Chapter 3: Reborn in the Nineties: The Tyrant Flower Chapter 3 Furious Retort

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Chai Mi

"Da Ya, let's not stay in the hospital. I'm feeling much better now. We're ordinary folks; a headache or fever, take some painkillers and it'll pass." Su Wan lay on the hospital bed, an IV drip hanging, and nagged Chai Mi in a low voice: "If it really won't do, have the doctor prescribe some medicine, we'll go home, get the same shots at the clinic, save a good bit of money. Staying in the hospital one night costs sixteen yuan; your dad goes out doing odd jobs for a day and earns just over ten yuan……"

Ever since Chai Mi finished the admission procedures, Mother Su Wan kept nagging that Chai Mi spent money recklessly, didn't know how to manage a household.

"What are you saving money for? To prepare my dowry, or leave it for my dad so he can go support my grandparents and that whole big family?" Chai Mi was getting annoyed by Su Wan's nagging, said somewhat impatiently: "Mom, you're sick, just focus on getting treated. We won't stay more than three or five days; once you're completely better, we'll talk about other things."

Su Wan was choked up by Chai Mi's retort, stared at the drip-drip-drip IV bottle and lowered her head, silent.

Suddenly, the ward door opened, and in walked a man wearing a cheap gray-brown suit, jacket unbuttoned, a dark blue short-sleeve shirt with deep sweat stains, a pair of black cloth shoes caked with mud, sweating profusely, holding a red-checkered small quilt, inside which a tiny infant was bawling.

The arrivals were precisely Chai Mi's father Chai Youqing and her newly born half-month-old little sister Chai Xin.

When Chai Mi looked further back, Chai Xiu was hiding outside the door crack, cupping her hands around her eyes, peeking carefully through the crack at the situation inside the ward.

Chai Mi froze a moment, stood up, and complained: "Dad, how come you brought Chai Xin here? Are you afraid Mom won't be tormented to death by her?"

Although Chai Xin was also Chai Mi's biological younger sister, Chai Mi's impression of this sister was terrible to a bizarre degree. In the previous life, because Mother died early, Chai Mi went out to work to support two younger sisters; Chai Xin was only two or three then, mostly raised by Father and grandparents.

Result……

Chai Mi even hehe'd.

Chai Xin grew up smoothly into a "only speaks human words, doesn't do human deeds" person, plus eating from one bowl while serving another, wolf-hearted dog-lunged white-eyed wolf. Chai Xin actually ended up refusing to acknowledge this sister and Second Sister, and brazenly said her status wasn't high, her origins lowly, all because her mother was lowly and incapable, shouldn't have given birth to her and such words.

Chai Mi angrily cut ties with Chai Xin completely; for a long time after, Chai Xin grew into an adult, but due to being influenced too deeply by Wang Huirong and others, she made a fortune selling fake seeds and fake fertilizer with a rotten conscience, then opened a baijiu distillery, produced fake alcohol, harmed countless people, eventually ended up in prison, and only when she died alone in prison did she regret it too late.

The moment she thought of Chai Xin's deeds in the previous life, Chai Mi's anger flared up: "Take her far away from me; just looking at her annoys me."

Chai Youqing froze, didn't know why Chai Mi would speak like this, but seeing Chai Mi's complexion wasn't good, Chai Youqing only explained: "The child's hungry, won't take milk, I can't bear it, so I brought her over for your mom to carry."

"Mom's current condition……" Chai Mi pointed at Mother Su Wan, whose face was somewhat pale, lips even turning purple, spread her hands, frowned displeased: "Mom can barely take care of herself……"

"What about it?" Chai Mi stepped forward, eyes fixed tightly on Chai Youqing: "Still learning from you selling the family's old cow — before sending the old cow to the slaughterhouse, you still let the calf eat and drink its fill before the journey. Normally those two old ones meddle in everything; a single blade of grass in the field, they'd make a big show of saying Mom didn't work, didn't clean up the field properly. Now something this big really happens, how come they play dead and don't care?"

Chai Youqing frowned tightly, scolded: "Chai Mi, you're not a child anymore, how come your words are full of barbs? Your sister can't be left to starve to death either……"

Su Wan on the hospital bed struggled to sit up, said: "Give me Third, I'll breastfeed……"

Seeing Mother's attitude, Chai Mi couldn't say too much more, afraid Mother would get agitated and worsen her condition, only muttered in a low voice: "Raise her big, still a white-eyed wolf. I'll go buy a bag of milk powder……"

Su Wan took the child, eyes full of doting love looking at Chai Xin, patting Chai Xin's back while coaxing: "Baby don't cry, baby don't cry, missed Mommy, right…… look how hungry you are, it's all Mommy's fault……"

Chai Mi shook her head, turned and left the ward, went downstairs to the small supermarket next to the hospital, bought a bag of milk powder, a bag of soy milk powder, then went to the dumpling shop next door and packed a portion of leek-and-egg dumplings, then bought a big bunch of bananas, a handful of hawthorns, several muskmelons and several ice cream bars, and returned to the ward.

