“Dad, don’t worry, I have money, you don’t need to give me any. Oh right, Dad, let me show you something.”
Yang Tiehua took a bracelet out of her pocket.
This bracelet had been given to her by the original owner’s grandfather.
“My girl, why are you taking out the bracelet?” Yang Jiujin asked in confusion.
“This time when I go to Yangcheng, I’m planning to sell this bracelet. I want to start a business,” Yang Tiehua explained her plan.
The moment Yang Jiujin heard that, he immediately panicked. “Girl, that bracelet is your favorite, how can you sell it?
If you need money to start a business, your old dad will help you borrow it. Actually, why don’t I sell my kidney instead? I’ll go to Yangcheng with you tomorrow and sell it. I heard kidneys can fetch a good price, and people can still live with just one.”
Yang Tiehua burst out laughing in exasperation when she heard that. “Dad, your kidney definitely isn’t as good as Ziheng’s. If I’m going to sell one, I’d obviously sell Ziheng’s kidney.”
Her casual joke happened to be overheard by Fu Ziheng, who had just arrived to pick her up.
The hand gripping his crutch tightened slightly.
So the reason she was willing to spend money treating his injury was because she planned to sell his kidney?
Fu Ziheng’s heart instantly sank to the bottom.
He closed his eyes, and after a long moment, slowly opened them again. Glancing once at the two people still chatting enthusiastically, he silently turned around and left.
At last, Yang Tiehua managed to convince Yang Jiujin to let her sell the bracelet left behind by her grandfather.
The reason she wanted to sell it was because in her previous life, this bracelet had eventually been passed down to the original owner’s twin daughters. Later, her father’s remarried wife, the original owner’s biological grandmother, came demanding the bracelet.
At the time, the incident had escalated terribly. In order to seize the bracelet, the original owner’s grandmother had actually taken a knife and chopped off the hand of her fifteen year old great granddaughter.
Even now, whenever Yang Tiehua thought about it, her heart still ached painfully.
Although the children belonged to the original owner, she herself had raised them since they were five years old and had long since treated them as her own daughters.
So when she saw the bracelet yesterday, the horrifying tragedy connected to it from her previous life resurfaced vividly in her mind.
To her, this bracelet was nothing more than a dangerous burden.
Even though selling the relic left behind by the original owner’s grandfather did not feel right, if that relic could bring future disaster, then she did not mind being the villain for once.
She returned home full of excitement, only to see Fu Ziheng sitting on the doorstep smoking a rolled cigarette.
Yang Tiehua froze, then hurried over, snatching the cigarette from his hand and throwing it to the ground before crushing it underfoot. “Brother Ziheng, how can you smoke? Don’t you know your leg can’t handle smoking?”
Fu Ziheng’s face remained expressionless. He glanced at her once, then picked up his crutch and walked into the house.
Yang Tiehua pressed her lips together. Had her attitude just now been too fierce?
Was Brother Ziheng angry?
Forget it, she should tell him the good news about tomorrow’s trip to Yangcheng first.
“Brother Ziheng, I’ll help you pack a few sets of clothes. Tomorrow we’ll ride with my eldest uncle’s truck to Yangcheng and find a doctor from the provincial capital to take another look at your leg and get some medicine. That way your leg will heal faster.”
Without caring whether he agreed or not, Yang Tiehua went inside, pulled out a large cloth bag, and began packing clothes.
Fu Ziheng’s hand, which had just been about to lift the blanket, paused.
His fingers slowly tightened.
He desperately wanted to tell her that even if he died, he would never sell his kidney. If she forced him to do it, then they could all perish together.
But very quickly, he suppressed those thoughts.
He was not alone.
He still had his mother, his younger brother, and his younger sister.
If selling a kidney would make her treat his family better, then he would sell it.
After coming to terms with it, Fu Ziheng lifted the blanket, lay down, and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.
Meanwhile, Yang Tiehua continued muttering about what she needed to bring. By the time she finished packing and turned around, she discovered that Fu Ziheng had already fallen asleep.
She assumed he was simply tired and did not think much of it. After tidying up, she went out to wash up and sleep as well.
