Saving a Life

Chapter 10

Regarding Li Qingqing’s situation, Sha Niu’s mother could only let out a sigh.

Sha Niu’s mother used to be someone who refused to admit defeat. Even after being “married” off to this place, her heart had been set on escaping, and she didn’t care at all about the villagers.

Later, she had Sha Niu. At first, she even hated the child. But then, the family began to despise Sha Niu and didn’t like her at all. When Sha Niu was still an infant, her father and grandparents wouldn’t even spare her a glance, constantly pressuring the mother to give birth to another child.

She hated this family, and by extension, she stopped hating Sha Niu, whom the family disliked so much. Since they didn’t like Sha Niu, she slowly taught the girl not to like them either.

Gradually, everyone in the village became “them,” and only Sha Niu was “hers.” Although the child was simple-minded, she knew how to care for her mother, would speak up for her, and would help her scold others.

She treated this child as her own alone, and she felt a sense of sympathy for Li Qingqing, who was around the same age as Sha Niu.

Her first impression of Li Qingqing was simply that the girl was pitiful. In the dead of winter, a seven or eight-year-old girl with hands covered in chilblains would carry a basket full of green vegetable leaves from the hillside. Her waist would be bent so low by the weight that her face was invisible. When they met on the field ridges¹, it was like encountering a walking basket.

She once passed the child and, before she had gone far, saw the basket tumble down the ridge. The child was covered in mud, but she didn’t cry or scream. She climbed up on her own and desperately tried to pull the basket out of the field.

Unable to stand the sight, Sha Niu’s mother helped carry the vegetables back, only to find that no one in the girl’s family cared about her or the fact that she was soaked through.

“Forget it, come to my house. Take a bath and change your clothes.”

The child didn’t say a word from beginning to end, remaining sullen.

To an adult like Sha Niu’s mother, it was just a small favor, but from that day on, she noticed that Li Qingqing always came to play with Sha Niu and even tried to please her.

Sha Niu’s mother knew then that this was an honest child who understood gratitude, so she began to look after Li Qingqing often. The two children grew up together like that.

Now that the girl had been burned, Sha Niu’s mother went inside to check on her.

A young girl like Sha Niu, who was also a simpleton, had no voice or status. When she wanted to go in, everyone naturally blocked her.

Sha Niu’s mother was a middle-aged woman whose words carried more weight. When she insisted on seeing her, Li Qingqing’s family naturally let her in.

The child lay there, her mind already clouded by a high fever.

Sha Niu’s mother felt that Li Qingqing might be beyond saving.

Sha Niu still insisted on keeping watch at the Li family’s door. Her mother couldn’t sway her, so she had to lock her back in the cellar before heading out to work in the mountains herself.

Sha Niu’s mother had just arrived at the mountains and hadn’t even swung her hoe twice when someone shouted to her from below.

“Gangzi’s wife! Come back quickly! Your daughter is acting up again!”

Hearing this, Sha Niu’s mother felt her heart skip a beat.

The reason Sha Niu was called “Sha Niu” was not just because she was simple, but because the child frequently suffered from episodes. When an episode hit, she would have headaches, hit people, and talk nonsense. It was more than just being slow.

Sha Niu’s mother rushed back as fast as she could.

All sorts of terrible scenarios flashed through her mind along the way. If the girl had committed a grave error or beaten someone, and the villagers demanded she be handed over to someone else to bear children as compensation, what would she do?

It wasn’t until she actually arrived at the scene that her heart finally returned to her chest. Her daughter hadn’t had an episode; she was standing there perfectly fine.

However, the first thing Sha Niu’s mother noticed was the young woman her daughter was supporting.

This was the second time she had seen Ming Wen, the “Immortal Lady who glows” that her daughter talked about.

She had been locked up for some time, yet she showed no signs of the toll that period should have taken on her. She was very composed. While her daughter was arguing with the others, she stood to the side, as upright as a sturdy tree.

As Sha Niu’s mother drew closer, she could sense a very unique aura about this young woman. That aura radiated outward with the young woman at its center, a feeling that was impossible to put into words.

When Sha Niu’s mother stood before Ming Wen, she finally saw the injuries on her face clearly. Yet, there wasn’t much pain or hatred in her expression. When she saw the mother, she even gave a polite smile.

No wonder Sha Niu called her an Immortal Lady. Perhaps only an Immortal Lady could remain so calm in such a situation.

