Chapter 83 The Past Was Raised Once More


    "Hey, Rachel, "


    Hiram acknowledged her presence. He looked at her face and felt the tension mounting. The cigarette


    in his hand had already burnt to its butt. He had forgotten to smoke.


    Rachel looked at him as he stood outside the ying area. She hadn''t heard anything, but she felt


    something was wrong with him.


    "What is going on with you, Hiram?


    Are you hiding something important from me?"


    Hiram seldom revealed his true emotions. He was always calm. He never allowed anyone to discern


    what was going on in his mind. However, now Rachel had a suspicion that something terrible had


    happened and he was trying to cover it up. Was that just her instinct?


    "Yes, yes. There are lots of things about me that you don''t know about. I can tell you one by one if


    you''re interested, honey." Hiram smiled at her. He reached out and ced his hands around her


    shoulders. Together they walked towards the house.


    "What do you mean by saying there are lots of things I don''t know about?


    I don''t care the least bit about the things that happened before we got married. I just care about the


    things that are rted to us, understand?"


    Rachel murmured. It sounded like Hiram was holding something from her and it concerned their


    rtionship. She wondered if something had happened and it went unnoticed by her. She was baffled.


    After having dinner at the Rong family''s house, they were heading home. Rachel thought it was still


    early at night and decided to go to the hospital instead. She wanted to see her mom. She also brought


    her something delicious to eat.


    Hiram wasn''t going to work for the past two days, and his phone was constantly ringing. He had told his


    fellows not to call him after eight in the evening, even if the sun had risen again in the night.


    They didn''t want to risk their job. Thus they had to call him before eight to ask his opinion on business-


    rted matters.


    When they arrived at the hospital, Hiram was busy answering his work calls, so he went to the garden


    outside. He needed some time outside to deal with the matter at hand.


    Rachel didn''t wait for him. She went straight to Fannie''s ward. She wanted her mom to taste the food


    she had brought before it got cold.


    Just as she raised her hand to knock on the door, she heard someone talking inside. Did mom get a


    visitor? She figured she should wait for a while. She was turning back when she heard her name being


    mentioned. She put her ear on the door out of curiosity.


    "Fannie, is it true that Rachel is married into the Rong family?


    I heard the news, but I couldn''t believe it. Is it really true? You agreed to marry your daughter into the


    Rong family."


    It was a woman''s voice. It sounded that she was elder than her mom. It seemed that the woman was


    an acquaintance of her mom. But the conversation sounded quite strange to Rachel. She had never


    heard this voice before, and she didn''t know the woman who was talking with her mom.


    "I don''t think it''s improper, don''t worry about it. Do you know that Hiram and Rachel are getting along


    very well now?" Her mom replied to the woman.


    "But Fannie, I''m still worried about it. If they learn about what happened twenty years ago, do you still


    think they would be able to live together happily?"


    "My dear friend, what happened twenty years ago has nothing to do with Rachel and Hiram! Please let


    it go. It doesn''t matter and do not mention it again, please!" Fannie spoke rashly, and she sounded


    anxious.


    "It doesn''t matter? Are you sure? Fannie, don''t lie to yourself?"


    Rachel heard they were arguing about Hiram and her. She was confused and decided to go inside. She


    opened the door pretending she hadn''t heard anything, and said, "Evening, my dear mom. I was


    worried you''d be asleep. I brought you something special to eat. Hey, you have a guest. How do you


    do? I''m Rachel."


    Fannie saw Racheling in and tried to make herself look rxed. She felt surprised to see Rachel


    yet she smiled at her. She said, "How did youe here at this hour, sweetie? Why do you take so


    much trouble? I''m fine, and I''m not hungry yet. You have brought so many things."


    She saw Rachel was staring at the stranger in the room. She continued hurriedly, "This is an old friend


    of mine. We used to hang out a lot when we were young. You can call her auntie. She heard that I am


    hospitalised, so she came to visit me."


    "Nice to meet you, auntie, " Rachel nodded her head and smiled at her. She was about fifty years old


    and she looked her age.


    "Nice to meet you, sweetie, how time flies. I heard you are married now. Thest time I saw you, you


    were a little baby in your mom''s arms. But then I got married and moved to some other ce. I don''t


    you have turned into such a beauty!" She looked at Rachel and said. Rachel looked exactly like her


    father, Simpson.


