C City Angel Maternity Hospital.
The little secretary Xu Ni lay on the hospital bed. She had just managed to take a look and saw that it was a boy before falling into a contented sleep.
Hu Xingfa was standing outside the incubator room, looking at his son with a label attached inside. He took out his phone to take pictures as he watched.
After he had his fill, Hu Xingfa returned to the ward. In a good mood, he decided to check on Xu Ni.
Perhaps because she had rested well, or perhaps because Xu Ni had something she wanted to say to Hu Xingfa, she slowly opened her eyes not long after he entered the ward.
"Brother Fa, did you see our son?"
Mentioning her son, the smile on Hu Xingfa's face deepened. He nodded:
"I saw him. He's fair and plump. Xu Ni, you've worked hard."
Xu Ni blinked, waiting for the words "let's get married" after "you've worked hard," but after a few seconds, Hu Xingfa didn't continue.
She had to pick up the conversation herself:
"Brother Fa, can you stay with me these few days? I'm a bit scared being in the hospital with just the baby and me."
Hu Xingfa, who had been worried that Xu Ni would bring up the promise he had made to marry her if she had a boy, was instantly relieved and agreed.
Seeing Hu Xingfa finally relax, Xu Ni's heart sank even further, but it was okay. She believed she could drive Zhang Lili away, especially since she was young, beautiful, and had Hu Xingfa's only son.
Thinking about her body, which was still a bit out of shape after just giving birth, Xu Ni grudgingly swallowed her dissatisfaction and looked around the luxurious private hospital room.
She closed her eyes as if dozing, but in her heart, she kept comforting herself:
'Xu Ni, look, you're a woman who can afford to stay in a high-end private hospital now. Just bear with it a little longer. Once you become Hu Xingfa's wife, what won't you have? Just bear with it a little longer, and you'll never have to bargain at the vegetable market again, or haggle over clothes.'
After successfully convincing herself, Xu Ni fell into a deep sleep.
She did not sleep peacefully. Her brows were constantly furrowed, as if she had something insurmountable to deal with in her dreams.
However, Hu Xingfa didn't care about any of this. He was busy calling his relatives and friends to share the good news.
"Lei Zi! It's me! Hu Xingfa! Yes, yes, hahaha, my son was born today!"
"Hu Jin! Your elder brother has a son! Yes, yes! Your sister-in-law is asleep in the hospital now. Mmm, come see after you get off work today. Your nephew is really handsome, just like your elder brother when he was little!"
He made a string of calls, and almost all of Hu's relatives and friends knew that Hu Xingfa had a third child, and it was a son.
Many people even called to arrange visits to Zhang Lili, but Hu Xingfa refused them all, saying that he would hold a grand full moon banquet when the baby turned one month old, and they could all come to eat then.
Around 5 PM, Xu Ni on the hospital bed had actually woken up hungry. However, she heard someone open the ward door and walk in, so she pretended to continue sleeping.
The person who entered was a nurse.
"Mr. Hu, Ms. Xu booked the three-day, two-night normal delivery package. She will be discharged the night after tomorrow. We recommend that mothers and newborns move as little as possible during the confinement period for better recovery. Our hospital also has a配套 (pèi tào -配套) confinement center package in a suite upstairs. And because you are our hospital's client, we can offer you a discount."
Hu Xingfa, who was still in high spirits, readily agreed upon hearing that it was good for the baby.
"Okay, then let's go with the confinement center package."
The nurse's face lit up with joy upon hearing this, as it meant she would get a commission.
"Alright, please follow me."
The nurse led the way to the hospital's payment counter.
At the counter sat a plump woman in her early thirties, with a head of dark brown curly hair cascading down her back. Because the hospital was air-conditioned, she was wearing only a simple black sheath dress.
She looked at Hu Xingfa outside the window, her red lips parting slightly:
"I really envy Mrs. Hu, having such a considerate husband. Mr. Hu, please check the receipt. If it's correct, you can swipe your card to pay."
As the beautiful woman spoke, she handed a receipt through the glass window with her slender, fair hands.
Hu Xingfa finally shifted his gaze from her to the receipt as he took out a card from his wallet.
Ten... Hundred... Thousand... Ten Thousand!
Ten thousand yuan!
This is insane!
Hu Xingfa's hand, which was taking out his card, began to hesitate. He felt like he had walked into a black shop. A month of stay costing ten thousand yuan!
He only paid his college student assistant a little over two thousand a month!
"Sir, please swipe your card quickly. Your son is waiting for you in the incubator."
Son!
Right!
Hearing the word "son," Hu Xingfa's eyes instantly regained their sparkle. He thought about the more than twenty excavators in his company and an annual income of over a million yuan. Hu Xingfa swiped the card!
When he swiped the card, the woman behind the glass saw the word "credit card" written on the card Hu Xingfa had produced. Her enthusiasm immediately waned.
After Hu Xingfa finished swiping, she even reminded him:
"If I had known you were using a credit card, I would have had you use a China Construction Bank card. Their cards are eligible for a 300 yuan discount if used today."
Hu Xingfa heard this, took his card, looked at it, and asked with some confusion:
"You said this is a credit card?"
...
When Hu Jin arrived that evening with a fruit basket, Hu Xingfa took out the card from his wallet and said indignantly:
"It's not like the company is short of money, why did you have me use a credit card! It's so embarrassing!"
Upon seeing the credit card, Hu Jin's pupils shrank sharply. His entire back tensed up. Only after hearing Hu Xingfa's words did he slowly relax.
He still wore a somewhat flattering smile and said:
"Big brother, I see your monthly expenses are quite high now. Using a credit card earns you points and other benefits. Free things are always good to take, so I swapped your card for this credit card."
Hu Xingfa nodded upon hearing this.
"Is that so? Alright then. By the way, help me find a hotel and book a banquet hall. I'm going to arrange a full moon banquet for your nephew."
"Sure, brother. Don't worry, I'll handle it! But brother, I have something else I want to discuss with you."
Hu Xingfa asked without turning his head, while watching TV:
"What is it, tell me."
Hu Jin smiled and stood by the window, some distance away from Hu Xingfa.
"It's about my wife's grandmother. She wants me to go back to our hometown. I'll probably be delayed for about a week before I can return."
"Tsk! Fine, fine, you can go, but don't let it interfere with work."
Hu Jin smiled.
"Don't worry, it won't."