Sha Niu’s mother knew she couldn’t do it. Every time she thought about the other woman’s plight, she felt a wave of distress and pain because she had lived through it herself, making it unbearable to face.

The others also saw Sha Niu’s mother and immediately said, “Your daughter carried her over here. She says this woman can save Qingqing, and she’s babbling something about an Immortal Lady.”

Ming Wen and Sha Niu’s mother locked eyes. In this second meeting, both were remarkably calm.

Much later, when Sha Niu’s mother grew old, she would still remember this day. It was on this most ordinary day that she met the Immortal Lady.

But at this moment, Sha Niu’s mother didn’t think the woman was a deity.

Ming Wen spoke, addressing Sha Niu’s mother. “I am a third-year student at Yuncheng Medical University. Sha Niu said Li Qingqing was burned. I can help take a look at her.”

The others naturally couldn’t understand Mandarin and couldn’t grasp the feeling Sha Niu’s mother was experiencing.

Sha Niu’s mother turned to the people nearby and said, “She is a doctor. Let her go in and have a look.”

“Didn’t they say she’s a college student?” They were referring to what the people who delivered the Trafficked Brides had said—that the Zhang family’s new bride with the broken leg was a college student.

“A college student means she went to a university. She studied medicine,” Sha Niu’s mother explained.

Ming Wen could only hear Sha Niu’s mother say something to them like: “#@.☆…☆#…xi…”

She could barely catch one or two distorted syllables. This place must be very, very, very far from her home.

The others began chattering away again.

Ming Wen looked at Sha Niu’s mother, who said to her in Mandarin, “Just listen to me. Now, frown, and just say whatever you want.”

Ming Wen followed her instructions, frowned, and then said, “Thank you for the sweet potatoes you sent. I hope I haven’t caused you any trouble.”

Sha Niu’s mother replied, “It’s nothing.”

After speaking to Ming Wen, she turned to the others and said, “She’s a big doctor out in the world. If you don’t believe her, she says fine, she’ll just go back.”

The person these people actually distrusted was Sha Niu. After all, this silly girl was carrying a stranger on her back, and they couldn’t understand a word the outsider said. Sha Niu kept insisting that this foreign girl could save Li Qingqing.

Now that Sha Niu’s mother had clarified that the foreign girl was a doctor from the big city, everyone remembered the earlier talk about university students and began to believe her a little.

Coupled with the fact that the girl was frowning and preparing to leave, Li Qingqing’s mother immediately asked Ming Wen, “Are you really a doctor?”

Ming Wen couldn’t understand her at all, but Sha Niu’s mother pulled her over and spoke to the woman in the local dialect. “Sister-in-law, you’re being muddle-headed. What benefit would she get from lying to you? If you say much more and actually offend her, what then? While she hasn’t left yet, invite her in to take a look.”

Sha Niu watched from the side, thinking to herself that her mother was truly impressive.

She had thrown a tantrum and rolled on the ground, yet everyone refused to let the Immortal Lady in to see Li Qingqing. But with just a few words, her mother had changed everyone’s attitude.

Sha Niu’s mother then spoke to the dazed Sha Niu. “What are you standing there for? Didn’t you want to go in and see her?”

Sha Niu naturally followed them inside, and she finally saw Li Qingqing.

Li Qingqing was lying facedown on a mat with her back exposed. A large area of her back was raw and festering. The room was filled with an unpleasant, mixed odor of medicine and blood. Sha Niu was frightened; she wanted to get closer to look, but she didn’t dare step forward, fearing that her clumsiness might accidentally break Li Qingqing.

Sha Niu’s mother brought a stool over for Ming Wen, fearing she would be uncomfortable standing on one leg.

Ming Wen sat on the stool by the bed, examined the wounds on Li Qingqing’s back, felt her forehead, and checked her pupils.

Sha Niu’s mother watched all of this, her heart aching with pity.

Ming Wen turned her head and spoke to the only person present who could correctly understand her meaning. “How did she get injured?”

Sha Niu’s mother said, “It was scalded by boiling water.”

“Who did it?”

“Second Sister Zhang. She was bumped by someone and, in a moment of panic, splashed the water backward.”

An accident?

Ming Wen said, “There are signs of tearing in the wound. Did she struggle after being burned?”

“She ran home by herself. It probably happened on the way.”

The others listened to the two of them talk. Although they couldn’t understand, the calm demeanor of this foreign girl made everyone else quiet down.

Some powerful people simply have a way of drawing others into their own rhythm.

