Chapter 33

"What should I do? The surgery will cost a lot of money..."

Wei Qian cried until Song Youran became furious and nearly lost his composure. If he lost his composure, no one would save Xie Dong.

He had to calm down, and let Wei Qian calm down too. He held his breath and tried to speak softly, "Don't panic for now. Listen to the doctor. Do whatever the doctor tells you to do. I'll find a way to pay for it. Okay?"

As long as I can survive...

Human life is above all else. Song Youran transferred all the money she had to Wei Qian, asking her to pay the hospital deposit first.

If it was for Xie Dong, he could give up the house on Xinhua Road. He had to save Xie Xueruo's son.

The real estate agent said: "It's an old neighborhood, it's hard to find buyers, you have to wait."

Song Youran asked how long to wait.

The agent said: "Maybe a few days, maybe a few months, it depends on the specific situation."

Xie Dong’s illness can be cured by waiting for a few days, but waiting for a few months is probably not the way to go. This approach is not feasible.

Song Youran looked through his phone address book to see if anyone was able and willing to lend him a large sum of money.

If it were in the past, he would have looked for Wen Chu first, but last time at the club...

Song Youran opened the chat software and saw Wen Chu's avatar, and chuckled twice.

Forget it, let’s not mention this person.

Yang Xu said, "If it's not enough, tell me again. Don't hesitate. This is just my pocket money. It's nothing."

He hung up the phone and looked at the person standing outside the car door: "Senior, is it okay what I said just now?"

Wen Chu reached into the car window and took the phone from Yang Xu. "Focus on practicing."

Yang Xu saw Wen Chu walk into the car repair shed at the back in the rearview mirror. Her long hair behind her waist swayed slightly, and she sighed deeply.

What is destined to be yours will eventually come to you, and what is not his will never be his.

He patted the steering wheel: "You are still the best."

Song Youran transferred the money to Wei Qian and told her that she could come to see her after she finished dealing with her affairs.

Song Youran wasn't a doctor, so she couldn't help Xie Dong. Rushing over was pointless. He needed to secure a job; after all, he'd be spending more money in the future.

Wei Qian said the surgery was still being scheduled and there was no need to rush.

At one moment she cried until she was out of breath, and at another moment she was calmer than Song Youran.

Yang Xu sent a message to Song Youran in the evening to ask how the child was doing.

Song Youran didn't want to talk about these annoying things with Yang Xu, but when he asked Yang Xu to borrow money, Yang Xu transferred the money without a second's delay. He not only owed Yang Xu money, but also owed Yang Xu a favor. How could he have the confidence to refuse?

This is what it means to be lenient with others.

Song Youran typed: The surgery is being scheduled.

Yang Xu: Don’t worry too much.

Song Youran: Thank you. I'll return the money to you as soon as possible.

Yang Xu: No need to return

Song Youran glared and was about to shoot, but luckily the message was quickly withdrawn and the dialog box showed that the other party was typing.

Yang Xu: Don’t worry.

Song Youran breathed a sigh of relief. This was pretty good.

The next day, Song Youran called Wei Qian, but she didn't answer.

It would be damned if you didn't answer the phone at this time.

Song Youran couldn't get through in the morning, so she called at noon; she couldn't get through at noon, so she called at night; she still couldn't get through at night - this was not a matter of being busy, but a real problem.

Song Youran didn't have time to wait for the interview results, so she rushed to the small town and found the hospital where Xie Dong was, but was told that there was no such little patient.

"Are you mistaken? Have you asked your family clearly? Is it really in our hospital?" The staff member asked Song Youran speechless.

Song Youran walked to the corner at the end of the corridor and squatted down, calling Wei Qian, but still no one answered.

In the past two years, Song Youran often sent things to Xie Dong, and Wei Qian's address was still saved in her favorites.

He didn't want to think about the possibility that emerged in his mind. If Wei Qian lied to him -

If Wei Qian lied to him, does it mean that Xie Dong is temporarily healthy?

He shouldn't have given Xie Dong to Wei Qian. A child isn't an object and can't be transferred at will. If he hadn't been lazy and only cared about his own comfort, he wouldn't have believed Wei Qian's lies.

Besides sending money, what else has he done these past few years? It seems like nothing. Wei Qian said Xie Dong didn't want to talk to him, so he stopped calling so often. Wei Qian said Xie Dong didn't want to see him, so he just thought he had raised an ungrateful person.

He knew best what kind of person Wei Qian was. How could he believe her one-sided words?

