Then, he witnessed something rare. Shuishui suddenly smiled as she was looking out of the window. The lawyer retracted his hand. 'Are all children so mature these days?' he thought.
Teacher Li brought Shuishui to the hospital. "Shuishui, take care of your father in the next few days. Leave the rest to me. Don't worry. Just trust me on this, all right?"
He didn't know how to comfort Shuishui. It was the first time he had seen Shuishui behave like that. He had always treated Shuishui as his own child. After all, he didn't have a child of his own, and Shuishui was a filial child. She was also very respectful, even crafting a wheelchair specifically for them. Someone actually wanted to buy the wheelchair Shuishui had made for him. He could not possibly sell it because it was a special gift from Shuishui.
Shuishui was the kind of child who would persevere even when she didn't really want to. He knew how she had performed in the army training camp. She did excellently in all classes, but she fell behind a bit on physical strength tests. After all, she was just a trainee and not really a soldier. She was not the kind who trained every day. However, when it came to investigation studies, she learned very quickly. She didn't really perform well at first, but he later found out that she did excellently in the subsequent sessions.
He hoped that Shuishui would go further in life and eventually succeed. He treated her like she was his own daughter. It was the same for Old Hu. Although Old Hu had children, they were not close to him.
Looking into Shuishui's eyes, he asked, "Shuishui, do you trust me?"
"I do." Shuishui nodded. Teacher Li was really very attentive to her.
"Then don't bother about those people. I will help you deal with them. You child, stop trying to act tough. If you want to cry, just cry and let it all out. Holding it in is not good for your body. You're not alone. You have to remember that," Teacher Li said in a serious tone. He also hoped that Shuishui would understand how harmful it was to hold everything in and not express one's frustration, anger, and fear.
Shuishui shook her head. She was very touched that Teacher Li was like a father to her. "Teacher, I understand what you mean, but I don't want to cry now. My heart is much stronger than you think. Actually, when I was in the car just now, I really wanted to cry. But when I remembered how happy those criminals looked, I felt angry and just couldn't cry anymore."
She was too young to do things the way she wanted to do them, and she wasn't capable enough. She had to wait until she became an *****, and perhaps she could handle things like an ***** would.
Qian Shuishui lowered her head and looked at her hands. There were so many things she couldn't do anything because of her age. In two years, she would become an *****, so she had to wait.
"Teacher, go back home and rest early. I'll be fine." She smiled faintly. She realized how much she trusted Teacher Li.
Teacher Li nodded and patted Shuishui's head. "Okay, you go in first. I will leave once you're safe inside."
After dropping Shuishui off at the hospital, Teacher Li's gaze changed. "This child has suffered too much," he muttered.
"Old Li, that young girl is a little intimidating. However, Old Li, how do you think we should handle this matter?" The lawyer took out a cigarette and lit it up. He wanted to do his best to help his friend, Old Li. He had taken on many cases like that. He saw that there were too many loopholes, and he was confident that he could win the case.
Old Li pondered. "I didn't expect such a change in Shuishui's family. Actually, I wanted to bring her to Beijing. That child has great potential. I don't want her to just disregard her potential."
The lawyer frowned. He didn't expect Old Li to want to bring the child to the capital. "I'm afraid there's no other way. The child's mother is still healthy. Even if something happens to her parents, her custody will be in the hands of her relatives."
"For now, please handle these matters first. There are also a few good people whom I think can join the investigation. I've taught Shuishui for almost a year. I know her character very well. Even if her family finds out about the investigation, Shuishui will still want to proceed with it. From now on, it's going to be hard on you." Old Li looked at his friend, whose abilities he trusted and believed in.
After the lawyer finished smoking, the two of them got in the car and left.
Shuishui returned to the ward and saw Li Xue lying on the bed. Qian Anzhi stood up and walked towards her. "Sis, what's going on?"
She looked at Li Xue and then turned to Qian Anzhi. "Those hooligans were ordered to do what they did. I've asked my teacher for help. I also asked his lawyer to handle Dad's case. I'll go buy some food. You must be hungry too."
"I'll go with you." Qian Anzhi went out with Shuishui. As soon as they got out of the room, Qian Anzhi expressed his thoughts. "Sis, look. Mom is very sad. It's such a big deal for her. Why haven't we seen Big Sis? Could it be her fault again?"
