Another figure emerged from the darkness.

“Well done. Would you prefer to do it yourself, or should I?”

The thug had already smashed Xia Changzheng’s right hand to a pulp with the large iron hammer and broken his left hand too. The right hand’s bones were completely shattered, the left slightly less damaged. Blood still stained the hammer!

He knew they wouldn’t let him go!

The thug was straightforward, closing his eyes: “You do it.”

He wasn’t ruthless enough to break his own hands.

Such a coward, not even matching Ke Yixiong’s men, letting Miss Xia down – she was right to dock his entire salary.

“Miss Xia says you performed well. You can keep your hands, but we hope you’ll help their food stall’s business regularly. You understand what I mean, right?”

The thug’s eyes snapped open.

They weren’t breaking his hands?

Why break four people’s hands but spare him?

The July evening was hot, and he was drenched in sweat from frantically smashing Xia Changzheng’s hands. As the wind blew, he felt cold. He was relieved to keep his hands – just harassing a food vendor? Even without Ge Jian’s hint, he would’ve targeted Xia Changzheng anyway. If not for Xia Changzheng, he and his brothers wouldn’t have crossed paths with that fearsome woman.

That fearsome woman had been clear – she was an exemplary student, and even if they reported her to the police, who would believe she ordered their hands broken? Report it? He and his brothers all had criminal records and avoided the police at all costs – only a madman would file a report!

When you can’t win through force or ruthlessness, what choice do you have but to accept defeat?

But this grudge against Xia Changzheng had to be settled!

Ge Jian wasn’t worried – his senior brother Li Dongliang should be on the train by now. Together, they weren’t afraid of any thugs seeking revenge!

Ge Jian disappeared back into the darkness. The thug lay panting for a while, then got up and kicked the unconscious Xia Changzheng before leaving with his hammer.

…

While Ge Jian handled matters, Xia Xiaolan endured her mother’s tears.

Liu Fen cried with worry – her daughter had gotten so badly hurt just getting an exam admission ticket. Never mind the exam – what about her hand?

“It’s nothing, look, I can move it. The doctor said it was just a sprain. I shouldn’t move it much, but it won’t affect the exam.”

Her wrist was in a cast, bandages wrapped around her elbow and knees.

Unable to change clothes easily, Liu Fen helped wash her with warm water, discovering bruises on Xia Xiaolan’s shoulders. Her thigh was also badly bruised – Xia Xiaolan claimed the bicycle had fallen on her. If that wasn’t enough, Xia Xiaolan said she’d take the exam in Hedong County, which made Liu Fen anxious.

“I’ll go with you!”

Though Liu Fen couldn’t do much, she wanted to shield her daughter from any trouble.

Xia Xiaolan meant to refuse but, seeing Liu Fen’s distress, nodded:

“You’ll be my exam companion then. Alright, let’s go. Though I’ll be staying in the school dormitory with other students – you can stay with me.”

Liu Fen’s preparations made it seem like Xia Xiaolan was heading to Beijing for the imperial examinations. She even started making flatbread, amusing Xia Xiaolan. Grandmother Yu stopped her: “Look at this weather – what if the bread spoils and gives her stomach trouble? Find a good state-run restaurant in Hedong, don’t be stingy!”

Liu Fen suddenly understood.

It wasn’t about being stingy – though money was tight after Liu Yong took all the shop’s dividends and savings to Pengcheng. But they’d never lowered their living standards. She was just rattled by Xia Xiaolan’s injury, feeling she’d failed as a mother. She kept thinking if she’d gone to get the admission ticket instead, Xiaolan wouldn’t be hurt!

As Liu Fen tried to do more, Grandmother Yu gave her a stern look:

“Just keep your Hedong County sister from bothering Xiaolan during the exam – that’s your job as a mother!”

Could a bicycle fall cause such injuries?

Liu Fen believed it, but Grandmother Yu had doubts.

She felt Xia Xiaolan had hit a streak of bad luck – running into the Liang family in Hedong County wouldn’t be surprising. Though the Liang family likely had their troubles now, Grandmother Yu was being cautious.

Liu Fen thought, that whoever dared interfere with her daughter’s college entrance exam, she’d fight them to the death to make their whole family suffer!

What sister? She’d disowned Liu Fang – as far as she was concerned, her parents only had two children: her and her elder brother.

…

Zhang Cui couldn’t sleep as Xia Changzheng didn’t return all night.

Her heart raced. The couple was used to scheming and manipulating from the shadows – directly hiring thugs for violence was new territory for Zhang Cui. If Xia Changzheng had returned safely, fine, but after a sleepless night, Zhang Cui kept imagining police breaking down their door to arrest her.

Could she be blamed?

It was all Liu Fen’s fault. If she hadn’t insisted on divorcing Xia Dajun, if the mother and daughter had stayed with the Xia family, Zhang Cui wouldn’t have pushed for separation. She could have kept them under control, married Xia Xiaolan off to some widower or bachelor who couldn’t find a wife.

But no, they wouldn’t be content as village women – had to study, take exams, wanted to step on her daughter Yu’s head, wanted university revenge… With broken hands, she couldn’t take the exam. Zhang Cui was nervous but didn’t regret it. Though Xia Changzheng handled it alone, they’d planned it together.

With Xia Changzheng missing, Zhang Cui couldn’t focus on business preparations.

By eight in the morning, as she considered searching for him, her sister-in-law Jiang Lianxiang rushed over anxiously:

“Elder Sister, Brother-in-law’s been taken to the hospital. Manfu went with the messenger. Come with me.”

Zhang Cui could barely walk. Jiang Lianxiang pulled her along: “I’ve got money, hurry!”

Though their marriage had deteriorated, they had two children together. Despite her usual coldness toward Xia Changzheng, Zhang Cui is worried now. He was just supposed to pay those people – how did he end up in the hospital overnight?

Zhang Cui’s limbs felt weak, worried both for Xia Changzheng and their scheme being exposed.

As they rushed to the hospital, Xia Changzheng was already in surgery. A street sweeper had found him, initially thinking it was a murder, but carefully checking, found him breathing and rushed him to the hospital. Briefly conscious upon arrival, Xia Changzheng gave his family’s information before passing out again.

With Zhang Cui not at her stall, they only found Zhang Manfu.

When Zhang Manfu reached the hospital, a doctor urgently explained to him as family:

“Both hands are injured, the right especially severe – bone and flesh completely mangled. He arrived too late, we can’t save the right hand, must amputate! Family needs to sign consent immediately!”

“Doctor, what’s amputation?”

“We must saw off the right hand – everything below the elbow can’t be saved! Don’t delay, sign quickly, we need to operate now!”

How could Zhang Manfu make such a decision? Sawing off someone’s hand – what about the future?