Chapter 28

Ruan Xi pulled Ruan Jie to the pond’s edge and squeezed into the crowd. She saw two men in their twenties or thirties fishing something out of the pond. Not knowing what was happening, she turned to the person beside her and asked, “What’s going on?”

The person whispered, “A child fell into the pond.”

Just as he finished speaking, the men in the pond pulled out a little girl. The crowd immediately shouted, “They got her, they got her.”

Ruan Xi looked into the pond and saw the man holding the little girl, who was soaking wet, water dripping off her, and her whole body limp. Before the man could get out of the water, the girl’s mother ran over, crying, “Xiao Yan!”

The man brought the girl to the shore, checked her breathing, and said, “She’s not breathing.”

This statement sent a chill through everyone around as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

Ruan Xi tightened her grip on Ruan Jie’s wrist, her nerves and breath tensing up.

The girl’s mother broke down, crying loudly.

Someone nearby suggested, “Quick, get the water out of her stomach; maybe there’s still hope.”

This was a traditional method. Hearing this, the man quickly hung the girl upside down on his back and started running.

Watching the man run with the girl, Ruan Xi suddenly remembered something. She took the basket off her arm and handed it to Ruan Jie, then turned and ran off.

By the time Ruan Jie realized what was happening, Ruan Xi was already far away. She shouted after her, “Sister, where are you going?”

Ruan Xi didn’t stop to answer. The stilt house where Ling Yao lived was nearby, and she ran there as fast as she could. When she arrived, she saw Zhou Xueyun, who had just returned from work, putting her sickle and straw hat down at the door.

Ruan Xi ran up the stairs of the stilt house, grabbed Zhou Xueyun’s wrist without a word, and urgently said, “Auntie, I need your help. There’s no time. Come with me quickly.”

Zhou Xueyun was pulled away in a daze. To be precise, she was running desperately. It wasn’t until they reached the pond that she realized Ruan Xi had brought her to save someone.

Ruan Xi, out of breath from running, didn’t hesitate for a moment. She ran straight to the man trying to get water out of the little girl and said, “Put her down quickly. This won’t work.” She then took the girl from him and laid her flat on the ground.

Zhou Xueyun didn’t hold back either. Understanding what Ruan Xi meant, she quickly knelt beside the girl, found the right spot on her chest, and began performing CPR with professional gestures and posture.

The girl’s mother rushed over, shouting, “What are you doing?!”

Ruan Xi held her back, gasping, “Auntie, she’s saving her.”

No one had seen this method before. Instead of pressing the stomach to expel water, they were pressing the chest. Could it work?

People nearby didn’t dare interfere, only asking, “Will this work?”

As they asked, Zhou Xueyun pinched the girl’s chin and blew air into her mouth.

Holding the girl’s mother, Ruan Xi said, “If this method doesn’t work, the previous one definitely won’t. The child is unconscious because water enters her lungs, not her stomach. What’s the use of getting water out of the stomach? Besides, the water in the stomach has already been expelled!”

She didn’t know how to perform CPR herself; otherwise, she would have done it herself. She remembered Ling Yao telling her that his mother was a doctor at a hospital. The stilt house was nearby, and performing rescue within the effective time had a high chance of saving the girl.

Hearing Ruan Xi’s logical explanation, the others didn’t say anything.

After all, the water in the stomach had indeed been expelled, and the child was still unconscious. They had to try another method.

Having a method is better than having none.

So the onlookers said, “Yanzi’s mom, let her try. All the water in Yanzi’s stomach has already been expelled, and she’s still not waking up. There’s no other way, so don’t make a fuss…”

Yanzi’s mom was emotionally distraught and somewhat irrational, but she could still understand what people were saying. She didn’t rush forward again, instead grabbing Ruan Xi’s arm and wailing, “Yanzi, why are you so disobedient!”

Ruan Xi’s heart was pounding, and she was very nervous. She struggled to support Yanzi’s mom, watching with the others as Zhou Xueyun knelt beside the little girl, performing CPR and artificial respiration. Alternating between the two, she didn’t stop for a moment, sweat slowly dripping from her forehead. She worked for a long time, but Yanzi lay motionless on the ground.

Ruan Xi was so tense that she subconsciously held her breath.

As time passed, someone whispered, “I’m afraid she can’t be saved.”

Sweat dripped from Zhou Xueyun’s forehead like beans, but she didn’t give up. She continued to press Yanzi’s chest and blow air into her mouth. She persisted without giving up, and the people around her stopped saying discouraging words, their faces heavy with concern.

