President Liao’s state of mind at this moment was actually rather strange.
Normally, people begged and pleaded just to apply for a loan. Yet this time, out of regard for the old lady, he had proactively offered the hospital a loan—and it had actually been refused.
He rubbed his bald head, shook it, then seriously took out his small notebook and carefully wrote down what Nan Linyi had said that day.
This old lady spent money so generously—if he could be of help to her, the benefits he stood to gain would definitely not be small.
After returning to the bank, President Liao immediately began making calls, writing letters, and mobilizing his circle of connections.
Back at the hospital, after President Liao left, Shen Yunchu and Qiao Wengang took a long time before they came back to their senses. Unable to hold back, Shen Yunchu asked, “Mom, how did you get to know President Liao?”
Nan Linyi leisurely peeled an orange and replied calmly, “I met him when I went there to withdraw some money.”
She then glanced at Qiao Wengang again. Thinking of what the nurse had deliberately told her earlier, she nodded inwardly. Aside from his mother, this son-in-law was actually quite clear-headed.
“For the next few days, look for a suitable house. Staying in the hospital long-term isn’t a solution,” Nan Linyi said.
Qiao Wengang instinctively nodded. For some reason, he was fearless when facing his own mother, Old Madam Qiao, but in front of this old lady, perhaps because he felt he had wronged her daughter, he became especially cautious.
Beside them, Qiao Lihua blinked her large, round eyes, looking from one person to another. These past few days, she had been eating well and sleeping well. Children grew quickly, and her little face was rosy and healthy.
She had just finished drinking a glass of milk, leaving a bit around her mouth.
Nan Linyi patiently wiped it clean and said kindly, “Does Lihua like pear trees? Grandma will plant a pear tree just for Lihua at home, okay?”
Lihua had seen pear trees before—they were very, very beautiful.
She immediately nodded her little head like a pecking chick.
“Thank you, Grandma. Grandma is so good to Lihua. Right now Grandma takes care of Lihua, and when Grandma is lying in bed, Lihua will take care of Grandma.”
Those earnest, grown-up words instantly made Nan Linyi laugh. Shen Yunchu smiled and said, “Mom, Lihua’s never been this lively in front of my mother-in-law before. I used to think she was just naturally quiet.”
Nan Linyi lowered her head and gently stroked Lihua’s hair, speaking slowly. “Girls are like flowers—they need gentle care to bloom. In a harsh environment, they wither. How could she ever live freely? Fortunately, Lihua is still young…”
Otherwise, the trauma left by childhood might take a lifetime to heal.
Shen Yunchu looked at Lihua in Nan Linyi’s arms and suddenly thought of her own childhood, falling into contemplation.
Nearby, Qiao Wengang felt somewhat at a loss. He busied himself every day, trying to give his wife and daughter a good life, yet he had never realized that when he went out, his wife and daughter were living so miserably.
This was his fault. But he would not kneel on the ground, crying bitterly in repentance, begging for his wife and daughter’s forgiveness. He believed that kind of behavior was further harm, not atonement.
For him, the only thing he could do was work even harder in the future and find ways to ensure that such mistakes would never be repeated.
Thinking of what the old lady had just instructed, he immediately said, “I’ll go look for a house and make sure to find one that you’re satisfied with…”
Lihua was holding a doll in her arms at the moment. It had been given to her earlier by President Liao, and she liked it very much. She waved the doll energetically toward her father and said, “Go, Daddy! Daddy is the best!”
(End of Chapter)