Chapter 624: Discharge
Chapter 624: Discharge
Lu Jiaxin saw that her father was full of energy and said, "It's too late today. I'll arrange for your discharge tomorrow. The hospital beds are in high demand, so let's not occupy a bed unnecessarily."
Although they were in a private room, people with connections could stay, which would free up a bed in the general ward.
Lu Hongjun asked worriedly, "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Haven't Shanzi told you?" Lu Jiaxin replied.
At these words, Lu Hongjun's spirit deflated. The loss of his house was minor compared to the loss of his pension; that would truly be the end of him. Although his daughter was wealthy, their relationship was strained, and he anticipated a challenging road ahead.
Noticing his expression, Lu Jiaxin asked, "What's wrong? Are you worried about losing your pension and house? If you had known this would happen, you should have acted differently in the past."
Lu Hongjun hung his head, knowing that any response would be wrong, so he remained silent, hoping to avoid further scolding.
Lu Jiaxin checked the time; it was 6:30 pm. "It's getting late. We're going out to eat. We'll come back tomorrow morning to process your discharge paperwork."
Lu Hongjun was also eager to leave the hospital, tired of the constant smell of disinfectant and pretending to be of unclear mind. "Jiaxin, after I'm discharged, I want to stay at Shichahai."
Lu Jiaxin refused, "Shichahai is under my name, but the house belongs to Auntie. She paid for the renovations. Since she's living there now, it wouldn't be convenient for you to move in."
"The three Guidan siblings are always arguing and fighting," Lu Hongjun explained. "It's chaotic and I can't get any rest or recover properly."
Lu Jiaxin suggested, "Then move to Chaoyang. I'll hire two caregivers to take care of you in shifts and also get a housekeeper to do your laundry, cooking, and cleaning."
Lu Hongjun truly loved the Shichahai house, but he also understood Lu Jiaxin's temperament, so he compromised, "After I'm discharged tomorrow, I'll stay at Shichahai first. Then, when you return to Hong Kong, I'll move to Chaoyang."
After saying this, Lu Hongjun glanced at Nie Zhan, asking him to help persuade Lu Jiaxin. Unfortunately, Nie Zhan didn't seem to get the hint.
Lu Jiaxin frowned, "Moving around like this is too troublesome."
Lu Hongjun quickly added, "It's not troublesome at all. It's rare for you to come back, and I just want to be close to you so I can see you every day."
Hearing these mushy words, Lu Jiaxin felt goosebumps, but Nie Zhan was touched.
After leaving the hospital, Nie Zhan said, "Your father really cares about you."
Lu Jiaxin gave a soft laugh, "He's good at reading the atmosphere. Without his pension, he'll have to pay for his medical expenses himself. He definitely won't dare to treat me like he used to."
If Lu Hongjun continued with his previous attitude, she would have ignored him... Oh well, let bygones be bygones. As long as he doesn't cause any more trouble, she's willing to change her attitude. Lu Jiaxin didn't want a repeat of this painful experience.
"At least he knows to rely on you from now on and won't cause you any more trouble," Nie Zhan said. "Unlike my mother, who never changes."
Lu Jiaxin was direct, "Your mother is set in her ways because she knows your grandfather won't truly abandon her. Once he's gone, she'll depend on you."
"If she just wants money, we can provide reasonable expenses. But we must refuse unreasonable demands. Also, when she returns to Hong Kong, don't let her live in your house. It's best to minimize her visits."
Lu Jiaxin had no interest in associating with such a cold-blooded, love-obsessed person. She was grateful to be in Hong Kong, where even if she didn't live with her mother-in-law, no one would pay attention to her complaints.
Nie Zhan nodded. "Rest assured, even if she returns to Hong Kong with the child in the future, I wouldn't dare let her come to our house often."
In the future, he and Jiaxin would have children of their own. What if their children were influenced by her... Well, with their education, their children definitely wouldn't turn out like that.
Lu Jiaxin was satisfied with Nie Zhan's response.
The two of them went to Cuihua Tower for dinner. Having made a reservation in advance, they were led directly to a private room upon arrival, and the dishes they had ordered earlier were soon served. They were all signature dishes of the restaurant.
Nie Zhan particularly enjoyed a dish called Velvet Chicken Slices. It was a dish as white as snow, beautiful and delicious, tender like tofu, fragrant and fresh.
In addition to the Fragrant Chicken Slices, the Sweet and Sour Chicken Cubes and Braised Gray Mullet Fish Roe were also exceptionally tasty. After the meal, Lu Jiaxin wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, "The food here is pretty good. Let's come again in a couple of days."
Tomorrow, they would be hosting a banquet, so they wouldn't be able to dine out. The day after tomorrow, they would come if they had time; if not, they would come by before leaving Hong Kong for sure.
After a long day of traveling, they returned home after dinner to freshen up and get some rest. The next day, they arrived at the hospital at 8 a.m. Lu Jiaxin asked Secretary Zhang to handle the discharge paperwork while she went to speak with the doctor. There was no need for her to pack, as Lu Shan and his wife were there to take care of it.
Now that Lu Hongjun had to pay for his own medical expenses, he could no longer rely on his pension for reimbursement, so the discharge process was straightforward—he just had to make a supplementary payment.
Secretary Zhang returned after finalizing the arrangements. "Boss, everything is settled. We can head home now."
Damai asked out of habit, "How much did it cost?"
Secretary Zhang glanced at Lu Jiaxin, and upon receiving her nod, he replied, "Six thousand, six hundred, and eighty-three."
Damai exclaimed in surprise, "That's a lot!"
Lu Hongjun was also startled by the amount. He hadn't expected that his hospital stay of a year and a half would cost him his entire retirement pension. No, he realized, he no longer had a pension.
Secretary Zhang examined the itemized bill and handed it over. "This time, Grandpa Lu underwent brain surgery and used only imported medicines."
"You two don't have to worry about Grandpa Lu's living and medical expenses. I'll take care of them. When you have time, bring the children to visit him often," Lu Jiaxin told them.
Damai asked in confusion, "But isn't Grandpa Lu going to live at Shichahai?"
"Auntie is living at Shichahai, and she's suffering from dementia. It wouldn't be convenient for Dad to live there as well. So, he'll stay at Shichahai for a few days, and after Nie Zhan and I return to Hong Kong, he'll move back to Chaoyang," Lu Jiaxin explained.
"Cousin, I discussed this with Shanzi earlier. After Grandpa is discharged, he'll live with us. No matter how good the hired help is, they can't care for him as well as family," Damai said.
Lu Jiaxin disagreed. "The children can be quite noisy, which isn't conducive to his recovery. Moreover, your mother-in-law is already helping you take care of the children. It wouldn't be convenient for him to live there."
Given Lu Hongjun's reputation, if he stayed with Lu Shan and Damai for an extended period and his mother-in-law didn't rent a place elsewhere, there would undoubtedly be gossip and rumors spreading around. After all, Lu Shan's father was still alive, and such an arrangement would inevitably stir up more trouble.
Damai fell silent. Her mother-in-law had been nagging her these days, asking her to let go of the two waitresses at the noodle restaurant and hire her two sisters-in-law instead. However, Damai hadn't responded to the request. Previously, her mother-in-law had repeatedly emphasized that if her family needed money, they could borrow from her, and if they wanted to find work in Beijing, she could help make inquiries. But she had strictly forbidden them from working at the restaurant, stating that if they did, they might be lazy and not do any work, and because they were relatives, it would be difficult to reprimand them. Yet, if they had to be paid, it would only lead to resentment.
(End of Chapter)
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