Chapter 1: Driven to the Grave
In the hot summer holidays of July, the tarred roads exuded a pungent smell of lacquer under the scorching heat of the sun, as if they were melting.
The air above the ground shimmered as hot air evaporated under the heat.
On an extremely sunny day like this, the street was very quiet. Even the traffic flow was low. Everyone was in cooler places to avoid the heat.
Wearing a washed-out white shirt and pair of a dull suit pants, a woman dashed towards the Second People's Hospital.
Her hair was plastered to her sweaty face and her cheeks had an unusual flush. Obviously, she was badly scorched by the heat.
Her white shirt was wet due to sweating and she felt uncomfortable. But Qiao Nan had no time to worry about all that. She held tightly to her bag, where 100,000 yuan could be found.
She had sold all her valuables and painstakingly raised this sum of money. Her elder sister's surgery cost 200,000 yuan. She would have to find a way to raise the remaining 100,000 yuan.
Headed straight to the ward, as Qiao Nan's hands touched the doorknob, she overheard the conversation between the mother-daughter pair in the room.
"Mom, it was all Qiao Nan's fault. If not for her, Da Jun would not have divorced me." This was the voice of Qiao Zijin, Qiao Nan's sister.
"Stop crying, I've already disciplined Qiao Nan," said Ding Jiayi, Qiao Nan's mother, as she held her elder daughter's head, as her heart ached.
Qiao Nan, who was standing outside the room, was shocked. Hadn't her sister had an affair which resulted in Chen Jun divorcing her? But what did this have to do with her?
At the thought of Chen Jun, Qiao Nan felt a tinge of sadness.
Chen Jun was Qiao Nan's boyfriend. However, Qiao Zijin became pregnant with his child. Ding Jiayi chastised Qiao Nan for this. She said that Qiao Nan had malicious intent and was a small brute with no conscience as she not only snatched her own sister's boyfriend, but also forced her to abort the foetus.
Eventually, Qiao Nan had to give up the relationship with Chen Jun and allowed them to be together.
"Mom, Da Jun divorced me. My child is also not by my side and I have contracted this kind of illness. What should I do? Mom, I do not wish to die. I have not fulfilled my filial piety as a daughter to you. I really do not wish to die."
In the ward, Qiao Zijin hugged Ding Jiayi and cried. She was still so young and had a bright future ahead of her. Qiao Zijin really did not wish to die.
Ding Jiayi was extremely touched when she heard her elder daughter's intent to be filial to her despite being seriously ill.
Ding Jiayi patted Qiao Zijin's back and said, "No. Mom will not let anything happen to you. Owing to Qiao Nan, that wretched girl, Mom has already raised the expenses for you. When we have 200,000 yuan, you will recover soon."
Shortly after Qiao Zijin divorced Chen Jun, she had kidney failure and needed an immediate kidney transplant.
However, Qiao Zijin was in the wrong in this marriage as she had an extra-marital affair. Hence, she left the marriage without any maintenance or marital compensation. Now that she had contracted this illness, she had no means to pay for her medical bills.
Although Qiao Nan had been used to her mother's favoritism, she could not help but feel hurt by this conversation.
She was already 40 years old. After she broke up with Chen Jun, she never had another relationship. It was not that she was not willing to, it was because her mother would not let her.
Over the years, she had given most of her income to her mother. Her mother used the money that she had earned and bought a 150 square-meter suite for her elder sister. She had to stay in a 90 square-meter rented apartment.
She paid all her parents' household bills. Everytime her sister visited her parent's home, her sister brought something but also took away more when she left.
At this age, she was still not married and had been teased by others as being left on the shelves. Qiao Nan knew that her mother would not let her get married as she wanted her to continue giving her household allowances.
But this was her own mother. Every time she planned to attend a match-making session, her mother would make a fuss and threaten to commit suicide. Qiao Nan had no choice.
All these efforts seemed to be in vain when she heard her mother calling her a wretched girl. Especially after she heard that Qiao Zijin was pushing the entire blame of her extra-marital affair and divorce to her, she held on tightly to the money in her hand. Suddenly, she did not feel like giving the money to Qiao Zijin.
Before Qiao Nan left, she heard the last conversation which left her in utter despair.
"Mom, it's not so easy. What if I cannot find a compatible kidney even after Qiao Nan has raised the money? The doctor said that as long my next-of-kin could donate a kidney to me, the match would be better and my body would not face rejection so easily."
