"Oof!" Granny kept groaning. ’Why isn’t my husband coming to help me up?’ She gave up and threw her full weight onto Qin Mei.

"What are you groaning about? I’m the one who should be groaning," Qin Mei snapped. She was still pinned under Granny. ’If Granny won’t get up, why is no one helping me?’

"Old—" Granny’s voice died in her throat. What was she seeing? She saw that girl, Jing Qi, walking toward them while holding onto the wall for support. Jing Qi... the cripple... ’My eyes must be playing tricks on me. I’m hallucinating.’ Granny blinked a few times, but the image didn’t change. She blinked again, harder this time, but the scene remained the same.

That girl, Jing Qi, could walk. Granny couldn’t believe it.

"Stop blinking, Granny. You’re heavy," Qin Mei said, feeling like she could cry. The old woman’s weight was crushing her, and she could barely breathe.

"Jing Qi," Granny called out. She didn’t like Jing Qi, and the girl wasn’t close to her either. Seeing Jing Qi walking wasn’t a joyful surprise, just pure, unadulterated shock.

Jing Qi’s crippled legs... had actually been healed by the Fourth Wife of Jing.

’The Fourth Wife of Jing’s medical skills are incredible! If she can cure Jing Qi’s legs, does that mean she can also...’

Qin Mei turned her head and saw Jing Qi leaning against the wall, hurrying toward them with a worried expression.

"Fourth Sister-in-law." Jing Qi’s face was filled with concern. She wanted to pull Granny off Qin Mei, but she was willing yet weak. She had been so worried about her Fourth Sister-in-law that she had walked too far, pushing her legs past their limit. Her legs suddenly gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. Her expression was frantic. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a stunned Jie Jingjue in the distance and cried out, "Fifth Brother!"

Hearing Jing Qi call his name, Jie Jingjue dazedly snapped back to reality. A mix of heartache, melancholy, and elation filled his chest. Without a word, he started walking toward them, his legs feeling as if they were filled with lead.

Jing Qi could stand. She could walk. Her legs had been cured by Fourth Sister-in-law.

"Jing..." Jie Jingjue’s voice trembled. He managed one syllable before it caught in his throat. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

He knelt before Jing Qi, his tear-filled eyes locked on her legs. He stretched out a trembling hand, wanting to touch them, but he couldn’t bring himself to make contact. He was afraid he was dreaming, that he would wake up to find nothing had changed.

He had dreamed of this moment, of Jing Qi’s legs being healed. The cycle of hope and crushing disappointment had tormented him, leaving him mentally and emotionally drained.

Jing Qi’s crippled legs were a nightmare that haunted him. If they couldn’t be cured, he would be weighed down by guilt for the rest of his life.

SLAP! Jie Jingjue struck himself hard across the face. A red palm print instantly bloomed on his fair skin.

"Hiss!" Jie Jingjue couldn’t help but hiss in pain.

"Fifth Brother," Jie Jingshan cried.

"Jing Wu," Granny said.

"Jing Wu," said Grandpa.

"..." Qin Mei was speechless.

’Granny sees Jing Qi walking and, after her initial shock, is now crying tears of joy. Jie Jingjue just slapped himself. I don’t get these people,’ Qin Mei thought.

"Jing Qi, I’m not dreaming. This isn’t a dream." Jie Jingjue’s eyes were rimmed with red. He gripped Jing Qi’s shoulders, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Fifth Brother, help Fourth Sister-in-law," Jie Jingshan said, still worried about Qin Mei, who was pinned beneath Granny.

Qin Mei was gratified. ’Normally, I wouldn’t interrupt a moment like this,’ she thought, ’but Granny is really, really heavy.’

Jie Jingjue froze, let go of Jing Qi, and looked over at Qin Mei, who was still trapped under Granny. He had been kneeling, but now he dropped to the ground and kowtowed to Qin Mei. "Fourth Sister-in-law, thank you! Thank you for curing Jing Qi’s legs!"

Granny was dumbfounded. ’That rotten kid! Forget about a normal day—I’ve never seen Jing Wu kowtow to me or Grandpa, not even during the New Year’s holidays. And now, to show his gratitude, he’s kowtowing to the Fourth Wife of Jing. And it was a loud one, too.’

Qin Mei was completely baffled. ’Jing Qi told him to help me, not kowtow to me! What I need right now is for Jing Wu to pull his grandmother off of me!’

It just went to show: no matter how hard you try, if you’re headed in the wrong direction, all your effort is wasted.

"Jie Jingjue, get your grandmother up first! I’m about to be crushed to death," Qin Mei said, straining.

