Qin Huairu, who had been idling in her room, rushed out the moment she heard the commotion.
"Impossible, that's impossible. Jia Dongxu wouldn't have an accident."
She was feeling incredibly anxious. Their entire family relied on Jia Dongxu! If something happened to him, what would become of the Jia family? What would she do?
Seeing their panicked expressions, the man sighed. "I wish I were talking nonsense, but it’s the truth. Jia Dongxu was working hard at the factory today, doing every task assigned to him. I don't know if he just got tired and wanted to take a break, but a machine suddenly fell and crushed his legs. He’s been taken to the hospital."
"Yi Zhonghai asked me to come back and notify you. You should head to the hospital right away! Now, I have to go; I still have to finish my shift."
With that, the man hurried away.
Mrs. Jia and Qin Huairu, stunned by the news, grew even more frantic and hurried off. On their way out, Qin Huairu stopped to ask First Aunt and Second Aunt to look after Xiaodang. Curious about what had happened, Second Aunt followed along, leaving First Aunt to watch the child.
Meanwhile, Li Jianjun and his company were finishing their meal.
"Jianjun, we’ll be heading out now. You two should keep in touch," Matchmaker Wang said with a smile.
"Of course. I’ll go see Yu Li more often," Li Jianjun replied.
After their conversation, Li Jianjun knew that Yu Li was kind-hearted and gentle. If they nurtured this relationship, she would surely become a top-tier wife. But that was for the future.
"Me too," Yu Li said, her face flushing slightly.
Matchmaker Wang was delighted; looking at the young couple, she knew they were a match. Li Jianjun walked them to the entrance of the Courtyard before they took their leave.
On his way back, he heard people in the courtyard discussing the news. It seemed Jia Dongxu had been in an accident, but not during an assessment—it happened while he was working.
*Huh? Jia Dongxu had an accident? And not during the assessment? Did I travel through time and get the timeline wrong?* Li Jianjun shook his head. *Well, it’s none of my business.*
He returned home, feeling exhausted after such a long day.
***
At the hospital, Mrs. Jia and Qin Huairu arrived breathlessly to find Yi Zhonghai and Shazhu waiting outside the ward. Mrs. Jia grew even more anxious.
"First Uncle? How is he? Is my son alright?" she asked nervously.
"I don't know yet. They’re still operating," Yi Zhonghai sighed. "He’d been studying all day, which made me proud—I thought he was finally trying to pass his assessment. I never imagined he’d be so unlucky as to take a break right under that machine."
"Oh! My son!" Mrs. Jia collapsed to the floor and began to wail. Jia Dongxu was the sole breadwinner of the Jia family; if something happened to him, their world would collapse. Qin Huairu was equally distraught. She hadn't lived a good day yet; how could this happen?
While the two women were devastated, one person was secretly thrilled: Shazhu. Seeing Jia Dongxu in this state made him inexplicably happy. Then he looked at Qin Huairu and understood why—if Jia Dongxu was out of the picture, wouldn't his chance finally arrive? He chuckled to himself. If Mrs. Jia could read his thoughts, she would have fought him to the death.
"Goodwife Jia, Qin Huairu, don't panic yet. Maybe the doctors can fix him up," Yi Zhonghai offered, trying to comfort them.
An hour later, the light in the operating room turned off, and the doctor stepped out.
"Doctor? How is he? Is my son okay?" Mrs. Jia rushed forward.
"I have some good news and some bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" the doctor asked.
Mrs. Jia hesitated, then said, "The good news. Tell us the good news."
"The good news is that after our efforts, we managed to save his life," the doctor said.
"And the bad news?" Yi Zhonghai asked quickly.
"The bad news is that he is paralyzed. He will likely be bedridden for the rest of his life," the doctor said helplessly.
"What? That serious?" Mrs. Jia’s brief relief vanished instantly. "No, no, that can't be! Doctor, please, you have to save him!"
Qin Huairu nearly fainted, but Shazhu, who had been watching her closely, quickly stepped in to support her.
"I'm sorry, but saving his life was the best we could do," the doctor said. "Now, go pay the bill. He will need ongoing treatment." With that, the doctor walked away.
When Mrs. Jia saw that the medical bill was over two hundred yuan, she was stunned. Two hundred yuan? Where could the Jia family get that kind of money? For a moment, they both felt the sky had fallen.
Yi Zhonghai looked grim. He hadn't expected Jia Dongxu to be paralyzed. How would he be cared for in his old age now?
"Alright, stop crying. It's a blessing he survived," Yi Zhonghai said. "As for the medical expenses, we’ll hold a courtyard-wide meeting tonight. I’m sure people will donate."
"Thank you!" Qin Huairu said gratefully.
"Sister Qin, don't worry," Shazhu interjected, stepping forward. His eyes were gleaming as he looked at her. "I’ll start bringing an extra lunch box for the Jia family from now on."
He knew this was his chance to win her favor, and he wasn't about to miss it. The devoted suitor had officially entered the game.