Qian Anzhi angrily waved his fist as he thought of it. "Why wouldn't she visit Dad? I really want to beat her up."
"Don't worry. This has nothing to do with Qian Momo. Something had happened at the police station. It has been resolved." They went downstairs and bought a lot of food and fruits because they were prepared to stay in the hospital to accompany their father. They felt that it hadn't been a long time since they were last at a hospital with their father. Shuishui really hoped that their father would regain consciousness soon.
They returned to the room and ate the food they bought. Shuishui sat next to the bed. Li Xue looked at the two children. She unnaturally averted her gaze to avoid Shuishui's gaze. She simply didn't speak to the two children.
Qian Anzhi looked at their mother and suddenly felt a little annoyed because she had been crying all the time. "Mom, can you stop crying? Dad won't be able to rest well if you keep crying like that."
Shuishui held her father's hand and prayed. She hoped that nothing would happen to her father and that he would be able to survive and get through this difficult situation. Her heart ached as she watched her father sleeping. He had bandages around his head and arms.
Shuishui's phone was dead. She didn't even know that Mu Ziyu had been calling her. He was able to call Qian Anzhi, whose line was also very busy. He had to call a few times before he got through. When he found out that something had happened to Shuishui's father, he rushed to the hospital. He knew that Shuishui must be very sad. When he arrived at the hospital, he didn't say anything and just quietly accompanied her. Li Xue wasn't familiar with Mu Ziyu, but Mu Ziyu straightforwardly introduced himself as Shuishui's boyfriend. Li Xue didn't say much, but she felt uncomfortable.
Shuishui did not rest for the whole night. She kept watching over Qian An as he lay on the hospital bed. She held his hands to keep him warm.
Her prayers did not bring any hope. She watched as the doctor walked in to check on her father. The doctor simply shook his head and walked out of the room. Her father's hospital expenses were also piling up. Shuishui gazed at her father sadly.
Mu Ziyu hugged Shuishui's shoulders. "Rest for a while. You have been up the whole night. The doctor did not say anything about Uncle Qian's condition, but I'm sure that it won't do you any good if you don't rest. You have to keep yourself healthy too."
That noon, the Li brothers came to visit Qian An. They brought some fruits for him. When they saw Qian An on the hospital bed, their eyes were filled with wicked satisfaction.
Shuishui simply watched as they pretended to worry over her father's health. She didn't say anything at all.
One of the Li brothers comforted Li Xue. "Sister, come and eat something. Brother-in-law will be fine. The company still needs him."
Li Xue shook her head. "The company will declare bankruptcy today or tomorrow. It's gone. I received a call this morning that the company is going to be auctioned off."
Brother Li stared at her. "How is that possible?"
They didn't know the exact reason. Wouldn't they be able to take back the land? They had just seen an opportunity to take control of the company. They have not yet been able to have the property's ownership transferred to their name. Would they miss the chance?
Shuishui saw the change in Uncle Li's expression. Very soon, he found an excuse to leave. Li Xue thought of something and hurriedly went home. "The two of you stay here and take care of Dad," she said as she walked out.
She suddenly disappeared. Qian Anzhi was speechless. "Why are they like that? Sister, is our family bankrupt?"
Shuishui felt that Li Xue wasn't joking around. "I think so."
Shuishui was very calm. So what if they were bankrupt? She only wanted her father to wake up. She suddenly thought of someone. She wasn't sure if she should call him. After thinking for a while, she took out her phone to send him a text message. When she realized that her phone was out of battery, she borrowed a charger from her father's nurse. When she turned on her phone, she sent a text message to Uncle Jiang.
Shortly after she had sent the message, Uncle Jiang called her. She was so shocked that she almost dropped her phone. "Hello? Uncle Jiang?"
Her voice sounded a little weak, but she still had to be strong.
Uncle Jiang's voice on the other line was a little shaky. "The text message you sent just now was not a joke, right?"
Shuishui wasn't sure what to say. "Uncle, it's true. Father is still unconscious. The doctor said that he might not wake up, but we are still hoping that he does."
"Don't be afraid. I will go there today." Jiang Yuan picked up his coat and left the office. He asked his secretary to book a plane ticket for him. "Book a plane ticket to City A for me. Book the soonest possible flight."
The secretary didn't know what was going on, but she acted quickly.
Jiang Yuan felt that Qian An's children were about to break down.
He remembered how weak Shuishui sounded. It must have been a huge blow to the children.
