What should have been a moving reunion was tragically interrupted. However, Ah Li had no idea they had stumbled into a tense situation where the two newcomers were being harassed by a group of people. The cry, “You’re finally back!” immediately sparked a wave of indignation among the crowd: “So, they deserted their posts!” “Make them clean up the mess, acting like they own the place.” “Let’s go report them; find the director!”

Everyone cursed Xiao Shu and Xiao Yu in a clamor, leaving Ah Li utterly bewildered, holding her basin frozen for a long moment.

It was Xiao Shu who proved sharpest. She quickly stripped off the orderly’s cap, set down the bucket, and pulled out the compressed biscuits Old He had given her from her pocket. Distributing them to the agitated crowd, she quickly explained, “Everyone, there’s been a misunderstanding! We dressed up as orderlies because we were afraid of being robbed. Please take these little tokens to calm your nerves! I’ll sweep up the mess on the floor shortly; right now, just let us check on our friend’s condition.”

“Oh, is that so,” Ah Li finally grasped the gravity of the previous confrontation. She set down her washbasin and cheerfully addressed the group, “I apologize, everyone. These two are my elder brothers. Brother Xiao Shu, Brother Xiao Yu, why don’t you check on Auntie first? I’ll handle the cleaning.”

Seeing the hygiene issue resolved and being offered food, the crowd quieted down. The woman with the triangular eyes stopped complaining instantly; she was transformed, smiling ingratiatingly at the two young men. “A misunderstanding, truly a misunderstanding! Where did you two come from? Biscuits are hard to come by now; my daughter hasn’t eaten her fill in two days.”

Seeing the greed flicker in her eyes, Xiao Shu was reminded of the old woman scavenging for golden bowls on Jinqi Street. She managed a thin, awkward smile and turned both pockets of her uniform inside out to show her the empty lining. “I’ve saved these for ages and hated to eat them myself. But the patient certainly needs the nourishment more than young people like us.” “Yes, yes, absolutely!” The woman with the triangular eyes felt a twinge of awkwardness and retreated sulkily to her spot, tending to her injured daughter.

Ah Li remained as sweet and sensible as ever. She set down her basin and reached for the bucket and mop Xiao Yu was holding to clean up the pile of filth, but Xiao Shu intercepted her with a swift movement. “Let me! Let me do it! Xiao Yu’s bucket is new; use mine instead,” she said, all while giving Ah Li a conspiratorial wink. Ah Li didn’t understand the meaning for a long moment, until Xiao Hei quietly poked a small head out of the bucket, prompting her to gasp in astonishment, “Ah!”

That gasp drew countless eyes once more. Even though they had just benefited from Xiao Shu’s generosity, the looks were still sharp and wary, closely guarding against these two strangely behaving outsiders.

Xiao Shu consciously went to the washroom to fetch a dustpan and broom, sweeping the floor first, then mopping the sickroom spotlessly with the new mop. Only then did the gazes directed toward them soften slightly. However, the assessment of Xiao Yu, sitting by Hua Gu’s bedside and weeping silently, was not nearly as favorable.

The woman with the triangular eyes beckoned to an older woman caring for her husband with a broken leg. The older woman understood immediately, rose, and slipped out of the room; the triangular-eyed woman followed right after. Outside the door, they lowered their voices and whispered to each other. “You think those two are suspicious, right?” “Very suspicious. They disguised themselves as orderlies the moment they walked in. They might be wanted criminals or something.” “The world is chaotic lately. Do you think we should call the police?” “Yes, call them. If we wait until they figure things out and turn on us, we won’t even have a chance to fight back.”