Because the rescue took so long, even Yanzi’s mom gave up. She let go of Ruan Xi’s arm and collapsed to the ground, pounding the earth and crying, “Yanzi, you’re killing me! You’re killing me!!”

Time passed bit by bit, and the onlookers began shaking their heads one by one. From start to finish, the only one who didn’t waver was Zhou Xueyun, who never stopped her rescue efforts. She was drenched in sweat, even her clothes soaked through.

Ruan Xi silently estimated that she had been working for more than ten minutes. Her eyes couldn’t help but slowly dim, as if someone had taken her breath away.

When she thought the little girl couldn’t be saved, she suddenly heard a loud cry. The little girl cried out under Zhou Xueyun’s hands. The sound was so startling and loud that it made everyone around stop breathing and their hearts skip a beat.

In that instant, Ruan Xi not only heard herself sigh in relief but also heard everyone around her do the same. When she finally reacted, she touched her face and found that her tears had fallen. She wasn’t the only one with tears streaming down her face.

Yanzi’s mom heard the cry and crawled over to Yanzi, hugging her and crying, “You scared me to death, you scared me to death!”

Everyone present was happy except Zhou Xueyun, who had used up all her strength. After letting out a sigh of relief, she looked exhausted. She didn’t say anything; she just stood up, brushed the dirt off her pants, and prepared to leave.

Before she could walk away, Yanzi’s mom suddenly rushed over to her.

Yanzi’s mom knelt in front of Zhou Xueyun and started kowtowing, saying, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for saving my Yanzi! Thank you! Thank you!”

Zhou Xueyun looked flustered and quickly reached out to pull her up, “Please don’t do this, please get up!”

The onlookers helped pull Yanzi’s mom up, and Zhou Xueyun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Feeling uncomfortable, Zhou Xueyun gently said to Yanzi’s mom, “Don’t be harsh on the child. Take her home and take good care of her.”

With that, she stayed no longer, turned, pushed through the crowd, and hurried home with her head down.

Ruan Xi followed her, catching up and saying, “Thank you.”

Zhou Xueyun smiled at her without saying anything and went straight to the stilt house.

Ruan Xi stood there watching her walk away, then turned back to the pond. Yanzi’s mom had already taken Yanzi home, and the crowd had dispersed. Some people even came up to praise Ruan Xi. Others were talking about the dangerous moment earlier, grateful that Yanzi was saved.

Ruan Xi took the bamboo basket filled with rice ears from Ruan Jie’s hands, sighed in relief, and said, “It’s a good thing she was saved.”

Ruan Jie looked at her curiously, “How did you know Ling Yao’s mom could save people?”

Then she figured it out herself, “Oh, it must have been Ling Yao who told you.”

Ruan Xi smiled at her, put the basket on her arm, and said, “Let’s go home to feed the pigs and eat dinner.”

The sisters relaxed, carrying their baskets as they walked home.

After getting home, they helped Liu Xinghua feed the pigs and cook dinner. Ruan Jie told Liu Xinghua about the thrilling and dangerous incident they had just experienced. Liu Xinghua listened with wide eyes, holding her breath and feeling tense. When she heard Yanzi cry out, she instinctively sighed in relief.

After hearing the whole story, she said, “That’s why children shouldn’t play near the water.”

Ruan Jie added, “She should remember this lesson.”

Liu Xinghua sighed again and said, “I didn’t expect Zhou Xueyun to have such skills. She must have been a doctor in the city. She’s been here for so many years and never interacted with anyone.”

Ruan Xi nodded, “She is a doctor.”

The three of them chatted while cooking, and soon Ruan Changgui, Ruan Changsheng, and Ruan Cuizhi returned home together.

As soon as they got home, Ruan Zhigao said, “Did you hear? A child almost drowned by the pond.”

Tending the fire, Ruan Jie replied, “We didn’t just hear about it. We saw it ourselves.”

Ruan Changsheng, entering the house to get water, said, “Really? I heard Ling Yao’s mom saved her. Did it take a long time?”

Ruan Jie nodded, “Yes, she kept pressing Yanzi’s chest and blowing air into her mouth. Everyone around said it was hopeless, but she didn’t stop, even though she was sweating all over and her clothes were soaked.”

Ruan Cuizhi and Ruan Zhigao also sat down to drink water.

Ruan Zhigao took a sip and said, “That’s a good deed, a meritorious act, deserving of a reward.”

Ruan Jie added, “You should note it down since you’re the village secretary.”