Only then did it click for Jie Jingjue. He stood up, helped Granny to her feet, passed her over to Grandpa, and then carefully helped Qin Mei into a chair. "Fourth Sister-in-law, are you alright?"

"I’ll live," Qin Mei said, shooting Jie Jingjue an irritated glare. She rubbed her elbow; when Granny fell, she had braced her, and her elbow had slammed into the ground. She moved it around a little and breathed a sigh of relief when she confirmed no bones were broken and the joint wasn’t dislocated.

"Jing Wu, I’m your grandmother! I fell down, aren’t you even going to ask if I’m hurt?" Granny demanded, glaring at him.

"Granny, you fell on top of Fourth Sister-in-law," Jie Jingjue reminded her.

Granny was speechless. ’I wasn’t hurt, but I’m an old woman! He’s my grandson, shouldn’t he have been concerned about me first?’

Granny was about to say more, but Grandpa pulled her away. She resisted. Looking at Jie Jingshan, who was now holding onto the doorframe to stand on her own, she asked, "Jing Qi, are your crippled legs healed?"

Jie Jingshan said nothing. Jie Jingjue’s expression darkened, and his long, deep-set eyes swept over Granny. His voice was laced with ice. "Granny, Jing Qi is your granddaughter."

The word "crippled" was like a fishbone stuck in Jie Jingjue’s throat, causing him sharp pain.

Qin Mei was taken aback. She never thought Jie Jingjue would stand up to Granny for Jing Qi’s sake. Jie Jingjue always seemed so unreliable, like an idle, rich playboy who’d flee at the first sign of trouble. He gave off the impression of being completely irresponsible. In contrast, when trouble arose, Jie Jingwei would also take his wife and flee, yet somehow he still managed to seem dependable.

"Did I say something wrong? Jing Qi’s legs are—"

"That’s enough, old woman," Grandpa interrupted, giving Granny a pointed look.

For once, Granny didn’t push her point. She pressed her lips together and fell silent. The accident that had crippled Jing Qi’s legs happened when Jing Wu had taken her out, and he was consumed by guilt and self-blame. Granny dared to speak bluntly about Jing Qi’s crippled legs in front of Jing Si, but she would never dare do so in front of Jing Wu.

She remembered one time she had mentioned Jing Qi’s crippled legs in front of Jing Wu, and he had lost it on the spot. Despite his usual lazy, devil-may-care attitude, when he flew into a rage, he became completely reckless. He’d disown his own family and would even dare to strike her, his own grandmother, without a second thought for the filial piety taboo of being struck by lightning.

When it came to a choice between filial piety and Jing Qi’s legs, Jie Jingjue would choose Jing Qi’s legs without a moment’s hesitation.

Recalling that scene still made Granny’s heart flutter with fear. Jing Wu’s fist had been inches from her face. If the eldest son hadn’t held him back, her grandson truly would have struck her.

Even though the eldest son had punished Jing Wu afterward and forced him to kneel and apologize, she had never again dared to call Jing Qi a cripple or useless in his presence.

"Jing Wu, Jing Qi’s legs aren’t fully healed. She’s still recovering. Putting too much weight on them will affect her progress. You should carry her to her wheelchair," Qin Mei told Jie Jingjue.

"Fourth Sister-in-law, I will never forget this kindness for as long as I live. From now on, I will serve you like an ox or a horse. Just say the word, and I would walk through fire and water for you without a second thought." Jie Jingjue seemed to use every grand phrase he knew. He knelt again and kowtowed three more times, each one landing with a solid thud, his expression firm and resolute.

Qin Mei was dumbfounded. She could clearly tell that Jie Jingjue wasn’t just putting on a show; he was completely sincere.

Jing Qi’s legs had truly been a heavy burden on Jie Jingjue’s heart. Now that her legs were getting better, that burden had been lifted. Compared to the treatment fee Jie Jingchen had promised, Jie Jingjue’s gratitude felt far more genuine. He had really put his back into those kowtows; they were loud.

As for the treatment fee Jie Jingchen had promised... Qin Mei’s lips twitched. ’It’s a long story.’

’He still owes me. Sigh.’

Qin Mei figured that if Jie Jingjue had witnessed the two acupuncture treatments and seen the agony Jing Qi had endured, he probably would have had a complete breakdown from guilt.

"Alright, alright, stop with all the drama. I’m not used to this," Qin Mei said, waving her hand dismissively.

Jie Jingjue looked at Qin Mei, his eyes filled with tears of gratitude. He silently swore to himself that from now on, he would hang on his Fourth Sister-in-law’s every word.