Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Dislocation, Gratitude

At this point, Xu Jianguo and his mistress had already put their clothes back on, once again looking presentable and dignified.

“And who do you think you are? I haven’t even accused you of trespassing in my home, and you want to accuse me? What a joke! Officers, this is my house. Zhong Luoning is my lover. This is a private family matter—I’m sure you all have better things to do than meddle in other people’s domestic affairs, right?” Xu Jianguo said arrogantly.

He acted so cocky because he was now working for the Revolutionary Committee and had gotten used to abusing his power. So what if he was having an affair? Even the Red Guards couldn’t control him, let alone these police officers.

If it had just been a quarrel between husband and wife, the police really wouldn’t have had much authority—at most, they could give a verbal warning. As for affairs, that was considered a moral issue and fell under the Red Guards’ jurisdiction.

But judging from the situation at the scene, this was already a case of intentional injury and unlawful detention, which the police definitely had to handle.

“You’re Xu Jianguo, right? Your violence against your wife constitutes intentional injury and unlawful detention. Please come with us,” the officer said, handling the matter by the book.

“And what if I refuse?” Xu Jianguo retorted, stiffening his neck.

Xu’s mother threatened, “Officers, my son works for the Revolutionary Committee. You’d better think this through.”

But the police were acting according to the law and weren’t afraid of the Red Guards.

“Please come with us. Otherwise, we’ll have to use force,” one of the officers said, taking out a pair of handcuffs.

Xu Jianguo immediately lost his bravado and had no choice but to cooperate, though he was still confident that no one would dare do anything to him.

His mistress, seeing this, shrank back like a quail, terrified she’d be implicated as well. If she’d known, she never would have come back with him last night.

Luckily for her, the police ignored her completely.

Seeing this, Gu Qinghuan didn’t bother with that side of things anymore. There would be plenty of time to deal with them later. Right now, she needed to get the mother and daughter to the hospital as soon as possible. In these times, even a minor illness could be fatal.

Xu’s mother, panicked because her son had been taken away, hurried out to find someone to help. Her husband was away on a business trip, so she was on her own for now.

No one paid any attention to Zhong Luoning and Xu Youran, so Gu Qinghuan was able to take them away without interference.

Gu Qinghuan and He Qiang finally managed to get the mother and daughter onto the tricycle at the door.

He Qiang kept shaking his arm, looking uncomfortable.

He really hadn’t been lying to the police earlier—his arm was genuinely not right, though he couldn’t quite describe the feeling. It was limp and weak, and he couldn’t use any strength in it. When he’d helped carry Zhong Luoning, he’d only used his right arm; his left was completely useless now.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Qinghuan asked.

“I’m sorry, Comrade Gu. I don’t know what’s wrong with my arm, but it’s not feeling right. I might not be able to take you to the hospital. Let me call another driver for you.”

He Qiang called for another vehicle, and Gu Qinghuan simply had him call two, then locked his own tricycle nearby.

“Leave your tricycle here and come with us to the hospital for a check-up. I’m worried you hurt your arm when you were carrying the child. Don’t worry, I’ll cover all the expenses. If it’s nothing, that’s great—think of it as buying peace of mind. But if there’s really a problem, I’ll pay for all your medical costs.”

Gu Qinghuan’s words were reassuring in a way that put people at ease.

He Qiang had already lost a whole morning’s work, so he didn’t mind a little more time. He was the breadwinner of his family and was truly worried that if something happened to him, his family would lose their income.

He agreed to Gu Qinghuan’s suggestion and asked a colleague to send word to his younger brother at home to come and take the tricycle back. The tricycle was rented and their family’s livelihood depended on it—they couldn’t afford to lose it.

Gu Qinghuan took care of the unconscious Zhong Luoning, while He Qiang looked after little Youran. The four of them made their way to the hospital in Beijing.

After an emergency examination, Zhong Luoning was found to have fainted from a sudden high fever caused by chills and fright. The doctor put her on an IV drip.

Little Youran also had a low fever from catching a chill. The doctor prescribed medicine and told her to rest, but she refused and insisted on sticking to Gu Qinghuan.

Gu Qinghuan had no choice but to take her along. As they came out of the emergency room, they happened to run into Xu Huaian, who had just finished his own treatment and was about to leave, with Dabao and Beibei in tow.

Xu Huaian saw her red, swollen eyes and exhausted face, full of confusion and questions, but didn’t know where to start.

Gu Qinghuan waved him off. “Too much has happened—I don’t have time to explain. Please help me look after cousin Luoning for a bit. I need to check on He Qiang’s injury.”

Dabao and Beibei, seeing their mother holding another child’s hand, immediately eyed Youran warily, sizing her up.

Youran, feeling their searchlight-like stares, quickly shrank behind Gu Qinghuan’s legs.

“Dabao, Beibei, go with your dad for now. Mommy will be back soon,” Gu Qinghuan said, then took Youran to find He Qiang.

His injury had already been examined—the doctor said it was a dislocation.

No wonder he couldn’t use any strength.

A dislocation wasn’t a big deal. The orthopedist skillfully reset the joint on the spot. Afterwards, they needed to immobilize the joint with a splint to help the torn ligaments heal, which usually took about a month to fully recover.

He Qiang looked visibly anxious. If he couldn’t work for a month, his family—who were still supporting his younger siblings’ education—would have nothing to live on.

