Recognizing the newcomers, Huo Tingtao instantly turned ashen-faced.
Dong Lihua, on the other hand, wore an expression of shock and disbelief.
She immediately recognized one of them—the thinner man—as her brother-in-law, Yang Zhiqiang.
"Zhiqiang, what happened to you? Who did this to you...?"
"Big brother, sister-in-law, what’s going on? Why have you handcuffed Zhiqiang? What did he do?"
Dong Lihua had barely finished her frantic questioning when her gaze suddenly locked onto the middle-aged woman standing nearby.
Why did she look so familiar?
Before she could place the woman’s identity, however, the other woman hesitantly called out to her, "Lihua, it’s me—Cuifen. Tian Cuifen."
"Sister Tian?"
"Yes, it’s me, it’s really me."
"It really is you! I knew you looked familiar just now."
Dong Lihua immediately rushed forward excitedly and grasped the woman’s hands.
Her reaction wasn’t unwarranted. Years ago, when she had given birth to her first child, the baby had come in the middle of the night—and it was a breech birth.
If not for Sister Tian’s help in delivering the child, she might have long since returned to the underworld.
Sister Tian hadn’t just saved her life. Back then, Dong Lihua’s body had been so weak, her milk supply insufficient to feed both Tingtao and her own child.
Sister Tian, also a mother, couldn’t bear to hear the two babies wailing from hunger.
Since her own child hadn’t yet been weaned, she took both infants in and nursed them for a while.
Only after Dong Lihua had recovered and her milk supply increased did she take her child back.
"Sister Tian, where do you live now? It must have been over twenty years since we last saw each other, right?"
"Closer to twenty-five or twenty-six years. After you moved away, my husband and I returned to our hometown in Lu Province."
So that was how it was.
Dong Lihua patted her hand warmly. "Since you’re here in Capital City this time, stay a few extra days. Once things settle down, I’ll take you to Lang City for a visit..."
Hearing this, Yang Zhiqiang couldn’t hold back any longer.
"Sister-in-law, can you two stop chatting?"
Sometimes, he really felt like his sister-in-law had a screw loose.
Was this really the time for small talk? Couldn’t she see he was hanging on by a thread?
"Sister-in-law, you’ve got to help me! This really isn’t my fault..."
Yang Zhiqiang’s interruption finally snapped Dong Lihua out of her daze.
She glanced at Sister Tian, who seemed hesitant to speak, then at Yang Zhiqiang’s bruised and battered face.
Suddenly, a flurry of strange thoughts flooded her mind.
For some reason, her thoughts drifted to the children.
Dong Lihua was startled by the idea, and panic set in.
"Big brother, sister-in-law, what on earth is going on here?"
"We’ll discuss your matters later."
Mother Huo didn’t offer any further explanation. Instead, she turned to Doctor Li.
"Mom—"
Huo Tingtao was truly remorseful now. He wanted to beg his mother for leniency.
But Mother Huo only gave him a cold glance before looking away.
"Doctor Li, I appreciate your help in this matter."
"You’re too kind. If anything, I’m the one to blame."
As she spoke, Doctor Li retrieved several documents from her bag and handed them to Mother Huo.
"These are Comrade Su’s prenatal reports from her entire pregnancy. Frankly, her condition wasn’t stable—you should already know that."
"During her check-ups, I had already warned her."
"In cases like hers, intercourse between spouses is absolutely forbidden!"
"The following pages are the preliminary examination reports from the day of the surgery. These are the original copies."
Mother Huo skimmed through them. The reports, in black and white, clearly stated that the primary cause of Su Shanshan’s premature labor was excessive marital activity.
As for why there was an additional medical report, Doctor Li explained in front of everyone.
She pointed at Huo Tingtao.
"A few days ago, this gentleman came to me. He said his wife was terrified of their family finding out."
"She wasn’t eating or drinking at home and was even threatening divorce."
At the time, Huo Tingtao had been in tears, and Doctor Li, moved by his distress, had agreed.
After all, the child was already lost. If the marriage ended over this, it would be unnecessary.
Doctor Li continued, "I believed Comrade Huo’s one-sided account and didn’t specify the cause of the premature birth in the report."
"For that, I owe you all a sincere apology!"
"Additionally, when I return to work on Monday, I’ll report this incident to the military hospital."
Whatever punishment followed would be deserved.
The moment Doctor Li finished speaking, Su Shanshan stood up in agitation.
"No! You can’t report this!"
If the military hospital were informed, they would issue a public reprimand.
Though she was only a surgical nurse, the military hospital was a small place.
Once the news spread, promotions, housing allocations, and even merit recognitions would all be out of reach!
"Doctor Li, if neither of us says anything, no one will ever know."
"Please, I’m begging you—don’t report it!"
But no matter how desperately Su Shanshan pleaded, Doctor Li remained firm.
After clarifying everything, she took her leave.
Mother Huo escorted her to the door.
When she returned to the living room, she walked straight to Huo Tingtao.
Huo Tingtao dropped to his knees with a thud.
"Mom, I’m sorry. I know I was wrong."
"I was just terrified. I was afraid you and Dad would be angry—afraid you’d be disappointed in me."
"Mom, I truly regret it. Please forgive me this once."
Forgive him?
How could a heartless wretch like him even ask for forgiveness?
Slap!
Without a word, Mother Huo raised her hand and struck him twice—hard.
The sudden blows not only stunned Huo Tingtao but also made the second Huo brother, standing closest, gulp nervously.
"What are you thinking?"
Yang Meina, seeing her husband scratch his head, immediately stepped in front of him.
"Don’t even think about interfering."
Honestly, even she, as an outsider, felt indignant on behalf of the third branch.
What kind of people were these? They couldn’t control themselves, lost the child because of it, and then pinned the blame on someone else.
This wasn’t just shameless—it was downright immoral!
Guan Xue shared the sentiment. She turned to her own husband with a warning.
"That goes for you too. Stay out of it."
Before, she had merely kept her distance from the eldest branch.
But after this, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to call them "big brother" or "sister-in-law" anymore.
Since even they weren’t intervening, Jiang Si, the one most affected, certainly wouldn’t play the saint.
"Here, have some tea—"
Just as the cups were being passed around, Mother Huo’s sharp reprimands erupted.