Ming Wen nodded and said to Sha Niu’s mother, “The wound has become infected because it wasn’t treated. She needs an IV drip for the inflammation. Is there a clinic in the village?”

Sha Niu’s mother shook her head. “There’s only one doctor in the village. He came to see her and said there’s no hope.”

“Where is the nearest clinic?”

“There’s a clinic in the town, but the people there aren’t willing to come up the mountain.”

Given the current situation, it was impossible to carry the girl down.

Ming Wen said, “Going to get medicine is also an option.”

Sha Niu’s mother relayed Ming Wen’s words to the others. Now, it was certain that Li Qingqing’s husband would have to go to town to get the medicine.

Wu Jie had originally gone out to prepare for the funeral. As soon as he returned and saw these people, his eyes naturally landed on Ming Wen first. He was about to lose his temper when his mother-in-law stopped him.

“There’s hope. She’s a doctor from the city. She said Li Qingqing can be saved.”

Wu Jie didn’t believe it. He had never been to the city, but he instinctively felt that Ming Wen was too young.

Meanwhile, Ming Wen continued, “Give me paper and a pen. I’ll write down the medicines we need.”

Sha Niu’s mother relayed this to Li Qingqing’s family.

One of Li Qingqing’s cousins quickly brought over a pen and paper.

Ming Wen took them and began writing the list of medicines she needed.

As she wrote, she explained to Sha Niu’s mother, “Tell these things to the person going for the medicine.”

“These two medicines are for debridement. Her wound needs to be disinfected and cleaned.”

“Disposable IV sets, saline solution… we need a three-day supply. Once they’re bought, I’ll give her the drip. If the town clinic won’t give them, tell them to come up here themselves. In her current state, she must have an IV for the inflammation.”

“There are a few more medicines.”

“This one is oral. If the doctor asks, say it’s for inflammation. These two are for antiviral treatment. This last one, Carbamazepine, will help with pain relief. If the doctor asks, tell them it’s for pain. If they won’t prescribe it, don’t waste time there. Come back immediately.”

After such a long explanation, Ming Wen asked Sha Niu’s mother, “Can you remember all that?”

The simple woman in front of her nodded very seriously.

Ming Wen breathed a sigh of relief.

Sha Niu’s mother took the two pieces of paper, turned around, and said to Wu Jie in the local dialect, “Go buy these medicines. Get all of them, not a single one missing. This is your wife’s life!”

She then worried that if the girl couldn’t be saved, it would be bad if Ming Wen was blamed. She added, “Go and come back quickly. If you’re late, she won’t be saved.”

The implication was that if the medicine arrived but the person wasn’t saved, it was because he had returned too late.

Ming Wen thought, “The dialect is that concise?”

Wu Jie had been acting like a headless fly, frantic with worry. Now that he had a plan, he immediately ran outside. Just as he stepped out, he encountered the Zhang family who had bought Ming Wen.

“Where are you going? What’s that in your hand? Where is my daughter-in-law?”

Li Qingqing’s mother also came out and said, “That daughter-in-law of yours is a treasure. She’s a doctor from the city. This is the prescription she wrote…”

Before she could finish, the other party heard that Ming Wen had written it and immediately tried to snatch the medicine list. “What prescription? She’s definitely being restless. She must have written a note to the town clinic. She’s trying to escape! You can’t let him take this to town.”

Madman Zhang also came forward to snatch the paper.

Only then did Sha Niu’s mother remember this issue. Taking advantage of the fact that the others couldn’t understand Mandarin, she said directly to Ming Wen, “The people at the town clinic know about these things.”

She meant that if the note was a plea for help, it would be useless.

Ming Wen understood her meaning and said, “These really are just medicines to save this girl. I haven’t written anything else.”

Wu Jie had some education and was literate. He looked it over and also said, “There’s nothing else written here.”

The Zhang family still didn’t believe it.

Sha Niu’s mother came out as well and said, “What are you so afraid of the town for? She’s an outsider and doesn’t know a single person there. Who could she possibly get to help her? Wu Jie, go get the medicine.”

Sha Niu’s mother saw the Zhang Family members and immediately gave chase.

She heard the other party say, “I don’t trust you! I have relatives running a shop in town who can read. I’ll let them take a look at it first!”

Sha Niu’s mother frowned, hoping that Ming Wen hadn’t lied to her. Otherwise, not only would Li Qingqing be beyond saving, but Ming Wen herself would suffer terribly.

Translator’s Notes