In the arms of Ding Jiayi, Qiao Zijin said pitifully, "If I could have a loved one's kidney, most likely I would be able to reduce my medical treatment expenses."
"It would not be so easy to find, some people died before the opportunity came!"
Qiao Zijin knew very well that money alone was not enough to solve her problem and allow her to continue to live on. She had to find other alternatives.
"Would you like me to go for the blood test?" Ding Jiayi asked with some hesitation.
Qiao Zijin shook her head again and again. Her mother was already old and her kidney was definitely not as good and healthy. Since she would be having a transplant, she might as well get a good one. "Mom, you gave birth to and raised me, I can't bear to let you go under the knives. Same for Dad as well."
"That..." Ding Jiayi thought for a moment, and her eyes lit up. "When the wretched girl comes, I'll get her to do the blood test. She is your biological sister. I am sure it will be suitable!"
"Sounds good. But Qiao Nan may not agree. After all, this is a kidney." Qiao Zijin had a scheming look in her eyes.
For the sake of survival and as a precautionary measure, she would never let Qiao Nan reject this.
"Miss Qiao, you came to see your sister. Why won't you go in?" Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi heard the nurse's voice at the door during the conversation.
Qiao Zijin's face changed greatly. "Mom... was our earlier conversation overhead by Qiao Nan, that wretched girl?"
Without a word, Ding Jiayi got up and ran out. She saw Qiao Nan's back and shouted her name loudly.
Qiao Nan heard Ding Jiayi's shouts. She refused to turn back or stop. Tears were rolling down uncontrollably. She was heartbroken.
For the sake of her mother and sister, she did not even have a home of her own. However, they not only schemed for her money, but also wanted her kidney.
Ding Jiayi might not have fully understood Qiao Zijin's words, but Qiao Nan did. The more she did, the more she hated. She felt that even if she had owed the Qiao family, she had sacrificed enough!
Perhaps maternal love was indeed "noble". Seeing that the younger daughter had run away, Ding Jiayi was afraid that the elder daughter's illness would not be cured. Ding Jiayi's steps quickened, caught up with Qiao Nan and fiercely grabbed Qiao Nan's hair.
"You wretched girl! You obviously don't have a conscience. You know that your sister is having such a serious illness, and you still want to leave her in the lurch. Come here..."
Qiao Nan's head hurt and just as she tried to tell her mom that this was dangerous on the street, a car came towards her.
There was a deafening crash. Qiao Nan was in so much pain that she could not speak. She forced herself to open her eyes as she wanted to see how her mother was.
Having released her hand when she saw the incoming car, Ding Jiayi was really scared. Seeing her younger daughter lying in a pool of blood, she ran over and said, "Qiao Nan, you... if you were dead, it might be a good thing too. At least you can help your sister. Zijin would have both kidney and money!"
If her younger daughter was killed, the person who hit her must compensate them.
When she heard Ding Jiayi's words, Qiao Nan gave Ding Jiayi a deadly stare. Before the ambulance arrived, she would have been driven to the grave by her!
Chapter 2: Fever
It was so hot. Qiao Nan felt like she was on fire, as if her entire body was burning to ashes.
After a long struggle, Qiao Nan finally opened her eyes. She did not see a white ward, but an old and familiar room.
"Mom, Nan Nan is sick, is it alright that we leave her alone?"
"It's fine. Your sister is very tough and used to a hard life. Such a minor illness will not take her life. Moreover, she will be starting school the day after. It is a good thing that she is sick, so that she can't enroll for school."
Concerned about matters related to her elder daughter, Ding Jiayi figured that if her younger daughter missed the opportunity to enrol for school due to the illness, she could then cajole the wretched girl to give up her studies and find a job to earn income.
"Mom, this watermelon is so sweet. Take a bite too." Satisfied with what she had heard, Qiao Zijin smiled and fed Ding Jiayi a mouthful of watermelon.
When she heard the dialogue between the mother-daughter pair, Qiao Nan, who had a high fever, finally knew where she was.
Time had turned back to 25 years ago and she was back at the house of the Qiao family. The then 15-year-old Qiao Nan had a high fever and missed the school's enrolment deadline. It was the year that she was cajoled by her mother to quit school and find a job to support Qiao Zijin.
That year, the night before Qiao Nan's fever, it was raining cats and dogs. Because it was autumn, the weather was particularly cold.
Qiao Nan remembered that she had covered herself with a blanket before she went to sleep that night. However, when she was awake and already feeling sick, the entire blanket was found at the end of the bed.
