Chapter 184

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Once I graduate, who knows—if work isn't going well, I might just be like Sister and not put up with that nonsense anymore, quit my job, throw myself into business, and give it my all."

"Good, you've got ambition. We two sisters are of one heart, making money together. Who says women can't do business? I don't believe it, and I'm determined to make a name for myself, let them see that women are not one bit inferior to men. I'm going to make lots and lots of money, step all over those who look down on me under my feet, lose me, this capable subordinate of theirs, and let them regret it...."

"Li Xiao will definitely regret it; she shouldn't have treated you that way."

"And Wang Fan—that stinking brat isn't much either. Once he became Big Boss, he changed into a different person, cold and ruthless, without a trace of human warmth."

"Wang Fan has changed a lot; I hardly dare recognize him anymore."

"Right, my feeling wasn't wrong. This kid has changed too much; it's hard to accept at first sight."

"I heard Guben say..."

Lin Xiyu didn't hide it: "Something happened at his family. It seems his father is ill, late-stage cancer. Perhaps because of that, he was forced to grow up. With his former carefree appearance, managing an enterprise wouldn't command respect, and the employees below wouldn't listen to him."

"No wonder..."

Female Cousin suddenly understood, and felt a little pity for Wang Fan: "I was wondering why this kid changed so much. It turns out his father is ill."

"Don't spread this outside. Guben doesn't allow it to be said; I'm only telling you. I guess Li Xiao and them don't know either."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't blab. His family's mess has nothing to do with us. As long as he doesn't come looking for trouble or shut down my shop, I'll be thanking heaven and earth."

"He probably won't. Although the branch is responsible for its own profits and losses, it's also operating under the name of Ding Sheng, sort of propping up the facade for Ding Sheng. As long as it doesn't touch his fundamental interests, he won't put us little minnows in his eyes."

"Enough, let's not talk about him anymore. It's getting late; I should go downstairs..."

Female Cousin glanced at the clock. Seeing it was almost 21:00, she covered her mouth and yawned: "My dad just came back today. Let him go home early to rest. He and my mom definitely have a lot to say. I bet my mom will cry for a while. Now that my dad is back, I don't care anymore; let him worry alone. I've been coaxing my mom these past few days, my mouth is dry from talking every day, my lips are almost worn out. It's time to let my dad try this taste too."

"You're such a filial daughter..."

Lin Xiyu's words carried a double meaning, spoken with teasing.

A daughter who pits her father—certainly not filial.

Female Cousin caught the meaning in her words and laughed too.

——

The Fifth Day of the First Lunar Month is commonly known as Breaking the Fifth. Many people set off firecrackers on this day, from morning until midnight. The sound of firecrackers on Qinglong Back Street never ceased.

Guben got up early in the morning, first accompanied Grandfather to Jiefang Pavilion for a stroll, returned home to have lunch with the two elders, and in the afternoon took Lin Xiyu to the Military District Compound to celebrate the festival with Grandpa and Grandma.

After Breaking the Fifth, in the customs of old Jinan, the New Year was considered over.

From the Sixth to the Eighth, shops gradually began to open for business, and firecrackers were set off deafeningly.

The Small Commodities Market also opened for business. The streets, cold and deserted during the New Year, once again presented a scene of crowds of people.

People had a good place to stroll and rushed in like a swarm of bees, starting a new round of shopping.

Female Cousin was busy with the branch store's opening. Maternal Aunt went to the Small Commodities Market to look at the shop. Lin Xiyu was idling at home alone and suddenly had the idea to knit a scarf each for herself and Guben.

Taking advantage of her mother and Xu Yi's noon nap, she slipped out to the Department Store and bought some yarn to her liking.

Knitting a scarf isn't difficult. Cast on the stitches, knit downwards, no need for knitting patterns. With Grandma Gu's knitting speed, she could finish a scarf in a day.

Lin Xiyu wasn't as skilled as Grandma Gu, but her speed wasn't slow either. She knitted for a while whenever she had free time after buying the yarn, and before school started, she had finished two scarves of the same style and color.

She wanted to give Guben a surprise, buying the yarn and knitting the scarves all behind his back.

When the scarves were finished and she gave them to him, she indeed saw a look of surprise in those bright, spirited eyes.

A love-brand scarf hand-knitted by his fiancée—she had to show it off a bit.

So, after returning to Shanghai, the high-achieving senior and junior brothers from Fudan University's Law Department were sour again.

Being tormented by a fellow disciple who was obsessed with showing off and couldn't go three sentences without mentioning the love scarf, their stomachs were overflowing with jealousy.

As a result, one day Lin Xiyu suddenly became interested and went to visit Fudan University. To her great surprise, she discovered that the male students in the Law Department looked at her with resentful little gazes. Seeing her was like seeing a flood and a ferocious beast; they took detours from afar, avoiding her at all costs.

