A jinx, me? But I bring good fortune to my whole family!

Su Xiulan's mind went blank, and she dropped the broom from her hand.

"Xiao An? What happened to my Xiao An?"

"He was hit by a falling log in the forest. He's bleeding a lot and has passed out. They're carrying him to the clinic!"

Su Xiulan swayed and almost fell, but luckily she grabbed the door frame. She called out to Xiao An and ran out, not even caring that she had lost a shoe.

Nuannuan dropped the foxtail grass in her hand on the ground, and her second brother was hit and bled a lot.

Nuannuan was confused. Her second brother was perfectly fine when he went out, and she even added some spiritual spring water to his water cup last night. He was in good health. How could he have been hit by a piece of wood?

[Squeak, squeak, squeak! Someone's up to no good! Someone wants Second Brother dead!]

A gray rat scurried out from the corner and started squeaking at Nuannuan. Nuannuan clenched her fists, her eyes cold and frightening. Someone was trying to harm her second brother!

Nuannuan turned around and called out "Big Brother!" into the house. Da'an was holding the radio and staring blankly when he heard his sister call out, so he looked up.

"Let's go, let's go save Second Brother right now!"

Nuannuan rushed out of the yard. Da'an, hearing that his younger brother was in trouble, dropped his radio and followed her. Anyone who dared to bully his family would pay the price!

The smell of Lysol in the town clinic was so strong that it made my throat feel tight.

Gu Jianguo's leg had just healed, but he was walking faster than anyone else. Da'an followed closely behind, head down, still clutching the transistor radio he had grabbed on the way out. Su Xiulan was deathly pale and could barely run; she was only managing to push herself inside by sheer willpower.

The white-painted wooden door to the emergency room was tightly closed.

Su Xiulan rushed to the door and peered through the crack, her hands trembling so much she couldn't hold onto the doorframe.

"Don't worry, Gangzi said the person was delivered in time."

Gu Jianguo reached out and supported his wife's shoulder; his broad palms were covered in cold sweat.

A few minutes later, the emergency room door creaked open.

An elderly doctor in a white coat with a stethoscope came out, took off his mask, and shook the blood off his hands.

"Doctor! How is my son?"

Su Xiulan rushed forward and almost knelt down before the doctor.

The doctor grabbed her arm and looked at her with a frown.

"Don't wail, he's not going to die anytime soon."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiulan's body went limp and she collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath as tears streamed down her face.

"That kid's lucky; that was a log weighing about a hundred pounds."

The doctor pointed into the room.

"If it had hit him squarely, his head would have been cracked open. He probably sensed it and turned to the side at the crucial moment. The wood hit his shoulder and caused a lot of bleeding, but the concussion left him unconscious."

Gu Jianguo nodded repeatedly and clasped his hands together.

"Thank you, doctor! Thank you, doctor!"

"He needs to rest and replenish his blood; it's a miracle he didn't break any bones."

After the doctor finished giving his instructions and left with his hands behind his back, the family finally breathed a sigh of relief and went inside.

Xiao An lay pale on the hospital bed, bandages wrapped around his shoulders and head, revealing bloodstains underneath. This usually lively young man, who could eat three steamed buns in one meal, now lay quietly, a heartbreaking sight.

"Xiao An..."

Su Xiulan touched her son's cold hand, tears streaming down her face.

Just then, a shrill, unpleasant voice came from the doorway.

"Hey, isn't this the third brother's family? Why are they all here mourning?"

Grandma Gu strolled in with her hands behind her back, peeked at the hospital bed, and looked on with a gloating expression.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what's going on now? Are they going to send the whole family to the hospital?"

Grandma Gu pursed her lips and glanced at the unconscious Xiao An, before finally fixing her gaze on Da An.

She had a well-thought-out plan.

Since the second son broke the item, Gu Jianguo and his wife definitely wouldn't be able to take care of the eldest son. They could find a chance to get rid of the silly eldest son and get fifty yuan.

That little girl Nuannuan is too slippery. If we could get rid of her, we could get even more.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

Gu Jianguo suppressed his anger and stood up to block the view in front of the hospital bed.

"Can't I come to see my eldest grandson? I heard he got hit by a piece of wood?"

Grandma Gu rolled her eyes.

"Oh dear, this guy's already not very bright, I hope he doesn't get smashed into a real idiot too. A crippled father with two idiot brothers, I think your family is cursed by heaven!"

"Get out of here!"

Su Xiulan suddenly stood up, her eyes bloodshot, and glared at Old Lady Gu as she shouted.

"This is a hospital, don't make me want to slap you!"

"How dare you! I'm your elder, did I say something wrong?"

Grandma Gu stiffened her neck.

"Your whole family is destined for poverty and misery! You should just give this mentally challenged eldest son away, so he won't be a burden on the whole family!"

Grandma Gu was so engrossed in her speech that she didn't notice the little girl beside her change in expression.

Nuannuan stood at the foot of the bed, clenching her fists.

Bad grandma!

Her second brother is injured, and she still makes sarcastic remarks and even tries to betray her eldest brother!

Nuannuan took a breath, her eyes flashing coldly, and closed them, silently repeating to herself.

