Chapter 359: A Family Rift and Unspoken Bonds

“What’s with that attitude? I’m your uncle, I watched you grow up. Now that you’ve spread your wings you think you don’t have to respect your elders anymore?” Uncle snapped at him.

Before Zhou Can could argue back, his aunt’s voice came through the phone.

“Can, your uncle doted on you when you were little. Now he’s just asking a small favor, so why oppose him? Just do what he asks, okay?”

Aunt stepped in to speak up for her husband.

But her words carried much more weight than his, since she was Zhou Can’s blood relative—his father’s own sister.

“Aunt, I really can’t help with this. If your family’s having financial trouble, I have no problem supporting you with some money. But you’re not lacking anything, and wanting to use my girlfriend for your own gain? I can’t agree to that.”

After he finished, Zhou Can decisively hung up.

Some elders have poor character—selfish, lacking basic respect, and always putting their own interests first. Worse yet, they never think they’re in the wrong.

Zhou Can never saw the point in blindly giving in to such self-centered relatives.

Sometimes, you just have to draw a line.

Being too kind will only make people think you’re weak and easy to take advantage of. Sometimes, you have to stand your ground and let your kindness show its edge.

“You really cut ties with your uncle just now?” Su Qianqian was both touched and a bit worried, seeing how Zhou Can stood up to his uncle’s unreasonable demands.

“What else could I do? There’s no reasoning with people like them.”

Zhou Can looked completely unfazed.

“Thank you! Thank you, my love!”

Ignoring the people bustling around the outpatient hall, Su Qianqian threw herself into Zhou Can’s arms.

Men and women actually look for different things in relationships.

Women are born with less sense of security and a hidden craving for heroes. So when a man steps up to protect and defend her, she’ll be drawn to him almost instantly.

The way Zhou Can didn’t hesitate to stand against his uncle’s family so she wouldn’t be wronged—Su Qianqian felt a sweetness and happiness she’d never known before.

Seven or eight minutes passed before Zhou Can’s phone rang again.

This time it was Boss Zhou calling.

He rarely talked to his dad—usually it was his mother he messaged or called.

No doubt, his aunt must’ve gone straight to Boss Zhou to complain.

“You little brat, heard you gave your uncle’s family a piece of your mind?”

“They bought piles of hats, clothes, shoes and wanted my girlfriend’s signature for their resale business. If I don’t speak up now, I’ll lose her altogether.”

Zhou Can used to be afraid of his dad. But after years of struggling alone—five years of college, two in residency—he’d learned self-reliance.

Now, surprising even himself, he felt no fear facing his father’s questioning.

He actually felt calm inside.

Maybe this was what it meant to grow up.

“That’s all I wanted to say—good for you! If they ever push Qianqian again, you tell them off as much as you need. Protecting your woman, that’s what a real man in our family does!”

Shockingly, Boss Zhou didn’t scold him.

He actually backed Zhou Can up.

Zhou Can was left in a daze.

He could hardly believe those words came from his usually stern father.

“Your mom packed some things for you to bring back to the provincial capital. Remember to stop by home before you go.”

With that, Boss Zhou hung up, not giving him a chance to reply.

Su Qianqian leaned against his shoulder, listening to the whole father-son exchange.

“Your dad isn’t as strict as you say! He’s gentle and wise, really.”

She grinned happily.

“I have no idea why he’s suddenly so easy today! But my aunt’s family really did cross the line.” With his dad’s support, Zhou Can’s mood soared and he felt even more confident.

Out of all the people you’ll ever meet, you can offend over ninety percent of them without any consequence.

Since Zhou Can never relied on his aunt’s family, he had zero qualms about turning them down.

…

“Can! Hey, Can!”

His cousin waved at him from a distance.

Looked like Uncle’s test results had come back.

“Is Uncle okay?” Zhou Can walked over with Su Qianqian.

“Director Wang checked the results and suggested we transfer to a major hospital in the provincial capital. He says my dad’s condition isn’t promising—without timely treatment, the outlook will be really grim.”

