Xie Tiesheng and Zhou Xiuhua arrived at the entrance of the alley, and when they heard the piercing cries of their daughter and daughter-in-law, they were met with such a bloody scene. Zhou Xiuhua gasped in terror, the breath stuck in her chest, her body wavered, and the followed Xiao Si shrieked:
Xiaoqi saw that Second Aunt had fallen to the ground and cried out, "Second Aunt—" Before she could rush past Brother Xiao Si, she heard her brother’s alarmed shout, looked up, and saw her own grandmother’s body about to collapse. She hurriedly stepped forward to help her brother hold up their fainting grandmother—
Xie Tiesheng, hearing the two children’s alarmed shouts one after the other, instinctively turned around and caught his wife, while Xiao Si and Xiaoqi supported Zhou Xiuhua from behind, preventing her from fainting to the ground.
"I, I’m fine, don’t make a sound!" Zhou Xiuhua, seeing her youngest daughter-in-law still opening her eyes and looking over, immediately widened her eyes and came to her senses. Gasping, she grasped her old husband’s elbow, saying, "Don’t let her worry... Everyone be good, keep quiet, if you’re scared, go back inside!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Si and Xiaoqi realized they were too young to be of help, so they just stayed behind their grandmother, both scared and supporting their grandfather in holding up their grandmother’s weakened body.
Fortunately, Xie Jingchen was indeed nearby. In less than five minutes, the Military Car he was in appeared.
As Xie Jingchen arrived, attracted by the harsh sound of the car wheels, Xiaoqi and Xiao Si who were softly crying with their eyes covered hurriedly turned to look. Seeing that it really was Second Uncle, Xiaoqi shouted:
"Second Uncle is back! That’s great!"
But Zhang Shanni was in such a condition that she no longer had the strength to speak. Xie Jingzi sat collapsed on the ground, propped up by Third Sister-in-law, crying softly with her small face gone pale.
Seeing such a scene, some sensible neighbors, prompted by No.19, had already left the entrance of the alley, so as not to block the road later and delay the rescue effort.
With a low moan from Zhang Shanni, Xie Jingchen already steadied himself and picked her up, "Brother Chen..."
"Don’t be afraid, wife, we’re heading straight to the hospital, everything will be fine!" Xie Jingchen, while running with big strides, tried his best to keep his wife’s body stable to avoid jostling her too much.
Hu Zhengjie had already turned the car around when his boss went to carry his sister-in-law. Xie Jingchen didn’t even say a word to anyone, just scooping her up and dashing off.
At this moment, in his eyes, there was only his blood-covered little wife, making him tense and his heart race. Luckily, he was the kind of man who, despite the tension, could stead his emotions, not the type to just freeze with weak knees and fall to the ground when faced with a situation.
Elsewhere, Rong, who had descended from the car with Xie Jingchen, swiftly tied up Lin Zhaoyin, the crazed assailant, and without getting into the car, ran towards No.19’s position.
No.19 very considerately avoided Qi Chunlan’s wounds, picked her up, and followed the boss into the car. On the way, aside from Zhang Shanni’s occasional painful gasps, there was only Xie Jingchen’s deep voice soothing her.
And Qi Chunlan, upon seeing Zhang Shanni bleeding, had already fainted from anxiety.
Seeing Zhang Shanni and Qi Chunlan being taken away, everyone finally came back to their senses.
Because the Military Car had limited space, only Zhang Shanni, Qi Chunlan, and No.19 could get on.
Luckily, the military car that arrived was not the only one. Just a minute after Xie Jingchen had left, the car carrying Director Hu also arrived. Yan Jinhao quickly reacted, immediately following the car with his younger brother. Seeing that the old lady’s complexion was not looking good, Director Hu let her get on the car as well. With limited space in the vehicle, Xie Jingzi, worried, forcefully squeezed in too.
The ones remaining, Xie Tiesheng and Xie Jinggang, were also busy. The old man went to prepare the bag that the old woman had constantly nagged about, which should be taken when their daughter-in-law was to give birth. After Zhang Shanni entered her seventh and a half month of pregnancy, she reminded him every day. Even if he were deaf, he would have remembered.
Besides, he had the kids, Xiaoqi and Xiao Si, around. At this moment, the two children outright abandoned their fathers and followed their grandfather upstairs, aimlessly wandering...
While wandering, Xiaoqi, dragging Xiao Si along, went up to the third floor. They brought down a backpack-sized bag and said to Xie Tiesheng:
"Grandpa, this is what Second Aunt had already arranged with the little aunt. When she gives birth, this bag of stuff also needs to be taken to the hospital!"
"Oh, oh, Xiaoqi is impressive!" Xie Tiesheng habitually praised his granddaughter, and then feeling everything was ready, he hurried to the hospital with his son and grandson.
You’re suggesting the children should stay behind? Ha, as soon as Xiaoqi heard that she should stay behind to mind the store, she started crying out loudly, demanding Second Aunt and Grandma...
No one could handle her, and seeing Third Sister-in-law in that state, Xie Jingyang was also concerned. He nodded in agreement, saying he could go and help as well.
Xiao Si gave Xiaoqi a ’great job’ thumbs up. Xiaoqi won by being persistent, and as soon as grandpa reluctantly agreed, she immediately smiled and, along with Brother Xiao Si, they both eagerly looked to Xie Tiesheng.
There was no backing out now.
Especially because Xiao Si also had a very worried look on his face.
Moreover, with only Xie Tiesheng alone, he couldn’t carry four or five travel bags.
Who knows what stuff the old woman had packed to fill up four or five bags! Of course, one of them contained a change of clothes for Third Brother and little sister, better safe than sorry.
All the way to the hospital, Xie Jingyang could hear his old man constantly rambling on in an anxious mood. Xiao Si and Xiaoqi both gave several surprised glances to their grandfather.
There was no helping it. Their grandfather was usually not talkative. Back in their hometown, he could spend the whole day with a water pipe without saying a word, at most nodding or shaking his head as a courtesy.
After coming here, without his water pipe, he talked a bit more, but not like now, chattering away nonstop the entire way to the hospital.
Only Xie Jingyang knew that when his old man was nervous, he turned into a chatterbox. Before, with a water pipe in hand, whenever he wanted to speak, he would just take a couple of puffs, firstly to divert his attention, and secondly to satisfy his craving for a smoke.
There was no other choice for the old man. To maintain his dignity as an elder, he had to talk less.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Xie Jingyang asked where the delivery room was. When the staff heard that it was for a woman in labor with twins, they immediately directed him to the emergency room on the third floor.
At this moment, Zhang Shanni was being overwhelmed by stabbing pain in her belly, feeling dizzy from the pain. If it were not for her exceptional willpower, she would have passed out as soon as she saw her husband arrive.
But she did not; instead, she firmly gripped her husband’s hand, their fingers tightly interlocked. Only when the pain became unbearable would she let out a soft moan.
Xie Jingchen held her tightly throughout, and seeing that she was biting her lower lip until it bled, he simply placed his other hand by her mouth and coaxed, "Wife, loosen your mouth. If it hurts, bite me, don’t bite yourself."