“Ahru, don’t be afraid. Don’t panic or rush. You need to stay calm now and rest well. Once your body recovers, you’ll be able to do everything.”

“Xiao Ze will be back soon. The two kids and Xiao Wan are still waiting for us to bring them meals at the hospital. It’s not convenient to talk about the details here. Tonight, we’ll go to that little courtyard and carefully sort everything out. Don’t be afraid. Our whole family will definitely stay together and live through this.”

“Aru, tell me what you want to do next. I’ll listen to you. We still have time to prepare. It won’t end like the way it did in your dream.”

“We have to be strong. We have to hold steady. Aru, this dream is a chance given to us by heaven.”

Su Huaiyuan not only showed no doubt but didn’t even hesitate.

After quickly calming down, he straightforwardly expressed his full support and trust for his wife.

Qiao Jiuru was not surprised by her husband’s unquestioning trust.

They had been through storms and trials together for decades, from knowing each other to marriage.

He had always protected her, cared for her, and put her as the most important person in his life.

“Yes, Huaiyuan, at the end of my dream, everyone from my past life was gone. I was left all alone. But as I was dying, I faintly heard Grandpa talking to me. He said I must not forget the Qiao family heirloom—the ink bracelet.”

Grandpa’s words seemed to come from the misty void.

Since her rebirth, they had been deeply engraved in her soul.

The ink bracelet—this was the Qiao family’s treasured heirloom, passed down for at least a thousand years.

But in her past life, she was the only one left of the Qiao family.

Perhaps that was why, just before death, she vaguely heard Grandpa’s reminder?

“That bracelet—you’ve already hidden it in that little courtyard, right?!”

After marrying, Su Huaiyuan not only knew about the heirloom but had seen the bracelet many times.

The bracelet was very special—not the most precious imperial green jade, nor emerald, but a green so deep it was almost black.

Maybe because it had been passed down for thousands of years, the bracelet gave off an ancient, grand aura.

Its pure spirit was unmistakable to those who understood—it was no ordinary piece.

“Yes, Huaiyuan, since Grandpa said that, the bracelet must be very important to us. Maybe it can save us.”

If the ink bracelet were nearby, she would have studied it long ago.

But anxiety was pointless; it was originally kept at home.

Due to the Zhou family’s forced relocation earlier this year, she worried it might be taken away.

So quietly during the New Year, she had hidden it in a little courtyard under her grandmother’s name.

“Later, we’ll go check it out. For now, I’ll cook. You rest well.”

Grandpa Qiao would not give such a dream and message to his granddaughter without reason.

Su Huaiyuan also knew that his wife had hidden the ink bracelet in a little-known courtyard under the old lady Qiao’s name.

“Okay.”

After revealing this life-or-death secret, having someone to share the burden gave Qiao Jiuru a bit more strength.

She laid back down.

After covering her with a blanket, Su Huaiyuan turned off the radio, touched her forehead gently, and went to cook.

He first turned off the TV in the living room, then unlocked the courtyard gate, and finally went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

The lunch was simple: a pot of rice, a big bowl of steamed egg custard, potatoes stir-fried with pork cracklings, some fermented tofu cubes, and a small bowl of pickled cabbage.

Su Huaiyuan worried his wife might have little appetite, so he planned to cook her some egg noodles later.

No sooner had Su Huaiyuan finished preparing the meal than the courtyard gate was pushed open—his eldest son Su Ze returned from work.

“Dad, how’s Mom?! I just got home and heard she’s sick.”

Before entering, Su Ze anxiously asked his father and looked around for his mother.

He had stayed overnight at the hospital last night with the twin.

His wife was at the hospital this morning.

He hadn’t come home this morning because he went from the hospital to school, so he didn’t know about his mother’s condition.

“Your mom took medicine and is resting. Uncle Zhang checked on her. It’s just a cold. She’ll be fine with rest. Don’t worry. You should eat lunch and rest because you still have classes this afternoon. I’m going to deliver lunch to Xiao Tong and the kids at the hospital now.”

Seeing his eldest son reminded Su Huaiyuan of the dream his wife told him—how in that dream, his eldest son’s family was all gone.

His heart tightened, but he spoke reassuringly while making plans.

Unlike before, when everyone had to be home to eat, this time he cooked while eating.

When his son arrived, he finished packing the meal to deliver to the hospital.

He had classes that afternoon too.

His daughter-in-law had taken leave today to stay with the kids at the hospital.

“Dad, I’ll deliver it. You stay home and take care of Mom.”

No way! Su Ze said this as he was already entering his parents’ room.

Qiao Jiuru, dozing but uneasy, overheard most of their conversation.

“A Ze, listen to your dad. You barely slept last night, and we’ll need you late tonight. I’m feeling much better now. Your dad helped me get leave today. A good afternoon’s sleep will be enough. Tonight, your dad and I will take turns staying with you.”

She opened her eyes and looked at her eldest son—tall, handsome, steady and dignified.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

After a lifetime apart, seeing her son again, she had to hold back her excitement and joy, struggling to control her voice.

“Mom, are you really okay?!”

Su Ze sensed something was off.

His mom seemed emotional and her expression was hard to read.

But he didn’t think much or doubt because his mom was ill.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Now go eat and rest.”

Qiao Jiuru quickly composed herself, looked into her son’s shining eyes, and hurried him away.

“Your mom doesn’t need you to worry. She has your dad and me. Do what we ask, and we’ll tell you if anything happens.”

“Enough talk. I’ve got to deliver the meals.”

Out of his son’s sight, Su Huaiyuan gave his wife a meaningful glance, echoed her words, then hurried with the meal boxes to the hospital.

Su Ze had been filial and sensible since childhood.

Hearing this from his parents, he complied but planned to watch his mother’s condition carefully.

Because Qiao Jiuru hadn’t gone grocery shopping that morning, lunch was simple.

On the way to the hospital, Su Huaiyuan stopped by the state-run restaurant to buy two extra portions of wontons for his daughter-in-law and the two little grandchildren.

“Grandpa…”

“Grandpa, Grandpa!”

As soon as he entered the ward, the two chubby little grandchildren, squeezed onto the same hospital bed, spotted him and excitedly called out in their cute, unclear voices.

Zhou Wanwan sat beside the bed, surprised that her father-in-law came to deliver lunch for her and the kids.

She quickly stood up to receive the meal boxes.

“Hey hey, Grandpa’s good little grandsons, time to eat! Grandpa brought you delicious wontons.”

After handing the meal boxes to his daughter-in-law, Su Huaiyuan couldn’t help but smile warmly and reached forward to gently pat the two little grandsons’ fluffy heads, speaking softly.

Not only that, he took over feeding them, letting his daughter-in-law eat in peace.

Thanks to his care, the two bowls of wontons were quickly devoured by the little mouths.

Looking at his lively, adorable grandsons, Su Huaiyuan’s face was full of fatherly love, his heart overflowing with joy.

But then he recalled what his wife had said: in her past life dream, these two lovely children had died before three months old.

Just thinking about it burned his heart with pain.

If he hadn’t known, it would be fine—but now that he did, he would protect these two little grandsons and the family with his life.