"Little sis, you’ve misunderstood. We’re not refusing to take care of Mom. Your sister-in-law... that’s just how she talks. Don’t take it to heart."

Zhang Qian gave Zhang Hui a cold look. "So you’re saying you knew about this? You all planned this together?"

Zhang Hui’s face flushed, and his eyes darted away as he hurriedly waved his hands. "No! What’s there to plan? I’m her son. Of course I’ll take care of her."

Zhang Qian scoffed. "But—there are conditions, right?"

Zhao Yunyun snorted. "We’re poor. We can’t afford to take on too much. And who are you to talk? How many times have you come back to see Mom and Dad since you went off to Beijing City? Has the family seen a single benefit from you? The only difference is that we say it to their faces. You, on the other hand, come rushing back from Beijing City... who knows what’s really on your mind? Besides, Mom and Dad always favored you."

"Bullshit!" Hearing Zhao Yunyun’s words, Zhang Qian completely lost her composure.

Zhao Yunyun’s expression turned vicious, and she planted her hands on her hips. "Did I say something wrong? You never bother coming back, but now you’re suddenly so quick to return. You’re just thinking that with Dad gone, you can get a bigger share of the family money, aren’t you?"

SLAP!

In a fit of anger, Zhang Qian slapped Zhao Yunyun across the face.

"My dad is still alive! Don’t you dare jinx him! That’s disgusting. Only someone with a mind as filthy as yours could think of something so vile. Dad’s in trouble, so I rush back here, and somehow I’m in the wrong? Let me ask you—Mom called you in a panic, yet you got here even later than we did. And don’t give me that excuse about not being able to get time off work. You’re not the only ones with jobs. So what was really on your mind?"

Zhao Yunyun clutched her face, the veins on her neck bulging as she glared fiercely at Zhang Qian.

Zhang Hui walked over to Zhao Yunyun and glanced at her cheek.

He said to Zhang Qian with disapproval, "Little sis, how could you hit your sister-in-law?"

Zhang Qian glared at him. "If Dad weren’t still unconscious, I’d hit you too, you coward! Are you even a man? Don’t think you can just let your wife take the lead in everything while you hide in the back, acting like this has nothing to do with you. When you wanted to buy that apartment in the provincial capital, this family gave you all their savings and even went into debt. Mom and Dad ate nothing but corn buns for half a year because of it! Hasn’t this family given you enough over the years? Now that Dad’s in trouble, you’re hiding and refusing to come back, even daring to jinx him. Suddenly our parents are a burden? How can you even show your faces?"

Zhang Hui’s face tightened, but he remained silent. Furious, Zhao Yunyun shoved him.

"Zhang Hui, are you a corpse? Can’t you hear her insulting you?"

Zhang Hui glanced from Zhang Qian to his wife, completely at a loss.

Zhao Yunyun spat in Zhang Hui’s direction. "Pah! You just watch as your own wife gets hit and humiliated, and you can’t do a single thing to help. Get the hell away from me."

With that, she rolled up her sleeves, ready to attack Zhang Qian herself. But the moment she lunged, Xue Xingzhou intercepted her, blocking her arm and shoving her aside.

Zhao Yunyun stumbled and fell to the floor. It took her a moment to recover, and then she started pounding the ground and wailing.

"Is there no justice in this world? My sister-in-law and an outsider are ganging up on me! Who did I ever wrong to deserve this? We rushed all the way back here, was it just so I could get beaten? Aaaah—"

Just then, the door to the room was pushed open, and a nurse walked in, cutting off Zhao Yunyun’s wails.

"What’s all this screaming about? Do you think this is your living room? This is a hospital! If you want to fight and wail, take it home."

Zhao Yunyun’s mouth hung open, her wail cut short. After the nurse left and shut the door, she glanced at the others, hesitating over whether or not she should resume her performance.

"Old man, you’re awake?"

Huang Ying shot up from her stool and rushed to the hospital bed.

