"Look at the time! It’s 8:34, and she’s still sleeping. Is she a pig? Even pigs don’t sleep this much. By now, the pigs are already up eating their breakfast." Granny cursed, "Jing Si has to go to work, but she doesn’t. It’s bad enough she doesn’t get up early to make breakfast for Jing Si, but he even made breakfast, left for work, and she’s still in her room, snoring away. Lazier than a pig. I really don’t know what Jing Si sees in such a lazy—"

"Old woman," Grandpa interrupted her.

Qin Mei was awake, but she didn’t get up. She pulled the covers over her head.

’Isn’t being lazier than a pig a good thing? Pigs live such happy little lives. They eat, they sleep, they sleep, they eat, and once they’re fattened up, they get slaughtered.’

When she didn’t hear Granny calling her anymore, Qin Mei found it a little strange. ’Has the old woman given up already? Yesterday, when she was yelling for Jie Jingchen, she was so relentless, shouting non-stop. Today, she only yelled for me once before quitting.’

CLANG!

"Ah!" Qin Mei sat up, running a hand messily through her tangled hair. ’What am I going to do? I’m about to lose it.’

"Granny." Jie Jingshan, sitting in her wheelchair, opened her bedroom door. Her large, bright eyes were filled with anger.

"Old woman, stop banging those. You’re disturbing Jing Qi," Grandpa said, trying to stop Granny, but he couldn’t.

"Disturbing what? ’Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy.’ Look at the time, it’s almost 9:00! She’s not sick, and she’s not a cripple. What does she think she’s doing, lazing around in bed?" Granny paid him no mind, determined to have her way. She held a pot lid in each hand and continued to smash them together, creating a piercing noise.

She would only stop when Qin Mei came out of her room.

"Granny, I need to study. You’re disturbing me," Jie Jingshan said.

Granny froze, looking at Jie Jingshan. "Study what? You’re a cripple—"

"Granny." Jie Jingjue came out of his room. The white shirt he’d slept in was rumpled and creased, and one leg of his black pants was bunched up around his calf. His drowsy eyes were full of exhaustion.

He had gotten back too late last night and had collapsed into bed without even changing his clothes. He hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep before Granny woke him up. He was furious but didn’t dare lash out at an elder.

Granny was stunned, looking at the grandson she had woken up. "Jing Wu, why are you still home?"

"Granny, the round trip took me several hours of driving. I’m exhausted." Jie Jingjue’s voice was laced with exhaustion.

"Jing Wu, go back to your room and get some more sleep. Your granny won’t bother you anymore." Grandpa took the pot lids from Granny’s hands and put them back in the kitchen.

Granny had only meant to wake up Qin Mei; she hadn’t expected Jing Wu to be home. She strode toward Qin Mei’s room, rolled up her sleeves, and was about to pound on the door when it suddenly opened. Granny stumbled forward and plunged right in.

Seeing Granny hurtling toward her, Qin Mei’s first instinct was to dodge. But then she considered Granny’s age. If she fell and got seriously hurt—or worse, ended up paralyzed in bed—it would be a huge problem.

Qin Mei didn’t move, letting Granny fall into her.

"Ah!" Granny shrieked. She had expected Qin Mei to dodge and had braced herself for a nasty fall, figuring her old bones would be done for.

She did fall, but she had taken Qin Mei down with her. There was none of the pain she’d expected. Granny looked down at Qin Mei, pinned beneath her, her face a mask of disbelief.

Granny wasn’t in pain, but Qin Mei certainly was! She had cushioned Granny’s fall—of course it hurt.

Qin Mei had overestimated her own strength and underestimated Granny’s weight. She thought she could brace herself and catch Granny, but as it turned out, not only had she failed to catch her, she’d been knocked over by her instead.

"Old woman!" Grandpa’s heart nearly stopped in terror. He knew all too well that the elderly couldn’t handle falls. Too many old folks he knew had suffered strokes or become paralyzed from a fall. Even the mildest outcome was a broken bone, and for an old person, a fracture meant spending the rest of their life in a wheelchair.

As the saying goes, "Even the most filial son can’t attend a parent’s sickbed forever." You can’t live well, but you can’t die either. Not only do you suffer, but you become a burden to your children and grandchildren.

"Fourth Sister-in-law!" Worried about Qin Mei, Jie Jingshan shot straight up from her wheelchair.

Jie Jingjue had just lain back down when he heard the commotion. He leaped out of bed and rushed out of his room. The sight that met his eyes made him stop dead in his tracks: Jie Jingshan was standing. His handsome face was a picture of utter, disbelieving shock.

"Fourth Sister-in-law." Her eyes overflowing with worry, Jie Jingshan didn’t just stand up—she started walking toward Qin Mei, steadying herself against the wall. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Jing... Jing... Qi..." Jie Jingjue’s voice trembled as he stared, dumbfounded, at the scene.

Jie Jingshan didn’t hear Jie Jingjue’s voice. Her attention was completely focused on Qin Mei, who was still pinned under Granny.

Grandpa, too, was frozen in place, gawking at Jing Qi in astonishment. He was so stunned he forgot to help his wife up.