Chapter 2

After drinking a large cup of water, Jiang Suihan felt her sore throat improve a lot. Seeing her younger brother, Jiang Leiyun, looking at her with concern, the child obediently set the enamel cup on the table.

She cleared her throat and asked, “Who brought me to the hospital?”

“It was Grandma Lin. When I came back and saw you lying on the ground with blood on your head, I was terrified. I ran outside and called for help. Grandma Lin is the best. She even brought another aunt with her to take you to the hospital. The medical expenses were also covered by Grandma Lin.”

Jiang Leyun took Jiang Suihan’s hand and looked at her bandaged head and pale face with a worried expression. “Sister, you need to get better quickly. I’ll grow up fast and protect you from now on, so those bad people won’t bully you. If anyone does, I’ll beat them up.”

He clenched his right fist, trying to look fierce, and added, “Beat them to death.”

When he saw his sister lying on the ground, covered in blood on her head and face, he was scared out of his wits. His legs went weak, and he trembled as he checked her breathing. Seeing she was still alive, he hurriedly ran out to get help.

Fortunately, fate was kind to him. His sister didn’t end up like his father, and he wasn’t left as an orphan.

Jiang Suihan smiled and tapped the child’s forehead, teasing him, “You’re still a child—no height, no strength, and your fists are smaller than others. How can you beat anyone up? It’s a stroke of luck if you don’t get beaten yourself. Just focus on growing up healthy and happy. Your sister is fine.”

The brother’s concern for his sister was not in vain, as he was genuinely worried about avenging her.

A rumbling sound interrupted their conversation.

Jiang Leyun looked down, covering his stomach with both hands, and said with a bit of embarrassment, “I’m hungry. It wasn’t on purpose, it just made noise by itself.”

Then another rumbling sound came, and the child laughed a little, saying, “It’s not my stomach growling. Sister, you’re hungry too.”

After sleeping nearly a whole day, it was no wonder she was hungry.

Jiang Suihan asked the little one to call the doctor. A male doctor in his early forties arrived, and after an examination, he said there were no major issues. If she was still worried, she could stay in the hospital for another day or two for observation.

The doctor wanted to advise her to eat something nutritious to replenish her strength, but noticing the shabby clothing of the siblings and the lack of an adult to care for them, with the young brother taking care of everything, he guessed their situation might not be good. So, he refrained from mentioning it and only reminded her to keep the wound dry, rest well, and avoid overexertion when she went home.

The hospitalization fee was covered by Grandma Lin, but Jiang Suihan made sure to ask the nurse about the total cost, which came to sixteen yuan and sixty cents.

Hearing this amount, Jiang Leyun looked pained and said, “So expensive, for just one day? It’s like robbery!”

The nurse, looking displeased, spoke with a harsh tone, though she didn’t want to argue with a child: “Don’t forget that bandages and ointments cost money. Hospitals aren’t charities. If you don’t want to spend money, don’t get sick. If you’re sick, don’t come to the hospital. Just wait to die at home without spending any money.”

Perhaps realizing her tone wasn’t very kind, she continued, “Your sister was fortunate this time. If the wound had been larger and she had bled more, it wouldn’t have been just one day in the hospital. The costs would have been higher. A life is worth more than money.”

Jiang Suihan sincerely apologized to the nurse: “I’m sorry. My brother is young and simple-minded. He’s just worried about me and doesn’t mean to offend anyone. I really appreciate your help; you saved my life. Thank you so much.”

The nurse was reasonable and, seeing the child’s sister apologize, decided not to hold a grudge. “It’s part of my job. Here are the medications, the instructions are on the package. The wound on your head is quite large and might leave a scar, though it’s not certain. Everyone heals differently, and it might fade over time.”

Her attitude softened as she looked at Jiang Suihan’s pretty face. She thought to herself how unfortunate it was that such a beautiful face would be marred by an unsightly scar, wondering what kind of person could be so cruel to such a lovely girl.

As they left the hospital, the child remained very quiet.

Jiang Suihan glanced at him and asked, “What’s wrong? You look so down. Did someone upset our little cutie?”

Jiang Leyun, his brows furrowed, said, “We’re out of money and owe Grandma Lin sixteen yuan and sixty cents. What are we going to do?”

Though he was young, he had become quite sensible after a series of family misfortunes. He understood that their already strained finances had been worsened by their father’s illness and now the debt for his sister’s medical expenses.

The thought of how to repay such a large sum was overwhelming and distressing.

