Back To The 80s: President's Doted Wife

Chapter 190: Chapter 190 The Origins of Illegitimacy

Speaking of Ning Ge’s identity, it does make people feel somewhat awkward.

Old Master Ning joined the army to fight the enemy at a young age; in wartime, one never knew when they might give their life, so he married early, taking Madam Chen Lin as his first wife. The couple had their eldest son, Ning Gang, second son, Ning Li, and their daughter, Ning Zhen, and their relationship was very good.

After the liberation, Old Master Ning, because of his commendable military service during the resistance against Japan, rose through the ranks to become the Commander of the Military Region. With improved living conditions and many children, and because his wife was in poor health, a nanny was hired to help with household chores and caring for the children.

The nanny, Ah Xiu, came to their home when Ning Gang was twelve, mainly to take care of the youngest daughter, Zhener.

Before the liberation, due to years of living in constant fear and not receiving proper care during childbirth, Madam Chen gradually declined in health and passed away when Ning Gang was fourteen.

At that time, it was only a few years after the liberation and the political situation was extremely unstable. After his wife’s death, Old Master Ning had no intention of remarrying, and the household, as well as the childcare, was completely entrusted to nanny Ah Xiu.

Ah Xiu was a very gentle and virtuous woman who loved Ning Gang and his siblings sincerely. What touched Ning Gang the most was that when his distraught younger sister, who lost her mother, would cry day and night and would not sleep, Ah Xiu cradled her to sleep, to the point where she later developed back problems.

Empathizing with Ah Xiu’s dedication, the children grew dependent on her, especially the youngest sister. With her own mother gone too soon, it was Ah Xiu who gave her maternal love, making her feel as close to Ah Xiu as she would to a mother, and later on, she became very close to Ning Ge as well.

As time went by, Ah Xiu went from a young girl to a woman of a more mature age. Her parents back in her hometown kept urging her to return home for blind dates and marriage. The children didn’t want her to leave, and Ah Xiu was also reluctant. In her heart, she had developed feelings for Old Master Ning, and so she kept putting it off until she was thirty-six.

Ah Xiu thought that perhaps she would just spend her life alone, for him, for the children.

Old Master Ning was aware of Ah Xiu’s feelings, and Ning Gang and his siblings could see it too. They wouldn’t mind if Ah Xiu became their stepmother; only Old Master Ning, who felt that getting involved with his own nanny would not look good, remained noncommittal.

The lack of response from the other party made Ah Xiu become despondent, and later, a single night of misplaced passion with Old Master Ning led to a secret pregnancy, making everyone think the matter should then be legitimized.

Still, Old Master Ning did not have the courage to make it official, procrastinating until Ning Ge was born. That year, Ning Gang was already twenty-two or twenty-three and had taken a wife, and Ah Xiu became an older mother nearing forty.

Being an older mother nearly cost Ah Xiu half of her life. At that time, Old Master Ning was competing for the position of Chief of the highest commanders, and the situation dragged on until Ning Ge was three years old. Ah Xiu didn’t live to see her wedding day; it was only on the day she died that she finally received her marriage certificate with Old Master Ning, legitimizing herself and Ning Ge.

Ning Ge was smart from a young age; he had memories when Ah Xiu died. The concept of a mother always existed in his mind. After her death, Ning Gang and his wife Xiu Xian took on the roles of Ah Xiu and father.

Ah Xiu looked after Ning Gang and his siblings as they grew up; later on, Ning Gang and his siblings cherished and took care of their younger half-brother as he grew. As the saying goes, such is fate.

And indeed, it was Old Master Ning’s lack of courage and selfishness that led to Ah Xiu’s early demise; a simple apology could not make up for that. It’s no wonder then that Ning Ge harbored resentment, and even with his name cleared, he could not escape the fate of being an illegitimate child.