No choice, they had to avoid her. The dog-abusers were here again.

Single dogs can't take the hurt!

——

The Jinan people's enthusiasm for eating grilled lamb skewers was no less than that of Xinjiang.

In Jinan in the 1990s, barbecue stalls were everywhere on the roadside. A few small tables were set up on the curb, a few stools placed, and a big bucket of draft beer brought out. Without needing to solicit business, once it was time to get off work, people would naturally come to patronize.

There were many varieties of barbecue: lamb skewers, chicken wings, heart tubes, tendon strips, red kidneys, Ma Bu fish, and so on and so forth. Add a grilled sesame cake, and that taste was truly superb.

The most famous place in old Jinan for grilled lamb skewers was the Hui Minority Residential Area. The whole residential area was full of barbecue stalls, one next to another, with no empty seats.

People who came to the Hui Minority Residential Area to eat lamb skewers were mostly regular customers, patronizing the shop year after year. Some came so often that they became friends with the boss. Later, when they came again, they could enjoy a series of preferential treatments such as free dishes, discounts, and free meals.

Wang Fan was exactly this kind of person.

He ate lamb skewers in the Hui Minority Residential Area from childhood to adulthood, patronizing all the barbecue stalls and becoming buddies with the vast majority of the bosses.

Regardless of age, they were all uniformly called Brother. Even grandfathers with white hair were no exception.

——

On the Seventh Day of the First Lunar Month, Guben treated everyone, inviting them to meet at the Hui Minority Residential Area in the afternoon.

Wang Fan heard it was at the Hui Minority Residential Area and personally called a boss he was familiar with to reserve seats for eight people.

Qu Peng was still alone. Li Liang and Wu Meng attended together. Guben brought Lin Xiyu and Xu Yi, the brother and sister. He himself was followed by a bodyguard and assistant, never leaving his side for 24 hours.

Xu Yi heard they were eating barbecue and followed his sister around like a little follower all day, afraid his sister would go out without taking him.

When Guben came to pick people up in the afternoon, the little one clung to him again, hugging his arm and refusing to let go, calling him Brother-in-law, Brother-in-law, in such an affectionate way.

"This guy, as soon as there's something to eat, he gets excited..."

Lin Xiyu helplessly rubbed her forehead: "So useless. I wonder who he takes after?"

"Who else could she follow? Follow her old man, I suppose."

Chen Xiulan rolled her eyes at her own son, and the word "Dad" burst out.

For a moment there was silence in the living room, and everyone's breath paused for an instant upon hearing that word.

Since the divorce, Chen Xiulan had not mentioned anything related to Xu Weiguo for a long time.

During the New Year she also tried to avoid him as much as possible; Xu Yi's grandparents missed their grandson, Xu Weiguo came to pick someone up on New Year's Eve, but she did not show up, letting her son come downstairs himself.

"I'm not like him at all."

Xu Yi puffed his cheeks, looking a little unhappy.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey, why am I bringing him up."

Chen Xiulan came to her senses, spat hatefully several times, and felt it was jinxed herself.

"I heard from the lawyer that a key factor in winning this divorce lawsuit is..."

Guben originally did not want to bring up this person during the New Year and spoil the family's mood, but seeing Chen Xiulan say it herself, he no longer had any concerns.

"What factor?"

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed surprise: "Could there be some inside story?"

"That's right."

Guben said carefully: "During the divorce lawsuit, Xu Weiguo once told the judge he had a hidden illness and no longer had the ability to have children again, hoping the judge would pity him and award custody of the son to him."

"The judge did not listen to his one-sided words and stated there must be a hospital certificate."

"Xu Weiguo had no way out and could only go to the hospital for an inspection. Originally thinking he was just trying to gain sympathy, who would have thought that this check actually found a problem: he did not have a hidden illness or low fertility, but had a tumor in his kidney that had already worsened."

—

"Ah?"

Lin Xiyu changed color upon hearing: "Doesn't that mean he has cancer and is beyond saving?"

"That seems to be the case for now..."

Guben spoke vaguely: "The doctor's preliminary diagnosis is a malignant tumor; as for whether it can be cured, that remains to be seen, and a kidney transplant might be needed."

"A kidney transplant?"

Chen Xiulan asked instinctively: "How much would that cost?"

"At least one hundred thousand, I suppose."

Guben had already found out very clearly: "And even with money, you might not be able to get one; you need to wait for a kidney source, or have a relative donate."

"Oh my god."

Chen Xiulan hugged Xu Yi tightly, still frightened: "Fortunately we are already divorced; otherwise, with his selfish nature, he would surely force the whole family to donate a kidney for him. Xiao Yi, from now on you are not allowed to go to your grandparents' house again. When you see Xu Weiguo, keep far away, and never let him coax you into donating a kidney."

