Food Supplements - Chapter 1

The weather was beautiful on the day Qin Cheng was discharged from the hospital. It was April, when orioles flew and grass grew tall. Outside the buildings, the sunlight was warm and gentle. Green trees and red flowers were everywhere, clusters of tender buds and young leaves swaying in the breeze, bursting with spring beneath the blue sky.

Leaving the hospital on such a vibrant day should have been a joyful occasion, but there was little happiness on Qin Cheng’s gaunt face.

For some people, being discharged did not mean recovery or good health. It simply meant there was no longer any reason to stay. Insisting on continuing treatment would only waste both the hospital’s resources and her own.

“Are you really not going to consider transferring? It’s a public community hospital, but its facilities and equipment are quite good. At the very least, you won’t have to worry about a shortage of beds, and they’ll be able to respond quickly if anything happens. Given your current condition, it would be a suitable place for you. You need someone to look after you, not to be alone.”

Even as Qin Cheng was completing her discharge paperwork, her attending physician still tried to persuade her. Qin Cheng knew the old man genuinely cared about her. Among a ward full of middle-aged and elderly patients, a young woman always drew special attention. They would ask how old she was, then sigh even more heavily after hearing the answer.

Most of the patients who had asked her age were gone now. She had lasted longer than all of them.

But only a little longer.

“Thank you, Doctor Huang, but I’ll pass.” She still politely declined his kindness and said calmly, “Rather than move somewhere else to wait for death, I’d rather go home and breathe the outside air while I still can. After all, if I don’t enjoy what little time I have left, I’m afraid I won’t get another chance. Right?”

Qin Cheng had never been afraid to talk about it. From the very beginning, she had gone through treatment alone. She understood every treatment plan clearly and knew every change in her condition.

“Ah… I’ll tell you the same thing I always do. Don’t give up! Worldwide, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is below five percent. You’ve already made it to your fourth year, far beyond what we originally expected!” the old doctor encouraged her out of habit, though in the end, he still let out a quiet sigh.

The woman lowered her head and smiled without answering.

She had indeed survived longer than expected. She had done her best.

But she was nearing the end.

Every symptom told her that she did not have much time left.

And so, on that spring-filled day, Qin Cheng stepped out of the hospital, ready to return home and enjoy what would likely be her final stretch of freedom.

Calling it “home” was not entirely accurate. It was merely the place she rented.

Her rented room was only about a ten-minute walk from the hospital, which was necessary because she had very little stamina. If she squeezed onto public transportation, the slightest jostling could leave her short of breath, weak, and miserable. But if she took a taxi every time she went to the hospital, the monthly transportation costs would become a considerable expense. She would rather save the money and buy a few more bottles of medicine.

So, to keep the distance within walking range, she had no choice but to tolerate a poorer living environment.

She turned into a narrow alley and pushed open the main door. The ground floor held a shared kitchen and bathroom. A narrow wooden staircase led upward past the second floor, though the so-called second floor was really just a room built beside the landing, occupied by a young married couple.

Qin Cheng’s room was on the third floor. It was smaller than the second-floor room and slightly cheaper. Across from it was the larger room where the landlady lived. If one continued up the stairs, they would reach a tiny rooftop terrace, the only place where tenants could hang their clothes to dry.

This old-fashioned shikumen building had many drawbacks, and Qin Cheng had once found it difficult to adjust. Fortunately, the rent for a single room was reasonable, and the place was safe.

The landlady was loud and somewhat petty, but she tolerated no nonsense. Every day, she shouted reminders about fire safety, theft, and gas leaks, yet she managed this tiny corner of the world in perfect order.

The landlady did not seem to be home today, sparing Qin Cheng from another round of concerned questions and explanations.

Panting heavily, Qin Cheng climbed to the third floor, immediately entered her room, and shut the door. Then she threw herself onto the single bed she had not slept in for half a month and sank into its familiar softness, unwilling to move again.

It took a long time before the sound of her labored breathing gradually subsided.

The person on the bed, however, did not move again. That short walk seemed to have drained the last reserves of strength from her body. As she lay there, she slipped directly into a deep sleep.

Her thin body remained perfectly still, and even the faint rise and fall of her breathing was almost impossible to see.

By the time the sky began to darken, Qin Cheng finally opened her eyes again.

More precisely, she woke drenched in sweat.

Her once nearly silent breathing had become harsh and rapid. She practically stumbled and rolled off the bed, pressing one hand tightly against her abdomen while the other hurriedly dragged over the small backpack she had brought home from the hospital.

She pulled out several medicine bottles and a bottle of mineral water, shoved a large handful of pills into her mouth without even looking, tilted her head back, and swallowed them all.

After taking the medicine, she gasped several times and sat on the wooden floor. Clutching her abdomen with both hands, she slowly curled into herself like a shrimp and waited patiently.

