Chapter 177: The Past and the Present

Provincial Hospital.

Inpatient Department.

At the door of the hospital room, Fang Qingfei whispered, "Don't speak out of turn when we go in. Just listen to me."

Li Dong, feeling impatient, nodded. He had already been admonished by Fang Qingfei numerous times on this trip. Did she really think he was a child?

Seeing him nod, Fang Qingfei opened the door to the hospital room and called out, "Auntie, I'm here to visit you."

Li Dong followed her in. The room had two hospital beds side by side; one was empty, while the other had an elderly woman with a sallow complexion and sparse hair lying on it.

The elderly woman, who had been lying down, struggled to sit up upon seeing Fang Qingfei. Weakly, she said, "Feifei, why are you here again? Didn't you say I was doing fine?"

Fang Qingfei smiled sweetly and replied, "Auntie, I'm on vacation with nothing to do. I came to keep you company and chat."

After looking around the room, she asked, "Where's Sister Chen?"

"Little Chen went to get water. She'll be back soon," the elderly woman answered, glancing at Li Dong.

Upon seeing Li Dong's face clearly, the elderly woman showed a hint of confusion, feeling that he seemed somewhat familiar.

Li Dong felt the same way, staring at the elderly woman for a while, feeling that he had seen her somewhere before.

But due to the illness, there was a significant difference in her appearance, and Li Dong couldn't immediately recall if he had met her before.

Fang Qingfei noticed the elderly woman was looking at Li Dong and smiled as she introduced him, "This is my friend, Li Dong. Hearing that you were ill, he insisted on coming to see you."

Li Dong quickly put down the fruit basket he was holding and smiled, "Hello, Auntie. I hope you're feeling better."

The elderly woman smiled slightly and said, "Much better. Thank you for coming to see me, Xiao Li."

Li Dong politely exchanged a few words but didn't sit down, instead standing by the bed and listening to Fang Qingfei and the elderly woman chat.

Fang Qingfei didn't discuss the illness but spoke about trivial matters.

After about five or six minutes, the door to the hospital room was pushed open again. A woman in her mid-thirties entered with a basin.

Upon seeing Li Dong, the woman nodded slightly and then addressed Fang Qingfei, "Teacher Fang, I just ran into Dr. Wang. Dr. Wang said…"

Before she could finish, Fang Qingfei quickly interrupted, "Sister Chen, I'm aware of the situation. I'll take care of it later. For now, please help Auntie wash her face."

Sister Chen nodded and stopped speaking. The elderly woman, however, pressed, "Sister Chen, is it about the medical expenses?"

"Auntie, don't worry about the medical expenses. Jia Jia handed over all the money to me before she left. Just focus on your treatment. Do you really think I'd embezzle Jia Jia's money?" Fang Qingfei cheerfully changed the subject.

The elderly woman immediately reproached, "Child, is that what you're worried about?"

Fang Qingfei laughed, "Then don't ask. Every time you ask, I worry that you might refuse to let me handle it, and I'd be so upset."

The elderly woman smiled and said weakly, "Alright, alright, Auntie won't ask anymore. But if the money isn't enough, you must tell me. Jia Jia, that girl, has been so busy that she only comes once a month. If it weren't for you…"

As she spoke, the elderly woman's eyes reddened. She grasped Fang Qingfei's hand and said, "It's Jia Jia's lifelong fortune to have a friend like you."

Seeing this, Fang Qingfei playfully interrupted, "Auntie, with you saying that, I'm getting goosebumps. It's making me feel quite mushy."

"You rascal!" The elderly woman scolded with a smile, though her eyes were filled with gratitude.

Fang Qingfei stopped interrupting and said, "Let Sister Chen help you wash your face first. I'll go downstairs and pay the medical bills."

She then glanced at Li Dong, only to see his face in shock.

---

After leaving the hospital room, Li Dong snapped out of his shock and quickly asked, "Is that Wang Jia's mother?"

Fang Qingfei nodded without speaking.

Li Dong could hardly believe it. The sallow, elderly woman he had just seen was Wang Jia's mother! He had met Wang Jia's mother once at the beginning of the year when they bumped into each other in the Wanyuan Community. At that time, she looked to be in her forties, with a healthy complexion.

But the elderly woman just now looked at least in her sixties, if not older.

If it weren't for the mention of Wang Jia, Li Dong wouldn't have connected the two.

What struck him even more was that when he saw Wang Jia's mother in Wanyuan, she had been commanding and assertive, especially about buying a house. She almost seemed to have "I'm not short of money" written on her face.

But in just six months, Wang Jia's mother had become so ill.

Li Dong steadied himself and asked, "Where is Wang Jia?"

Fang Qingfei remained silent and continued walking downstairs.

Li Dong frowned and asked, "Wang Jia and her father aren't here. They left the care of her mother to you?"

"Uncle Wang has passed away," Fang Qingfei said, her voice choked with emotion.

"Where did he go?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Dong hesitated, "Are you saying…"

Fang Qingfei nodded slightly, her voice low, "Uncle Wang passed away two months ago."

At this moment, Li Dong felt that life was indeed unpredictable, and everything had changed.

Just at the beginning of the year, he had seen Wang Jia's family of three happily buying a house in Wanyuan. Yet in just half a year, the robust-looking man had left this world, and Wang Jia's mother was now seriously ill.

Li Dong fell silent, a result he hadn't anticipated before coming here.

Even though he had lingering questions, like where Wang Jia had gone and why Fang Qingfei was taking care of Wang Jia's mother, Li Dong decided it was best not to ask anything further.

---

At the payment window, Fang Qingfei received the bill and looked at Li Dong awkwardly.

After a while, she whispered, "Can you cover this for me first and include it in the thirty thousand?"

Li Dong glanced at the bill. It was a little over four thousand. Was Fang Qingfei so short of money that she couldn't cover four thousand?

Not wanting to ask in front of others, Li Dong paid the bill with his card.

After leaving the window, Fang Qingfei sighed with relief. Seeing Li Dong's gaze, she said with some helplessness, "I really don't have any money left. Auntie's hospitalization, including medical expenses, room charges, and nursing fees, has cost almost thirty thousand. I've only been working for a year, and my salary isn't high…"

Li Dong understood the rest. Fang Qingfei liked to indulge in some luxuries despite her modest salary.

With her salary of eighteen hundred a month, she probably lived paycheck to paycheck.

Li Dong was puzzled, "Didn't you say Wang Jia left you some money?"

Fang Qingfei looked distressed and said, "You actually believed that? Jia Jia didn't have any money."

"Didn't Wang Jia sell the Wanyuan property?" Li Dong recalled their previous encounter and asked.

Fang Qingfei sighed, "You don't know. The property was sold, but not only did they lose a lot, but as soon as the money came in, it was taken away. Jia Jia didn't leave a single cent."

Seeing Li Dong about to ask more, Fang Qingfei said, "Let's not discuss this now. I'll explain everything in detail later."