Chapter 4: The Second Brother Kneels to Borrow Money? Making Up for Past Regrets in This Life!

Li Junsheng’s heart skipped a beat and he immediately broke into a run toward home.

In the communal apartment block, a twenty-minute walk from the machinery factory, Li Guohua and Ji Xiaocui were pleading desperately at Li Junsheng’s front door.

Cradled in Ji Xiaocui’s arms was a little boy of about three, his face flushed with a high fever.

This couple was none other than Li Junsheng’s second son and daughter-in-law, and the little boy was his youngest grandson.

“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, please lend Xiaocui and me some money so we can take the child to the doctor. He’s your nephew, too.”

Li Guohua implored his elder brother Li Guojun, but the eldest son’s expression was cold, and his wife, Wang Xiuhua, looked even more indifferent, as if it was none of her concern.

Ji Xiaocui was already so anxious that she was in tears.

“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, I beg you, help us. Xiaowei has pneumonia and needs to be admitted to the hospital. The doctor said we need to pay a deposit, but we don’t have enough money. As soon as he’s well, we’ll pay you back!” she pleaded.

Wang Xiuhua glanced at them out of the corner of her eye, arms crossed as she leaned against the door, not even letting them in to continue their plea.

“We don’t have any money, either. Second daughter-in-law, your parents are gone, but don’t you have uncles in your mother’s family you could borrow from?” she said.

Ji Xiaocui’s tears fell like rain. If she could borrow from them, would she really be standing here begging her brother- and sister-in-law?

They had no other choice.

Li Guohua clenched his fists. He knew perfectly well that his brother and sister-in-law simply didn’t want to lend them the money.

“Big Brother, all these years I’ve never fought you for anything. Can’t you even help me this one time?”

They were brothers, after all.

Li Guohua’s face fell, hurt by their coldness.

The eldest looked at his younger brother with disdain, about to say something more, when Li Junsheng hurried back.

Seeing his second son and daughter-in-law waiting at the door, he immediately spoke in a deep voice, “What’s going on? Why are you blocking the door? If there’s something to discuss, come inside!”

At the sound of his voice, Ji Xiaocui, still holding Xiaowei, dropped to her knees before Li Junsheng.

“Dad, please, you have to help Xiaowei! He has pneumonia and the doctor says we need to pay a deposit before he can be admitted. But we’re still short by several dozen yuan!”

“Xiaowei is your own grandson, Dad. Could you lend us the money? We promise, once he’s better, we’ll pay you back!” she cried, her voice breaking.

Li Junsheng was jolted by her words.

His thoughts flashed back to his previous life—how he had favored the eldest’s family, and how all the money had been controlled by Ma Yulian. So, when his second son and daughter-in-law came asking for help, he had nothing to give. As a result, his grandson didn’t receive timely treatment.

The child died of pneumonia.

His second son and daughter-in-law were devastated, and from then on, they became cold and distant, barely speaking to him ever again.

Even when he grew old and ill in the future, the two of them showed nothing but indifference.

Perhaps this was their way of repaying him in kind for how he had treated them.

After the child died, Li Junsheng was wracked with regret. He had never wanted his grandson to come to harm, but truly, he hadn’t had a penny to spare.

Now, he suddenly felt an immense sense of relief.

Thank goodness he’d just retrieved some of the money Ma Yulian had been giving to the eldest’s family from Chen Dazhu. Otherwise, he would have been helpless once again.

Before Li Junsheng could respond, Li Guojun, the eldest, let out a cold laugh and said to the couple, “You’re asking the wrong person. He doesn’t have any money.”

Li Junsheng had always favored his eldest, and the eldest knew exactly how much money his father had at all times, always asking for as much as there was.

In fact, Li Guojun thought to himself, If Dad had any money left, I’d have already scraped together enough for my daughter’s piano lessons. I wouldn’t be working so hard and pinching every penny.

Wang Xiuhua chimed in, “Exactly. Dad’s at retirement age now. It’s good enough he doesn’t ask you to support him every month. Where would he get spare money to lend you?”

The second son and his wife exchanged a look, their faces clouded with despair.

What now?

Their boy was burning with fever, barely conscious. If they didn’t get him to the hospital soon, something terrible would happen.

Li Guohua simply didn’t believe it. His father had worked at the machinery factory for years. How could he not have saved even a few dozen yuan?

Even when he and Xiaocui got married, they hadn’t taken a cent from his father. They’d built their lives through hard work, which had caused Xiaocui’s family to look down on him as a son-in-law. She’d become estranged from her own family because of it.

His father simply didn’t want to lend them the money. Even his closest family was so cold.

Li Guohua’s resentment grew. He didn’t understand why his father loved him so little.

The eldest wouldn’t even let his brother in the door, and neighbors had gathered to watch the spectacle, whispering among themselves.

“Poor Guohua. No love from his parents. Even when he got married, they barely helped. Now his son is sick and he can’t even borrow money from his own brother and father!”

“That’s right, Junsheng. You shouldn’t play favorites. This is your own grandson. Hurry up and give them the money so they can take the child to the hospital.”

“You’ve worked at the machinery factory all these years. Surely you’ve saved at least a few dozen yuan!”

The words of the bystanders snapped Li Junsheng back to reality. He immediately took out some money and handed it to his second son.

“There’s money. Dad has money!”

“Guohua, don’t listen to your brother. Take this two hundred yuan and get Xiaowei admitted right away. Pneumonia is no small thing!”

In his past life, the death of his grandson became a lifelong regret and a wound in the hearts of his second son and daughter-in-law. This time, he would never stand by and watch his grandson die.

Two hundred yuan should cover the hospital and treatment costs.

Seeing Li Junsheng produce the money, the onlookers breathed a collective sigh of relief for the couple.

“That’s more like it! This is your own grandson, after all.”

“Guohua, Xiaocui, take Xiaowei to the hospital immediately. Don’t delay!”

The second couple had thought their father wouldn’t lend them a thing, but not only did he give them money, he gave them more than they asked for.

“Thank you, Dad! I’ll definitely pay you back!” Li Guohua’s eyes reddened as he clutched the money. The indifference of his brother hadn’t moved him, but the two hundred yuan pressed into his hand by his father overwhelmed him with emotion.

So his father did love him, after all.

“Go on, now! We’re family, what’s the point of talking about repayment? Xiaowei is my grandson, too!”

Tears welled in Ji Xiaocui’s eyes as she looked gratefully at her father-in-law. She’d always thought he favored the eldest, but now she realized she’d misjudged him—he could still tell what was truly important at a critical moment.

Meanwhile, the eldest and his wife were dumbfounded.

Wang Xiuhua hurried over to check the money in Li Guohua’s hand.

It really was two hundred yuan!

Good heavens! Her father-in-law had just pulled two hundred yuan from his pocket? That was several months’ wages! Where had he gotten it? They’d always known exactly how much money he had.

Could it be he was hiding a secret stash?

Li Guojun was equally stunned, his face full of disbelief.

He’d thought they’d squeezed every last penny out of their father, but the old man had hidden depths after all.