Arrived at the ward to find Chai Xin already asleep next to Mother Su Wan, while Chai Xiu half-squatted on the hospital bed, looking somewhat at a loss.

Chai Youqing, however, had pulled open the window, lit a cigarette, and was smoking puff by puff.

Chai Mi knitted her brows, asked: "Dad, Mom worked herself exhausted for Grandpa and Grandma, now she's hospitalized — shouldn't the medical expenses be paid by Grandma and Grandpa?"

Chai Youqing's face showed an incredulous expression: "Uh…… this won't cost that much money……"

Chai Mi rolled an eye: "This isn't just about money. I think it's still better to spell things out clearly. Dad, you go home and ask Grandpa and Grandma — whose land is that plot really? If they say, once that plot is cleared, it's our own family's, then Mom worked herself to ruin, serves her right, we'll pay whatever it costs to treat her. If the two old ones say that plot is theirs, then pay Mom's medical expenses and nutrition fees and all that."

Chai Youqing was obviously somewhat unhappy: "Chai Mi, what are you saying? Aren't those your Grandpa and Grandma?"

"My Grandpa and Grandma didn't raise only you one son — wait till the work's done, they turn around and say that plot is theirs. They say real brothers settle accounts clearly; even father and son, men, have to get things said clearly. Otherwise, later if you're willing to help the two old ones work, you go yourself, Mom won't go." Chai Mi said coldly: "Also, a few years ago Grandpa and Grandma borrowed seven or eight thousand yuan, saying Third Uncle needed money to build a new house; so many years have passed, not a penny of interest returned. Best ask about that too. Chai Xiu's reached the age to go to school, still no money for tuition, can't live this life? My sister's not going to school?"

Chai Youqing was retorted into speechlessness, turned to look at Su Wan; Su Wan lowered her head, didn't speak, but in her heart silently agreed with Chai Mi's words.

Su Wan's thinking was simpler: that plot of wasteland had ten-odd mu of fields, a not-small income; she also wanted, after clearing it, for her own family's life to be a bit better.

The hospital ward fell into a long silence.

Chai Youqing looked at his wife and children dressed in somewhat worn-out clothes, smoked another cigarette, then went downstairs and returned home.

After Chai Youqing left, Chai Mi had Mother Su Wan eat some dumplings and fruit, then went to fetch boiled water, brewed tea and drank some; Su Wan's complexion slowly improved.

Chai Mi turned her head to look at the two younger sisters, sighed: "Chai Xiu, you, why didn't you stay home honestly, what did you come to the hospital for?"

Chai Xiu, scolded by Chai Mi, felt wronged and tears immediately welled up, muttered in a low voice: "Grandma told Dad to bring Mom home, at home they all started quarreling, saying what tiny little broken thing, just hospitalize hospitalize…… what kind of family is this, is it a disease that can kill? Truly stinking shameless, treating money like it's not money…… doing how much broken work, just pretending to be sick…… giving birth to three damn girls and still growing skills……"

Chai Mi glanced sideways at Chai Xiu, complained about her childish indiscretion.

Su Wan, however, heard and all the grievance in her heart surged up: "Your Grandma…… really treats your Mom as clueless……"

Speaking, Su Wan's tears fell pattering: "Giving birth to girls, just don't treat me as human…… I……"

Chai Mi sighed: "Alright alright, it's fine Mom. Let that old shrew Lao Diao Pozi explode, let her make a scene all she wants. Mom, once you're better, you go to my Da Jiu's house with Third and stay a few days, whoever calls you don't come back. You can't beat Wang Huirong, watch me."

Chai Mi's mouth curled in a cold laugh: "If she doesn't spend this medical money, we'll say nothing, later we won't work for them. That money they owe us, I'll tear the face off and demand it back."

Chai Mi paused, looked at Chai Xin in Su Wan's arms: "In a few days Third's Full Moon Wine. I'll notify all our family's relatives; when the time comes, Mom you don't come back. I'll throw them a Full Moon Wine with no child; I'll make them lose face in front of all relatives and friends…… whoever asks me, where's the child? I'll say Grandma bullied Mom, Mom dares not go home…… let's see how they handle it then……"