Chapter 19: Unquestioning Filial Piety 19
Author: 打字机N号
T /N: This is MTL work. I tried to edit as best as I could, any mistake plz do put your comment and I will edit it ASAP. This is my first attempt on Chinese novel so please cheer me up! I hope you will find this novel as interesting as I do.
“Liu-zi, how come you are here?!”
Jiang Chuangen was so excited. However, when he looked behind Jiang Liu to find that he only came by himself, his eyes suddenly dimmed a lot.
“Why are you being hospitalized? Jiang Juan came to my house speaking nonsense and then ran away without saying anything at all.”
Jiang Liu used his foot to hook a chair from under the next bed before he sat down and asked the couple in front of him.
“Cancer. It is lung cancer.”
Miao Caifeng replied on behalf of his husband.
“You don’t have to run over just because of Jiang Juan’s nonsense. When we were separated, we already relinquished your responsibility. You only need to share one-third of the medical expenses if one of us got sick.”
According to the local custom, the married daughter usually not going to be accountable for her maternal family’s expenditure and debt. Therefore, when the family was separated, Jiang Juan did not get any part of the family’s property. Correspondingly, there will not be much money left to her in the end. However, the same could not be said about Jiang Hai. Due to the separation, he had received a lot of the family’s property since he will be the next head of the Jiang family. Therefore, if any of the old couple got ill, Jiang Hai needs to support two-thirds of the medical expenses.
However, when this matter happened, Miao Caifeng could not help but think about the money that she had secretly had given to her daughter all these years. Because she wanted her daughter to have a good position in her in-law family, she did not only accompany her daughter to her new house, she also had snuck 50 yuan inside her luggage.
She had never asked her daughter to perform the filial piety. At that time, when the other party came to the hospital to take care of the old man, helped him with his washing as well as sending the meal to the old couple, she felt that it was enough for her to do such things. But now, after knowing her father illness, she neither willing to pay the expense nor coming here to show some efforts and cares. It seemed that she was afraid that her mother will ask her for some financial support that she decided not to show her face anymore lest the trouble will come her way.
Thinking of her daughter’s calculation, Miao Caifeng could not help but felt chilled. Even those two children whom she had showered with love decided not to be filial, hence, Miao Caifeng really did not have any hope for the eldest son who was hurt by them to be filial instead. She had no face to let the other party take responsibility for the agreement that they had when they were separated. One of them was regarding the share in the medical expenses.
“Didn’t Yangyang and Xingxing advised you to smoke less?”
Jiang Liu was frowning as he seemed to admonish Jiang Chuangen. Their role suddenly changed with Jiang Liu looked like a father who was scolding his wayward child.
“I have been smoking for so many years, how could it be easy to quit?”
Jiang Chuangen smiled bitterly. Man are all like this. Saying that there were too many troubles at home so that they can only be comfortable when smoking.
“Wait a minute, Yangyang and Xingxing? Liu-zi, did you already knew that I have been secretly meeting those two children before?”
Jiang Chuangen suddenly realized this slip that he could not help widened his eyes as he looked at his eldest son.
It turned out that the things that he had been doing sneakily was actually not a secret at all. It was no wonder that when the two children saw him for the first time, they had been calling him Grandpa. It was no wonder that whenever Liu-zi came back to the village, he could always find the opportunity to meet and play with those two children.
It turned out that his son already knows about such matter from the beginning to end.
When he thought of his grandchildren who had been advising him to smoke less, it appeared that this was something that Jiang Liu had been instructing them to tell him. In these past few years, what had he done? This filial son who was hurt by them still willing to let his children get close to their grandparent. Yet he himself no longer willing to approach them anymore.
Jiang Chuangen tried his best to strain his eyes. He was afraid that once he let go, he will end up crying miserably in front of his son.
If he could think of it, Miao Caifeng naturally able to do so. Right now the face of the old lady began to show some regret.
“Did the doctor told you whether this disease is curable or not?”
Jiang Liu still had cold expression on his face. He was being totally indifference towards his parents’ movement. He did not even take the opportunity to amend the relationship between them.
“The doctor told me that it was fortunate that the disease was found early on. Therefore the percentage of survival is quite high. He told me that a few years ago, there were also similar cases like this. After the operation, that person still able to live well. Even then, technology and medical equipment were not as developed as now.”
Miao Caifeng replied to Jiang Liu’s question after calming down her turbulent mood.
“I only listened to what the doctor has told me. I don’t really understand these things. But I am sure that the doctor will not lie to me. If he said that there is a chance, I would not let your father died just like that.”
“How much will it cost for the treatment?”
“I don’t know, it should not be a small number. It could be at least thirty to forty thousand.”
Miao Caifeng hunched down. The amount of money that she will be able to collect will be at most four to five thousand yuan. That was because she had been responsible for the family’s land over the years. As for the money that came from thatch handicraft, the amount had been declining in recent years. The ancestral house also did not worth that much money. At the same time, his husband had also rented out some land to others. At most, they will add another six or seven thousand yuan. They can barely make up the money for the surgery fee.
At first, she thought that her younger son will help. After all, the treatment towards teachers had been very good in recent years. Although her younger son was only an ordinary teacher in a township primary school, his monthly salary has risen to 120 yuan, which is better than any ordinary workers. His salary was still a lot higher, and recently they had spent nearly 5,000 to buy a house in the county town.
As long as they are willing to sell the house and then borrow some money from their colleague, thy might be able to collect enough money for the surgery. If it is still not enough, then she could only thicken her face and see her eldest in order to make it.
But her younger son whom she had always been pampered since childhood decided not to take out a single penny out. This has completely chilled the old lady’s heart.
“Discharged.”