Little Black! Little Black! Come help Nikki fight the bad guys!

A few crows were dozing on an old poplar tree outside the window.

Suddenly, a large black crow opened its eyes, cawed, spread its wings, and rushed into the ward through the window.

Old Mrs. Gu was pointing at Su Xiulan and cursing her with spittle flying everywhere.

"I'm telling you, this is all retribution..."

Crack!

A piercing bird cry rang out overhead.

Grandma Gu was startled and subconsciously looked up. The black crow then swooped down and stuck out its rear end.

puff!

A clump of foul-smelling, rotten bird droppings fell right into Old Lady Gu's wide-open mouth.

"vomit--!"

Grandma Gu felt a bitter and salty taste in her mouth; it was excrement!

Before she could vomit, the black crow stomped on her old face with its two claws and scratched her hard.

It's sizzling!

Several bloody welts immediately appeared on Old Lady Gu's forehead.

"Ah! My face! My mouth!"

Grandma Gu covered her face and screamed, spitting and vomiting.

"Where did this dead bird come from! You beast! You're all beasts!"

The crow, completely unafraid, flapped its wings and landed on a bare tree not far away, tilting its head and cawing twice at Old Lady Gu.

The other patients in the ward were stunned, then burst into laughter.

"That old woman has such a foul mouth, even the crows can't stand it!"

"Serves her right! Let her curse someone else's child!"

Grandma Gu was too ashamed to stay any longer. She covered her bleeding forehead, retching as she ran outside, not even caring that she had lost a shoe.

"Hmph, serves him right!"

Nuannuan made a face at the door and reached out to touch Xiao Hei.

"Little Blackie is great! I'll catch some bugs for you to eat later!"

Da'an's blank stare flickered, and a slight smile appeared on his face.

After chasing away the annoying kid, Nuannuan climbed onto the stool next to the bed and whispered in Xiao An's ear.

My second brother was still asleep, but his brows were furrowed tightly, and he looked like he was in a lot of pain.

Nuannuan felt sad and reached out her little hand to gently touch Xiao An's bandaged shoulder.

"Second brother, wake up!"

She called out in a warm, childlike voice.

"If you don't wake up soon, Nuannuan won't talk to you anymore! I won't call you 'brother' anymore, I'll call you 'big piggy'!"

As she spoke, she quietly brought her fingertip to Xiao An's lips, and when no one was paying attention, she squeezed out a drop of clear water and dripped it into Xiao An's lips.

That's the water from the sacred spring.

Gu Jianguo and Su Xiulan assumed the child was whispering to her brother and didn't stop them.

A few seconds later, Xiao An, who was unconscious, twitched her eyelids.

"Second brother?"

Nuannuan called out again.

Xiao An slowly opened her eyes, her eyelashes trembling.

He saw his sister's face and her big, worried eyes.

"Warm...warm..."

Xiao An's voice was terribly hoarse.

"No...don't call me 'piggy,' it sounds awful..."

"Xiao An! You're awake?"

Overjoyed, Su Xiulan rushed over and hugged her son's head.

"You scared me to death! If anything happened to you, how could I live with myself!"

Gu Jianguo's eyes also reddened, and he repeatedly said, "It's good that you're awake, it's good that you're awake!"

Although Xiao An had woken up, she was still very weak. The doctor came over, took a look, and exclaimed in amazement, "Your physical condition is really good. You woke up so quickly? Okay, since you're awake and don't seem to have any other discomfort, go home and rest. A day in the hospital costs a lot of money."

Gu Jianguo agreed, saying that his family was already struggling financially and they should save money wherever possible.

He borrowed a cart in town, laid out straw and quilts, carried Xiao An onto it and laid her down, Su Xiulan followed behind with Nuan Nuan in her arms, and Da An obediently pushed the cart from behind.

Although the family had suffered a misfortune, they were relieved to know that everyone was safe and sound.

As the sun set, it cast long shadows of several people.

"Dad, I want to eat braised pork." Xiao An groaned weakly as she lay in the car.

"Eat! Go home and ask your mom to make you a big bowl!" Gu Jianguo followed along, his face covered in sweat, and he smiled憨厚ly.

We were almost at the village entrance. The Gu family lived in a remote area, and to get into the village, we had to go through a dirt road next to the threshing ground.

It was getting dark, and there was no one on the road.

Several figures suddenly jumped out from the middle of the road ahead, blocking the way.

"stop!"

A loud shout startled Gu Jianguo so much that his hand trembled, and the cart almost tipped into the ditch.

"Who is it? It's almost dark!"

Gu Jianguo steadied the car, and upon closer inspection, his expression darkened.

The leader was a man in his thirties, wearing a Dacron Zhongshan suit; he was Zhang Sandong, the forestry team leader. Behind him followed several security personnel in uniforms and armbands; it didn't look like good news.

"Team Leader Zhang? What are you doing?"

Gu Jianguo put down the cart and blocked the family's way.

Zhang Sandong, with his hands behind his back and his triangular eyes looking sinister, glanced at Gu Jianguo with a forced smile before staring intently at Xiao An on the cart.

"What are you doing? Gu Jianguo, your son Gu Xiaoan is suspected of stealing state property. I've brought the security team to arrest him!"