Chapter 371

Schedule the physical exam for Monday.

Xiao Qi was still a bit nervous, so she used her Intermediate Luck Card early in the morning.

The best hospital in Lvshan City is the Municipal Hospital.

Whenever you go, it's always crowded with people, and since Lvshan is a small city, the hospital doesn't have a dedicated physical exam department—everyone gets examined together with the patients.

Perhaps it was really the effect of the Luck Card.

They went as a family for the checkup, got an appointment with a doctor, and didn't have to wait too long in the queue—they were third in line.

Xiao Qi mentioned the examination items she wanted, which made the doctor a bit puzzled.

It's rare for an entire family to come for a physical exam together, and routine checkups are usually just an EKG and such. Few people spend this much money for such a thorough examination.

Su Youfu and Sheng Juanhua didn't understand these matters, assuming their daughter had undergone similar extensive exams before, so they just followed Xiao Qi's arrangements.

The couple was quite relaxed, feeling that with their daughter back, all matters were taken care of. They went through each examination without impatience.

They did mutter a few words behind Xiao Qi's back about wasting money.

But looking at their daughter, they didn't know why, but after going to university, she not only became more beautiful but also seemed to have gained an inexplicable aura of authority, speaking in a way that didn't allow disagreement.

Xiao Qi herself hadn't noticed this change. She greatly admired Mrs. Su, and while learning French from her every week, she had also unconsciously picked up Mrs. Su's way of conducting herself.

Mrs. Su was a person who balanced firmness and gentleness in a way that made it difficult for others to refuse her.

Originally, Xiao Qi was someone who couldn't refuse others, being indecisive and timid. Now, without realizing it herself, she had become much more resolute in her actions, refusing firmly when needed, very decisive.

Moreover, today she was very serious, her small face taut, giving the impression to the doctor examining her that she was nervous, so he reassured her, "Don't worry, it's just a checkup."

Xiao Qi wasn't nervous herself, but she was afraid the results would show something wrong with her mother's health.

Sure enough, by the time Xiao Qi and her father had finished their examinations, her mother was still undergoing tests.

When Sheng Juanhua came out, her expression wasn't very good.

Sheng Juanhua tried to smile but couldn't manage it. Looking at her daughter and husband, she forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, saying, "The doctor said there's a large lump in my breast that could be a tumor."

Actually, she had noticed this lump before—it felt hard to the touch, but she hadn't thought much of it at the time.

Women feel awkward about letting others examine their breasts, and since it didn't hurt or itch, she just ignored the hard lump.

But during this checkup, the doctor said it might be a tumor.

Sheng Juanhua herself hadn't processed this yet. Her first thought was that the hospital was just exaggerating the danger to make money—it must be a scam.

They had come for a physical as a happy family, so how could she end up diagnosed with an illness? Xiao Qi looked at the breast ultrasound results, which indeed recorded a lump approximately 5-3 cm in length and width, with a recommendation for further examination.

At this moment, Xiao Qi actually felt relieved, as if the other shoe she had been waiting to drop had finally fallen.

When faced with a situation, knowing what it is allows you to deal with it.

At least for now, lack of money wouldn't prevent them from getting treatment.

Xiao Qi had prepared in advance and immediately made an appointment with the doctor for a mammogram. Luckily, there was an opening that afternoon.

After the morning examination, they had no appetite for cooking lunch at home.

Su Youfu's head, which had just started to lift up, drooped again.

Sheng Juanhua, on the other hand, seemed quite natural as she washed rice, cooked, and stir-fried dishes at home, acting as if nothing had happened. When Xiao Qi offered to help, she refused, saying, "Go study."

Xiao Qi held her book but couldn't focus on reading.

She anxiously awaited the examination results.

In her heart, she kept reassuring herself, "It'll be fine, I used the Intermediate Luck Card, so it'll definitely be fine."

She didn't dare imagine what would happen if something was really wrong.

When Su Youfu returned home, he silently started weaving. He had lived a hard life, with a disabled leg and never experiencing any good days. These past six months had been the most comfortable time of his life, but if something happened to his wife and child... Su Youfu didn't dare think about how he would cope, how his child would manage, what would happen to this family.

He was someone without any skills, incapable of anything, even his own mother looked down on him. He had never received any care until he had a wife and child, which changed his life.

As he wove, tears streamed down like a faucet.

He rarely cried. He had suffered too much, been bullied and looked down upon, so he grew accustomed to it all. Crying only led to worse bullying, so he always smiled instead. But at this moment, Su Youfu felt fear, sadness, and dread, which caused his tears to flow.