Ruan Xi chimed in, “And the people who went into the water to rescue her.”

Ruan Zhigao nodded, “We also need to remind parents to keep their children away from the water. Especially during the rice planting season, there’s water everywhere, and the pond is deeper. Many children have drowned there.”

The family sat in the house discussing this good deed, and Ruan Zhigao planned to hold a commendation meeting in the village after the busy farming season. Then, they heard a loud shout from outside, “Ruan Changgui! Sun Xiaohui! Come out!”

Not knowing what was happening, Ruan Zhigao quickly got up and led the way outside.

Liu Xinghua, Ruan Cuizhi, Ruan Changsheng, and Ruan Xi, curious, followed him out. Ruan Jie added a few more sticks to the fire and ran out to join them, all wanting to see what was going on.

Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui also came out, both looking confused.

In a village, everyone knows each other to some extent, with varying degrees of familiarity.

Sun Xiaohui and Ruan Changgui had just been talking about Yanzi almost drowning. Seeing Yanzi’s parents looking fierce, they didn’t know what was going on and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yanzi’s mom, hands on her hips, angrily said, “You ask what’s wrong? Ask your son, Ruan Yuehua!”

Ask Ruan Yuehua?

Sun Xiaohui replied, “My son hasn’t come back yet.”

Just as she finished speaking, Ruan Yuejin’s voice came from the main house, “He’s been back for a while, hiding under the bed.”

Hiding under the bed?

Sun Xiaohui realized something was wrong and turned to look at Ruan Changgui.

Yanzi’s father had already started speaking, “My Yanzi said it was your Ruan Yuehua who pushed her into the pond! What was he thinking? He wanted to kill my Yanzi! If Yanzi hadn’t made it today, I would have demanded his life!”

Hearing this, Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua’s faces darkened, and they remained silent. As juniors, Ruan Cuizhi, Ruan Changsheng, Ruan Xi, and Ruan Jie naturally stayed silent too, not wanting to get involved in Ruan Changgui’s family affairs.

Sun Xiaohui opened her mouth but didn’t pull Ruan Yuehua out to discipline him. Instead, she told Yanzi’s father, “What do you mean it was our Yuehua who pushed her? Who saw it? Just because you say so? Our Yuehua was home all day and didn’t go out!”

Yanzi’s mother, furious, glared at Sun Xiaohui, “Sun Xiaohui, do you have any shame? My Yanzi said Ruan Yuehua pushed her. We also asked the other kids who were playing with them, and they said the same!”

Sun Xiaohui stubbornly denied it, “Who knows if these kids are telling the truth? Don’t I know what my child is like? Our Yuehua is the most well-behaved and sensible, and he couldn’t have done what you said!”

Yanzi’s mother was enraged and pointed at Sun Xiaohui, “Bring Ruan Yuehua out!”

Sun Xiaohui, looking guilty, didn’t dare to call him out.

Ruan Changgui, however, didn’t seem guilty. He turned and went inside, pulled Ruan Yuehua out from under the bed, and stood him outside the door. Then he asked, “Tell me, did you push Yanzi?”

Ruan Yuehua, looking scared, stammered for a moment before straightening his chest and loudly saying, “I didn’t! It wasn’t me! They’re framing me! Yanzi slipped and fell on her own!”

Furious with the family, Yanzi’s father gritted his teeth, “Your mother said you didn’t go out today, and you say Yanzi fell on her own. Do you have a single truthful word? You don’t want to admit it, do you? Is that it?”

Ruan Yuehua stood firmly, shouting, “I didn’t push her. I didn’t!”

Sun Xiaohui, regaining her confidence, looked at Yanzi’s father and said, “You heard him. Our Yuehua didn’t push your Yanzi. Stop falsely accusing good people. Yanzi is fine, so why not calm down?”

Yanzi’s father was clearly furious, almost losing his mind. He gritted his teeth and muttered, “Calm down… calm down, right? I’ll make your family calm down…”

Muttering, he grabbed a hoe from the wall and turned to go inside.

Seeing the situation, Ruan Changgui quickly blocked him, frowning, “What are you doing?”

Yanzi’s father, taller and stronger than Ruan Changgui, shoved him aside and went inside with the hoe. Smashing everything in the small kitchen, he mutters angrily, “Calm down! I’ll make you calm down!!”

Ruan Changgui, unable to stop him alone, turned and shouted to Ruan Zhigao, “Dad, aren’t you going to do something?”

