Chapter 724: Qian Xiaoxiao's Story, Part 2

Chapter 724: Qian Xiaoxiao's Story, Part 2

Yan Yijun got married, Li Qing got married, and one by one, those around Qian Xiaoxiao were settling down and starting families. Only Qian Xiaoxiao remained steadfast in her decision to remain single.

Lu Jiaxin respected her choice. Those who worked at the Lu residence were not only skilled but also tight-lipped, refraining from gossiping about others. So, as Qian Xiaoxiao reached her thirties without dating or marrying, no one at the Lu residence pried into her personal life, and she lived comfortably.

On this day, Su Heming invited Lu Jiaxin to his home. His house was right next to Su Heyuan's. This guy finally got married at the age of thirty-one, to a woman introduced by Su Hongying, from a government official's family. The couple got along well, and the woman even registered in Port City to have their second child. After the birth, they returned to Pengcheng, and when it was time for school, they came back to Port City. So, whenever Su Heming had time off, he would return home.

The Su family had many children, and Zhao Zhao and Nie Xing enjoyed visiting them. As soon as Lu Jiaxin arrived, she began discussing the automotive factory with Su Heming. Their automotive company was undoubtedly the top private automotive enterprise in the country.

After the meal and some more chatting, Lu Jiaxin noticed Nie Xing's drowsiness and prepared to leave with the children. Su Heming saw them off to the courtyard.

Qian Xiaoxiao opened the car door, letting Lu Jiaxin and the two children inside. Just as she closed the door and was about to sit in the front, Su Heming suddenly asked, "How's your grandfather doing?"

Qian Xiaoxiao was taken aback. "What?"

Su Heming, seeing her reaction, realized she was unaware of the situation. "Last week, I went to the hospital because of a stomachache and ran into your grandfather. I asked him what was wrong, and he said it was an old issue. But his complexion didn't look good, so it might not be a simple problem."

Qian Xiaoxiao shook her head. "I don't know about this. Thank you, Mr. Su."

Su Heming understood and smiled. "It was just a coincidence that I saw him."

Older people often preferred to endure their illnesses, just like his father. But some illnesses couldn't be ignored, or they would turn minor issues into major ones. That's why, every six months, he insisted on a full-body checkup for his father and repeatedly reminded the servants to inform them immediately if his father felt unwell.

As they left the Su residence, Lu Jiaxin said, "Let's go back and see what's wrong. If it's a serious issue, we'll bring him to Port City for treatment."

The medical skills in Port City were far superior to those in Pengcheng, although the costs were higher. Over the years, Qian Xiaoxiao had accumulated some assets, and of course, if it wasn't enough, she could cover the expenses.

Back at the Lu residence, Qian Xiaoxiao grabbed her toiletries and a change of clothes and left. The driver took her to the port, and by the time they passed through customs and reached home, it was barely past five o'clock.

When she arrived, the family was having dinner in the main hall. Not seeing her grandfather, Qian Xiaoxiao anxiously asked, "Where's Grandpa?"

Qian Mu, knowing her concern for her grandfather, replied, "Your grandfather isn't feeling well and is resting in the room. Xiaoxiao, why are you back?"

Qian Xiaoxiao didn't have time to answer her and instead strode into the room to find her grandfather. When she found him, she asked directly, "Grandpa, what's wrong with your health?"

Seeing her, Qian Zailai wasn't surprised. "I guessed that he would tell you after I ran into Mr. Su at the hospital. Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just old age and its ailments."

Qian Xiaoxiao didn't believe him. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to Port City for a full-body checkup."

Knowing he couldn't deceive her, Qian Zailai reluctantly said, "It's just a minor stomach issue. Xiaoxiao, Grandpa is already seventy-five. He's endured hardships and enjoyed blessings in this life, and even if he closed his eyes now, it would be worth it."

Upon hearing this, Qian Xiaoxiao understood that it was a severe illness. She didn't ask further but started searching through the drawers. Without much effort, she found a stack of medical reports, and on one of them were the words 'gastric cancer.'

