Looking at the bustling scene in the office, Fan Shengmei suddenly felt a pang of unease. She knew that although the product was selling well at the moment, the market was unpredictable. Just then, her phone rang. Seeing that the caller ID showed her home number, Fan Shengmei's heart tightened, and a bad premonition washed over her. She took a deep breath and slowly answered the phone. The voice on the other end made her relaxed expression freeze instantly, and her face turned deathly pale.
“Xiaomei, your brother has gotten into big trouble this time! He got into a fight outside and seriously injured someone, who is now hospitalized. The other person’s family is demanding compensation, or they’ll call the police! What are we going to do?” Fan’s mother said, her voice trembling with tears, on the other end of the phone.
Fan Shengmei felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, and she nearly dropped her phone. Suppressing her anger and helplessness, she asked, "How much compensation do you want?"
"They're asking for 500,000 right off the bat, not a penny less! Xiaomei, you have to think of something. If your brother gets arrested, his life will be ruined!" Fan's mother said anxiously.
Fan Shengmei closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. 500,000 yuan was no small sum for her. Although she was a little more financially comfortable due to increased product sales, she was still far from reaching 500,000 yuan. Moreover, she had been trying to escape the burden of her family of origin, but her brother always dragged her into the abyss time and time again.
"Mom, where would I get that much money! I've already worked so hard, can't you just let me off the hook? My brother is all grown up, why should I have to take the blame for the trouble he caused?" Fan Shengmei couldn't help but complain.
"What are you saying! He's your own brother, if you don't help him, who will? Aren't you doing very well at the company now? This amount of money shouldn't be a problem for you. If you just stand by and watch your brother go to jail, how can you live with yourself?" When Fan Shengmei refused to give money, Fan's mother immediately raised her voice and began to berate her.
Fan Shengmei felt a sharp pain in her heart. She knew that reasoning with her mother was pointless. Over the years, no matter how hard she tried or how she communicated with her family, all she received was their misunderstanding and endless demands. She took a deep breath and tried to communicate with her mother in a different way.
"Mom, even if I wanted to help my brother, I don't have that much money. Could you try to scrape together some first, and I'll figure out the rest later? Besides, my brother needs to learn from this experience and not act so impulsively again." Fan Shengmei tried to keep her tone calm.
"How can we possibly raise the money? We've sold everything we could, and borrowed from everyone we could. Stop making excuses and send the money over right now. If you don't help us, don't ever come back home!" Mother Fan refused to budge, her tone becoming increasingly forceful.
Fan Shengmei felt as if a huge rock was blocking her chest, making it hard to breathe. She felt utterly desperate and helpless, tears welling up in her eyes. Why were her family members always like this, only knowing how to take and never considering her feelings or situation?
"Mom, I really don't have that much money..." Fan Shengmei said, her voice trembling.
"Hmph, no money? I think you just don't want to help your brother! You heartless thing, I've raised you for nothing!" Mother Fan angrily hung up the phone.
Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Fan Shengmei slumped helplessly into her chair. Her mind was a mess; she didn't know how to solve this thorny problem. Five hundred thousand yuan felt like a heavy mountain, pressing down on her and making it hard to breathe.
After a long while, Fan Shengmei slowly got up, packed her things, and dragged her heavy steps out of the office. She returned to her rented apartment, opened the door, and found the room completely dark. She didn't turn on the light, but went straight to the sofa and sat down, falling into deep thought.
Just then, her phone rang again. Fan Shengmei thought it was her mother calling again and hesitated for a moment before picking it up. She then discovered it was Meng Yanchen calling. Looking at Meng Yanchen's name on the screen, Fan Shengmei felt a mix of emotions. She didn't know whether she should tell Meng Yanchen about her family situation. She didn't want him to see her in such a disheveled state, and she worried that her family problems would affect their newly blossoming relationship.
After hesitating for a long time, Fan Shengmei finally answered the phone. "Hello, Yan Chen..." Fan Shengmei's voice was a little hoarse.
"Xiaomei, what's wrong? You sound a bit off. Did something happen?" Meng Yanchen noticed Fan Shengmei's unusual behavior and asked with concern.
"I...I'm fine, I'm just a little tired." Fan Shengmei didn't want Meng Yanchen to worry, so she tried to hide her emotions.