While Qiao Nan vaguely recalled that, when the rain was at its heaviest in the middle of the night, someone seemed to have entered her room.
Eventually, Qiao Nan was not covered by the blanket. Even the window by the bedside was wide open.
If this was not the case, Qiao Nan would not have gotten a cold and fever.
In her previous life, Qiao Nan always believed that someone had come to her room. As for the window that was closed before she slept and opened subsequently, she assumed that it was an illusion - that she was too sick and confused.
But this time, Qiao Nan did not think that was the case.
"Last night", someone must have been to her room. Not only had the person removed her blanket, but they had also intentionally opened the window. The motive was to cause her to fall sick so that she would miss the school enrolment deadline!
Just when Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin were spending happy time together, there was a loud bang that stunned both of them.
"Nan, Nan Nan?" Qiao Zijin's face, who was happily holding and eating half the watermelon, turned stiff. She felt extremely awkward as she held the spoon, and was undecided on whether to continue to hold or put it down.
Seeing the half of the watermelon in Qiao Zijin's hand, Qiao Nan laughed to herself.
Qiao Zijin was spoilt by their mother. Since a young age, she was overbearing and selfish. Qiao Zijin had a habit when eating watermelon. She like to hold half the watermelon and eat it with a spoon all by herself.
But it was in the 1980s now. Their financial situation was not as good. So every time Ding Jiayi bought watermelons, she would tell Qiao Nan and Qiao Zijin that she had only bought half the fruit.
But Qiao Nan saw it with her own eyes that Qiao Zijin was holding half the watermelon and eating it.
Qiao Zijin was allowed to eat half a watermelon. When it came to Qiao Nan, she would be lucky if she could have a "strand" of watermelon to eat!
"You wretched girl, why did you kick the door. Who do you want to scare?" Ding Jiayi's face, that displayed no sign of guilt, turned black. She pointed at Qiao Nan's nose and started scolding.
Qiao Nan was hanging on despite her sickness, "I have a fever. Where is the fever medicine?"
"What fever medicine? You've already finished it. There isn't any left." Ding Jiayi's eyes had a tinge of guilt as she said that.
Ignoring Ding Jiayi, Qiao Nan went to look for the medicine. In her previous life, she did not take any medicine and her fever worsened. She was not sent to the hospital in time and almost had meningitis.
Because of this, her family incurred extra medical expenses. This made her believed her mother's words that she had depleted the family funds to cure her illness. That was the reason that she quit school and worked to support Qiao Zijin.
"You wretched girl, what are you looking for?!" Qiao Nan's action had angered Ding Jiayi. Ding Jiayi grabbed and pulled back Qiao Nan's hair with her left hand, while she slapped Qiao Nan's face with her right hand.
The sound of the slap was cold and deafening.
With the slap in her face, Qiao Nan's ears were buzzing. Her face did not hurt but her nose was sore and painful. Her nose started bleeding uncontrollably, like an open faucet, staining the collar of her shirt.
"If you are sick, go and lie down. Stop being a devil!" Ding Jiayi gathered that Qiao Nan would not be physically strong enough. She wanted to drag Qiao Nan back into the room and let Qiao Nan continue to sleep. No matter what, she would not let Qiao Nan have her medicine.
If the wretched girl recovered, she would definitely enrol in school and waste their money.
Ding Jiayi intended to let Qiao Nan continue to be sick until a month after school commenced.
Want to have your medicine? Wishful thinking!
At this time, Qiao Nan saw through Ding Jiayi's plan. She would not be willing to concede. She banged her head against Ding Jiayi's body.
This move did not hurt but was too unexpected. Ding Jiayi was stunned and withdrew the hand that she used to pull Qiao Nan's hair. Qiao Nan took the opportunity to run out of the house.
"The wretched girl!" Ding Jiayi, who was a few steps behind, stomped her feet and shouted, "If you have the guts, don't ever come back!"
This was the first time that Qiao Zijin saw Qiao Nan rebelling. She was stunned. "Mom, what happened to Nan Nan? Didn't she used to obey you on everything?"
"Don't bother about her." Ding Jiayi patted her elder daughter's hand and did not seem affected. "Despite having a fever, she ran out and refused to rest at home. She is intentionally looking for death."
Qiao Nan, whose head was burning, only wanted to run, but she had no idea what to do after that.
Qiao Nan bumped into someone. The nose that had not stopped bleeding felt more sore and her tears started to roll.
