That was why, with Scarlett hospitalized, Penny naturally couldn't sit idly by. Since she chose these people as her family, she was willing to pour in effort wholeheartedly.Scarlett had worked in the town without health insurance. Unfamiliar with the policies and having an unreliable son, she had only Cecilia, a young child, with her and hadn't considered buying national health insurance.Now, with the illness and hospitalization, all expenses had to be paid out of their pockets. But where would the money come from?The money she had earned previously was used for her medicine, living expenses with Cecilia, and other essentials. While tuition was covered by the state, living expenses were not.Moreover, Moses often came back to rummage through her belongings and take any money he found until he was finally arrested. It gave Scarlett some respite and allowed her to save a little.But this small amount of money was not enough to cover the medical expenses.Penny took out all the s
Scarlett was resuscitated in the hospital and transferred to a general ward after a week in the ICU.As soon as she regained a bit of consciousness, she started clamoring to go home.Holding Cecilia's hand, her weak voice trembled as she said, "Cecilia, take me home. I'll be fine with some medicine and a few injections."Cecilia and Penny had already understood Scarlett's health condition thoroughly over these few days. Her constitution had weakened, and her years of illness caused both frustration and sadness.When she felt unwell, she would just buy some painkillers. And if she couldn't bear it, she would go to a nearby clinic for a couple of injections.The doctors at the small clinic advised her to go to the hospital for treatment. But Scarlett stubbornly insisted on getting injections there, saying she had no money to go to the hospital and no one to care for her there.Helpless, the doctors could only prescribe her some medication. But what could they prescribe other than s
Penny didn't need Scarlett to speak to know what she was thinking.Having just been transferred to the general ward for observation, her body was still severely weak. Why let Scarlett exert herself talking?Penny let go of her hand and said earnestly, "Grandma, just relax. Since the doctor said you can be cured, let's cooperate with them fully."There's nothing more important than health and having the family together. If you insist on treating me as an outsider and worrying about the money, then when you get better, you and Cecilia can sell yourselves to me and be my family for life."The playful words finally lightened the atmosphere in the ward.Whether it was Penny's and Cecilia's comforting words taking effect or a natural instinct to grasp every chance for survival, Scarlett's condition began to improve over the next week.Seeing that Scarlett was recovering well, the doctor discussed the surgery schedule with Penny and Cecilia. He explained all the precautions, risks, and
"Fortunately, the surgery was very successful!"The first one to come out of the room was an intern studying under the anesthesiologist.After delivering the good news, he explained that his teacher was still inside and would only come out once Scarlett regained consciousness slightly.If all of Scarlett's vital signs were stable, she would be transferred to the general ward, and then they could visit her.At this, Penny and Cecilia finally felt a sense of relief. After nearly a whole day without resting, hearing this reassuring news almost made Penny and Cecilia collapse.Seeing their exhausted states, the intern couldn't help but chuckle/ "If you're too tired, go back and get some rest. The hospital staff will take good care of the patient."Besides, the patient won't wake up so soon. Even if you're allowed to visit her, you would just be sitting here."It's better to go home and rest well, and then come back tomorrow fully rested to take care of her. Otherwise, you'll just we
Penny shot Cecilia a displeased look.Cecilia glanced at her phone, saw the two alarms she had set, and gave an embarrassed smile.Penny snorted softly. She went back to the bathroom to rinse her mouth and wash her face. When she came out, she couldn't help but vent."Who was the one who said to turn off all the alarms and sleep until we naturally wake up? It turns out I was the only one who took it seriously, sleeping until noon like a lazy bum."The small, shabby room didn't have a separate dining room, and the dining table was also Cecilia's desk.Penny sat across from her. Still not having much appetite after waking up and brushing her teeth, she sipped her soy milk slowly, looking at the breakfast on the table with a lack of interest.Cecilia apologized, "I suddenly got some work, so I had to get up. Besides, you didn't have anything urgent to do, so it's fine for you to sleep a bit more."Penny had sold her apartment to pay for Scarlett's medical bills and moved to this di
"What happened, sweetheart? What made our beautiful young lady angry this time?"Cecilia had just finished setting up the framework for an outsourcing project. After writing the last line of comments, she closed her laptop.It was time to cook. Ordering takeout every day wasn't feasible. It was unhealthy, not tasty, and incredibly expensive.Their principle now was to save wherever they could.She had bought groceries for today's meals while buying breakfast in the morning. The fridge was packed, and opening it gave a homey feeling.As the chill from the fridge greeted her, Penny was comforted by the sight of the stocked food, and her anger dissipated.Resting her chin on her hand and her fingers tapping the table lightly, she looked at the milk, juice, and vegetables in the fridge. Thinking of the frozen food in the freezer, she cooled down as well.Penny lied effortlessly, "My advisor just texted me, saying my thesis format is wrong. Even though I've already submitted it, I ne
Scarlett's surgery was very successful, and her recovery went smoothly afterward.After another two weeks in the hospital for recuperation, Penny and Cecilia brought her home.During this time, Penny learned to cook. Initially, Cecilia did the cooking while Penny watched or followed along with videos.But later, Penny took the initiative to try cooking herself. In the first couple of days, Cecilia watched over her, but soon, Penny could manage on her own.She picked things up quickly, just like she did with her studies at school.At first, she could only cook simple dishes like baked chicken and peppered pork. Eventually, she learned to braise food, and her cutting skills became refined and beautiful.On the day Scarlett was discharged, Penny prepared a full table of dishes.There was no extravagant fare. All the ingredients were chosen based on the doctor's advice and the hospital's dietary recommendations.Still, the food looked and smelled fantastic. It was a clear indicatio
Scarlett drank half a bowl of soup and tried a few bites of the food, then complimented them repeatedly under Penny's expectant gaze.Feeling satisfied, Penny boasted openly, "I think it tastes great, too."From the first day I started cooking cooked, I felt I was born to be a chef. At least I'll never go hungry and won't need to order delivery again."Since moving here, except for the first day when they were too tired from cleaning, Penny and Cecilia had been cooking their own meals.Of course, they still bought breakfast from the restaurants downstairs.A lot of working people lived in this urban village, and there were several restaurants downstairs offering many different breakfast options.Recently, Penny had tried all these different breakfasts with Cecilia, only staying in to cook on rainy days.In any case, they have been living healthy and deliciously.After praising Penny for another while, Scarlett then turned her attention to Cecilia. She wasn't as satisfied with h