Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Liang Shuanglan has woken up and is looking for Jiang Mingyue everywhere.
Seeing her daughter return with fruit, she breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took the apples from Jiang Mingyue. She peeled off the foam and headed to the bathroom, urging her as she washed them, "Why didn't you tell Mom you wanted apples? You've just recovered from your illness, don't catch a cold and feel uncomfortable again. I'll wash the apples, you go back to bed first."
As Jiang Mingyue watched Liang Shuanglan busy herself for her, she silently said "I'm sorry, Mom" to her while pulling out a fruit knife hidden in her sleeve and pressing it against her neck.
"Mom, I know everything."
"What do you know? -- Ah, Mingyue, what are you doing! Where did you get this knife? Put it down!" Liang Shuanglan turned around and saw her daughter's suicidal look. She was so frightened that she let go of the apple, which fell to the ground and rolled away.
She strode up to Jiang Mingyue, who shouted, "Don't come any closer!"
"Okay, okay, I won't come over. Mingyue, please don't be impulsive." Liang Shuanglan waved her hands anxiously. "Mingyue, tell your mother what you need. Don't risk your life!"
Being able to cry on cue is a basic skill for actors.
Jiang Mingyue stared intently at Liang Shuanglan, tears quickly welling up in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks.
She raised her voice: "You clearly have cancer, why did you hide it from me and not go for treatment? If the doctor hadn't found out and reminded me to persuade you not to give up, were you really planning to die behind my back?"
"...So that's what you knew about this." Liang Shuanglan immediately lowered her gaze guiltily, her voice becoming softer.
She paused for a moment, then said defiantly, "Yes, I'm not going to get treatment. You've just been admitted to university, and that's when you need money. I've been running around all these years searching for my biological daughter, and I haven't been able to take good enough care of you. This disease isn't something that can be cured with certainty; it's a bottomless pit. I don't want to waste money on myself anymore."
Jiang Mingyue pressed the knife even tighter against his neck: "If you refuse treatment, I'll die right in front of you! You don't need to spend money on me; you'll have the money for your treatment!"
Liang Shuanglan's face looked even worse.
She immediately changed her tune: "Mingyue, don't do anything foolish. Can't Mom go get treatment? Put the knife down."
"Go and get admitted to the hospital right now! Once you've agreed on the surgery time with the doctor and paid the bill, I'll trust you!" Jiang Mingyue shrewdly made her request.
Liang Shuanglan was at a loss: "Even if I'm not lying to you, the hospital can't just do these things."
It was indeed unreasonable for Jiang Mingyue to ask such a question, but if she didn't show her attitude now, Liang Shuanglan would still dare to fool her like she did in her previous life.
Noticing that Jiang Mingyue was distracted, Liang Shuanglan rushed forward and snatched the knife from Jiang Mingyue's hand.
Jiang Mingyue kept a close eye on her adoptive mother's movements and immediately stepped back.
Unable to seize the knife, Jiang Mingyue gave Liang Shuanglan no chance, immediately pressing down on the blade and slashing her neck.
A thin line of blood appeared on the girl's neck, and bright red blood beads flowed down her collarbone, soaking her hospital gown in an instant.
Jiang Mingyue cried and accused, "I knew it, you were just making excuses for me, you didn't really want to get better."
She kept shaking her head, extremely agitated: "I know I was switched at birth, but I've been your daughter since I was little. I don't want you to leave me money for school; I just want you to live. If you die, there's no point in me living. Mom, let's meet in the afterlife."
After she finished speaking, she grabbed the knife, raised both hands, and struck a pose as if she would perish with it.
"I'll heal you, I really will, I absolutely won't lie to you!" Liang Shuanglan was so frightened that she was too scared to move except to scream.
Jiang Mingyue opened the door and pointed to the stairwell, saying, "Go ahead and do what you promised me, and I'll put the knife down!"
The mother and daughter were shouting so loudly that the entire floor had heard them long ago.
The ward was crowded with onlookers. As soon as she opened the door, someone at the door advised her: "Good girl, you are too impulsive. You and your mother have such a good relationship. Don't threaten others with your life because of your treatment. Look, you are injured."
