Back in the ward, Ye Zhoushan asked a nurse for a simple cot so Ge Xiu could rest.

Ge Xiu was indeed quite tired. Though being in the hospital meant she didn’t have to do any physical work, she couldn’t walk or move freely, leaving her feeling utterly uncomfortable.

Ye Zhoushan rested on a chair nearby.

Little Fuman snuggled up to her mother, babbling softly while her tiny tummy gurgled. She seemed to be telling her mother about everything she had done and seen that day.

She also made it clear that she was displeased with her father, thinking he was useless and that even she, a baby, was angry with him.

Ye Zhoushan, hearing this, felt a bit irritated himself. This leaky little cotton-padded jacket (a term of endearment for daughters) was truly testing her father’s patience.

…

In the emergency operating room,

More than ten doctors had rushed in one after another, working together to save the elderly man lying on the operating table.

But their efforts weren’t yielding significant results.

The bleeding wouldn’t stop, blood pressure kept dropping, heart rate was declining, and various complications were arising simultaneously.

The dozen doctors were sweating profusely from anxiety.

This elderly man couldn’t die—at least not on the operating table, not in this hospital.

Zhuang Junliang was also anxious. Though he was only an assistant, he had taken on responsibility the moment he joined the effort.

He wasn’t afraid of bearing responsibility, but the problem was that this was responsibility he couldn’t afford to bear.

His mind raced, and he suddenly remembered Ye Zhoushan’s wild ginseng.

The thought flashed through his mind for a second, but he quickly shook his head. It wasn’t his property—he couldn’t make decisions about it.

But Lan Qingshuang didn’t need the entire root, right? Perhaps they could negotiate.

But what if the current patient required the entire root to survive?

Zhuang Junliang was torn. Just then, another doctor nudged him: “Dr. Zhuang, stop spacing out. Focus on stopping the bleeding.”

Zhuang Junliang snapped back to reality and realized the elderly man’s condition had worsened.

Gritting his teeth, he said to the deputy director who was leading the surgery: “Deputy Director Jiang, I have a century-old ginseng that might save the patient.”

“But this ginseng belongs to one of my patients, and she also needs it to survive. We can only spare half, and I’ll need to discuss it with her family.”

Jiang Changzheng, who had already resigned himself to the worst, nearly collapsed. At over fifty years old, was this really happening to him?

“Xiao Zhuang, how could you keep this to yourself? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Where is the family? I’ll go talk to them. I’ll beg if I have to—I’ll even kneel to ask for half of the root.”

Zhuang Junliang let out a heavy breath. “Follow me.”

Jiang Changzheng instructed the other doctors to give it their all for another half hour while he and Zhuang Junliang hurried out of the operating room.

Qi Quanxu, who was waiting outside covered in blood, felt his heart drop. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing. We’re going to ask for medicine.”

Jiang Changzheng brought Qi Quanxu along and briefly explained the situation.

Qi Quanxu’s expression turned grim. Even if it meant violating protocol, he was determined to secure half of that ginseng root.

…

Ye Zhoushan, lulled by his daughter’s chatter, was dozing off when he was suddenly surrounded by a group of people, startling him awake.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

Qi Quanxu recognized Ye Zhoushan, and his hopes instantly soared. Before Zhuang Junliang could speak, he grabbed Ye Zhoushan and explained their purpose.

“Comrade Ye, the elderly man is my former leader. He has dedicated his entire life to serving the country and the people.”

“He has countless injuries, big and small, and still has shrapnel lodged in his body—all testaments to his sacrifices.”

“They are badges of honor. He can’t just die like this.”

“Just half—only half of the root. I guarantee it won’t affect Comrade Lan’s treatment. I swear on my position.”

Ye Zhoushan pursed his lips, feeling conflicted.

His wife was fighting for her life, and he really couldn’t focus on anyone else.

[Give it to him, Grandpa is a good person. Medicine for Mom, for Grandpa—Fuman will have lots of blessings, everyone will be okay.]

Ye Zhoushan’s eyebrows lifted. “Alright.”

