Chapter 29 Donating Bone Marrow: Ah Yao Cannot Donate
Sheng Yunqi's smile froze on his lips, his eyes widening in disbelief.
He...he didn't hear wrong, did he?!
The other members of the Sheng family also frowned, and doubts and worries spread in their hearts.
“But my brother is sick. He has a very serious blood disease and needs a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible. My type is a perfect match.”
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice became increasingly choked with sobs. "I can't just watch my brother die. This child, I can only... I can only give up."
"Su Yao is sick?!"
Sheng Yunqi exclaimed in surprise, "When did this happen?"
"It was discovered a week ago when my brother went for a physical exam."
The private hospital where Su Yao, Su Ruomeng's younger brother, went for his medical check-up is owned by Shengshi Group.
Su Yao was a VIP at the hospital and underwent a physical examination twice a year. The hospital immediately notified Su Ruomeng of the news that he had been diagnosed with a blood disease.
Without a bone marrow transplant, Su Yao probably won't live more than six months.
Su Ruomeng had been preoccupied with worries lately, partly due to being provoked by Bai Yue, and partly because she was saddened by her younger brother.
She went back to the Su family yesterday, intending to tell them the bad news.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she sat down back home, her parents pressured her to help Su Yao get a senior management position. The conversation became increasingly unpleasant, and they parted on bad terms. She didn't even have a chance to tell Su Yao's family about his illness.
Su Ruomeng had a bone marrow transplant done at the hospital, and she was the only one in the entire Su family who was a perfect match. If she had to give up the child she had been longing for, she would have to be heartless.
This decision was incredibly difficult.
It was so difficult that without Ling Shu's encouragement, Su Ruomeng wouldn't even know how to start the conversation.
Now that she had finally said it, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her heart. Su Ruomeng sat down with a sigh of relief, silently wiping away her tears.
Sheng Yunqi gradually recovered from his initial shock and frowned.
"Is there really no other way to treat Su Yao's illness?"
Su Ruomeng sobbed softly, "Xiao Yao has an extremely rare complex blood disease, and the requirements for bone marrow transplantation are very strict... The hospital has already searched the existing bone marrow registry, but no match was found."
"This...this..."
Sheng Yunqi was at a loss and paced around the dining table.
On one side is the child he and Su Ruomeng had been longing for, and on the other side is Su Ruomeng's younger brother. This dilemma left the kind-hearted man at a loss.
Beside Su Ruomeng, Sheng Zhujun asked with a serious expression, "What about abroad? Are there suitable matches abroad? Money is not a problem as long as there is an opportunity."
Su Ruomeng's voice grew even lower: "We've already checked several large bone marrow registry banks overseas, but there's no match... Junjun, I really, really have no other way..."
Sheng Zhujun also fell silent.
She felt sorry for Su Ruomeng and the child in Su Ruomeng's womb, but she also understood Su Ruomeng's dilemma.
Silence fell over the restaurant.
After a while, Sheng Zhujun suddenly thought of something, and her eyes lit up slightly.
And Ling Shu too!
Ling Shu knows the future plot; perhaps she can gain some inspiration from her?
Thinking of this, Sheng Zhujun looked to Ling Shu for help: "Shushu, what do you think?"
Ling Shu did not answer immediately, but silently pondered the matter.
[In the original book... well, it's a long story, best left unsaid.]
Sheng Zhujun: "..."
At this crucial moment, can't you just be straightforward about spoilers?!
She wanted to say a few more words to guide the conversation, but Ling Shu spoke first.
"Sister-in-law, I understand your desire to save your brother. But have you ever considered whether your brother is truly worth saving?"
Blood relatives, what's the point of questioning whether it's worth it or not?
Ling Shu held up a finger and shook it in front of her, her tone calm: "How about this, sister-in-law, I hope you can cooperate with me in this performance, as a test for your family. If your family can pass this test, whatever decision you ultimately make, we will support you unconditionally."
Su Ruomeng was still somewhat hesitant: "...What kind of test?"
Deep down, she was actually rejecting it.
Su Yao is naturally arrogant and spoiled, so if the test is too difficult, he probably won't pass.
-
Two days later.
In the opulent living room of the Su family home, Su's father sat on the sofa, stroking his rosewood cane with his palm, his face full of anger.
He just called Su Ruomeng, but she didn't answer.
Staring coldly at his phone screen, Mr. Su grew increasingly dissatisfied. He turned to Mrs. Su beside him and complained, "Ruomeng has really grown up and become too independent. She dares not to reply to us for two days, even though she's only a CFO! Does she think that marrying into the Sheng family means she can forget her roots? Yao is her own brother!"
