Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 269: Chapter 266: Want to See a Doctor Without Money?

”Li Quan, your grandma’s condition has relapsed and requires immediate surgery. Can you manage to gather the surgery fees? If not, we will assign this afternoon’s surgery slot to another patient!”

Upon hearing this, the vendor became frantic, ”I’ll bring the money right away, Doctor, please wait a moment!”

Without another word, the person on the other end hung up. The vendor’s face fell as he quickly locked his electric scooter in the shed and dashed towards the hospital.

Huo Sining hadn’t planned on following, but seeing the vendor’s melancholic expression, she hesitated and decided to follow him.

Arriving at the third floor of the hospital’s inpatient department, Huo Sining thought the vendor’s grandma was in a ward. However, he turned towards the corridor’s end and headed for the stairwell.

It was only then that Huo Sining realized there was a small folding bed at the corner by the stairwell entrance. An elderly woman with grey hair and a pain-stricken face was lying on it, struggling to get her shoes on. She also had a simple parcel beside her, as if she was about to be discharged.

Li Quan was shocked. He rushed over and asked anxiously, ”Grandma, what are you doing?”

”What am I doing? Going home,” the old woman said with pain in her face, yet managing to smile. She gently patted Li Quan’s head, ”Quan’er, Grandma’s illness is nothing serious. I’ll be fine after lying down at home for a couple of days.”

Hearing this, tears streamed down Li Quan’s face. Having depended on each other for many years, he knew exactly what Grandma was thinking. Her condition couldn’t wait any longer, but she said this to save him money.

”Grandma, the doctor says you need surgery and have to recuperate here for a month. Don’t worry about the medical expenses, I’ve figured out a way to make money.”

The naive child. I’m used to enduring, just bear with it and there’ll be no issue. You’re still young, I don’t know how much longer I have to live, and I cannot afford this expense,” the old woman said with tears in her eyes and a sigh, ”I have no abilities, but I can’t hold you back either.”

Li Quan burst into tears, hugged the frail body of the old woman, and sobbed, ”Grandma, you always said to endure. Your grandson has been unfilial, failing to bring you to see a doctor earlier. This time, please listen to me and rest easy here without worrying about the money!”

With that, Li Quan took out a shoulder bag from his side and pulled out five thick stacks of RMB:

”Look, I’ve made fifty thousand today alone; the surgery fees will soon be covered!”

Li Quan thought after saying this, Grandma would be happy. However, seeing those five thick stacks of RMB, Grandma Li’s color changed instantly:

”Quan’er, tell Grandma the truth, where did you get this money from? Didn’t you go behind my back and get up to some chicken-stealing, dog-snatching nonsense?!”

Grandma Li’s face turned pale, but the shock and anger in her eyes could not be concealed.

Li Quan’s eyes twitched, and he felt uneasy inside, not daring to look into his grandma’s eyes.

Although he had earned those fifty thousand by selling a Blue and White Porcelain with Red Glaze plate, if it came down to it, he actually made the money by selling a counterfeit as authentic, duping someone else.

While such practices were not uncommon in the antique circle, Grandma Li was an old traditionalist. She had been honest and simple all her life, always upholding integrity and sincerity. She regarded deceitful tricks as underhanded shenanigans.

Li Quan was very clear in his heart that his grandma did not understand anything about the antique circle, and if he revealed the source of the money, she would definitely get very angry.

With that thought, he perked up and explained, ”Gran, don’t go imagining things. This money... this money was earned by doing business. Look, I just sold something to this young lady. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her!”

As he spoke, Li Quan turned his head, and Huo Sining saw his tear-stained face, full of pleading.

It was only then that Grandma Li noticed someone was standing behind Li Quan. She sized up Huo Sining with suspicion, ”Such a young girl, clearly a student, where would she get fifty thousand to give you? Do you think Grandma is a fool, that I would be so easily deceived?”

Upon hearing this, Huo Sining couldn’t help but smile, ”Grandma Li, Big Brother Li didn’t lie to you. The money is from me. I bought a ring from him. That ring is quite valuable; fifty thousand is actually a bargain.”

At this, Grandma Li was taken aback, turning to Li Quan to ask, ”What ring? How come I don’t know about it?”

Hearing Huo Sining cover for him, Li Quan was immensely grateful. Right now, he just hoped to bluff his way through, naturally coming up with any lie needed:

”Just a while back, didn’t I go to Changping to pick things up? I got a pair of trinkets for two hundred RMB, and there was a ring among them. I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time. Today, this young lady came to my stall and found out the ring is actually an antique. As I needed to scrape together some money, I sold it to her.”

Grandma Li was stunned, her mouth falling open, ”You picked it up for two hundred? Where did you find it?”

Li Quan knew he had to clarify, or Grandma would not let the matter rest. He braced himself and explained:

”It was over by the Changping farm. You know there’s a garbage dump there, right? I picked it up from there. I gave the dump manager two hundred RMB and got a cartload of old stuff.”

This statement wasn’t false; the old items he had were mostly picked from the dump in Changping. However, he was certain that the Tourmaline Ring mentioned by Huo Sining was not among the things he had collected.

But hearing her grandson’s words, Grandma Li relaxed. She was a very principled person; if her grandson was involved in misconduct outside, she would rather refuse the surgery than let her grandson go astray.

After much persuasion, the old lady finally agreed to lie down on the bed. Huo Sining glanced at the busy staircase and unconsciously frowned. Just as she was about to speak, a nurse came striding over, shouting toward the corner, ”Li Quan, have you brought the money?”

Li Quan momentarily stiffened, an unnatural ”ah” escaping him as he turned and pulled the nurse to another corridor, smiling ingratiatingly and asking, ”Nurse sister, what’s exactly going on with my grandma’s illness?”

The nurse had a stern face, not looking like an angel in white but more like a grim reaper, replying indifferently:

”She’s not in immediate danger of dying, but if you don’t pay today, we’ll have to ask you to leave. You can’t put a hospital bed in the stairwell; many relatives of patients have already complained. Have you brought the money?”

Li Quan’s face turned a bit awkward, ”I’ve just managed to gather fifty thousand for the surgery. Could you please talk to Doctor Lin for me? Let’s pay these fifty thousand first and arrange for my grandma’s surgery. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the rest of the money in a couple of days!”

The nurse’s expression darkened immediately upon hearing this, ”You want to get treated without money? We’re not a charity here. There are so many people coming for treatment every day, if everyone asks to have surgery first and pay later, how can the hospital continue to operate?”