Jiang Liu said coldly.
“Hey!”
Miao Caifeng looked up sharply as she stared at him in dismay.
“Let’s leave the hospital. My health will continue to deteriorate staying here. I am already at this age. Even if I can cure it, I will only be able to live for a few more years. As the doctor said, surgery was meant to cut the affected things inside my body. Even without undergoing the knife, isn’t my body still alright?”
Jiang Chuangen was stunned at first. But then he smiled and grinned as he said that. However, inside his heart, he couldn’t help but felt sour.
Even his most filial son was not willing to cure him. Sure enough, they had thoroughly broken this child’s heart.
“Since the doctors have said that they can cure the disease, then, of course, it can be saved. However, the equipment in this small county hospital will not be able to deal with this kind of surgery. I will go through the discharge process today. I know some people in the hospital at the provincial capital. So, let’s go to the provincial capital to cure the disease.”
Jiang Liu acted as if he did not see the despair in the eyes of those pair in front of him as he continued in a calm manner.
“Provincial, provincial capital!”
Jiang Chuangen’s voice trembled. What his son was trying to say from the beginning was not to abandon him but to abandon the backward hospital. Instead, he wanted to bring him to another hospital with much better facilities in order to treat his disease.
“Going to the provincial capital will surely cost a lot of money.”
The level of the doctor at the provincial capital was definitely higher than those at the county hospital. The hospital will also be able to provide better treatment environment. Miao Caifeng was of course willing. Yet she still felt a bit reluctant. For most of her life, the farthest place that she had been to was this small county town. When she listens to those who had been to the city, it seemed that the standard of living there was quite high. She had heard that a common bowl of Yangchun noodles with little shredded pork pieces was sold at eight cents per bowl. So, you can imagine that the cost of going to the provincial capital will be even greater.
“Either way, we still need to spend tens of thousands of yuan, are there any differences? Anyway, I will find a way to make money. You can feel at ease.”
Jiang Liu scratched his head as he walked towards the door. For the first time, he finally showed some anxiety. They can see that he had been saying it so casually, but those tens of thousands were not something that anyone can take out whenever they wish so.
Even so, he still does not hesitate to send the old man to see a doctor.
“Son, dad feel sorry for you.”
Jiang Chuangen could not hold back his tears.
“I still have some money, it is not like I’m going to spend all of it on you.”
Miao Caifeng was calmer. She did not go out of control like the old man.
“After all, you still have your own saving for the future right? Didn’t you tell me that you will be relying on the younger brother who is more reliable than me? I am sorry if you find these word unbearable. When we were separated, you already told me that I do not need to take care of you when you are old. Therefore just because I took care of the medical expense, you should not think that I will also take care of you till the end. Save your own money. After all, you can still work in the field.”
Jiang Liu walked towards the door as he directed those words to the couple inside indifferently. Jiang’s old couple did not feel that Jiang Liu’s word was excessive. On the contrary, they even repented on the things that they had done before.
“I actually didn’t want to come over today. But since you are my day, what else can I do?”
While showing his back to the couple, Jiang Liu sighed as he stepped out from the room and closed the door as he walked away.
“I can’t help it ah. We really do not deserve him, ah.”
Jiang Chuangen was even more mournful. Miao Caifeng sat on the seat left by Jiang Liu, her shoulder sagged. She could see some dark spot in the form of circular imprint on the concrete floor of the ward. Miao Caifeng looked straight at it and then she wiped the tears on her eyes.
*****
“Ding – Raider’s task, Jiang Chuangen good feeling rise +5”
“Ding – Raider’s task, Jiang Chuangen good feeling rise +10”
“Ding – Raider’s task, Jiang Chuangen good feeling rise +12”
“Ding – Raider’s task, Miao Caifeng good feeling rise +25”
“Ding – Raider’s task, Miao Caifeng good feeling rise +15”
A series of notification sounded inside Jiang Liu’s mind. Right now, Jiang Chuangen had reached the full value of good feeling towards him. As for Jiang’s old lady who had the lowest degree of affection to him at the beginning, finally, he had already reached 98 points in her favour. He will be able to complete this task as long as he gets another two points from her.
“The host is doing very well.”
001 felt that its system’s worldview had been severely hit by the notifications. It was clear that in these past few years, there was no action at all from Jiang Liu in regard to these two task raiders. He did not know why when Jiang Liu offered to pay the medical expenses, the long-stagnant task suddenly coming to an end.
Yet, even when it was puzzled by the sudden development, it did not stop 001 from praising its host. As it said before, the process was not the top priority. What most important was the end result. Compared to the 001’s surprise, Jiang Liu felt that all this development was in accordance with his plan.
People are very strange animal. Even if you sacrifice something for others, you might not necessary get paid similarly in return. People will only feel that it was enough by showering the other party with a small form of gratitude. Therefore, from the beginning, Jiangliu did not intend to follow the original temperament nor like an old ox for that family.
The Jiang’s family has long been accustomed to the original body efforts. They even treated him coldly despite everything. Therefore Jiang Liu decided to take things differently. Right now, the two sides were like strangers who do not interfere with each other.
In order to do that, first, he made them realize that he was not born to be a labourer. He also wanted to let them realized that whatever treatment that was showered upon him all these years was due to their bias. Jiang Liu did not take the initiative to tell others about the mistreatment instead he use the public opinion in order to put pressure on the Jiang family.
Finally, when the old couple were facing the most difficult situation only to find out that their beloved children were not willing to help them, at that time Jiang Liu will appear like a saviour. By extending his help during their most vulnerable moment he can then harvest the maximum value of benefits from them. Jiang Liu just used the psychology technique that he saw various people in the construction site did in order to complete the task.
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