Before Su's mother could reply, Su Yao, who was lying down playing games, put down his phone and said with a dissatisfied look, "Dad, if you ask me, we've been too good to her, which has made her arrogant. You should discipline her like you did when she was a child, give her a few beatings, and she'll listen to you!"
"snort."
Father Su snorted and slammed his cane heavily on the floor. “Ah Yao is right. When she comes back next time, I’m going to tie her up and give her a good beating.”
"Yes, yes, Dad! Use your favorite cane to hit him, it'll definitely hurt!"
The father and son began discussing how to "punish" Su Ruomeng.
Su's mother came out of the kitchen, carrying a fruit plate, and placed it on the coffee table.
After putting down the fruit plate, she wiped her hands on her apron, sat down on a chair, and looked at the father and son with a smile, her face full of doting affection.
She made no attempt to stop their enthusiastic discussion; in fact, she even took out her phone and tentatively asked, "How about I say I'm not feeling well and try to trick her into coming back?"
Su's mother was heartbroken to see her husband and son so angry.
Su Yao immediately agreed: "Okay, Mom, let's do it your way. Before, whenever you said you were sick, Su Ruomeng would get really anxious, coming back to give you money and take you to see a doctor. This trick will definitely work."
Su Yao shook his head, a calculating glint in his eyes: "Dad, we shouldn't be asking for money now. Look at that wild girl from the Ling family. She seems low-key on the surface, but what's she really like? The Sheng family gave her five percent of the shares in one go! That's worth countless five million!"
After that banquet, the news that Ling Shu had acquired 5% of the shares of Shengshi Group spread rapidly throughout the elite circles of Beijing.
Upon hearing this news, Su Yao was so jealous that his teeth itched.
"Sheng Yun Shen is a good-for-nothing. Ling Shu can get five percent of the shares. The Sheng family should give Su Ruo Meng more shares; that would be fair!"
Su Ruomeng's shares, when rounded up, are essentially the Su family's shares!
Su's mother curled her lip dismissively: "Isn't it because your eldest sister is incompetent? She can't even find you a job properly, and you expect her to get shares?"
"that is!"
Father Su wholeheartedly agreed, continuing to pound the ground with his cane in anguish, "How could we have given birth to such a useless daughter! Not only is she useless, but she also doesn't listen to her family! If it were Ruoyan who married into the family, she would definitely be obedient, and we would give her whatever she wanted!"
Su Ruoyan is the youngest daughter of Su's parents and Su Ruomeng's younger sister. She is three years younger than Su Ruomeng and is currently pursuing a master's degree at Ocean University.
Unlike the silent and stubborn Su Ruomeng, Su Ruoyan was obedient and well-behaved from a young age. If her parents told her to go east, she wouldn't dare to go west.
Even where to pursue graduate studies and what major to study were all decided by Su's father.
"That's not necessarily true."
Su Yao scoffed, "Su Ruoyan is just an ignorant young woman. If you ask me, the best choice is for me to join Shengshi Group and become my brother-in-law's confidante."
A smile of approval spread across Su's mother's face: "Yes, yes, our Ayao is the smartest. Neither of the two girls can compare to you."
She turned on her phone screen, preparing to call Su Ruomeng.
Unexpectedly, her phone rang first.
Upon seeing the caller ID, Su's mother was taken aback: "Ruomeng's call?"
It really is true that what you say comes true.
Mr. Su sneered, "Looks like she's finally come to her senses. You can answer the call, but remember not to be too nice!"
Su's mother nodded obediently and answered the phone: "Hello, Ruomeng... What? You're coming over today? Is it something very important?... Okay, come on over."
After hanging up the phone, she looked at Su's father: "Ruomeng said she's coming over right away; she has something very important to tell us. Sheng Yunqi will be coming with her."
"The eldest son-in-law is here too?"
Father Su frowned, thought for a moment, and slowly said, "It seems that my eldest son-in-law attaches great importance to A-Yao's matter, which is why he personally accompanied him here. Let's treat him well and solve A-Yao's job problem first."
Upon hearing that Su Yao had found a job, Su's mother stood up happily and readily agreed, "Great, great, I'll go and prepare right away!"
Two hours later, Su Ruomeng and Sheng Yunqi arrived as promised.
Accompanying them were two "uninvited guests".
Ling Shu stood outside the door, pushing Sheng Yun Shen's wheelchair, and gave Su's mother a bright smile: "Hello, Aunt Su, I am Ling Shu. I was just relaxing at home with my husband, so I came out for a walk."
