Chapter 442 - 158: The Mother or the Children?
"Are you trying to get me killed? Didn’t you see what happened to your father and your brother?" Liu Guihua cut Xu Chunyan off. After that last disaster, she was genuinely too scared to cause trouble for the Jie Family again. Qin Mei wasn’t afraid to actually use a knife, and while Qiao Yanqiu didn’t act often, when he did, he made a move that could have ended the Xu Family’s entire bloodline. To top it all off, Jie Jingchen had gotten their family’s main pillar sent to the Northwest for labor reform.
"WAAAH..." Xu Chunyan started crying again.
The sound of Xu Chunyan’s crying irritated her. Liu Guihua pushed Xu Chunyan away, got up, and went back to her room to lie down.
Qin Mei woke up late. As she was eating breakfast, Second Auntie walked into the courtyard carrying vegetables and meat, greeting Qin Mei with a broad smile.
"Second Auntie, thank you for all your trouble," Qin Mei said gratefully.
"What trouble? I love cooking, and with my two grandsons at school, I don’t have much to do anyway." Second Auntie was delighted. She knew that if she cooked for them, they would always treat her well.
Her family’s life was getting better day by day, and she owed a lot of it to them, especially Doctor Qiao. Now, she was even counting on Qin Mei to help her get rich.
Qin Mei smiled, hesitated for a few seconds, and chose her words carefully. "Second Auntie, have you ever been to the black market?"
At the mention of the black market, Second Auntie’s eyes lit up. ’Is Jing Si’s wife considering my suggestion?’ Second Auntie put the vegetables and meat on the stove, sat down across from Qin Mei, and, unafraid of prying ears, patted her chest and said, "Jing Si’s wife, let me be straight with you. I know every nook and cranny of that black market like the back of my hand."
"That impressive?" Qin Mei feigned doubt.
Second Auntie got defensive. "I’ve been to the black market and never once been caught."
"You’ve never even run into a patrol?" Qin Mei asked. She had been a few times herself and had already run into patrols twice. She was even caught the first time. It was only because Qin Xiang had helped her scale a wall yesterday that she avoided capture.
"How’s that possible? Walk a dark road long enough and you’re bound to see a ghost. How could I never run into a patrol?" Second Auntie said.
"Are you close with the patrols?" Qin Mei asked with a smile.
Second Auntie shook her head. "Not at all. You only get to know them after you’ve been caught. Since I haven’t been, we’re not familiar. I have my ways of avoiding the patrols. Jing Si’s wife, I can guarantee you, if I’m the one taking things to the black market to sell, it’ll be perfectly safe."
Seeing the supremely confident Second Auntie, Qin Mei knew she had misunderstood. Deciding not to beat around the bush, Qin Mei asked directly, "In that case, do you know an Old Zhang?"
"Old Zhang?" Second Auntie looked blank, asking in confusion, "Which Old Zhang?"
"The Old Zhang who sells medicinal herbs at the black market," Qin Mei said.
Second Auntie’s expression changed. Her demeanor became a little strange as she asked, "What are you asking about him for?"
Qin Mei raised an eyebrow slightly. "I’ve bought herbs from him a few times. I slipped away to the black market yesterday hoping to buy some more, but I didn’t see him."
A look of horror crossed Second Auntie’s face. She glanced outside the kitchen and then said to Qin Mei in a low voice, "Jing Si’s wife, take a word of advice from your Second Auntie. Don’t go looking to buy herbs from Old Zhang. If you need herbs, I can take you to someone else, or I can even take you up the mountain to dig for them yourself."
"Why?" Qin Mei asked, confused.
"Old Zhang has a bad class background," Second Auntie said.
Qin Mei was taken aback for a moment, but not surprised. Old Zhang made money selling herbs, yet his living conditions, especially his housing, never improved. In this era, people with bad class backgrounds weren’t considered worthy of a comfortable life.
"I heard Old Zhang broke his leg while gathering herbs," Qin Mei said tentatively.
"Serves him right. It’s karma," Second Auntie cursed, completely devoid of sympathy.
Qin Mei frowned almost imperceptibly. "Second Auntie, do you have a grudge against Old Zhang?"
"No." Second Auntie shook her head. Seeing Qin Mei’s confused gaze, she waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, let’s not talk about him anymore. It’s bad luck. It’ll affect our fortune."
Qin Mei was speechless. Second Auntie was very superstitious. She didn’t have any personal grudge or feud with Old Zhang; she was simply going along with the crowd. Considering Second Auntie’s personality, it wasn’t surprising. People of this era were extremely hostile towards those with bad class backgrounds.
