C2 The Tough Soninlaw

Jiang Chen's brow furrowed.

Why was he being blamed for angering Lin Zhenhai? If Lin Jingqiu hadn't argued with him, would he have left in the first place?

Huang Wan's accusation seemed incredibly unfair!

With reddened eyes, Lin Jingqiu still attempted to calm her mother, "Mom, there are so many people here. Please, let's not argue now. Try to calm down."

"Calm down?" Huang Wan glared at Jiang Chen as though he were her sworn enemy. "How can I be calm when your father is in this condition? I never should have agreed to him choosing such a son-in-law!"

"You're absolutely right, Auntie. How could such a weakling be fit to be your son-in-law? You should have gotten rid of him long ago!" chimed in a young man standing nearby.

Jiang Chen glanced at the man and let out a cold laugh.

He recognized him; his name was Huang Kai, a distant relative of Huang Wan, wealthy and young, always eyeing Lin Jingqiu and eager to see Jiang Chen disgraced.

Huang Kai had been itching to push Jiang Chen out for a while, having stirred trouble on several occasions. Now presented with an excellent chance, he certainly wasn't going to let it slip by.

"Kai, you always know what to say," Huang Wan said, her mood lightening slightly after hearing Huang Kai's words. "Looking back, I was foolish. If I hadn't listened to Zhenhai and had chosen you instead, things wouldn't be so hard now."

She was speaking her truth, sharing the disdain for Jiang Chen that she and Lin Jingqiu harbored.

She had always believed that only a promising young man like Huang Kai deserved her daughter.

"Don't worry, Auntie," Huang Kai wouldn't let such an opportunity to curry favor pass him by. He reassured her quickly, a smug smile on his face. "I've already called the best medical expert in the city. He'll surely be able to treat uncle."

"Is that so?" Huang Wan exclaimed, her voice filled with desperate hope. "Kai, are you sure the expert you've contacted is trustworthy?"

"Absolutely, it's true. I've managed to secure none other than Prof. Hee, a leading authority in the medical field. With Prof. Hee on the case, uncle is sure to be cured. Rest assured."

"That's wonderful! Adversity reveals true friendship. Kai, how perfect it would be if you were my son-in-law..."

While she was speaking, her gaze shifted to Jiang Chen standing beside her. Noticing his indifference, she grew irate and snapped, "What are you still doing here? Didn't I tell you to scram?"

"Whether I stay or go is my business, and it's not your place to interfere," Jiang Chen retorted, no longer able to contain himself after Huang Wan's outburst.

Gone was the timid Jiang Chen of the past. On his way here, he had been strategizing his next moves.

The first step: divorce Lin Jingqiu.

As a result, he was no longer overly concerned about Huang Wan, his soon-to-be former mother-in-law.

"You—"

Huang Wan faltered, clearly not expecting Jiang Chen to stand up to her. Fuming with embarrassment, she began to hurl insults.

But Jiang Chen was already tuning her out, his attention fixed on Lin Zhenhai lying in the hospital bed.

Coming from a family steeped in traditional Chinese medicine, Jiang Chen had some medical knowledge, despite not being particularly skilled.

He checked Lin Zhenhai's pulse and felt a sense of alarm.

Lin Zhenhai's pulse was deep and sluggish, a sign of his frail condition.

The data on Lin Zhenhai only heightened Jiang Chen's concern.

Lin Zhenhai's situation was dire.

Name: Lin Zhenhai

Age: 57

Remaining Lifespan: 8 hours 42 minutes 36 seconds

This was the grim reality Jiang Chen was confronted with.

He was aware of Lin Zhenhai's serious illness, but he had not anticipated that Lin Zhenhai had less than eight hours to live.

"Ding! Host, you may attempt to use the time trading feature," the system suddenly announced.

"Time trading? Are we talking about selling and buying time?" Jiang Chen pondered, intrigued.

He had come to fully understand his capabilities during his journey.

Now, he possessed four distinct abilities.

And the one that could benefit Lin Zhenhai at this moment was "Time Trading."