"this……"
Su's mother looked at Sheng Yun Shen, who was sitting in a wheelchair with his eyes closed like a delicate work of art, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.
This was the first time she had ever seen someone running around with a person in a vegetative state!
She really is a wild girl who grew up in the countryside; she acts very unruly.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she stepped aside and gave a forced smile: "...Welcome, welcome, please come in."
Ling Shu smiled and responded, pushing Sheng Yunshen's wheelchair as they stepped into the Su family's gate.
Su Ruomeng and Sheng Yunqi followed behind.
The moment she stepped through the door, Su Ruomeng looked solemn and sighed heavily, her mind preoccupied.
She felt somewhat uncertain about what was about to happen.
Sheng Yunqi noticed her unease, reached out and squeezed her hand, silently comforting her.
Su Ruomeng looked up and met Sheng Yunqi's gaze.
Encouraged by his gentle gaze, her anxious heart gradually calmed down.
...Since she had already promised Ling Shu, she would put on a good show.
The group entered the living room.
Mr. Su sat upright in the center of the sofa, calmly resting with his eyes closed. Hearing footsteps, he lifted his eyelids, glanced at the group, closed his eyes again, and said in a detached tone, "Sit."
"You bunch of idiots, if you don't know how to play, then don't play!"
Su Yao occupied another sofa, sprawling out without any regard for his image, staring intently at his phone screen while cursing his teammates in the game.
As for the guests who came, he had no time to pay them any attention.
The two men in the Su family were acting like father-in-law, one was showing off his power, and the other was being incredibly foolish; it was simply unbearable to watch.
Su Ruomeng paused, an awkward expression appearing on her face.
Su's mother followed behind the group, wiping her hands on her apron with her head down, ignoring the scene and clearly not intending to offer any help.
Ling Shu smiled, turned around, pushed her wheelchair, and walked out without hesitation.
As they left, they didn't forget to call out to Su Ruomeng and Sheng Yunqi, "Look, there's nowhere to sit. Maybe your aunt and uncle don't welcome us. Why don't we go back?"
Sheng Yunqi took Su Ruomeng's hand and immediately responded, "Okay."
The group of people who had just entered the living room walked out in unison without the slightest hesitation.
Mr. Su, who had been resting with his eyes closed, was no longer calm.
Su's mother, who was wiping her hands, froze in her tracks.
Su Yao, who was busy playing games, glanced up and looked away, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
Why are you leaving so soon after you've just arrived?
Seeing that Ling Shu's pace was getting faster and faster, and she was about to reach the entrance, Su's father hurriedly opened his eyes and shouted at Su's mother, "Why aren't you hurrying up and inviting the guest to sit down!"
With a forced smile, Su's mother chased after her and stopped Ling Shu, who was walking in front: "Miss Ling, why are you so angry? My living room is so spacious, you can sit anywhere."
After saying that, she glared at Su Ruomeng next to her and shouted, "Hurry up and invite the guests to sit down!"
Then she smiled and looked at Su Yao lying on the sofa, her tone instantly becoming gentle, "Good boy, Yao, we have guests. It's too noisy in the living room. Why don't you go play in your room?"
Su Yao snorted.
Since Su Ruomeng was there to help him with his work, he didn't resist. He stood up, cursing his teammates rudely as he shuffled back to his room.
The door slammed shut with a deafening roar.
Su Ruomeng snapped out of her daze and hesitantly tugged at Sheng Yunqi.
"Sit down, please sit down?"
Sheng Yunqi looked at Ling Shu.
Ling Shu nodded and reluctantly agreed: "Please sit down."
The group then sat back down on the sofa.
Father Su opened his eyes and smiled at Sheng Yunqi: "Son-in-law, it's been a long time since you've come. I've prepared some good wine today, let's drink until we drop!"
His gaze was fixed solely on Sheng Yunqi, while he paid no attention to Su Ruomeng, Ling Shu, or Sheng Yunshen beside him.
Sheng Yunqi paused, then smiled somewhat awkwardly: "Father-in-law, we've come here on a very important matter. Let's discuss it first."
"You're talking about Ah Yao's job, right?"
Before he could finish rambling on, Su Ruomeng abruptly interrupted him: "Dad! We didn't come here to talk about Su Yao's job."
Mr. Su was stunned for a second or two, then his expression instantly darkened: "Weren't you talking about A-Yao's job? Then what are you doing here?!"
"I……"
Seeing her father's angry expression, Su Ruomeng instinctively shrank back.
Ling Shu gently patted her shoulder, which calmed her down again.
Su Ruomeng swallowed hard, lowered her gaze, and said softly, "I... am sick."
"Are you sick?"
