The day after returning from his hotown, He Hongtu was holding his child, accompanied by his wife, carrying specially prepared gift boxes for each client, as well as prospective clients.
"Aunt Xu, this is just a little sothing I brought back from my hotown, not worth much, just so things we produced ourselves. Please give it a try, and don't turn your nose up at it, ha!"
He Hongtu's face bore his trademark honest smile as he eagerly spoke to Aunt Xu.
"Oh my, but how could I!"
Aunt Xu knew He Hongtu would co again and guessed he would bring so small gifts.
But she never expected He Hongtu would bring so much.
Well, although just as He Hongtu himself said, the eggs, vegetables, and fruits he brought were mostly from his own farm.
It didn't an these things were worthless.
As living conditions continuously improved, ordinary people began to pay more attention to quality of life.
And an old lady like Aunt Xu who had aged and had spare money paid particular attention.
Eggs from mountain chickens, pesticide-free vegetables... their little County wasn't too far from the countryside. So elderly even rented a small tricycle, going directly to the countryside to buy at, eggs, vegetables, and fruits that were green and natural.
The costs of transportation and the ti spent each ti, when added up, truly weren't cheap.
Yet, even so, counterfeit goods could occasionally be bought.
Did you really think every farr was simple and honest?
So clever ones, seeing how much city people cared, would pick out smaller, darker-colored eggs and pass them off as mountain chicken eggs, then intentionally have their old n and won set up a stall at the village entrance.
They sold ordinary eggs at the price of mountain chicken eggs, yet still made the custors feel like they had gotten a great deal on sothing genuine!
Of course, things in the supermarkets were more authentic, but the prices were much higher too.
Aunt Xu's husband had passed, and she didn't eat much, so she always chose healthier, greener, pesticide-free food.
Having shopped in supermarkets, Aunt Xu knew the value of these goods.
Aunt Xu eyed the items in He Hongtu's gift box and roughly estimated that this stuff was worth at least seventy to eighty yuan.
Aunt Xu was prepared to give He Hongtu the newborn gift set left by her eldest grandson, initially feeling like she had lost out.
But now... with this pile, plus the waterlon he brought last ti, sigh, it seed like she owed him again.
"No, no, these items are quite valuable, I can't accept them!"
Aunt Xu repeatedly reminded herself: Taking small advantages leads to big losses. Why would soone give you a gift without a reason?
"Aunt Xu, please accept it. During this period, I've been calling you so often, troubling you multiple tis. My wife and I truly feel bad!"
As He Hongtu spoke, his honest face carried a hint of embarrassnt, "Actually, the reason for our visit this ti is, well, there's sothing we'd like to ask for your help with—"
Aunt Xu's smile froze!
There it was, finally!
Ah, this Little He, I thought he was just a warm, hospitable young man, but it turns out he's a swindler.
Is he asking to buy insurance, or persuading to join one of those health product etings?!
"Aunt Xu, I rember last ti we spoke on the phone, you ntioned you have high blood pressure and usually take dicine to control it?"
He Hongtu seed oblivious to Aunt Xu's slightly uneasy deanor and continued earnestly asking.
"Ah? Yes, I have high blood pressure, but I always go to a regular hospital where a doctor prescribes dicine for , and I strictly follow the dical advice, taking the dication on ti and managing my condition well!" So, don't try to sell any of those all-curing health supplents, I truly don't need them!
Despite this, He Hongtu purposefully adopted an approving manner, nodding in agreent, "Exactly, exactly, that's how it should be done! If you're ill, you should go to a regular hospital and cooperate with the doctors for proper treatnt!"
Aunt Xu was sowhat confused by He Hongtu.
Could she have been wrong, thinking Little He was selling health supplents?
She then heard He Hongtu ask another question, "Aunt Xu, are these dical expenses reimbursed by your employer, or are they covered under a standard policy?"
A few years ago, reforms in health insurance had begun but in their small County, many workplaces were still transitioning between old and new systems.
So workplaces had fully adopted social security, while others still followed the original reimbursent system.
"I have a standard policy!" Aunt Xu was even more puzzled by He Hongtu's line of questioning.
However, it didn't take long for He Hongtu to provide an answer.
"Here's the thing, back in my hotown, I have a relative who also has high blood pressure and needs regular dication to manage it."
With a feigned look of distress, He Hongtu said, "But, Aunt Xu, as you know, there's no real insurance in our rural areas, and when soone gets sick, whether it's hospitalization or dication, it all cos out of pocket!"
"Our hotown is poor, and those old folks who have lived through tough tis are even less willing to spend money."
"They endure illness on their own and only go to the hospital when they absolutely can't bear it any longer. But what can you do once you get to the hospital? You can't make the whole family starve just because of one elderly person. In the end, they are brought back ho to wait for death!"
As He Hongtu spoke about the sorrowful reality, his voice beca choked up.
"Alas, the conditions for dical insurance are really lacking in rural areas!"
Aunt Xu nodded with a asure of sympathy.
"So, that's why I have co to you. The dication prescribed under your policy, you probably won't be able to use it all up, right? Could you possibly share so with my relative back ho?"
He Hongtu's voice was low, and he spoke cautiously, "Of course, rest assured, my distant uncle is poor but he can still manage to pay half of the dication cost!"
Aunt Xu paused, staring at He Hongtu for a long ti before she could respond.
"You, you want to 'share' my dication with your relative back ho?"
Since they weren't very close, Aunt Xu was quite cautious and avoided using the word "sell."
But the intent was clear to both her and He Hongtu.
Initially, Aunt Xu was sowhat resistant, feeling that it wasn't proper.
But, soon she thought: there is a deductible on her policy, 400 yuan.
That ans, her dical expenses must exceed 400 yuan before she can be fully reimbursed for any amount above that.
Aunt Xu had once calculated that the blood pressure dication she regularly took cost 28 yuan per box, and after reimbursent, it ca down to just over four yuan—effectively a two-thirds discount.
Still, it was her own money at stake, unlike in the past when her employer would cover the full amount.
But, if, and she was just saying if, she followed Little He's suggestion and "shared" her surplus dication with Little He's fellow villagers, even at half price, she might not only break even on those 400 yuan but might even make so money.
Despite all the internal alarms telling her it was wrong, that it was illegal, that it was insurance fraud, Aunt Xu couldn't help but be tempted...
PS: Any form of insurance fraud is illegal, illegal, illegal—I cannot stress this enough. These details are included purely for dramatic purposes in the narrative and I firmly oppose such illegal actions. Also, folks, never rely on luck and do not let others use your dical account. Down the road, it can lead to serious consequences! So individuals have been denied critical illness payouts by comrcial insurance because of their dical treatnt records for certain illnesses. If these records are your own, it's regrettable yet bearable, but if they're due to a kind gesture lent to soone else leading to your claim being denied, wouldn't that be an even greater loss?!
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