Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 241 Lost Heart

The pale lights in the hospital corridor illuminated Wu Tao's pale and weak face. Her eyes were red and swollen, with traces of tears in the corners of her eyes, like a delicate flower swaying in the wind and rain. Hu Bugui hugged her in his arms with heartache, silently conveying comfort and strength.

"Is there any other way..." Wu Tao's voice was hoarse and trembling with a hint of despair.

"Don't worry, I'll think of a solution." Hu Bugui suppressed the pain in his heart and patted her back gently. His tone was firm but could not hide his fatigue.

They went to the homes of relatives and friends, but all they got were helpless sighs and helpless excuses. Bank loans require collateral, and usury is even more abyssal. They dared not and were unwilling to put Wu's father's life on the gambling table.

Hu Bugui, who was desperate, gave up his status as a prince and began to try to find a job in modern society. He was confident that he could overcome the difficulties with his wisdom and ability. However, reality dealt him a heavy blow.

In an interview, he spoke eloquently about his understanding of ancient military tactics and his insight into human nature, but the interviewer looked puzzled and politely asked him to leave: "Sorry, your abilities do not match the position required by our company."

Walking out of the towering office building, Hu Bugui looked up at the gray sky and doubted his ability for the first time. In ancient times, he was a master strategist who could mobilize thousands of troops with a single order. But in this era, he couldn't even find a simple job, let alone the high cost of surgery.

Back at the hospital, seeing Father Wu lying on the bed, feeling increasingly weak, Hu Bugui was overwhelmed with guilt and self-blame. He held Father Wu's hand tightly and whispered, "Uncle, don't worry, I will definitely cure your illness."

Father Wu smiled weakly, his eyes full of love and understanding: "Child, I understand what you and Tao'er are thinking..."

At this time, the door of the ward was pushed open, and Wu's mother came in with hot chicken soup. Seeing the haggard appearance of the two, her eyes turned red, and she said with tears in her eyes, "Tao'er, you haven't slept for two days and two nights. Go and rest first. I'll take care of you here."

Wu Tao shook her head and stubbornly stayed by her father's side, as if she would lose the whole world if she left. Hu Bugui pulled her up distressedly and said softly, "Tao'er, listen to your aunt and take a rest. I will accompany your uncle."

Wu Tao hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and followed her mother out of the ward. Outside the ward, the man in a suit and leather shoes appeared again. He glanced at Hu Bugui coldly and said in a cold tone: "Where is Miss Wu? When can the surgery fee be paid in full?"

Hu Bugui took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and asked, "Can we give us a few more days? We are trying to find a way to raise money."

The man sneered, his tone full of disdain: "Think of a solution? You have been thinking about it for several days, and what is the result? I advise you to be realistic and stop wasting time."

"You..." Hu Bugui clenched his fists, veins bulging, but was interrupted by the man's next words.

"I have something else to do, please come as soon as possible." After the man said this, he turned and left, leaving Hu Bugui with only a cold back.

In the ward, Wu's father's weak voice came: "Bugui, is it..."

Hu Bugui hurried to the bedside, held his hand, and said with a forced smile: "Uncle, don't worry, I have found a way."

However, tears were gleaming in his eyes, and his tone was full of bitterness and helplessness...

Wu Tao dragged her tired steps back home. The cozy little house in the past was now covered with a layer of haze. She leaned against the door weakly, tears silently falling. When she was working in a cafe during the day, she accidentally knocked over the coffee ordered by the customer because she was overworked, and was scolded by her boss. Grievance, fatigue, despair, all kinds of emotions intertwined, weighing her down and making her breathless.

"What's wrong?" Hu Bugui saw Wu Tao's distraught look, hugged her in his arms with heartache and asked softly.

"It's okay, I just encountered a small problem at work." Wu Tao forced a smile, not wanting to make him worry anymore.

Hu Bugui did not ask further questions. He knew that what Wu Tao needed at the moment was comfort and company. He silently poured her a cup of hot water, handed it to her, and said softly, "You've been tired all day. Go to bed early."

However, the gears of fate never stopped turning. The next morning, the hospital called and said that Wu's father's condition had taken a turn for the worse, and the doctor recommended that he undergo surgery as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

"How could this happen..." Wu Tao held the phone, his body swaying, his face as pale as paper.

Hu Bugui held her and asked in a trembling voice, "What did the doctor say? Is there any other way?"

"The doctor said that only surgery as soon as possible can control the disease..." Wu Tao's voice choked and tears burst out again.

The surgery fee was like a mountain, weighing down their lungs. Hu Bugui once again went to all the places where he could borrow money, but all he got was disappointment and rejection. In desperation, he could only put aside his self-esteem and try some manual labor, hoping to earn more money.

However, the cruel reality dealt him a heavy blow again. On the construction site, he worked hard and sweated profusely, but because he was unfamiliar with the work, he made mistakes again and again. Not only did he not make any money, he was also severely humiliated by the foreman.

As night fell, Hu Bugui dragged his exhausted body back home and saw Wu Tao's even more haggard face. They were silent to each other, but they could feel the despair and helplessness in each other's hearts.

"I'm sorry..." After a long moment, Hu Bugui broke the silence, his voice low and hoarse, "I... I still haven't raised enough money for the surgery..."

"This is not your fault..." Wu Tao's tears fell like beads from a broken string, and she couldn't stop, "I'm useless, I'm a burden to Dad..."