He wanted to go to the city as soon as possible, but there was a looming thunderstorm. The flight had been delayed, and he didn't know when it would take off. Jiang Yuan was about to explode with anger. He couldn't believe how such a thing could happen at such a critical time. He was already thinking about what Qian An told him before. He feared that it would happen soon. It was a custody issue. Fortunately, he was already officially Shuishui's guardian. Still, he decided that he had to step up for Qian An's sake.
On that day, Shuishui and Qian Anzhi were in the ward. Mu Ziyu bought food for them. His heart ached for the siblings, but he couldn't say too much because he didn't want to aggravate Shuishui's worries and fears. How could he tell her not to be sad? Shuishui was fragile, no matter how strong she portrayed herself to be. He believed that Qian An would endure and survive the ordeal.
Qian Anzhi cried every day. He couldn't bear the loss of his father.
Shuishui hugged Qian Anzhi. "Daddy is still here. He will wake up. We have to believe in Daddy's love for us."
Qian Anzhi didn't know what to do. "Sis, what should we do in the future?"
Shuishui didn't say anything. She just patted Qian Anzhi's head. Mu Ziyu sat quietly at the side. Occasionally, he would help in taking care of Qian An and in buying food.
Shuishui didn't plan on going back to the apartment, so Mu Ziyu stayed with her. He simply felt obligated to accompany her. That night, Shuishui finally rested in Mu Ziyu's arms.
Qian Anzhi would wake up scared in the middle of the night. Then, he would look at his father on the hospital bed and go back to sleep.
The next day, the newspaper headlines were about their father's company going bankrupt. Their house was going to be auctioned off in half a month as collateral.
Shuishui looked at the newspaper. The articles were written very clearly by Chang Ming, a local reporter. She looked at the names of the other reporters.
Mu Ziyu took the newspaper from her. "Don't look at those."
Qian Anzhi then grabbed it from Mu Ziyu. "How can that be? Our house is gone."
Shuishui didn't want to say anything. "Don't worry about it for now," she said coldly.
Bang. The door opened. Li Xue dragged her luggage in. "I'm exhausted. I took out the valuable jewelry and bags from the house. Momo took the other boxes."
Qian Anzhi looked at Li Xue in disbelief. He was disgusted that she was still thinking of all her possessions even during those crucial moments. "Mom, Dad is still in the hospital," Anzhi said sternly.
"I know, but we still have to live and eat. Fortunately, I bought a small apartment for Momo a few days back, so we can live there first." Li Xue was also in pain, but she had to think about what she would eat and where she would live in the future.
Qian Anzhi shook his head. "I'll live in Second Sister's apartment."
Anzhi didn't want to live with his mother and Momo. Besides, he felt that at that moment, their father's recovery was more important than anything else.
Shuishui, on the other hand, couldn't help but think highly of Li Xue, because she considered their current situation and made decisions accordingly.
"Our family is bankrupt, and your father's hospital bills are already piling up. Who will pay for that?" Li Xue said sharply.
"I will," said a man who was standing near the door.
Jiang Yuan walked in and looked at Qian An lying on the bed. His heart ached as he watched his good friend in pain.
Shuishui stood up. "Uncle Jiang."
"I'm sorry I arrived late," Jiang Yuan said. He had spent the night at the airport because of the thunderstorm.
"Who are you?" Li Xue looked at him. He looked familiar, but she wasn't sure who he was.
Jiang Yuan looked at Li Xue. "My name is Jiang Yuan."
"You are Jiang Yuan?" Li Xue's eyes widened. Was he her husband's best friend?
Jiang Yuan didn't look at Li Xue. Instead, he walked to the bedside and sat down. "Qian An, why are you so careless?"
Tears flowed from the corners of his eyes. As a grown man, Jiang Yuan wouldn't easily shed tears for anyone. For Qian An, however, he felt very sad. "Shuishui, don't worry. I will pay for your father's medical expenses until he wakes up."
He knew that the company had gone bankrupt. They didn't have much money.
Qian Anzhi suddenly remembered something. "Dad prepared three million yuan for each of us. Did Dad think something like this would happen?" Their father had said that they could only use the money when they reached *****hood.
Shuishui pulled Qian Anzhi back. "No matter what, Dad always puts us first."
"Okay." Qian Anzhi leaned on Shuishui's shoulder and cried.