Jiang Suihan patted her brother’s head and said, “Don’t worry about the money. I’ll find a way to deal with it. I’ve told you before, little ones shouldn’t frown all the time. Be careful or you won’t grow tall.”

She had just rummaged through her pockets and found only twenty cents, which was a drop in the bucket compared to the sixteen yuan and sixty cents. She was also worried about money, but it seemed they both shared the same concern.

Jiang Leyun pouted, looking unconvinced: “No way. Dad was tall, and I’m his son. I’ll definitely grow taller than you. I’ll protect you.”

He believed that as a boy, he would naturally be taller than his sister and would be able to protect her.

Jiang Liyun unlocked the door with the key around his neck, and Jiang Suihan followed him inside. The room was in complete disarray, as if it had been ransacked.

Clothes and blankets were strewn on the floor, marked with black shoe prints. Tables and chairs had been knocked over, and a large hole was smashed into the wooden bed. Everything was broken or shattered, with almost nothing intact.

The little boy clenched his fists, his face reddened with anger.

Seeing the mess, Jiang Suihan’s head began to throb again. On the way, she had been preoccupied with money-making plans, but it was clear that the immediate priority was to clean up the mess.

Compared to Jiang Suihan’s distress, Jiang Leiyun quickly calmed down. He silently bent down to pick up a broken bowl from the floor, which had a small crack but was still usable.

With their family in such poverty, they were on the brink of not having enough to eat. They had no extra money for new bowls, so anything that could still be used had to be kept.

This might be the only bowl they had for eating.

Just five months ago, he was an unaware little master, but in a short period, he had learned about life’s hardships. Looking at the child’s patched clothes and dirty face, Jiang Suihan felt a pang of sadness.

Orphaned children are like weeds, but at least she was there to take responsibility as a sister. She would do her best to help herself and her brother survive in these challenging times.

Jiang Leyun picked up clothes from the floor, brushing off the dust. Suddenly, a yellow envelope fell out. He picked it up and saw that it was a letter from their father to his sister.

“Sister, this is a letter from Dad,” he said, handing it over.

Jiang Suihan took the letter and opened it, unfolding a sheet of paper.

In the letter, their father expressed his concern about not having much time left. He worried about his children being left without care after his death and sought to find a solution for them. He had reached out to an old friend.

Years ago, their father had saved this friend’s life, and they had agreed to arrange a marriage between their children in the future. However, after their father went abroad for studies and the friend moved away, the two families lost contact.

The letter mentioned that the friend had promised to help and said his son was still unmarried, and the old agreement still stood. Their father had written to the friend’s son, advising him to be patient. If all went well, the son would come to find her soon.

After reading the letter, Jiang Suihan felt confused. It seemed that their father, worried about their future, had found an old friend whose unmarried son was a suitable match. It was as if fate had arranged for them.

So, the two old fathers had agreed to arrange a marriage between their children.

This could indeed be a solution to their current predicament, but the problem was she had never met her father’s friend’s son, and she knew nothing about his appearance, personality, or character.

In her impression, her father was a knowledgeable and steady person, and such a reckless decision as marrying his daughter to someone he had never met seemed uncharacteristic of him.

But why did he choose to write the letter instead of telling her in person? Was he worried she would rebel and refuse to listen to her father’s advice?

Everything mentioned in the letter was just Jiang’s father’s side of the story. How could they be sure that the friend’s son would actually come? It might just be a joke between two parents from years ago. Given the Jiang family’s current situation, it was questionable to involve another person in their troubles.

From another perspective, even if the friend’s son was unmarried, it didn’t mean he didn’t have someone he liked. Arranging a marriage haphazardly could lead to complications.

Considering that the letter mentioned their father had written to the friend’s son over two months ago and it was now nearing three months with no response, it seemed unlikely that this plan would work out.

Jiang Leyun tugged at Jiang Suihan’s hand, standing on tiptoe to see the letter: “What did Dad write in the letter?”

Jiang Suihan quickly folded the letter and, with a straight face, said, “Dad didn’t write anything special. He’s just worried about us. Let’s not dwell on it. Instead, let’s clean up this messy house. Those people were so awful, they even broke the bowls.”

Jiang Leyun was successfully distracted and muttered angrily, “Exactly, they’re the worst.”

He looked at Jiang Suihan with a distressed expression: “Even if we have a bowl, it’s useless if we don’t have anything to eat.”

The siblings looked at each other, both feeling frustrated.

**