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During the day, Bai Jianing and Zhang Lan worked together to care for Zhang Weiguo. During a dressing change, Bai Jianing was pleasantly surprised to find that the previously bleeding wounds were miraculously starting to heal. This was beyond her wildest dreams, even though they were not fully healed yet, the bleeding had stopped.
Excitedly, Bai Jianing called out, “Elder sister, come quick, come see! Weiguo’s wounds are starting to heal. It’s truly a miracle. I’ve been changing the dressings for so long, and they’ve been bleeding continuously. I thought…”
Reflecting on the time when Weiguo was carried back covered in blood, she couldn’t help feeling anxious, fearing that the playful guy who used to banter with her might never wake up again.
Seeing Bai Jianing’s tears of joy, Zhang Lan also felt a mix of emotions. It seemed like Weiguo was going to be okay this time. “Nurse Bai, we really appreciate your care for Weiguo all this time. When he wakes up, I’ll have him thank you personally. If you have any requests, feel free to ask. If he doesn’t agree, you can come to me for support.”
Zhang Lan’s cryptic remark left Bai Jianing blushing, and she glanced shyly at Zhang Lan, saying, “Sis, what are you saying? I’ll ignore you now.”
Blushing and feeling embarrassed, Bai Jianing swiftly ran out of the ward, leaving Zhang Lan chuckling behind her. “This little girl is quite amusing. It seems like I’ll need to discuss Weiguo’s marriage with mother when we get back,” Zhang Lan thought to herself.
After dinner, the couple stayed with Zhang Weiguo in the ward. Wang Qian prepared fruit juice in the space and brought it out, while Zhang Lan fed Weiguo spoonfuls of it mixed with royal jelly. Wang Zhenhe helped with massaging his brother-in-law. Unexpectedly, at this moment, Weiguo regained consciousness and was greeted by the sight of his relatives.
“Sis, where am I? Am I dreaming? How did I end up in the ward? I remember being at the front lines,” Weiguo questioned, realizing the sudden change in his surroundings.
Startled by his awakening, Zhang Lan exclaimed in surprise, “Weiguo, you’re awake! You scared us half to death. Don’t you know I have a weak heart? You almost gave me a heart attack. If anything happened to you, how would we go on?”
As tears streamed down her face while speaking, Wang Zhenhe, upon hearing his wife’s exclamation, quickly gathered around. Seeing his brother-in-law looking at them with bright eyes, he felt that this surprise was worth more than a pile of money.
“Weiguo, well done! You’re finally awake. Do you know how worried we were for you? We didn’t even dare to tell Mom. We rushed over on a plane, fearing we might not see you again. Now, everything’s better. We can return with peace of mind,” Wang Zhenhe expressed warmly.
Weiguo, now back among the living, felt indescribably moved. Back then, he had thought he might never see his family again. Now, seeing his sister and brother-in-law, the emotions he felt were beyond words.
Feeling touched, Weiguo turned to the couple and said, “Sis, brother-in-law, thank you. Seeing you makes me happy. By the way, how did you come here? How long have I been asleep?”
Sitting by the bedside, Zhang Lan held her brother’s hand and recounted the events leading to his condition. “Weiguo, I didn’t even dare to tell our family about your critical condition. Your brother-in-law and I rushed over with Qian Qian, fearing we might not see you again. You scared us all. We were all on the verge of being scared to death by you. Do you know how many tears I shed for you? Let me tell you, be more careful in the future, or you might not even get a wife.”
Even though Zhang Weiguo lay motionless in bed, the shock he felt was indescribable. He had no idea about everything that had happened before. “Sis, I only remember being at the frontlines in combat. It seems like a shell fell near us, and I recall shielding a young soldier underneath me. By the way, is that soldier okay?” he inquired.
Seeing her brother still concerned about others at this moment, Zhang Lan playfully scolded him and lightly tapped his hand. They had heard the story from Bai Jianing. “You, even in your state, still worrying about others. Aren’t you afraid of causing us worry? That young soldier is fine, just a minor injury. He was in tears seeing you like that, stood guard by your side for a whole day and night before returning to his unit. I don’t mind you protecting others, but you must also take care of yourself. If something were to happen to you, how would Mom live?”
Now that her brother was conscious again, Zhang Lan didn’t miss the chance to give Weiguo a stern lesson. This time, their timely arrival was fortunate. If there were a next time, she couldn’t guarantee they could save him again. She resolved not to let there be a next time; her brother must live a long and healthy life.
Wang Zhenhe recalled something, “Wife, Bai Jianing has been tirelessly caring for Weiguo. Shouldn’t we inform her that he has awakened?”