Early the next morning, the sound of a vehicle came from outside.
Fully prepared, Yang Tiehua quickly slung the large cloth bag onto her back and happily supported Fu Ziheng. “Ziheng, let me help you outside.”
“You… seem very happy?” Fu Ziheng could not help asking.
“Of course I’m happy. We’re going to the provincial capital.
The provincial capital has everything. I’ve already made a list of everything I want to buy. This time, I’m definitely buying all the things I want.”
She firmly believed the bracelet would sell for a large sum.
Otherwise, in her previous life, the original owner’s grandmother would never have been so obsessed with reclaiming it.
Once she sold it, not only could she use the money to start a business, she could also improve the lives of both her husband’s family and her own family.
Hearing this, Fu Ziheng’s heart became completely numb.
He struggled slightly, allowing her to support him as they walked outside.
When Mother Fu learned that Yang Tiehua was taking Fu Ziheng to Yangcheng for another examination on his leg, she had been so happy that she did not sleep the entire night. She got up at four or five in the morning to make steamed buns for them.
By the time Yang Tiehua helped Fu Ziheng outside, Mother Fu was already waiting at the door with a large bag packed full of steamed buns.
“Xiaohua, take these steamed buns and pickled vegetables for the journey, and bring the water flasks too.”
As she spoke, Mother Fu directly hung two military canteens onto Fu Ziheng.
Seeing this, Yang Tiehua quickly said, “Mom, the water flasks are too heavy, let me carry them.”
But just as she reached out to remove them, Fu Ziheng stepped forward, avoiding her hand.
Yang Tiehua was briefly stunned, but she did not think too much about it and simply followed him outside.
After getting into the back seat, the two of them greeted Eldest Uncle together.
At that moment, Eldest Uncle handed over a large lunch container. “Xiaohua, your eldest aunt prepared these meat buns for you.”
Yang Tiehua’s eyes instantly lit up. “Thank you, Eldest Uncle. Once we get to the provincial capital, I’ll definitely buy Eldest Aunt a huge gift.”
“You silly child, don’t waste money. Your aunt lacks nothing, there’s no need to spend so much,” Eldest Uncle said with a smile.
Taking the container, Yang Tiehua opened it and saw two enormous buns inside, each as big as a palm. The filling in the center was exposed slightly, fragrant and steaming hot.
Yang Tiehua picked one up and handed it to Fu Ziheng. “Brother Ziheng, you should eat too.”
Fu Ziheng instinctively refused. “I’m not hungry, you eat.”
“That won’t do. You absolutely must eat. Your body needs proper nourishment right now.” Yang Tiehua directly stuffed the large bun into his hands.
The moment he heard the words “proper nourishment,” Fu Ziheng’s eyes darkened slightly. In the end, he said nothing and simply took large bites of the bun.
Even though the meat was fragrant and delicious, it tasted like chewing wax to him.
Thinking about the steamed buns his mother had stayed up all night making, now sitting in the corner untouched, he felt unbearably ashamed.
His mother was right. Marrying him truly had wronged her.
She had meat with every meal, and even the things casually given to her by her relatives were all good quality items.
Meanwhile, he himself was nothing but a burden.
If she wanted to take him to sell his kidney, then he could only blame himself for being useless.
“Ah, Eldest Uncle, try the steamed buns and pickled vegetables my mother in law made. They’re so delicious.”
After finishing the meat bun, Yang Tiehua opened the bag Mother Fu had given them, took out a still warm steamed bun, stuffed it with pickled vegetables from the jar, and handed it to Eldest Uncle.
The moment Eldest Uncle smelled it, his eyes lit up. “These pickled vegetables smell amazing. Let me try.”
After taking a bite, he immediately exclaimed in surprise, “Mm! Delicious! These pickled vegetables with steamed buns are seriously good, and the buns are still warm too.”
“Eldest Uncle, if you like them, eat more.” Yang Tiehua continued stuffing pickled vegetables into steamed buns before handing them over to him.
Watching Factory Director Ao happily devouring the steamed buns, Fu Ziheng was stunned.
They really did not look down on the pickled vegetables and steamed buns his mother had prepared?