Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

Sha Zhu had already carried Qin Huairu over, with Yi Zhonghai following behind. The two of them worked together to get her onto the tricycle. Qin Jingru even put two quilts on her. Although she didn't get along well with Qin Huairu, she was, after all, her cousin, the cousin who had raised her when she was little. The reason she couldn't help her was because the Jia family had a grudge against her "man," Zhang Dabiao. Qin Huairu had broken off the engagement and was also scheming against Zhang Dabiao.

But since Zhang Dabiao didn't object to lending her the tricycle, Qin Jingru tried her best to make Qin Huairu comfortable, as a way of showing sisterly affection.

Zhang Dabiao did not object. After all, human life is of paramount importance. I can choose not to save her because I have a grudge against her, but I cannot stop others from saving her. That would be no different from intentionally killing someone.

Although I am a time traveler, the premise is that I am a normal person who has received a modern education in the future, not a butcher.

In addition, just as Sha Zhu was about to get on his bike and leave, Yi Zhonghai looked back at the messy yard and suddenly remembered something.

Great!

That child just ran away!

My godson, the only male heir of the Jia family, the filial grandson who will break the basin and wave the banner after my death—this must not be allowed to happen!

Startled, he turned and shouted to Liu Haizhong, who had just come out of the backyard, "Old Liu, Banggeng has run away! Quickly send someone to look for him! It's so late at night, we can't let him get lost!"

Liu Haizhong was also taken aback, then nodded repeatedly. As the eldest man in the courtyard, he felt it was his duty to do so, and he immediately started shouting in the courtyard, arranging for several strong young men to go out and look for the child.

Zhang Dabiao stood at the gate of the courtyard house, watching Sha Zhu ride away on his tricycle, Yi Zhonghai running wildly behind him, Liu Haizhong directing everyone to search for the child, and the noisy neighbors.

He scratched his head and muttered to himself.

"...I just offered an idea, how did it turn out like this?"

[Won't something bad happen?]

Will the baby locust flower be born safely?

[I really didn't intend to mess with them this time, did I?]

------------

The light bulbs in the hospital corridor were covered with a thick layer of grease, casting a dim and oppressive glow. The smell of disinfectant filled the nostrils, making one's stomach churn.

He Yuzhu sat on a wooden bench, his head almost buried in his crotch. His thick, sturdy hands, which were usually as steady as a mountain when holding a large ladle, were now shaking uncontrollably.

Yi Zhonghai stood to one side, his back pressed against the cold, whitewashed wall. His signature blue-gray work clothes were slightly wrinkled, and his gaze remained fixed on the half-green, half-white wall opposite him, unmoving for a long time. Neither of them uttered a sound; the only sounds in the air were the occasional groans of pain and the footsteps of nurses moving about in the distance.

This silence is more agonizing than arguing.

"Brother! How is Sister Qin?"

He Yushui had run all the way here, her forehead covered in sweat. As soon as she entered the corridor, she saw the two men standing there like statues, and her heart skipped a beat—[Could something really have happened?]

He Yushui's attitude towards Qin Huairu was so-so, but after all, they had been neighbors for more than ten years, and she would feel uncomfortable if something really happened to her.

He Yuzhu didn't look up, but gave a muffled response, making it impossible to tell whether he was dead or alive.

Yi Zhonghai sighed and replied dryly, "They're still inside. The doctor hasn't come out yet."

He Yushui stamped her feet in frustration, looking at her own brother's hopeless and incompetent state, she was furious: "Look at you two, how old are you? Don't you ever consider the consequences of your actions? You had to force her at this critical moment, and she's pregnant!"

He Yuzhu finally reacted. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes as red as a rabbit's, his voice hoarse: "How was I supposed to know that Banggeng would go crazy like that? I just wanted to marry Sister Qin, I wanted to be good to her, was I wrong?"

"You should have considered the timing before marrying Sister Qin, you..." He Yushui was so angry that she wanted to slap him. Although it was Yi Zhonghai who brought it up, it was also Sha Zhu who urged him from behind. Sha Zhu was definitely not going to run away.

Just then, the operating room door creaked open. The doctor took off his mask, his face showing obvious fatigue and dissatisfaction.

Yi Zhonghai and He Yuzhu jumped up as if they were on springs, their movements perfectly synchronized, startling the doctor.

"Doctor, how is my daughter-in-law... no, how is my apprentice's wife?" Yi Zhonghai asked quickly.

The doctor frowned and glared at them, his tone stern: "The baby is saved for now, but the situation is very critical. The mother hasn't lost too much blood, but she's extremely weak. I'm warning you family members, at this stage, absolutely no emotional stress is allowed. If this happens again, even a miracle won't save her."

The doctor deliberately made it sound more serious to give them a warning.

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu felt as if his bones had been removed. He slumped back into his chair, his head hitting the wall hard. He closed his eyes, letting out a low growl like that of a wounded wild animal, a sound filled with lingering fear and disgust for his own foolishness.

Yi Zhonghai wasn't in much better shape; his old face looked particularly gloomy in the dim light. He sat down next to He Yuzhu, and after several seconds, he whispered, "Silly Zhu, this matter... I was too hasty."

He had hoped to take advantage of this opportunity to solidify the relationship between Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu, and also secure his retirement plans. But he forgot that the Jia family was never a place for reason.

He Yuzhu didn't open his eyes, but slowly shook his head: "It's not your fault, I was the one who got anxious and urged you to go talk. I always felt that I was completely open and honest with the Jia family, and everyone could see that. Madam Jia Zhang and Bang Geng should understand, hehe, but in the end, what do they understand?"

At this moment, all the power struggles and games of aging between the two seemed to be diluted by this bloody accident. In the face of life and death, those empty words and phrases did indeed seem rather insignificant.

------------

Meanwhile, near the steel rolling mill dormitory area.

Liu Guangqi, along with Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, and a few other teenagers including Yan Jiekuang, were waving flashlights around aimlessly.

"Bang Geng! Come out! Your mom's alright!"

Liu Guangqi shouted at the top of his lungs. He was also annoyed; Banggeng was such a worry, but he was also a neighbor in the courtyard, so he couldn't just ignore him.

Finally, the stick was found in a pile of abandoned cement pipes at the entrance of the steel rolling mill. He knew how to find a good spot; if something happened there, he could just shout loudly and the gatekeeper would come to investigate.

Banggeng was curled up deep inside the tube, his hands tightly hugging his knees, his whole body curled up into a ball. When the beam of the flashlight shone on him, you could see that his face was covered with tears, and he was sobbing, looking like a wild cat soaked in the rain.

Liu Guangqi crouched down, his voice calmer than usual, and said, "Banggeng, come out. Your mother's at the hospital. The doctor said the baby survived. Come on, I'll take you to see her."

Liu Guangqi didn't actually know, but for now he could only try to calm the child down.

Banggeng raised his head, his eyes filled with terror. His lips trembled, and he tried to say something but couldn't make a sound. Finally, he opened his mouth and burst into loud sobs.

The cries echoed through the concrete pipes, carrying a sense of utter exhaustion after despair.

He was genuinely scared.