"Second Auntie, Jing Qi is home. Could you please keep an eye on him for me? I’m going out for a bit." Qin Mei got up and took her bowl and chopsticks to wash them.
"Jing Si’s wife, give those to me. I’ll wash them." Second Auntie snatched the bowl and chopsticks from her hands and began washing them deftly. In her eyes, Qin Mei’s hands weren’t for doing chores; they were for making money.
Qin Mei didn’t fight her for it. She walked out of the kitchen and asked Qin Xiang to take her to the hospital. She wanted to check on Old Zhang’s condition.
Jie Jingjue’s bicycle had been stolen, so Qin Xiang rode the one that had been bought for Qin Mei.
「At the hospital.」
As soon as Qin Xiang stopped the bicycle, Qin Mei hopped off and headed for the hospital entrance.
"Little Sis, wait for me!" Qin Xiang called out.
"Big Bro, you don’t need to come with me. Just watch the bike so it doesn’t get stolen too," Qin Mei said without stopping or looking back.
Qin Xiang was very obedient and sat on the bicycle to wait for Qin Mei.
Passing the payment counter, Qin Mei saw a familiar figure queuing up to pay. She changed direction and walked toward the person.
"Jie Jingsi." Qin Mei tapped Jie Jingchen on the shoulder.
Jie Jingchen started, looking at Qin Mei with some surprise. "Meimei, what are you doing at the hospital?"
Qin Mei didn’t answer his question. She looked Jie Jingchen up and down, then snatched the form from his hand. She hadn’t thought much of it, but one look shocked her.
"Meimei..."
"You..."
They both spoke at the same time. A flicker of panic crossed Jie Jingchen’s eyes, while Qin Mei’s face was a mask of astonishment.
"Who is the family of the pregnant patient, Wang Meili?" a nurse called out urgently.
"I am..." Before Jie Jingchen could finish, a look of frustration flashed in his eyes. He grasped Qin Mei’s shoulders and said hurriedly, "Meimei, it’s not what you think. I’m going to check on her. I’ll explain in a minute."
Qin Mei was a little dazed. ’Pregnant woman... family...’
"Pay the fee." Jie Jingchen had Qin Mei take his place in the queue to pay, while he ran over to the nurse.
"The patient is in critical condition. There’s a risk of losing three lives at once," the nurse said.
’Three lives at once?’ A grave, worried look settled on Jie Jingchen’s face. His amber eyes turned to Qin Mei, who was smiling at him. That smile was particularly jarring. Jie Jingchen’s heart skipped a beat. ’Oh no, did my wife misunderstand?’
"Comrade," the nurse said, her expression souring. She was talking to him about a life-and-death matter, and he was staring at another woman.
Jie Jingchen strode over to Qin Mei, grabbed her by the wrist, and started running, calling back to the nurse, "Where is she?"
The nurse was baffled. She didn’t register what was happening and reflexively asked, "Who?"
Jie Jingchen’s brow twitched. He coldly bit out two words. "The patient."
The nurse was silent for a few seconds, her scrutinizing gaze sweeping over the two of them before she said flatly, "Follow me."
"Meimei, this is a matter of life and death—three lives, even..."
"What does that have to do with me?" Qin Mei sneered, cutting him off. His panicked expression was like a sharp blade slashing mercilessly at her.
"It’s my responsibility," Jie Jingchen said, his expression grave and tinged with urgency.
Qin Mei’s pupils contracted. She was so choked with resentment she couldn’t speak, Jie Jingchen’s words echoing in her mind.
"It’s my responsibility."
Her thoughts in turmoil, Qin Mei’s body went rigid. She let Jie Jingchen pull her along, mechanically following his steps.
The nurse led them to an examination room. Seeing them, the doctor providing emergency treatment to the patient erupted in fury. "What are you doing bringing them in here?"
"They’re... the patient’s family," the nurse said in a small voice.
Hearing the word "family," the doctor’s expression softened slightly. He briefly and concisely explained the patient’s condition, then told the nurse to take them out to sign the papers.
"Sign? Sign what?" Qin Mei’s mood was foul, so her tone was naturally sharp.
The doctor didn’t get angry; it was normal for family members to be emotional. He explained, "Sign the consent for surgery. The patient is in a dangerous condition. Any more delays and we could lose all three lives at any moment."
Qin Mei glanced at the pregnant woman on the hospital bed. Her condition was indeed critical. Five months pregnant, and with twins... surgery at this stage would undoubtedly mean...
Qin Mei’s icy gaze landed on Jie Jingchen. She still forced herself to ask a heartless question. "Do you want to save the mother or the children?"
"..." Jie Jingchen.