Su's father raised his voice, "If you're sick, go to the hospital. What are you doing at home? We're not doctors!"
After he finished speaking, he belatedly realized that his tone had been a bit harsh. He smiled awkwardly at Sheng Yunqi and explained, "Ruomeng has been disobedient since she was little. We don't know how to treat illnesses, so she should go to the hospital when she's sick..."
"That's right, that's right."
Su's mother chimed in, "Many diseases are contagious. What if our Ayao gets infected?"
"..."
At this moment, Su Ruomeng felt extremely embarrassed.
Although she didn't want to admit it, she had long known that in her parents' hearts, her status was probably less than one percent of Su Yao's.
Even when they were sick, their parents' first reaction was, "Don't let Su Yao get infected."
Sheng Yunqi was shocked that Su's parents could say such harsh words, and his face immediately darkened.
Before Sheng Yun Shen's incident, Sheng Yun Qi held a sinecure position in Shengshi Group. He was always cheerful and easy to talk to.
Now he has to shoulder the responsibility of the Shengshi Group with his family, and has been forced to develop a certain demeanor, which makes him look stern and authoritative.
His voice turned cold and stern: "If my father-in-law and mother-in-law have any complaints about me and Ruomeng, they can say so directly. If they don't want us to come, we'll leave immediately."
After saying this, he twitched his toes, as if he wanted to get up and leave.
Intimidated by Sheng Yunqi's gaze, Su's father's voice involuntarily softened: "No, no, that's not what we meant."
He cleared his throat and looked at Su Ruomeng, "What's wrong? What's wrong with you?"
Su Ruomeng clenched her fist at her side and mustered her courage to say, "I have a very rare blood disease and need a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible, preferably from a family member..."
She swallowed hard, her voice trembling with nervousness. "Everyone in my family has been tested for bone marrow matching, and only Ayao's bone marrow is a match. We came here to ask Ayao's opinion, to see if he would be willing to donate bone marrow to me."
Su's father and mother were stunned, and it took them a while to realize what Su Ruomeng had said.
Blood disease?
Bone marrow donation?
Ah Yao?!
Su's mother frowned deeply: "Ruomeng, are you joking with us? You look perfectly fine, how could you have a blood disease!"
Su's father solemnly echoed, "You can't just make jokes like that."
Su Ruomeng pursed her lips: "It's true, I'm not lying to you."
As she spoke, she took out a stack of medical examination forms from her bag and handed them to Mr. and Mrs. Su.
Mr. Su took the medical examination form, squinted at it for a few moments, and found that most of it was in English and numbers, which he couldn't understand at all.
Only the report's final conclusion was in Chinese, explaining that the report's subject had an extremely rare blood disease and needed a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible.
He paused for a few seconds, then asked, "This illness... is there a good chance of it being cured?"
Sheng Yunqi answered: "If a bone marrow transplant is performed as early as possible, the survival rate is 80%. The longer it is delayed, the lower the chance."
"Eighty percent..."
Su's father's hands trembled slightly, and a look of pain flashed across his face.
He seemed to have aged ten years overnight, and his whole body became hunched over.
Su's mother wailed, wiping her tears with her apron: "Heaven is truly blind, how could it do this to my daughter, who is so young!"
Seeing her parents overcome with grief, Su Ruomeng loosened her clenched fists and breathed a sigh of relief.
Although her parents are somewhat biased on a regular basis, they still care about her when it comes to crucial moments.
Su's father slammed his cane heavily on the ground, interrupting him decisively: "The illness needs treatment, but Ayao cannot be donated."
Sheng Yunqi stopped abruptly, a look of astonishment on his face: "...Huh?"
Su Ruomeng looked up abruptly, unable to believe what she had just heard.
Only Ling Shu remained calm, as if she had already guessed Su's parents' reaction.
She leaned back on the sofa, head bowed, playing with Sheng Yun Shen's long, slightly cool fingers, her face expressionless.
Several seconds passed before Sheng Yunqi finally found his voice: "Why, why can't I donate?"
Father Su frowned: "Our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents. Besides, Yao is the only son in the family and will inherit the Su family business in the future. He can't withstand this kind of torment."
He looked at Su Ruomeng and said slowly, "As for your illness, the Sheng family is so rich, they can't possibly not find a matching bone marrow donor. It's okay to wait a little longer, you won't die anytime soon anyway."
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Su Ruomeng, causing her to tremble all over.
What does it mean to "not die anytime soon"?
"What do you mean it's hard to cure? Pshaw, don't talk nonsense! With money, there's nothing that can't be cured!"
Su's mother interrupted Su Ruomeng.
