Chapter 202: At the End of Life

At Qingyang First People's Hospital.

When Li Dong and his family arrived at the ward, only Li Chenghui was there.

It had been over a year since Li Dong had last seen Li Chenghui. When he saw him again, Li Chenghui had become extremely emaciated.

Seeing Li Chengdong's family, Li Chenghui's eyes moved slightly. After a long pause, he said, "The second one is here."

Li Chengdong's eyes reddened instantly. He walked over, holding Li Chenghui's hand, and choked up, saying, "Dongzi is back. I brought him to see you."

Li Chenghui smiled and looked at Li Dong, saying, "Dongzi, it's been a while. You've grown handsome."

Li Dong felt a pang of emotion. As people near death often speak kindly, he remembered how Li Chenghui had previously treated him dismissively. Now, faced with his condition, his words were gentler.

"Uncle, I'm here to see you," Li Dong said with a sigh, addressing him as "Uncle" for the first time.

Previously, he had refused to call Li Chenghui "Uncle," but seeing him in his current state, Li Dong could not bring himself to be harsh.

Li Chenghui's emaciated face showed a faint smile as he said, "Good. You are the most successful one in our Li family. Study hard and make us proud."

Li Dong nodded and didn't speak further.

Li Chengdong noticed Li Chenghui was having difficulty breathing and quickly asked, "Do you want anything to eat? I can get something for you."

Li Chenghui shook his head and sighed, "I don't want anything."

Li Chengdong asked, "Where's Aunt? Why is she not here with you?"

Hearing Li Chengdong's question, Li Chenghui's face showed a trace of sorrow. He shook his head and remained silent.

Li Chengdong frowned and said, "What's wrong? Is she causing trouble again?"

"No, don't blame her. It's my fault," Li Chenghui sighed, unwilling to elaborate.

Li Chengdong knew the cause of the trouble but still felt pained. "At this stage, what more is there to argue about? The focus should be on the person, not money."

Li Dong noticed a trace of doubt in his eyes but did not ask further.

Li Chenghui asked, "Dongzi, you are the most educated one in our family. I have a question for you."

"Uncle, go ahead," Li Dong replied.

Li Chenghui hesitated but eventually spoke, "Is there a legal provision for a mistress to inherit from the estate?"

Li Dong was taken aback by the question. A mistress?

Li Chenghui smiled bitterly and explained, "I am a simple man and never thought about such matters. But now, with my condition, I have a daughter who is 15. If I pass away, her mother might cause trouble. I want to know if I can leave some money to her."

Li Dong realized that Li Chenghui had a love child who was now 15 years old. He felt a bit speechless.

He decided not to get involved. "She should be entitled to a share, but since she is still a minor, the money will be managed by her guardian until she comes of age."

"So it will still be under her mother's control?" Li Chenghui asked.

Li Dong nodded. He wasn't sure of the specifics but knew this was usually the case.

Li Chenghui furrowed his brow but said nothing more.

The conversation then turned to past experiences and childhood memories as Li Chenghui and Li Chengdong reminisced.

Li Dong and Cao Fang listened quietly, not interrupting their conversation.

After about half an hour, Li Chengdong noticed Li Chenghui's energy was waning and said, "Eldest Brother, rest for now. I'll come back in a few days."

"Alright, then..."

Suddenly, a sharp voice pierced the room. "You shameless fox! I'm not dead yet, and you come here pretending to care!"

Before Li Chenghui could finish, another woman's voice shouted, "You're the shameless one! Why can't I come? Isn't my daughter his daughter?"

"You just want money! I'll tell you, not a single cent will be left for you! Whether she's his daughter or not, who knows if you had her with some random man!"

"Shut up! Ask Li Chenghui if she's truly his child!"

The people in the room exchanged glances, and Li Chenghui looked bitter.

Li Chengdong frowned and asked, "What's going on? Is there another argument?"

Li Chenghui waved his hand and said, "Let them make a fuss. I'm about to die; I can't manage this anymore."

Li Chengdong wanted to say more, but the two women who had been arguing outside burst into the room.

Li Dong glanced over. One was his aunt, and the other was a middle-aged woman around forty.

Instead of entering calmly, they were pulling each other's hair and fighting.

Li Dong was left speechless. With someone on the brink of death, these two women were fighting over money instead of caring for the sick man. It seemed extremely heartless.

However, it was hard to say who was right or wrong. The blame fell on Li Chenghui for not resolving these issues earlier.

Seeing the two women yelling and pulling each other's hair, Li Chenghui, breathing heavily, shouted, "Get out! Get far away! If you keep making a scene, I won't leave you a single cent!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chengdong's aunt sat on the floor, crying and cursing, "Are you even human? I was with you since I was 18. You were poor then, and I supported you. Now you're rich and have found other women. I don't care, but now that you're dying, you let them harass people. I can't live with this!"

Li Chenghui's face turned red with anger. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the bed, fainting.

Li Chengdong was startled and quickly checked for a pulse, then shouted, "Doctor! Doctor! Come quickly!"

Seeing that Li Chengdong's aunt and the other woman were still stunned, he scolded, "What are you making a fuss about now? Is this the time to be arguing? Decades of family ties should be worth more than a few dollars!"

The two women were now frightened. If it were a normal situation, they would have insulted Li Chengdong. But with Li Chenghui fainting and possibly on the verge of death, they dared not speak.

The room fell silent, and soon a doctor and two nurses entered.

Li Chengdong urgently said, "Doctor, my brother has fainted. Please check him!"

The doctor didn't speak but examined Li Chenghui's pupils and began pressing his acupoints.

After a while, Li Chenghui slowly regained consciousness.

The doctor frowned and said, "You all need to leave. The patient needs rest."

Li Dong and his family left the room, and soon the doctor came out.

The doctor looked at the family and frowned, "What is wrong with you? Is this the right time for a commotion at the hospital?"

"The patient's condition is unstable. He was already weak, and now he fainted from stress. If he faints again, he might not wake up."

"Don't disturb him. Let him rest, and come back tomorrow."

With that, the doctor left with the nurses.

In his heart, the doctor thought, money doesn't help here. A whole family, and no one truly cares about the patient's life. It would be better if he just passed away peacefully.

After the doctor left, Li Chengdong glared at the two women but said nothing. He turned and left the hospital in a hurry.

Li Dong and Cao Fang followed, and Cao Fang whispered, "What kind of situation is this? Even in death, there's no peace. It's a disaster!"

Li Dong could only offer a bitter smile. With such matters, he was at a loss for words.