Qian Xiaoxiao's hands shook as she held the report, and after a while, she called the private doctor of Lu Jiaxin, holding the report and asking about the treatment for gastric cancer.

Dr. Wang patiently explained, "Gastric cancer has different stages: early, middle, and late. If it's early, immediate surgery is recommended, with a high success rate... For late-stage cancer, let the patient eat whatever they want and do whatever they wish. Don't leave any regrets."

The underlying message was clear: with limited time left for late-stage gastric cancer, there was no point in causing more distress; let the patient be as comfortable as possible in their final days.

When Qian Fu learned that Qian Xiaoxiao wanted to take her grandfather to Port City for treatment, he firmly disagreed. The reason was simple: the doctor had said there wasn't much time left, and at his age, her grandfather couldn't handle the stress.

Qian Xiaoxiao bluntly responded, "You're not worried about Grandpa suffering, but about the money. You talk about raising children to care for parents in old age, but when they're sick, you hesitate to spend. What's the use of having children?"

Qian Fu was furious. "If this illness can be cured, I'd definitely treat it. The doctor said there's no cure, so why bother troubling your grandfather?"

Qian Xiaoxiao scoffed. "Fine, then. Give me all the money you've saved."

"Qian Father wanted to take the money, but the family finances were controlled by Qian Mother. Qian Mother also didn't approve of the treatment, but as a daughter-in-law, she couldn't say this outright: 'The family only has 8,600 yuan in savings.'"

Qian Xiaoxiao didn't believe it at all. The rent for that building was collected by Elder Qian Zailai, but the rent for the other two buildings was in Qian Mother's hands. The rent for the two buildings was nearly 20,000 yuan per year, and everyone in the family earned money from their jobs. There hadn't been any major expenses in the family over the years, so it was certain that they had accumulated over 200,000 yuan in savings. However, Qian Xiaoxiao didn't expose Qian Mother's lie, as it wouldn't serve any purpose.

The next day, Qian Xiaoxiao took Elder Qian Zailai to Port City. They didn't go to Yanghe Hospital, as the expenses there were too high for them to afford. Instead, they went to St. Mary's Hospital.

After a series of detailed examinations, Elder Qian Zailai's illness was finally diagnosed as mid-stage stomach cancer. If treated, he could live several more years, but if left untreated, no one could guarantee how the condition would worsen.

Of course, Qian Xiaoxiao wanted to treat him, but Elder Qian Zailai didn't want to burden her and shouted that he wanted to go back. He had lived to this age, and it was enough.

Knowing that Elder Qian Zailai didn't want to spend his own money, Qian Xiaoxiao explained to him: "Grandfather, when I went for training, I took on a few missions and earned 200,000 yuan. When I returned to Port City, I gave the money to Sister Jiaxin, asking her to help me invest it. Over the years, it has grown to over 10 million."

Elder Qian Zailai didn't believe her: "Don't try to fool me with nonsense."

Qian Xiaoxiao insisted that she wasn't lying: "Grandfather, I'm not deceiving you. Sister Jiaxin has the reputation of turning stones into gold. Over the years, she has easily multiplied my money tenfold."

"Grandfather, if your illness truly can't be cured, I won't let you suffer. But the doctor said that with surgery, you can at least live for several more years."

"Grandfather, I know you're worried about the medical expenses, but I truly have money. Aside from the over 10 million yuan that Sister Jiaxin helped me invest, I also have four properties under my name, which are worth over 3 million yuan in total. Additionally, my annual salary and bonuses add up to over 600,000 yuan." "Grandfather, I can afford your medical expenses."

Elder Qian Zailai was very surprised: "Your annual salary and bonuses amount to over 600,000 yuan? Didn't you say it was only 200,000 yuan before?"

"I didn't want them to know and attract unwanted attention."

Elder Qian Zailai was half-believing and half-doubting her words: "You said you have four properties, right? Show me the property deeds and bank statements."

After seeing the somewhat old property deeds and salary statements, Elder Qian Zailai confirmed that she wouldn't burden him and agreed to the treatment.

