Rebirth to a Military Marriage: Good Morning Chief Chapter 1 - Driven to the Grave

The blistering July sun beat down relentlessly, causing the tarred roads to exude an acrid smell as if they were melting under the intense heat. Above the ground, the air shimmered, a testament to the evaporating heat, making the street unusually quiet with minimal traffic. Most people had sought refuge in cooler places to escape the sweltering weather.

Amidst this heatwave, a woman, clad in a faded white shirt and dull suit pants, hurried towards the Second People’s Hospital. Her hair clung to her sweat-slicked face, and her cheeks were flushed – clear signs of being ravaged by the heat. Though her shirt was soaked with perspiration and she felt a growing discomfort, Qiao Nan couldn't afford to dwell on it. Her grip tightened on the bag containing a substantial sum of 100,000 yuan.

This money was the culmination of selling all her valuables, painstakingly gathered. Her elder sister required 200,000 yuan for surgery, leaving a remaining 100,000 yuan to be procured. Qiao Nan was racing against time to secure the rest.

As Qiao Nan reached the ward, her hand hovering over the doorknob, intercepted voices reached her ears – a conversation between a mother and her daughter.

“Mom, it’s all Qiao Nan’s fault. If it weren’t for her, Da Jun wouldn’t have divorced me,” came the voice of Qiao Zijin, Qiao Nan’s sister.

“Hush now, stop your crying. I’ve already taught Qiao Nan a lesson,” replied Ding Jiayi, Qiao Nan’s mother, stroking her elder daughter’s head with evident heartache.

Standing outside, Qiao Nan froze in shock. Hadn’t her sister’s affair led to Chen Jun’s divorce? And how could this possibly be linked to her?

The mention of Chen Jun brought a wave of sadness. Chen Jun had been Qiao Nan’s boyfriend. However, Qiao Zijin had become pregnant with his child. Ding Jiayi had blamed Qiao Nan for this, accusing her of malicious intent and heartlessness for not only stealing her sister’s boyfriend but also forcing her sister to have an abortion. Ultimately, Qiao Nan had been compelled to end her relationship with Chen Jun, allowing him and Qiao Zijin to be together.

“Mom, Da Jun divorced me. My child isn’t with me, and now I’ve fallen ill. What am I to do? Mom, I don’t want to die. I haven’t even fulfilled my filial duties as a daughter to you. I truly don’t wish to die.” In the confines of the ward, Qiao Zijin sobbed, clinging to Ding Jiayi. So young, with a future brimming with possibilities, Qiao Zijin desperately clung to life.

Ding Jiayi’s heart swelled with emotion upon hearing her elder daughter’s expressed desire to be filial, even in her dire illness. Patting Qiao Zijin’s back, she reassured her, “Absolutely not. Mom won’t let anything happen to you. It’s all thanks to that wretched girl, Qiao Nan, that I’ve managed to gather the funds for you. Once we have the 200,000 yuan, you’ll be on the road to recovery.”

Not long after her divorce from Chen Jun, Qiao Zijin had been diagnosed with kidney failure, necessitating an urgent kidney transplant. However, Qiao Zijin’s infidelity had rendered her responsible for the marital breakdown, leaving her without any claim to alimony or marital compensation. Now, faced with this devastating illness, she lacked the means to cover her medical expenses.

Despite being accustomed to her mother’s blatant favoritism, Qiao Nan felt a deep sting from the overheard conversation. She was already forty years old. After her breakup with Chen Jun, she had not pursued another relationship. It wasn't due to a lack of willingness, but rather her mother's constant interference. For years, she had channeled most of her earnings to her mother, who in turn used that money to purchase a spacious 150-square-meter suite for her elder sister, while Qiao Nan remained relegated to a cramped 90-square-meter rental apartment. She bore the brunt of all her parents’ household expenses. Each visit from her sister was marked by gifts brought and more taken away upon departure.

At her age, unmarried, she had endured the taunts of being “left on the shelf.” Qiao Nan understood her mother’s refusal to let her marry, as it ensured a continued flow of financial support. Yet, this was her own mother. Every attempt Qiao Nan made to attend a matchmaking event was met with dramatic scenes and threats of suicide from her mother, leaving Qiao Nan with no recourse.