Her face still bore traces of tears, but her expression turned sharp and sarcastic. "You're sick, are you going to drag your brother down with you? What kind of sister are you! Ah Yao has been afraid of needles since he was little, and he's terrified of going to the hospital, you know that!"
Suppressing his anger, Sheng Yunqi explained in a low voice, "The technology is very advanced now. Donating bone marrow is not that scary, and the recovery is very quick."
"That's bone marrow!"
Su's mother screamed, completely ignoring his words, "Ayao would never donate!"
Mr. Su nodded silently, showing no intention of backing down.
No one spoke again, and the atmosphere in the living room instantly became extremely heavy.
Su Ruomeng stared blankly at her parents, her eyes slowly reddening.
She never imagined that her parents could be so ruthless in such a life-or-death situation.
Su Yao is young, and if he is in good health, he will recover quickly even if he donates bone marrow.
The fear of needles and the fear of going to the hospital are just excuses that parents use to refuse to admit their children.
To put it bluntly, they just felt sorry for Su Yao and were unwilling to sacrifice Su Yao's interests to save her.
In their hearts, Su Yao is probably the only one who is their real child.
She and her sister Ruoyan were nothing more than two "tools".
A tool used to assist Su Yao and sacrifice for him.
Actually, she had already guessed all of this, hadn't she?
That's why she hesitated so much when she stepped into the house.
...Can this place really be considered her "home"?
"Shut up! This is not negotiable!"
Su's father interrupted her with a loud shout, his expression fierce.
Su's mother stiffened her neck and glared fiercely at Su Ruomeng, as if she were some heinous villain.
Enraged, Sheng Yunqi abruptly stood up, blocking Su Ruomeng's path, his tone even more stern: "Father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ruomeng is also your child! How can you bear to treat her like this!"
This time, even his anger was useless.
When it comes to their beloved son, Mr. and Mrs. Su are not going to back down an inch.
They stared intently at Sheng Yunqi, without responding to his question.
Seeing the two sides locked in a stalemate, Ling Shu, who was watching from the sidelines, slowly raised her eyes.
She continued to toy with Sheng Yun Shen's fingers, her tone slightly cool: "Uncle, Aunt, shouldn't we ask Su Yao's opinion on this matter?"
Su's parents turned to look at her, instinctively about to refuse.
Ling Shu didn't give them a chance, and continued calmly, "If Su Yao is willing to donate bone marrow to my sister-in-law, we can talk about the position he wants in Shengshi Group."
As the saying goes, you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub.
To make Su Ruomeng see the true colors of the Su family, it is necessary to offer conditions that the Su family will find hard to refuse.
Sure enough, her words made Su's parents look hesitant.
The job opportunity at Shengshi Group was indeed something the Su family had always coveted...
If Su Yao can successfully enter Shengshi Group, the Su family might gradually infiltrate the Sheng family and become a top-tier wealthy family in Beijing, just like the Sheng family.
That would be a truly glorious and honorable thing for one's ancestors.
"In that case, let's see what Ah Yao has to say."
Mr. Su gestured to Mrs. Su with his eyes. Mrs. Su muttered a few words and walked towards Su Yao's room.
She knocked on the door for a long time, but there was no response from inside. Su Yao was probably too engrossed in playing games.
The door couldn't be opened either; it was locked by Su Yao.
Left with no other option, Su's mother found the key and opened the locked room door.
As soon as the door opened, a shoe flew out and hit her hard on the forehead.
Accompanied by Su Yao's angry shouts: "I'm busy, why are you bothering me! You almost got beaten to death!"
Su's mother cried out in pain, and her forehead quickly became red and swollen.
Even so, she wasn't angry; her tone was full of doting affection and ingratiation: "Ah Yao, your sister wants to talk to you about work..."
Fearing that Su Yao would get angry again, she quickly recounted what had happened.
The room was completely silent.
In the living room, Su Ruomeng and Sheng Yunqi both pricked up their ears, waiting for Su Yao's answer.
With an arrogant declaration, Su Yao appeared at the bedroom door.
He put his hands in his pockets, a half-smile on his face, and looked at Sheng Yunqi and Su Ruomeng. "Sister, brother-in-law, if you need my help, then show some sincerity in asking for it."
Since the Sheng family needed his help, they naturally had to show sufficient sincerity.
He no longer cares about working for Shengshi Group.
If someone as useless as Ling Shu can get 5% of the shares, it's not unreasonable for him to want 10%, right?
Reminded by her son's words, Su's mother's eyes lit up slightly: "That's right! If you want Ayao's help, exchange it for shares!"
My precious son is so smart!
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