The luxurious Xiao family villa was ablaze with light.
Tonight was the seventieth birthday banquet of Old Madam Xiao, the head of the Xiao family.
Her grandsons, granddaughters, and granddaughters' husbands presented lavish gifts one after another.
"Grandma, I heard you love tea. This century-old brick of pu'er tea is worth five hundred thousand. It's my birthday gift to you."
"Grandma, I heard you're a Buddhist. This jade Buddha was carved from Hetian jade and is worth seven hundred thousand..."
Old Madam Xiao looked at the assortment of gifts and laughed heartily. The whole family was basking in harmony.
Just then, Ye Chen, the husband of Old Madam Xiao's eldest granddaughter, suddenly spoke up. "Grandma, could you lend me a million? Aunt Li from the orphanage has uremia and needs money for treatment..."
The entire Xiao family was stunned.
Everyone stared at Ye Chen in disbelief.
This live-in son-in-law had some nerve! Not only had he failed to bring a gift for the old madam's birthday, but he even dared to open his mouth like a lion and ask her for a million!
Three years ago, Old Master Xiao, who was still alive then, had found Ye Chen somewhere and insisted on marrying his eldest granddaughter, Xiao Churan, to him. At the time, Ye Chen had been penniless, practically no different from a beggar.
After the two married, the old master passed away. From then on, the Xiao family had schemed to drive him out.
But Ye Chen took things in stride and remained unmoved no matter how others insulted him, so he had stayed on as the Xiao family's live-in son-in-law.
Asking the old madam for a loan today was a desperate measure.
Aunt Li from the orphanage, who had taken him in and saved his life, had developed uremia. Dialysis and a kidney transplant would cost at least a million. He had no other choice but to ask the old madam.
He figured that since it was the old madam's birthday, she might be in a good mood and take pity on him.
To his surprise, Old Madam Xiao had been laughing heartily one moment, only for her face to darken the next.
She smashed the teacup in her hand against the floor and shouted, "You bastard! Are you here to wish me a happy birthday or borrow money?"
Ye Chen's wife, Xiao Churan, hurried forward and explained to the old madam, "Grandma, Ye Chen doesn't know any better. Please don't take offense."
With that, she tried to pull Ye Chen aside.
Just then, Xiao Churan's younger cousin Xiao Weiwei sneered from the sidelines. "Sis, look at the piece of trash you married! Yunfei and I are only engaged, not even married yet, and he's already given Grandma a Hetian jade Buddha. But look at your husband! He didn't bring a single gift, and he still has the nerve to ask Grandma for money!"
"Exactly! Brother Ye Chen, we're both sons-in-law of the Xiao family, but as the husband of the eldest granddaughter, you're a complete failure!"
The man who spoke was Xiao Weiwei's fiancé, Wang Yunfei, the young master of a prominent local family.
Although Wang Yunfei was about to marry Xiao Weiwei, he thought her looks were a hundred and eight thousand miles short of Ye Chen's wife, Xiao Churan.
Xiao Churan was a famous goddess throughout Jinling, and seeing her married to such a good-for-nothing left Wang Yunfei deeply displeased.
"Trash like him should get out of our Xiao family as soon as possible!"
"Exactly! This guy has made the Xiao family lose all face!"
"I say he's only pretending to borrow money. He really came to spoil the old madam's birthday banquet!"
Seeing the entire Xiao family turn against him and heap abuse on him, Ye Chen could not help clenching his fists.
If he had not needed to raise money for his savior's medical bills, he would have turned around and left this den of strife long ago.
But then he recalled what his father had taught him since childhood: a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. He forced down the humiliation in his heart and said to Old Madam Xiao, "Grandma, saving one life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda. Please have mercy..."
Someone snorted and cursed, "Ye, stop feeding Grandma that bewitching potion. If you want to save someone, find a way yourself. Who do you think you are, making Grandma pay to help you save someone?"
The speaker was Xiao Weiwei's brother, Xiao Hailong.
The siblings had always resented Xiao Churan, who surpassed them in every respect, so they loved taking every opportunity to mock Ye Chen.
Xiao Churan looked somewhat embarrassed. "Grandma, Ye Chen lost his father when he was eight. Aunt Li from the orphanage raised him, and he wants to repay her kindness out of gratitude. Please help him..."
Old Madam Xiao said darkly, "You want me to help him? Fine, but only if you divorce him and marry Young Master Zhang. Do that, and I'll give him a million right away!"
The Young Master Zhang she spoke of was Zhang Wenhao, who had long pursued Xiao Churan. The Zhangs were an upper-class family in Jinling, far more powerful than the Xiaos, and the old madam had always wanted to curry favor with them.
Just then, the butler came running in and announced loudly, "Young Master Zhang Wenhao has sent someone with a birthday gift! An old-mine jadeite Buddha pendant worth three million yuan!"
