Chapter Four: After the Calamity

“Zhuzhu, are you hungry? Do you want some water? What would you like to eat? The doctor said you just woke up, so you can’t have greasy or hard food yet. You should start with something liquid—would you prefer some soup or porridge? In a couple of days when you’re discharged, Mom will take you home and prepare some fresh meat and cook two chickens to nourish you properly! We haven’t even touched this month’s meat rations yet!”

Their Zhuzhu had really suffered this time. No one knew how much blood she had lost or how badly her precious little head had been hurt. She absolutely needed to rest and recover well!

“Mom, I know you’re happy that little sister has woken up, but you have to give her a chance to breathe and speak!” Jingnan teased with a smile, wondering if Zhuzhu even needed to respond to that whole monologue. She understood that her mother was mostly talking to herself, venting the joy and relief she felt inside.

She fed her sister a small spoonful of warm water, earnestly reminding her, “Zhuzhu, it’s good you’re awake, really good. Now we can all rest easy! There mustn’t be a next time—this time you nearly scared the whole family half to death!”

As the eldest sister, almost like a mother figure, Jingnan had taken care of her younger siblings while their parents were busy with work since they were little. Thinking back on the family’s recent scare, she couldn’t help but nag a little.

“Zhuzhu, your brother knows you didn’t mean it! If anything ever happens again, you just let him handle it!” Jing’an squeezed his sister’s hand gently, unable to utter a single reproach.

He had always been serious and responsible. Now that his little sister was awake, it was those other fools’ luck. They couldn’t afford any more big incidents that would drag the family down. He was already planning to find a chance to tie up those scoundrels and give them a good beating.

Jingnan rolled her eyes at her little brother who had just pushed her hand away. “Jing’an, feeling a little too cocky, huh? Stop causing trouble! So you’re the only one close to little sister? Am I just a nobody?”

He was always the good guy. If anyone should step up, it was him, right? If little sister had to go up against something, he’d be the one to offer a ladder. So she wasn’t going to let him talk nonsense! This wasn’t about who could handle what—it was about making sure no one else got hurt.

She knew her younger siblings well—she had raised them after all. Out of the three youngest, the most unruly was the youngest brother. At his peak, even three beatings a day couldn’t keep him in line!

“Heh heh, big sister, come on, I was just happy for a moment,” Jing’an shrugged, grinning cheekily. “You’re such a big-hearted person. I’ll help you take care of little Zhencheng for a day so you and brother-in-law can have some free time together, reliving those romantic moments!”

Little Zhencheng wasn’t even two years old and was currently quite a handful, but since he was his own nephew, he didn’t mind the mess or the stink. That was his sincere offer!

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