“Doctor, is it possible not to use the splint? I feel much better now,” He Qiang said with a hopeful smile.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but feel both amused and a little guilty. If it hadn’t been for saving Youran, his arm wouldn’t have been dislocated…

“Doctor, please put the splint on him. I’ll go pay right away,” Gu Qinghuan said, giving He Qiang another reassurance.

“Don’t worry about the splint. Just focus on recovering. Otherwise, you could end up with a permanent injury. I’ll pay you double your lost wages for the month, plus nutrition and treatment costs. Don’t worry about a thing.”

He Qiang wanted to refuse, but couldn’t bring himself to say it. He couldn’t afford to lose his income—his whole family depended on him.

“Jie (big sister), I really can’t accept this…”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. When you saved someone, I didn’t stand on ceremony with you, so don’t be polite with me now,” Gu Qinghuan said, heading off to pay the bill.

He Qiang felt a warmth in his heart.

When Gu Qinghuan came back, the doctor had already quickly put the splint on him.

“In the next few days, don’t get the area wet, avoid overexertion, no heavy lifting, and don’t force the arm. Come back in a month to have the splint removed,” the doctor instructed.

After the instructions, Gu Qinghuan walked He Qiang to the hospital entrance.

“Thank you so much for today. You’ve been a huge help,” she said.

After expressing her gratitude, Gu Qinghuan squatted down and said to Youran, “Youran, this uncle saved you and helped us a lot. We should thank him. Why don’t you give him a bow?”

She could tell that Youran might have some developmental issues. She was already five, but didn’t know how to express herself, rarely spoke, and was very timid. Since they’d met, she’d only called for her mother and hadn’t said another word.

So Gu Qinghuan didn’t force her to speak, just asked her to bow.

Youran wasn’t stupid—she understood what a bow meant and knew He Qiang had saved her life. She obediently bent at the waist and gave He Qiang a deep bow.

He Qiang gently helped her up with his good hand. “No need to thank me. Just grow up well!”

This child was quite pitiful.

Gu Qinghuan took out a wad of cash from her pocket (from her space), counted out 125 yuan, and handed it to him.

“This is what I promised you—125 yuan in total. 100 yuan is double your lost wages for the month you can’t drive. I hope it’s enough. 20 yuan is for your nutrition—buy yourself something good to eat while you recover. The last 5 yuan is for today’s lost wages. Please count it.”

He Qiang waved his hand and stepped back. “Jie, that’s too much. After deducting the tricycle rental, I’m lucky to clear 30 yuan a month. 100 yuan is way too much—just give me 50. Honestly, I’m already getting the better end of the deal. As for the nutrition money, forget it. I’m a rough guy, I’ll be fine after a few days. And don’t worry about today’s lost wages—it’s already included in the 50.”

“No way. I always keep my promises, so you have to take it. The extra money is my way of thanking you. Today, you didn’t just save Youran—you saved my poor cousin too. I can’t even imagine what would’ve happened if the child hadn’t made it. My cousin probably wouldn’t have survived either. Their lives are worth far more than this money. What I can do is limited—I just hope you don’t mind. Anyway, you called me ‘jie’—from now on, we’re like siblings. If you ever run into trouble, you can always come to me. If I can help, I won’t refuse,” Gu Qinghuan said, stuffing the money into his hands and making a solemn promise.

She was truly grateful to He Qiang, and genuinely admired people who worked hard to live an honest life. Though he was street-smart, he was kind and had a strong sense of justice.

As the old saying goes, “The righteous are often found among the butchers, while the heartless are the scholars.” It fit He Qiang and Xu Jianguo perfectly.

He Qiang couldn’t read a word, yet didn’t hesitate to risk himself to save others. Xu Jianguo, educated and supposedly well-mannered, could be so cruel to his own wife and daughter—worse than an animal.

Gu Qinghuan was willing to be friends with He Qiang because she admired his character.

Hearing Gu Qinghuan’s earnest promise, He Qiang’s eyes reddened slightly.

Was someone like him really worthy of being her sworn brother? He always put on a cheerful, sunny face for work—after all, you had to be friendly to get customers—but deep down, he was very self-conscious, especially around “important people” like her. He felt as insignificant as dust on the ground, unable to stir up even the slightest breeze.

But Gu Qinghuan treated him as an equal. For the first time in his life, he felt respected, and all his hard work and perseverance seemed worthwhile.

He remembered what his grandfather used to say: “Live with a clear conscience, and you’ll make something of yourself.” Now, he finally understood a little.

If Gu Qinghuan knew what he was thinking, she’d probably laugh. How could she be considered an “important person”? She was just an ordinary person among millions.

“Jie, I’m fine. This is really too much money—I can’t accept it,” he said, his voice choked with emotion.

Gu Qinghuan found it funny. Wasn’t this guy usually so cheerful? Why was he acting like a quail now?

“Don’t be so sentimental. Your jie isn’t short on money. Take it, go home and rest, and remember to follow the doctor’s orders. You’re still young—an arm injury could affect you for life.”

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but laugh at herself after saying that. So this was what it felt like to be “Versailles” (humblebrag). She remembered how Ming Ruxue had said she wasn’t short on money—now she finally got to use that line herself.

In the end, He Qiang didn’t refuse anymore, but he made up his mind to work even harder in the future, to become a better person worthy of Gu Qinghuan’s appreciation."