At those words, Zhang Qian’s eyes lit up, and she and Xue Xingzhou hurried to the hospital bed.

Sure enough, she saw her dad with his eyes open.

Zhang Qian took Zhang Hongjie’s hand. "Dad, you’re awake." Her eyes welled up, this time with tears of joy.

Zhang Hui walked over as well, calling out, "Dad."

Zhang Hongjie’s eyelids fluttered.

Xue Xingzhou turned to leave. "I’ll go get the doctor."

Zhao Yunyun was still on the floor. Seeing that no one was paying her any mind, she got up with a huff and moved to stand by Zhang Hui, looking over at Zhang Hongjie.

Soon, the doctor came over.

"Waking up is a great sign. The wound is significant, however, and there’s some organ damage, so he’ll need to stay in the hospital to recover properly. You can give him a little water, but no solid food for now. We need to monitor his condition. Call me if anything changes."

"Okay. Thank you, Doctor."

After the doctor left, Huang Ying was overcome with emotion, burying her face near Zhang Hongjie’s side and sobbing with relief.

Zhang Hongjie’s eyes shifted. He tried to move his hand but found he had no strength.

Zhang Qian said to him, "Dad, don’t move yet. If you need anything, just tell us."

The corners of Zhang Hongjie’s mouth twitched. "Your... Mom..."

Zhang Qian glanced at her mother and sighed inwardly.

"Mom’s fine. She’s just so happy to see you awake. Dad, you scared us half to death. We’re just so glad you’re awake."

Zhang Hongjie saw Xue Xingzhou and blinked at him.

Xue Xingzhou offered a small smile in return.

With Zhang Hongjie awake, the atmosphere in the hospital room transformed. Smiles finally appeared on everyone’s faces.

Once word reached the bureau, Liu Chunming came to visit again.

"Captain Zhang, you’re finally awake! You don’t know... when we rushed over, we saw you clutching the suspect’s leg, lying in a pool of your own blood. You scared the hell out of us."

Zhang Hongjie asked slowly, "Did... he... confess?"

Liu Chunming nodded. "He confessed the same day we brought him in. Knew there was no escape, so he didn’t put up a fight."

Zhang Hongjie closed his eyes for a moment.

"Captain Zhang, you focus on your recovery. Everyone at the station is waiting for you to come back."

"Mm."

Before leaving, Liu Chunming gave Xue Xingzhou a light punch on the chest. "Come back and see the squad when you have time. Everyone really misses you."

Xue Xingzhou nodded.

Perhaps out of guilt, Zhao Yunyun went home after Zhang Hongjie woke up and didn’t return. Zhang Hui, on the other hand, started coming to the hospital every day.

Zhang Qian was starting to miss her child, so that evening, she and Xue Xingzhou called Xue Yue’s house.

"Hello? Who are you calling for?"

"Yue’er, it’s me."

Xue Yue exclaimed, "Big Brother! You and Sister-in-law made it, then? How is Uncle Zhang?"

"We’re here. Master was injured in the line of duty, but he’s awake now."

Hearing that, Xue Yue breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that’s good."

Zhang Qian took the phone.

"Yue’er, how’s Tun Tun? Has he been fussy?"

"Not at all. He just calls out for you two every night before bed."

Zhang Qian’s heart softened. "Is Tun Tun with you right now?"

Xue Yue said, "He’s playing with Shiyi. I’ll go get him, just a second."

Zhang Qian replied, "Okay, great."

A moment later, they could hear Xue Yue’s voice through the receiver.

She was holding Tun Tun and put the receiver to his ear. "Tun Tun, Mommy and Daddy are on the phone. Can you say hi?"

Zhang Qian called into the phone, "Sweetheart, can you hear Mommy?"

Tun Tun heard the voice and turned his head to look at Xue Yue.

Xue Yue smiled at him. "Tun Tun, say ’Mommy.’"