Afraid of crushing the patient, Qin Xiaoyu braced herself against the dirty wall with her arms. The patient was a thin, dark-skinned old woman, who, probably also afraid that Qin Xiaoyu would crush her, stared intently with a gasp of cold air, sending chills down one's spine.
"There's nothing we can do. We're lucky to be alive," Man Aihong sighed.
"What kind of illness is it?" Qin Xiaoyu asked with concern.
"The corpus luteum ruptured. It almost cost me my life," Man Aihong said with a bitter smile.
Qin Xiaoyu had heard of this disease. Sometimes the pathogenesis is very simple; it's just a sudden, sharp pain that causes massive bleeding. If it can't be stopped in time, it can be life-threatening.
Man Aihong's illness escalated, requiring emergency treatment and blood transfusions, which would cost a fortune. She began to understand what Zhu Xu meant by "getting things done"—was he going to borrow money?
After spending these past few days interacting with people in this business circle, Qin Xiaoyu had pretty much figured out their personalities. They came from all over the country, including some from her hometown, but northerners didn't stick together like southerners who valued their hometown ties above all else. Therefore, if Zhu Xu really needed money, it didn't seem like he could borrow it.
Zhu Xu is very concerned about his image. He's not very familiar with Qin Xiaoyu, so he won't take the initiative to speak to her.
Seeing that Man Aihong was barely breathing after saying a few words, Ye Qiu gave Qin Xiaoyu a look, and the two took their leave.
Zhu Xu saw Qin Xiaoyu off and called out to Ye Qiu. The two whispered something to each other, and then Ye Qiu caught up and told Qin Xiaoyu to leave.
"Did Zhu Xu borrow money from you, Sister Ye?" Qin Xiaoyu asked directly.
"Yeah, look, I just finished making payments to two factories..." Ye Qiu said awkwardly.
Qin Xiaoyu understood that with Ye Qiu's resources, he wouldn't be without cash on hand. It was just that Zhu Xu was in a bad state, and she worried he might not be able to repay the loan. His wife's sudden arrival from the mainland meant that there were problems at the factory back home.
The shop was not doing well, and the rent was due soon. He really couldn't keep it going, so he packed up and left. Now, he was having trouble finding out where to get the money back.
But Qin Xiaoyu was soft-hearted, and the thought of Man Aihong's pitiful state in the hospital bed made it impossible for her to be cruel. She handed the leftover food to Ye Qiu.
"Sister Ye, you should go back first. The food will get cold and won't taste good. I'll go take care of your sister-in-law. They're unfamiliar with the area and no one's looking after them. Zhu Xu is a man, he's too careless. He just had surgery and needs to be taken good care of."
"Xiaoyu, you..." Ye Qiu was stunned. He looked at Qin Xiaoyu's designer clothes but didn't say anything.
Zhu Xu was somewhat surprised to see Qin Xiaoyu return.
"I'll take care of my sister-in-law, you're too clumsy." Qin Xiaoyu pulled out a basin from under the bed, which was covered with some greasy substance, and put it back in.
“We’re used to being rough around the edges, it’s fine,” Zhu Xu stopped her.
"It's your problem if you're used to being rough, but your sister-in-law had such a major surgery. If you don't take good care of her, you'll regret it for the rest of your life if she suffers from aftereffects." Qin Xiaoyu glared at him and strode out.
She was away for a while this time, and did two things: first, she sent a message to A Lei via pager to tell him she wouldn't be back that night; second, she bought some daily necessities.
Zhu Xu's eyes reddened as he watched Qin Xiaoyu wipe her hands, which were covered in red marks, with a warm towel.
"Girl, you look so pampered, but you're actually quite capable at work," Zhu Xu said softly.
"I've suffered a lot too, but I can actually do it." Qin Xiaoyu said, but for some reason, she remembered Zhou Yue's words, "It's all because Hanhan took care of you, right?" At that moment, she lost her confidence.
"Bed 76! Bed 76! Family members, please come with me to complete the formalities." The nurse tried to come over but was stopped outside, so she had to call out.
Zhu Xu, unaware of what was happening, hurried over.
"Thank you." Man Aihong had calmed down a bit.
"Sister-in-law, don't talk, save your energy." Qin Xiaoyu said, using a cotton swab dipped in water to gently wipe her lips. She greedily licked them with her tongue.
"Man Aihong! Man Aihong! We're going into the ward!" Zhu Xu exclaimed excitedly as he squeezed through the crowd, incurring their wrath, and everyone cast hateful glances at him.
Qin Xiaoyu quickly gave him a wink and hurriedly packed her things. Led by a nurse, they pushed the hospital bed to the back building.
Qin Xiaoyu had already figured it out when she got on the elevator, and when she saw A Lei standing at the entrance of the corridor, she became even more certain.
"You're quick," Qin Xiaoyu said softly as she passed by him.
"A secretary should be proactive and not wait for the leader to give instructions," A Lei said, pretending to be serious.
The ward is a private room, a world apart from the place we just left.
"Is it expensive here?" Man Aihong asked anxiously.
"Everything is arranged, sister-in-law, you don't need to worry."
A Lei didn't come in the corridor, but Zhu Xu recognized him. After a long moment of astonishment, he finally figured things out.
"Girl, is that your husband outside? What's he doing here? Did he help us get this hospital room?"
"Yes, let your sister-in-law focus on getting better. Don't worry about the money. She's doing well, so how hard is it to earn money?" Qin Xiaoyu said this to Zhu Xu, but also to Man Aihong. The patient shouldn't be anxious anymore.
As evening approached, Man Aihong finally passed gas. Zhu Xu bought a bowl of porridge and then urged Qin Xiaoyu to go home and rest immediately.
Qin Xiaoyu had no choice but to leave. A Lei was incredibly stubborn, refusing to go inside or leave, and just sat on a chair in the corridor. This was the era before cell phones; waiting around like that would drive anyone crazy.
Once in A Lei's car, Qin Xiaoyu couldn't help but grumble a few words.
"Just go home, okay?"
"Honey, tomorrow is the last day of our honeymoon. When will you be completely mine?" A Lei complained again. Qin Xiaoyu was startled and immediately became obedient, blinking her big eyes at him and giving him a sweet smile.
Back home, after washing off the Lysol smell, Qin Xiaoyu came back to life.
She simply put on a towel bathrobe and came out.
A Lei had also finished showering and was lying in bed staring at her.
"You really love meddling in other people's business."
"What should I do? I know I'm soft-hearted, which isn't good, but they're so pitiful." Qin Xiaoyu lay down next to him and slowly snuggled into his arms.
“Before I met you, I lived a carefree life. I met some philanthropists abroad, but they usually started doing charity after they had resolved their financial worries. You, on the other hand, will give away your fortune before you even become rich,” A Lei mocked.
"So I need to make money quickly, so that when people need help, I won't just cry with them, but will directly shower them with money." Qin Xiaoyu realized she had found her purpose in making money.
“Okay, you’re right.” A Lei lowered his head and gently bit her earlobe.
Although A Lei verbally protested, he still took Qin Xiaoyu to the hospital early the next morning. Whether it was because of the change of ward or because the hospital fees were settled, Man Aihong's complexion improved.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
