)

Li Zhiping and Li Zhikang held down Wang Baozhu, forcibly making her kneel as well.

After scolding Li Zhifang, Li Zhipeng came over to question Wang Baozhu: ”Tell the truth, did you unplug the telephone line?”

Wang Baozhu was so frightened by the fierce look on Li Zhipeng’s face that she couldn’t speak.

She shook her head vigorously, indicating it wasn’t her doing.

A trace of coldness flashed in Li Zhipeng’s eyes: ”Mother has already woken up. Third Brother asked her, and last night Mother made a call, she said it was you who answered. Before she could say anything you hung up, and afterwards, the phone wouldn’t go through. I ask you, if it wasn’t you who unplugged the phone line, then who could it be? Also, why didn’t you wake up Fourth Brother after picking up the phone? Who gave you the guts to hang up?”

Li Zhifang turned his head, looking at Wang Baozhu with disbelief.

”Baozhu, is it really, really you who did it? Why did you hang up the phone? That was my mother, you... you’ve harmed her, haven’t you?”

”Speak.”

Li Zhipeng yelled loudly.

Wang Baozhu trembled in fright.

She now had no excuse to offer.

If Zhang Fengfeng hadn’t woken up, she still might have had an explanation, but Zhang Fengfeng was conscious now and had confirmed that she did pick up the phone last night. She really had no excuse to make.

But she couldn’t admit to it.

She knew what kind of people the Li brothers were. Aside from Li Zhifang, the others were truly ruthless. Especially Li Zhipeng, the most cruel and ruthless of them all. If she admitted to unplugging the telephone line last night, Li Zhipeng might not touch her now, but it wouldn’t be long before he ensured she got a fate worse than death.

”I... I didn’t.”

Wang Baozhu staunchly denied.

She rolled her eyes, thinking of ways to escape this awkward predicament.

Suddenly, Wang Baozhu remembered something.

She immediately pretended to be in unbearable pain: ”Ouch, my stomach, my stomach hurts so much, I feel so bad, Zhifang, my stomach really hurts, I... I might be pregnant, I was about to ask you to take me to the hospital for a checkup.”

Hearing this, Li Zhifang immediately stood up from the ground and went over to help Wang Baozhu.

”Baozhu, what’s wrong with you? You, this is...”

He was so anxious that sweat was breaking out on his forehead, looking at Wang Baozhu acting as if she were in agony, he was close to tears: ”Second Brother, Fifth, Sixth, can we set aside what happened to our mother for a moment? Let me take Baozhu to the hospital first. If something happens to her, what am I going to do?”

Wang Baozhu played her part quite convincingly, and although Li Zhipeng was suspicious in his heart, he couldn’t prevent Wang Baozhu from going to the hospital.

If Wang Baozhu was truly pregnant, a mishap could lead to the loss of two lives.

Seeing that Li Zhipeng had stepped aside, Li Zhifang hurriedly went outside to ready the flatbed cart, anxiously lifted Wang Baozhu onto it, covered her with a blanket, and pulled her towards the clinic like a madman.

”Heh.”

Li Zhipeng stood under the eaves, watching Li Zhifang’s retreating back and couldn’t help but sneer: ”Truly an ingrate. He wasn’t this anxious when our mother nearly died, and now just because Wang Baozhu says her stomach hurts, look at how frantic he is.”

Li Zhiping and Li Zhikang were also furious, both cursing Li Zhifang in their hearts for being worthless.

The three brothers didn’t stay any longer at Li Zhifang’s place and directly drove to the Provincial Second Hospital.

By the time they got there, it was already late afternoon.

Anning had prepared food at home, put it in an insulated box, and carried it over.

Seeing Li Zhipeng and the other two brothers, Anning greeted them with a smile and then served a bowl of soup for Zhang Fengfeng to drink.

While feeding Zhang Fengfeng, Anning said with a smile, ”I just called dad, and Jing Han is fine now. Dad said the doctor prescribed some medicine, and she should be fine after taking it for a few more days.”

”That’s good to hear.”

