Chapter 326: Chapter 326
Bai Xue wanted to retort, but suddenly remembered her husband and looked back, only to see him staring at her with cold eyes. Bai Xue felt as if something heavy was hanging on her lips, unable to open them. She could only turn her head away, and an involuntary sadness welled up inside her, causing her nose to tingle.
Ye Ling was not in a good mood either and had lost her appetite. She simply took a bite of the rice in her bowl before getting up to clear the table. For a while, the house was silent, with only the sound of Ye Ling cleaning the table.
"Since when did it become serious?" Bai Xue sniffed and looked at her husband.
Unconsciously, six months had passed before she noticed her husband had become so thin, almost skin and bones. Thinking of her daughter’s anger towards her and her husband’s cold demeanor, Bai Xue understood a bit. Her husband had become this ill, yet as his wife, she only concerned herself daily with their younger daughter in the army, never caring for her husband. Now she couldn’t even get through her own regrets, let alone consider others.
"Around the New Year." Ye He Ping didn’t say much more.
Bai Xue cried, "During the New Year, you took leave. You seemed fine then. Who would have thought it would become so serious now that a part needs to be removed? What did the doctor say? What will happen afterward?"
"Let’s wait and talk about it after the surgery." Ye He Ping also felt uncertain within himself. It was precisely because of this uncertainty that he returned home.
He wanted to give his wife a few instructions but then remembered his eldest daughter’s words. In the end, he kept everything inside. He couldn’t act as if he was preparing for the worst when the outcome was still unknown. He didn’t want to scare his daughter any further.
Later in the evening, Ye He Ping had to make a bed in the living room. Bai Xue came out and took the quilt from her husband’s hands, "Come into the room to sleep. We’re husband and wife, not strangers."
Unable to refuse his wife, Ye He Ping nodded. Ye Ling also helped bring the pillow over. The house grew quiet, yet for the first time since Ye Ling returned home, there was no argument.
That night, Ye He Ping barely slept, the stomach pain making him toss and turn. Bai Xue, despite her usual indifference, couldn’t sleep either, getting up to help her husband by pouring a glass of warm water. Ye He Ping took a sip but immediately vomited it out. The commotion in the West Room was loud, waking Ye Ling. Although her father had seemed fine during the day, he suddenly worsened. Ye Ling immediately insisted they get him to the hospital. By the time the three of them arrived, it was nearly dawn. Since it was an emergency, the doctor quickly took him in for examination, leaving Ye Ling and her mother standing at opposite ends of the hallway.
It was unknown how long had passed before a doctor finally came out, pushing a sleeping Ye He Ping out. Bai Xue was too scared to approach. Ye Ling stepped forward to inquire about his condition.
"You need to prepare for surgery. It can’t be delayed any longer," the doctor said sternly.
Ye Ling nodded, "Doctor, arrange the earliest possible time for the surgery. We’ll follow the hospital’s plan."
"Let’s aim for this morning. You should handle the hospital admission procedures first." The doctor brought a young nurse to assist Ye Ling and then walked away.
Ye Ling turned to her mother, standing at the end, "You should go back to the ward to take care of Dad. I’ll handle the rest."
Bai Xue, finding her backbone, swiftly followed her husband to the ward.
Ye Ling had some money but not enough for the surgery. She had no idea where her father kept his money. After thinking it over, her only option was to borrow a phone from the young nurse and call Shen Bin. As soon as she dialed, she regretted it. It was only a bit after six; how could Shen Bin be at the office? True to her expectations, no one picked up.
Ye Ling put the phone down in disappointment but was unwilling to give up. Her father needed urgent surgery. She redialed, but the phone kept ringing without an answer. Ye Ling felt she couldn’t hold on any longer, hoping for a miracle, but in the end, no one answered, and she hung up.
"I only have two hundred yuan on me. Can I pay this amount first and pay more when staff come in during the day?" Ye Ling asked the young nurse.
The young nurse nodded, "Sure, come with me."
Ye Ling finally sighed in relief. But she was unaware that after she hung up, at the military base, Shen Bin had just opened his door. When he reached his desk, the phone had already stopped ringing. After waiting a while for it to ring again, Shen Bin frowned before picking up the phone to call the main house. Upon hearing from the gatekeeper that the Ye Family had gone to the hospital before dawn, Shen Bin thanked them and hung up, grabbed his hat, got up, and left the office, calling a car to head to the hospital.
By nearly eight in the morning, Ye Ling looked at her still sleeping father, knowing he had been given a sedative, finally able to rest peacefully. With the surgery scheduled for nine in the morning, the only thing missing was the money. Ye Ling discussed the issue with her mother.
"Mom, you need to figure out where to borrow some money. We can’t just wait around. Who’s going to come?" The family left before dawn; no one would know.
Bai Xue, wiping her tears, said, "Where can I borrow money? It’s not a small amount. You’re too casual about it. Ever since you returned, you’ve upset connections with those at the main house. How could I ask anyone for money now?" This text is hosted at NoveI~Fire.net
"Dad is sick right now. If you want to argue, take it outside. You always find an excuse to blame me when I ask you to do something. Do you even care about Dad?" Ye Ling said angrily, "I don’t want to argue with you. Just leave. If you want to make a scene, do it outside. If you wake Dad up and agitate him further, do you just want him dead?"
"How can you say such things?" Bai Xue refused to bear such a stigma.
As mother and daughter fought, Shen Bin entered. Bai Xue’s face softened but remained cold, "Shen Bin is here."
Upon seeing Shen Bin, Ye Ling’s expression changed, "Why are you here?"
"I heard the phone ringing this morning but couldn’t answer. I called the main house and found out your dad was at the hospital." Shen Bin looked at the exhausted girl in front of him, despite not seeing her for half a year, and nodded, "Don’t worry, I’m here."
Ye Ling’s nose tingled, and her eyes grew wet, "We’re troubling you again."
Time and again, she inconvenienced Shen Bin. Thinking about her attitude towards him, Ye Ling felt she had wasted this lifetime.
Bai Xue, however, let out a sigh of relief, "It’s just the money now. If we pay, the surgery can proceed at nine."
Though Ye Ling disliked her mother’s mercenary demeanor, the money was indeed an immediate issue. Shen Bin nodded, "I’ll go pay now. Just inform the nurse about the surgery arrangements." (To be continued. If you liked this story, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it and give monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)