In fact, he didn't want to take on the responsibility of raising Xie Dong, so he wanted to escape as soon as he had the chance. He pushed all the faults onto others just to find a reasonable excuse for himself to escape...

Song Youran looked at the small building in front of her and frowned.

This place was different from what he had imagined. He actually sent Xie Xueruo's child to such a place.

The staircase was dark, the hallway was filled with garbage, and the steps looked like they were covered with glue. With every step he took, the black ground would bite into the soles of his shoes, dragging his legs and preventing him from moving forward.

Song Youran stood in front of the door, checked the house number, and confirmed that Wei Qian's family lived here.

He didn't want to make things too awkward, so he didn't start a fight right away. He just knocked on the door gently, but there was no sound from inside.

He called Wei Qian again, his ear pressed to the door.

An old lady came down the stairs and, noticing his strange behavior, asked warily, "Who are you looking for?"

Song Youran said, "I'm looking for Wei Qian."

The old lady didn't seem to relax: "Who are you to her?"

Who is he to Wei Qian?

He has nothing to do with Wei Qian.

Song Youran said, "The child Wei Qian brought with her is called Dongdong. I am his older brother."

The old lady looked Song Youran up and down. The young man had delicate features and was dressed neatly and cleanly. He didn't look like a gangster.

Song Youran remembered that there was a photo of Xie Dong as a child in her mobile phone, and quickly found it to show the old lady.

When Xie Dong was a child, he was chubby and cute. He grinned towards the camera with his eyes full of faith.

The old lady said, "There is someone in the room, knock again."

Song Youran knocked on the door, but it was quiet inside.

He asked, "Are you sure there's someone inside?"

The old lady asked Song Youran to step back and stood in front of the door. She knocked and called softly, "Xiaodong, it's Grandma Zhang. Open the door."

There was a rustling sound from inside the door, and with the sound of the door being unlocked, a small black shadow appeared behind the crack.

"Grandma Zhang?" The timid child's voice made Song Youran tremble uncontrollably.

Song Youran supported the door panel with her hands and pushed the door open little by little, inch by inch, without any doubt. Her blurry and thin figure gradually appeared in the dim light.

The only window was covered with heavy curtains.

"Dongdong."

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Xie Dong immediately ran into the house.

Song Youran found him under the bed in the room, "Dongdong, I'm your brother, I'm your brother."

The child hid under the bed, motionless.

Grandma Zhang stood at the door and said, "What a sin! They've tortured a perfectly healthy little kid like a nobody."

Song Youran's hands curled into fists on the floor. "What did they do?"

"They beat the child every day, especially that man. When he started beating people, the house was almost demolished... The child cried at first, but later he got so scared that he didn't even know why he was crying..."

Song Youran opened his mouth. A knife was slowly cutting open his chest. He couldn't hold on any longer and fell to the ground, reaching out to Xie Dong who was in the crack of the bed.

"Dongdong, come to your brother."

The bed was against the wall on two sides, one side was blocked by Song Youran, and the only exit was at the end of the bed.

Xie Dong turned around and crawled to the end of the bed, but Song Youran grabbed his thin ankle and dragged him out.

Xie Dong: “…”

He didn't cry or scream, and he stopped struggling after being held in Song Youran's arms.

There is no light in his eyes, and no light can shine into his eyes.

Song Youran wiped the dust off his face. He didn't move at all, and he no longer kicked and hit people or struggled vigorously like he did when he was a child.

He broke off his tail and lay quietly on the wall, blending into the dark night.

Xie Dong didn't have any weight on his body.

Song Youran's eyes were red as she held the child's face in her hands: "Dongdong, I'm your brother, look at me."

Xie Dong stared blankly and did not respond to his voice.

Song Youran didn't dare leave Xie Dong alone at Wei Qian's house, so he asked Grandma Zhang to take Xie Dong back and take care of him, and left money and phone number.

He wants to find Wei Qian.

After two days of searching, he finally found Wei Qian in an underground casino. She was overweight, with tangled hair and wrinkled clothes.

Every time the cards were opened, her eyes were filled with enthusiasm. Song Youran suspected that if no one stopped her, she would climb onto the gambling table and uncover the dealer's cards.

One is a gambler and the other is a drug addict. This couple is the perfect match.

Why is he so unlucky? None of the people he meets are normal.

"You Ran, I beg you, let me play one more time. I'm sure I can turn the tables this time."

