Doctor Zhang went to take the pulse of the young girl again, and Jiayin quietly went over to watch the grandmother wipe the child's sweat.
The child's eyes were glazed over with pain, and strands of hair were stuck to his forehead, making him look quite pitiful.
She hesitated several times before taking out a candy ball and stuffing it into the child's mouth.
It wasn't that she was stingy; there were only a few candies left, and she couldn't bear to eat them herself. She tried her best to resist the urge and wanted to save them for her brothers when they came back from their holidays.
Now there's one less...
The boy, savoring the sweet taste in his mouth, slowly developed a light in his eyes.
On the other side, Doctor Zhang frowned and said angrily, "What beast would hit a girl so hard? Her internal organs are badly injured. She'll need a month or two to recover, and even eating and taking medicine will be a hassle."
After saying that, he called to Granny He, "Help this girl wash up and see if there are any serious external injuries. If they are all bruises and swelling, rub them with medicated oil. When I go back to get the medicinal herbs, I will make them some medicinal soup."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Li Lao Er gave everyone a wink and then instructed He Mama and Shuiyun Shuiling, "You two take a break and let us know if anything happens next door."
After saying that, he picked up Jiayin and led everyone back to his home.
Everyone sat down in the main room. When Li Lao Er saw that the village chief and Uncle Zhao had also arrived, he recounted what had happened and added a couple of sentences at the end.
"There were so many people on the street, and they just happened to bump into me. It felt too much of a coincidence. But those big men really didn't hold back; they weren't just putting on an act. If I hadn't stopped them, that child would have been dead."
Moreover, the woman's protection of her brother was genuine. I wasn't sure what to do, and ultimately, I didn't want to see them die in the street, so I rescued them.
People, recalling the tragic plight of the siblings, were more inclined to believe that the incident was a coincidence.
After all, no one is willing to risk their life to scheme against others.
Of course, if it really was a scheme, then the person behind it was extremely ruthless.
Li Zhensheng said, "Regardless of the truth, we've brought them back, and they're so badly injured, so let's keep them here for a while. Keep an eye on them and see what their true intentions are."
"Tomorrow I'll ask them their names and investigate them thoroughly. I'll also talk to the two veterans who are monitoring the casino and see if there's anything unusual over there."
Everyone nodded, and the village chief added, "Let's also tell the villagers that it's always good to be extra careful."
As they were talking, Granny He returned and whispered, "Madam, that young girl has many dark scars on her body. They look like they've been there for two or three years, not recently. Children also have scars, but fewer of them."
Li Lao Er's furrowed brows immediately relaxed. "So, this girl wasn't lying. She and her brother really were bullied and abused by their relatives and ran away because they couldn't bear it anymore?"
Li Zhensheng glanced at his younger brother and emphasized again, "We still need to be careful. I'll bring people to investigate this matter. You just need to take care of the family for the time being."
Li Lao Er quickly nodded, "Okay, don't worry, brother."
With that settled, everyone dispersed.
At dusk, the young woman woke up and the first thing she did was go to find her younger brother. Seeing him lying asleep beside her, she breathed a sigh of relief.
But then she felt something was wrong with her body, and suddenly grabbed her dress, trying to sit up.
Granny He brought in some hot porridge and, seeing this, quickly stepped forward to press her down, saying, "Miss, don't move around. I changed your clothes!"
Shui Ling, who was following behind Granny He, also said, "I applied the medicated oil to your wound, so don't worry!"
The girl breathed a sigh of relief, looked at them with a puzzled expression, and asked, "Where are my brother and me?"
Granny He lit the oil lamp and replied, "This is the Li family of Suijintan. We are the nannies and maids of the Li family. You were rescued by our master!"
Shuiling nodded, quickly set up the kang table, and then helped the girl sit up against the wall.
She was naturally lively, and she asked in a chattering voice, "Sister, what exactly happened? Why were you beaten so badly? Doctor Zhang said that your brother's leg has been broken for two days. If it keeps growing like this, he'll become a cripple with one leg longer than the other."
"And his head injury, it bled so much, thankfully it was stitched up, otherwise it would have been a huge hole, he would have been in excruciating pain! And you, your body is covered in scars!"
The girl tenderly touched her younger brother and slowly raised her face.
The oil lamp was not bright, but it was enough to illuminate her face clearly.
Her face was like a full moon, her forehead was smooth, her eyebrows were thick and her eyes were big, her nose was high and her lips were red. She could not be described as particularly beautiful, but she was very dignified and even had a hint of scholarly air about her.
Especially her large eyes, with their dark pupils, are so captivating that you'll be instantly mesmerized when you look into them.
Shui Ling was fine, but she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my, sister, your eyes are so beautiful!"
It was Granny He who was startled. This girl had the kind of appearance that high-class families liked best: dignified, elegant, calm and refined. She was the perfect candidate for head of the household or mistress of the house.
I just don't know how they ended up in such a miserable state, wandering outside?
The young woman bowed to Granny He and Shui Ling and said softly, "Thank you both for taking care of my brother and me."
After thinking for a moment, Granny He handed over the bowl of porridge. "Please eat first, young lady. You will need to take your medicine afterward. Your younger brother has already eaten and gone to sleep, so don't worry about him."
The girl thanked him again before taking the bowl of porridge and starting to eat.
It was clear she was in a lot of pain; she had to catch her breath after a few bites before continuing to eat, but she didn't utter a single complaint of pain.
Both Granny He and Shui Ling watched in silence, afraid of saying anything that might add to her burden.
Unfortunately, despite such care, the girl only ate half a bowl of porridge, but downed the medicinal soup in one gulp.
She wiped the medicine stains from the corner of her mouth and asked, "I haven't kowtowed to my savior yet..."
Granny He quickly replied, "Our mistress has already gone to sleep, so please rest assured, young lady. You can see our mistress again tomorrow."
“This courtyard is next to our master’s house. Now it’s just the two of us and you and your brother. There’s no one else here. Don’t worry about your injury. If you feel unwell at night, just call us.”
As she spoke, she touched the child's forehead and said with a smile, "Our Dr. Zhang has the best medical skills. Your brother is seriously injured, but he doesn't have a fever."
The girl lowered her head, concealing the emotions in her eyes, and softly thanked him.
Soon, Granny He and Shui Ling tidied up the table and laid out bedding at the end of the kang (heated brick bed) to lie down.
The dim oil lamp sat on the windowsill, unblemished, clearly intended for use when getting up at night.
The north wind, seeping in through the window cracks, playfully flickered the flames, trying to extinguish them.
But the flame was exceptionally strong, refusing to stop shining and generating heat no matter what!
The girl, lying quietly, smelled the faint fragrance on the bedding and gently took her younger brother's hand.
Her younger brother's hand was crushed, and now it was carefully wrapped with white cotton strips. She dared not use any force, but tears flowed silently and uncontrollably.
Through her teary eyes, she looked at the beams on the roof; they seemed so far away, yet they pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe…
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