Once the surgery was decided, Qian Xiaoxiao called Qian Father and Qian Mother. The day before the surgery, Qian Father, Qian Mother, and Qian Ning all came, but Qian Ning's wife didn't come as she had to take care of their child.

Qian Ning's wife had a girl for her first pregnancy, and after five years, she gave birth to their second child, a boy,

"Qian Ning's wife had a girl for her first pregnancy, and after five years, she gave birth to their second child, a boy, after confirming the gender through an ultrasound. Now, the child is only a little over two years old and can't be left alone."

Qian Xiaoxiao asked, "Where's Qian Yue?"

Qian Father replied, "She had something to do at home."

Qian Ning wouldn't cover for Qian Yue, and in these past few years, the siblings had grown tired of each other. He didn't wait for Qian Xiaoxiao to ask and explained, "That man knows there are three buildings in the family, each earning over 10,000 yuan in rent per year. He's coaxing her to come back and ask for a building. Father and Mother won't give it to her, and Grandfather also said he won't give her a building, so she's cut off ties with the family."

The reason Elder Qian Zailai built three buildings was to treat everyone fairly. However, Qian Father thought the children were still young and couldn't handle it, so he didn't agree to transfer the buildings to the three children's names.

Elder Qian Zailai, considering his advanced age, was worried that he might pass away one day. So, he transferred one of the buildings to Xiaoxiao's name. As for the other two buildings, they would eventually be inherited by Qian Father after his death, and he could distribute them equally to the younger children, so he didn't bother with the transfer. But unexpectedly, Qian Yue was love-blind, and Elder Qian Zailai, along with Qian Father and Qian Mother, naturally wouldn't give her the buildings.

Qian Xiaoxiao recalled a previous conversation with Lu Jiaxin, and love-blindness was indeed scary. For a man, she had lost her mind.

The surgery was very successful, and due to Elder Qian Zailai's good health, his recovery was also excellent. After his discharge, Qian Xiaoxiao wanted him to stay in Port City for recuperation, but Elder Nie Zailai insisted on returning to his hometown as he felt uncomfortable being in an unfamiliar place. Left with no choice, Qian Xiaoxiao had to let him return with Qian Father.

Qian Father initially disagreed with the treatment because the doctor said the illness was incurable, and he was worried about losing both his loved one and his wealth. Now that Elder Qian Zailai's post-surgery recovery was going well, he and Qian Mother took him home and cared for him diligently.

Previously, Qian Xiaoxiao wasn't willing to return, and she would call and ask Elder Qian Zailai to come to Port City. But now, every month, she would accumulate her leave and return to Pengcheng to accompany Elder Qian Zailai. As she visited more frequently, matchmakers started coming to propose marriages.

Qian Mother's opinion remained unchanged, believing that a woman should have her own home. However, she also knew that she couldn't change Qian Xiaoxiao's mind, so she sent the matchmakers away.

Eight years later, Elder Qian Zailai passed away peacefully.

During those eight years, all of Elder Qian Zailai's expenses were borne by Qian Xiaoxiao.

In the last six months, she had even stayed at home to take care of him. Although heartbroken, she had done her best and had no regrets.

As soon as the funeral was over, Qian Yue approached her parents, Qian Fu and Qian Mu, demanding that one of the three houses be transferred to her name: "Grandfather said that each of us would get one house. Now that he's gone, one of the houses should be mine. You can't keep it from me."

The other two houses had already been transferred to Qian Fu's name. He had always favored sons over daughters, believing that all family assets should be inherited by the son. Qian Yue's husband had also been two-faced, rarely visiting in recent years, and it was out of the question for him to give away a house.

Qian Yue didn't give up and kept causing trouble every few days, disrupting the peace of the entire family. Qian Xiaoxiao didn't get involved in this matter, knowing that if the house were given to Qian Yue, that bastard of a husband would sell it and squander the money.

When Qian Yue couldn't get any money, she threatened to take her parents to court. Qian Xiaoxiao didn't interfere, and after the old man's headstone was set up, she returned to Pengcheng.