Her forehead was covered in sweat and her face was deathly pale, but there was little change in her heavy eyes.

Several years had passed.

No matter how agonizing an illness was, a person could eventually grow used to it.

More than an hour later, once the pain had eased, Qin Cheng touched her pulse and felt the proof that she was still alive. Her mood relaxed along with her body.

Spending the rest of her life in her own bed could certainly be considered one of her wishes, but dying on the very first day after leaving the hospital would be far too unfair.

Besides, she had not finished taking care of everything yet.

She had planned for so long. If she died before carrying it out, she probably would not be able to rest in peace.

Looking at it another way, perhaps this was a sign and a warning, reminding her that she needed to act quickly.

In theory, she still had two or three months left, but there were no guarantees with things like this. Perhaps one day, without warning, she would simply pass away in her sleep…

The woman shook her head and stopped herself from thinking any further.

She struggled to her feet. As she put away the small backpack, she slipped her hand into the inner compartment and felt around. She seemed to hesitate, but in the end, she did not open it.

At least… she could deal with it tomorrow.

Qin Cheng considered this vaguely. Her body was still exhausted after sleeping for so long, but she forced herself to leave the room and asked the young couple on the second floor for a kettle of hot water.

She used some of it to prepare instant noodles, then used the rest to wipe herself down as best she could before falling into bed once more.

Perhaps she simply slept better in her own bed. When Qin Cheng woke the following morning, she felt surprisingly energetic.

She did not dare waste the opportunity. Taking advantage of the rare burst of strength, she quickly washed up, tidied herself, and prepared to go out.

Once everything was ready, she picked up the small backpack again and reached inside.

This time, she did not hesitate.

She quickly removed a small sealed plastic bag from the inner compartment.

There was nothing else inside. It contained only a bank passbook.

Qin Cheng took out the thin booklet, drew a deep breath, and only then opened it.

The transaction record inside was extremely simple. There were only two entries in total: one deposit and one withdrawal, both made four years ago.

The remaining balance was exactly five hundred thousand yuan.

Five hundred thousand yuan was undoubtedly an enormous and precious sum for someone bedridden and unable to work.

Yet when Qin Cheng looked at the number, the emotions that flashed through her eyes were repression and pain.

There was even a trace of disgust.

After a moment of silence, all the pain and revulsion turned into a helpless sigh.

She carefully put the passbook away, slung the backpack over her shoulder, and left the house.

The money she had obtained by selling her soul and twisting her own heart had finally reached the day when it could be put to use.

After leaving the alley and stepping onto the street, where a faint floral fragrance drifted through the air, Qin Cheng walked forward at an unhurried pace.

She had no intention of taking a vehicle.

As mentioned earlier, although her rented room was in poor condition, she had carefully chosen its location. The neighborhood was fairly busy, with all the necessary amenities nearby. Both the hospital and the bank were within a reasonable distance.

The bank was exactly where Qin Cheng intended to go.

She turned onto a side street not far from home. From there, it was another seven- or eight-minute walk, which was no short distance in her current condition.

Fortunately, she felt well today. Even after covering half the distance, her body had not shown any signs of giving out, which allowed her to relax a little.

She strolled slowly through the bustling crowd and, in a daze, felt as though she had once again become one of them—normal and healthy.

Perhaps because she was in that kind of mood, when she noticed a commotion by the roadside, Qin Cheng did something unusual and stopped.

She followed the crowd and looked over curiously.

The gathering was not especially dense, so it was easy to see what was happening in the center.

A thin old man in plain clothes was squatting on the ground. In front of him sat a small plastic basket, making him look like an ordinary street vendor.

This was nothing unusual.

There was a jewelry and antique market on the side street, which had led many street vendors to gather nearby. To put it nicely, they were selling antiques. To put it less nicely, they were hawking secondhand junk.

All kinds of strange and random objects could be found there, and every now and then, a vegetable seller would be mixed in among them.

Naturally, an ordinary street stall would not draw a crowd.

The reason people had gathered became obvious after watching for a moment.

Unlike the other stalls, the thin old man’s plastic basket contained only one small metal object. Spread around it were various sheets of paper—certificates, award documents, and medical diagnosis reports from several hospitals.

“The boy is so sensible. He’s always done well in school. He was finally about to make something of himself, and then he got this disease!” The old man squatted on the ground, wiping his face. “We sold everything we could and borrowed money from everywhere to bring him to the big city for treatment. We finally found hope, but we’re still short on the surgery fee. I have no choice but to sell our family heirloom…”

Old Zhang broke down in tears.

“I’m not asking for more. Fifteen thousand yuan, fixed price! Whoever has a good eye can take it! You’ll earn merit and good fortune too!”

As he became more emotional, tears streamed down his face.