Old Madam Xiao was overjoyed. "Bring it here, quickly! Let me see!"
The butler immediately presented an emerald-green jadeite Buddha pendant, and everyone present gasped in amazement.
The jadeite Buddha pendant was emerald green and crystal clear, without a trace of impurity. One look was enough to tell it was top quality.
Wang Yunfei, who had given her the Hetian jade Buddha, was somewhat embarrassed by the sight. He had not expected Zhang Wenhao to be so generous when he had no ties to the Xiao family!
Old Madam Xiao handled the jadeite Buddha pendant with delight and said cheerfully, "Oh, Young Master Zhang is so thoughtful! If he could become my grandson-in-law, I'd wake up laughing in my dreams!"
Then she looked up at Xiao Churan. "Well? Will you consider my condition?"
Xiao Churan shook her head. "Grandma, I won't divorce Ye Chen."
Old Madam Xiao's expression turned utterly gloomy in an instant. She cursed furiously, "I offered you respect, and you threw it back in my face! You insist on hanging yourself on this good-for-nothing! Get this good-for-nothing out of here! He's not allowed at my birthday banquet!"
Ye Chen was utterly disappointed in the Xiao family and could no longer bear to stay. He said to Xiao Churan, "Churan, I'm going to the hospital to see Aunt Li."
Xiao Churan hurriedly said, "Then I'll go with you."
Old Madam Xiao cursed, "If you leave too, you're no granddaughter of mine from now on! Take your father and mother and get out of the Xiao family with this good-for-nothing!"
Xiao Churan was stunned. She had not expected the old madam to say something so harsh.
Ye Chen quickly said, "Stay here. Don't worry about me."
Without waiting for Xiao Churan to recover, he turned and walked out.
Behind him, Xiao Hailong laughed. "Oh, my dear brother-in-law, you're leaving on an empty stomach. You're not going to beg on the streets, are you? Wouldn't that make our Xiao family lose all face? I've got a yuan here. Go buy yourself a steamed bun!"
As he spoke, Xiao Hailong pulled out a coin and tossed it at Ye Chen's feet.
The entire Xiao family burst into laughter.
Ye Chen gritted his teeth and left the Xiao family without looking back.
When he reached the hospital, Ye Chen went straight to the payment office, hoping to speak with the hospital about delaying the medical payment by another two days.
But when he asked a nurse, he was suddenly told that Aunt Li had already been sent overnight to Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the best hospital in Yanjing, for treatment.
Ye Chen was shocked and hurriedly asked her, "How much will it cost? I'll find a way to get the money!"
She said, "Three million in total. One million has already been paid, leaving two million. The balance has to be paid within a week."
"Who paid the million?"
She shook her head. "I don't know either."
Puzzled, Ye Chen was about to get to the bottom of it when he turned around and saw a man standing behind him. The man wore a black suit, had somewhat graying hair, and looked to be around fifty.
Their eyes met, and the man bowed to him. "Young Master, you've suffered all these years!"
Ye Chen frowned. His whole bearing seemed to change as he asked coldly, "Are you Tang Sihai?"
The man said in delighted surprise, "Young Master, you still remember me!"
Ye Chen's expression hardened, and he murmured, "Of course I remember! I remember every one of you! Back then, you were the ones who forced my parents to leave Yanjing with me and flee all the way. My parents died in an accident along the way, and I became an orphan. What have you come looking for me now?"
In great anguish, Tang Sihai said, "Young Master, when your father passed away, the master was devastated too. He's been looking for you all these years. Now that you've been found, come back with me and see him!"
"Leave," Ye Chen said coldly. "I'll never see him in this lifetime."
Tang Sihai said, "Young Master, do you still blame the master?"
"Of course." Ye Chen spoke each word distinctly. "I'll never forgive him in this lifetime!"
"Ah..." Tang Sihai let out a long sigh. "Before I came, the master said you might not forgive him."
"At least he knows himself!"
Tang Sihai said, "The master knows you've suffered all these years and asked me to give you some compensation. If you're unwilling to return, he'll buy the largest company in Jinling and give it to you. He also asked me to give you this card. The PIN is your birthday."
As he spoke, Tang Sihai handed him a top-tier Citibank black-and-gold card.
"Young Master, there are only five of these cards in the entire country."
Ye Chen shook his head. "Take it away. I don't want it."
Tang Sihai said, "Young Master, your savior still needs two million for her medical bills. If the money isn't paid, her life may be in danger..."
Ye Chen frowned deeply. "Did you deliberately set me up?"
Tang Sihai hurriedly said, "I wouldn't dare! If you accept this card, it'll be enough to pay the bill."
Ye Chen asked, "How much is on the card?"
"The master said it's a little pocket money for you. Not much, just ten billion in total!"