Chapter 20.1

“How is Yuyu?”

The hospital room was small, and with so many people, it was difficult for everyone to fit in.

Apart from Chen Zong and Cao Qiuhua, only Liu Yuanyuan’s parents were with her, and the rest of the people stayed out in the hallway.

Seeing her daughter lying on the bed with a smile on her face, Cao Qiuhua let out a sigh of relief.

She quickly walked to the bedside, looked her up and down, and when she saw nothing seemed wrong, she asked nervously.

Chen Zong wasn’t good with words, but he stared at his little daughter with a worried expression.

Chen Nongmo’s heart softened. She shook her head and was about to say she was fine.

Meanwhile, upon seeing her parents, Liu Yuanyuan, who had been treated like a treasure, let out a loud “wuwuwu!” sound and burst into tears.

She then threw herself straight into her mother’s arms, crying uncontrollably.

Although Liu Yuanyuan was crying hard, she didn’t miss the chance to complain.

Her words came out clearly and quickly, and the faces of the Jiang family members standing in the hallway turned various shades of green and purple.

How should one put it?

Well, after Liu Yuanyuan’s explanation, the driver, Jiang Luobei, seemed like the very embodiment of a ferocious demon.

Jiang’s mother, Yao Xiuhong, had always spoiled her youngest son and couldn’t bear to hear anyone say anything bad about him.

She wanted to retort but, seeing how many people were on the other side, she unwillingly closed her mouth.

All she could do was curse the girl in her heart for being so delicate.

It was just a small scrape, right?

Why make such a fuss over it?

If she wanted to extort money, she should have just said so; who didn’t know what was going on?

Tch, mud-legged people are just mud-legged people, and their greedy faces are truly ugly.

Thinking this in her heart, Yao Xiuhong couldn’t help but let a little of it show on her face.

When it fell into the eyes of the Chen and Liu families, they grew even angrier.

It was Jiang Cheng, Jiang’s father, who noticed something was wrong. He apologized while glaring at his wife, silently warning her to tone it down.

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In the hospital room.

Chen Nongmo was unaware of the darkness in Yao Xiuhong’s heart.

Listening to Liu Yuanyuan’s exaggerated recount of the scene, he couldn’t help but admire her sharp tongue. At the same time, he encouraged her silently: ‘If the girl can talk, let her talk more.’

It wasn’t that she was overreacting or taking advantage of the situation.

They were lucky this time that nothing serious happened, but if things had gone as originally planned, Second Brother Liu would have lost a limb, and Sister Yuanyuan would have been so overcome with guilt that she would have passed away early—this was a fact.

Considering the tragedy they had endured, venting their frustration now seemed rather mild.

Originally, when Cao Qiuhua saw her daughter smiling with her eyes bent, she thought there was nothing wrong.

Now, after hearing Liu Yuanyuan’s detailed account, she understood how terrifying the accident had been.

She was so angry that she gasped for air, her heart full of thoughts to reprimand the girl.

But when she thought about how the girl had acted recklessly to save Second Brother Liu, the words of scolding wouldn’t come out.

Especially when she heard that Yuyu had bruises, she anxiously rolled up her sleeve to check.

Then, her eyes reddened.

Chen Nongmo quickly tried to reassure her. “Mom Qiuhua, I’m fine, it just looks scary. Really, it doesn’t hurt at all.”

“How could it not hurt?” Cao Qiuhua’s voice was hoarse.

The girl’s skin was smooth and delicate, once praised by Cao Qiuhua as white as mutton-fat jade.

But now, that snowy complexion was marred by large bruises, destroying the beauty.

There were many people around, so Cao Qiuhua didn’t dare lift her daughter’s clothes to check her abdomen.

But just seeing the injuries on Yuyu’s arms and knees was enough to make her heart ache.

After spending these days together, the little girl had been incredibly obedient and considerate, and Cao Qiuhua truly cared for her from the bottom of her heart.

But now?

Thinking of the pain Yuyu had endured that day, Cao Qiuhua could no longer sit still.

She suddenly stood up and rushed toward the door, but before she could even leave the hospital room, someone blocked her.

