…
The hospital corridor reeked of medicine, the sharp smell stinging the nose.
Nurses hurried past, pushing IV stands.
Qiao Qingyan sat at the very edge, hands resting on her knees, her fingertips ice cold.
The emergency room door opened. The doctor stepped out, pulled off his mask, and his face was long and grim.
“The patient’s eye corner is badly torn. He needs surgery and stitches immediately. If we delay, his face will be ruined. Family members, go pay the hospitalization and surgery fees right away.”
Money again.
Back and forth these past few days, everything came down to that one word.
The men of the Qiao family looked at each other, heads hanging low, not a single one speaking up.
Qiao Rongkang picked at the seam of his pants.
Qiao Rongze lowered his head and took a long drag of his cigarette.
Qiao Dehai rubbed his hands together, and finally his gaze landed on Qiao Qingyan, who had been sitting silently in the corner the whole time.
He shuffled over and lowered his voice. “Yanyan… Rongwei only ended up like this because of Wanwan. So… how about you front the medical costs for now?”
Qiao Qingyan stood up from the bench and walked to the middle of them, her face completely unreadable.
Qin Shuyan stood at the corner of the corridor, watching quietly.
This woman, Qiao Qingyan, was unnaturally calm.
The whole thing had blown up like this, and yet she showed not a trace of panic.
When something went wrong in other families, the women would either scream or throw a fit.
But she just stood there, unmoving, as if she had known all along what was going to happen.
Too unusual.
Qiao Qingyan didn’t even need to think. She opened her mouth and said, “One thousand yuan. If you’re unwilling to spend it buying Rongze a job, I can take it back…”
“Then whose money is it in the end?”
The air seemed to freeze, even breathing grew quieter.
She continued. “Is it going toward Rongze’s new position? Or paying off the debt so the creditors don’t come and break his hands? Or maybe now, using it to save Rongwei?”
With every word she spoke, Qiao Rongkang’s and Qiao Rongze’s faces darkened a shade more.
Even Bai Wanwan, who had been crying nonstop, fell silent and stared at her blankly.
Qiao Qingyan finally fixed her gaze on Qiao Dehai, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smile.
“Come find me once you’ve figured it out.”
With those words, she turned and left without looking back.
Qin Shuyan watched her retreating figure, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
This woman—she was doing it on purpose.
Qiao Qingyan didn’t go back to the dormitory. She went straight to the old house in the countryside.
She walked along the muddy path, wild grass on the ridges scraping against her pant legs.
Pushing open the creaky, broken door, she headed straight for her small room, bent down, and dragged out an old wooden chest from under the bed.
Inside were the things her mother had left behind.
A brand-new silk cheongsam, never worn.
A pair of silver bracelets. And a few yellowed books.
These items were carefully wrapped, with a faded note pressed on top, written in her mother’s handwriting: For Yanyan.
In her last life, all of these had been taken away by Bai Wanwan.
Qiao Qingyan packed them up one by one, wrapped them in a piece of coarse cloth, and slung it over her shoulder.
She took one last look around this “home,” then stepped out and slammed the door shut behind her.
The Qiao family had just returned from the hospital and hadn’t even changed their shoes yet.
They saw Qiao Qingyan walking toward the front gate with a bulging bundle on her back.
Aunt Wu stepped forward and grabbed her arm.
“Qingyan, what are you doing? It’s getting dark out there. Where are you going?”
Qiao Dehai led the children inside. The house was eerily quiet.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the empty corner, and suddenly froze.
The old camphor wood chest was gone—along with the brass lock and the faded cloth curtain that had been on top of it.
He strode forward quickly, forcing a light tone.
“Yanyan, are you planning to sell your mother’s things? Is the money going to save Rongwei? Why didn’t you say something… You’re such a kind-hearted child, really…”
The bundle on Qiao Qingyan’s back bulged like a big steamed bun.
The moment he finished his last word, she cut him off directly.
“You’re dreaming.”
“These are things my mother left behind. They have nothing to do with you, and nothing to do with this family anymore. If you want to marry someone new and start a new life, then stop eyeing my mother’s belongings.”
Being called out in public by his own daughter, Qiao Dehai’s face flushed a deep liver-red in an instant.
He opened his mouth, letting out a few garbled sounds from his throat, and finally stammered, “I—I didn’t mean it like that! I was just… just worried about the family’s situation, trying to help!”
“Sis, how can you talk to Uncle like that?”
Bai Wanwan’s eyes were rimmed with red as she slowly stepped out from behind Qiao Rongkang, head lowered.
“We’re all family. Rongwei’s surgery fees can’t wait, and Uncle is just anxious. I understand you’re upset, but you can’t joke around with your brother’s life.”
Qiao Qingyan shot her a sidelong glance and suddenly smiled—a smile that was chillingly cold.
“Family? That sounds lovely.”
She took a step forward, staring straight at Bai Wanwan.
“Since you care so much about this family, since you feel so sorry for them, fine. The thousand yuan Rongze owes, the medical fees Rongwei needs—you pay for them. Standing there with your mouth open, playing the victim, leeching off others like a parasite—aren’t you disgusted with yourself?”
“You—”
Bai Wanwan was left speechless, her face turning green in an instant.
She took half a step back, not even noticing the handkerchief falling to the ground. She only felt a tightness in her chest.
“Qiao Qingyan, don’t you dare go too far!”
The moment Qiao Rongze saw Bai Wanwan humiliated, anger flared in his heart and he could no longer hold back.
He let out a furious roar and charged forward, trying to snatch the bundle from her arms while still shouting.
“This thing belongs to the Qiao family! Want to move it out? Not a chance!”
No one expected that the moment his hand touched the cloth, his wrist suddenly went cold as it was firmly seized.
Qiao Qingyan didn’t even bother to look at him. She swung her elbow back and slammed it hard into his ribs.
“Ouch!”
Qiao Rongze let out a miserable cry, his body involuntarily curling up.
He clutched his abdomen with both hands, letting out intermittent groans.
Qiao Qingyan looked down at Qiao Rongze writhing in pain at her feet, her face completely expressionless.
“I’ve already made it clear—this was given to me by my mother, and it has nothing to do with any of you. If you’re not satisfied, go call the police right now and see who they side with!”
The courtyard fell silent in an instant.
Only Qiao Rongze remained on the ground, rolling around and letting out muffled whimpers.
Qiao Qingyan stood still, her gaze sweeping across everyone’s faces before finally settling on their evasive eyes.
“Shut up! All of you, calm down!”
“Dad, I have an urgent mission in the military and need to return immediately. Take this money for now—Rongwei’s surgery fees… get them paid as soon as possible.”
He paused, then turned to look at Bai Wanwan, his tone cold and hard.
“Sister Wanwan, don’t be afraid. When I come back, I’ll stand up for you. If Qiao Qingyan wants to leave, let her get lost. From now on, this family will have no place for her!”
With those words, he didn’t stay a second longer. He turned and strode out of the courtyard gate.
Once the eldest son was gone, Qiao Dehai stood frozen in place.
That bit of money wasn’t much—not even half of what the hospital was demanding.
But to him, it was like grabbing hold of his only lifeline.
Before long, the entire courtyard was completely empty.
Only Qiao Dehai stood alone in the center, with the mother and daughter from the Lin family still standing under the eaves, unmoving.
Wu Xiufang reached out and wrapped her arms around her daughter, who was trembling with sobs, gently patting her shoulder.
“Old Qiao, look at this mess now… Rongkang just left, Rongze owes a pile of debts, and Rongwei is lying in the hospital. We two are left all alone—how are we supposed to get by in the days ahead?”