Chapter 14: Fourteen, Giving up Seat Chapter 14: Fourteen, Giving up Seat Song Yan Ning opened her eyes and heard the sound of her grandmother making breakfast outside. She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was almost six o’clock. Sitting up, she got dressed and walked outside.
Entering the main room, she saw Yang Lisheng sitting at the table, drinking tea.
“Grandpa!” Song Yan Ning walked over and sat down opposite Yang Lisheng.
Yang Lisheng nodded and scrutinized Song Yan Ning, “Why did you get up so late today? Are you feeling unwell?” Xiao Ning usually got up at five in the morning; sleeping in this late was a first.
He had wanted to wake her up, worried she might be feeling unwell. His wife had suggested they let Xiao Ning sleep longer and wake her after breakfast was ready. After all, Xiao Ning was only seven, and kids her age usually slept soundly at this hour. A lie-in now and then was normal.
He wished Xiao Ning was like other kids, who enjoyed sleep-ins and being pampered, but she was just too well-behaved, so well-behaved that it pained his heart. Not only did she take care of everything herself, but she also accompanied him to the mountains to gather herbal medicine, and even when she fell, she never asked him to carry her. Such a good child, and yet Xinxin didn’t want her, which was beyond his understanding. Could appearances really matter that much? Was kinship, deeper than blood, not more important than those superficial things?
Song Yan Ning shook her head, “I was just a bit sleepy and wanted to sleep a bit longer. Sorry for making you worry, Grandpa.” As for the matter of the Emperor Realm, she did not plan to tell her grandpa, as it seemed too unbelievable, and she was afraid it might worry him and grandma.
“If you’re sleepy, sleep a bit more; you don’t need to wake up so early every day,” Yang Lisheng looked at Song Yan Ning with a fond expression.
“Mm,” Song Yan Ning nodded. From now on, she planned to train in the Emperor Realm daily and waking up late would likely happen more often.
“It’s time for breakfast,” Li Meixiang called from the kitchen.
“Okay!” Song Yan Ning replied and stood up. “Grandpa, I’ll go wash up first.”
Yang Lisheng nodded, “After breakfast, you’ll accompany me to visit an old friend.” He had just received a call from his old friend who was feeling unwell and wanted him to have a look. It was a good opportunity to take Xiao Ning to the East District Experimental Primary School to familiarize her with the school environment.
“Okay!” Song Yan Ning nodded and headed towards the bathroom.
After breakfast, Song Yan Ning followed Yang Lisheng out.
As soon as they reached the bus stop, a bus arrived. The area was close to the start and end points of the bus route, and it wasn’t rush hour, so the bus wasn’t very crowded.
Upon boarding, Yang Lisheng led Song Yan Ning to a two-seater spot, and they sat down.
The bus started slowly, heading into the city.
As the bus stopped at each station, more people gradually got on.
“Young lady, could you let me have a seat? The bus jerking around is making me a bit dizzy,” an elderly lady who had just boarded approached a young woman resting with her eyes closed and spoke.
The young woman opened her eyes, glanced at the elderly lady, and closed her eyes again, clearly not intending to give up her seat.
The elderly lady, about to speak again, hesitated but ultimately remained silent. She didn’t know why, but today she was feeling terribly dizzy. Had she not planned to visit her son and his family in the city to see her grandson, she would have rather slept in.
“What’s wrong with you, young lady? Didn’t you see she’s an elder? Giving up your seat is the right thing to do,” a middle-aged woman nearby spoke up discontentedly.
“Yeah, get up and give this lady a seat,” another chimed in.
“You should never have been sitting in a priority seat in the first place,” many others agreed.
“Thank you, everyone; it’s okay, I can manage,” said the elderly lady, slightly embarrassed by the fuss, as she would not have asked had she not been dizzy.
The young woman, faced with public criticism, turned red with anger, “I’m not feeling well.” It wasn’t that she did not want to give up her seat, but she really didn’t have the strength today as it was the second day of her period. Not only was her flow heavy, but the abdominal cramps were also torturous. Though sitting was uncomfortable, it was still better than standing. Every period was immensely painful, and despite numerous doctor visits and various medicines, nothing really worked. If not for the painkiller she had taken that morning, she wouldn’t have been able to endure.
“Don’t offer a seat—find excuses.”
“That’s right, young people these days just lack compassion.”
Song Yan Ning stood up and called out to the elderly lady, “Grandma, please sit over here.” She could tell from the woman’s complexion that she was not feeling well.
“Stay seated, let Grandpa get up,” Yang Lisheng touched Song Yan Ning’s hair as he got ready to stand.
Song Yan Ning shook her head and smiled playfully at Yang Lisheng, “I’m stronger than you, Grandpa, and I’m uncomfortable sitting anyway.”
Yang Lisheng laughed and didn’t insist further. He knew his granddaughter’s temperament well—once she decided something, she would stick to her decision, much like the first time she insisted on accompanying him to gather herbs, despite his and his wife’s protests.
“Look, you’re so grown up, yet not even as considerate as a child.”
“Some people are just shameless.”
“I’ve already taken a picture. I’ll upload it online later and let everyone see what kind of person she is.”
As the others continued to talk, each word was sharp as a knife, making the young woman’s face grow paler.
Song Yan Ning approached the young woman, looked at her complexion, and spoke to the crowd, “Please don’t scold her anymore. She didn’t mean to refuse the seat; she couldn’t because she’s not feeling well.” Sitting right behind the young woman, she had smelled the scent of blood from the start and guessed why the woman had not given up her seat.
The young woman looked at Song Yan Ning in surprise, “How did you know I wasn’t feeling well?” She had mentioned her discomfort, but nobody believed her, thinking she simply did not want to give up her seat.
The others also looked at Song Yan Ning in astonishment.
“My Grandpa is a Doctor; he told me,” Song Yan Ning cheekily winked at Yang Lisheng. Grandpa must have also realized the woman’s condition; it just wasn’t appropriate for him to speak up about such matters.
As everyone turned their attention to him, Yang Lisheng nodded, “She really is unwell.”
“Even if you are a Doctor, you can’t just diagnose without examination, right?” someone questioned skeptically. Elderly doctors generally have better medical skills, but even the most skilled doctors need to perform an examination.