Chapter 107: Joys And Sorrows
“Alright, alright, don’t cry. Let me take a good look at where you’re hurt. Where are your parents, older brother, and the others? Are the injuries serious?”
Yan Xi softly coaxed her a few words and supported her with both hands, starting to examine her from the head.
Xia Tian’s clothes were thin. Not only had her body rolled in muddy water and gotten bloodstains, but there were also several places torn and worn into holes.
Her hair was disheveled, mixed with mud and clumped together, looking as disheveled as could be.
“Mom and the others are all resting in that room. Dad and older brother are injured a bit more seriously, but none of them are in life-threatening danger. I’m fine, just some scraped skin.”
“Good, I’ll go take a look!”
Seeing she didn’t seem to be lying and there were no seriously injured spots on her body, Yan Xi let go of his hands and headed to the inner room of the pharmacy.
In no time, he came back out with red eyes but a much more relaxed expression.
“Maternal Uncle Yan, how did you get here?”
“I heard the news from your friend. How could I rest assured without seeing it with my own eyes? So I came as fast as I could.”
“Maternal Uncle Yan.”
“Ning Ning, why are you here too?”
“Uncle, listen to me. If Ning Bao Gai and the others hadn’t arrived in time…”
Before Su Ning could explain, Luo Shuangshuang’s little mouth started chattering, quickly recounting the whole incident to him again.
No matter how many times she told it, recalling the situation at the time still filled her with lingering fear.
Sure enough, after hearing it, Yan Xi thanked Su Ning over and over. Just as You You said, if not for their help, if not for her having made the worst plans when she came and prepared by bringing that secret medicine…
Yan Xi didn’t dare imagine what the outcome would have been!
“Ning Ning, you didn’t just save You You again, you saved the lives of everyone in both the Yan and Luo families. I… I thank you…”
“Maternal Uncle Yan, you absolutely mustn’t do this. You can’t kneel to me. I’m Xi You’s friend, and doing these things is something I’m willing and happy to do!”
Su Ning, with her few experiences, noticed his movement. Her scalp tingled instantly, and without thinking, she grabbed his arm.
Luo Shuangshuang, realizing belatedly what Maternal Uncle was about to do, quickly hugged his other arm too. “Maternal Uncle, don’t do this, or Ning Bao Gai will be so embarrassed. What if you scare her off later!”
“Alright, alright, you two let go of me, especially you, You You!”
He was just excitedly acting on impulse without knowing how to thank her properly, so he subconsciously moved that way. How were they secretly pinching him instead?
What a great eldest niece he had!
“Hmph. Who’s letting you scare us!”
Although she knew he was sincerely grateful, Luo Shuangshuang really didn’t want this scene to happen.
Family members coming one by one and kneeling—Ning Bao Gai’s embarrassment was minor, but if she really got scared off, where would she find another friend to commit to for life?
“Ning Ning, that secret medicine of yours is handed down from your ancestors, so there definitely isn’t much. For such a precious thing, we have to give something for it no matter what. Otherwise, how could we feel right? This must be accepted!”
Yan Xi tapped Luo Shuangshuang’s forehead, laughed and scolded her grumpily, then turned around solemnly to look at her. The thanks gift wasn’t urgent; both families could discuss it slowly.
But giving money for life-saving stuff was only right and proper. They couldn’t use such a rare thing to save lives and then pretend nothing happened.
“This…”
“Yeah, Ning Bao Gai, this medicinal water is so effective, it must be rare. I heard Doctor Ge say it even has Ginseng King in it. No matter what, we can’t let you take a loss yourself.”
This time, Luo Shuangshuang stood with her maternal uncle. She had originally planned to discuss it privately with her parents and the others. Since he had brought it up openly, she took the chance to state her position too.
She didn’t know exactly how much a Ginseng King was worth, but just hearing Doctor Ge sigh, “Priceless on the market, or available but unsellable.”
From that one sigh, it was easy to tell, not to mention it was just one ingredient in this secret medicine.
“This isn’t urgent; we’ll talk about it later.”
“How can we talk about it later!”
Before Luo Shuangshuang and Yan Xi could say anything, a resounding voice came from outside the half-closed door.
Puzzled, the three went out and saw that the small kitchen outside had unknowingly gathered a crowd of people.
