“Really?”
Song Yue’s eyes sparkled as she suddenly looked up.
When she saw only twenty thousand yuan, disappointment flickered in her eyes again.
As a young lover, it was not bad to have this much.
Lin Fan turned to his sister-in-law and explained, “We agreed before, Yueyuejie is in charge of Western medicine, and I’ll give her a share. Besides, she’s helped our family so much…”
“What are you explaining to me for, as if I’m petty.”
Xia Xue took the money and handed it to Song Yue, saying, “Take it.”
“Thank you, Xue’er jie, I…”
Song Yue initially wanted to decline politely, but then she thought, given how happy she had just been, it would seem insincere to put on airs now.
“You deserve it.”
Xia Xue said earnestly, “Thank you for always helping Xiaofan manage the clinic. If it were up to him alone, it might have failed long ago.”
Lin Fan’s face darkened.
Those words were quite unpleasant!
If he weren’t around, the clinic would have truly failed!
Why praise someone by putting another down?
Song Yue smiled and said modestly, “Xue’er jie, I haven’t done much. Xiaofan is the capable one. I’m just a general helper.”
“Don’t be so modest, I see everything.”
Xia Xue waved her finger at Lin Fan and added, “In the future, help him more. If he doesn’t listen to advice, tell me, and I’ll sort him out.”
“Okay!”
Song Yue nodded heavily.
Lin Fan instinctively looked at Song Yue.
You said “Okay”?
You really took it to heart?
I gave you the money, and it was transferred to you through my sister-in-law, and you still want to report me?
Clearly, you need to be dealt with!
Xia Xue noticed Lin Fan’s threatening gaze at Song Yue and admonished him with a stern face, “Xiaofan, what do you think you’re doing?”
“What can I do?”
Lin Fan bent down, took out a pile of exquisite small boxes from his handbag, and placed them on the table.
He distributed them according to the earlier arrangement and handed one to Xia Xue. “Sister-in-law, these are for you.”
“What is it again?”
Xia Xue took them curiously.
She opened the top box and saw a golden necklace, shining with a charming luster, lying quietly inside.
“Oh dear, why did you buy things like this?”
Xia Xue was quite surprised.
She had five or six boxes in her hands, and if they were all gold jewelry, it would likely cost at least ten thousand yuan!
“I didn’t buy them. One of my patients is in the jewelry business, and they gave them to me as a gift.”
Lin Fan was now incredibly skilled at fabricating lies.
“Nonsense! Do they just give you real gold and silver for free?”
Xia Xue was somewhat disbelieving.
“What do you mean ‘for free’? Wasn’t treating their illness a favor? I charged them less, and they gave me some jewelry to settle it.”
Lin Fan then handed the remaining three small boxes to Song Yue.
“Yueyue jie, these are for you.”
“I…”
Song Yue hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Xia Xue.
Jewelry was different from cash. Especially when given between men and women, it could lead to all sorts of speculation.
“Take them. Xiaofan’s offering them with good intentions.”
Xia Xue smiled and encouraged her, actively placing a jewelry box into Song Yue’s hand.
“Thank you, Xue’er jie!”
A brilliant smile bloomed on Song Yue’s face.
Lin Fan’s face darkened again.
Fine!
Back and forth, she only thanks my sister-in-law and doesn’t mention my name. Let’s see how I deal with you later!
Lin Fan, holding his wine glass, looked from his sister-in-law to Song Yue, thinking, “My sister-in-law is truly extraordinary!”
“If it were an ordinary rural woman, she would have been fuming and cursing by now!”
It was all about being protective of her own interests.
Twenty thousand yuan plus three pieces of gold jewelry, how much was that?
However, Xia Xue was sharp-witted and understood the principle of giving before taking.
Only when Song Yue was satisfied could she dedicate herself wholeheartedly to her work and the clinic.
“Alright, you two. Stop flattering each other endlessly. Can we eat now? The food is getting cold.”
Lin Fan suddenly shouted.
He was indeed hungry, having worked all day and not eaten yet.
“What’s it to you?”
Xia Xue glared at him, then smiled at Song Yue, “Sister, let’s eat.”
“Okay.”
…
The table laden with delicious food gradually became a mess.
After eating and drinking their fill, Lin Fan stood up and took firecrackers and fireworks to the yard.
The deafening roar of explosions filled the air.
Xia Xue and Song Yue stood by the door, watching the dazzling light and fire erupt in the night sky, each more excited than the other.
Lin Fan then took out some larger firecrackers and set off more than ten.
“Xiaofan, you go rest. We’ll watch TV together later.”
The night was hazy.
Xia Xue, tired from a day’s work, couldn’t fight off her fatigue and went to rest after speaking.
Song Yue, however, was enthusiastically watching the Spring Festival Gala, occasionally letting out bursts of laughter.
After Lin Fan entered the house and didn’t see his sister-in-law, he walked behind Song Yue and asked, “Where’s my sister-in-law?”
“She went back to sleep and asked me to wake her up at midnight.”
Song Yue was engrossed in the show and didn’t notice Lin Fan’s mischievous smile.
“Cough, cough.”
Lin Fan coughed a couple of times. “Yueyue jie, are you satisfied with what I gave you today?”
“I am, I got money and gold, what’s not to be satisfied with?”
Song Yue, fearing he might misunderstand her as being dissatisfied that he gave more to his sister-in-law, responded quickly and cheerfully.
“However… I’m still not satisfied.”
Lin Fan walked over, sat on the sofa, and took Song Yue’s small hand.
*Whoosh!*
Song Yue snatched her hand back as if she’d been burned. “It’s the New Year, don’t have any improper thoughts. Behave yourself!”
“You won’t listen to me, huh? Fine, I was planning to give you a couple more pieces of jewelry later, but I guess not anymore.”
Lin Fan said this and then deliberately sighed.
Song Yue looked conflicted.
What woman wouldn’t want to wear gold and silver? The more jewelry, the better.
“Your sister-in-law is sleeping in that room.”
Song Yue whispered as a reminder.
“There are firecrackers going off everywhere outside, don’t worry, she won’t hear.”
Lin Fan glanced at the door of his sister-in-law’s room, a peculiar thrill coursing through him.
Soon.
“Five!”
“Four!”
“Three, two, one!”
“Happy New Year!”
“Happy Spring Festival!”
On the television, a row of hosts in festive attire counted down with the audience.
As the clock struck midnight, a wave of enthusiastic cheers erupted.
Meanwhile, Lin Fan and Song Yue were still affectionately embracing on the sofa, completely losing track of time.
The crackling of firecrackers exploded in the vicinity.
“What time is it?”
Xia Xue blinked her sleepy eyes, wondering why no one had woken her up.
She raised her hand to check her watch and her eyes widened, sitting up abruptly. “It’s twelve o’clock!”
Fireworks bloomed one after another in the sky, and the rapid sound of firecrackers filled the air incessantly.
Yet, amidst these explosions, she could still discern other unusual sounds.