His cousin’s voice was heavy, brow furrowed tight.

Their family was better off than most—if Uncle could afford a Toyota Prado, their finances couldn’t be bad. But every family has its own struggles.

Now that Uncle was getting older, his yearly earnings kept dropping.

His cousin wasn’t doing badly either—a mid-level official—but even so, there were always pressures above and below.

The weight of the family slowly pressed down on his cousin’s shoulders. He was really feeling the strain.

“Medical tech’s better in the capital. Transferring your dad is definitely the right choice. I’ll ask Director Wang exactly what’s wrong with Uncle’s heart.”

Zhou Can, being a doctor himself, knew how deadly heart disease could be.

Facilities in smaller counties are limited. If the heart condition’s bad enough, local treatment is little more than waiting for fate. In blunt terms—it’s just waiting to die.

They all headed to Director Wang’s office.

“Dr. Zhou, first I want to apologize! Your uncle’s condition is too serious. Our hospital really doesn’t have the experience for such complex heart cases.”

Director Wang didn’t mince words.

Zhou Can read over the test reports.

“Valve disease, myocardial problems, arrhythmia! I didn’t realize Uncle’s heart was this bad—plus multiple underlying causes.” Zhou Can finally understood why Director Wang suggested a transfer.

Forget the county—even a top provincial hospital might struggle with this.

Myocardial disorders are fairly common in elderly heart patients.

Unlike heart attacks, these are chronic conditions that can’t be cured. For instance, hypertrophy, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, peripartum issues—once they develop, you can hardly ever fix them, only manage with medicine or abstinence.

Uncle loved his drink, so the heart problem likely came from years of alcohol.

Valve disease was even trickier. Causes ranged from inflammation and degenerative changes to birth defects and trauma.

From the results, Uncle likely had both valvulitis and degenerative issues.

He might even be dealing with myocarditis.

It would take further tests to get a firm answer.

Right now, an EKG and ultrasound could only provide a basic diagnosis.

“For heart conditions, Tuyu Main Hospital is the best in the province. Many critical patients who had no luck elsewhere have recovered after going there. I suggest transferring your father right away—this isn’t something to delay. If you wait, there’s a real chance he might not make it through tonight.”

Director Wang was an experienced chief of cardiothoracic surgery and had seen too many patients die.

So his words weren’t just meant to scare them.

Hearing his father’s life was on the line, his cousin panicked on the spot.

“Alright, alright, we’ll get him to Tuyu Hospital right away!”

Illness comes like a landslide.

When you run into something this dangerous, families barely have time to think.

Thankfully, his cousin’s daughter had already pulled through after treatment.

Otherwise, having both the young and old sick at once would’ve devastated the entire family.

“You’ve seen how serious this is. The drive from here to the capital takes hours. So don’t try to move him yourselves. Let the hospital’s ambulance handle it—in case his heart stops or rhythm goes haywire on the road, at least they can shock him back right there.”

Director Wang was looking out for them—mostly for Zhou Can’s sake.

His cousin nodded over and over.

“Yes, yes! I’ll call an ambulance right now. Thank you, Director Wang!”

His cousin and Zhou Can headed out together.

“Can, I can’t thank you enough for today—you haven’t even eaten and you’ve been helping out all this time. Qianqian, thank you for rushing my dad to the hospital.”

“No need to thank me, cousin. It really wasn’t anything.”

Su Qianqian gave him a bright smile and a little wave.

Zhou Can spoke from the heart. “We’re brothers, aren’t we? It’s natural we look out for each other. Hurry and get Uncle to the hospital!”

“I’ll talk with my wife and mom, then get the ambulance ready. Leave everything to me—you two go ahead!”

His cousin knew how challenging Zhou Can’s job was.

Though Zhou Can was skilled, he was still in residency and really couldn’t take too much time away.

Qianqian didn’t need to be told—being a celebrity, she was always traveling.

“Call me if you ever need anything!”

Zhou Can waved his phone at him.

After leaving the hospital, Zhou Can remembered what his father said.