    It was a long time ago, and Simpson was the most attractive young man in XH Vige. Every girl


    blushed at the sight of him, and every girl wanted to stand beside him.


    "Thank you, auntie. You look great. You''re still young and beautiful." Rachel smiled at her. She nced


    at her mother while speaking.


    "Really? That''s so sweet of you. Dear Fannie, it''s gettingte, and I am supposed to go back home


    early tomorrow morning. Take good care of yourself. I must go now." The woman said to Fannie. Then


    she turned to Rachel, "Sweetie, I''m leaving now, and it is really nice to meet you."


    "Walk your auntie out for me, Rachel." Fannie asked Rachel.


    Rachel walked the woman out. She had lots of questions in her mind. She asked, "Auntie, do you


    share the same family name with us, are you also a Ruan?"


    People from XH Vige shared the same family name. Other families, including the Rongs, had moved


    out long ago. But they made a better living after they left.


    "Yes, of course. Although we grew aparttely, we are rtives and from the same family. Ok, don''t


    bother to apany me further. Take good care of your mom. Good luck, and see you." She waved


    her hand to Rachel and made her way out of the inpatient ward.


    Rachel watched her going out of her sight. She got lost in her thoughts. After a while, she turned


    around and went to her mom''s ward.


    When she entered, she saw Hiram was already there. He had finished his call and was talking with


    Fannie while peeling an apple at the same time. He saw Rachel and continued to peel.


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    "Rachel, has your auntie left?" Fannie looked at her and asked.


    "Yes, she''s left, mom." Rachel said, and she sat on the other side of the bed. She turned her head


    towards Hiram. He was cutting the peeled apple into two, passing one half to Fannie and the other to


    Rachel.


    Rachel held the apple slice but didn''t put it in her mouth. She turned to her mom and opened her mouth


    but stopped on second thought. She asked finally, "Mom, did the woman who left just now grow up with


    you and my dad?"


    Fannie was chewing her apple; she stopped as she heard what Rachel said. She answered, "Yes, we


    grew up together. Two brothers who lived next door were also in our group. We got along very well and


    used to hang out together."


    Rachel had a few more questions in her mind but was interrupted. Fannie said to her, "It''s gettingte.


    Both of you should go home and rest. I''m fine now and don''t worry about me. Just go home."


    "Mom, I''m saying ……"


    "Ok, Rachel, let''s go home. I''m also tired, and I need to go to bed, " Hiram said abruptly, and she was


    interrupted again. He got up and said to Fannie, "Have a good night, mom. Rachel and I are going


    home now, see you soon."


    Rachel had no other choices but to stand up and leave. She nced at her mother and lowered her


    head, "We''re going home, mom. I''lle and see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, see you tomorrow."


    When they left the hospital and went to the car, she wanted to say something but didn''t know how to


    start.


    Hiram saw her hesitation and said to her.


    "I know what''s on your mind. It was clear that your mom didn''t want to talk about that matter anymore.


    You must stop when she''s notfortable."


    Rachel leaned against the seat back. She was frowning and thinking. She said to Hiram after a while,


    "My instincts tell me that my mom is hiding something from me. I am sure about it!"


    Hiramughed and said while holding her hands, "You are overthinking everything these days. Think


    about it. Earlier you thought that I am hiding some information from you and now you are feeling that


    your mom isn''t telling you something. You seem to be suspecting everything around you, dear."


    "I am not!" Rachel bit her lip and replied. She pulled her hands out of his and said to him, "Let''s go and


    have a couple of drinks, shall we? I remember there is a bar across the street."


    Hiram raised his eyebrows slightly and answered without any hesitation, "No problem. Let''s go."


    Suddenly, he remembered Luke''s suggestion.


    The idea was ridiculous. But since the moment was right and she had already taken the initiative.


    He decided to use the opportunity and try.


    Rachel wasn''t used to going to bars, and she seldom went there. She remembered the most


    memorable time was when Anya brought her to one.


    The moment Hiram and Rachel entered, everyone turned around to catch a glimpse of them. Of


    course, most of the onlookers were women, and they were attracted by Hiram''s good looks.


    He was at the center of all attention.


    Wherever he made his appearance, he was the focus of all attention. People couldn''t restrain


    themselves from admiring him.