The reason Yi Zhonghai asked for 800 yuan was after much deliberation. Given Qin Huairu's current wealth, that was the most she could afford. Although he had spent a considerable amount of money on the Jia family in the past, it shouldn't have exceeded 800 yuan.
If we can get the money back with interest, letting Banggeng and the other two go isn't out of the question. After all, they're no longer Jia family children.
Nothing is more important than one's own interests. For the sake of interests, even hatred can be temporarily set aside.
Upon hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Qin Huairu froze. It's no wonder Qin Huairu reacted this way; Bang Geng had only stolen a chicken, which, at current costs, wouldn't amount to more than 5 yuan.
But now, not only has their son been injured, they are even trying to extort 800 yuan from them. You should know that's not eight yuan, but 800 yuan.
If it were just a couple hundred yuan, Qin Huairu might have paid for Bang Geng. But 800 yuan was all of Qin Huairu's savings.
"Go ahead and fight, call the police if you want. I'm too lazy to go back. Do what you want, but you just need to know that from now on, we're mortal enemies."
Knowing there was no way to save her son, Qin Huairu turned and returned to the steel mill, tears streaming down her face. It wasn't that Qin Huairu was unwilling to invest, but she and her daughter also needed money. Besides, Bang Geng's leg was already broken, and now he had been injured by the deaf old woman. Even if he recovered, he would be a cripple.
Bang Geng is only 8 years old this year. Stealing a chicken will at most put him in a juvenile detention center for a year and a half. It's not worth it to exchange 800 yuan for a year and a half.
But as she walked, Qin Huairu noticed that the pain in her breasts was getting worse. Before long, she felt dizzy and lightheaded, and it was already dark.
When they saw Qin Huairu faint, they assumed she had fainted from anger. So they quickly took her to the hospital.
Although Qin Huairu woke up halfway through the journey, she didn't refuse everyone's kindness. Qin Huairu also valued her life and wanted to know what had happened to her.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Qin Huairu cooperated fully with the doctor during the examination, but the results were unacceptable to her. She simply couldn't accept that she had breast cancer.
She couldn't accept having all her breasts removed. If her breasts were gone, how could she still be considered a woman? Besides, there was no guarantee things would get better afterward. What if the cancer spread? Would she have to keep having them removed indefinitely?
This delighted Yi Zhonghai, who was standing nearby. With this illness, Qin Huairu's threat was halved. Qin Huairu's three children wouldn't have it so easy afterward. The worse the Jia family's children suffered, the happier Yi Zhonghai became.
In a good mood, Yi Zhonghai went straight back to his courtyard house from the hospital. The fate of Bang Geng was no longer so important. Now all the choices were in Qin Huairu's hands, and Yi Zhonghai wasn't worried about her causing any trouble.
Regardless of whether Qin Huairu chooses him or her son, it's a good outcome for Yi Zhonghai. If Qin Huairu chooses her son, given her condition, she won't be around for long and will die of illness. If Qin Huairu chooses him, Banggeng will go to jail, and he'll never amount to anything.
Even if Banggeng only goes to a juvenile detention center, he won't have a job afterward. Without a job, Banggeng will have a hard time supporting himself. What's more, people who have been to prison will face discrimination, and the Jia family's future will be bleak.
Seeing Banggeng still crying in the yard, Yi Zhonghai walked towards the deaf old lady with a smile.
"Thank you for your hard work, Grandma. We'll have chicken for dinner tonight. It's been a long time since we've had a good meal, so we have to celebrate with a nice feast today."
After speaking, Yi Zhonghai put the chicken back into the cage. Then he tied the stalk with a rope, completely ignoring Jia Zhangshi standing next to him.
Did Jia Zhangshi not consider saving her eldest grandson? But the deaf old lady just pretended to be deaf and dumb. No matter which way Jia Zhangshi spoke to the deaf old lady, the old lady acted as if she couldn't hear her, and just kept holding onto the stick.
