VIP Volume Chapter 081: No Money, No Treatment

From the moment he left home until they reached the hospital, Ye Xiaoxuan didn’t utter a single word. For two whole hours, he held Little Fish tightly in his arms, refusing to let his mother or Jiaran take her even for a moment.

At last, they arrived at the township hospital. As soon as Ye Xiaoxuan leapt out of the vehicle, he rushed into the emergency room with Little Fish in his arms. The on-duty physician, an elderly man, was startled nearly out of his wits by the sound of the door being kicked open. But when he caught sight of Little Fish, his expression turned grave.

“She’s already dead—what’s the point of bringing her here? Besides, it’s obvious she’s been poisoned. Even if she were still alive, our hospital doesn’t have the means to treat her!”

Ye Xiaoxuan, his eyes bloodshot, glared at him. “Where can she be treated?”

The old doctor, who in all his years had never seen a person’s eyes glow red, was so frightened he could barely stand, clinging to the desk for support. “Go… go to the city…”

Without another word, Ye Xiaoxuan turned to leave with Little Fish in his arms, but Hao Six-Fingers blocked his path. “Xuanzi, don’t even think about it. This tractor can’t get to the city. Even if it could, you wouldn’t arrive until midday tomorrow!”

Standing at the clinic entrance, Ye Xiaoxuan bit his lip so hard he nearly drew blood. Suddenly, he turned and asked the old doctor, “Is there a phone here?”

The doctor pointed to the desk phone.

Ye Xiaoxuan carefully laid Little Fish on the treatment bed, then strode to the phone and dialed a number. The others heard him roar into the receiver, “I don’t care how you do it—get Old Zhuang to drive a car here! Just consider it repaying a favor! Yes, the township hospital entrance!”

As soon as he hung up, Ye Xiaoxuan picked up Little Fish again and strode out of the hospital.

Soon, a police Santana pulled up, with Old Zhuang at the wheel. Ye Xiaoxuan got into the back with Little Fish, Jiang Guihua supported Little Fish’s head in the front, and Jiaran, sitting up front, said to Hao Six-Fingers, “Xiao Meng, sorry to trouble you, but could you drive the tractor back? Be careful on the road!”

Old Zhuang started the car and said to Ye Xiaoxuan behind him, “Brother, you’ve really got some pull. Even the chief rarely uses this car for work, and here you are, requisitioning it in the middle of the night!”

Expressionless, Ye Xiaoxuan replied, “Thank him for me when you get back. I owe him a favor.”

The Santana was far from a luxury car, but compared to a tractor, it was in a league of its own in every respect.

They left the township hospital just after one in the morning. By five, the car reached the outskirts of Xianhu City. At a quarter past five, they arrived at the entrance to Xianhu Central Hospital.

By now, Ye Xiaoxuan’s heart had sunk into an icy abyss. They had lost too much time since Little Fish had been poisoned—could she still be saved?

The difference of a city hospital was immediately apparent. Even in the dead of night, a nurse on duty noticed the arriving patient right away and quickly fetched a gurney.

Ye Xiaoxuan couldn’t bear to relinquish Little Fish. Clutching her, he rushed into the lobby. The young nurse, helpless, pointed him towards the emergency room, letting him carry her in himself.

The on-duty doctors had already been alerted and prepared for an emergency. But when they saw Little Fish in Ye Xiaoxuan’s arms, they gasped and urged him to lay her on the examination bed.

They ran several tests, after which the two female doctors exchanged a look. One sighed and said to Ye Xiaoxuan, “Why did you come so late?”

Hearing this, the last shred of hope in Ye Xiaoxuan’s heart was snuffed out.

Beside him, Jiaran threw herself over Little Fish on the exam bed, bursting into tears.

Holding back his own tears, Ye Xiaoxuan took a deep breath and said, “We’re from the countryside, too far from the city. No matter what it takes, no matter the cost, I beg you—please, save my wife!”

Both doctors sighed. One pulled on her gloves. “We’ll do our best! Go buy a patient file and pay the fees at reception. We’ll take her to the resuscitation room immediately.”

Ye Xiaoxuan turned to go, then suddenly remembered he had no money on him. Jiang Guihua and Jiaran, who had rushed out in a panic, had nothing either—not even enough to buy a patient chart.

Noticing their predicament, the doctor guessed they were penniless. She spread her hands. “Without paying for treatment, we can’t proceed with resuscitation.”

The look on her face seemed to suggest that if Ye Xiaoxuan dared admit he had no money, she would throw them out without a second thought.

Suppressing his fury, Ye Xiaoxuan said, “I’ll bring the money as soon as it’s light. Can’t you save her first?”

The doctor peeled off her gloves with an air of resignation. “Sorry, that’s not how things are done.”

Ye Xiaoxuan exploded, shouting, “Which matters more—a life, or your rules?”

The female doctor shot him a glare. “What are you yelling for? Is this your village clinic? Without payment, we can’t use any equipment. Do you expect us to detoxify her with our bare hands?”

The other doctor added sarcastically, “Let’s be honest, this girl is already gone. Her pupils are dilated. Whether we try or not, the outcome will be the same…”

“Are you going to try or not?!” Ye Xiaoxuan roared, his eyes blazing red, even his hair bristling, as if he might devour someone.

The two doctors turned pale with fright, momentarily speechless.

Jiang Guihua and Jiaran had never seen Ye Xiaoxuan so terrifyingly angry. Afraid he might do something reckless, they hurried to restrain him.

Facing the two doctors, Jiang Guihua suddenly dropped to her knees, kowtowing repeatedly. “Please, doctors, have mercy—save my daughter-in-law! I’ll kowtow to you both. My son said he’ll bring the money at dawn. You won’t lose a cent! Please, I beg you!”

There were other emergency patients in the hospital. Jiang Guihua’s desperate gesture drew attention. The two doctors, not daring to be too harsh, were nonetheless unwilling to take responsibility without payment. For a moment, both were at a loss.

Old Zhuang came in, holding a patient file. “I’ve paid five hundred yuan—this is all I have on me. Start saving her, and I’ll borrow the rest from relatives in the city if needed!”

The two doctors, relieved to have an excuse, called for the nurse to wheel Little Fish into the resuscitation room. “Wait outside now. We don’t know the total cost yet—let’s save her first.”

As Little Fish was wheeled away, Ye Xiaoxuan turned to Old Zhuang with gratitude. “Thank you.”

Old Zhuang shook his head, patting Ye Xiaoxuan’s shoulder. “If you need more, just say the word—I’ll borrow it from my relatives.”

Ye Xiaoxuan shook his head. “No need. I’ll have my brother bring my bank card. I have money.”

Half an hour later, a doctor emerged, an odd expression on her face.

Ye Xiaoxuan and the others hurried over to ask. The doctor frowned. “We’ve done all we can. The patient has stopped breathing…”