To put it simply, it was a trade in leftover life expectancy.

Yet, this transaction came with a restriction: the individual selling their life expectancy had to do so voluntarily.

In other words, Jiang Chen couldn't forcibly take another person's life.

The only life he had control over was his own.

"Forget it, I'll just use my own! It's only a year of life. I can always make up for it later!" After some deliberation, Jiang Chen decided.

Just then, a middle-aged man entered, flanked by Huang Kai's entourage.

"Prof. Hee has arrived!"

Huang Kai was delighted and quickly introduced him, "Auntie, this is Prof. Hee, the medical expert I've specifically invited. Prof. Hee is a leading authority in neurosurgery. You're in good hands."

Huang Wan and the others promptly greeted him. Prof. Hee nodded with restrained acknowledgment and said haughtily, "You must be the patient's relatives, correct? You really ought to thank Chief Huang. Without his intervention, I would not have come here."

"I'm aware, thank you so much." Huang Wan expressed her gratitude and added, "Kai, I owe you thanks for this as well."

"Auntie, there's no need for formalities between us. If I don't help you, who will?" Huang Kai spoke humbly, but his expression betrayed his smugness.

He then glanced at Jiang Chen and smirked, "However, your judgment in choosing a son-in-law seems to be lacking..."

Jiang Chen understood the implication and scoffed, choosing not to respond.

Seeing Jiang Chen's reaction, Lin Jingqiu grew even more furious.

He could still remain composed after being insulted like that.

Was he really that thick-skinned?

She had resolved to divorce Jiang Chen. She was fed up with having such a spineless husband!

Meanwhile, Prof. Hee had begun examining Lin Zhenhai.

But after the examination, his face turned grim, and he furrowed his brow, saying, "This patient has excessive cerebral fluid buildup, which can be addressed surgically. His current condition is mainly due to old age and the decline of bodily functions. He doesn't have much time left."

"Moreover, given the patient's condition, the risk of surgery is simply too high. There's a very real chance he could die on the operating table," Prof. Hee reflected for a moment before continuing, "You should start making funeral arrangements. He's unlikely to make it through the night."

"What?" Huang Wan was in disbelief at what she was hearing. "The hospital director just came by and said the same thing. But Prof. Hee, you're an expert, aren't you? Surely you have some solution?"

"Exactly because I am an expert, I've come to this conclusion," Prof. Hee said sternly. "I've encountered this scenario over a hundred times! With his current condition, pleading with me is futile. There's nothing anyone can do."

Prof. Hee was also feeling somewhat frustrated. He had agreed to lend his assistance out of respect for Huang Kai.

But he hadn't anticipated that Lin Zhenhai's condition would be so grave, almost as if he were on death's doorstep.

In such a case, not even a miracle could save him.

With a thud, Huang Wan collapsed to the floor, and Lin Jingqiu's complexion turned ghostly white.

"Is there truly no hope at all..." Lin Jingqiu whispered to herself, her voice laced with despair.

Just then, a voice broke through the gloom.

"Who says my uncle won't survive the night? I can heal him!"

Everyone turned to see Jiang Chen standing there.

"And who might you be, to question my diagnosis? I've seen this kind of case countless times and have never been wrong," Prof. Hee retorted with confidence born from decades of medical practice.

"Whether it's nonsense or not, won't we see the outcome after I've treated him?" Jiang Chen replied calmly, approaching the bedside. "I can't promise a cure, but I'm confident that my medical expertise can extend my uncle's life by a few years at least."

"Jiang Chen, what are you doing? Get out of here. You think you can heal my father with your mediocre skills?" Lin Jingqiu snapped, her patience worn thin by the situation and Jiang Chen's interference, only adding to her frustration.

She was aware that Jiang Chen had some knowledge of medicine, but his expertise was likely limited to treating common ailments like headaches, fevers, and colds.

Could Jiang Chen possibly have a hand in treating her father's serious illness?

Huang Kai joined in with a sneer, "Perhaps this fellow stumbled upon some folk remedy in the countryside and fancies himself a healer? Hmph, he's clearly out of his depth."