Jiang Mingyue shook her head, crying, "I have no other choice. My mother sold the house a long time ago to look for her biological daughter. She even used the remaining money to pay my tuition. I'm only in the middle stage of cancer, and I still have a chance to be cured. Why won't you get treatment? At worst, I can quit school and go out to earn money for your treatment."
Her jet-black hair fell from behind her to her front, and the girl covered her lips, choking back tears.
The skin on the back of her hand was snow-white, but her fingertips, like her eyelids and the tip of her nose, had a faint pink tinge. Crystal-clear tears fell one by one, hitting the ground, making one wonder if they were pearls rather than tears.
Her expression was clearly very tragic, but her crying did not show any sign of distress.
A dutiful daughter in dire need of rescue.
The onlookers couldn't help but feel a great deal of sympathy and pity.
Suddenly, an aunt stepped forward despite the danger and stuffed a wad of money into Jiang Mingyue's hand: "Good child, take this to treat your mother's illness. You mustn't act so recklessly again."
Jiang Mingyue looked up, then pulled her hand back like a startled rabbit: "Auntie, I didn't mean to ask you for money. I..."
The security guard, who had been hiding behind the crowd, seized the opportunity to snatch the knife from Jiang Mingyue's hand.
Money was scattered all over the ground.
Many people helped pick up the money, but when the money was put back at Jiang Mingyue's feet, the amount far exceeded the amount donated to her by the onlookers.
Jiang Mingyue picked up the money from the ground, held it to her chest, and bowed deeply several times in different directions of the crowd: "Thank you everyone, thank you all."
"That's right, that's good." Kind laughter rang out from the crowd. Everyone present told Jiang Mingyue not to do anything foolish again, then silently offered their donations before leaving.
“Bright Moon.” Liang Shuanglan finally broke through the crowd.
She carefully pressed a handkerchief against the wound on her daughter's neck, not daring to even raise her voice in scolding: "What if this leaves a scar? You're studying at the Film Academy."
Jiang Mingyue has a constitution that leaves no scars at all, and she is aware of the significance of the cut on her neck.
She held the money out to Liang Shuanglan: "Mom, the kind uncles and aunts donated money to us. You should go get treatment. As long as you don't give up on treatment, I promise I will never do anything foolish again."
"It was my fault. I promise I'll never hide anything from you again," Liang Shuanglan apologized to her daughter.
Jiang Mingyue rushed into Liang Shuanglan's arms, and the mother and daughter embraced and cried.
The doctors from the oncology department upstairs finally heard the news and rushed over, grabbing Liang Shuanglan and Jiang Mingyue and taking them upstairs to discuss the treatment plan in detail.
After Liang Shuanglan was readmitted to the hospital and a treatment plan was agreed upon, a news article titled "Daughter Threatens Suicide to Force Mother to Undergo Treatment," accompanied by several stunning photos of her crying, went viral on local social media.
————————————
Threatening your parents with suicide is not a method worth learning, but it is effective immediately and can guarantee a huge stir, allowing the message to reach those who care as quickly as possible.
The local media acted very quickly.
When Jiang Mingyue finished the admission procedures for Liang Shuanglan and went home with her to pack the luggage needed for admission, they were blocked at the hospital entrance by the media who came to interview them.
"I'm reporter Ning Cheng, this is my press card, may I interview you? Oh? Ms. Liang, it's you!" The reporter rushed out to introduce himself, but before he could finish, he saw a familiar face.
Liang Shuanglan had initially maintained a tense expression, shielding her daughter behind her as reporters rushed out. However, upon recognizing the people approaching, she instantly relaxed her guard.
Liang Shuanglan grasped Jiang Mingyue's hand and greeted the newcomer with a smile: "Reporter Zhou, it's you! What a coincidence! I didn't expect it to be you here for the interview. I'm so grateful to you for helping me expose the medical malpractice where the children were mistakenly identified. This is my daughter, Mingyue."
Jiang Mingyue nodded politely to reporter Zhou.
Her striking beauty instantly caught Reporter Zhou's eye.
Reporter Zhou carefully observed Jiang Mingyue's appearance, took a deep breath, and said, "I recognize you. You filmed the commercials for the Learning Tong learning machine and the Good Brain Oral Liquid. I never imagined that you were Ms. Liang's adopted daughter. She has raised you very well; you look like a diligent and studious child."