At this moment, Zhang Fengfeng also showed a trace of a smile.

But her complexion was still very poor, and she had little energy.

Li Zhipeng and his brothers chatted with her for a while before Zhang Fengfeng fell asleep again.

Anning tucked her in and went outside to talk with the Li brothers.

Anning spoke to Li Zhipeng in a low voice, ”Second brother, I’m thinking of bringing dad and mom over to the Provincial City. The old folks are getting on in years and we never know when they might feel unwell. We’re not in the village, and Li Zhifang is unreliable. Just thinking about what happened last night still scares me witless. What if we weren’t there? Mom might have... ”

Li Zhipeng took out a cigarette, but remembering they were in a hospital, he put it back in his pocket.

”What you’re suggesting makes sense. Big brother and Third brother have also discussed this. We think they should first stay with Third. I’ve bought a house in the Provincial City a while ago, and Fifth and Lao Liu are planning to open a store in the city. Eventually, the parents could stay with us turn by turn.”

Anning frowned slightly, ”It’s good that we have a plan, but what if our parents don’t agree? Mom is worried about Jing Han. If Jing Han doesn’t come to the Provincial City, mom definitely won’t agree to move.”

Li Zhipeng thought Anning made a lot of sense. He pondered for a while, then clenched his right fist, ”It’s not up to them this time. I’ll talk to Lao Si and tell Jing Han to come with the parents to the Provincial City. If he refuses, we’ll cut ties with him.”

Li Zhiping also said, ”He wouldn’t dare refuse. He’s in the wrong about this incident and he knows what he did with Wang Baozhu was disgraceful. He can’t afford to be stubborn on this matter with Jing Han.”

”Then you talk to him, Second Brother. It’s best to transfer Jing Han’s household registration over this time. Let Third brother take a look at schools. Jing Han is a good student, and once her paperwork is here, any school would take her. When mom gets discharged this time, I don’t want her going back to the village.”

Anning negotiated softly with Li Zhipeng, ”Second Brother, please make several trips to the village during this period to get things settled as soon as possible. Once Jing Han comes over, our parents will surely follow. They wouldn’t bear to leave Jing Han uncared for.”

Li Zhipeng nodded, ”Okay, don’t worry about it anymore, leave it to me.”

A while later, when Li Zhiyuan and Li Jingming came over, Li Zhipeng and the others went out to eat.

In the evening, Anning came to pick up Zhang Fengfeng with a few kids.

The kids didn’t stay long at the hospital. After seeing Zhang Fengfeng and chatting with her for a while, they went back home with Anning.

As soon as they got home, Li Jingyu and Li Jingyan broke down in tears.

The two children were truly terrified. They didn’t dare to cry in the hospital, afraid of upsetting Zhang Fengfeng.

But once home, they didn’t have such concerns, and the sisters let themselves cry freely.

Anning didn’t stop them.

When they had cried enough, she said, ”With this incident, I will definitely be busier before the new year. I need to manage the factory, and also take care of your grandma. I’m afraid I can’t look after the house, so it’s up to you two. Take care of Yuzhen more, and don’t let this affect your studies, understand?”

Li Jingyan nodded through her tears, ”Mom, don’t worry, my sister and I will take good care of our home.”

Li Jingyu also responded.

Liu Qi, Liu Ming, and Liu Yuzhen were also quite worried about Zhang Fengfeng.

However, they were not as emotionally attached as Li Jingyu and Li Jingyan, who were brought up by Zhang Fengfeng since they were young. Although they were worried, they were not as panicked.

After comforting the children, Anning sent them to bed and then contacted the factory managers to get an update on the situation.

In the following days, Anning ran back and forth, tiring herself thin.

Zhang Fengfeng was distressed for her and told Anning not to visit the hospital every day. Sun Xiumei and Liu Ru were taking turns taking care of her in the hospital.

Anning didn’t push herself. Seeing that Zhang Fengfeng was recovering well, she rushed to finish the factory’s work before the new year and gave the workers a holiday in the last days of the twelfth lunar month.