"Second Elder! You! What do you mean by that?"
"I... I... I didn't know you hadn't told them about this!"
Jia Dongxu looked at Qin Huairu.
Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and she lowered her head without a word.
Jia Dongxu looked at Yi Zhonghai.
Yi Zhonghai sighed repeatedly, seeming to want to speak but stopping himself.
Then he looked at his mother, Jia Zhangshi.
Tears were already streaming down Jia Zhangshi's face.
Jia Dongxu understood.
He was not an idiot. He had been suspicious these past few days.
From his waist down to his toes, he could not feel a thing. He was most likely paralyzed.
But whenever he asked, both his mother and wife flatly denied it.
The nurses had reassured him too, saying he would be able to get out of bed in half a year.
Now that Liu Haizhong had accidentally let it slip, coupled with everyone's reactions,
he finally understood completely. He was paralyzed!
Not only would he never be able to get out of bed again,
he could only watch helplessly as his beautiful wife slipped away.
In the future, he would probably be wearing a green hat nine times out of ten.
Then he looked at the handsome, dashing Lin Zhen beside him, who was ten thousand times better than him. Standing beside Qin Huairu, they looked like a family.
He, on the other hand, looked like some outsider who had barged in halfway through.
The more Jia Dongxu thought about it, the angrier he became. The angrier he became, the deeper he spiraled.
Suddenly, he let out a shout. "My fate!"
His eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
Everyone in the ward immediately panicked.
Yi Zhonghai shouted, "Quick, go get a nurse!"
Liu Haizhong was embarrassed beyond measure and lowered his head as he headed outside.
But Jia Zhangshi reached out and grabbed him by the collar.
"Liu Haizhong! You damned bastard, you don't want my son to have a peaceful life, do you?"
Slap!
Jia Zhangshi stepped forward and gave Liu Haizhong a hard slap across the face.
Second Aunt would not stand for it when she saw that.
"Jia Zhangshi! Who are you hitting? We came here out of kindness to visit the patient, not to get beaten!"
"I'll beat you too! I'll fight you all!"
In an instant, Jia Zhangshi and Second Aunt were grappling with each other.
Liu Haizhong shouted furiously, "This is outrageous! This is a hospital! What are you trying to do?"
All the neighbors rushed to break up the fight, leaving Jia Dongxu unattended.
Qin Huairu lay weeping beside the bed, and Silly Zhu urged, "Sister Qin, stop crying. Take care of yourself."
"Pah! You ill-intentioned bachelor! It's not your place, you childless bastard, to care about my daughter-in-law!"
Jia Zhangshi's fighting spirit instantly surged.
She fought Second Aunt and Liu Haizhong while still finding time to curse Silly Zhu.
But that "childless bastard" remark darkened Yi Zhonghai's face, while First Aunt lowered her head.
It made the Deaf Old Lady purse her lips tightly.
Lin Zhen was dumbfounded by the scene.
Good grief, this was life in the Siheyuan!
Fine! I'd better stay out of this mess and go get a nurse!
Lin Zhen had no intention of getting dragged into their muddy waters.
He ran all the way to the nurse's station.
"Quick! There's a fight in Jia Dongxu's ward, and Jia Dongxu has fainted!"
"Ah?! How is the patient?"
"Uh... he probably isn't dead yet."
"We'll go right away. Please notify Security as well. Everyone involved in the fight will be disciplined!"
By the time Security pulled Jia Zhangshi and Second Aunt apart,
Jia Dongxu had already been unconscious for five minutes.
After half an hour of emergency treatment, he finally woke up.
But his spirits had sunk to rock bottom.
He stared blankly at the ceiling without saying a word.
Second Aunt and Jia Zhangshi were taken to the hospital Security Section.
After the matter was investigated, neither Second Aunt nor Liu Haizhong could be blamed.
Jia Zhangshi had been the first to curse and the first to strike.
Considering that her son was hospitalized, the hospital did not report the serious incident of fighting to higher authorities.
They merely gave her a reprimand and some instruction.
But Jia Zhangshi continued to curse without letting up.
"Liu Haizhong, you damned bastard! Our Jia family never owed you anything, so why did you harm my son?"
A hospital nurse tried to persuade her. "You can't blame them for this either. The patient would have found out sooner or later. It couldn't be hidden for long."
