Chapter 8: The Affairs of the Qin Family

Yun Zhi offered a sweet smile and said, "Hello, ma'am. My name is Yun Zhi. Is this the home of Mr. Qin Tianhai? I am here to see him."

Upon hearing the name Qin Tianhai, his mother, Zhang Shuying, grew dazed for a few moments, a flicker of nostalgia and sorrow crossing her face.

She quickly composed herself, though her voice still trembled slightly. "Yes, this is Qin Tianhai's home, and I am his mother. Young lady, how did you come to know Tianhai? And why have you come here?"

Qin Tianhai had passed away over three years ago at the age of thirty-five. The girl before her looked to be only in her early twenties, vibrant and beautiful, wearing a dress and shoes that were clearly high-end.

Logically, the son of a pig farm owner like Qin Tianhai should have had no connection to a pampered young heiress like her.

Before arriving at the Qin residence, Yun Zhi had intentionally changed into clothes, shoes, and a bag purchased from a luxury mall, with her entire outfit worth nearly twenty thousand. She planned to wear them to an upcoming auction; otherwise, dressing too shabbily might attract unwanted attention and potential trouble. She had even rented a red BMW to drive to the house, ensuring the Qins would believe she was wealthy and definitely not there to swindle them. Having been raised in opulence, a little styling was all it took for her to embody the image of a true heiress.

Yun Zhi replied, "Three and a half years ago, Mr. Qin brought his son, Xiaohu, to Z City to see a renowned old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner..."

Zhang Shuying nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, three and a half years ago, our A-Hai did take Xiaohu to Z City!"

Yun Zhi continued, "It was during that trip that Mr. Qin, by sheer coincidence, did my father a great favor. He refused any reward, asking only that our family keep an eye out for any effective medicine that could help his son recover."

Qin Tianhai had shared much about his family with Yun Zhi. After Western doctors confirmed his son's condition was incurable without a heart transplant—and with a matching donor being incredibly rare—he had visited many famous traditional doctors, though none had provided much relief. After discussing it with Qin Tianhai, Yun Zhi had concocted this story, believing it was the most likely way to win over his mother.

Zhang Shuying was simple and straightforward, and in her desperation to save her grandson, she was prone to trying any remedy she heard of. However, Qin Tianhai's father, Qin Fugui, was a much harder sell. Once, when Zhang Shuying had tried an unproven folk remedy on Xiaohu, the boy had ended up suffering from severe vomiting and diarrhea for days. Since then, Qin Fugui had forbidden any medicine not prescribed by a reputable doctor, fearing further harm. Zhang Shuying, however, believed that just because one remedy failed didn't mean others wouldn't work; she was willing to risk temporary discomfort for a chance at her grandson's survival. The couple remained locked in disagreement.

Yun Zhi was fortunate to have met the more trusting Zhang Shuying first.

"Now," Yun Zhi continued, "there is finally a lead on a special medicine for heart disease, though it is not yet ready. It will take some time. The mobile number Mr. Qin left behind no longer works, but thankfully he had left his home address, so I came to visit to see if you still need it."

Zhang Shuying grew excited at once, grabbing Yun Zhi’s arm and nodding vigorously. "We do! We need it very much!"

Xiaohu’s condition was unique, making it nearly impossible to find a matching heart. If they couldn't find one, he had only a few years left. This had been the source of the Qin family's sorrow for years.

Since standing at the door was not ideal, Zhang Shuying warmly ushered her inside, given the importance of the news.

***

It was Saturday, and the children were out of school. Yun Zhi asked curiously, "Ma'am, is it just you home? Where is everyone else?" Qin Tianhai had entrusted her to take photos and videos of Xiaohu, and of his parents as well.

"Xiaohu's grandfather is busy at the pig farm." Zhang Shuying paused, her expression darkening. "As for Xiaohu, his mother took him to the city to visit his sister. He won't be back until tomorrow night."

Yun Zhi was startled. In their many chats, Qin Tianhai had never mentioned a wife or a mother for Xiaohu. And since when did he have a sister? How old was she? Yun Zhi was filled with questions.

