Chapter 2: Fortune Favors the Righteous

The next morning at nine o’clock!

The surgery had been a complete success, and the patient was transferred to the ICU. Although Chen Jie had paid ten thousand yuan last night and the operation was done, he still owed fifty thousand. He had promised Director Liu that he would repay it all today.

Chen Jie had only graduated and worked for half a year. Due to his credit being ruined by his cousin, he couldn’t find a decent job after graduation, and his monthly salary was low. Even after six months of scrimping and saving, he had only managed to put aside a little over ten thousand yuan. His family was certainly not wealthy. Old Chen had sacrificed everything to afford his education, even borrowing heavily from relatives and now owing tens of thousands.

Father and son had depended on each other all these years. As long as Old Chen was alive, Chen Jie would do whatever it took to save him, even if it meant selling his own blood.

At eight in the morning, Wang Yan gave him the one thousand yuan he had promised to help raise the night before, which deeply moved Chen Jie. He knew Wang Yan was also destitute, barely scraping by. Yet despite that, Wang Yan had spared no effort to gather a thousand yuan for him.

What is a friend? This—this is what a true friend is!

Still, there was forty thousand yuan left to pay!

Money, money, money—!

Chen Jie stood at the hospital entrance, his bloodshot eyes wide open, and the corners of his mouth twitching nervously. At that moment, all he could think about was money.

“Chen Jie!”

A voice called from afar.

Chen Jie turned and saw his next-door neighbor, Yang Jun.

They were the same age, with Yang Jun being three months older. Since childhood, Chen Jie had always called him “Brother Jun.” Yang Jun had been the village troublemaker all his life—fighting and causing mischief were just everyday matters for him.

The two were polar opposites: Yang Jun disliked studying, preferring to wield knives and sticks, always ready to brawl. Chen Jie, on the other hand, loved studying and had always excelled academically.

After Chen Jie entered high school, Yang Jun went to the Xiangnan Hengshan Martial Arts School, and they only saw each other once a year during the New Year.

“How’s Uncle Chen doing? I just got back to Hengyang this morning and heard from my dad that Uncle Chen had an accident last night and fell into a ditch!” Yang Jun asked anxiously, wiping sweat from his forehead while carrying a bag of fruit.

“He hasn’t woken up yet. The surgery is done, and he’s in the ICU,” Chen Jie replied softly, taking a deep breath.

Yang Jun patted Chen Jie on the shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry too much. Fate protects the righteous; Uncle Chen will be fine!”

“Thanks, Brother Jun!” Chen Jie was stunned. He hadn’t expected Yang Jun to come to the hospital.

Yang Jun stepped forward and gently placed the bag of fruit on the hospital steps. Then he took out a bundle of cash from his backpack, hesitated for a moment, and handed it to Chen Jie.

“You just started working not long ago. I know you’re short on money,” Yang Jun said. “I don’t have much on hand either. Take this for now. Pay me back when you’re financially better off.”

Chen Jie’s hands trembled as he took the money. Glancing at it, he saw it was exactly five bundles.

At that moment, looking up in shock at Yang Jun, Chen Jie felt a strange sensation—whether it was dust in his eyes or something else, tears began to flow uncontrollably.

Yang Jun patted his shoulder again, smiling faintly. “There’s something people say, so don’t mind me. You have a degree, you’re good at foreign languages, and you have skills. Staying in Hengyang is really a waste for you.”

“The pay here is low and there’s little opportunity for growth. Unless you plan to take civil service exams, you really should consider moving to the coastal areas.”

“There are more chances to make money out there than here.”

Chen Jie accepted the money solemnly and nodded. “Thank you, Brother Jun! Once my dad’s condition improves, I’ll consider moving to the coast.”

Yang Jun smiled. “Alright! If you do go to the coast, call me. I’m in Dongguan, South China!”

The two chatted on the hospital steps.

Ten minutes later, Chen Jie went to the hospital’s payment office to settle the fees.

Afterward, they talked for a little while longer in the hospital corridor.

“Brother Jun, you go ahead. I’ll stay here,” Chen Jie said, checking the time.

Yang Jun nodded with a smile. “Alright! I’ll head back to the village to see my parents. I have to go to eastern Zhejiang this afternoon. Keep in touch!”

—

By six in the evening, Chen Jie returned to the village.

Old Chen raised two pigs and a dozen or so chickens and ducks, so Chen Jie had to check on them. With convenient transportation, the bus ride to the countryside took less than two hours.

The ICU is different from a regular hospital ward; no family members are allowed to stay with the patient. Old Chen hadn’t regained consciousness yet, and hospital staff were assigned to care for him. The family only needed to keep in constant contact by phone and be ready to rush to the hospital if necessary.

However, the ICU was incredibly expensive, costing over five thousand yuan daily. The longer the stay, the higher the fees.

So the sixty thousand yuan Chen Jie had paid depended on how well Old Chen recovered. If he didn’t wake up and needed a second surgery, the money wouldn’t be enough.

Moreover, if he remained unconscious for more than half a month, he might become a vegetative patient.

After feeding the pigs and poultry at home, Chen Jie went to Old Chen’s room.

Click.

Chen Jie pried open the lock on the bedside cabinet.

Old Chen had always treated this cabinet like a treasure chest, but Chen Jie didn’t know if there was anything valuable inside.

After searching for a while and failing to find the key, he forced the lock open.

“Huh? There really is a treasure? What’s this?”

Chen Jie was surprised by the contents.

Inside the cabinet was only a photograph and a red jade pendant.

The photo was of a woman, seemingly beautiful, but Chen Jie had never seen it before.

For some reason, looking at it stirred a strange sense of familiarity.

Why would Old Chen hide a photo of a woman?

Suddenly, Chen Jie had a thought and examined the photo carefully.

Could this woman be the mother he had never met?

Impossible!

Old Chen didn’t seem like the type to have found such a beautiful wife.

Shaking his head, Chen Jie put the photo aside and didn’t dwell on it further.

It was useless to focus on that now; his worry was money above all else.

He turned his attention to the red jade pendant.

An antique?

Could this be worth something?

Chen Jie held it up to the light, but unfortunately, he knew little about jade.

Then he had an idea and opened his phone to a treasure appraisal streamer he followed.

Zi Xuan Treasure Appraisal!

This was a popular appraiser with three million followers and a strong reputation across the internet.

Generally, his jade price evaluations were very reliable.

Mr. Zi Xuan was a professional jade鉴定 master with an excellent reputation.

Most importantly, his live appraisals were usually free!

At that moment, Zi Xuan’s livestream was just starting, and the chat was lively.

On the screen appeared Zi Xuan, sporting a distinctive mustache and a look reminiscent of a catfish.

Chen Jie glanced at the red jade pendant in his hand, took a deep breath, then looked again at Mr. Zi Xuan.

Without hesitation, he tapped the call button on his phone screen to connect.