Linking it to Yan Xi, Su Ning instantly realized these must be relatives who had rushed over anxiously from the pharmacy after being injured.
They were just a bit slower than Yan Xi. They had originally entered the yard wanting to quickly find their family members. Seeing the half-closed door with light and a strong medicinal smell, they naturally came to check first.
Coincidentally, they overheard everything and learned the whole story, knowing that one of the girls who came specifically to find people had brought life-saving stuff, and their relatives had only survived because of it…
“Girl, we’ll all pay for this medicine, whatever the cost!”
“Right, that’s the reason. I only have this one old mom. If she were gone…”
Among them, a burly man in a work uniform hadn’t even changed, still wearing the apron around his waist. Together with others from town who got the news one after another, they drove a borrowed water gourd and rushed over anxiously.
His dad had died early, and it was all thanks to his mom enduring hardships alone to raise the three brothers. Now the youngest brother had started a family too.
They were just about to fulfill their filial duties as son and daughter-in-law; it was time for her old self to enjoy life…
He roughly wiped his face. Peng Dashu was excited that there would be plenty of time ahead to be filial, so he was even more grateful to this brave benefactor who saved his old mom’s life.
From the girl’s description, one of them must be his old mom—absolutely no mistake!
Not to mention paying for life-saving medicine even if it emptied his family; even if it meant owing a huge debt, he’d be willing!
“Girl, I’m old Peng, the head chef at Yong County state-run restaurant. If you get a chance to come to the county, you must find me. I have lots of signature dishes…”
“Peng San Dao, finish up and make way!”
An old lady with bound feet pushed aside the guy who was still rattling on about listing dishes and squeezed forward to tightly grab the two girls’ hands.
“Girl, you just said you saved a little girl, right? About this tall, with two little pigtails, wearing a floral skirt?”
“Yes.”
“Too good, too good. Thank heavens, grandpa. Wuu…”
Ignoring the tears of joy streaming out, the old lady hurriedly asked again, “What about my son? Is he here too? How are his injuries? Our old Meng family will pay for that medicine too, whatever the amount!”
As long as the person was alive, any amount of money was worth it.
“……”
Thinking of when they rescued the little girl, the body that lay on her which Fu Jiaming, Yan Bei, and the other two big guys had used all their strength to move aside…
For a moment, both Su Ning and the other didn’t know how to answer.
“Girl, is there a Xu Da Fu inside? Fair and thin, over forty. He’s the teacher at town elementary school number two…”
“Girl, girl… There’s Luo Juanjuan, with a beauty mark on her face. She’s here, right here—have you seen her?”
Because of their hesitation, the increasingly panicked crowd surged forward, one after another asking urgently to confirm their relatives’ safety.
Those gazes filled with anxiety, expectation, even pleading made both of them involuntarily shed tears.
They both knew that compared to the few rescued, far too many had stayed in this car accident, unable to reunite with their families ever again.
“What are you all noisily doing! Don’t you want the injured to rest and recuperate in peace!”
Ge Laotou was still holding a scale in his hand; he had probably just been inside picking medicines.
Hearing the yard growing noisier, he stepped out the room door with a dark face and scolded angrily.
Instantly, everyone in the yard stopped asking and turned their gazes fully to him.
“One person per family goes in to take a look. Whether they’re there or not, get out quickly. They’ve been injured, taken medicine, and urgently need quiet rest!”
“Got it?”
The crowd nodded. No matter how anxious they were inside, they didn’t want to offend the doctor—if their family was inside, they might still need him to treat them.
One by one, following Ge Lao’s arrangements, everyone began entering the pharmacy in an orderly manner.
Some who came out clutched their faces sobbing, some were soulless and expressionless, numbly pacing; others collapsed to the ground in painful wails…
Ge Laotou must know how hard it was for them to stay calm and quiet at this time, so he could only sigh deeply and turn back inside without saying anything.
Was he really going to drive them all out of the yard?
Crying and wailing in the yard was still better than crowding in the room going mad together.
“Wuu wuu, kids’ mom, how am I supposed to tell our two kids at home… that you’re just gone like that? I told you not to take the shuttle bus, not to take it, but you stubbornly wouldn’t listen…”
“The ticket seller?”
“Wuu… yes, girl…”
“She and another seriously injured one were sent to Yuan County Hospital by our friend.”
“Wha…t? Where?”