"Tao'er, don't say that. We will find a way, we will definitely..." Hu Bugui hugged Wu Tao tightly in his arms, wanting to give her strength, but found that he was exhausted.

At this time, Wu's mother came out of the room, looked at the two people hugging and crying, her eyes turned red, and she said in a trembling voice: "Tao'er, Bugui, I... I have an idea..."

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked up at the same time, a glimmer of hope in their eyes. However, what Wu's mother said next made them feel as if they were falling into an icy cave...

Mother Wu's tone was heavy and resolute: "I heard someone say before that there is a private clinic in the south of the city. The fees are much cheaper than those in the big hospitals. We can go and ask..."

"Mom, how can we go to that kind of place! What if..." Wu Tao exclaimed, but was stopped by Hu Bugui with a look.

He held Mother Wu's hand tightly and said firmly, "Auntie, don't worry, I will take good care of Tao'er and her father."

However, the cruelty of reality was far beyond their imagination. The private clinic in the south of the city had a simple environment and the doctors seemed a little unreliable. What was worse was that after examining Mr. Wu’s condition, the doctor shook his head and said, “The situation is more complicated than I thought. The operation is very risky. I have limited conditions here and cannot do it.”

The flame of hope was ruthlessly extinguished again, and Wu Tao and Hu Bugui's hearts fell to the bottom. When they returned home, the depressing atmosphere finally broke out.

"We've reached our wits' end! How long are you going to keep lying to me?!" Wu Tao's voice was hoarse and his eyes were blurred with tears.

Hu Bugui explained weakly: "I didn't lie to you, I just tried my best to save Dad..."

"Is this your solution?! Taking us to such an adventure?!" Wu Tao's emotions completely collapsed, venting all his grievances and anger, "You can't understand my feelings at all, you can't do anything!"

Hu Bugui was silent. Wu Tao's words were like a sharp knife, piercing his heart. He knew that in this world, he was just a powerless stranger who could not bring true happiness to Wu Tao and her family.

"I'm sorry..." After a long time, he uttered these three words with difficulty, turned around and walked out of the house.

The night wind was cold, Hu Bugui walked aimlessly on the empty street, Wu Tao's desperate cry kept echoing in his mind. He closed his eyes in pain, tears sliding down his eyes.

"Tao'er, what should I do..." He murmured softly, his voice was blown away by the night wind and disappeared into the boundless night.

Inside the house, Wu Tao sat on the ground helplessly, her tears had dried up, leaving only endless despair and loneliness. She knew she shouldn't lose her temper with Hu Bugui, but facing her father's illness and the huge surgery fee, she was really about to collapse.

"Tao'er..." Mother Wu hugged her in her arms with heartache and comforted her softly.

However, no matter how warm the embrace was, it could not dispel the haze in Wu Tao's heart. She knew that she had to cheer up, for her father and for herself.

She wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and made a phone call...

"Hello, is this Xiaoyu? I...I need your help..." On the other end of the phone, Xiaoyu's voice was filled with worry and anxiety. After listening to Wu Tao's intermittent story, she agreed to help without hesitation. The next day, Xiaoyu rushed to the hospital with all her savings and stuffed them into Wu Tao's hands. Holding this heavy sum of money, Wu Tao felt mixed emotions, both moved and guilty.

"Xiaoyu, thank you, thank you so much..." Wu Tao said with sobs, tears blurring her eyes again.

"Silly girl, why are you being so polite to me? We are best friends!" Xiaoyu hugged Wu Tao tightly, giving her strength, "Everything will be fine, believe me!"

However, even with Xiaoyu's help, it was still a drop in the bucket to cover the huge cost of Wu's father's surgery. Looking at his increasingly weak father lying on the hospital bed, Wu Tao was extremely worried, but there was nothing he could do.

"Tao'er, how about... let's sell the house." Mother Wu's voice was low and trembling a little.

"Mom, what nonsense are you talking about! Where will we live after we sell the house?" Wu Tao looked at her mother in astonishment, unable to believe her ears.

"If the house is gone, we can still rent one, but your father..." Mother Wu's voice choked and she could no longer speak.

Wu Tao understood what her mother meant, but she couldn't accept the idea of selling the house she grew up in. This house carried too many happy memories of her and her family, and was the warmest harbor in her heart.

However, seeing her mother's haggard face and her father's increasingly serious condition, Wu Tao's heart was filled with pain and struggle. She knew that she had to make a choice, a difficult and cruel choice.

In the end, Wu Tao decided to follow her mother's advice and put the house up for sale. When the real estate agent brought clients to her home to view the house, Wu Tao's heart felt like it was cut by a knife, and the pain was unbearable. She hid in the room, listening to the footsteps and discussions of strangers outside, and tears silently fell.

"Tao'er, how are you?" The mother gently pushed open the door and felt distressed when she saw her daughter's haggard appearance.

"Mom, I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me." Wu Tao tried hard to force a smile, but it looked uglier than crying.

"Tao'er, don't worry, we will get through this difficult time." The mother held Wu Tao's hand tightly to give her strength.

"Yeah." Wu Tao nodded gently, buried her head in her mother's arms, and let the tears flow freely.

At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door, and the real estate agent's voice rang out: "Excuse me, is Miss Wu home? I'm bringing a gentleman to see the house."

Wu Tao and her mother looked at each other and saw the light of hope in each other's eyes. Wu Tao took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her face, stood up and walked towards the door...