"Time to eat!" Sheng Juanhua called out loudly.

Su Youfu quickly wiped his tears with his sleeve.

Xiao Qi helped set the table.

During the meal, the atmosphere was heavy.

This family usually didn't have a rule of not talking while eating, but today at lunch, no one spoke.

Halfway through, Xiao Qi could no longer hold it in and said, "It'll be fine. We still need to do another examination this afternoon. If it turns out to be benign, maybe no treatment will even be needed. If it's malignant, we'll go to a hospital in the Capital City and get the best care."

Sheng Juanhua, who had been holding it together, burst into tears upon hearing her daughter's words.

Seeing her parents crying, Xiao Qi felt like crying too.

But crying wouldn't solve anything, so after they had cried it out, she sent them to take an afternoon nap.

She washed the dishes.

Though the couple was in sadness, their daughter's sternness made them unquestioningly obey.

When it was time for the mammogram in the afternoon, there weren't many people, so the results would be available in just over an hour.

In any case, they would wait at the hospital.

Behind the hospital was a small garden with a pavilion.

Xiao Qi had brought her backpack and, with only an hour left until the results, she was no longer flustered. She took out her Portuguese textbook and started reading. She had used the Intermediate Luck Card and also received the sincere blessing from the man with the broken leg who had helped her at the hospital earlier. She had used all the available cheat codes, so she would just do her best and leave the rest to fate. During lunch, she had already considered the worst possible outcome—breast cancer. But with money, they could afford treatment, so no matter what, she wouldn't regret spending the money they had.

Moreover, the survival rate for breast cancer is quite high, not the worst kind of cancer.

At this moment, Xiao Qi felt that money was truly important. Over the past six months, she hadn't felt much urgency about money, but now she realized that money provided a sense of security. The reason to strive, to struggle, to earn money, was so that when you or your family members fell ill, you could afford treatment with dignity.

Seeing their daughter studying, her parents glanced at her, not understanding the content but silently refraining from disturbing her. At this point, the family of three felt a sense of waiting for a judgment that had now somehow become calm.

Su Youfu and Sheng Juanhua sat on the edge of a stone flowerbed, holding hands without speaking.

Time seemed both long and short.

After an hour and a half, Xiao Qi closed her book and stood up.

Su Youfu and Sheng Juanhua also stood up, following her.

Together, they went to see the results.

Seeing the family of three, the doctor noticed their modest but decent attire, the parents' solemn expressions, and the daughter's composure.

Having witnessed life and death in the hospital, he had grown numb to many things.

But seeing this well-presented family, he still hoped for a good outcome.

He carefully examined the test report for a moment.

Although less than a minute, during this time, Su Youfu and Sheng Juanhua unconsciously held hands, the sweat from their palms mingling until it was unclear whose was whose, just a clammy mess.

Xiao Qi was silent but stood with her chest out, head held high, her gaze clear. At eighteen years old, she felt she had grown up and could start taking care of her parents.

Ignoring the moisture in her eyes, she might have appeared quite strong.

"It's fine, it's benign," the doctor began. "But you should still monitor it. If it doesn't grow any further, you can choose whether to have surgery or not. But if it continues to grow larger, then surgery would be recommended."

As the doctor began speaking, it felt like the rubber tube tied around Xiao Qi's arm had been released, and her blood could finally flow normally again.

Su Youfu and Sheng Juanhua let out a huge sigh of relief, feeling their backs drenched in sweat.

No problem, nothing happened, it was just a false alarm.

When Xiao Qi saw her parents coming out from the doctor, she broke down in tears.

Seeing someone cry in a hospital wasn't surprising. People passing by glanced at her briefly before hurrying on their way.

Xiao Qi stood by the side, feeling strangely superfluous, wanting to laugh yet cry at the same time.

This must have been a lucky day, very fortunate indeed.

Back home, the couple had tacitly forgotten the episode of crying and hugging at the hospital.

After going through such a close brush with life and death, Su Youfu and Sheng Juanhua's emotions had been greatly perturbed.

During this period, they had been focused on making money, earning as much as possible. Having finally settled in the city, they were determined to make a name for themselves and return home in glory. However, their diet and rest in the city were actually worse than back home. They neglected their health, but paid no heed, feeling they were still young.

This health check had rung an alarm bell for them. Earning money was good, but what use would it be if their health failed? Thinking back, life in their hometown hadn't been too bad after all.

Anyway, the New Year was approaching, so the two decided to close the store for a few days and rest during the holiday before resuming work.

That night, as Xiao Qi lay in bed, she realized it had been an ordinary yet most fortunate day in her life.