“Qianqian, let’s swing by home. Mom packed a bunch of stuff for us to bring to the capital. If we don’t go, she’ll give us an earful.”

“You know, you’re lucky to have a mom who loves you like that.”

Her own childhood was much rougher than Zhou Can’s.

So this kind of love from parents felt especially warm to her.

They returned to the Zhou family villa, where Mom had piled up all sorts of food for them—local specialties and supplements, every bit overflowing with a mother’s love.

As she loaded the trunk, Mom couldn’t stop giving them reminders.

“Mom, we’re off!”

“Thank you, Auntie, Uncle Zhou, for all the gifts. I’ll visit again next time!”

Su Qianqian waved to Zhou Can’s parents.

“Remember to treat Qianqian well!”

“I know!”

Boss Zhou said nothing, but he stood quietly watching them. A father’s love is silent—a man’s feelings run deep and are often hidden.

The BMW rolled slowly out of the villa. His parents followed them to the gate, standing there as the car drove off.

At that moment, Zhou Can suddenly saw just how much his parents had aged.

He watched their silhouettes grow smaller in the rearview mirror, finally fading from sight.

“Dad, Mom—please take care of yourselves.”

His chest tightened with sorrow. He’d never felt such bittersweet pain at saying goodbye.

“Darling, your parents kept waving at us from behind. I think it must be so hard for them to see you leave.”

“That’s right. No parent wants to be apart from their child, but once we grow up, we have to venture into the world. Every young eagle has to spread its wings and fly one day.”

He noticed her head resting on his shoulder and instinctively slipped his arm around her.

“Kids leave home to chase their dreams, but a wife—she’s meant to be by your side for life.” She’d never spoken this way before anyone else, but now, the words just came out.

It was how she really felt.

And now that Zhou Can’s parents had accepted her, their relationship was even stronger—the wedding was basically set.

“My wife’s definitely staying with me for life! Even if you wanted to go, I wouldn’t let you!”

Suddenly, Zhou Can started thinking it might be time to start a family.

He pictured having one or two kids with Qianqian, living peacefully. Passing on life—it’s what every generation does.

Right now, love, money, and parental approval—none of those were obstacles for them. The only challenge left was Su Qianqian’s kidney condition.

Honestly, Zhou Can didn’t care. With modern medicine, there were ways to cure her.

But Su Qianqian thought differently. She was afraid she’d hold him back, so she insisted on getting better before marriage.

“Qianqian, when do you want to get married?”

Zhou Can looked into her eyes.

“My… my illness… The doctors said I can’t have children.” Su Qianqian had to face the sad truth again.

“So what? If you can’t have kids, we won’t. If you want, we’ll adopt or just be childfree. Falling in love is fate—everything else, we leave to destiny. I’ll never force you.”

“That won’t do! When I was on a business trip in the Imperial Capital, I asked a hospital that does kidney transplants to check my data. They’re searching for a matching donor. If they find one, I want the surgery. Are you okay with that?”

Su Qianqian had never mentioned this to him before.

Zhou Can thought a transplant was too risky—it definitely wasn’t necessary yet.

“Qianqian, I can’t agree to that. Your illness is still early. With medicine, it’s stable—you can live like anyone else. Kidney surgery is very risky. If something happened… what would I do?”

After two years together, Su Qianqian was already part of Zhou Can’s life—she was in his bones.

Every man in the Zhou family was deeply emotional.

They’d never fall for someone easily, but once they did, it was for life.

Su Qianqian’s place in Zhou Can’s heart only grew.

Even though he always took the lead in their relationship, he knew he couldn’t live without her.

“You’re still young. If anything happened to me, you could find someone else!”

She had clearly thought about all this.

“Find someone else? That’s easy to say. Falling in love might be quick, but forgetting you would take forever. I can’t let you do the surgery—not when it’s nowhere near necessary.”

Zhou Can was completely against it.

“Give me more time. Once I’m done with my endocrinology training, my next rotation is nephrology. Then I’ll get to ask all the top specialists and find the best way to help you.”

Haste makes waste.

Some things can only be solved step by step, given time.