Chapter 27: A Noble Patron

"Ah..." Zhuo Nan exclaimed, then quickly asked, "Does Shanshan know?"

Qin Chenfang nodded. "She knows, but she still lives happily. In this world, I am her mother, and she is my daughter. We are closer than if we were related by blood."

Indeed, was it not the same between him and Wang Liru? Closer than kin...

At this point, Qin Chenfang seemed to remember something. "Zhuo Nan, I'll need some time to pay you back for the money from earlier. Please don't be anxious."

Zhuo Nan knew that if he told her not to pay him back, she would feel deeply embarrassed. He replied, "Aunt Qin, I'm in no rush. Just settle it when you're able. But how did the family end up in such dire straits?"

Qin Chenfang sighed and began to speak slowly. "Zhuo Nan, I am an orphan; I don't even know who my parents were. Fourteen years ago, while I was working at a factory, I was walking home late one night and saw Shanshan on the side of the road. She was only a few months old, crying her heart out from the cold. Seeing such a small life, I thought of myself, so I took her home. But back then, I was a young woman and had no breast milk." A blush crept onto her face as she continued, "I had to buy formula to feed her, but my salary wasn't high, and raising a child alone was incredibly difficult. Later, I noticed something was wrong with Shanshan. I took her to the hospital and found out she had severe congenital thalassemia. She needs lifelong blood transfusions and regular iron-chelating injections to survive. All my savings over the years have gone into her treatment."

Zhuo Nan had not expected that the lovely Qin Shanshan suffered from such an illness. He felt a sudden surge of resentment toward the unfairness of fate. Qin Chenfang continued, "I remember when Shanshan was very young, people at the factory tried to introduce me to suitors, but as soon as they heard about her illness, they all backed away. I’ve raised her alone all these years. Two years ago, the factory went through a buyout, and I was laid off. I’ve been getting by with a small snack stall, and whatever money I make goes toward her medical care."

From her words, Zhuo Nan heard the helplessness of her reality. If he tried to give the mother and daughter money directly, they would certainly refuse. He immediately accessed his brain's database on severe congenital thalassemia. Within moments, the information appeared before him: it was a form of thalassemia, divided into alpha and beta types. Alpha-type patients usually do not survive, while beta-type patients require lifelong transfusions and injections to live. Of course, with medical advancements, a bone marrow transplant could cure it, but the cost was astronomical, and finding a matching donor was far from easy. Zhuo Nan silently noted these two points, intending to have Long Kun investigate potential bone marrow donors.

Zhuo Nan then asked, "Aunt Qin, do you plan to keep running the stall?"

Qin Chenfang was deeply troubled by this. She knew that after offending the urban management officers, running her stall there would be impossible; they would surely come to harass her constantly. She knew Zhuo Nan was capable—after all, he had slapped the deputy director of the Urban Management Bureau in the police station and walked out unscathed—but she felt ashamed to trouble him further. The more she owed him, the more uneasy she felt.

Seeing her furrowed brow, Zhuo Nan suggested, "Aunt Qin, I’d like to recommend a job to you. A relative of mine runs a private kitchen restaurant, but they are lacking a good chef. Since your cooking is so delicious, I think you should give it a try."

Being a chef sounded much more stable than operating a street stall, though she lacked confidence in her skills. "Zhuo Nan, can I really be a chef?"

Zhuo Nan chuckled. "Aunt Qin, why not? I ate every bit of the food tonight. Don't worry, it's just a restaurant that serves home-style cooking. You'll definitely be fine."

Qin Chenfang thought it over and said, "Zhuo Nan, then... thank you."

Zhuo Nan waved his hand. "Aunt Qin, as you said, we're like family. Your business is my business, so no need for thanks."

Just then, little Shanshan returned from washing the dishes. Seeing the time, Zhuo Nan stood up to leave. "Aunt Qin, it's getting late. I'll head off now. You two get some rest. I'll let you know about that matter in a few days. Just stay home for now and don't worry."

Qin Chenfang didn't insist on him staying; it wouldn't be appropriate for a young man to be at her home so late while she had a daughter. "Zhuo Nan, I don't know how to thank you. We are just strangers who met by chance, yet you've helped us so much."

Zhuo Nan laughed. "Aunt Qin, don't be so formal. I feel a sense of kinship with you both; I’m just doing what I can. Alright, don't be so polite. I'm leaving."

