Chapter 6

But unexpectedly, this “fool” immediately asked for three thousand yuan the moment she opened her mouth, completely shattering Zhuang Chunsheng’s mask of hypocrisy. It should be known that most people’s monthly wages now were only around thirty-something yuan. This fool really dared to ask for that much. The phrase “Do you deserve it?” practically slipped out of Zhuang Chunsheng’s mouth involuntarily.

The Chen family only needed five hundred yuan to take this fool’s life. She was still alive and dared to ask for three thousand?

“In your eyes, I don’t deserve it? Then who do you think deserves it?” Qiao Xinyi asked. “Do you see people as divided by class? Or do you see common folk as noble or lowly? I am cheap, I don’t deserve it, but your family like yours—is that what’s noble and deserving?”

Qiao Xinyi’s two rhetorical questions silenced even the angry Zhuang Chunsheng. How could he answer? It was like a tall hat was being placed squarely on his own head.

“Silly girl, as the saying goes, leave a way out for people. I, Zhuang Chunsheng, have some standing in A City. You’re just a young person who’s never been to school and hasn’t even left your village. If you…”

Qiao Xinyi didn’t give Zhuang Chunsheng the chance to finish his threatening words and directly interrupted him.

“If I don’t accept your family’s measly bribe, you’re going to make my life worse than death?” Qiao Xinyi laughed lowly, full of mockery.

“Are you saying that because you have power in City A, if you offend you, I won’t have a good life for the rest of my days?”

“Zhuang Chunsheng, don’t say you can cover the whole sky over City A and block justice and fairness. Even if you’re the unchallenged ruler of City A can you block the sky over City B? Or the provincial capital? Or the whole Huaguo country?”

“I never went to school, I’m blind in some ways, but I have a mouth. I can ask for directions to the train station, ask for directions to the newspaper office, and I will ask how to get to Jingcheng to seek justice for myself, to tear open the sky that is your Zhuang family!”

Qiao Xinyi’s eyes were full of scorn. In fact, Zhuang Chunsheng in front of her couldn’t even cover half the sky over City A.

“Zhuang Chunsheng, as long as I have one breath left to walk out of this hospital, I deserve it!”

“Unless you dare kill me,” Qiao Xinyi curled her lips. “But just killing me isn’t enough. My biological parents are in the provincial capital, and the provincial police will soon find them. You’ll have to kill my parents too.”

“Oh, right, after killing the three of us, you’ll have to kill my parents’ parents, kill all the siblings of our family. Zhuang Chunsheng, by this count, you’d have to exterminate my entire clan~”

“I wonder, you, who claim to represent the sky over City A, do you dare?”

Qiao Xinyi’s gaze directly challenged Zhuang Chunsheng. Her expression and words made him break out in a cold sweat on a hot summer evening.

Chen Dachuan and Nurse Chen stood nearby, barely daring to breathe, staring in disbelief at the frail girl on the bed who looked like she could be blown away by a gust of wind—but now gave the impression of a mountain so heavy that no one dared breathe deeply.

Her aura was nothing like that of a village girl who never went to school or left the village.

Zhuang Chunsheng was silent for a long time, thinking hard but unable to find a suitable response. He dared not kill her. Earlier he had only been bluffing to scare this inexperienced fool; he didn’t expect not to scare her into silence but instead almost be scared himself by her retort.

“Fine, three thousand yuan.” Zhuang Chunsheng didn’t dare say more.

“Three thousand was the price before you said ‘do you deserve it?’” Qiao Xinyi held out a hand. “Now the price is five thousand.”

Seeing Zhuang Chunsheng’s facial twitch as he struggled to hold back, Qiao Xinyi said, “Two thousand is your price for buying me off so I don’t report you to your unit and your superior units.”

“So, three thousand is the compensation your son and daughter-in-law are giving me, and two thousand is the compensation you are giving me.”

“Zhuang Chunsheng, with so many people in the ward just now, those things you said—including your threats—if I really report you, can you withstand an investigation?” Qiao Xinyi’s words had a double meaning. It wasn’t just that what Zhuang Chunsheng said in the ward had witnesses; she was also asking whether the Zhuang family could really withstand a probe. Pull one thread and the whole body moves—could the Zhuang family really stand up to scrutiny?

Cold sweat broke out on Zhuang Chunsheng’s forehead. His lips moved, but it was like someone was choking him and he couldn’t get a word out.

He stood by the bedside for a long time before finally forcing out, “Five thousand yuan is really too much for us common folk. You’re forcing the Zhuang family to sell the house and sell blood.”

Qiao Xinyi didn’t say a word, lowering her head and continuing to drink water.

Zhuang Chunsheng stood there a little longer, struggling like it was the hardest thing in the world, then said, “I’ll go gather the money,” and left.

Watching Zhuang Chunsheng hurriedly leave, Qiao Xinyi suddenly noticed Fu Qingshan had returned at some unknown time—he was standing quietly at the ward door, watching, no one knew for how long.

“So soon?” Chen Dachuan asked when he saw Fu Qingshan carrying a lunchbox from his home.

He had told his mother about Qiao Xinyi’s situation at noon. His mother felt sorry for her and volunteered to stew a chicken for Qiao Xinyi to help nourish her.

Before coming here, he told Fu Qingshan, asking him to wait at his house.

“Auntie heard she lost a lot of blood, so she first made two brown sugar eggs. She said it’s good for blood and energy, and not oily or fishy, so she can eat it today first. Otherwise, drinking chicken soup immediately might upset her stomach,” Fu Qingshan explained as he came in carrying the food box.

“Your mother, Officer Chen, really thinks of everything!” Nurse Chen nodded repeatedly. “Qiao Xinyi has never eaten meat or fish in her whole life; it has to be supplemented slowly.”

“Please thank your mother for me,” Qiao Xinyi smiled politely at Chen Dachuan. “Once I’m better, I will definitely come to thank her in person.”

Leaving aside the chicken which hadn’t been seen yet, brown sugar eggs these days were considered good food to serve guests. That Chen Dachuan’s mother was willing to give such things to a stranger she’d never met was enough to show that Chen Dachuan’s parents were kind-hearted and warm.

“Don’t mention it. Just don’t be mad at me about Zhuang Chunsheng’s matter. Honestly, I didn’t expect him to say those things to you when I brought him here,” Chen Dachuan said awkwardly. He really had brought Zhuang Chunsheng, and it had upset Qiao Xinyi quite a bit.

“It’s not your fault,” Qiao Xinyi blinked. “I should thank you for bringing me the five thousand yuan, too.”

Chen Dachuan left soon to eat and had to return to the office to work overtime, so he didn’t stay long in the ward. Nurse Chen also went to eat, leaving Fu Qingshan to stay and keep Qiao Xinyi company.

Qiao Xinyi had a good appetite, holding the bowl delicately as she ate.

Fu Qingshan sat down beside her. “You seem to understand more than most people. Going to higher leaders, going to the newspaper office… Who would expect a girl from a village to do those things? There’s more meaning behind your words, more implications. How many people can handle a lifelong leader with such ease and no fear?”

“I’m smart,” Qiao Xinyi said boldly. After a moment’s thought, she made up an excuse to explain herself.

“There was an old professor who had studied abroad staying in the village cattle shed. When I had nothing else to do, I stayed there with him. He said I wasn’t a fool, just that I developed a self-protective instinct after trauma. He also said I was naturally smart, learning quickly whatever I was taught. He liked to play teacher and enjoyed teaching me knowledge the most.”