Upon hearing this, Weiguo hesitated, “Brother-in-law, don’t tell her yet. Let her continue to care for me for a few more days.”
Zhang Lan chuckled softly, sensing her brother’s thoughts. She teased him, “Weiguo, do you have any other intentions?”
Weiguo was taken aback and somewhat embarrassed, “Sis, you can tell? Unfortunately, we’re just friends. She hasn’t shown any other signs.”
Wang Zhenhe interjected with a light jab, “You fool, how do you expect the girl to show interest when you’re not even dressed, and Bai Jianing is the one taking care of you? If you’re not careful, she might just bring in another man to look after you. You really can’t keep up with me, your brother-in-law.”
Looking at Zhang Lan, Weiguo asked, “Sis, is what brother-in-law said true or false? I didn’t notice anything. I used to think that girl looked decent, but she never showed any signs of interest in me. It looks like I might have a chance now.”
Weiguo lay on the bed feeling pleased with himself, while Zhang Lan couldn’t help but express her concern, “Weiguo, do you know about Bai Jianing’s family background? Unlike the situation with Zhou Ping, where it’s just her, Bai Jianing might have a troublesome family. So, before finding a wife, we should know all the details.”
Weiguo was puzzled when asked about this, “Sis, we’re not at that stage yet. As for her family background, I really have no idea.”
Zhang Lan pinched Weiguo’s hand playfully, a bit exasperated. “If you’ve taken a liking to that girl, how come you don’t know anything about her? I’ll ask Uncle Wu to see if he knows more about Bai Jianing’s background.”
Weiguo was relieved to leave this matter in his sister’s capable hands. “Hehe, sis, I’ll leave it to you then. Thank you for looking into it.”
While Wang Qian was outside, she was surprised to find that Weiguo had already woken up when she entered the room, chatting with her mom.
“Uncle Weiguo, are you happy to see me? Welcome back to the land of the living,” she greeted him cheerfully.
Seeing her lively niece, Weiguo’s smile brightened. “Qian Qian, I haven’t seen you in so long. Tell Uncle, were you scared to see me like this?”
Wang Qian pretended to be frightened, patting her chest dramatically. “Uncle, please don’t do this again in the future. You have no idea. My mom cried all the way here. I was afraid she might go blind from crying before seeing you. Take care of yourself, Uncle. My heart can’t handle this. Congratulations on surviving a near-death experience; good fortune awaits you!”
Wang Qian, noticing Zhang Weiguo’s improved spirits, assumed he must have had a good rest. She cheerfully leaned in close to him, speaking mysteriously, “Uncle, I’m planning a big business deal next. Are you interested? If you are, we could do it together. Let’s earn money together, and in the future, we can help build a nest egg for your family.”
When it came to business, Zhang Weiguo sighed, “Qian Qian, to be honest, I’d like to get into business too. This time, several of my soldiers sacrificed their lives. Before they died, we all agreed that whoever survived would help take care of their families. My meager allowance can only support their families. I probably won’t have the money to partner with you.”
Seeing her brother speak at length, Zhang Lan noticed his dry mouth and quickly fetched him some mango juice to drink.
Considering Zhang Weiguo’s situation, Wang Qian realized that if he continued supporting his fallen comrades’ families, his future married life would be challenging. However, she understood his choice. After enduring the trials of war, he couldn’t forget those who sacrificed for their country. Fulfilling their wishes had become his responsibility.
After Zhang Weiguo finished the juice, Wang Qian’s expression turned serious. “Uncle, what do you think about this? You provide the effort, and with your connections, particularly with that student in your class in Xinjiang, you can have your classmate arrange for some raisins to be delivered. I plan to start a business, and I’ll consider that as your share. How does that sound?”
Upon hearing his daughter’s new idea, Wang Zhenhe’s eyes lit up. “Sweetheart, what’s your idea?”
Wang Qian shared her plan to process raisins into juice with everyone. “Dad, this is just a temporary plan. Let’s earn some money first. I need more funds to proceed with the next steps. If the juice sells well, we can make a good profit. I have further plans in mind. Uncle, what do you think? Once we receive the goods, we can send the payment.”
Zhang Weiguo was genuinely interested in her plan. If successful, he would have the means to assist the families of his fallen comrades.
“Qian Qian, if your product guarantees hygiene and safety, it sounds like a good business venture. Why don’t you draft a message for me to send to my classmate? I’ve heard that they’re having trouble selling raisins in their area. By doing this, you’re indirectly helping the people of Xinjiang find a market for their raisins,” Wang Zhenhe suggested.