The New Year holiday always passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already the seventh day of the first lunar month.
Most work units had decided to officially resume work tomorrow.
Lin Zhen had already taken his wife and children to pay Aunt Liu a special visit. Lou Xiao'e would be able to officially start work tomorrow.
Some positions at the steel rolling mill had actually resumed work long ago.
Lin Zhen had gone to the factory several times as well.
Just as everyone was bracing themselves to work hard for the year ahead,
Silly Zhu pushed Jia Dongxu into the hospital emergency room.
His twisted mind had made him increasingly suspicious. Already bedridden and paralyzed, he had been unable to recuperate properly, and over the New Year holidays, his condition worsened by the day.
Qin Huairu seemed to have gone numb. No matter how her husband cursed her, she no longer talked back.
Jia Zhangshi knew that her son's paralysis had left him emotionally stifled, but there was nothing she could do. No matter how she tried to persuade Jia Dongxu, he would not listen.
For several days, he could neither eat nor drink, only stewing in his own anger.
Finally, on the seventh day of the lunar month, his condition took a turn for the worse.
His injuries had never properly healed, and now the old wounds and mental anguish tormented him together, sending him straight into critical condition.
Today happened to be the final day of holiday for the entire compound, and every household had someone at home.
So everyone came to help.
Jia Zhangshi sat on the ground, clutching her ankle and wailing to the heavens, while First Aunt comforted her at the side.
Tears hung in Qin Huairu's eyes as she held Huai Hua and followed everyone to the hospital.
The most anxious person was undoubtedly Silly Zhu. He pushed the flatbed cart so fast it seemed ready to fly.
What was rather unusual was First Elder. Though his expression was solemn and grief-stricken, he followed the others toward the hospital at an unhurried pace.
Lin Zhen could not help shaking his head with a sigh.
It seemed Jia Dongxu's fate had run out. Even his wife and Master had given up trying to protect him and simply accepted things as they were. Who could possibly keep his life hanging on now?
His mother, Jia Zhangshi?
Jia Zhangshi had been miserly and harsh her entire life, cruel to others. She had no blessings to pass down and nourish her descendants.
If Jia Dongxu had been able to realize his own shortcomings after his workplace injury, stop obsessing over things, and keep his mind from becoming twisted, perhaps he could have lived a few more years.
If he had also watched his words and actions, changed his former harshness and stinginess, become humble and kind, and gotten along peacefully with the neighbors, then perhaps a miracle might not have been impossible.
After all, a system-bearing traveler from countless worlds lived in this compound.
But if that had truly happened, he would not have been Jia Dongxu anymore.
From childhood, he had inherited his mother Jia Zhangshi's cruelty and narrow-mindedness deep in his bones. After suffering disaster, he only became worse.
In the end, he had driven his wife into numbness and burned away the last trace of his lifespan.
The hospital tried to save him for several hours, but it ultimately ended with Jia Dongxu's death.
This time, Qin Huairu truly wept bitterly. It was more like she was bidding farewell to the past, mourning the life she had once lived.
In her heart, her husband had already died in the days before the New Year.
Everyone from the compound came to comfort her. Lin Zhen crouched down and said, "Please accept your loss. Look ahead—your life has only just begun."
Qin Huairu wiped her tears and glanced at Lin Zhen, Silly Zhu, and Xu Damao.
"You're right. I still have three children and an elder to care for. I can't fall apart. Three Elders, Silly Zhu, Damao, Lin Zhen, I'll have to trouble you to put more thought into Dongxu's funeral arrangements."
Yi Zhonghai said, "Don't worry. Your family has lost its man. Leave these matters to us."
Liu Haizhong immediately began assigning tasks. "Xu Damao and Silly Zhu, start arranging the funeral supplies. Lin Zhen, go report this to the factory leadership. Old Yan, handle the funeral couplets and the accounts. Old Yi, contact the funeral home and Qin Huairu's family."
Second Elder took the opportunity to issue orders and indulge his craving to play official.
At a time like this, no one bothered arguing with him. They immediately split up and got to work.
After Lin Zhen informed the factory leadership of Jia Dongxu's death, the factory promptly approved another bereavement payment, with Deputy Director Li personally put in charge of offering condolences.
