Chapter 353: Mediation (2)
Chapter 353: Chapter 353: Mediation (2)
Ye Qingqing also looked at Su Qing and Li Huan in surprise. However, she was good-natured, and having spent the last few days with Su Qing and Li Huan, she knew they were both easy to get along with, so her surprise was fleeting.
Su Qing glanced thoughtfully at Director He. Her uncle had previously instructed Director He not to reveal his identity when meeting the Song family, as he didn’t want to be seen as someone who used his power to bully others. Today, her uncle wasn’t even wearing his military uniform. And yet, Director He had just called him "General Li." ’Is he trying to get my uncle to be the bigger person, out of consideration for his status, and voluntarily lower the compensation amount?’
After all, if any nasty rumors started to spread that the Li family was using its influence to extort a huge sum in compensation, it would definitely reflect poorly on their family’s reputation.
The moment Mrs. Song heard that Li Fenghuo was a general, she slapped her thighs and started wailing again. "Oh, this is a disaster! A high-ranking official is using his power to bully us common folk! Is there no justice in this world? Oh, heavens above! We can’t go on like this! Three thousand yuan! We couldn’t come up with that kind of money even if our lives depended on it!"
Father Song sighed dramatically. "General Li, we’re just simple people. Please be merciful and let us off the hook."
Song Yufang sobbed. "Our family really has no money. Li Huan, how about this—is my life enough? Why don’t I just give you my life as compensation? WAAAAH..."
Mrs. Song threw her arms around Song Yufang. "Oh, my poor, ill-fated daughter!"
Anyone who didn’t know the full story might have thought the Li family was bullying the three members of the Song family. Even Director He and Teacher Sun were dumbfounded by the sight.
Director He had, in fact, called Li Fenghuo "General" with the hope that Li Fenghuo would feel obligated by his status to lower the compensation amount. He figured the Li family wasn’t short on money, and three thousand yuan was a sum that almost no family could afford. Although Song Yufang had injured Li Huan and Ye Qingqing, the high medical cost made Director He feel a stir of pity for the Song family.
However, he never imagined the Song family would seize the opportunity to start with moral blackmail.
The Li family, on the other hand, was thoroughly infuriated by the Song family’s theatrical performance. Shang Yuqi, in particular, was so angry her lips trembled.
Just as Li Fenghuo was about to speak, Su Qing said, "Uncle, let me handle this."
"Alright." Li Fenghuo nodded. He knew Su Qing was very capable.
Su Qing turned to Director He, her expression turning slightly cold.
When Director He saw Su Qing’s expression, he felt a strange sense of dread toward this student. He had a vague feeling that he had just done something wrong.
"Director He," Su Qing began, "do you think our request for three thousand yuan in medical fees is too high?"
"Well..." Director He frowned. "It is a bit high."
Su Qing sneered. "I’ll be frank with you. The medicinal powder used to treat my cousin’s burns belongs to me."
The moment Su Qing finished speaking, Mrs. Song erupted. "Aha! So you had the medicine all along, yet you still demand three thousand in medical fees from us! You black-hearted scoundrels! You’re just trying to extort money from us..."
Before Mrs. Song could finish, Su Qing snapped coldly, "Shut your mouth. Do you think I got this medicinal powder for free?"
Without waiting for Mrs. Song to retort, Su Qing continued, "This powder comes from a precious prescription written by a famous doctor. It contains twenty to thirty different medicinal ingredients. What’s more, it includes two herbs that are over a century old. Do you still think asking three thousand for this powder is expensive?"
"What? Century-old herbs?" Teacher Sun, who was standing to the side, exclaimed in astonishment. "Are they really century-old herbs?"
"Guaranteed authentic," Su Qing said. "Let’s not even discuss the other ingredients in this powder. These two century-old herbs alone are worth fifteen thousand yuan. Now, do you still think asking for three thousand in medical fees is too much?"
After Su Qing’s words, the entire office fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
After a long moment, Director He finally managed to ask, "Classmate Su, are you telling the truth?"
"What, does Director He think I’m bluffing?" Su Qing sneered. "If you don’t believe me, Director He, I have the contact information for that traditional Chinese medicine doctor. You can call and ask if what I’m saying is correct."
"I..." Hearing this, Director He quickly said, "Of course, I believe you, Classmate Su."
Su Qing smiled. "You should still verify it, Director He. It’s Mr. Gong from Xiyuan County, Bingcheng. He’s the one who prepared this powder for me."
The moment Su Qing finished speaking, Teacher Sun became very excited. "Mr. Gong from Xiyuan County?"
"Yes." Su Qing looked at her counselor. ’Could it be that he knows Mr. Gong?’
Teacher Sun quickly turned to Director He. "Director, if it’s Mr. Gong from Xiyuan County, then there’s no doubt about this powder. It must be incredibly precious! A while ago, Mr. Gong was treating a patient and used a century-old Chicken Blood Vine. That vine alone was worth nearly seven thousand yuan."
Su Qing smiled. "To be honest, Teacher Sun, my powder contains a century-old Chicken Blood Vine. In addition to that, there’s also a Century-old Purple Danshen."
"A Century-old Purple Danshen! Its value is comparable to that of the century-old Chicken Blood Vine!" Teacher Sun exclaimed.
HISS—
Director He sucked in a sharp breath. ’So that’s how it adds up. The two herbs are worth fifteen thousand!’
This was truly... an astronomically priced medicine!
In that case, the Li family asking for three thousand really wasn’t overcharging at all. Thinking back to his earlier assumption, Director He couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.
Seeing how the tables had turned, Mrs. Song quickly piped up, "Even if the powder you have is really worth that much, it’s already in your possession! You can just use it on your cousin. Why are you demanding so much money from our family? How could we possibly afford it?"
Su Qing said coldly, "This powder in my hands didn’t just appear out of thin air. Don’t forget, your daughter caused my cousin’s burns. On what grounds should we, the victims, have to bear the medical expenses for an injury your daughter inflicted? There’s no such logic in this world. I’ve said it before: if she has the guts to hurt someone, she needs to have the courage to pay the price."
"Then you could just choose not to use the medicine! Didn’t the doctor say it’s only *possible* it will leave a scar, not that it *definitely* will? Maybe it won’t scar at all," Mrs. Song retorted, twisting logic to suit her needs.
"You monster!" Shang Yuqi couldn’t stop herself from cursing when she heard Mrs. Song’s words. Beside her, Li Fenghuo watched the Song family coldly, his eyes filled with fury.
Director He and Teacher Sun were both stunned by Mrs. Song’s shameless words. A young woman’s face is so important. If it were to be scarred, could anyone imagine the psychological trauma it would cause?
Su Qing’s smile grew even colder. "So, you’re saying I shouldn’t treat my cousin with the medicine, and then you won’t have to pay the three-thousand-yuan fee. Is that right?"
Mrs. Song muttered, "Well, not using the medicine isn’t going to kill her."
"Alright," Su Qing said with a faint smile, much to everyone’s astonishment. "But I have one condition."