When Qingli received the news that Yang Qing and Xia Yong had been so enraged that they ended up in the emergency room, she had already been back in the country for over a year.
She had returned because life in her home country suited her better.
Besides, she was at the right age, and with the career she had built over the years, she finally had the resources to adopt a child.
Since she had never met a man she wanted to marry, she simply chose not to. After settling into a stable job upon her return a year ago, she adopted a child, a two-year-old little girl.
Now, her daughter had just celebrated her third birthday. They got along well, and the child was obedient, affectionate, and sweet. Qingli had saved up some money beforehand, so after adopting her daughter, she cut back on work. On weekdays, she would drop her daughter off at the daycare run by their residential complex before heading to work, then pick her up after her shift. Weekends were reserved for mother-daughter outings.
She received the call while on her way to pick up groceries with her daughter after work.
Seeing Qingli answer the phone, the little girl quietly clung to her leg, standing obediently without making a sound or running off to play in the supermarket.
“Hello, is this Ms. Xia Qingli?” a voice on the other end asked, using Yang Qing’s phone.
Qingli raised an eyebrow. “Yes, speaking.”
“This is the City Central Hospital. Your parents suffered a cerebral hemorrhage due to extreme emotional distress. They’ve been stabilized after emergency treatment, but we need you to come and settle the hospital bills.”
Qingli: “…”
Extreme emotional distress?
She thought back to the recent college entrance exams. Could it be that Xia Zhihao performed terribly?
She couldn’t help but feel some sympathy. Even if someone got a second chance at life, if they didn’t put in the effort, a slacker would still be a slacker.
Still, as their daughter, she had to visit them since they had fallen ill, especially under such serious circumstances. She nodded. “Alright. I’m out of town right now, but I’ll be there tomorrow.”
The doctor didn’t object. Their duty was to save lives, and they couldn’t refuse treatment just because someone couldn’t pay immediately. Since the family was willing to come, a one-day delay wasn’t a big deal.
After hanging up, Qingli crouched down and spoke to her daughter, Lele. “I just got a call saying my parents are sick, so I need to take a flight to see them. Do you want to come with me or stay with Aunt Zhang for a couple of days?”
Lele chirped, “I’ll go with Mommy!”
Qingli smiled. “Alright. Then we’ll have a simple dinner tonight and go to bed early, okay?”
“Okay!”
Qingli continued grocery shopping but simplified the planned meal. After dinner, she and her daughter started packing.
Even for a short trip, they couldn’t be unprepared.
Lele was very thoughtful for her age, helping out by picking out her clothes and holding a bag for Qingli.
By midday the next day, the two of them arrived in Qingli’s hometown.
The place had become much more developed since she last left, but to her, it still felt unfamiliar. She first took her daughter to a hotel, settled their luggage, freshened up, and then headed to the hospital by 2 PM.
Since she had no emotional attachment to her parents, she didn’t visit them first—instead, she went straight to pay the hospital fees.
Only after handling that did she enter the hospital room.
Xia Yong and Yang Qing had the same condition, and since hospitalizations didn’t separate men and women in such cases, they were placed in the same room. When they saw Qingli walk in with a little girl, they didn’t immediately recognize her as their daughter.
Xia Zhihao was already eighteen. So many years had passed in the blink of an eye!
It wasn’t until Yang Qing noticed something familiar in Qingli’s delicate features that she hesitantly called out, “A-Li?”
Xia Yong’s tired eyes lit up, and he stared at her intently. “Are you A-Li?”
Their long-lost eldest daughter had finally appeared before them!
Qingli nodded with a smile. “Dad. Mom.”
It was her!
The two became even more emotional, their eyes welling with tears as they choked out, “You’re finally back!”
Yang Qing, always the more observant one, soon noticed the little girl holding Qingli’s hand. Her voice trembled. “Is this… your daughter?”
The once young and vibrant girl before them had grown into a mature and beautiful woman. And standing beside her was an adorable child, looking like a little porcelain doll. The realization filled Yang Qing’s heart with an overwhelming bitterness.
Their daughter seemed to be living well. Had she married well, too?
Qingli smiled brightly. “Yes, this is my daughter, Qing Shi. Her nickname is Lele, from the word ‘happiness.’” She lowered her gaze and gently encouraged, “Be good, Lele. Say hello to Grandpa and Grandma.”
Lele beamed and called out loudly, “Hello, Grandpa! Hello, Grandma!”
“Oh my! How adorable!” Yang Qing melted at the greeting, gushing with delight. She didn’t even notice the child’s surname was different. Smiling, she asked, “Where’s her father?”
Qingli ignored the question and instead asked, “Mom, Dad, where do you keep your savings?”
Xia Yong, who hadn’t had a chance to speak yet, immediately became defensive. “Why do you want to know?”
Qingli replied matter-of-factly, “I paid for your medical expenses this time. If you were broke, I’d cover it without question. But since you do have money, it’s only fair that you pay for yourselves, right?”
“T-That money… that’s our retirement fund!” Yang Qing protested anxiously.
Qingli pointed out calmly, “And this is exactly the kind of situation that retirement money is meant for.” She smiled and added, “Or what? You’d rather die than spend it?”
Yang Qing forced a sheepish laugh, afraid of angering her daughter. She tried to placate her instead. “But what if we run out of money?”
“If you run out, I’ll take care of you,” Qingli replied, still smiling. “Unless, of course, you were planning to leave that money for Xia Zhihao?”
At the mention of his name, both their expressions darkened, though they didn’t refute her. No matter how upset they were with their son, they had intended to save the money for him—after all, he was their son.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152