Chapter 83 Helping Shen Baoqin

"If I can't help but fidget in class, will the teacher scold me?"

Zheng Xiuhua squatted down, ruffled his hair, and said with a smile, "You might not be able to sit still at first, but you'll learn slowly. Look at the other kids in the room, they sit up so well, don't they? When you go to school, you'll be just as good as them."

Niu Niu glanced at the children sitting upright in the classroom, then at Lei Lei, who was sitting next to her with a serious expression, and responded softly.

But the corners of her mouth still didn't turn up.

In his view, sitting still like a sapling is much harder than raiding a bird's nest.

The group strolled around the school, looked at the playground and classrooms, and even greeted a passing teacher from afar before slowly heading back.

On the way, Zheng Xiuhua said, "I think this school is pretty good. Maybe I should take some time tomorrow to come back and ask the principal what we need to prepare for the start of the school year."

Prepare things like textbooks and stationery in advance to avoid being flustered and late in getting your child to school.

Lu Mingyue nodded: "That's a good idea. I was just about to ask about it. It'll give me peace of mind to know the answer."

However, according to her understanding, there shouldn't be much to bring to the preschool classes for two children.

Upon hearing the words "school starts," Niu Niu's previously dejected spirits returned, and he took Zheng Xiuhua's hand.

"Mom, does that mean I can play with Brother Lei Lei when school starts?"

Zheng Xiuhua replied with a smile: "As long as you can sit still, you will not only be able to be with Brother Lei Lei, but also meet a lot of new friends."

Leilei chimed in, "I'll help Niuniu too."

When Niu Niu heard that he could be with Lei Lei, his eyes lit up instantly. He grabbed his mother's arm tightly and wouldn't let go, swaying his body and acting cute.

"Mom, can I go to Leilei's house to play now? I can watch him write."

That expression clearly didn't suggest someone who was focused on studying; they were probably looking for ways to have fun.

Zheng Xiuhua knew her son was unlikely to study, but she couldn't resist his pestering, so she smiled and nodded, "Alright, but we can't let it affect Leilei's studies."

Niu Niu immediately cheered and pulled Lei Lei along as they ran forward.

Lu Mingyue discussed with Zheng Xiuhua: "The weather has been nice lately, shall we go up the mountain together tomorrow? We can cut some grass to feed the chickens, and pick some wild fruits that can be used to dye cloth, so we can make new clothes for the children."

She had stocked up on some common white cloth, intending to dye some clothes with natural pigments. The children often wore fabrics that were inappropriate for their age, making them look old-fashioned.

She also understood that she couldn't be too eye-catching, so she made one or two outfits for the children to change up their looks.

Zheng Xiuhua readily agreed: "My family is running out of fodder anyway, so let's do it this way."

The next day, when the two were halfway up the mountain, they heard cries for help coming from not far away.

The two exchanged a glance, realizing something was wrong.

Lu Mingyue ran over and saw that Shen Baoqin was sitting on the ground with blood seeping through her trousers, and a small, brightly colored snake had slithered away beside her.

"It was a snake bite!" Lu Mingyue immediately squatted down and told Zheng Xiuhua to quickly find a rope.

She first pressed down on the area above Shen Baoqin's wound to prevent the venom from spreading, and then told Shen Baoqin to stay still as much as possible.

Zheng Xiuhua quickly found a rope, and the two of them tied Shen Baoqin's legs tightly together. Then they took turns carrying her down the mountain, calling for help as they ran.

Seeing that they were almost at the hospital, Lu Mingyue asked Zheng Xiuhua to go and notify them first.

Shen Baoqin looked at Lu Mingyue's sweat-dampened temples, her face flushed red, and she was filled with shame.

She recalled how she had previously glared at Lu Mingyue, disliked her because of Huo Zheng, and even joined in gossiping about Lu Mingyue behind her back when she heard others talking about her.

But now that she is in trouble, it is this person she looked down upon who is the first to reach out and save her.

“Comrade Lu,” Shen Baoqin’s voice trembled, and her eyes reddened.

"I was wrong before, thank you for not holding a grudge and for saving me."

Lu Mingyue, panting, turned back and smiled at her: "Why talk about this now? The most important thing is to heal your injuries first."

The two took turns carrying Shen Baoqin to the hospital, and as soon as they entered, they hurriedly called for a nurse.

The nurse noticed the bloodstains and the rope binding Shen Baoqin's trousers and immediately realized that she had been bitten by a snake. She quickly waved and called for help: "Quick! Take her to the emergency room."

The nurses nearby quickly pushed over a stretcher, and Lu Mingyue and Zheng Xiuhua carefully helped Shen Baoqin onto it.

Watching the stretcher being wheeled into the emergency room, the two finally leaned against the wall, panting heavily, their hearts finally able to relax a little.

After emergency treatment, Shen Baoqin's snake venom was cleared in time, and she was no longer in danger of death, although she was still in a coma for the time being.

When the nurse came out and said that the situation was stable, Lu Mingyue and Zheng Xiuhua finally felt relieved.

Not long after, Shen Baoqin's parents rushed over. As soon as they saw the two of them, they held her hands tightly and kept thanking her.

"Thanks to you all, comrades! If it had been a moment later, my daughter would have been in danger!"

Lu Mingyue quickly reassured her, "Uncle and Aunt, don't be so polite. Anyone would have helped. Just take good care of her for now, and she'll be fine once she wakes up."

After chatting for a while, Lu Mingyue thought of the children left at home; their outing had taken longer than expected.

Fearing that the children would be left unattended, she said goodbye to Zheng Xiuhua and Shen's parents and headed home ahead of them.

As soon as I pushed open the courtyard gate, I saw several strings of half-dried seafood hanging on the clothesline, which were the return gifts I had prepared for my godmother.

Lu Mingyue walked over quickly, reached out and touched the seafood to check its moisture level, and then looked at the sky.

I was thinking of packing up the seafood when the sun was weaker in the evening and sending it to the post office first thing tomorrow morning.

Niu Niu has been taken home by Ji Dashan, and his two children are sitting quietly at the small table, writing and drawing.

Lu Mingyue was tidying up the dried seafood when she suddenly heard footsteps outside the courtyard gate.

Looking up, I saw Shen Baoqin's brother, Shen Feng, carrying a basket of eggs and pastries, as well as a large bag of brown sugar.

"Comrade Lu," Shen Feng said, placing his things on the table as he entered, his tone full of gratitude.

“I just came from the hospital. My parents told me that you and Comrade Zheng saved my sister. You must accept this; it's a small token of our family’s appreciation.”

Lu Mingyue quickly stepped forward to decline, saying, "Comrade Shen, you're being too polite. We're all neighbors, it's only right that we lend a hand. I can't accept your gifts."

"How can this be!" Shen Feng hurriedly shoved the basket into her hands.

“My sister said that she was wrong before, but you didn’t hold a grudge at all and even tried your best to save her. Our family will remember this kindness for a lifetime. Please keep the things to help the children. If you don’t accept them, I will feel really bad.”

After a few polite exchanges, Lu Mingyue, seeing Shen Feng's resolute attitude, had no choice but to accept it.

Shen Feng said a few more words about how Shen Baoqin would personally come to thank him after she woke up, before leaving with peace of mind.

After Shen Feng left, Lei Lei ran out of the house, pointed at the things on the table, and asked, "Mom, Uncle Shen, why did you bring all this delicious food?"