Forced to marry a disabled man in the countryside? I'll repay you tenfold!

Su Wanqing listened in stunned silence. Could there really be such despicable family members in the world—keeping all the benefits for themselves while leaving their paralyzed elderly mother to their daughter, only giving her three yuan a month to get rid of her?

This is considered a blessing. This blessing is for you, do you want it? Su Wanqing almost couldn't help but ask.

Seeing that Chen Xiuer was only crying and not speaking, Chen Jianguo assumed she had tacitly agreed. "Xiuer, listen to your older brother, bring Mom to live in our dormitory! It will be more convenient for us to take care of you, and we can even give you an extra half a jin of grain coupons every month!"

Second sister-in-law Li Cuilan immediately objected: "No way! This old house must be given to us! You've taken up work positions, and now you want to take up the house too? That's not fair! Xiuer, you and Mom can live in our ten-square-meter room, that's enough. This old house is too big, it's a waste for you to live there."

Su Wanqing's lips twitched. "Fine, fine, so they're going to kick them out of the big house?"

Seeing that another argument was about to break out, Chen Xiuer trembled and interrupted sharply, "Enough! Mom is in the hospital now, who's going to take care of her? You're all at work during the day, how is she supposed to eat? Who's going to help her get up at night?"

A series of questions caused a hint of embarrassment to cross their faces.

Sister-in-law Zhang Guifang stammered, "We...we just got off work and haven't had time to cook yet. We'll deliver it as soon as it's ready..."

Second brother Chen Jianjun muttered with his head down, "There are nurses at night... It's not convenient for a grown man like me to go, and your sister-in-law has to take the kids to school the next day..."

Chen Xiuer burst into tears: "So Mom lies alone all day and all night, and you only bring her one meal a day?! Are you even human?!"

The eldest brother, Chen Jianguo, stung by his sister's gaze and became somewhat angry and embarrassed: "Chen Xiuer! How dare you talk like that? There are caregivers and nurses in the hospital, why are you worrying so much? Once Mom is discharged, you can take good care of her! You're so filial, you can take care of her from now on!"

Chen Xiuer could no longer hold back and slapped Chen Jianguo across the face: "You're not human! You're unworthy of being a son! Dad just passed away, and you two are fighting over jobs and houses, causing Mom to become paralyzed! How did Mom treat you when she was little? Is this how you treat her?!"

Seeing this, Chen Jianjun silently lowered his head even further.

Chen Xiuer turned around and slapped her second brother hard across the face as well: "And you! Don't think that keeping quiet makes you a good person! You pretend to be honest, pretend to be bullied, but you're actually the most cunning! The three hundred yuan you spent on your carpentry apprenticeship was secretly subsidized by Mom, wasn't it? Now that Mom's like this, you haven't uttered a single word!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guifang, the eldest sister-in-law, exploded: "So! So your family secretly paid extra money! No way! You have to make it up to us!"

The eldest brother, Chen Jianguo, was also heartbroken: "Second brother, since the family has already helped you financially, you can forget about getting Dad's job!"

Second brother Chen Jianjun got anxious and suddenly stood up: "Chen Xiuer! Stop talking nonsense and sowing discord! I think you need to be taught a lesson! When you went to the countryside, Mom secretly gave you a hundred yuan, why didn't you say anything?" As he spoke, he was about to rush over.

Zhou Yanshen stepped in front of him, grabbed his wrist, and pushed him back into the chair with a little force.

Chen Xiuer, too tired to argue any longer, said to Su Wanqing with red eyes, "Dr. Su, Brother Zhou, shall we go directly to the hospital to see my mother? I don't know how she's managed all these days alone..."

Su Wanqing sighed inwardly and nodded, saying, "Let's go. We still have some food with us, so we can take it to Auntie and check on her condition."

The group turned and walked out.

Chen Jianjun wanted to chase after her, but his second sister-in-law, Li Cuilan, grabbed him: "Why are you chasing her? She's going to see that paralyzed old woman! Won't she come back after she's done? If you leave now, your eldest brother will immediately take over the house! Then the three of us will be sleeping on the streets!"

Chen Jianjun thought about it and agreed, then reluctantly stopped.

In the main room, Zhang Guifang pursed her lips and muttered to Chen Jianguo, "See that? Your sister's temper, she's really been spoiled rotten by Mom! She throws her weight around as soon as she gets back. Mom's meager savings, she's probably already secretly giving her money. Last time she came back, the candies and pastries she brought were all hot items from the department store, where did a country girl like her get the money? It must have been Mom who gave them to her!"

Second sister-in-law Li Cuilan spat and shrieked, "What utter nonsense! Chen Jianguo, have you no shame? Your parents favor you the most! Didn't they pay to get you that good job at the factory back then? Whenever Dad's workplace distributed grain, oil, and work supplies during holidays, weren't you, the eldest son's family, always the first to get them? You even got the dormitories, while we, the second son's family, were crammed into a leaky bungalow! Now you're acting all wronged? You get all the benefits, but you spill all the dirty water!"

The group immediately started arguing again, their shouts almost lifting the roof off.

……

Meanwhile, Su Wanqing and her group had rushed to the Provincial People's Hospital. Chen Xiuer rushed to the nurses' station, her voice trembling, "Comrade, could you tell me which ward Wang Yuying is in?"

The nurse on duty rolled her eyes and said sharply, "Family members? You have the nerve to come here? The patient has been here for over ten days, and apart from the first two days, we haven't seen a single person from your family! We nurses are responsible for everything – eating, drinking, and toileting. We're here to care for patients, not to be free babysitters! No one is with the patient during the day, and no one even brings them food! If you want treatment, treat them properly; if not, take them home. Don't just occupy a bed and wait to die! I think you family members are useless here in the hospital; you can't be relied on at home either. You might as well..."

A young nurse next to her quickly tugged at her sleeve: "Sister Liu, don't say anymore..." Then she turned to Chen Xiuer, her tone softening, "Sister Liu has been helping to take care of Aunt Wang. Sister Liu saw that she was really pitiful, with no one to take care of her all day, and her meal card was long gone, so she was not getting enough nutrition. She would occasionally use her own meal card to give her some liquid food."

Tears welled up in Chen Xiuer's eyes instantly. Grabbing the nurse's hand, she carried her child and tried to kneel down: "Thank you! Thank you for taking care of my mother! I just rushed back from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. I came straight here after getting off the train. Thank you so much..."

Sister Liu then gave an awkward smile, and her attitude changed: "Alright, alright, stop it! I think Aunt Wang's two sons are really awful. You, as their daughter, came all the way back from so far away, and you still know how to be grateful... Come on, I'll take you there. But... Aunt Wang's condition isn't good. She's weak and her spirits are low. It seems... she has no will to live."

The nurse led them to the ward. Su Wanqing quickened her pace, pulled a handful of hard candies from her pocket, and stuffed them into the hands of the two nurses: "This is just a small token of my appreciation for taking care of the old lady. Now that we're here, we won't neglect her anymore. Here, have some sweet treats."