"Don't lie to me, your voice can't lie to me. What happened? Tell me, maybe I can help you." Meng Yanchen's tone was very firm, which warmed Fan Shengmei's heart.
Fan Shengmei hesitated for a moment, but ultimately told Meng Yanchen about her brother's trouble and the 500,000 yuan he needed to pay in compensation. After telling him, she felt a little uneasy, wondering how Meng Yanchen would react.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Meng Yanchen said, "Xiaomei, don't worry. I can help you with the 500,000 yuan first. You should take care of your brother's matter first."
Fan Shengmei was startled and quickly said, "Yan Chen, how can this be? This is a family matter, I can't let you bear it for me. Besides, this isn't a small amount..."
"Don't be so polite with me. Do we need to be so formal with each other? You're in trouble now, it's only right that I help you. Don't refuse anymore, let's get this over with first," Meng Yanchen said firmly.
Fan Shengmei was deeply moved, but also conflicted. On one hand, she was grateful for Meng Yanchen's generous help, but on the other hand, she felt she couldn't always rely on him. She knew she had to learn to face problems independently and couldn't always place her hopes on others.
“Yan Chen, thank you. But I want to think of a solution myself first. I can’t always trouble you; this is my own problem, and I should solve it myself,” Fan Shengmei said, her tone firm.
“Xiaomei, I understand what you’re thinking. But don’t push yourself too hard. If you really can’t do anything about it, be sure to tell me. I’ll always be there to support you,” Meng Yanchen said, his voice full of concern.
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Yan Chen," Fan Shengmei said, her feelings for Meng Yan Chen growing even stronger.
After hanging up the phone, Fan Shengmei was caught in a dilemma. She didn't want to accept Meng Yanchen's help, didn't want to be in a too passive position in this relationship, but she was also worried that if she couldn't raise 500,000 yuan, her brother would really be arrested and imprisoned. She sat on the sofa for a long time, constantly thinking of a solution.
The next day, Fan Shengmei got up early. She decided to borrow money from her friends, whatever she could get. She called several close friends and explained her situation. Although her friends sympathized with her, they all had their own lives to live, and the amount they could lend her was very limited. After making a round of calls, Fan Shengmei had only managed to raise less than 50,000 yuan, far short of 500,000 yuan.
Fan Shengmei felt incredibly frustrated, but she didn't give up. She started looking for part-time jobs online again, hoping to earn more money through her own efforts. However, most part-time jobs paid very little and required a lot of time and energy, making it impossible to raise 500,000 yuan in a short period of time.
At the same time, Fan Shengmei also had to juggle work. Although the product was selling well, she couldn't afford to be complacent and had to constantly monitor market trends to plan for future development. At the company, Fan Shengmei forced herself to be energetic and tried her best not to let her colleagues notice anything unusual. However, her mind kept drifting to things at home, which affected her work efficiency to some extent.
That evening, Fan Shengmei dragged her exhausted body back to her apartment. She sat on the sofa, staring at the meager balance on her phone, filled with despair. Just then, her mother called again.
"Xiaomei, how's it going with raising the money? The family keeps urging us. If you don't transfer the money soon, they're really going to call the police!" Fan's mother said anxiously.
"Mom, I'm already trying to figure something out, but it's really hard to raise that much money. Can't you think of any other ways?" Fan Shengmei said helplessly.
“What can we do! Your brother is sighing all day long at home. Can you bear to see him like this? If you still care about this family, hurry up and raise the money!” said Fan’s mother.
Fan Shengmei felt a sharp pain in her heart. She knew her mother was using family ties to pressure her. But she had truly tried her best, and she didn't know what to do.
"Mom, I really tried my best..." Fan Shengmei said in a low voice.
"Hmph, you tried your best? I think you just don't want to take care of your brother! You unfilial daughter!" After saying that, Fan's mother hung up the phone.
Hearing the dial tone, Fan Shengmei could no longer hold back her tears. She felt overwhelmed; the pressure from family and work was suffocating her. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on, nor how to resolve the trouble her brother had caused. While she was touched by Meng Yanchen's help, she didn't want to accept it easily, fearing it would affect her relationship with him. Fan Shengmei was plunged into deep pain and helplessness; the future seemed utterly uncertain.
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