Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 417 - 402 Improved Relative

Aunt Tian took deep breaths, even Grandma Tian, who was sitting on the ground, lifted her head, looking as if she’d seen a ghost. Then, thinking of something, her face was covered in tears again.

"Ah, you really look like you did when you were a child. It’s good you’ve come back to how you were." Aunt Tian snapped out of her shock and asked in astonishment, "But how did you change? It’s incredible."

"Never mind how I’ve changed, that’s not important. As long as you know I’m Tian Sangsang." Tian Sangsang calmly asked, "But what about you? What brings you to Beijing?"

Aunt Tian’s eyes reddened, and suddenly she burst into tears.

"Second son’s family—gone. Why cry? Isn’t it humiliating? When I was young, I was so capable, everyone praised me for my hard work. Even now, it’s nothing. It was said early on it wasn’t some serious illness, and there was no need to come to Beijing." Grandma Tian said while looking at Tian Sangsang, "Seeing you in Beijing is good enough."

You’ve turned out so beautiful, dressed so well, your face is fair—you look like you’re living a good life. You’ve really brought pride to the Tian Family. But little Yanyan, what about her?

"Sangsang, don’t listen to your grandmother; she talks tough but she’s been stubbornly worrying about you and Yanyan, constantly mentioning you this past year at home." Aunt Tian explained.

Grandma Tian’s aged eyes glared wide, raising her cane as if to strike Aunt Tian—how dare she reveal everything! Unfortunately, she didn’t have much strength left, and midway through swinging her cane, Aunt Tian managed to grab it.

While Aunt Tian feared Grandma Tian somewhat, she dared to ignore the elder’s orders when it came to Tian Sangsang.

The old woman looked much different now—thin to the point of being emaciated, with wrinkles that seemed to pile up endlessly on her face. She wasn’t as sharp, stern, and tough as before. Instead, she looked frail, sickly, her hair showing signs of whitening.

Tian Sangsang calmly withdrew her gaze, keeping her emotions in check: "Aunt, you still haven’t said why you’re here."

Looking at her as though grasping at a lifeline, Aunt Tian held her hand tightly and explained everything.

It turned out Grandma Tian had done too much work in her early years, leading to bone spurs. Generally, elders wouldn’t opt for medical treatment, and when her legs hurt, she’d simply endure the pain. But one time, while she was working in the fields as usual, sudden pain struck her violently—her legs hurt so intensely she screamed out loud, eventually losing consciousness. The family sent her to the township hospital, but they couldn’t treat her effectively, only prescribing some painkillers and advising her to stop working. Despite that, Grandma Tian’s pain continued unabated.

When the pain subsided, she refused to admit defeat—idling at home made her restless, so she went back to work, only making her legs worse.

Someone then suggested a hospital in the city, and the city doctor—an ethical one—diagnosed her with severe bone spurs and mentioned that his former classmate might be able to help. That classmate was now working at Beijing’s First Hospital. The doctor only mentioned it casually, not thinking they’d actually go. After all, Beijing was far too expensive and distant.

The Tian Family’s second branch took it seriously. Too much had happened; everyone’s mindset had shifted. Tian Tian’s parents remained their usual self-serving selves, but Aunt Tian’s side simply wanted to lead decent lives.

Whenever Grandma Tian had flare-ups, she was in excruciating pain, hovering on the brink of collapse. The family had no choice—they pooled their savings and borrowed from others, scraping together 254 yuan to get to Beijing. They had heard rumors that Tian Sangsang was in Beijing, but they had no idea where she lived. Still, they clung to a faint hope of finding her. Perhaps their determination had paid off, and they finally encountered her.

Aunt Tian knew Tian Sangsang had always lived comfortably. Unless forced to a breaking point, she wouldn’t want to seek help from her. After all, they had done so much to make things difficult for her in the past—they were awash with guilt, feeling they had no face to ask for anything.

This time, they truly had no other options.

"How much does the acupuncture surgery cost?" Tian Sangsang asked nonchalantly after hearing everything.

Aunt Tian’s eyes lit up, and she eagerly replied, "It’s four hundred and fifty yuan."

Tian Sangsang wasn’t a cold-hearted person. Towards elders, she still harbored kindness. Besides, Grandma Tian didn’t seem as unreasonable as she used to. Now pregnant, Sangsang wished to do good deeds for the sake of accumulating blessings for her unborn child. In a gentle voice, she said, "Lift Grandma up. I’ll cover the costs." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Sangsang!" Aunt Tian cried tears of gratitude. "But you don’t have to cover it all—I still have over a hundred and sixty yuan left."

"No! How could we let you pay?" Grandma Tian, her eyes glistening with tears, struggled to stand as she objected, "That’s five hundred yuan, such a large sum. You should spend your money on Yanyan instead! Who knows if this doctor is reliable—once the money’s gone, it won’t come back, and we don’t even know if he can truly fix my leg. What if he says he can cure it, and five years later the pain returns, who will refund the money? It’s a waste!"

The truth was, for elders, health just kept draining finances—big illnesses, small ailments, what could one possibly do? Bone spurs couldn’t really be cured; you could only alleviate them, maybe treat them periodically. Tian Sangsang understood all of this, and she reasoned, "Grandma, rest assured—it can’t be fully cured, but we should trust the doctor to ease the condition for a few years. If you don’t treat it now, isn’t that an even greater waste of money? You’ve come all the way to Beijing, how much was the travel fare—if you return without accomplishing anything, wouldn’t that be pointless?"

Grandma Tian hesitated, realizing she had a point.

The three of them remained locked in the stalemate, until a voice broke the silence: "Sangsang? Why are you standing outside the hospital? Not going in?"

"Aunt Hua." Tian Sangsang recognized her and greeted politely, "Just about to go in."

Hua’s mother glanced at the two people beside Tian Sangsang and asked, "Who are they?"

Aunt Tian and Grandma Tian had never encountered someone like Hua’s mother—refined, elegant, and impeccably maintained. They dared not speak, feeling completely out of place standing next to someone from Tian Sangsang’s world, a world they couldn’t blend into.

"This is my Grandma," Tian Sangsang explained, "She has bone spurs and needs surgery. We’re just about to register for her hospital stay."

"Bone spurs?" Hua’s mother thought for a moment and immediately nodded, "Li Zhongquan. Yes, Dr. Li Zhongquan! He’s very famous for orthopedics—he can cure your grandmother."

Sincere concern evident in her voice, Tian Sangsang smiled and replied, "Exactly, we’re headed to see Dr. Li."

With that, she and Aunt Tian helped Grandma Tian up on either side.

Hua’s mother spoke warmly, "You must act fast with this kind of illness—it causes such suffering, there’s no time to delay. My son Zifeng’s grandmother had the same kind of issue as your grandmother—leg pain just like that. Come with me, Sangsang, I know Dr. Li; I’ll introduce you."

Tian Sangsang hastily declined, "There’s no need, Aunt Hua; we wouldn’t dare trouble you. We can manage on our own."

"Oh!" Hua’s mother sighed. "Why are you being so formal? You’ll have to wait days in line on your own—the old lady’s leg can’t wait. Li Zhongquan is pretty familiar with my husband Huafeng; I’ll just give him a call."