Seeing Xiao Sun's red eyes and forced smile, everyone at the table fell silent.

They never imagined that this slick young Sun would have such a miserable life.

After a long silence, Li Xiangdong broke the silence, "What's wrong with your nephew's heart?"

Xiao Sun's raised eyebrows drooped again, his voice full of frustration, "Congenital heart disease."

Zhou Hongsong sniffed hard, and said in a muffled voice, "You better not be lying to us this time!"

Xiao Sun gave a wry smile, "How could I dare!"

"After we finish eating, please take us to your house!"

"Um."

While they were chatting, Wu Jianjun and Zhou Hongmei were greeted by Jin Deji.

After a hearty meal, Jin Deji stroked his increasingly smooth white beard and said with a smile, "Xiangdong, why don't you stay in Yanjing for a few more days?"

The main reason is that as soon as this Sudhana (a Buddhist monk) arrives, they get to enjoy a feast.

Zhou Hongmei whispered, revealing his secret: "Old Master Jin thinks that with Xiang Dong coming, the family can eat good food every day."

Jin Deji pretended to be angry and said angrily, "You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Zhou Hongmei wasn't afraid of him and even made a face at him.

Zhou Hongsong saw this and his leopard-like eyes quietly reddened.

My little sister has finally returned to her lively and adorable self.

All the past hardships have faded away like smoke and dust, disappearing into the world.

————

The Sun family lived in a cluster of low-rise bungalows in Xuanwu District. After turning left from the main road into a narrow, winding path about one and a half meters wide, and passing several spittoons, pickling jars, and broken bricks and tiles, they finally arrived at a crooked, dark door.

Pushing open the narrow, dark door, there was a small courtyard with a large sycamore tree that was as thick as two people could hug. Inside were two small, crooked houses, looking as if they could collapse at any moment.

Xiao Sun quietly pushed open the door, and a musty smell hit him in the face.

The room was poorly lit, and Li Xiangdong couldn't see the people inside clearly at first. It took his eyes quite a while to adjust to the light.

An elderly woman with gray hair was sitting cross-legged on the bed, with a little boy sleeping peacefully beside her.

Little Sun tiptoed over, first bending down to look at the child, then handing the duck oil bun she was holding to the old lady, "Grandma, these are hot duck oil buns from Quanjude, eat them quickly!"

"You're back! Why are you here so early today... Wait, who are these people?"

The old lady noticed Li Xiangdong and his group at the door and quickly asked her grandson. Judging from her expression, she seemed a little anxious.

Xiao Sun quickly reassured her, "Grandma, these are friends I just met. They said they'd like to come over and get acquainted with our house after we finish eating."

The old lady was still a little suspicious, gripping her young grandson's hand tightly with her withered, thin hands. "Zhihe, you haven't gotten into any trouble with the wrong people, have you? I'm too old for that, and I don't need treatment anymore. Please, don't do anything illegal or criminal for my sake..."

The old lady held onto her grandson tightly, chattering incessantly, which woke up the sleeping child next to her.

The child was whimpering and making noises; judging from his voice, he wasn't as robust as an average child.

Li Xiangdong sighed, walked in, bent down and greeted the old lady, "Hello, Grandma Sun! I'm Xiao Sun's friend, I've come to visit today. I came in a hurry and didn't bring you any snacks, I'm so sorry."

The old lady chatted with Li Xiangdong for a couple more minutes and finally believed her grandson's words.

After calming his nephew down, Xiao Sun took a hot duck oil bun out of his bag and handed it to him.

Watching the old man and the young girl snuggling together, taking small bites of duck oil buns, Li Xiangdong's eyes welled up with tears.

Once outside the house, he leaned against a large sycamore tree in the yard, exchanging a silent glance with Zhou Hongsong.

Xiao Sun walked over, smiling, and said, "My grandma always said that Quanjude's duck oil buns are the most authentic in all of Beijing. Today I finally got to eat them."

Li Xiangdong glanced into the room and said, "I see your nephew's lips are turning blue. Shouldn't he be hospitalized as soon as possible?"

Xiao Sun remained silent for a long time, then squatted down, holding his head, and said, "All the money I earned before was taken away by his bastard father. I have no savings at all. How am I going to take him to the hospital?"

Zhou Hongsong asked curiously, "By your brother-in-law?"

"Hmm~"

"That's strange. I thought your brother-in-law was dead too! How come his father is alive and well, and he needs you, his uncle, to support his nephew?"

Xiao Sun kept his head down and said in a muffled voice, "That bastard doesn't deserve to be my brother-in-law! My sister was forced to marry him because of me... If I hadn't raised my nephew, Fulai definitely wouldn't have survived long in that bastard's hands."

"So, that bastard is using this opportunity to blackmail you, right? If you don't give him money, he's threatening to take your nephew away?"

“Yes. I consulted the neighborhood committee and the court, and they all said that the bastard is Fu Lai’s biological father, and I have no chance of winning the custody battle against him.”

......

"Well then, since we've met, it must be fate. I'll pay for your nephew to get to the hospital first. We can take care of the rest later."

"W-what...going to the hospital? You'll pay? Did I hear that right...?"

Xiao Sun looked up and asked incredulously.

Why does he feel like he's dreaming?

Zhou Hongsong pulled Xiao Sun up, "Alright, we brothers are doing a good deed every day. You're lucky to have been chosen today. Stop standing there, hurry up and go inside to get ready!"

In a daze, Xiao Sun took Xiao Fulai and followed Li Xiangdong to the best hospital for treating heart disease in Yanjing City.

Register, pay for examinations, and check into the hospital...

It wasn't until Xiao Fulai put on his hospital gown and lay down on the hospital bed that Xiao Sun realized what was happening. He immediately knelt down before Li Xiangdong and Zhou Hongsong with a "thud".

And with lightning speed, he kowtowed three times.

Li Xiangdong quickly helped him up; a bruise had appeared on Xiao Sun Guangliang's forehead.

"A man's knees are worth gold, why are you kneeling for no reason!"

Xiao Sun choked up, "You are Xiao Fulai's second parents, it is only right that I kneel before you."

After Xiao Fulai's physical examination, the doctor informed the family that surgery was necessary immediately. Xiao Fulai had a left ventricular septal defect, and if surgery was not performed soon, the child's life would be in danger at any time.

Xiao Sun was moved to tears and immediately begged the doctor to save Xiao Fu.

After paying the money, Li Xiangdong accompanied Xiao Sun, busying himself with various preparations for the surgery.

Li Xiangdong had been busy for three or four days and hadn't had much rest during that time, but finally there was some good news.

Xiao Fu's surgery was a success!

Depending on how things develop, if the recovery goes well, the condition can be controlled with medication, and Xiaofulai can live like a normal person again.

Of course, running and jumping should still be avoided.

Li Xiangdong's eyes were swollen from exhaustion, like a panda's. Only after seeing Xiao Fulai wake up did he prepare to go home to rest.