The three men were taken aback. They hadn’t expected him to agree so easily.

Ye Zhoushan added, “But on the condition that my wife’s medication is guaranteed.”

“Otherwise, even if it costs me my life, I’ll demand justice.”

Qi Quanxu patted his chest in assurance. “Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility for this. I guarantee it. If anything goes wrong, I’ll answer with my life.”

Ye Zhoushan was a bit disdainful—this man’s life was nowhere near as valuable as his wife’s.

But he didn’t say anything more.

After the three left, Ye Zhoushan tapped his daughter’s little nose. “You little clever one, we can’t hurt ourselves for the sake of others.”

“You’re so small—you can’t afford to share your blessings. You need to keep them to grow big and strong.”

“Ah wo…”

[Fuman will grow tall, taller than stinky Daddy.]

Ye Zhoushan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The next morning, Zhuang Junliang arrived with dark circles under his eyes to deliver the medicine.

“Deputy Director Jiang reached out to someone who worked through the night to prepare this.”

“It will help your wife regain her vitality quickly. Once she wakes up, we’ll make some nourishing pills tailored to her condition.”

“Your wife was severely injured this time. It will likely take three to five years for her to fully recover.”

As long as she woke up, Ye Zhoushan would be content.

“Thank you, Dr. Zhuang. How do I use this medicine? Will my wife wake up after taking it?”

“Just dissolve it in water and feed it to her. But whether she wakes up depends on her condition. The medicine only increases the chances.”

“But your family is blessed with good fortune. You managed to find such a rare wild ginseng—things will surely turn around. Don’t worry too much.”

“I also checked on Comrade Lan’s complexion and pulse just now. She looks much better than yesterday.”

Ye Zhoushan felt as if he had been given a reassurance pill and let out a deep sigh of relief.

After Zhuang Junliang gave a few more instructions, he left. Having stayed up all night, he was exhausted.

Fortunately, the elderly man had pulled through, and their jobs—and lives—were safe.

However, the Ye family was likely about to see a turnaround in their fortunes.

At noon, Zhao Weiguo arrived with some food and supplies, offering to take over so Ge Xiu could go home and rest.

Ye Zhoushan wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but no one listened.

Ge Xiu didn’t leave, though. She asked Zhao Weiguo to go back instead, since caring for a female patient wasn’t convenient for him.

Zhao Weiguo thought it made sense.

Before leaving, he asked Ye Zhoushan if he knew anything about Jin Tie’s whereabouts. Jin Tie’s blind mother hadn’t seen him for days and had gone to ask the production team leader about it.

Ye Zhoushan smacked his forehead, wishing he could punch himself to snap out of it. So that was what he had forgotten!

He immediately went to find Qi Quanxu.

But Qi Quanxu had gone home to rest after learning the elderly man was out of danger.

With no other choice, Ye Zhoushan went to the public security bureau to ask around.

He inquired about the bald “Brother Liang” from the neighboring county.

The officer, knowing Ye Zhoushan was indirectly involved, didn’t hide anything.

He said Brother Liang’s gambling den and another one had been raided by the police in the neighboring county.

But Brother Liang had gotten tipped off beforehand and fled. The police were now hunting for him.

There was no other information.

Ye Zhoushan didn’t dare dig too deep, afraid his secret might be exposed.

Not getting the information he wanted left him uneasy.

He glanced at his daughter, who was clinging to him and unwilling to leave, and held back from asking her.

She might have special abilities, but he couldn’t exploit them recklessly. What if it harmed her or drained her blessings?

He would have to wait until his wife woke up, then go to the neighboring county himself to investigate.

Passing by the state-run store, he remembered the money he had earned the day before and decided to buy something useful for his daughter and wife.

Just as he was about to enter, a man carrying a child bumped into him, nearly knocking him over.

“Are you blind?”

Before Ye Zhoushan could speak, the man aggressively accused him first.

After cursing, the man didn’t linger and strode away quickly.

Ye Zhoushan muttered about bad luck.

Little Fuman blinked her big eyes and pouted.

[Bad uncle, stealing children. Daddy protect.]