The surgery on Old Mrs. Wang was a success. Barring any complications, she would pull through.

For Lin Xiaoxiao, it had been a false alarm—the bleeding was caused by overexertion, and the baby was fine. Still, after hours in surgery, she was completely drained. Lying on the hospital bed, she didn't have the energy to speak.

Zhou Xiaoling was beside herself with guilt, crying uncontrollably. "It's all my fault, sis. I'm so sorry."

Lin Xiaoxiao didn't feel like talking, but seeing Xiaoling's tear-streaked face, she spoke weakly, "Stop crying. The doctor said I'm fine, and the baby's fine. Can you make me some powdered milk? I'm really hungry."

Xiaoling hurried off to buy milk powder, returning to mix a strong, full bowl.

After drinking it, Lin Xiaoxiao felt a little more like herself. She looked at Xiaoling's red-rimmed eyes. "Really, it's okay. I just need to rest at home for a few days. Bleeding can be a sign of threatened miscarriage, but with care, it'll be fine."

"Besides, if I miscarry this early, it might mean the embryo wasn't developing properly. It's nature's way of selecting the strongest."

Xiaoling wouldn't hear it. "If anything happens to the baby, I'll never be able to face you or my brother. And I didn't push Mrs. Wang—she fell trying to get away from me."

"I know," Lin Xiaoxiao said. "But she already had underlying health issues. High blood pressure makes a brain hemorrhage more likely."

Xiaoling grumbled a few complaints about the old woman, then looked curiously at Lin Xiaoxiao. "Sis... were you the expert from Beijing who operated on my mother?"

Lin Xiaoxiao hadn't expected her to connect the dots so quickly. "No, that surgery was very complex. I couldn't have done that."

Xiaoling wasn't entirely convinced. "But you're still amazing. You operated on someone's brain." It sounded incredibly advanced—far beyond what someone who'd only trained for three months should know.

Lin Xiaoxiao brushed it off. "I picked up a few things before. This time, I had no choice but to try."

She changed the subject. "I'm still hungry. When does the cafeteria open? Can you get me something to eat? If you don't feed me soon, you'll be starving your nephew."

Xiaoling smacked her forehead. "I'll get you a patient meal. Wait here!"

She dashed out and returned half an hour later with a small pot full of noodle soup in meat broth. "There wasn't any meat left, but I had them add four poached eggs."

Lin Xiaoxiao almost laughed. "I'm not a pig. How could I eat all this?"

Yet she ended up finishing most of it, including all four eggs. She could hardly believe it herself. "I ate so much... It's like my stomach is a bottomless pit."

Xiaoling wasn't surprised. "I've seen pregnant women eat three full bowls of noodles—the big kind, too."

Lin Xiaoxiao figured people nowadays simply didn't get enough rich food, so they ate more. Many rural women did heavy labor, raised children, and still had huge appetites.

The thought made her miss home—her mother's soups with sea cucumber and matsutake, all the nourishing meals that kept her healthy and soft-skinned.

She sighed, holding the empty pot. She was homesick.

Xiaoling didn't mind finishing what was left, using Lin Xiaoxiao's chopsticks to eat the remaining noodles and broth.

Once they both felt human again, Xiaoling sat by the bed. "Will that Mrs. Wang really be okay?"

"She should be," Lin Xiaoxiao said. "But a brain hemorrhage can leave side effects—slurred speech, poor coordination." Mild cases could recover fully; severe ones took much longer.

Xiaoling felt no sympathy. "Serves her right. Stealing eggs and acting innocent."

Lin Xiaoxiao was more concerned that Zhang Yimei might cause trouble. The surgery and medical fees were steep, and Zhang Yimei wasn't known for being reasonable.

She was right.

When Zhang Yimei saw the bill her husband Wang Wenju brought home—over 280 yuan—she immediately objected. "Why so much? And why should we pay? Mom was hurt in Lin Xiaoxiao's yard, and Zhou Xiaoling was there. I heard them arguing. Who knows if Xiaoling pushed her?"

Wang Wenju was also shocked by the cost—his family didn't have that kind of money. But he frowned at his wife's words. "What was Mom doing at their place? The team leader's away. Was she making trouble?" He knew his mother's habits all too well.

Zhang Yimei knew the old woman had likely been caught stealing eggs, but she would never admit it. How else could she pressure Lin Xiaoxiao to pay? "I'm not sure. Sometimes they forget to turn off their water. Maybe Mom was helping and Xiaoling misunderstood? Whatever happened, she shouldn't have pushed her!"

Wang Wenju didn't believe her. He'd also heard Lin Xiaoxiao had performed the surgery. He didn't know how she'd gained such skill, but she had saved his mother's life. He wouldn't repay her with ingratitude.

Folding the bill, he said firmly, "Drop it. Gather what money we have. I'll borrow the rest. And don't—I mean it—don't go bothering Sister Lin."

Zhang Yimei agreed on the surface, but once he left to borrow money, she grabbed her child and headed to Lin Xiaoxiao's hospital room.

She entered without knocking, walked straight to the bed, and put on a pitiful expression. "Sis, I know I shouldn't come to you like this. You saved my mother-in-law, and I'm grateful. But I have no choice—we can't afford nearly 300 yuan. Don't you think you should cover at least half?"

Lin Xiaoxiao almost laughed. So this was about money—just as she'd expected.

She fixed Zhang Yimei with a cold look. "Why was your mother in my yard? What was she doing there—do you really not know?"

Zhang Yimei opened her mouth to protest, but Lin Xiaoxiao cut her off. "Leave now, if you have any shame left. If you force me to say what really happened, trust me—you'll be the one who ends up embarrassed."