"Shanshan, Brother Zhuo Nan is leaving. Say goodbye to him." Qin Chenfang turned to her daughter.

Qin Shanshan ran over to Zhuo Nan, looking reluctant. "Brother Zhuo Nan, why are you in such a rush? It's still early."

Zhuo Nan affectionately patted her head. "It's not early. I need to go home, and you have homework to do. How about this—Brother will come to see you again in a couple of days, okay?"

Hearing that he would return, Shanshan cheered. "Okay! Brother Zhuo Nan, you can't lie to me."

"I won't. Alright, Shanshan, I'm off. Goodbye." Zhuo Nan waved to her with a smile.

"Goodbye, Brother Zhuo Nan." The little girl waved back, beaming. Qin Chenfang stood to the side, watching her daughter's joy, feeling an immense sense of gratitude toward him.

Qin Chenfang walked him downstairs. Zhuo Nan said, "Aunt Qin, go on back up. No need to see me out further."

"Thank you for today, Zhuo Nan. Drive safely, and come visit again when you have time," she said with a smile.

Zhuo Nan nodded, waved, and turned into the alley. Qin Chenfang watched until his back disappeared before heading home.

As soon as she entered, she found Shanshan sitting at her desk, staring blankly at her schoolbag. "Shanshan, why aren't you doing your homework?"

Shanshan turned, pulled a stack of cash from her bag, and placed it on the desk. "Mom, I found this in my bag just now..."

Qin Chenfang paused, staring at the cash—there was at least ten thousand yuan. She instantly realized that Zhuo Nan must have slipped it into the bag when she wasn't looking.

She grabbed the money and turned to run out, but Shanshan stopped her. "Mom, there's a note here too."

Qin Chenfang stopped. "What does it say?"

Shanshan read it word for word: "Shanshan, tell Mom not to chase after me. It's not safe to be running around outside so late with money."

Qin Chenfang could no longer suppress her sorrow. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged Shanshan, sobbing uncontrollably. "Shanshan, we have met a noble soul..."

Zhuo Nan stood at the corner for a while to ensure Qin Chenfang hadn't followed him before hailing a taxi. He pulled out his phone and dialed Long Kun’s number. Long Kun, seeing it was "Brother Nan," answered immediately. "Brother Nan, I went to the police station this afternoon. Old Chen said you left with those two, so I didn't dare call. Where are you?"

Long Kun’s unwavering loyalty pleased Zhuo Nan. "I'm fine. Long Kun, I have two tasks for you. First, open a private kitchen restaurant immediately. Second, find out which hospital in the country performs bone marrow transplants for thalassemia."

Long Kun was loyal, but not particularly quick-witted. "Brother Nan, opening a restaurant sounds easy, but it’s a hassle—renovations, hiring a chef... it’ll take at least ten days or half a month."

Zhuo Nan felt a flash of irritation. "Damn it, are you stupid? Just take over an existing one! Who cares about renovations? I'll handle the chef."

Long Kun realized that Brother Nan was on a different level—his thinking was direct and effective. He felt deep admiration. "Brother Nan, I'll take care of it tomorrow. But the second task... I don't know anything about that."

Zhuo Nan realized that the second task was indeed too technical for Long Kun. He'd have to ask Du Fanhao or Yang Yilin. "Forget it. Just handle the first task and don't worry about the rest. Call me once the restaurant is ready."

"Got it, Brother Nan. I'm at the bar with the boys. Are you coming over?"

Mentioning the boys, Zhuo Nan remembered something. "Long Kun, is Paigu there? The kid did well today; I'm very satisfied. Damn it, if he hadn't stepped in, I would have crippled those bastards myself."

Zhuo Nan's voice was loud, and Paigu, hearing him on the other end, was ecstatic. To be personally praised by the big boss was an honor not everyone received.

Long Kun laughed. "Brother Nan, don't praise him too much; the kid's already getting a big head..."

Zhuo Nan chuckled. "Enough. You guys have fun. I'm hanging up. Call me when that's sorted."

"Don't worry, Brother Nan, I'll arrange it first thing tomorrow," Long Kun replied respectfully.

"Hmm." Zhuo Nan hung up. He glanced into the rearview mirror and caught the taxi driver's look of terror. The driver clearly knew who Long Kun was. Zhuo Nan immediately focused his mind, erasing the driver's memory of the conversation. In a blink, the driver's eyes returned to their normal, neutral state. Zhuo Nan relaxed, leaned back against the seat, and closed his eyes to rest.