Chapter Thirty-Two: Agreeing to Save a Life

So it was her after all? It turned out to be the old lady whom Tang Wei had saved last time. This time, the old lady was carried in by others, accompanied by a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, presumably her son, Mr. Yao. He had the air of a successful man, and judging by his manner, their family must be well off—after all, not everyone could afford to have Tang Wei stay in a deluxe hospital suite.

Tang Wei had just reached the doorway when Mr. Yao spotted her at once. He immediately stepped forward, extended his hand, and introduced himself, “Miss Tang, hello, I am Yao Zhongyi, the son of the lady you saved last time. We’ve come here today specifically to thank you.”

Truly the bearing of a successful person, Tang Wei thought, looking at the hand extended toward her. “Sigh! I've never had such a formal handshake in my life!”

After shaking hands with Yao Zhongyi, Tang Wei answered him with a hint of exasperation. “Mr. Yao, you give me too much credit. It was just luck; I’m not a doctor. The situation was urgent, so I had no choice but to try, and unexpectedly, it worked. Honestly, I’m still unsettled by it—if anything had gone wrong, I wouldn’t have known how to explain myself to you. As long as you don’t blame me, I’m already relieved—there’s no need for you to go to such trouble to thank me in person.” Tang Wei knew the saying, “No one is diligent without cause; those who are, either have an ulterior motive or seek something from you.” Seeing Yao Zhongyi work his way through all the formalities, she knew he must have a favor to ask, so she blocked his path in advance.

Perhaps sensing that Tang Wei had seen through him, Yao Zhongyi’s face showed a brief moment of awkwardness, but he quickly recovered and smilingly requested, “Miss Tang, I wonder if you have a moment—I’d like to speak with you alone.”

Tang Wei was about to refuse when her mother, who stood nearby, interjected, “Wei, go and have a talk with Mr. Yao. After all, we’re practically relatives! If there’s something you can help with, just do it.”

Clearly, he’d already won her mother over before Tang Wei even arrived. A businessman is indeed thorough, leaving no detail unattended.

With no other choice, Tang Wei decided to at least hear him out, resolving that the less trouble she involved herself in, the better. She hadn’t expected that the moment she entered the inner room and closed the door, Yao Zhongyi would fall to his knees before her, startling her so much she rushed to help him up. But he stubbornly refused to move unless she agreed to his request.

Tang Wei, soft-hearted as always, had no choice but to sit down in a chair and say, “Get up, quickly. If I can help, I will do my best. But if you keep this up, I’ll just leave. I know you want to talk privately for the sake of your dignity.”

Embarrassed, Yao Zhongyi said, “Miss Tang, I’m truly sorry. I don’t mean to pressure you, but I really have no other way.” He moved to sit in a nearby chair and then continued, “I’ve managed to earn some money now and want to do everything I can for my mother. But her illness is no longer something money can solve. I lost my father when I was very young, and my mother raised me on her own…”

After hearing Yao Zhongyi’s story, Tang Wei summarized it into a tale:

In a small mountain village, a boy and his mother relied on each other for survival. The mother worked at mending clothes and toiled in the fields, scrimping and saving to leave money for her son’s education. But the boy was mischievous, constantly getting into fights. Every day he came home from school battered and bruised, and his mother could only quietly tend his wounds, weeping in secret. She knew why her son was beaten—other children in the village, waiting for him after school, would mock him for being fatherless, calling him a bastard. Outraged, the boy would fight back, and so came home hurt every day.

Whenever he saw his mother hiding in her room to cry, the boy would silently vow to himself that he would make something of himself and give his mother a good life. Yet he was not cut out for studying; no matter how hard he tried, he could never catch up with his peers.

Seeing his mother, barely in her thirties but looking like a woman in her fifties, pained him even more. By middle school, he could bear it no longer. He left a letter for his mother and set off on his own to another city, determined to make a name for himself by his own efforts.

But he underestimated the cruelty of the world. Eventually, he was framed by his companions and sentenced to ten years in prison. It was only then that he truly regretted his choices. He resolved to reform, to get out as soon as possible, and to care for his mother no matter what.

His hard work paid off. Thanks to good behavior, he was released early. Returning home and seeing his mother’s aged body, he wept bitterly and swore to live a good life. He took the toughest, most exhausting jobs at construction sites, and because of his diligence, was promoted step by step. Finally, he achieved his current status, married, had children, and established a happy family. He owned his own construction company, which earned a good reputation in the city. Whenever anyone mentioned Yao Construction, everyone knew the name Yao Zhongyi.

Madam Yao refused to move to the city, so he hired a caregiver to look after her at home and tried to visit as often as possible. But time was limited, and at some point, the old lady began to suffer from headaches. Last year, she collapsed and was hospitalized. Only then did they discover that her brain had quietly accumulated a large blood clot. Even surgery could only hasten her death. All Yao Zhongyi could do was try to fulfill her wishes.

Madam Yao wanted to see her elder sister, so he arranged for his two aunts to keep her company. But the old lady didn’t want to burden her son and refused to let him stay. Yao Zhongyi could only arrange for a nurse to be with her. Still, something went wrong. Fortunately, she encountered Tang Wei while she was out for a walk, or the family would have already been making funeral arrangements.

At first, Yao Zhongyi didn’t think much of it. Since someone had saved his mother, he prepared a generous red envelope to thank her. It wasn’t until a friend at the hospital told him that after Tang Wei’s intervention, the blood clot in his mother’s brain showed signs of dissolving, that he was overwhelmed with excitement. He had never had a real chance to care for his mother and now prayed to the heavens for one more opportunity. He resolved to find Tang Wei—if he had to beg on his knees, he would, as long as she was willing to try. Thus, the earlier scene unfolded.

With tears in his eyes and an earnest expression, Yao Zhongyi pleaded with Tang Wei, “Miss Tang, I beg you to try. No matter what happens, I will be grateful. If you refuse, I’ll just shamelessly kneel and beg you again.”

Tang Wei fell silent for a moment. Remembering the way the nurse had tried to make her a scapegoat while she was saving the old lady, she made it clear to Yao Zhongyi, “I can try, but I can’t promise any result. I’ll do my best, but you need to understand—I won’t be held responsible if anything goes wrong.”

“Of course, of course! I’m grateful for your help, Miss Tang—how could I blame you?” Yao Zhongyi’s tears and gratitude were not feigned.

“There’s one more thing,” Tang Wei added. “You’re never to mention what I do here to anyone.”

Tang Wei didn’t want trouble, so she could only find her own way out.

“Absolutely, not even my wife or children will hear a word. I’ll leave my mother in your care, Miss Tang!” Yao Zhongyi, though puzzled, didn’t question further. After all, people with extraordinary abilities often have their quirks.

After arranging for Madam Yao and her caregiver and seeing Yao Zhongyi out, Tang Wei found herself troubled again. “With two more people, there’s even less room in the house. Looks like I’ll have to call my eldest and second sisters and tell them not to come home tonight—there simply isn’t enough space.”