"Mm-hmm."

Xu Yi covered his small stomach and trembled in fear.

"The judge also took into account the cause of Xu Weiguo's illness..."

Guben patted his little head comfortingly and said: "Not only did he fail to care for his son, but he would also burden his son, so the final judgment awarded custody to the mother."

"He deserves it..."

Chen Xiulan spat hatefully: "He's rotten to the core, that's why he got sick."

"Being careful is right..."

Lin Xiyu had no good feelings toward Xu Weiguo: "This man is so selfish; he might really make his children donate a kidney for him—either Xu Jie or Xiao Yi."

"Xiao Yi, on New Year's Eve when you went to your grandparents' house, did they say anything strange to you?"

Chen Xiulan was both shocked and afraid: "Like telling you to be filial to your parents?"

"Uh."

Xu Yi was stunned and for a moment could not grasp his mother's meaning.

"It's coaxing you..."

Lin Xiyu spoke plainly: "Making you be filial, saying that when parents are ill you should actively take responsibility and donate a kidney to Xu Weiguo."

"Oh."

Xu Yi understood, and a flicker of fear crossed his little gaze.

"Did they say that?"

Chen Xiulan kept staring at her son, not missing the slightest subtle expression.

"Mm."

Xu Yi trembled in fear again and hummed weakly from his nose, his breath very faint.

"I knew it; not one of this family is any good."

Chen Xiulan was furious and cursed loudly: "Xiao Yi is still a child, yet they dare to set their sights on him, wanting my Xiao Yi to donate a kidney—why doesn't he just go die?"

"Xiao Yi, don't go to your grandfather's house anymore."

Lin Xiyu squatted down, hugged her younger brother into her arms, and comforted his frightened little heart: "Just as Mom said, when you see Xu Weiguo keep far away; no matter who coaxes you, don't listen."

"And Xu Jie..."

Guben, being meticulous, added: "That woman also needs special caution; if Xiao Yi doesn't donate a kidney, they'll want her to, and she surely won't accept it—she might deliberately cause trouble or strike from the shadows to harm Xiao Yi."

"Xiao Yi, did you hear?"

Lin Xiyu patted her younger brother's back comfortingly and whispered: "From now on, stay alert at all times and don't let Xu Jie near you."

"Mm-hmm."

Xu Yi understood and nodded hard.

—

Chen Xiulan and her daughter's premonition was correct: Xu Weiguo had cancer, tumors were found in both kidneys, and to sustain his life he could only get a kidney transplant.

He was an extremely selfish person, willing to abandon even his closest kin for himself.

The Xu family initially set their sights on Xu Yi, thinking a child was naive and easy to deceive, but Chen Xiulan had foresight; after learning of this, she did not let Xu Yi go out alone, personally picking him up and dropping him off for school.

Xu Weiguo had no choice but to pressure his own daughter using filial piety and family ties.

Xu Jie was no pushover; she refused to donate a kidney, and the father and daughter turned against each other over this.

During this period, Xu Jie came to the school to find Xu Yi just as Guben had predicted, using her father's illness as an excuse to coax Xu Yi to the hospital, intending to knock him unconscious and forcibly remove his kidney.

Xu Yi refused on the spot; while the siblings were tugging at each other, a teacher at the school arrived in time to stop them, preventing a tragedy.

After falling out with her family, Xu Jie found a wealthy older man and became his mistress.

The man's original wife brought people to their door to cause a scene; Xu Jie's five-month-old fetus was beaten out, she suffered massive bleeding, and died before reaching the hospital.

With this woman's death, Xu Weiguo completely lost all hope of a kidney transplant; he lasted less than a year before dying as well.

——

What happened to the Xu family had nothing to do with Lin Xiyu.

On the Seventh Day of the First Lunar Month, to cheer up his younger brother, after arriving at the Hui Minority Residential Area, he specially ordered the grilled chicken wings his brother loved most.

With the grilled chicken wings, Xu Yi's frightened little heart finally settled.

The little fairy ate with oil all over his mouth, instantly forgetting the unhappy things behind him.

——

"Mengmeng, is your family's matter resolved?"

Lin Xiyu was meticulous; while coaxing her younger brother, she did not forget her good friend.

"Not yet."

Thinking that her parents were still in the countryside and had not returned, Wu Meng found the lamb skewers in her mouth no longer fragrant.

She chewed listlessly, actually tasting a hint of bitterness.

"What's wrong with this family's lamb skewers? Is it spoiled? The meat tastes bitter..."

"You're just in a bad mood; don't blame the lamb."

Seeing the boss's wife look displeased, Li Liang hurriedly interrupted her.