Chapter 101: Persuasion

Xie Yun was stunned.

She had seen money before, but receiving it from the hands of a young boy struck her deeply. Moreover, he intended to give it to her?

She felt a strange, almost absurd sensation.

But soon, she regained her composure and hastily declined, “You child, this simply isn’t right... No, take it back quickly. We can’t accept your money. Please take it back.”

From the thickness of the bundle in the bag, it was at least tens of thousands of yuan. Such a large sum out of nowhere was unsettling.

A child could not possibly have that much money, and subconsciously, she assumed it must have come from his parents’ home. Whatever the case, she couldn’t accept it.

“No amount of money is more important than a life,” Zhang Ye firmly pushed the money toward Xie Yun. “I’m not giving this to show off or to hand out charity. It’s for uncle’s medical treatment.”

“Zhang Ye.” Li Qianqian’s reaction was unexpectedly intense. She ran over, tightly grasping Zhang Ye’s hand, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Youth is a time of vivid imagination. When Zhang Ye had given her mother a gift before, she had sensed his affection for her. Shy and timid, she had barely dared to leave her home for nearly a month. When her good friend Huang Meixia teased her, she wanted nothing more than to bury her head under the covers.

Yet all of this was but subtle fantasy, the innocent stirrings of youthful love, and the quiet hopes nurtured day and night.

Now, with Zhang Ye coming directly to her home, she felt flustered, a little joyful, and yet a bit anxious. Her father’s illness had tormented her, instilling a sense of inferiority.

But now, she realized he understood her better than she understood herself. At her most helpless, most desperate moment, when she needed hope and help, he came—direct and decisive—bringing the one thing her broken family needed most.

She was speechless, filled only with gratitude and emotion.

Yet she also knew clearly that Zhang Ye was still a child, perhaps mature beyond his years, but not yet an adult. The money, evidently, was not truly his own. Looking at him, she said seriously, “Please take the money back. Otherwise, your uncle and aunt will worry.”

She spoke deliberately, trying to remind him.

“Heh, you don’t have to worry. I earned this money myself. My parents don’t know about it. The priority now is to get uncle to the hospital for treatment. Don’t worry about the money—I have enough. And Qianqian, she has to go back to school. She missed today, and all our classmates were worried about her,” Zhang Ye explained. When mentioning concern, he deliberately included “our,” showing his own feelings and indicating that he was not alone in caring.

Of course, he knew any sensible person would suspect his actions stemmed from improper intentions toward the girl. But the current circumstances did not allow them to confront such awkward truths openly; a vague explanation was better than a direct confession.

“All right... all right,” Xie Yun nodded dryly, her expression complicated as she accepted the money.

“Have you eaten?” Li Qianqian asked shyly.

“I...”

“Come on, I can tell you haven’t eaten. Sit down,” Xie Yun smiled and beckoned.

Li Qianqian smiled too, clearly having heard Zhang Ye’s words. “My mom’s cooking is really good. Around here, for all the neighborhood celebrations and funerals, people always invite my mom to cook. No one ever complains.”

“Well then, okay,” Zhang Ye said, rubbing his nose and smiling. Holding a small porcelain bowl in his palm, he filled it to the brim and began eating. The dishes were simple: stir-fried cabbage, spicy tofu. Yet as Zhang Ye ate, the flavors seemed remarkably fresh and delicious.

“Delicious, really delicious,” Zhang Ye praised sincerely, genuinely enjoying the meal. “If Auntie opened a restaurant here, it would surely be thriving, with many repeat customers. How have I never realized such simple dishes could taste so good?” In no time, he finished the bowl with a series of satisfied sounds.

Zhang Ye exercised daily and had a large appetite.

“My mom’s biggest wish is to open a restaurant. But...” Li Qianqian’s voice dimmed slightly.

Zhang Ye fell silent for a moment, then smiled. “Well, I’m done eating. Thanks for your hospitality. Uncle can’t stop taking his medicine; we can’t skimp on his treatment. I’ll also ask the doctor about a cure. If it doesn’t work here, we’ll send him to the provincial hospital. If that doesn’t work, then the capital city. Whatever difficulties arise, I’ll think of a way.”

His words were bold, yet heartfelt.

During the meal, Zhang Ye had already inquired about Li Qianqian’s father’s condition. He had an old back injury. When he was younger and healthier, it was no big deal, though it left a lingering problem. But as he aged and grew weaker, the illness worsened. Treatment at the county hospital helped but was not curative. Each flare-up subsided with medicine but recurred after a few months.

At first, the pain was manageable and did not affect daily life. But as the flare-ups increased, the intervals shortened. This latest episode came only half a month after the last.

Their household had become financially strained due to Li Aiguo’s illness. They had borrowed from friends and relatives everywhere and were deeply in debt, yet the illness was far from cured.

Zhang Ye understood that short-term solutions were unlikely; they had probably tried every available option. Now, their only hope was the larger hospitals in the city or even the province.

Zhang Ye had no contacts in the medical field. Even if he had known some in a previous life, none would recognize him now. After pondering, he decided to seek help by phone. His eldest uncle was doing well, but even he likely had no influential connections, given that Zhang Ye’s modest earnings meant little in the big city.

Then he thought of Yuan Yuqing, a woman he had once saved and who had since helped him repeatedly. He felt a bit embarrassed, as even small favors from her had long repaid his debt of gratitude. Yet he could think of no one else with connections to medical experts.

“I’ll have to trouble her again,” Zhang Ye smiled bitterly. He racked his brain for anyone he knew with medical expertise but came up empty. The only notable figure was someone who later revitalized traditional Chinese medicine, but he had no knowledge of that person’s current whereabouts. They had connections in later life but never spoke of the past.

Thus, Zhang Ye prepared himself to seek Yuan Yuqing’s assistance once more.