All her sacrifices and efforts felt rendered meaningless upon hearing her mother refer to her as a “wretched girl.” The realization that Qiao Zijin was shifting the blame for her own affair and subsequent divorce onto her fueled a sudden aversion to handing over the money. She clutched it tighter, the desire to give it diminishing rapidly.

Before Qiao Nan could retreat, a final exchange pierced through her, plunging her into utter despair: “Mom, it’s not that simple. What if I can’t find a compatible kidney even after Qiao Nan raises the money? The doctor mentioned that if one of my next-of-kin could donate a kidney, the match would be better, and my body would be less likely to reject it.”

Cradled in the embrace of Ding Jiayi, Qiao Zijin voiced her plight with a pitiful tone, "If only I could receive a kidney from a loved one, it would likely alleviate my medical treatment expenses significantly."

"Such a gift isn't easily acquired; some individuals depart this world before such an opportunity even presents itself!"

Qiao Zijin was acutely aware that mere currency alone could not suffice to sustain her life; alternative solutions were imperative.

Hesitantly, Ding Jiayi inquired, "Would you like me to undergo the blood test?"

Qiao Zijin vehemently shook her head. Her mother, advanced in years, likely possessed kidneys less robust and healthy. For a transplant, Qiao Zijin desired the best possible match. "Mom, you carried me and nurtured me; I couldn't bear to see you subjected to surgery. The same applies to Dad."

"That..." Ding Jiayi pondered for a moment, a spark igniting in her eyes. "When that wretched girl arrives, I'll have her undergo the blood test. She is your biological sister, after all. I'm certain it will be a suitable match!"

"That sounds plausible. However, Qiao Nan might not consent. After all, this involves a kidney," Qiao Zijin remarked, a calculating glint in her eyes.

For the sake of her own survival and as a contingency, she resolved to ensure Qiao Nan could not refuse.

"Miss Qiao, you've arrived to visit your sister. Why are you hesitant to go in?" A nurse's voice, emanating from the doorway, interrupted Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi's hushed conversation.

Qiao Zijin's countenance shifted dramatically. "Mom... did that wretched girl, Qiao Nan, overhear our earlier discussion?"

Without uttering a word, Ding Jiayi rose and hurried out. Spying Qiao Nan's retreating figure, she bellowed her name at the top of her lungs.

Qiao Nan heard Ding Jiayi's clamor. She refused to turn back or halt her steps, tears streaming uncontrollably. Her heart ached with profound sorrow.

For the sake of her mother and elder sister, she had forgone even having a home of her own. Yet, they not only schemed for her finances but also coveted her kidney.

While Ding Jiayi might not have fully grasped the implications of Qiao Zijin's words, Qiao Nan understood them all too well. This comprehension fueled her animosity; she felt that even if she owed the Qiao family, her sacrifices had been more than sufficient!

Perhaps maternal love is truly "noble." Witnessing her younger daughter fleeing, Ding Jiayi feared her elder daughter's illness would remain untreated. Ding Jiayi quickened her pace, caught up to Qiao Nan, and ruthlessly seized her hair.

"You wretched girl! You are utterly devoid of conscience. Knowing your sister suffers such a grave illness, you intend to abandon her? Come back here..."

Qiao Nan's head throbbed in pain. Just as she attempted to warn her mother about the perilous traffic, a vehicle hurtled towards her.

A deafening collision ensued. Qiao Nan, overwhelmed by agonizing pain, could barely utter a sound. She compelled herself to open her eyes, desperate to ascertain her mother's condition.

Releasing her grip the instant she spotted the approaching vehicle, Ding Jiayi was genuinely terrified. Upon seeing her younger daughter sprawled in a pool of crimson, she rushed forward, exclaiming, "Qiao Nan, you... your death might actually be a blessing. At the very least, you can help your sister. Zijin will then have both a kidney and money!"

If her younger daughter were deceased, the driver responsible would undoubtedly be compelled to provide substantial compensation.

Upon hearing Ding Jiayi's callous words, Qiao Nan fixed her mother with a deathly glare. Prior to the ambulance's arrival, she felt she had been actively driven towards her grave by her own mother!