The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Tang Aijun's eyes lit up!

Yup!

That silly Qi Weiwei still cares about her family a little.

If you threaten her with her parents, she might obediently come back.

This led to Qi Weiwei learning that her parents had been arrested as soon as she returned to Beijing, which in turn led to her subsequent negotiations with Tang Qu.

However, Tang Qu had not yet had a chance to inform Tang Aijun about these matters.

Tang Qu sent people to the courtyard to look for Tang Aijun several times, but Tang Aijun had already let himself go and was living with Tang Tiantian in the rented courtyard, never going home.

Unable to find Tang Aijun and not daring to tell the truth, the man lied and said he had already delivered the message.

Therefore, Tang Aijun had no idea that Qi Weiwei had returned, that she had already confronted Tang Qu, or that she held those crucial pieces of evidence.

He was completely absorbed in Tang Tiantian's gentle embrace, spending his days at work, his lunch breaks in secret, and his nights in passionate embraces, losing all sense of direction.

That noon, while he and Tang Tiantian were making out on the kang (heated brick bed) in the courtyard, Wang Dong and his men broke down the door and caught them naked.

At that moment, his mind went blank.

It’s over.

It's all over.

But things took an unexpected turn later.

Tang Tiantian took all the blame, saying she was the principal offender and he was an accomplice, or even coerced.

She signed the confession, admitting to all her crimes.

Tang Aijun, however, was released because he "exposed" Tang Tiantian for switching the children, which was considered a meritorious act.

As he walked out of the police station, he felt a sense of relief.

Although I lost my job and my reputation is ruined, at least I'm safe and sound.

Moreover, Tang Tiantian loves him so much that she's willing to go to jail for him...

He even thought he was really outstanding, that two women loved him to death.

But now, standing in this cold room of the neighborhood office, listening to the busy tone on the phone, Tang Aijun realized that things were far more complicated than he had thought.

My father is under investigation.

Tang Tiantian is in prison.

Grandma is dying.

The two sons were crying out in hunger.

He didn't have a single penny in his pocket.

"Comrade..."

He turned around, looked at the clerk knitting a sweater, and said in a hoarse voice.

"Could...could you lend me two yuan? My grandma is sick and in the hospital..."

The clerk looked up, adjusted his glasses, and said expressionlessly, "The neighborhood office doesn't lend money. If you have difficulties, you can write an application and wait for the leader's approval."

Waiting for the leader's approval?

How long will it take?

His grandmother is still in the hospital waiting for her life to be saved!

Tang Aijun opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he said nothing.

He turned around and staggered out of the street office.

The sky outside is overcast; it looks like it's going to snow again.

He returned to the courtyard in a daze.

In the courtyard, Tang Yaozong and Tang Yaozu immediately rushed forward, each grabbing one of his legs, their faces covered in snot and tears:

"Dad! I'm hungry!"

"Dad, I want shredded pork noodles! I want two extra servings of shredded pork!"

Tang Aijun looked down at the two children.

This is his son.

But he couldn't love it at all.

He even felt that if it weren't for those two little bastards, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.

He dragged them in like two burdens, and went inside to look at Sun Xidi.

The old lady was still lying in bed, motionless, breathing weakly, with an abnormal flush on her face.

A final burst of energy before death.

These four words popped into Tang Aijun's mind.

He suddenly remembered how good Sun Xidi had been to him when he was a child.

She always saved the best food for him, and if anyone bullied her, Sun Xidi would be the first to rush up and fight them to the death.

But now, his beloved grandmother is about to die in this cold, dilapidated little courtyard.

It was simply because he didn't have the money to take her to the hospital.

"Grandma..." He knelt by the bedside, grasping Sun Xidi's withered hand, "Wake up... I'll go to the hospital with you..."

Sun Xidi did not react.

Tang Aijun suddenly stood up.

He couldn't just watch his grandmother die.

He still has a way.

Yes, a handcart.

Old Zhang next door has a handcart; we can borrow it.

He rushed out of the house, ran next door, and after much pleading, borrowed a cart.

The cart was old, the wheels were rusted, and it creaked when pushed.

He carried Sun Xidi onto the cart, covered her with a tattered quilt, and then pushed the cart toward the hospital.

The two children followed behind, crying and calling out, "Daddy! Wait for us!"

Tang Aijun did not turn around.

The two children chased after it, crying.

Tang Aijun pushed his cart and raced through the winter streets.

The cold wind lashed his face like knives, but he felt no pain.

He had only one thought in his mind: to save his grandmother.

This moment was arguably one of the few highlights in Tang Aijun's life, but unfortunately, it didn't last long.

It was already afternoon when we arrived at the hospital.

The hospital was crowded with people queuing to register and wait for a doctor.

Tang Aijun placed Sun Xidi on a bench in the corridor and went to queue up himself.

He didn't have a penny in his pocket, but he thought he'd get a checkup first, and then figure out how to pay later.

They waited for a full two hours before it was their turn.

The doctor was an elderly man in his fifties, wearing glasses and very serious.

He examined Sun Xidi, his expression growing increasingly grave.

"Severe dehydration, persistent high fever, pneumonia." The senior doctor removed his stethoscope. "You need to be hospitalized. Go pay the bill first."

"How much...how much?" Tang Aijun asked.

"The patient is critically ill. We need to pay a deposit of fifty yuan first," the senior doctor said. "Further treatment will depend on the situation."

Fifty dollars.

Tang Aijun's hands were shaking.

Where is he going to get fifty yuan?

"Doctor," his voice trembled, "can you treat me first? I...I'll go raise the money right away..."

The old doctor glanced at him, his eyes devoid of warmth: "Hospital policy is that we won't treat anyone who doesn't pay. You'd better go and raise the money quickly, or he'll die."

Tang Aijun knelt down with a thud.

"Doctor, please, treat my grandmother first! My family is rich, my dad is rich! He... he's the director of the resection committee!"

The senior doctor frowned: "Director of the Cutting Committee? Tang Qu?"

"Yes! Yes!" Tang Aijun grasped at a straw, "You know my dad? Then you..."

"I don't know him," the old doctor interrupted him. "I only follow hospital regulations. You should hurry up and raise the money; don't waste any time."

Tang Aijun knelt there, his whole body ice-cold.

He suddenly noticed the watch on his wrist.

That was the car Tang Tiantian bought for him last year; it's a Shanghai brand and cost 120 yuan.

At the time, Tang Tiantian said coquettishly, "Brother Aijun, this looks good on you."

He snatched his watch and held it up to the old doctor: "I'll use this as collateral! It's a Shanghai brand watch, worth over a hundred yuan! Please treat my grandmother first, and I'll go back and raise the money right away, okay?"

The old doctor took the watch, glanced at it, then looked at Tang Aijun's anxious face, and finally nodded:

"Alright, the watch is yours to keep as collateral. Go and raise the money, bring it back within three days, and the watch will be yours. If you exceed three days, the watch will be confiscated."

"Thank you! Thank you, doctor!" Tang Aijun kowtowed repeatedly.

He got up and rushed out of the consultation room.

In the corridor, Tang Yaozong and Tang Yaozu were still standing there dumbfounded.

As soon as he came out, the two boys pounced on him again!