Chapter 241 Old Liu's Kindness

Xiajiao ate a small bowl of homemade cat food clean, even licking the bottom of the bowl until it was shiny.

It proudly raised its tail, rubbed against Tuan Tuan's legs twice, then lightly jumped onto the bar's special cushion, found the warmest spot in the sun, curled up, and went back to sleep.

Sunlight streamed through the glass door, illuminating its golden fur, the tips of which shimmered with a soft halo.

The little guy slept soundly, his belly rising and falling evenly with his breathing, occasionally twitching his beard as if he were having a sweet dream.

Tuantuan lay on the edge of the bar, propping her chin up as she looked at the sleeping Xiajiao, her big eyes curving into crescents: "Daddy, Xiajiao is asleep."

"Okay." Lin Fan finished cleaning up the kitchen, carried out two glasses of warm water, and handed one to his daughter. "You should take a nap too."

Tuantuan took the water glass and sipped it slowly, her eyes never leaving Xiajiao: "I'm not sleepy, I want to stay with Xiajiao."

Lin Fan didn't insist any further. He placed another glass of water on the bar and turned to wipe the small blackboard with the menu written on it by the door.

The shop was quiet.

Su Xiaoxiao had already gone back to school, leaving only the father and daughter and a sleeping orange cat in the hall.

Just then, the wind chimes at the shop entrance emitted a clear, tinkling sound.

The glass door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man in his fifties entered.

He was holding a seven or eight-year-old boy's hand tightly.

The boy was wearing a thick down jacket, a knitted beanie, and a sterile mask.

Although her exposed eyebrows and eyes were pale, her gaze was clear and bright.

Lin Fan recognized the person at a glance.

It's Lao Liu.

Previously, because his son urgently needed money for leukemia surgery, he was desperate and knelt down on the street to rent this shop, which was originally worth a million yuan in rent, to his original landlord at a desperate price of 250,000 yuan.

Old Liu led his son to the middle of the hall, not looking around, but staring straight at Lin Fan.

Then, he released his son's hand, let his hands hang naturally, bent his knees, and was about to kneel on the hard bluestone slab without any warning.

"Xiaoyu, kowtow." Old Liu's voice was steady.

The boy named Xiaoyu was very obedient and was about to kneel down as his father did.

Lin Fan threw down the rag in his hand and took two steps over.

He lowered his hands and firmly supported Lao Liu's arm.

Lin Fan was very strong, and he managed to stop Old Liu from kneeling in mid-air, and also pulled the little boy next to him up.

"What are you doing?" Lin Fan looked into Old Liu's eyes, somewhat puzzled. "Get up and talk."

Old Liu looked at Lin Fan, his eyes instantly reddening, but he gritted his teeth and stubbornly refused to let his emotions break down.

He straightened up with Lin Fan's help.

"Sit down." Lin Fan pulled out two solid wood chairs.

Old Liu let his son sit down first, and then he himself sat down, halfway along the edge of the chair.

Lin Fan turned around and walked to the water dispenser, filled two cups with warm water, and placed them in front of the father and son.

"Is the surgery finished?" Lin Fan asked.

"It's done." Old Liu held the paper cup in both hands, feeling the warmth of the water.

"The bone marrow transplant was successful, and I've gotten through the rejection period. The doctor said that as long as I take good care of myself for the next six months, I'll be able to go to school like a normal child."

"That's good." Lin Fan nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The hall was quiet for a moment.

Old Liu put down the paper cup, reached into his coat and unzipped it, taking out a thick kraft paper envelope from his inner pocket.

Old Liu pushed the envelope in front of Lin Fan and untied the white thread on it.

Inside was a red property ownership certificate and several legal documents already stamped with the notary office's seal.

Lin Fan's eyes widened slightly, and he subconsciously leaned forward, looking at the red book and documents on the table, his tone tinged with surprise: "Landlord Liu, what's this...?"

"Boss Lin." Old Liu raised his head and looked directly at Lin Fan.

"You gave me 250,000 yuan before. I, Lao Liu, will remember that kindness for the rest of my life."

Old Liu pushed the red property certificate forward.

"Later, the subsequent treatment costs were a bottomless pit, and 250,000 yuan was simply not enough to fill it. Just when I was preparing to sell my blood and borrow money at high interest rates, the hospital notified me that Xiaoyu's account had received a targeted donation of 1.7 million yuan."

At this point, Old Liu's voice finally trembled slightly, almost uncontrollably.

"The foundation has a confidentiality agreement and won't tell me who donated. I'm a rough man, but I can't not even know who my savior is."

"I asked around everywhere, and finally, through a director at the hospital, I learned that the money was donated in the name of 'Lin Family Shop' at a charity gala at the Jiangcheng Grand Hyatt Hotel."

Old Liu took a deep breath and spread out the notarized documents.

"Boss Lin, you gave Xiaoyu his life."

"This shop has been passed down from my ancestors."

Pointing to the documents, Old Liu said, "I've already completed all the notarization of the unilateral gift and transfer. Once you sign here, this shop will be completely and legally yours."

Lin Fan glanced at the red book on the table.

"That 1.7 million was donated in the name of the diners. I'm just using their donation as a pretext."

Lin Fan pushed the documents back, "As for this house, I was just lucky to get a bargain back then. Now that the child is better, we'll need money for everything. Keeping this house will provide you with long-term financial security."

Lin Fan was telling the truth. He was a father too, and he knew all too well how much financial support a child recovering from a serious illness would need in the future.

"Boss Lin!"

Old Liu suddenly stood up.

"I, Lao Liu, have lived for over fifty years. I haven't accomplished anything great, but I've always been upright and honest!"

Old Liu stared intently at the documents on the table, the bloodshot veins in his eyes clearly visible.

"That 250,000 was for emergencies. That 1.7 million was for saving lives. You're a father yourself, you should know that to me, this shop is worth less than a single hair on my son's head!"

Old Liu's hands were on the table, his voice low but heavy.

"Boss Lin, if you don't take this shop, my backbone will be completely broken for the rest of my life. I won't be able to stand up straight as a person, and I won't be able to teach my son how to be a decent man."

"You must take this shop. If you don't, I'll take Xiaoyu and give you my life today!"

The hall was deathly silent.

Only the faint snoring of Xiajiao in her sleep could be heard from nearby.

Lin Fan looked at Lao Liu.

He didn't see a pitiful person with nowhere to turn; he saw a father who was willing to give up everything for dignity and gratitude.

If he continues to refuse today, it's not a sign of high moral character, but rather trampling on the last shred of dignity that Lao Liu has as a man.

However, to simply take this multi-million dollar property into one's pocket without any qualms would be somewhat like taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

Lin Fan remained silent for a moment.