She was still short 5,000 yuan.
Chen Mengyao lowered her head, staring at the small wallet stuffed with crumpled bills—blue ones, green ones, and only a few scarce red notes. These were the savings she had earned back in Sichuan and Chongqing, working part-time while preparing for the college entrance exam. It was all the money her family had left. Even if she put it all together, there was still a 5,000 yuan gap she could not fill.
For Lu Chen, 5,000 yuan was less than a drop in the ocean. Even if it fell to the ground, he wouldn’t so much as glance at it, let alone bother picking it up. But for Chen Mengyao right now, it was like a mountain crushing down on her slender shoulders, suffocating her.
Her pink lips pressed tightly together as her delicate, jade-like fingers curled into fists, nails digging into her palms. She glanced toward the nurse, biting her lip, hesitated for a moment, then finally gathered the courage to whisper, “Nurse sister, could you lend me 5,000 yuan? I’ll repay you very soon.”
The nurse shook her head slightly, sighing. “I’m sorry, girl. I’m just a worker myself, and I don’t have that kind of money. Besides, even if I helped you this time, after the surgery there will still be expensive hospitalization fees.”
Hearing this, Chen Mengyao froze, her pretty face turning pale. That’s right, even if the surgery went smoothly, the hospital fees afterward would still require a huge sum. What should she do? Unless they gave up their rented apartment, there was no way she could raise that money in such a short time. But if they gave up the apartment, where would her mother and Chen Xuening live afterward?
Her eyes dimmed, and bitterness filled her heart.
“Girl, if you have any relatives, contact them quickly,” the nurse said sympathetically.
Chen Mengyao shook her head and forced a faint smile. “Thank you for your concern, nurse sister. I understand.”
Relatives… she had none in Yanjing City. Not just here—she had no relatives anywhere anymore.
The nurse realized the truth, surprised at how pitiful this beautiful girl’s life was, and tried to comfort her. “Don’t be too sad. Things will work out somehow.”
At that moment, the chief female doctor from earlier came over again and asked, “Well? Have you paid the surgical fee yet? The patient’s condition can’t be delayed.”
The nurse shook her head, looking troubled. The doctor immediately understood from that look. She turned her gaze to Chen Mengyao. The girl before her was about the same age as her own daughter, someone who should be enjoying the beauty of youth. Yet her eyes were filled only with helplessness and exhaustion, no light within them.
“Sigh…” The doctor softened, walked forward, and said gently, “How much is left? I’ll cover it for now.”
“It’s alright.” The doctor smiled warmly, handing her a bank card. “There’s 5,000 yuan in here. Make sure to deposit it into the surgical account immediately.”
“Mhm, thank you, doctor sister.” Chen Mengyao nodded quickly, her eyes reddened as she choked out her thanks.
“Go pay quickly,” the doctor said with a faint smile, then turned to leave.
“Doctor sister, I’ll repay you as soon as I can,” Chen Mengyao promised again.
The doctor patted her head tenderly. “Child, don’t worry about it. You’re still young—there’s time for everything.” Then she turned and left.
Chen Mengyao stood frozen, tears spilling uncontrollably. Receiving help from a stranger felt heavy—it wasn’t easy to accept because she had no way to repay the kindness. She could only etch it deeply in her heart.
Without delay, she hurried to pay the surgical fee. Once it was done, her strength seemed to drain away. She leaned against the wall and slid slowly down to the ground, exhausted.
“Sister, here’s a tissue…” Chen Xuening, who had been quietly obedient all this time, ran over with a piece of white tissue.
Chen Mengyao wiped away her tears, then pulled her little sister into her arms. This was the second time she cried. “Xiao Ning, thank you,” she said hoarsely.
The little girl patted her back softly and comforted, “Sister, don’t be sad. Once Mom wakes up, let’s find a cheaper place to live together, okay?” Afraid her sister wouldn’t agree, she quickly added, “Don’t worry, sister, I’ll be very obedient. I promise I won’t upset you or Mom.”
Looking at her sister’s sensible expression, Chen Mengyao’s heart ached unbearably. She said nothing, only hugged her tightly.
…
An hour later, the light outside the operating room finally went out. The same female doctor came out, and Chen Mengyao immediately rushed forward.
Hearing this, Chen Mengyao finally let out a breath of relief, joy showing on her delicate face.
But then the doctor sighed, her voice shifting. “However… the underlying cause of your mother’s long illness still hasn’t been resolved. She will need further surgery to treat it properly.”
Chen Mengyao’s body trembled.
The doctor looked at her with eyes full of pity and said after a pause, “The next stage of surgery, combined with hospitalization and medication, will conservatively cost 300,000 yuan—and that doesn’t rule out other expenses.”
“This isn’t truly a serious illness, but because treatment was delayed for so long, the best time for surgery has already passed. If it continues to be delayed, with her current state, your mother will only be able to live for another two and a half years at most.”
Chen Mengyao froze, her mind blank. Her eyes filled with worry and helplessness. 300,000 yuan… Where could she ever find that amount?
The doctor patted her shoulder softly. “I can help you apply for the hospital’s poverty aid fund. You should also try seeking help from society—you might be able to raise some money. Don’t worry, we still have time.”
She was trying to comfort her while also giving suggestions. If it were only tens of thousands, she could have helped personally. But 300,000 yuan was far beyond her ability.
Handing Chen Mengyao a tissue, she turned and walked away.
Chen Mengyao stared blankly after her, her mind in chaos. After a long moment, she crouched down, hugging her knees, tears silently streaming down her delicate face and dripping onto the tiles at her feet, shattering into sparkling fragments.
This was the third time she cried.
…