"Be careful." It was a man with a deep and low voice. Compared to the hot June season, the voice that came to Qiao Nan's ears was cool. Qiao Nan's waist seemed to have fallen onto an arm that was as sturdy as steel.
As Qiao Nan regained her footing, she came to her senses only after shaking her head three times. When she looked up, he saw a pair of cool eyes that looked as sharp as a blade.
"You have a fever?" the man frowned when he came into contact with Qiao Nan's body. When he saw the blood on the Qiao Nan's collar, his sharp lips turned straight. "Follow me," he said.
Qiao Nan followed the man, feeling confused. It was only after she was seated on a soft sofa that she regained her senses.
"Fever medicine." The man's cold voice came, as he handed her the medicine in one hand and held a cup in the other.
Given her situation, Qiao Nan had no time to be shy about this. She took the medicine from the man's hand and swallowed it. She then looked up at the man carefully.
The man was very handsome - a chiseled face, thick eyebrows that exuded a sense of justice, straight and upright nose, charming but forbidding eyes. His lips were pursed, like he was unhappy. Qiao Nan could not help feeling a little nervous.
Chapter 3: Enlightenment
"Zhai... Brother Zhai?" Qiao Nan called out to confirm the man's identity.
"Yes," Zhai Sheng replied coldly.
Upon confirming that she had not recognized the wrong person, Qiao Nan breathed a sigh of relief. Same as Qiao Nan, Zhai Sheng belonged to the group of children who stayed in the same quad. He was different to everyone else.
He had done well since he was a child. Not only had he studied well, he also had a good physique and joined the army early. Unlike others who simply gave up their studies to join the army, Zhai Sheng continued to study and juggled both. He had not only participated in various fitness regimes in the camp, but he had also attained a Higher Diploma.
Because Zhai Sheng had both qualifications and experience, he progressed very quickly in his career based on his own ability without relying on his family, until he had attained the highest position. Even Qiao Nan's mother was often proud to have lived in the same quad as Zhai Sheng.
"Thank you, Brother Zhai." After recognizing the prominent man in front of her, Qiao Nan realized that her nose had stopped bleeding and her hands were clean. However, her clothes were still red with stains in the chest area.
The person who had helped Qiao Nan to stop the nosebleed was, of course, Zhai Sheng.
"No worries. You just took the medicine and you need to rest. Sleep for a while." Zhai Sheng nodded coldly and started reading the document, written fully in English, that was in his hand.
When Zhai Sheng said that, Qiao Nan felt drowsy. Upon closing her eyes, her body collapsed and she fell asleep in seconds.
Zhai Sheng looked up while reading and saw that Qiao Nan had fallen asleep. He took the thin blanket and covered her. While one was sleeping, the other was reading a book. There was a harmonious atmosphere as they were together.
This sleep took up the entire afternoon for Qiao Nan. When she woke up, the drug had taken its effect and also caused her to break out in a sweat. When she opened her eyes, Qiao Nan obviously felt more comfortable.
"You're awake." Upon hearing Qiao Nan's movement, Zhai Sheng's eyes lifted and looked at Qiao Nan's face.
"Thank... thank you, brother Zhai." Gazing at Zhai Sheng's eyes, which exuded an aura of power, Qiao Nan felt stressed and stuttered as she spoke.
"Are you afraid of me?" Zhai Sheng asked. From memory, Uncle Qiao's younger daughter did not stutter.
"No, no," Qiao Nan said with some guilt. She was thinking that there were few children in the quad who were not afraid of this face of Zhai Sheng.
She clearly recalled that when Zhai Sheng was about 10 years old, his face was small, fair and tender. In other words he should turn into a fair and handsome boy 20 to 30 years later.
However, since Zhai Sheng had joined the army, his fair face had tanned significantly with exposure to the sun, and it looked more scary than when he was a child.
"It's late now." Zhai Sheng did not expose Qiao Nan's lie.
Qiao Nan's face was white. Her two small hands were nervously clenched into fists on both sides. "Well, then I am going home," she said.
Seeing the pitiful expression on that small face of Qiao Nan, he was reminded of the kitten that he saw when he was out on a field mission during a rainy day in autumn. His heart softened and said "If you face any troubles, you can come to me."
Qiao Nan looked at Zhai Sheng with surprise. "Sure. Thank you, Brother Zhai."
Thereafter, Qiao Nan was embarrassed to stay in Zhai Sheng's house any longer. She had to return to her home.