Li Xue looked at Jiang Yuan. "Mr. Jiang, can we talk for a moment?"
"There's no need for that. I'm here to help Qian An. I can make arrangements for his medical procedures and deal with the follow-up matters. I heard what you said just now. Since you have so many valuable jewelry and other luxury items, you'll be fine for the next few years. The children will also get money when they reach *****hood," Jiang Yuan said coldly. He was not stupid. He also had a feeling that Li Xue was responsible for what happened to Qian An.
Jiang Yuan had originally thought that Qian An would be able to resolve the company matters he had been dealing with. Jiang Yuan did not expect that things would take a turn for the worse. "Shuishui, come and tell me about the general situation."
Shuishui nodded and went out with Jiang Yuan.
Half an hour later, the two returned. Jiang Yuan did not look too good. When they returned, the room was filled with people. Qian Anzhi and Mu Ziyu were no longer there.
Shuishui saw who it was. "Grandpa, you're here."
"Yes, I've also asked the doctor. No one expected this. Anyway, you don't have to feel pressured. Your mother said that your father has prepared money for each of you, and your mother also has some savings," said her uncle. This uncle seemed proud. In the past, Qian An was considered the richest among them. Now that Qian An was bankrupt, he could finally be proud of himself.
Shuishui looked at her uncle and said, "I won't trouble you. We'll take care of it. The ward needs to be quiet. If there's nothing else, you can go. Don't make a fuss here."
Her uncle snorted coldly and walked out. He was acting very proud and didn't care about Qian An's family.
Her grandfather felt uncomfortable. After all, these were his children. "Li Xue, take good care of these three children. Fortunately, Momo is already an ***** and has graduated from university."
"Yes, Father. What should we do? Fortunately, I bought a small apartment for Momo. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a place to stay." Li Xue was a little sad. Fortunately, she didn't have to pay for Qian An's medical expenses.
"That will be all right. As long as you have a place to stay. Also, you still have your jewelry. They add up to a lot of value. Anyway, I'm going back. If you have any problems, call me." Their grandfather also left. He didn't like the smell of the hospital.
Everyone else left. Jiang Yuan asked the doctor to transfer Qian An to a quiet ward to prevent other people from disturbing him.
"Money is not a problem. Take good care of him," Jiang Yuan said coldly to the doctor.
It was already afternoon by the time everything was done. Mu Ziyu and Qian Anzhi took the initiative to stay behind to take care of Qian An, while Shuishui accompanied Jiang Yuan to dinner and bought meals for Ziyu and Anzhi.
Jiang Yuan ignored Li Xue, even though she wanted his phone number. She was pestering him. He directly said, "Don't think that I don't know how you married Qian An back then. We don't have anything to talk about. Don't pester me, because I won't take a fancy to you."
He said that to Li Xue when he got the chance to talk to her in private, away from the children. After saying that, Jiang Yuan ignored Li Xue. Thick-skinned Li Xue was too embarrassed to say anything.
Li Xue brought their things to the small apartment and found that it had only three rooms. It wasn't big, and the master bedroom was a little small. She was not satisfied with the fixtures. She couldn't fix her own wardrobe. She was unhappy. She thought about how she used to like luxury goods. She felt gloomy when she realized she would not be living the same life she used to have.
She felt sadder when she thought about how she no longer had someone to rely on. She only felt relieved that they didn't need to worry about Qian An's medical expenses. That meant that she could keep her bags and let Qian Momo withdraw her three million. She felt that they would be all right from there. She began to calculate carefully. She was still worried about Qian An, but she worried about herself and her future more.
Qian An was sick and the company had gone bankrupt. How many people would laugh at them?
When she thought about people laughing at her situation, she felt uncomfortable. She knew some of her in-laws were starting to ridicule her. She was furious. However, she was comforted by the thought that the children had three million yuan. When Anzhi and Shuishui reached *****hood, they would have three million yuan each. She wasn't worried.
Shuishui accompanied Jiang Yuan. She was familiar with the area and knew the good food hot spots.
They found a quiet restaurant and sat down. After Jiang Yuan had ordered the dishes, he said, "Come back with me to the capital. So your father can receive better treatment, I am planning to bring him to the capital."
Shuishui was slightly stunned. "Go now?"
"Yes, although the curriculum there is different, I think you can keep up." Jiang Yuan had gone to the city directly for that purpose also.