After returning, she mentioned the matter to Lu Jiaxin: "I thought that after marrying, she would see through that bastard's true colors and divorce him. I never expected her to become more delusional."

Lu Jiaxin replied, "Your grandfather didn't leave a will, and the house has already been transferred to your father's name. Even if your sister sues, it won't help. By then, she'll probably be divorced."

Qian Xiaoxiao scoffed and said, "My mother always said that a woman who doesn't marry and have children is not a complete woman. Qian Yue is now a complete woman, but she doesn't want to mention it and gets angry whenever it's brought up."

She didn't feel sorry for Qian Yue and didn't plan to get involved in her affairs, but she couldn't help but sigh. Love can truly make people lose their minds; only a few, like Sister Xin, remain clear-headed.

Lu Jiaxin understood that Qian Xiaoxiao's decision not to marry was influenced by her family. Smiling, she said, "Your sister is truly desperate. Your parents won't just stand by and watch. Except for a few extreme cases, it's rare for parents to not care about their children's well-being."

Qian Xiaoxiao felt that her decision not to marry and have children was a wise choice. It would be exhausting to take care of them instead of teaching them well.

What Qian Xiaoxiao didn't expect was that Qian Yue not only sued Qian Fu and Qian Mu but also included her in the lawsuit. The lawsuit against Qian Xiaoxiao wasn't about the house but because she had hidden the old man's private collection.

Qian Zailai had indeed collected a few valuable items, which he had given to Qian Xiaoxiao. These items were given to her before Qian Fu and Qian Mu arrived in Pengcheng, and Qian Xiaoxiao didn't know how Qian Yue found out about them. However, these were mementos from the old man, and she wouldn't give up a single one.

Qian Xiaoxiao didn't personally handle the lawsuit; she entrusted it entirely to her lawyer. As expected, Qian Yue lost the case.

Qian Xiaoxiao didn't take the matter to heart. On the seventh day after the old man's death, she took a week off to return home. Unexpectedly, she came back on the third day, looking upset.

Lu Jiaxin asked, "What did your sister do to upset you so much?"

Qian Xiaoxiao shook her head, indicating that it had nothing to do with Qian Yue: "I overheard Qian Ning talking to his wife. Since I'm not married and don't have children, after I die, the house and the old man's heirlooms will belong to their son. There's no need to rush."

At this point, she couldn't help but curse: "What does my money have to do with them? I'm not even dead yet, and they're already eyeing my property."

After she became sensible, she moved in with Qian Zailai, even when he was away for extended periods. She didn't move back home. Having lived apart, she visited less frequently after turning seventeen and following Lu Jiaxin, and her relationship with Qian Ning and Qian Yue wasn't very close. It was only because there were no conflicts before that they could meet and chat harmoniously, but she never expected them to be so despicable behind her back.

Lu Jiaxin wasn't surprised: "If they had a will, they wouldn't have to worry about it."

On the day of Qian Zailai's funeral, Qian Xiaoxiao returned to Pengcheng. During the meal, she mentioned her decision to make a will. If she encountered an accident or passed away in the future, she would donate all her assets to the Children's Welfare Fund. This foundation was established by Lu Jiaxin.

Qian Ning and his wife's expressions changed instantly. However, both of them knew Qian Xiaoxiao's temperament and dared not say anything.

Qian Fu and Qian Mu had never coveted her money; they just disagreed with her decision to donate the house. Qian Mu said, "This house was left by your grandfather for the Qian family's descendants. If you donate it, it will belong to someone else. Xiaoxiao, how about this? We'll buy the house from you."

Qian Xiaoxiao didn't refuse: "Alright, I'll ask my lawyer to add a clause. After my death, the Qian family will have the priority to purchase this house."

She would never sell the house while she was alive. The old man had lived there for nearly twenty years, and his presence was felt everywhere. She would return to visit and reminisce about him.

Qian Mu quickly agreed.

Qian Xiaoxiao suddenly felt disinterested and returned to her room after the meal. The next morning, she went back to Pengcheng. With the old man gone, the Qian family was no longer her family.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end