Chen Lishu spent most of the day finishing her work documents. She stretched and got up, rushing out of the company. She took a taxi to the kindergarten to pick up the two children and then returned to the Gu family home.
As soon as she entered, she saw Li Xiulan sitting upright on the sofa, her brow furrowed and her eyes vacant, clearly lost in thought. Chen Lishu came to Li Xiulan's side and called out softly, "Mom."
Li Xiulan was startled by the sound next to her ear and snapped out of her thoughts. "Ah, Lishu, you're back?"
"Mhm." Chen Lishu noticed Li Xiulan's unusual state and asked, "Mom, what's wrong? Did something happen at home after I left?"
Chen Lishu had expected Li Xiulan to keep things from her and had planned to have the children try to probe Li Xiulan's thoughts. However, to her surprise, Li Xiulan directly shared her worries:
"Li Xiuli and Qin Yue both came to see me today. Your great aunt wishes for me to let Qin Yue stay. She has taken a liking to Qin Yue and wants her to be her daughter-in-law. I initially refused, but your great aunt said that Li Chen is already 24 and doesn't have a suitable wife. He's her only son, and she really can't bear to see him remain single, so then..."
"And then you agreed to let Qin Yue stay?" Chen Lishu underestimated Li Xiuli's cunning. If they liked Qin Yue, they would have gone directly to propose. Why go through such trouble to have her stay with them?
What surprised Chen Lishu even more was that Li Xiulan said she hadn't agreed to the matter yet, stating she needed to discuss it with the family. Li Xiulan also said, "What Qin Yue did is too serious. I wouldn't dare to agree lightly and damage our family's relationship. If you feel Qin Yue isn't a threat, then I'll agree to it. But if you feel even a little uncomfortable, I'll immediately find an excuse to refuse."
She still had enough trust in Gu Xingdong, but even with trust, she couldn't let a wolf into the house. It was clear that Li Xiulan couldn't completely sever the bond with her sisters, and refusing would make things difficult for her.
After much thought, Chen Lishu came up with a good solution. She said, "Whether Qin Yue can stay isn't up to us to decide; it's mainly up to the military. If the military decides to let Qin Yue stay, then we can't let her into our home. We can let her rent a place to live outside. Mom, what do you think of this reason?"
Li Xiulan slapped her thigh and said, "This plan works. I'll call Li Xiuli later to tell her our decision. By the way, why did signing that contract take so long today? Did you encounter any difficulties?"
Chen Lishu smiled and shook her head, reassuring her, "No, I just had some things to handle at the company after signing the contract. I've already handed over the management of the clothing company to someone entirely."
Li Xiulan nodded, half-understanding, but still asked with some concern, "Is the person you found reliable? Will there be any problems?"
"Mhm, I'll go to the company to check on the work situation when I have time. There shouldn't be too many issues." Hearing Chen Lishu's words, Li Xiulan felt relieved and left.
----
Meanwhile, at the rented apartment.
Zhang Bin, who was being discussed by Chen Lishu and the others, returned home from work. As soon as he turned on the lights, he saw Zhang Leilei with blood oozing from his mouth and his face so pale it was almost unnatural. He was stunned by the sight, then dropped his briefcase and stumbled towards Zhang Leilei. He picked the boy up and cried out hoarsely, "Leilei! Leilei, what's wrong?!"
The commotion quickly drew Wei Xiaohua's attention inside the house. She hastily put down the face mask she was wearing and rushed out of the room.
"Leilei, don't be scared. I'll take you to the hospital for a check-up now. Dad will take you for a check-up now!" Zhang Bin's legs felt weak with fear. As he stood up carrying Zhang Leilei, he nearly fell to the ground again.
Fortunately, Wei Xiaohua reacted quickly and snatched the child from him. "Zhang Bin, you don't need to take the child to the hospital. Your urgent task now is to quickly raise money to send the child abroad for treatment!"
"I... I understand! Now is not the time to argue about these things. Let's quickly take Leilei to the hospital to see what's going on." Zhang Bin looked at the red liquid at the corner of Zhang Leilei's mouth, and as a grown man, his eyes couldn't help but turn red.
When Wei Xiaohua saw this, a flicker of softness crossed her face. However, thinking of Zhang Bin's lack of ambition and his inability to provide a good life for her and their son, she hid the softness in her eyes.
"You don't need to worry about this. Leilei has been like this for who knows how many days. The doctor said his condition worsened, which is why this is happening. You've been immersed in the company all these days, how could you possibly know about this? I really don't know what's more important, the company or your son. Why are you always revolving around that damn company? That company isn't even your business!" Wei Xiaohua's tone carried a hint of grievance as she said this.
Zhang Bin had nowhere to vent his frustrations. He pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then explained with a hint of helplessness, "Don't I hope the company's profits will increase under my management? My current salary is mainly based on profit sharing. The more money the company makes, the more I'll earn this month, and with money, I can take Leilei to the hospital."
Wei Xiaohua wiped the blood from Zhang Leilei's mouth and snapped, "What good is the little money you earn? I say, you might as well take back the inheritance of the company. Your company is making quite a lot of money each month now. With this money, we can afford to have Leilei undergo surgery and hire the best specialists."
Zhang Bin finally understood what Wei Xiaohua meant. He angrily reprimanded, "What nonsense are you spouting again? I'm telling you, Wei Xiaohua, this company was acquired with a written contract! It can't be taken back!"
"I don't care. She said how much that company cost back then. At worst, you return the money, and we won't sell the company! If my son's condition continues to worsen and becomes terminal, I'm telling you, it will be a case of one death for two! Not only will you not have a son, but you won't have a wife either!" Wei Xiaohua's face was ferocious as she said this.
Zhang Bin knew her temperament and didn't doubt that she was lying. He slumped to the ground in despair, propping his head with one hand, and said in a low voice, "Alright, I understand. I'll think about this carefully. You take the child to the hospital first and see if the doctor has any way to alleviate his pain."