"I... I... I!"
Jia Zhangshi stammered several times. Seeing that it was a nurse, she ultimately did not curse.
The entire courtyard's visit to Jia Dongxu ended on a sour note.
Only Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu remained at the hospital.
Jia Dongxu had just been rescued, so Qin Huairu had to stay with him a while longer before returning.
Silly Zhu still wanted to stay and keep them company.
Lin Zhen kicked him out.
"You really are a reckless fool. Waiting around here for Qin Huairu—are you trying to anger Jia Dongxu to death? Don't look at me. First Elder told me to kick you."
Silly Zhu pursed his lips in anger, then suddenly thought of Qin Jingru.
"That's true. I still have something to do when I get back. Qin Huairu isn't home, so I'll go talk to Jingru!"
Lin Zhen found it amusing. Qin Jingru was probably strolling the streets with Xu Damao right now.
At best, he would be going there to play third wheel.
The neighbors all went home with pent-up frustration.
No matter how Yi Zhonghai organized things in the future, no one would come visit again.
On the way back, Second Elder Liu Haizhong kept complaining.
"Old Yi, you too! Jia Dongxu didn't know he was paralyzed, so why didn't you tell me? I only meant well, yet I ended up saying the wrong thing!"
Second Aunt said indignantly, "We never should have come! The Jia family is nothing but a pack of ungrateful wolves!"
Yi Zhonghai said irritably, "Enough. What's the point of talking about it now?"
When they returned to the Siheyuan, Lou Xiao'e had already prepared dinner and was waiting for them.
Seeing that the group was not in high spirits,
she asked curiously, "Lin Zhen, what happened? Did something happen at the hospital?"
Lin Zhen smiled secretly. "They got into a fight. Let's talk inside."
Lin Zhen was vividly recounting what had happened at the hospital to Lou Xiao'e,
when the central courtyard became lively again.
Qin Jingru was gone.
Only Bang Geng and Xiao Dang were left sitting blankly in the room.
After asking around, they learned that she had gone out on Xu Damao's bicycle.
This infuriated Yi Zhonghai.
"That Xu Damao! He said he had something to do tonight when I asked him to go to the hospital. So this was what it was!"
Silly Zhu grabbed a wooden stick and ran outside.
Yi Zhonghai snatched it away from him.
"Silly Zhu! What kind of nonsense are you up to?"
"Let go of me! I'm going to break Xu Damao's legs tonight!"
"Do you know where he is?"
"I..."
Silly Zhu really did not know.
But seeing his future wife being snatched away by Xu Damao, he truly could not swallow this anger.
Especially when Xu Damao had taken advantage of everyone going to the hospital.
Leaving two children behind and going out at night was downright heartless.
"Stop being foolish. Hurry to the hospital and bring Qin Huairu back. The children haven't even had dinner yet."
Only then did Silly Zhu throw down the stick.
"Just wait until Xu Damao gets back. You'll see how I deal with him!"
He hurried to the front courtyard again. "Lin Zhen, lend me your bicycle. Oh, Lou Xiao'e made so much good food. Why not let Bang Geng and Xiao Dang come eat some too?"
Lin Zhen sneered. "Are Bang Geng and Xiao Dang your children or Jia Dongxu's?"
"Jia Dongxu's. So what?"
"Then stop being a damned busybody. If you keep shouting nonsense, I won't even lend you the bicycle!"
"Come on, it's only two extra pairs of chopsticks. The two kids haven't eaten yet."
"You don't need to feel sorry for them. Their own aunt isn't worried, yet an outsider like you is? Get lost."
Lou Xiao'e smiled and said, "Stop worrying about things that aren't your concern, Silly Zhu. Xu Damao and Qin Jingru will bring Bang Geng and Xiao Dang something tasty when they return. Right, sons?"
Lin Guo nodded. "Uncle Xu said he was taking Aunt Jingru to eat hotpot lamb!"
Lin Jia said, "And roast duck!"
Lin Dong and Lin Liang said, "And candied hawthorns and milk candy!"
The more Silly Zhu heard, the angrier he got.
"Alright, alright! Nephews, stop talking. If you keep going, I'm going to burst into flames!"
Before you continue