***
Adding the five thousand yuan she earned today, and the ten thousand yuan Cao Rui gave her, she has a total of thirty thousand yuan.
With the money in her pocket, Jian Changnian arrived at the hospital, got out of the car, and ran all the way to the doctor's office.
"Doctor, I've raised 30,000 yuan. Could you please perform the surgery on my grandmother first? I'll pay the rest..."
She pushed open the door, but before she could finish speaking, she froze on the spot.
The room was packed with people, including Yan Xinyuan, Xie Shian, Sister Yu Chu, Cheng Zhen and Zhou Mu, and even Li Jiajia, whom they had only met once.
“You guys…” Jian Changnian was still a little dazed. Her gaze shifted from each person to the doctor’s desk.
The colorful plastic bags were filled with money, including fifty and one hundred yuan notes, as well as small change, and some coins piled together.
Jian Changnian's eyes gradually welled up with tears. She wiped her eyes and went up to take out the money from her schoolbag and put it on the table.
"Doctor, please, please operate on my grandmother first."
The chief physician stood up and, looking at the identical earnest eyes of everyone in the room, couldn't help but feel moved.
"You've come at the right time. I had a meeting with the hospital leaders this afternoon and reported the general situation. The hospital's unanimous decision is to perform surgery on the patient first, and then reduce some of the medical expenses. We will conduct a comprehensive physical assessment of the patient tomorrow morning, and if conditions permit, the surgery will be scheduled for tomorrow afternoon."
Overjoyed, Jian Changnian wept and bowed deeply to everyone in the room.
"Thank you, thank you doctor, thank you Coach Yan, thank you all."
Zhou Mu walked up and grabbed her neck, as if he had discovered a new continent: "Wow, how should I put it... you look a bit innocent, and a bit sexy. I've never noticed before!"
Xie Shi'an's gaze also drifted over, seemingly casually.
For some reason, perhaps because of the crowd, Jian Changnian's face felt hot. She ran in such a hurry that she didn't even button up her baseball jersey. She quickly pulled up her collar and wrapped herself up tightly.
"You, you're talking nonsense."
She has a problem: she stutters when she's nervous.
Zhou Mu chuckled and wanted to say something more to tease her, but Qiao Yuchu stepped forward, put her arm around her shoulder, and led her out.
"You haven't eaten yet? Come on, let's go get something to eat."
"But Grandma..."
Cheng Zhen chimed in, "Oh dear, we've already taken care of everything for you. The hospital even arranged a caregiver to look after you, so don't worry!"
Li Jiajia: "I didn't even have lunch in the afternoon before I came out to help sell things, I was starving."
Qiao Yuchu: "It's okay, I haven't eaten yet either. I'll eat more later and let Orange Juice pay the bill."
Cheng Zhen was full of questions: "Why should I treat you? I even sold my motorcycle and I'm penniless."
Listening to their playful banter, Xie Shi'an smiled slightly, but for some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine.
Yan Xinyuan's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
"You still have the appetite to eat? You two skipped this afternoon's training, and I haven't even settled the score with you yet. Go back and write a proper self-criticism!"
That being said, Coach Yan still paid for a meal for the kids. Surrounded by friends, with the most important issue of money resolved, everyone chatted and laughed, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
Jian Changnian finally showed a smile that she hadn't seen in days.
She was touched by their help but also a little curious.
"Where did you all get so much money?"
Speaking of this, Zhou Mu's eyebrows danced with excitement.
"I'm so smart. When I saw the stalls at the school gate, I thought we could set up a flea market too. Everyone has some unused items at home anyway, so why not sell them to raise some money?"
Everyone chattered about the fun they had while setting up their stalls, but Xie Shi'an ate her meal quietly, and Jian Changnian turned her gaze to her.
She thought that after arguing with someone, Xie Shi'an would never talk to her again, but who knew that she would still come, and bring such a large sum of money.
Jian Changnian felt a little guilty and wanted to try to strike up a conversation with her.
“Shi An…”
Xie Shi'an put down his chopsticks: "I'm full, you guys take your time eating."
After saying that, he got up and left the restaurant.
Qiao Yuchu tugged at her: "It's okay, let her be alone for a while."
After finishing their meal, Yan Xinyuan thought for a moment and then spoke up: "There's something I think I should tell you. There's a physical test tomorrow afternoon. I've already submitted your name to the organizing committee, but given the current situation, it's up to you whether you come or not."
Jian Changnian hesitated for a moment. She knew that the entire Binhai Provincial Team had helped her a lot with her matter, but her grandmother's surgery was scheduled for tomorrow.
"I……"
Yan Xinyuan patted her on the shoulder.
"You can compete again, but you only have one family member. Whatever decision you make, we will support you."
When they were about to leave, Jian Changnian quietly pulled Qiao Yuchu aside: "Sister Yuchu, where did Shi'an get so much money?"