Not long after Qiao Nan left, Zhai Sheng's elder sister Zhai Hua returned home. Zhai Hua sat on the sofa and was about to ask Zhai Sheng why he had come back, when she saw blood on the sofa and was shocked. "Zhai Sheng, are you hurt? What happened?"
"No." Zhai Sheng frowned. "The blood was left by the younger daughter of the Qiao family."
"Wait, no, why do you have blood on your clothes too?!" Seeing the blood on both Zhai Sheng's chest and sofa, Zhai Hua eyes flashed sharply. "Zhai Sheng, tell me honestly, did you bring a girl home? Were you so eager that you couldn't wait until you were in the bedroom?"
Zhai Sheng's wooden expression changed.
As he looked at the excited Zhai Hua, he sneered and said, "If mom and dad knew that you were reading this type of book, what do you think would happen?"
"Oh, today's weather is really hot. I did not see and don't know anything, my brother. I am going to take a shower." Zhai Hua's face turned pale. She dared to be rude in front of her brother. But in front of her parents, she was as obedient as a rabbit.
As Zhai Hua was going to take a shower and Zhai Sheng softened his raised eyebrows to continue with his book, Zhai Hua's face blocked his view. "No matter what, we are siblings. Are you really not going to tell me which girl you ruined? Our family does not tolerate a rogue like this. If the girl comes knocking at our door, your reputation will be ruined. It would be hard for you to continue working in the army. Since you slept with her, why don't you marry her?"
In the face of Zhai Hua's untrue accusation, Zhai Sheng said only one word. "Scram."
Thereafter, he went back to his room without a care about Zhai Hua's reaction. He changed the clothes that had been stained with Qiao Nan's blood to avoid causing further misunderstanding.
Qiao Nan was heading towards her house with a heavy heart.
After the fever subsided, Qiao Nan's head was more sober. She recollected the memories of that entire year.
Qiao Nan was born into a respected family.
It was just that her grandparents did not survive through the 1970s. After their death, her father joined the army with the help of her grandfather's good friend, and married Ding Jiayi.
The older generation were usually patriarchal, especially Ding Jiayi. When she gave birth to her first child - Qiao Zijin, Ding Jiayi consoled herself that she would bear a son next.
When Ding Jiayi was preparing to have a second child, a national planning policy was launched.
In order to have a son, Qiao Dongliang and Ding Jiayi were expelled from the party and lost their cradle-to-grave jobs. They were pregnant with a second child but it was their younger daughter - Qiao Nan.
This year would be Qiao Nan's third year at the high school. Qiao Zijin had taken the middle school examination and would be enrolled in high school soon.
Qiao Nan attended school earlier in the morning. Nevertheless, Qiao Nan had always performed well and was consistently ranked top in school. On the contrary, Qiao Zijin's results in school were not good. Qiao Zijin was dissatisfied about this.
In the previous life, Ding Jiayi lied to Qiao Nan. She said the family's money was depleted because she was sick. Even the money for Qiao Zijin's school enrolment was borrowed.
But a few years later, Qiao Nan found out that their savings had not been used for her medical expenses. It was her mother who had taken it to use for bribery for Qiao Zijin's sake.
Since her fever had subsided a lot, Qiao Nan breathed a sigh of relief. At least in this life, her mother could no longer hold her to ransom with her illness.
In this life, regardless of the situation, she would not quit her studies and work to support Qiao Zijin. She would lead a life of her own!
When Qiao Nan reached home, Qiao Dongliang was pushing his bicycle home as he was off-duty during this time.
Chapter 4: Favoritism
"Dad," Qiao Nan chased up a few steps, and called.
Qiao Dongliang was distracted for a moment. When he looked back, he saw his younger daughter. Due to her cold and fever, her younger daughter looked downhearted and lifeless. The blood on her collar made Qiao Dongliang jump. "How did you get this?"
Before Qiao Nan could reply, Qiao Dongliang said."Let's go home first and wash up. We will talk later."
Having said that, Qiao Dongliang carried Qiao Nan on his bicycle and rode home.
"Dongliang, you are back. Oh, Nan Nan, what happened?" In the small quad of Qiao's home, a 40 to 50-year-old woman was holding a basket of eggs in her hand. Her eyes widened when she saw Qiao Nan. "Have you been bullied? Why are you covered in blood?"
"Aunt Li." Qiao Nan's hands and feet were wobbly as she jumped and alighted from the bicycle. Fortunately, her father held on to her and she did not fall.