Reporter Zhou tentatively asked, "Ms. Liang, are you seriously ill?"
"It's nothing." Liang Shuanglan clearly didn't want to use her cancer to gain sympathy. When her illness was mentioned, she dropped her previous enthusiasm and politely declined. "We'll find a way ourselves. Reporter Zhou, don't worry about it. There are so many people in society whose situation is worse than ours. They need help more."
Jiang Mingyue suddenly interjected, "Reporter Zhou, my mother has been delaying treatment since being diagnosed with mid-stage cancer, afraid of wasting money. I know she wants something for her if her biological daughter comes looking for her. Although she sold our apartment to pay for her trip to find her daughter, the donations we received today are enough for her treatment, so we don't need the money. Could you please use this interview to help us spread the word and help my mother find her biological daughter? What if the family that was switched at birth hasn't realized it yet, but they've seen the news now?"
Liang Shuanglan immediately let go of her daughter's hand.
She really didn't want to beg for donations, but if it was for helping her find her biological daughter...
Liang Shuanglan couldn't refuse.
Reporter Zhou hesitated for a moment, but Liang Shuanglan's story this time was too interesting.
Whether it's Liang Shuanglan initially disguising herself as a cleaner to infiltrate the hospital and discover the medical malpractice of switching babies, selling her house and car for years to find her daughter and reunite more than a dozen families; or now, the adopted daughter Jiang Mingyue knowing she is not her biological daughter, yet still forcing her adoptive mother to undergo treatment even at the cost of her own life, all of these stories are incredibly dramatic.
Reporter Zhou knew that if the story were published, it would definitely become a major social news story that would spark widespread discussion. He was really unwilling to give up on this story, and even less willing to write something that violated his principles.
After thinking it over, reporter Zhou nodded: "Okay, I'll make that appeal again in the article."
Jiang Mingyue couldn't help but laugh: "Reporter Zhou, I'm just about to go home with my mother to get her hospital admission supplies. Why don't you come back with us and we can talk in detail?"
Upon arriving at the rented apartment, reporter Zhou inquired in detail about everything he wanted to know.
The story of Jiang Mingyue and her daughter has been full of intrigue since eighteen years ago, and it can spark heated discussions among onlookers from any angle.
At that time, the phone's camera resolution was low, and the video clips posted online were not very clear. Viewers either lamented the difficulty people faced in accessing medical care or were impressed by Jiang Mingyue's filial piety. However, when detailed interviews were published and accompanied by high-definition photos, they were reposted to major portal websites. Jiang Mingyue's captivating appearance instantly gained wider attention and sparked huge discussions.
Such a beautiful girl could only threaten her mother with suicide.
Is it from the film academy? Could this be a media stunt?
The playful self-projection of young people, the conspiracy theories of star-struck fans, and the superposition of other miscellaneous news, surprisingly formed a huge vortex of public opinion in just five days, which sparked a great deal of discussion wherever it went.
It was all true, and it wasn't just some minor celebrity creating hype!
The life story of "Jiang Mingyue" and her mother came into the public eye, forming the initial impression of them as "good teachers," "excellent students," and "pitiful mother and daughter."
Following the information in the newspaper, netizens learned about Liang Shuanglan's hospitalization, and countless donations poured into Liang Shuanglan's hospital account. Even the Film Academy, where Jiang Mingyue had just enrolled, directly reduced her tuition fees and held a donation drive for her.
Jiang Mingyue looked at her phone and saw that even blogs were starting to feature long posts about her, and put her phone down with a sense of relief.
She needs some media exposure to ensure the success of her next plan, and the current buzz is enough.
Sure enough, three days later, after the news had died down, a luxury car appeared in the alley below the rented apartment. A man dressed as an assistant stopped Jiang Mingyue, presented her with a paternity test, and "invited" her to come to the car to talk.
The car door opened, revealing the face of a middle-aged man in a suit and tie.
"Get in the car," the middle-aged man ordered Jiang Mingyue.
Han Rong is a greedy businessman who weighs everyone's worth on a scale.
Jiang Mingyue's biological father.
He finally showed up.
Jiang Mingyue climbed into the carriage without any expression.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