Now that she saw Yi Zhonghai had tied up her eldest grandson, how could Jia Zhangshi not be anxious? Even if Banggeng wouldn't take care of her in her old age, Jia Zhangshi didn't want to see anything happen to Banggeng, after all, he was her own grandson.
"Yi Zhonghai, even if you have a grudge against the Jia family, you don't have to resort to such despicable methods. Banggeng is just a child after all. Do you really need to treat him like this?"
“If it were anyone else, I would never have treated him like this. I might have given him the chicken. But he is your grandson. You have been scheming against me for over 20 years. Do you know how I have lived these past 20 years?”
“Didn’t you always say that he was your eldest grandson, the treasure of your Jia family? It’s very simple to save him. 800 yuan. As long as you are willing to pay, I will release him immediately.”
“If he has no money, I’ll send him to the police station. Your grandson will be completely ruined. Once he’s in a juvenile detention center, he’ll never have a chance to rise again. Even schools won’t want a thief.”
Hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Jia Zhangshi wanted to get angry, but she didn't dare to do anything to him. Given her current condition, she was no match for him. If she made a move, Yi Zhonghai would beat her half to death.
Given her past grievances with Yi Zhonghai, Yi Zhonghai would definitely not miss such an opportunity. It was precisely because she had no one to help her that Jia Zhangshi was so well-behaved; otherwise, she would have already attacked the deaf old woman.
This made Jia Zhangshi look around, trying to find Qin Huairu.
"No need to look anymore, Qin Huairu is still in the hospital. After hearing that Banggeng had stolen something, Qin Huairu talked to Yi Zhonghai. Yi Zhonghai asked for 800 yuan, but Qin Huairu gave up on your grandson and refused to pay the 800 yuan."
"I was so heartbroken that I fainted right at the entrance of the steel mill. When I was taken to the hospital, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I heard that treating this disease is very expensive and that the breast has to be removed. After the surgery, I have to take medication frequently, and if other parts of the body become infected, I will have to have surgery again and again."
“If she receives treatment now, she might live for another 10 or 20 years. If she doesn’t receive treatment, Qin Huairu could die at any time. She can’t even take care of herself now, so how can she have the mind to care about your grandson?”
Upon hearing Gu Chunyan's words, Banggeng and Jia Zhangshi were both startled. Qin Huairu was their hope, but that hope now seemed to have been completely shattered.
They both knew Qin Huairu's character and knew she would definitely choose them. After all, compared to their own lives, everything else had to take a backseat.
Just when they were in complete despair, Qin Huairu returned to the courtyard house dejectedly. She seemed to have aged considerably; upon arriving home, she said nothing and went straight to her room.
Seeing Qin Huairu's dejected look, Jia Zhangshi knew that Gu Chunyan wasn't lying. Given Qin Huairu's affection for Banggeng, if she weren't on the verge of starvation herself, why wouldn't she even glance at Banggeng?
Having no one to rely on, Jia Zhangshi immediately burst into tears. On one side was her grandson, and on the other was her retirement money; no matter which side she chose, it caused Jia Zhangshi great distress.
Qin Huairu doesn't know how much longer she has to live. Bang Geng will definitely have to rely on herself in the future. When she gets old, if no one takes care of her, her life will be quite miserable.
After crying there for a while, Jia Zhangshi had no choice but to return to the Jia family and take out all her money. No matter how much she regretted spending the money, Jia Zhangshi had to think about the future.
Madam Jia had already come up with a proper solution: she would return to her job at the Jia family home and take good care of the children. She was only in her early forties and was confident she could raise Banggeng and the others to adulthood.
Once Banggeng and the others grow up, they'll be able to take good care of themselves. Given Qin Huairu's situation, she certainly won't monopolize the job. Qin Huairu should think about her children, if not herself.
The thought that all this money would end up with Yi Zhonghai made Jia Zhangshi feel as if someone was constantly stabbing her with a knife; the pain was indescribable.
After tearfully handing the money to Yi Zhonghai, Jia Zhangshi untied the chicken. Then she returned to the Jia family home with the chicken, knowing that even though she really wanted the chicken, Yi Zhonghai would never give it to her.
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