Chapter 19: Just a Little Lump

“Yuanyuan, it was really kind of you to take Aunt Yu to the hospital today. Your father is so proud of you,” Cheng Huaien said, his voice filled with genuine warmth.

He was well aware of how his daughter used to treat Aunt Yu next door. The fact that she had now personally taken Aunt Yu to the hospital and even given her all her savings made him feel that his life hadn’t been in vain.

“This fifty yuan is yours. Once Aunt Yu pays you back for the medical expenses, keep the rest for yourself. Buy some snacks,” Cheng Huaien said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Dad, you should save it for chicken feed,” Cheng Yuan replied, taking back the money she’d originally spent and handing the extra back to him.

“Keep it. Dad’s doing well,” Cheng Huaien insisted. “I’ve been selling eggs lately, and business is good. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we have a better life soon.”

“Dad, let’s go check on Aunt Yu,” Cheng Yuan suggested. Instead of going into their own home, she turned toward Aunt Yu’s house.

Yu Qing had returned earlier and was already chatting with Aunt Yu.

“Lao Cheng, Yuanyuan!” Aunt Yu called out in surprise when she saw them. She welcomed them warmly inside and quickly brought out a box of White Rabbit milk candy. “Yuanyuan, your favorite! Thank you for helping save Auntie’s life today.”

“Thank you, Aunt Yu,” Cheng Yuan replied, her eyes fixed on the candy box. It had been ages since she’d had any sweets—especially White Rabbit.

After savoring a piece, she asked, “Aunt Yu, what did the doctor say about your X-rays?”

“Everything’s fine, nothing serious,” Aunt Yu answered with a calm smile, as though there was nothing at all to worry about.

“Aunt Yu, can I take a look at the X-rays? I’ve never seen one before.” Cheng Yuan remembered how Aunt Yu had suddenly passed away in her previous life. Her fainting episode today might be a warning sign.

She didn’t care if it was inappropriate to ask.

“Yu Qing probably wants to see them too, right?” Cheng Yuan added casually, drawing him into the conversation. “Wouldn’t it be good to know exactly what the doctor said?”

With both of them asking, Aunt Yu couldn’t find a good excuse to refuse. She could only hope they wouldn’t understand what they were looking at.

She fetched the X-ray film, but as Yu Qing reached out for it, she hesitated. “There’s really nothing to see. The doctor said it’s fine. You two don’t need to worry about me.”

As she spoke, she attempted to put the X-ray away.

Yu Qing quickly grabbed it. “Mom, let me see it.”

He stared at the film, brow furrowed, clearly trying to make sense of it.

Cheng Yuan leaned in and suddenly gasped. “Aunt Yu, does this mean… you have a tumor in your brain?”

In that moment, everything clicked. She finally understood the cause of Aunt Yu’s death in her past life.

Aunt Yu had always been tough, never willing to go to the hospital. With Yu Qing’s college entrance exams coming up, she’d neglected her health entirely. She held on just long enough for Yu Qing to finish the exams before collapsing and dying suddenly.

“It’s nothing serious,” Aunt Yu said lightly, brushing it off as though it were a simple cold. “The doctor said it’s small. We’ll keep an eye on it with follow-up scans. As long as it doesn’t grow, it’s not a big deal.”

“Mom, why didn’t you tell me?” Yu Qing asked, his eyes turning red. He wasn’t a doctor, but he understood how dangerous anything related to the brain could be.

“I wasn’t trying to hide it,” Aunt Yu replied quickly. “I just didn’t think it was anything major.”

“Aunt Yu, make sure you go for the follow-up in a few months. And don’t go back to work at the factory—it’s way too exhausting, and you’re on your feet from morning till night,” Cheng Yuanyuan urged. Then she offered, “My dad’s been selling tea eggs lately and can barely keep up. Would you be willing to help with deliveries?”

“Dad!” Cheng Yuan winked at Cheng Huaien as a cue.

Catching on immediately, he said, “That’s right. My tea egg business is going great. I sell nearly a thousand a day, making around seventy or eighty yuan.”

“Old Cheng, are you joking? Seventy or eighty yuan a day?” Aunt Yu was stunned. If that were true, it would add up to over two thousand yuan a month!

“Sister Yu, would I lie to you? I’ve been doing this for nearly two weeks now. I’m planning to rent a stall and sell fried noodles soon, so you can take over the tea egg business,” Cheng Huaien said.

Before he could finish, Aunt Yu waved her hands. “No, no, this business is too good…”

She couldn’t earn that kind of money in an entire year!

“Sister Yu, I’m only selling tea eggs to raise some capital. I still plan to return to my old trade,” Cheng Huaien said with a smile. “I’m a chef, after all, and my dream is to open a restaurant—not to sell tea eggs forever. The key to making good tea eggs is the brine—it needs depth of flavor. I’ll teach you. You’ll pick it up in a few days. It’s much easier than factory work.”

He meant every word. Aunt Yu had helped him and his daughter many times before, and now he wanted to return the favor.

“That’s right, Aunt Yu,” Cheng Yuan added. “Dad promised to deliver tea eggs every day, and we’re really worried about finding someone to take over for him.”

Their combined persuasion eventually wore Aunt Yu down, and she agreed to give it a try.

When Yu Qing saw them out, he bowed deeply to Cheng Huaien. “Thank you,uncle Cheng.

The tea egg business was incredibly profitable, and Uncle Cheng was now handing it over to them. It was a massive help.

“Yu Qing, just focus on your studies,” Cheng Huaien said, patting his shoulder. “Sneak back to the doctor tomorrow and ask about the follow-up schedule. If it’s really in a few months, we’ll have time to earn enough money to feel more at ease. Yu Qing, you must get into a good university!”

When Cheng Yuanyuan returned home after showering, she found Cheng Huaien sitting in the courtyard, deep in thought.

“Dad, are you still worried about Aunt Yu?” she asked as she towel-dried her hair. “I think we should trust the doctor.”

“Yuanyuan, why did you suddenly want to see Aunt Yu’s X-rays?” Cheng Huaien asked, his gaze sweeping over her carefully.

In the excitement of being reborn, he had overlooked some odd changes in his daughter.

The girl who used to care only about video games had suddenly become focused on her studies and even started running every morning. Earlier today, he had been trying to figure out how to ask Aunt Yu for the X-rays—and now, Yuanyuan had brought it up herself.

Something didn’t add up.

“Dad, why are you looking at me like that?” Cheng Yuanyuan felt a pang of anxiety and answered casually, “Didn’t Aunt Yu go to the hospital today? That’s why I asked. I heard the doctor say she needed an X-ray before I left. Yeah, that’s what he said.”

“Dad, was it wrong for me to ask about the X-rays?” she added cautiously, peeking at his expression.

Cheng Huaien cleared his throat. “You were right. Aunt Yu tends to keep things bottled up. But…”

“Yuanyuan, do you remember your grandfather’s X-rays when he was sick?” he asked suddenly.

Cheng Yuan blinked in confusion. “Grandpa had X-rays? I thought he passed away from falling down the hillside? If I remember right, he was always in good health. If he hadn’t hit his head, he probably would’ve lived to be a hundred.”