Ding Jiayi, who was taking out the money for the eggs, saw this scene and her expression turned black. "Aunt Li, this is the money for the eggs, please take it."
Aunt Li took the money, counted it, and said, "Good, your family's Nan Nan is pretty but unfortunately a little skinny. You have to give her some supplements."
Qiao Dongliang touched Qiao Nan's forehead and found that the fever condition was better than in the morning (before he left for work), but the forehead was still a little hot. He was not pleased when he looked at Ding Jiayi. "Nan Nan is still sick, why did you let her go out?!"
Aunt Li had not left. Faced with the accusation by Qiao Dongliang, Ding Jiayi was embarrassed. "What do you mean by this? It's the wretched girl. She was mischievous and insisted on going out. How could I control this "lord"?!"
When Qiao Nan heard this, she cried, "Dad, I had a high fever and was in a daze. But Mom and Sister did not care, they were sitting outside and eating watermelon. I got up myself and wanted to take some fever medicine but Mom said there was none left. I wanted to look for it but Mom refused to let me. She pulled my hair and gave me a slap. All the blood from my nose-bleeding was caused by the slap."
Aunt Li's expression was shocked as she looked at Ding Jiayi in disbelief. She was not sure whether to stay or leave.
Qiao Dongliang's expression changed. "Nan Nan, have you taken any medicine?"
"Of course she has!" Ding Jiayi raised her voice.
Qiao Nan, without looking at Ding Jiayi, shook her head with certainty. "No, I have been lying in bed, nobody cares about me. I haven't taken any medicine or drunk any water."
Qiao Dongliang was anxious that his younger daughter had not even taken medicine. He wanted to quickly take her to the hospital. "Nan Nan, do you have any strength to take the bicycle? I will take you to the hospital."
In the morning, when Qiao Dongliang saw that his usually diligent younger daughter had not gotten up, he went to her room and found that she had a fever.
But his wife said that she would take care of her, so Qiao Dongliang was not too worried. He did not expect to hear this from his daughter when he was back.
Ding Jiayi reached out and grabbed the front of the bicycle. "Which hospital are you going to? Don't spend money!"
Qiao Dongliang sneered. "I don't make much money, but I still have money for my daughter to see a doctor."
Ding Jiayi's face was stunned."Old Qiao, I don't mean that."
She did not look down on Qiao Dongliang or resent that he did not earn much money. It was because she was not willing to spend money on the wretched girl. Furthermore, Qiao Zijin would need a big sum of money for her studies.
Soon, Ding Jiayi's attitude softened, but she still refused to let Qiao Dongliang send Qiao Nan to the hospital.
"I mean, I really gave her the medicine. She was in such a daze that she couldn't remember it. It may be that the medicine has not taken effect. She will be fine after a while. You don't need to go to the hospital to spend money unnecessarily."
"Dongliang, I am leaving," Aunt Li finally said. She quickly said goodbye. But before she left, she said, "Dongliang, both are your daughters and there should not be favoritism. Nan Nan is a grown up. You do not hit a person's face. Furthermore, Nan Nan was sick; how could Jiayi do this to Nan Nan?"
At the thought of the blood from the nosebleed on Qiao Nan's collar, Aunt Li looked at Ding Jiayi with disapproval. Ding Jiayi was mad and wanted to tell Aunt Li to scram.
"Aunt Li, you can rest assured. This will not happen." Qiao Dongliang shot a look of blame to Ding Jiayi before sending Aunt Li away courteously.
Qiao Dongliang took his daughter back to the room and sat down, gave her a basin of hot water for her to wash up and change her dirty clothes.
When Qiao Zijin, who was hiding in the house, heard and saw the situation, she gave Qiao Dongliang a sensible smile. She then helped Qiao Dongliang to take care of Qiao Nan.
Seeing that the elder daughter was so sensible, the anger of Qiao Dongliang was lessened greatly.
When Qiao Nan was changing her clothes, Qiao Dongliang looked at Ding Jiayi and said, "Nan Nan's fever has not completely subsided. Where is the medicine? Give her another round."
Qiao Nan had just finished changing her clothes. Without a word, she stared straight at Ding Jiayi and wanted to find out what she would say.
Ding Jiayi was so angry that she looked at Qiao Nan and felt that he had given birth to a white-eyed wolf. When she saw her parents quarreling, not only did she not help, but she also wished that Qiao Dongliang would give her a scolding. "We have finished it. There is no more medicine left."