The people nearby sighed and offered words of comfort, but most of their gazes still carried a trace of scrutiny and wariness.

These days, scammers were everywhere. People would use all kinds of tricks to make dishonest money.

Besides, stories about terminal illnesses and family heirlooms sounded unreliable no matter how one listened to them.

“Old brother, I’m not trying to insult you, but I’m afraid this thing won’t sell for that much.” Occasionally, someone would squat down and examine the item in the plastic basket, only to shake their head.

The old man glared. “This is a jade hairpin! It’s been passed down for at least five or six generations. It’s a genuine antique. How could it not be worth that much?”

“What jade hairpin? Look at it. There’s only a tiny piece of melon-rind green jade on the head. The shaft is made of old silver, and it’s thin too. A thousand or so would already be the absolute limit!” The other man was equally blunt and unwilling to back down.

“Hey, don’t argue, don’t argue.” Seeing that a quarrel was about to break out, a young man beside them stepped in to mediate and said kindly, “Sir, instead of selling this here, why not ask for help? Contact a charity foundation, or start an online crowdfunding campaign… As long as the situation is real, many people would be willing to help.”

“What crowdfunding? I’m uneducated. I don’t understand any of that!” The old man’s eyes reddened with agitation as he shouted, “And I need the money urgently! The surgery has to be done this week. The boy can’t wait! This jade hairpin is truly valuable. Anyone without an eye for it should stop causing trouble! Get lost!”

His fierce reaction made him seem rather ungrateful toward those who were trying to help.

The blunt man wanted to argue further, but the people beside him pulled him away. The young man also shook his head and left.

Much of the crowd dispersed.

Qin Cheng, standing outside the group, did not leave.

Not only did she remain, but she stepped closer, went to the plastic basket, and crouched down.

She did not look at the hairpin.

Instead, she picked up the hospital diagnosis reports and carefully read through them.

Long illness could make a person half a doctor.

Although Qin Cheng had no professional medical background, she could still tell whether the figures on several diagnosis reports were genuine.

There was another piece of evidence as well.

She happened to have seen the old man at the hospital before.

They had not been in the same ward, but the way he had looked anxious and drenched in sweat had left an impression on her.

At the time, she had wondered whether her own parents would look just as frantic and helpless if they were beside her.

When the old man saw a young woman carefully reading the diagnosis reports, he stopped shouting.

Instead, he looked at her with hope.

But after she finished reading, silently stood up, and never once glanced at the jade hairpin, that hope gradually dimmed again.

Then, unexpectedly, he heard the thin woman speak softly to him.

“If you don’t mind, come with me to the bank. It’s nearby.”

Her voice was calm, weak, and slightly hoarse, yet still remarkably pleasant.

“I believe you. I just don’t have that much cash on me.”

Perhaps this was fate.

At the very end, using money earned by selling her soul to perform one good deed and save one life could only be considered a good thing in every sense.

She withdrew ten thousand yuan from her savings and added another five thousand from her own pocket.

After seeing off the old man, who thanked her repeatedly, Qin Cheng casually placed the jade hairpin he had insisted on leaving behind into her bag.

She watched his back disappear, then turned and walked into the bank again.

She had not come here specifically to do a good deed.

Now that the unexpected interruption was over, she still needed to handle the important matter she had planned.

“Please… transfer all the money remaining in this passbook to this account… Yes, all of it.”

The out-of-town account belonged to Qin Cheng’s parents.

Ever since graduating, regardless of how much or how little she earned, she had always insisted on transferring money into the account every month.

Even after she quarreled with her family.

Even after she lost her job.

Even after illness consumed her and left her facing despair.

She had never missed a single payment.

This time, however, would likely be the last.

Nearly five hundred thousand yuan.

She had long intended to leave it to her aging parents.

Their unfilial daughter would be leaving before them, but at least they would have money for their old age.

That could still serve as a pillar of support.

She knew her parents’ habits well. The old couple rarely touched the money she transferred into that account, so they probably would not immediately notice the sudden large deposit.

By the time they did notice, perhaps…

That was for the best.

At least they would not have to run around in panic like the old man just now, tortured every moment by a countdown.

After completing the important task she had planned for so long, the woman slowly walked out of the bank.

She stared at the clear blue sky in a daze for a while, feeling strangely empty inside.

Logically, now that she had finished her business, she should return home and rest.

Or at the very least, she should find something to eat.

Her body was worn down and frail. Even if it could no longer recover, she still should not abuse it recklessly.

But in the end, Qin Cheng could not stop herself from taking out her phone.

She called a taxi, gave the driver an address, then leaned back against the rear seat and closed her eyes to rest.

The pair of eyes that had remained dull and largely emotionless all this time finally flashed with a fleeting glimmer of light when she spoke that address.