Chapter 208: Lu Xiu Bai, Fortunate and Destiny-Blessed

Pei Lao Ye Zi was the first to notice his son-in-law waking up, smiling as he greeted him:

"Yo, our son-in-law is awake, how are you? Are you hungry? Grandpa still has a piece of egg cake here."

If it were anyone else, they'd feel embarrassed, let alone feel comfortable grabbing food from their elders.

But Lu Xiu Bai is different—his thinking is unconventional, he doesn't worry about trivialities, and he's guileless.

He had been pondering the images from his dream, but as soon as he heard there was egg cake to eat, he completely forgot about the dream.

"Eat! Thank you, Grandpa!"

The other old men all smiled knowingly, a bit puzzled—how could the sly and crafty Old Man Lu have such an endearingly simple-minded grandson?

"Want a banana? Grandpa Lin will peel it for you."

"Eat!"

"Want some water? Grandpa Liu will pour you a glass."

"Drink!"

Lu Xiu Bai was like a child surrounded by love, receiving the elders' favor because of his injury.

Not long after, someone else came into the ward.

It was Pei Yan Ting who brought in a bottle of boiling water for the elders to make tea.

Seeing her husband surrounded and meticulously cared for by the elders, her worried feelings from the night instantly turned into helplessness.

How old is this person?

It's one thing to act coquettish with her in private, but she even dares to act coquettish with the elders!

"Yan Ting's here, then we've done our duty—let's go back to the retirement home to rest, and come again this evening."

Grandpa Lin yawned and told the other old fellows to slip away.

Just as Grandpa Lu returned from the restroom and hadn't even entered the ward, the old fellows hooked arms with him and dragged him away.

"Ah, my chess set."

"I've put it away for you; let's come back this evening and have another eight hundred rounds at night!"

"Alright."

Grandpa Lu pursed his lips, wiped off the note on his face in one swipe, and seriously suspected that Old Man Lin had done it on purpose—though he had no evidence.

"Ah."

In the ward, Pei Yan Ting helped tidy up and change her husband's dressing.

Even though she was being gentle, Lu Xiu Bai still cried out in pain.

What sound does the kettle make?

That kind of wailing sound makes people both laugh and feel heartbroken.

"Honey, it really hurts."

"If it hurts, that's right—you said yourself, any day you don't bleed or cause trouble, it's not like you."

Pei Yan Ting complained on and on, her hands holding tweezers and swabs for disinfection without slowing.

Fortunately it's just a scrape, the skin is broken but shows no sign of infection; if it did get infected and dirt got in, it would be much worse.

"Ah, I had no idea that new recruit would be so careless—once I'm discharged, I'll definitely give him a proper talking-to!"

Lu Xiu Bai also felt wronged—he had never commanded such terrible soldiers!

He doesn't even know to pull the safety pin—if this happened during a drill, causing such a big mess and injuring a superior, it would warrant a court-martial!

"Forget it—seeing blood means the misfortune is over, so next should be a great blessing."

Pei Yan Ting now also believes in superstition; after applying good medicine to her husband, she began wrapping the wound with bandages.

She reckoned that her husband's injury required three days of hospital observation before he could be discharged if there were no problems.

Lu Xiu Bai didn't dare respond, unsure himself—come to think of it, he seemed to have had a dream last night; what did he dream about?

His mind suddenly felt foggy, his memory slowed by a beat, and he forgot something important.

"Knock knock knock."

"Come in."

"Sister-in-law, we've brought chicken soup to nourish Brother, plus meat buns—have you eaten yet, sister-in-law?"

Shen Man and Jiang Ye arrived, the latter holding an insulated box and a plastic basket.

As Shen Man spoke, Jiang Ye had already opened the insulated box; the aroma of the chicken soup spread domineeringly through the room, and Lu Xiu Bai, the foodie, felt his stomach start to growl.

"I've already eaten—I had breakfast at the hospital canteen."

Pei Yan Ting nodded; that morning she had drunk two bowls of red bean porridge and two boiled eggs, and was completely full.

It's just that the hospital canteen's food is supplied only to staff, not to family members.

Even if one wanted to buy it, it's currently not possible.

With rationed food, it's simply impossible to supply more to outsiders.

She had originally been considering whether to take leave to go home, but she hadn't expected her sister and brother-in-law to voluntarily bring food over.

Such family care made her feel very reassured.

When something happens, it's no longer just her making decisions alone; there's also family, and the elders will provide help and support.

"Then have another bowl of chicken broth—Jiang Ye brother started simmering it before dawn, and it's fragrant."

Upon hearing that, Shen Man didn't slow her movements; she ladled out a bowl and gave it to her sister-in-law.

The rest went to her brother.

"Good."

Pei Yan Ting had no reason to refuse; being polite would just create distance.

The aunt and sister-in-law sat aside, one commenting on the chicken soup while discussing Shen Man's noon care—her husband works normally and will come pick her up in the evening.

After evening, the grandfathers came to look after him, so sister-in-law didn't need to worry at night.

If tomorrow's check shows no inflammation, we can go through the discharge procedures.

On the army's side, Jiang Ye will handle the paperwork; it won't affect the elder brother-in-law's evaluation.

As for the unlucky fool who accidentally injured a superior, he's still in the interrogation room receiving criticism and education.

All in all, it was a scare but no danger.

Lu Xiu Bai, blessed with great fortune and fate—if it were anyone else, they'd have seen King Yama by now.

"Brother-in-law, your cooking is really good; I want to eat coconut chicken, can you help me,"

Lu Xiu Bai widened his eyes, his eyes shining bright, looking just like a puppy's—innocent, pitiful, weak, helpless.

Jiang Ye neither directly refused nor directly agreed.

He simply put down the food silently, greeted his wife and sister-in-law, then turned and left the ward straight away.

"Ah, brother-in-law, we agreed—tomorrow you'll make coconut chicken for me."

Lu Xiu Bai pushed his luck, shouting loudly; the response was a bang as the door shut.

"So is that a yes or a no?"

After muttering under his breath, he cast the matter aside and continued drinking his special nutrient soup.

Shen Man rubbed her forehead, sighed, and said, "My own brother really lacks common sense."

Actually, Brother Jiang Ye is still pretty good to his older brother.

Before dawn, he quietly got up, killed a chicken, plucked it, and boiled chicken soup.

This treatment is second to none.

There's a bit of love-me-love-my-dog, but not much.

Actually, there's probably some brotherly feeling in there.

Otherwise, if it were someone else, he wouldn't personally kill the chicken and boil the soup.

"Manman, thank you and brother-in-law; otherwise I'd have to go home to make something for your brother to eat......"

"We're all family, sister-in-law, don't say thanks—you're being too formal."

"Mm, brother-in-law's cooking is good, the chicken soup is great, but don't listen to your brother—making brother-in-law the chef and still ordering dishes, he'll love it to death."

"It's fine, sister-in-law; brother is currently a patient, we'll accommodate him more, and once he's healed we'll properly educate him!"

The aunt and sister-in-law were plotting loudly; Lu Xiu Bai sat on the hospital bed, happily scooping chicken soup with a spoon in one hand, not at all afraid.

"What's there to be afraid of?"

At worst, I'll help brother-in-law chop firewood, or use his allowance to trade a few more chickens with the old folks; if not, I'll just spar with him as a punching bag.