Looking up, she realized it was Liu Yuanyuan’s mother. Cao Qiuhua frowned. “Sister Jiang, what are you doing?”

Liu Yuanyuan’s mother, Jiang Yan, looked grim and was gritting her teeth. “This is something you don’t need to handle. I’ll take care of it! Just wait and see if I don’t slap him to death!”

Jiang Yan was a tough woman, but she was reasonable. Though Cao Qiuhua and Liu Yuanyuan hadn’t been pleased with her daughter calling her a bit unpleasant and thinking poorly of that boy, right now, the man had saved her daughter’s life. He was their family’s benefactor.

That family had a car and looked well-off, so it was obvious they had connections.

Jiang Yan knew that she couldn’t let the Chen family, who had helped them, offend anyone.

If someone had to step up, it would be her!

True to her word, Jiang Yan wasted no time. Rolling up her sleeves, she headed straight for the door.

Before anyone could react, she raised her arm and, with great force, slapped the main culprit several times in the face.

How could this be tolerated?!

Jiang’s mother, Yao Xiuhong, was most indulgent toward her children, especially her youngest son, who was the most handsome. To say he was the apple of her eye would not be an exaggeration.

Seeing her son’s mouth bleeding from the slap, she instantly erupted with fury.

Without caring about face or status, she screamed and lunged toward Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan, being the fiery woman she was, was not intimidated. She was well-known in the village, and not just because her husband was the party secretary, but because her fighting skills were as sharp as her tongue. No woman in the village could match her.

So, when Yao Xiuhong charged at her, Jiang Yan wasn’t fazed in the slightest. She immediately met her head-on, grabbing a fistful of Yao Xiuhong’s hair and pulling with all her might.

She was going to tear her hair out!

To be honest, Jiang Yan had come for this woman specifically.

She wasn’t blind—if the Jiang family had been more polite, she wouldn’t have been unreasonable.

But this woman? Forget about apologizing, she hadn’t even shown a hint of kindness the entire time. With her arrogant attitude and that long face, she was just asking for a beating!

Now, the woman had come at her, so Jiang Yan wouldn’t hesitate to teach her a lesson—if she didn’t make her cry, she’d be doing a disservice to her own reputation!

Yao Xiuhong, having been pampered her whole life, used to being on top, was not only no match for Jiang Yan’s sharp words, but she couldn’t even stand her in a fight. Soon, she was pressed to the ground, her hair yanked out in handfuls, her face bloody.

It was truly pitiful.

The Jiang family members wanted to step in and stop the fight, but the Liu and Chen families weren’t pushovers either. A dozen strong men easily held back the few scholars trying to intervene.

Though Chen Nongmo couldn’t see what was happening in the hallway, she could hear the noise and easily imagine the situation outside.

She couldn’t help but admire Liu Yuanyuan, who was ready to rush out and help her mother if needed, and secretly gave her a thumbs-up.

At the arrival of her parents, Liu Yuanyuan’s posture immediately straightened, and she raised her chin proudly, a smug look on her face.

Cao Qiuhua noticed her daughter’s small gesture and exchanged a helpless glance with her husband.

At that moment, Cao Qiuhua finally felt a sense of relief.

Her child still had the energy to be mischievous, and her courage seemed quite impressive.

Initially, she had been worried that the child might be frightened, even considering sneaking away to call her soul back later.

Ultimately, this women’s battle was interrupted only by the intervention of the hospital security staff.

Yao Xiuhong’s face was now unrecognizable. Known for her obsession with her appearance, she didn’t care about her burning scalp or swollen face, trembling all over in fury. But even in her rage, she didn’t forget to scream hysterically, “Shrew! Lunatic! Do you know who I am? You dare to make trouble like this—just want to extort money, right? Just wait for it!”

She wanted to curse some more to let these mud-legged people know their place.

But Yao Xiuhong had not completely lost her mind and was aware of her surroundings.

Jiang Yan stood with her hands on her hips and spat in Yao Xiuhong’s direction. “I don’t care who you are! Just know this: I know you have a small car, and I still dared to act. That means I have the guts to do whatever I want!”

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng, who had maintained a composed attitude up until now, his eyes flickering for a moment, grabbed his wife, who was about to rush back into the fray.

