Without hesitation, Qiu Mang quickly found a kind-looking aunt and asked her to look after Qiu Li that night. She then packed up and prepared to go home for a good night's rest and to recharge.

As Qiu Mang passed by the clinic downstairs, a suppressed plea reached his ears.

She looked up and saw an old man hunched over, pleading with the attending physician. His trembling voice and helpless posture were heartbreaking.

Qiu Mang felt that the old man's figure looked strangely familiar, so he walked over.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that the elderly man in front of her was the same old man who had warmly invited her to join him as a roommate when she first came to the hospital to register.

The old man must have heard footsteps, because he turned around and was slightly taken aback when he saw Qiu Mang standing in the corridor.

Qiu Mang quickly walked a few steps to the old man and asked softly, "Grandpa, what's wrong? What happened?"

The old man sighed heavily, "Oh, young lady, my heart aches for my precious grandson! We've waited so long here for his surgery, and now it's finally his turn, but who could have imagined..."

At this point, the old man, filled with remorse, slowly lowered his head, his voice growing increasingly somber: "It's all my fault, this useless old man. I used to hope for a chance to have surgery, but now that the opportunity has come, we can't afford the fees. Watching my child grow thinner day by day, his little face losing all color, my heart aches like it's being stabbed!"

I'd rather it be my old bones that are sick. My body is already halfway to the grave; if I die, so be it. But my grandson is only a year old. He has a long life ahead of him, and I just can't bear to watch him go like this..."

The old man became more and more agitated as he spoke, and his voice choked up. In the end, his slightly trembling hand grabbed Qiu Mang's arm, his eyes filled with despair and helplessness. Then, turbid tears welled up in his eyes and slowly slid down his wrinkled cheeks.

The image of that frail, pitiful child flashed through Qiu Mang's mind instantly. The thought of a vibrant little life about to perish because of lack of money for medical treatment made her heart clench.

"Grandpa, how much money do we still need?" Qiu Mang composed himself and asked.

Upon hearing this, the old man seemed to see a ray of light in the darkness; his dim eyes instantly lit up, and he looked at Qiu Mang with hope.

But in an instant, as if he remembered something, the light in his eyes dimmed again, and he waved his hand, saying with a wry smile, "Young lady, we are all in the same boat in this hospital. I know you have it tough too, and you still have to find ways to raise money for your child's treatment. As for my situation, I'll figure it out myself."

"Sir, I'm really sorry, but we're already using the most affordable medications available. If we keep pursuing the lowest prices, it will greatly affect the patient's recovery and increase the subsequent risks," the doctor beside him explained with a worried expression.

"I understand. I'll go back and think of another way. Thank you for your kindness!"

After the old man finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the doctor in front of Qiu Mang, his bent back seemingly bearing the heavy burden of life.

Qiu Mang dragged his exhausted body home. As soon as he reached the door, he ran into the renovation team across the street who were still busy with construction.

The foreman, wearing a white helmet, noticed Qiu Mang's tired expression and immediately understood, raising his hand to signal to his fellow workers behind him.

Seeing this, the workers quickly and efficiently packed up their tools and prepared to leave work, their movements swift and coordinated.

Qiu Mang looked at the scene before her, feeling both amused and exasperated. She gently waved to the foreman wearing a white helmet and gave him a grateful look.

Qiu Mang returned to her room, quickly washed up, and then, with warm water running down her head, mechanically dried herself and collapsed onto the bed.

She thought she could fall asleep quickly, but as soon as she closed her eyes, the image of the old man's helpless and desperate eyes involuntarily appeared in her mind, making it impossible for her to fall asleep.

The next day, before dawn, Qiu Mang forced herself to get out of bed and went to the hospital to visit Qiu Li.

Although she went home and slept, she didn't sleep well that night and her mental state wasn't very good.

"Sister, what's wrong?" Qiu Li had finished breakfast and was sitting on the hospital bed, blinking her big, bright eyes at her.

Qiu Mang sat down beside the bed, gently stroked Qiu Li's soft face, and asked softly, "Li, do you remember the day we registered?"

Qiu Li nodded obediently and replied in a clear voice, "I remember, sister, what's wrong?"

Qiu Mang gazed out the window, her voice tinged with melancholy: "That day, we met an old man who brought his grandson to see a doctor, but unfortunately..."

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but my throat felt like it was blocked by something, and I felt a deep bitterness in my heart, so I couldn't say anything more.

"Sister, are you talking about that little potato?" Qiu Li asked hurriedly, as if she had suddenly remembered something.

"Little Potato?" Qiu Mang looked puzzled; she really didn't know the little boy's name before.

Just then, the kind-hearted woman in the next bed came over and, having overheard their conversation, interjected, "Young lady, I don't know if it's the person you're talking about, but last night, after you left, a Dr. Zhao started a crowdfunding campaign. He said there's a one-year-old boy nicknamed Little Potato whose family can't afford medical treatment, so they're appealing to everyone to raise money."

Qiu Mang thought about it carefully. There was indeed a doctor present in the clinic last night. Could it be this Dr. Zhao?

"Sister, is that Dr. Zhao in his thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and quite tall?"

The older sister nodded and said confidently, "That's right! It's him!"

"Then it seems we're talking about the same person. By the way, big sister, how's their fundraising going?" Qiu Mang asked impatiently.

The older woman shook her head helplessly, sighed, and said, "Young lady, everyone who stays in the ward has spent a lot of their savings on treatment. We are all ordinary people, and we are all short of money ourselves. Where would we get extra money to donate to others?"

Besides the patients, the only people who could help were the doctors and nurses, but they were on the night shift last night, so there weren't many people there. I don't know how much money they've raised yet.

As the two were talking, a sharp woman's voice suddenly came from outside the window.

"Raise money? Raise money for what? What is Dr. Zhao up to? There are plenty of people in the hospital who can't afford treatment. If someone says a few pitiful words to him, he'll run off to raise money for them. How can he possibly manage that?"

"Dr. Fang, please keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear you!"