Song Youran pulled her off the gambling table. She lay on the ground, her eyes filled with venom. "Song Youran, what grudge do I have against you? Why are you forcing me? You just can't stand seeing me get along well, so you have to go against me. This is my last chance, my last chance!"

The casino is protected by a big boss, so you can't make trouble whenever you want.

Song Youran said to the burly man who walked in from outside, "I'm not trying to cause trouble. I just want to say a few words to her. I'm not trying to stop her from gambling. I provided all the money for her gambling. Please be flexible and let me take her out for a chat. After that, it's up to her to decide whether to stay or go. If you're worried, there's a small alley nearby where we can talk."

Perhaps it was the wind outside that woke Wei Qian up.

She knelt on the ground and tugged at Song Youran's sleeve. "Youran, I have no choice. If I don't gamble, how can I afford to buy things for Lao Kong? He gets angry and throws and hits me. I'm afraid he'll hurt Dongdong."

Song Youran lowered her eyes and looked at her: "Is there a single word of truth in your mouth?"

"If I lie to you, I will be struck by lightning. I swear." Wei Qian raised her chubby face.

Song Youran found it extremely ridiculous.

He laughed, holding his stomach and doubled over with laughter, and met Wei Qian's cloudy and blurry eyes: "If you return Xie Dong's surgery fee to me, I will believe you."

Wei Qian glanced at the pile of cardboard in the corner, "...No more."

She said, “All gone…”

Song Youran slapped her.

This slap was ten years late. He should have slapped her hard when he first saw her.

He straightened up: "Don't appear in front of me again."

"Leisurely!"

Wei Qian grabbed Song Youran's trouser legs and crawled on the ground: "What are you doing? Are you going to take Dongdong away? Dongdong is my child, you can't take him away, I won't let you take him away!"

Song Youran looked at her coldly: "You can try."

"I raised him for ten years. What gives you the right? What gives you the right?" Wei Qian stood up. The crazy woman should not be underestimated. She pounced on Song Youran, and her sharp nails tore and scratched Song Youran's body.

The dark night conceals the ugliness of the world, lights up countless colorful lights, and creates a beautiful dream.

Song Youran looked at the hysterical Wei Qian calmly, "What do you want?"

Wei Qian was stunned, and the light in her eyes reappeared. She wiped away the sweaty hair stuck to her face.

"I, I raised him for ten years. Even if I didn't do anything for him, I worked hard. You give me some money, and from now on, I have nothing to do with him."

"Okay," Song Youran said, "I don't have that much money. Give me two days."

Wei Qian released Song Youran's collar, her eyes flickering as she asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

Song Youran's face darkened. "Are you going to lie to me again?"

"No, no, this time it's real. Everything I said is true."

Wei Qian helped Song Youran turn up her messed-up collar. "Youran, I'm sorry, your clothes look expensive."

"It's not very expensive, just a cheap item from a street stall."

Song Youran walked out of Wei Qian's reach and said, "I'm going to raise some money now. Do you want to come with me?"

Wei Qian quickly stopped and waved her hands: "Go ahead, I'll wait for your news."

She was not afraid that Song Youran would run away. As long as Xie Dong was in her hands, Song Youran would not be able to escape.

Song Youran took a taxi to Grandma Zhang's house and took Xie Dong with her. The two of them rushed to City A overnight.

Xie Dong's household registration was not in Song Youran's hands. In order to save trouble, he made a lot of stupid decisions back then.

The train entered the tunnel, and the dark window glass reflected two haggard faces: one in pain and regret, the other in fear and worry.

The matter went surprisingly smoothly. The client said that they were brothers, and since their parents were no longer around, the older adult brother could serve as the legal guardian.

The client refused Song Youran's big red envelope, saying that he was just following the procedure and the errand fee was enough.

Although he had solved a big problem, Song Youran's heart was not at peace. He didn't believe that his life had started to change for the better. He suspected that a bigger storm was quietly brewing somewhere unknown to him.

He may not be able to catch this huge storm, but he will try his best to catch it because he no longer has any reason to hide.

He repeatedly confirmed the authenticity of Xie Dong's household registration. He really couldn't believe that a matter that had been bothering him for at least a year or two could be resolved so easily.

It went so smoothly, it was unbelievable.

After resting for a few days on Xinhua Road, Song Youran received the news that she had passed the interview.

He remembered that he had not performed well in the interview.

He walked onto the terrace. The sky in the distance was azure blue with white clouds floating by.

Is he really going to get lucky?