Chapter 196: Can You Lend Me 5 Yuan?
Fu Mingxue was shocked.
’She can’t even come up with five yuan? Doesn’t her husband get a stipend every month?’
’Could it be that he doesn’t give her a single cent?’
Cui Meihong’s face flushed with shame. Fu Mingxue’s stare made her deeply uncomfortable and pained.
"I-I’ll pay you back. Wait until my husband gets home. He’s been away on a mission these past few days. I... I need to buy medicine for my little girl. Her face got burned yesterday, and it’s starting to blister today."
Hearing this, Fu Mingxue was rendered utterly speechless.
’I really don’t know what to say to her.’
’Her daughter is so young, and she got burned, but she didn’t take her to be seen yesterday? She waited until it blistered today to go?’
’Is there something seriously wrong with her?’
She took five yuan from her pocket and handed it over.
"Thank you, thank you!" Cui Meihong said hurriedly as she took the money.
She gave Fu Mingxue a nod and then quickly ran home.
Just then, Mrs. Fu came out.
She had apparently seen the exchange. "You lent her money?"
Fu Mingxue nodded. "Yes, five yuan. It was mainly for the child’s sake."
If it were an adult who needed money, even for food, she wouldn’t have been willing to lend it.
After all, if things were that difficult, they could always seek help from the management office of the family compound.
But this was to get the little girl’s face treated. She felt the child was quite pitiful.
’Besides, it’s not like I’m short on five yuan.’
’What’s more, she was confident she’d get the five yuan back.’
Mrs. Fu sighed. "That poor child."
Having a grandmother who favors boys over girls so heavily... it’s just awful.
But this was a common phenomenon in this era. Many families favored sons over daughters.
Fu Mingxue went back inside to eat her breakfast. After the delay, it was already getting cold.
When she finished, she saw that her two babies were already in their designated seats.
"Dabao, Xiaobao, come on, say ’Mama’..."
"Oh, and you two must never touch anything hot in the future." ’Their little faces and hands are so delicate. It would be absolute agony if they got burned.’
’That little girl next door must have been burned quite badly.’
’She definitely didn’t want her two children to ever experience something like that.’
’But with her mom around, it probably wouldn’t happen. After all, her mom was very meticulous when it came to caring for children.’
Next door, Mrs. Hao saw her daughter-in-law coming out of the house with the child, about to head out. She immediately reached out to block her.
She asked angrily, "Where do you think you’re going, holding the child instead of going to work?"
"I’m taking Nannan to get her face looked at. Look at it, it’s burned so badly. We have to get it treated."
Hearing this, Mrs. Hao exploded with anger. "See a doctor for what? Isn’t it fine to just rub some soy sauce on it?"
Then, another question occurred to her.
Her eyes grew even wider.
"If you’re taking her to a doctor, where did you get the money?"
"Tell me, have you been hiding money?"
Cui Meihong’s eyes reddened with anger. "I haven’t been hiding any money."
’If I had money, would I need to borrow from someone else?’
The thought that she couldn’t even produce five yuan to get her own daughter treated made her heart ache terribly.
’And her husband gets a stipend every month, too.’
This made Mrs. Hao even angrier. "Still talking back to me? If you don’t have money, then how are you going to the hospital?"
As she spoke, she reached out to search Cui Meihong’s pockets. "Give me back the money—"
Cui Meihong was truly frantic now. She quickly dodged to the side, trying to keep her mother-in-law from getting the money.
But it was difficult while holding a child.
The little girl, frightened, began to WAIL.
Cui Meihong looked at her relentless mother-in-law, feeling both furious and desperate.
"Mom, that’s not my money! I just borrowed five yuan from Mr. Fu next door. It’s to get the child’s face treated and buy medicine."