Courtyard House: Drunk and barging into the Xu family's house, I woke up numb.

"Bang Geng, Grandma has to say something to you this time. You've really made things difficult for me."

Grandma told you before, "You'll suffer a great loss if you're greedy for small gains, why can't you remember?"

"If you're lying in the hospital during the Lunar New Year, the whole year will be unlucky!"

"Huai Ru, go talk to the doctor and we'll go home for the New Year after this injection, and come back to the hospital tomorrow for another one."

Bang Geng was speechless when he heard this, but he had gone to the toilet more than ten times that afternoon and was already exhausted. He said weakly.

"Grandma, don't make a fuss so late at night. It's pitch black outside. If you fall and hit your head on the way back, that would be really bad luck."

Upon hearing her grandson speak in such a manner, Jia Zhangshi immediately spat to the side.

"Pah, pah, pah... Can't you say something auspicious during the New Year?"

"If you hadn't insisted on buying firecrackers for a mere 50 cents, would our whole family have suffered like this?"

Banggeng refused to accept being blamed.

"Grandma, is this my fault?"

"I didn't know there was anything wrong with the pork. Besides, you and Mom, the two adults, didn't notice anything amiss when you chopped the filling and made dumplings, did you?"

"I only stole that 50 cents because you wouldn't give me the money. If you had given me the money to buy firecrackers, none of this would have happened."

Seeing that the grandmother and grandson were arguing, Qin Huairu spoke up to mediate.

"Alright, what's the point of arguing now? What's done is done."

"I've already spent the money and suffered the consequences. I'll learn from this experience and be more careful next time."

When Jia Zhangshi heard Qin Huairu mention money, she remembered the medical expenses.

"Huai Ru, how much did the hospitalization cost this time?"

Qin Huairu put down the bowl in her hand, leaned on the stick to lie down, and went to the other side to feed the two little ones.

"Thirty-five yuan and seven jiao, that's two months' living expenses gone."

When Jia Zhangshi heard that so much money had been spent, she sighed deeply.

"Why did it cost so much? It was just a few IV drips."

Qin Huairu said.

"Mom, you have food poisoning and need to induce vomiting. It's a minor surgery, but there are so many people involved."

"Add in the medication, IV drips, bed fees and other miscellaneous expenses, and it adds up to this much."

Jia Zhangshi cursed and swore.

"This hospital is truly ruthless, even more so than the capitalists of the old society."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu immediately looked around and whispered a sharp rebuke.

"Mom, what nonsense are you talking about?"

“If someone takes your word for this, you’ll be sent to a farm for re-education again.”

Jia Zhangshi was just rambling on without thinking, and when Qin Huairu reminded her, she quickly covered her mouth.

Before long, Qin Huairu finished feeding the two little girls and then gave each of them a piece of fruit candy.

The doctor said that the two girls are too young to endure such suffering, and that eating less sugar would help them regain some strength.

"Huai Ru, give me a piece of candy too, my mouth tastes bitter."

Qin Huairu said.

"Mom, the doctor gave us four candies and told us to let them suck on them after meals."

"If you feel your mouth tastes bitter, there is warm water nearby. Just rinse your mouth a couple of times."

Banggeng chimed in, joining in the fun.

"Mom, I want to eat candy too."

Qin Huairu glared at her.

"What are you eating? Haven't you gone to the toilet enough times yet?"

Bang Geng initially thought nothing of it, but upon hearing about running to the toilet, he panicked, immediately realizing that his period was about to start again.

He hurriedly sat up, put on his shoes, and walked outside while holding onto the wall.

"Wait a moment, let me help you."

"No need, I can manage on my own."

Banggeng felt he was a little adult, and it would be too embarrassing for him to be helped to the toilet by his mother.

After seeing that Banggeng had left, Jia Zhangshi continued to ask.

Who paid for the medical expenses?

"Sha Zhu, or Yi Zhonghai?"

Jia Zhangshi was unaware that Qin Huairu had extorted five hundred yuan from Yi Zhonghai.

Based on the Jia family's daily finances, she knew that Qin Huairu couldn't afford the 35.7 yuan medical expenses.

Therefore, someone must have paid for the medical expenses. Based on past experience, it must be either Sha Zhu or Yi Zhonghai.

This time, Jia Zhangshi felt that Yi Zhonghai was more likely, since he hadn't seen Sha Zhu since he woke up.

This means that Sha Zhu is currently being kept at home by his father, who is preventing him from visiting. Also, Sha Zhu probably doesn't have much money left.

Seeing that Qin Huairu remained silent, Jia Zhangshi asked.

"What's wrong? I'm asking you a question, why aren't you saying anything?"

After thinking for a moment, Qin Huairu spoke frankly.

"The hospital didn't pay for my medical expenses, and none of the three old men lent me any money."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi was furious.

"What a bunch of idiots! They always talk so high and mighty, shouting about helping each other."

“Our whole family is in the hospital now, and they’re still trying to take advantage of us.”

"They're such stingy people, they can't even afford to pay for our medical bills now that we're in the hospital."

"Huai Ru, go talk to Uncle Yi and ask him to have Uncle Er and Uncle San hold a meeting for the whole courtyard to raise funds for our family."

"We have to raise the money for the medical expenses, and any extra money can be used to help our family of patients recover."

Qin Huairu gets a headache whenever she hears the words "hold a meeting to raise funds." She is certain that if she were to ask an old man to hold a meeting to raise funds, she would be kicked out.

You should know that the old man stepped down because of the fundraising event.

At the meeting, He Yushui exposed his embezzlement of money, and was eventually dismissed and forced off the stage by the old man.

"Mom, you really know how to bring up the most sensitive topics. Please don't mention this again, or Uncle will get angry."

Madam Jia was a beat slow to react, but she also remembered this matter.

"Look how confused I am, aren't I?"

"What about the medical expenses? Thirty-seven yuan and fifty cents is no small amount. We're afraid we won't be able to get it back."

"By the way, you still haven't told me who's paying for the medical expenses?"

Qin Huairu sighed.

"The medical expenses have already been paid. We paid for them ourselves. The money comes from our own savings."

Madam Jia was completely stunned. She never expected that Qin Huairu would actually touch her retirement money.

"Qin Huairu, who gave you permission to touch my money? You didn't even say a word, are you trying to rebel?!"

When Jia Zhangshi sat up, she used too much force and accidentally pulled the IV drip out of her hand.

"Ouch...hiss..."

The pain caused by the needle coming loose made Jia Zhangshi frown, and she pressed the bleeding spot at the injection site.

"What are you all standing there for? Go and get me a doctor!"

Seeing that Jia Zhangshi's hand was bleeding, Qin Huairu quickly called the nurse over.

After the nurse arrived, she cleaned the area again with an alcohol swab and then pressed a cotton ball into it.

"Hold it down, don't move, release it after five minutes."

"Don't move around during your next injection, or you'll damage a blood vessel and cause a lot of trouble."

Jia Zhangshi pointed to the IV drip still hanging above her head and asked.

"Then what about my medicine..."

The nurse put away the medicine bottle.

"It's just a bottle of saline solution, not much left, so I'm not going to do it anymore."

After the nurse finished speaking, she left the ward, and Jia Zhangshi stared at Qin Huairu with wide eyes.

"Tell me, how much money did you take from my box?"