Changsheng: Peak at the Beginning

Chapter 1769 Ode to Joy + First Half of Life 33

Of course, Fan's mother didn't want to lose the house, even though Fan Shengmei had paid the down payment and was also paying the monthly mortgage. So she immediately tried to cling to Andy and use her tricks, but Andy dodged her quickly. So she could only grab Fan Shengmei's hand and keep crying.

The doctor who had just come out emphasized, "Please make a decision as soon as possible. The patient's condition is critical and cannot be delayed."

After gritting her teeth and crying twice, Fan's mother turned to Fan Shengmei and said through gritted teeth, "Xiaomei, you're beautiful and capable. This house is nothing to you, but your father and I are getting old. If your brother loses this house, your sister-in-law will divorce you! You can ignore your sister-in-law, but you can't ignore your brother and Leilei!"

"Lei Lei is your own nephew, he will definitely be filial to you in the future!"

Fan Shengmei felt like she had cried all her tears out, but when she saw her biological mother hinting at something, she never expected that her heart could feel even more pain.

Andy, adopting a pragmatic approach, said to Fan Shengmei, "Xiao Fan, look, I know your job seems alright now, but as a seasoned HR professional, you must know that many industries optimize their workforce when employees turn 35. Even if your salary seems decent now, and you could indeed pay back 100,000 yuan in three to five years, given your current savings situation, how long will it take you to pay back 100,000 yuan?"

"I do not lack money, but that does not mean I would waste 100,000 yuan without batting an eye."

Andy didn't mean to imply that Fan Shengmei wanted to get something for nothing, but Fan Shengmei was still so ashamed after hearing these words that she couldn't lift her head.

She gritted her teeth and told Andy that she understood the current situation. Then she turned to Fan's mother and said, "Mom, you are very clear about the current situation. If we don't provide the house, Dad will not be able to walk out of the operating room alive today. You will not be able to get his social security either. And I will be burdened with a debt of 100,000 yuan. I will not be able to pay your mortgage and give you living expenses every month like before."

"Whether you want to watch your father die or mortgage the house to borrow money for surgery to save him is up to you."

Qu Xiaoxiao quietly gave Fan Shengmei a thumbs-up to show her appreciation and support, and Fan Shengmei's almost depleted heart felt a warm current quietly flowing in.

Qu Xiaoxiao had mocked her quite a bit before. She thought she had used up all the face she had left in front of Qu Xiaoxiao by asking for a job opportunity. She never expected that Qu Xiaoxiao would be like Andy, willing to lend a helping hand when she needed help, and not saying a single word about her embarrassment.

Fan Shengmei's words did indeed put her mother in a difficult position.

If she doesn't get the property certificate, she'll have to watch her old man die; if she does get the property certificate, she'll face the reality of her son and daughter-in-law's marriage falling apart and her grandson losing his mother. But her genuine sadness and grief only make Fan Shengmei feel more heartbroken.

Fan Shengmei's attitude was very firm this time. She finally realized that with her small frame, she simply couldn't support the family that she had fed so much. So this time, she decided to cut her losses and stop letting her mother fool her. She would wait until her mother compromised and personally said that she would use the property certificate as collateral for the loan before she decided to go back and get the property certificate for Andy.

Before that, she even wrote an IOU for Andy herself.

After Fan Shengmei went back to get the property certificate, the only people accompanying her outside the operating room were her mother and the two sisters, Qu Xiaoxiao and Qu Xinxin. Andy went to help pay the fees.

When there was nothing else to do, Qu Xiaoxiao was quite easy to talk to. She took the initiative to ask Fan's mother, who was sitting there looking utterly hopeless, "Auntie, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? How about I go and buy you some late-night snacks? It looks like Uncle won't be out for at least another hour. If you collapse, Uncle will have Sister Fan to take care of him, but your precious grandson will have to be sent to the police station."

Originally, Fan's mother had a lot of opinions about Qu Xiaoxiao and her sister, but as the saying goes, although Qu Xinxin was so beautiful that she didn't look real, she was obviously not someone to be trifled with. So with Qu Xinxin keeping her in check, Fan's mother didn't dare to do anything.

Just then, Qu Xiaoxiao offered to buy her a late-night snack. She had originally intended to say something sarcastic, but when she accidentally met Qu Xinxin's cold gaze, she quickly withdrew and, after some hesitation, decided to take advantage of the situation.

Qu Xiaoxiao wouldn't let Qu Xinxin face Fan's mother alone, so she ordered takeout and whispered to Qu Xinxin, "Look at this person, this is probably what it means to be cunning and shrewd when you get old!"

Qu Xinxin chuckled and, mimicking Qu Xiaoxiao, lowered her voice and said, "Don't you think it's quite interesting? Her ability might be innate or cultivated, but being able to discern at a glance who is the most dangerous and who is absolutely not to be messed with in a crowd is also a skill."

Qu Xiaoxiao glanced at Qu Xinxin in surprise, then turned to look at Fan's mother, who still looked honest and kind but aggrieved. She felt even more strongly that some people are indeed not to be judged by their appearance.

A short while later, Andy returned with the payment receipt. She showed it to Fan's mother but didn't rush to take it back.

However, Fan's mother had quite a few ulterior motives. After reading it, she noticed that Andy was busy talking to people, so she secretly crumpled the receipt into a ball in her hand as if she wanted to "destroy the evidence".

Qu Xiaoxiao smiled silently, then raised her voice to prompt Fan's mother: "Andy, how many copies of this receipt are kept in the hospital's system? Can we reprint it anytime?"

Andy also noticed Fan's mother's actions and felt speechless. She echoed Qu Xiaoxiao's words, saying, "I heard that many hospitals are now connected to the network. Not only is the payment situation clear, but even medical records can be accessed at any time. Moreover, there is surveillance at the cashier, so you can even find out who paid the bill."

Fan's mother awkwardly untangled the crumpled payment list and returned it to Andy, trying to gloss over her self-deceptive actions with a string of thanks. Fortunately, no one intended to pursue the matter with her. Qu Xiaoxiao's takeout also arrived, and the group quickly ate something before continuing to wait outside the operating room.

However, good fortune did not completely favor Fan Shengmei's family. Just as the lights outside the operating room went out and Fan Shengmei and her mother were eagerly hoping for good news, the surgeon came out instead, bringing relatively troublesome news: "...We have just confirmed that the patient has a scaphoid fracture in her right wrist. We are currently contacting an orthopedic surgeon for a follow-up examination, but rest assured that the most dangerous moment for the patient has passed. Once the scaphoid fracture is treated, she can be transferred to the intensive care unit."

Fan Shengmei quickly asked, "What about my father's cerebral infarction problem?"

The doctor reiterated, "Because the surgery was performed in a timely manner, there is a high chance that the patient will regain consciousness. The biggest concern now is the risk of hemiplegia lasting half a day."