After nearly a week of busy work, the compound gradually returned to its usual rhythm.
After Jia Dongxu's death, Jia Zhangshi's attitude toward Qin Huairu changed drastically.
She went from being a vicious mother-in-law who scolded her every day to having at least a little of the warmth between mother and daughter.
When major or minor matters arose, she now knew to ask Qin Huairu's opinion. She even knew to help with cooking in daily life.
But there was one thing she watched even more strictly: Qin Huairu's relationships with people in the compound.
Now, Silly Zhu was the only person in the entire compound allowed through the Jia family's door. Forget Lin Zhen—even Yan Jiefang and Guang Tian were not allowed in.
Of course, those people did not go there for no reason anyway.
Though Qin Huairu was a pretty widow in her twenties, with a vicious mother-in-law sitting at the doorway, no one wanted to provoke trouble.
Yi Zhonghai had merely brought over cornmeal a few extra times, only to be cursed out by Jia Zhangshi.
"Can't you have First Aunt bring things over? You're practically her father-in-law's generation, and you still want to sneak around for a taste? Pah! Don't think this old woman is blind!"
Yi Zhonghai was cursed until his face turned bright red. From then on, he did not even dare glance toward the Jia family's house.
Liu Haizhong wanted to seize the chance to establish his authority in the compound, using it to suppress First Elder Yi Zhonghai and Lin Zhen's influence.
He voluntarily took on the burden of assisting the Jia family. Besides having Second Aunt frequently deliver things to their home, he also took full responsibility for arranging Qin Huairu's job at the steel rolling mill.
He was practically becoming the compound's First Elder.
One day after work, he took a form given to him by the workshop director and went straight into the Jia family home.
"Huairu, hurry and fill out this form. The factory has decided to increase your monthly living allowance until Huai Hua is ten months old. And after you start work, you'll get an extra hour of rest at noon compared to everyone else, so you'll have time to feed the child."
Qin Huairu had been feeding Huai Hua. When she heard this, she happily ran out from the inner room.
"Second Elder, is that true?"
Liu Haizhong smiled. "Of course. We can't leave Huai Hua, who hasn't even been weaned yet, at home. I specially applied for it on your behalf."
Whether Liu Haizhong was telling the truth or merely boasting to curry favor, Qin Huairu did not care. It was good news, so she smiled happily. "Thank you, Second Elder. You're truly a good leader in our compound!"
Liu Haizhong loved hearing those words and said with a smile, "It's nothing. This is what Second Elder should do."
Just as he finished speaking, Jia Zhangshi entered from outside with a sullen face.
She had just returned from the latrine and had heard from far away her daughter-in-law laughing and talking with Liu Haizhong inside the house.
The moment she entered, she saw Qin Huairu holding Little Huai Hua, with the buttons on her chest still undone.
Meanwhile, Liu Haizhong was smugly chatting and laughing in front of Qin Huairu.
A surge of fury instantly flared in Jia Zhangshi's heart.
Smack!
The slap was so loud that people in both the front and rear courtyards could hear it.
"Ah! Old sister-in-law! You... why did you hit me?"
"I hit you because you're an old lecher! My daughter-in-law is unbuttoning her clothes to feed the child, so why did an old thing like you come into the house? You must be up to no good!"
"Good heavens! I brought Huairu a registration form. You, you, you! How can you accuse me without knowing the facts?"
"Pah! You came knocking on a widow's door! There are two widows in this house, so tell me—which one did you come for? Me? Come on, then!"
"Ah! My old face!"
Liu Haizhong truly could not stay any longer. Face red, head lowered, he fled back to the rear courtyard.
Her shouts brought everyone in the compound out of their homes.
Lou Xiao'e frowned. "What kind of thing was Grandma Jia saying? That was far too humiliating."
Lin Zhen chuckled. "Old Liu was desperate to be an official. Well, now look at him—he had only just gained a little more influence than First Elder, and Jia Zhangshi's few words have wiped it all out!"
Inside his home in the central courtyard, Yi Zhonghai gave a cold smile. "Old Liu, you brought this suffering on yourself."
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