He wasn’t a particularly good person, but he wasn’t an outright villain either. He understood what was at stake and had a sense of balance. Though angry about his wife and child being hurt, he knew they were in the wrong.

Hearing the woman’s words and seeing the calmness of the surrounding people, he realized she was speaking the truth.

In these times, where a single word could lead to someone being labeled or punished, he didn’t feel his position as factory director was entirely secure.

So, he knew that he would have to bear the blame.

And it was true, his youngest son was spoiled and reckless, and he needed to face some consequences.

With that in mind, and taking advantage of the security personnel’s presence, Jiang Cheng restrained his wife’s endless ranting and led his son to apologize sincerely. He was also willing to offer ample compensation.

Throughout the entire encounter, his attitude remained extremely humble.

Seeing the man’s respectful stance, and considering that the children had not suffered serious harm, the Chen and Liu families began to relax.

After securing reasonable compensation and giving Jiang Luobei a stern lecture, Jiang Cheng allowed the boy to leave.

As they walked out of the hospital gates, Jiang Cheng looked at his son’s face, swollen and full of regret. He felt an urge to scold him, maybe even give him a couple more slaps.

But seeing his son’s dejected and miserable expression, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He could tell that, after this incident, the boy’s previously arrogant attitude had faded considerably.

Looking on the bright side, this could be a blessing in disguise.

Thankfully, the other party hadn’t suffered any serious injuries. If they had, not only would his son feel guilty for the rest of his life, but he himself would as well.

With that thought, Jiang Cheng’s expression softened slightly. He raised his hand and patted his son, who was now taller than him, with a heartfelt tone. “Luobei, you’ve grown up. From now on, you can’t act like this anymore.”

Before Jiang Luobei could respond, his wife, Yao Xiuhong, who had been fuming and had just been slapped, interrupted sharply. “Where did Luobei go wrong? If anyone is to blame, it’s that cat! It’s those two damn girls! Didn’t they see the car coming? I think they’re up to no good, seeing our Luobei’s good fortune and trying to extort us…”

“Shut up!”

Jiang Cheng yelled, his eyes sharp and intimidating, clearly frightening his wife. He spat out angrily, “It’s your reckless pampering that made our son act like this, thinking he could do whatever he wanted! Do you really think our Jiang family is the emperor? Do you think I, as factory director, can do whatever I please? Or that you, as some department head, can? If you want to ruin your life, don’t drag the rest of us Jiang family down with you!”

After throwing those words out, Jiang Cheng suddenly realized he had said something too sensitive. He took a deep breath and didn’t bother with his wife’s stormy expression. Instead, he turned to his son and said, “Behave yourself and focus on your studies. Think about whether you want to join the military or go to university. Don’t go out anymore for now.”

In the past, Jiang Luobei would have exploded if he were kept at home. But this time, he truly regretted his actions. He regretted sneaking off to drive around when his parents weren’t looking.

So he simply nodded silently, supporting his mother as he followed his father’s steps.

But after walking just a few steps, he couldn’t help but turn his head back to look at the hospital.

He wondered… whether he would ever see that girl named Chen Nongmo again.

She… would probably hate him.

Right, her brother seemed to be a new recruit, didn’t he?

Thinking of this, Jiang Luobei’s eyes instantly lit up, and the gloomy atmosphere around him vanished. He looked at his father anxiously and said, “Dad, I want to join the army!”

Compared to sending him to a worker-peasant-soldier university, Jiang’s father, who had always wanted his son to be trained in a military unit, immediately nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this. “Joining the military is good. It will help toughen up your character!”

However, Yao Xiuhong disagreed. In her view, whether it was sending her son to university or taking over her and Old Jiang’s work, both were more comfortable than joining the army.

And as a mother who knew her son better than anyone, Yao Xiuhong understood him completely.

Seeing him like this, she immediately frowned and opposed it, not forgetting to warn him, “Xiaobei, remember, even if you don’t like Liu Jiaojiao, you can’t marry a village girl. A country bumpkin is still a country bumpkin. Even if she’s washed up, she will never be like someone from the city, no matter how pretty she is. She isn’t good enough for our family!”