Ding Jiayi had not forgotten what she had said to Qiao Nan at noon. The words must tally with that in the afternoon.
"Has all of it been consumed?" Qiao Dongliang raised his eyebrows and said in a disbelieving tone,"I clearly remember that there was still half of the medicine left. You said it was gone?"
When she heard Ding Jiayi say this, Qiao Nan was very sure that she had not had any. Where had the other half gone? The reason why her fever was better was due to the goodwill of Zhai Sheng.
However, she looked for the medicine and could not find it.
Qiao Nan pursed her beautiful little mouth, blinked her bright eyes, and suddenly thought of a possibility. She headed towards the kitchen of the house.
"Nan Nan, what's wrong with you?" Qiao Zijin felt that Qiao Nan was behaving oddly and wanted to stop her.
When Qiao Zijin saw Qiao Nan going to the kitchen, she was at a loss. She felt that something was amiss and quickly pulled Qiao Nan's hand. "Nan Nan, you are sick now, you need to rest in bed and take medicine. No, there is no medicine left. Let's wait for dad to buy you some. After you take it, you will be fine tomorrow."
Qiao Nan firmly halted her steps and stared at Qiao Zijin with her deep and dark eyes. Her look made Qiao Zijin felt guilty, to the extent that Qiao Zijin's hairs stood up.
Seeing Qiao Nan's attitude towards Qiao Zijin, her parents could not help but frown.
Without waiting for Ding Jiayi to open her mouth to discipline her, Qiao Nan pushed away Qiao Zijin's hand and ran into the kitchen. She then dumped all the trash in the dustbin on the floor.
Qiao Zijin screamed. Impossible. Qiao Nan could not have known.
At the thought of something, Ding Jiayi's expression changed. She wanted to hold Qiao Nan back.
Chapter 5: Nutrition
However, before Ding Jiayi could reach Qiao Nan and order her to go away, Qiao Nan had found what she was looking for.
When Qiao Nan saw the fever medicine that was retrieved from the dustbin, she could not help it and her tears started rolling again.
Her mother was too heartless. There was apparently fever medicine in the house but she would rather throw it away than to let her have it. She would rather her be sick than enroll in school.
Qiao Dongliang, who has been following behind, also saw the medicine in the dustbin. He recognized it as the fever medicine that he had seen in the morning. "You told me that was none left? What is this?!"
Ding Jiayi, whose lie was exposed, blushed with embarrassment and then simply shouted, "The medicine has expired. I can't possibly give my own daughter expired medicine. What if she gets ill because of this!"
Qiao Nan firmly wiped away the tears on her face. "Mom, you just said you had already given me medicine? So, did I take the medicine or has it expired?"
Qiao Nan then realized that her illness and quitting of school was a ploy right from the start!"
Ding Jiayi held her neck straight. "Expired. If it has not expired, why do you still have a fever after taking the medicine? I am your biological mother. Would I harm you by giving you expired medicine?"
Qiao Dongliang was exasperated but also wanted to laugh at his wife's ridiculous words. "I know that this medicine has expired and there is no use taking it. But you just told me not to send Nan Nan to the hospital. You said Nan Nan would get well soon and we don't need to spend the money unnecessarily."
Having said something that contradicted herself, did his wife's pride hurt?
"Dad, the medicine did not expire." Qiao Nan took the medicine and ran to Qiao Dongliang. "You see, it did not expire!"
The expiration date of the medicine was printed on the back of its plastic packaging. The date clearly stated that there were a few more months to expiry.
This time, Qiao Dongliang was furious. "Ding Jiayi, what were you thinking!"
Obviously, there was medicine for their daughter, and she claimed that it had expired!
"You also said that you are Nan Nan's own mother. Does a mother behave in this manner? You would rather throw the medicine away than to give it to our daughter. And you said it has expired? Let me ask you again. Have you given the medicine to Nan Nan today!"
Qiao Dongliang was in the army. He thus exuded a sense of influence. He looked extremely scary when his face was as fierce as a tiger.
Ding Jiayi trembled. Her face was stunned and she could not answer for a long time.