Although Xie Shi'an joined the team earlier, and the salary of the first team is a little higher than that of the second team, how much more? There haven't been any competitions recently, so she hasn't received any prize money. The fact that she suddenly took out 20,000 yuan still made Jian Changnian a little concerned.
Qiao Yuchu hesitated, then said, "She..."
"Sister Yu Chu, please, I don't want her to do anything that will make her sad because of me."
Faced with Jian Changnian's sincere plea, Qiao Yuchu finally relented.
"Okay, okay, she sold the lotus lamp that her grandfather left her."
"What?!" Jian Changnian was startled, feeling a lump in her throat, unable to speak.
She had been to Xie Shi'an's house and knew what that lotus lantern meant to her.
"Actually, you don't need to take it too hard. I think Shi'an understands you. After her grandfather passed away, badminton became her everything, and no one wanted to win more than her. In the last national tournament, Shi'an participated in several events, but because her teammates underperformed, we only won the runner-up title. This year, you came and filled that gap. I think even though she hasn't said it, she must be very happy inside. As for me—"
Qiao Yuchu shrugged and smiled, feigning ease.
"This might be my last national competition."
Jian Changnian's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and something seemed to be blocking her throat, preventing her from speaking.
"Sister Yu Chu..."
Seeing her like this, Qiao Yuchu patted her shoulder to comfort her.
"Alright, don't be sad anymore. Like Coach Yan said, the game can be restarted, but you only have one family member. Whether you come or not, we are friends, friends forever."
Jian Changnian nodded heavily, tears welling in her eyes.
Coach Yan was urging them to go back, and as Qiao Yuchu was about to leave, she asked one more question.
"By the way, Sister Yu Chu, could you tell me which pawnshop Shi An went to?"
"Zhengbang Pawnshop, what's wrong?"
Jian Changnian shook her head and waved goodbye, saying, "It's alright. Be careful on your way. Goodbye."
Xie Shi'an opened the car door, jumped in, and Qiao Yuchu followed.
What were you talking about with Jian Changnian just now?
She laughed it off.
"No, I just advised her to take care of herself and to cheer up, things like that."
***
After parting ways with them, Jian Changnian did not return to the hospital. Instead, she asked everyone she met, "Excuse me, where is Zheng Bang Pawnshop?"
Qiao Yuchu left in a hurry and didn't have time to tell her the address. She didn't have a phone to check the navigation, so she could only ask for directions in this clumsy way. Fortunately, a kind person still gave her directions.
Jian Changnian boarded a bus and drove through several streets before finally finding the pawnshop.
It was late at night, and the shop owner was preparing to close when someone suddenly crawled in from under the roller shutter, startling him so much that he thought a thief had broken in.
"Who is it?" He picked up a broom from the shop.
Jian Changnian quickly waved his hands: "No, no, no, I'm not a thief. I just wanted to ask you if a girl came by this afternoon and sold you a lotus lantern?"
The shopkeeper, seeing that it was a child, put down his weapon but remained wary. Could it be that the lotus lantern was stolen by that person, and the real culprit has come knocking on his door?
"I don't know him, and I've never received anything from him."
Jian Changnian walked to the counter, looking rather anxious.
“I’m her friend. That lotus lantern is her grandfather’s keepsake, and it’s very meaningful to her. If it weren’t for some recent trouble, she definitely wouldn’t have put it up for sale. Please, could you please not sell it for now?”
The shopkeeper looked her over with suspicion: "You think it's a keepsake just because you say so? I've already paid, so it's mine now. Whether I sell it or not is up to me."
“I…” Jian Changnian reached into her pocket, but found she had no money.
She looked troubled: "I...I don't have the money right now, but I will definitely find a way to redeem it. Please, don't rush to sell it, okay? This thing is really important to my friend!"
The boss saw that she was sincere and told the truth.
"To be honest with you, I've already contacted a buyer. After all, once something is sold, it's no longer hers. How can I do business like this? If you want it back, just bring the money to redeem it."
"I..." In her haste, Jian Changnian ripped off the pendant around her neck. She hadn't even considered selling it when she was raising money for her grandmother.
"Can I trade you this for this?"
Upon seeing the quality of the jade, the shopkeeper's eyes widened. He took it from her and examined it closely under the light.
"Yes, it's a fine piece of jade, but..."
He glanced at Jian Changnian, still hoping to gain some advantage.
Jian Changnian snatched it away and turned to leave.
"Fine, if you don't want to change it, then forget it."
The shop owner hurriedly chased after him from behind the counter.
"Change it, change it! Oh, don't go, I'll get it for you right now."
The shop owner, who had gotten a great deal, touched the jade, picked it up, blew on it repeatedly, and was overjoyed.
Jian Changnian successfully redeemed the lotus lamp. Before leaving, she glanced at the jade one last time, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She thought for a moment, then stopped and bowed to the person.
"Boss, I know it's unrealistic to ask you to keep the items I've sold, but I want to say that everyone has times when they have no other choice. If a buyer purchases it, please leave your contact information. I will definitely redeem it when conditions allow in the future. Thank you."