Hospital. Inpatient Ward!
When Li Yi and the others rushed into the ward, they saw Tang Xue clutching Ye Lingyun’s hand tightly, holding her close to her chest as she wept uncontrollably.
Ye Lingyun, meanwhile, lay on the bed, weeping just as uncontrollably.
Seeing this scene, everyone was both shocked and delighted, yet also felt heartbroken for the mother and daughter.
They were happy that the young woman had managed to rouse her comatose mother—truly, a mother and daughter are connected by a special bond.
It was heartbreaking to see such a wonderful family having to endure the torment of being separated.
If not for that incident years ago, what a happy family of three they would have been.
Li Yi didn’t just stand there like the others. Seeing that Ye Lingyun had woken up, he immediately said to the nurse who had followed in, “Nurse, the patient is awake. Hurry and get a doctor over here!”
Hearing this, everyone finally snapped to attention and began urging the nurse to call a doctor immediately.
Fortunately, the hospital was aware of Ye Lingyun’s status, and her attending physician had been on standby at the hospital the entire time.
Soon, an elderly doctor in his fifties or sixties arrived in a hurry, accompanied by two younger doctors.
He first asked everyone to wait outside, then began examining Ye Lingyun.
After the examination, the senior doctor stepped out of the ward.
As soon as he emerged, Jiang Shiying hurried forward and asked, “Professor Zhao, how is my wife?”
“Now that she’s awake, the danger has passed. We’ve gotten past the critical stage!”
The senior doctor then changed the subject and continued, “However, the patient urgently needs rest. I’m going to administer some medication to help her relax and sleep. Please try not to disturb her for the time being!”
“Understood!”
The senior doctor then exchanged a few words with Old Mr. Jiang and Old Mr. Ye before leaving the ward.
Once the doctor had left, Old Master Jiang immediately said, “Shiying, you stay here tonight. Everyone else should go home!”
Then he turned to Tang Xue and said, “Sweetheart, you’ve had a long day too. Come back to the old family home with Grandpa and get some rest!”
Tang Xue shook her head and said, “Grandpa, I want to stay here with Mom. I’m afraid she’ll wake up and look for me!”
“You silly girl, you’re expecting now—you need to take care of yourself!” the old man said.
At that moment, Li Yi immediately chimed in, “Grandpa, let’s let Xue’er stay at the hospital. I want to take her for a prenatal checkup tomorrow!”
Jiang Shiying added, “Father, just let Xue’er stay here. Otherwise, we’ll have to make the trip back and forth again after dawn!”
“Alright then!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Old Master Ye said, “Xue’er, once you’re done with your work here, you must come visit us at home!”
“Okay, I know, Grandpa!” Tang Xue replied immediately.
“Great!”
The other members of the Jiang and Ye families also greeted Tang Xue one after another. After a brief introduction, they surrounded the two elders and left the hospital together.
However, aside from Jiang Shiying, Li Yi, and Tang Xue, Jiang Longcheng also stayed behind.
After seeing the others off, Li Yi immediately had Jiang Longcheng find a bed for Tang Xue in the hospital and had her lie down to rest for a while.
Fearing she might not be able to sleep alone, Li Yi asked his third sister, Li Na, to stay in the room with her, while he went outside the ward to keep his father-in-law company.
Back outside Ye Lingyun’s ward, Jiang Shiying and Jiang Longcheng, uncle and nephew, were crouched on the floor, looking utterly exhausted.
In fact, it wasn’t just the two of them—Li Yi felt the same way.
They’d been running around since early morning, and now, not only were their bodies exhausted, but their hearts were even more so—even the toughest person would have struggled to hold on.
Seeing Li Yi crouch down beside him, Jiang Shiying suddenly said, “Thank you!”
“Uh… Uncle Jiang, you’re too kind. It’s only what I should do!” Li Yi replied.
“I was actually starting to like you a little earlier, but now that you’ve called me ‘Uncle,’ I feel like slapping you again!” Jiang Shiying said with a frown.
Li Yi, of course, caught the implication in Jiang Shiying’s words and immediately replied, “Father-in-law!”
“Now we’re talking!”
Jiang Shiying continued, “A lot has happened these past few days, and I haven’t had time to sit down and talk with you properly.”
“Father-in-law, just say what’s on your mind—I’m all ears!” Li Yi said.
“Admittedly, your background isn’t the best, and you haven’t had much formal education. Normally, you wouldn’t be a good match for my daughter!”