Qiao Zijin quickly stepped before Qiao Dongliang. "Dad, it was my fault, it was all my fault. I must have seen it wrongly. I told mom that the medicine had expired. Mom had given Nan Nan the medicine. It was only thereafter that she realized that it had expired. She then threw it away. I'm the one to be blamed, not mom. "
With the elder daughter's support and cover for Ding Jiayi, she seemed to regather her strength. "She is my daughter. How could I not feel concerned? It's just a fever. She will recover after a good sweat. I don't know why you have to kick up such a big fuss and shout at me so furiously. Both old and young ones have no conscience."
"You." Qiao Dongliang was not good at words. Although he felt that something was amiss, he could not refute Ding Jiayi. "Nan Nan, let's go. I will take you to the hospital."
Qiao Nan ran to Qiao Dongliang and said. "Okay."
"Mom?" said Qiao Zijin, clutching and shaking Ding Jiayi's arm.
"Dad is going to the hospital with Qiao Nan. I don't know how much it will cost. The money is needed for other things and can't be wasted."
Ding Jiayi, who had come back to her senses, rushed forward to the front of Qiao Dongliang's bicycle and held the handle to prevent him from leaving.
Qiao Dongliang's bicycle swayed. Fortunately, he managed to stabilize himself by placing his foot on the ground. If not, he would had fallen down. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Isn't it just a fever? I said, she will be well after a good sweat. Take a look at the situation now. Don't go to the hospital!" Ding Jiayi insisted. "A trip to the hospital. Don't you need money?"
Qiao Nan leaned gently on the back of Qiao Dongliang and said softly,"Dad."
Qiao Dongliang's face was red with fury. "Ding Jiayi, did you do it deliberately? You said that you are concerned for your daughter. Nan Nan has a fever and you said she will be well after a good sweat. I can't believe you said that. The last time... I won't talk to you now. Hurry, leave me alone, or don't blame me for being rude!"
Qiao Dongliang remembered the last time his elder daughter had a cold. She only had a couple of coughs and his wife had been so anxious.
If not for the fear of upsetting Qiao Nan, Qiao Dongliang would have mentioned this matter to chastise his wife.
Qiao Dongliang was so angry that he grabbed his wife's hand, flung it away, then pedaled his bicycle towards the hospital.
"Enemy, every one of them is an enemy." Ding Jiayi almost slipped and fell. At the thought of her husband who was angry with her due to her younger daughter, Ding Jiayi was furious. "I knew that this day would come. I really shouldn't have given birth to her!"
If she didn't have this daughter, she and her husband would still have their cradle-to-grave jobs.
When Qiao Nan was born, the couple lost their stable jobs, and as a result, they had to live in this quad with no dignity. This daughter was out to ruin their lives!
"Mom, go home." People had made jokes upon seeing Ding Jiayi's scolding at the door. Qiao Zijin quickly held Ding Jiayi and brought her back to the house. " Nan Nan's fever will definitely subside. What is going to happen?"
If Qiao Nan was to continue her studies, what about her tuition fees?
"Rest assured. Your dad's words are not final. As long as I can convince the wretched girl to decide not to study, your dad will have no way to stop this." Ding Jiayi signed heavily, patted the elder daughter's hand as she consoled her.
Having lived with the man for many years, Ding Jiayi understood her husband well.
Therefore, the most important thing for her now was to find a way to deal with the wretched girl and make her quit school voluntarily.
"Mom, you are so good to me, I will count on you. When I am successful, I will definitely be filial and treat you well." Qiao Zijin hugged Ding Jiayi's arms and smiled.
Ding Jiayi laughed too. "Of course, you are my daughter, if you are not successful, who will be. It does not matter that I do not have a son. I still have a good daughter!""
When she heard the word "son", Qiao Zijin was very unhappy and pouted. Her mother would still have preferred a son.
At that time, in order to give birth to Qiao Nan, her parents were willing to give up their cradle-to-grave jobs.
She clearly remembered that, during that time, her pregnant mother was always holding her tummy and talking to her "son". All the delicious food at home was not given to Qiao Zijin. It went to her mother's tummy for the sake of her younger "brother".
In the end, she gave birth to a girl!
If this had not happened, she would be the offspring of government officials. Their situation would not be the same.
"Doctor, how is my younger daughter?" Elsewhere, after Qiao Dongliang took Qiao Nan to the hospital, he was very concerned about her condition.
The doctor put away his stethoscope. He saw that Qiao Dongliang appeared strong and in the peak of health. He then looked at the young lady. With a strange look in his eyes, he said, "There is still fever. The effect of the medicine is slower. It is faster if we put her on a drip."
🐣: I never knew what is unreasonable really mean till i read this novel, like how can someone be like that =_=