Zhang Shuying had Yun Zhi sit on the sofa, poured her water in a clean glass, and moved to wash some fruit. Yun Zhi stopped her, insisting she wasn't thirsty or hungry and that they should focus on the important matters.

Zhang Shuying sat down beside her, her tone heavy. "Girl, your Mr. Qin... he passed away from a heart attack three years ago." Tears welled up in her eyes, uncontrollable. Yun Zhi quickly handed her a tissue. She already knew Qin Tianhai had passed away on Earth—otherwise, he wouldn't be in the Transmigrator Chat Group. However, Qin Tianhai had been so focused on finding the rare "Vitality Grass" needed for his strengthening potion that he hadn't shared the details of his death, focusing instead on his parents and son.

Feigning shock and regret, Yun Zhi said, "Oh no, a man as good as Mr. Qin... why did he leave so soon? Please don't cry, ma'am. Mr. Qin’s spirit would surely want you to be happy."

It took a while to comfort her. Zhang Shuying missed her son dearly, and the long-term stress of her grandson's illness had pushed her to her breaking point.

Upon learning that the medicine would take a few days to a month to prepare, and that Yun Zhi was providing it for free—as a gesture of gratitude for Qin Tianhai's help—Zhang Shuying was convinced. No scammer would offer medicine for free and refuse payment. Plus, Yun Zhi carried herself with the air of a wealthy young lady. Zhang Shuying recognized the BMW parked outside, knowing it was far more expensive than their own car.

After confirming Yun Zhi's sincerity, Zhang Shuying opened up about the daughter-in-law, the grandson, and the granddaughter.

"Nannan is two and a half," Zhang Shuying explained. "She was born after A-Hai passed away. His wife, Gong Xiurong, only discovered she was three months pregnant after the funeral."

"Because Xiurong was pregnant, she didn't have the energy to care for Xiaohu. She didn't want to live in the town near the pig farm, so she moved into her own place in the city. For the sake of the children, we gave her money to open a convenience store so she could quit her tiring job as a sales manager. After Nannan was born, she didn't have the capacity to look after Xiaohu, so he stayed with us."

"Early this year, I heard in town that Xiurong was growing close to a young man... she is young, and we cannot expect her to remain a widow forever. We only have one condition: Xiaohu and Nannan must remain with us, the Qin family. In exchange, when she remarries, we will give her one million as a dowry—that’s half our savings. We’ll also let her keep the four-bedroom apartment in the city and the two cars, as well as the convenience store we bought for her."

While the pig farm was profitable, Xiaohu’s medical bills had been astronomical. Furthermore, the elderly couple had been in poor health themselves. They had already spent over 1.5 million to buy the store for Gong Xiurong, putting it in her name. They didn't have as much cash as she assumed.

Dissatisfied with only receiving one million, Gong Xiurong, who had previously gone months without visiting Xiaohu, had begun picking him up almost every weekend. Xiaohu, only nine years old and mourning his father while feeling neglected by his busy mother, was easily won over by her newfound attention. According to him, his mother was kind, bought him toys and clothes, and his "new father" would even lift him up and spin him around.

Zhang Shuying saw through it: Gong Xiurong was trying to win Xiaohu's heart to keep her grip on the Qin family's wealth. With the father gone, custody naturally defaulted to the mother, making it nearly impossible for the grandparents to win a legal battle. As long as she held the children, the Qins would keep paying.

When the grandparents heard that her new boyfriend was reckless enough to spin Xiaohu around—knowing he had a heart condition—they confronted Gong Xiurong, leading to a massive fight. The incident ended with Xiaohu suffering an emotional breakdown and a heart attack, requiring emergency hospitalization. Before fainting, he had even cursed them: "Bad Grandpa, bad Grandma! I want to live with Mom, my sister, and my new dad!"

After three years of painstaking care, this was the result. Now, the couple was forced to pay Gong Xiurong twenty thousand a month in "child support" just to ensure she and her boyfriend kept the children safe.

As Zhang Shuying finished her story, her eyes reddened again. Listening to her grievances, two thoughts emerged in Yun Zhi’s mind: Was Gong Xiurong’s two-and-a-half-year-old daughter truly Qin Tianhai’s biological child? And had Gong Xiurong’s new boyfriend really only entered the picture at the start of this year?