Then, changing the subject, Jiang Shiying continued, “But you’re a clever young man, and you’ve got plenty of guts. Most importantly, you’ve been truly good to Xue’er, so I’ve accepted you as my son-in-law!”
“Thank you, Father-in-law!”
In truth, Li Yi really wanted to ask, “Aren’t you accepting me as your son-in-law simply because the die has been cast and there’s no turning back?”
“What are your plans for the future? Are you going to keep running that little restaurant of yours?” Jiang Shiying asked again.
Now that he had accepted this son-in-law, Jiang Shiying had to think about his future; after all, his daughter’s happiness rested entirely on Li Yi.
“From the sound of it, do you have other plans for me?” Li Yi asked with a smile.
“If you’re willing, I can arrange for you to attend university. After graduation, you could pursue a career in government. With the Jiang and Ye families backing you, your future prospects won’t be too bad!” Jiang Shiying said.
However, Li Yi shook his head and said, “I’m not interested in becoming a government official or pursuing a career in politics!”
Hearing this, Jiang Shiying couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
Li Yi immediately explained, “Please don’t get upset just yet. Why don’t you let me finish my reasoning before you judge?”
“Go ahead!”
“I know that, in your view, a career in government or joining the military is the best path for a man. You want me to either become an official or enlist—is that what you mean?” Li Yi said.
“Yes!”
“But have you ever considered this: can a family truly grow and become powerful by relying solely on a career in government?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The economic base determines the superstructure—you should understand that principle. Whether it’s the Jiang family or the Ye family, if you want greater development, relying solely on those of you in high positions won’t work. You need one more thing!”
“Money?”
“Exactly. Money isn’t everything, but without it, you’re absolutely stuck!”
Li Yi continued, “The Jiang and Ye families are classic political clans. Your strengths lie in having people in high positions, access to resources, and a network of connections. Your weakness is a lack of money!”
“We’re paid by the state—what do we need so much money for?” Jiang Shiying frowned.
“Father-in-law, you have your own means and certainly enough to live on, but what about the others?”
“What do you mean?”
Li Yi glanced at Jiang Longcheng beside him and said, “Third Brother, how much do you make a month?”
“A little over a hundred. Why do you ask?”
“Is that enough to get by each month?” Li Yi asked again.
“I guess so…”
Before he could finish, Li Yi cut in: “No, it definitely isn’t enough. You spend over 600 yuan a month just at my shop—and that’s after I’ve already given you a 50% discount.”
Hearing this, Jiang Shiying immediately glared at Jiang Longcheng and said, “You spend that much money every month?”
“It’s more than that. A conservative estimate puts Third Brother’s monthly spending at at least 1,000 yuan—maybe even more!”
Then Li Yi added, “But his monthly salary is only 100 yuan. Where does the rest of the money come from?”
“Did you embezzle money from the factory?” Jiang Shiying asked, frowning.
“No… I just had the factory reimburse me for most of the money I spent on treating people to meals!” Jiang Longcheng said, sounding a bit sheepish.
“Isn’t that exactly the same thing?” Jiang Shiying said in a stern voice.
Seeing that his father-in-law was about to continue scolding Jiang Longcheng, Li Yi immediately interjected, “I’m not telling you this to tattle on Third Brother, but to let you know that not everyone in this family is as law-abiding, honest, and upright as you are. Right now, Third Brother is just inflating some expenses, but in the future, there will be others in this family who go even further than him!”
“Who dares?”
After saying this, Jiang Shiying sighed and added, “Go on.”
“For a political family to go far, it must first be financially sound enough to withstand scrutiny. It’s not enough for just one person to stay clean—everyone must be above board and able to stand up to scrutiny!”
Li Yi continued, “Moreover, times are changing. Money may not mean much now, but in the near future, its influence will be second only to power!”
“So you want to go into business?”
“Yes, I want to go into business. I need to address the Jiang family’s weaknesses!” Li Yi said.
“But the policies from above are still unclear…”
Before he could finish, Li Yi smiled and said, “Policies may fluctuate, but ultimately, they’re moving forward!”
“Are you sure you want to go into business?” Jiang Shiying asked again for confirmation.
“Yes! I’m certain!”
Jiang Shiying replied immediately, “This is my first time being a father-in-law, so I don’t have much experience, but I won’t make things difficult for you!”
“As long as you can make a million within three years, I’ll let you go into business. Otherwise, you’ll just have to go work for me!”
“Alright!”
…….