Ruan Zhigao turned and went inside, saying, “Your family’s problem, not mine.”

Ruan Changgui then called for Ruan Changsheng, “Xiao Wuzi!”

Ruan Changsheng snorted, gave him a cold look, and followed Ruan Zhigao inside.

When they needed help, they called him father and brother. When they didn’t, they treated them like outsiders, worse than strangers. Now they were calling for help again?

Yanzi’s father quickly smashed a few bowls and poked a hole in Ruan Changgui’s pot before coming out. He hadn’t planned to get violent, so he didn’t bring any weapons. He just wanted an explanation from Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui. His Yanzi couldn’t suffer for nothing. But who could have guessed Ruan Changgui’s family would be so shameless?

Since they had no shame, he saw no need to show mercy. After venting his anger by smashing the kitchen, Yanzi’s father threw down the hoe and came out, saying to Ruan Changgui, “Keep an eye on your Ruan Yuehua. I won’t touch him today, but if it happens again, he’ll regret it!”

After saying that, Yanzi’s father pulled Yanzi’s mother away, leaving Ruan Changgui’s house in a mess.

Five minutes later, Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui sat at the table in the main house, their faces looking grim.

Ruan Yuejin and Ruan Yuehua sat on the bed inside.

Sun Xiaohui couldn’t hold back her anger and scolded Ruan Yuejin, “If your brother was hiding under the bed, you should have let him stay there. Why did you have to say anything? Now look, the pot is smashed, the bowls are gone, and there’s no food to eat!”

Ruan Changgui, still somewhat composed, stared at Ruan Yuehua and asked, “Did you push her or not?”

Ruan Yuehua, sitting on the bed and swinging his legs, remained silent.

Ruan Changgui understood immediately, his face darkening. He got up and slapped Ruan Yuehua hard, reddening half of his face. Ruan Yuehua cried out like a pig being slaughtered, covering his face.

Sun Xiaohui, feeling sorry for him, hugged Ruan Yuehua and said to Ruan Changgui, “What are you doing? He said he didn’t push her.”

Furious, Ruan Changgui said, “If you keep protecting him like this, you’ll ruin him!”

Sun Xiaohui retorted, “What am I protecting? He said he didn’t push her.”

Unable to argue with Sun Xiaohui, Ruan Changgui went back to the table, sulking over the pickled vegetables.

With the pot and bowls gone and no food left, they had nothing to eat.

In the adjacent house, Ruan Zhigao’s family acted as if nothing had happened, sitting down to eat their meal. They didn’t concern themselves with whether Ruan Changgui’s family had food or not.

After dinner, while Liu Xinghua and Ruan Cuizhi watched Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie wash the dishes, Ruan Yuehua, with half of his face red, ran over and asked, “Grandma, is there any food left?”

Liu Xinghua didn’t even look at him, “Drink the northwest wind. It’ll fill you up!”.

Ruan Yuehua: “…”

After saving the girl, Zhou Xueyun returned home to find Ling Yao already preparing dinner.

Their home was as quiet as usual. After dinner, the family stayed inside, with Ling Yao reading by the light, Zhou Xueyun sewing and mending clothes and socks, and Ling Zhiyuan fixing tools and sharpening knives.

Ling Zhiyuan and Ling Yao didn’t know that Zhou Xueyun had saved someone, and she didn’t mention it, so no one talked about it. They went to bed as usual, and the next day, they woke up to the sound of roosters crowing, had breakfast, and went out to work.

Zhou Xueyun didn’t dwell on the previous day’s events, but when she took her sickle to the fields, she noticed that people looked at her differently. Many greeted her warmly, calling her “Sister Zhou” or “Little Sister Zhou.”

Zhou Xueyun wasn’t quite used to it but responded politely with a smile. As she bent down to cut the rice, someone asked her, “Little Sister Zhou, were you a doctor in the city before?”

Bending over to continue cutting rice, she replied politely, “Yes.”

Another person asked, “Why didn’t you say so?”

Zhou Xueyun answered gently, “There was nothing worth mentioning.”

City matters were city matters. Since coming to the countryside, she has severed ties with everything in the city. Due to her cautious nature, she didn’t plan to integrate into the village and naturally didn’t share much. But saving the girl had disrupted the calm and repressed life she had maintained for four years.

During the day, many people greeted her warmly, showing respect. In the evening, after returning home with her sickle and straw hat and washing her hands and face, she heard someone calling her from outside the stilt house, “Sister Zhou, are you home?”

Ling Yao was tending the fire and didn’t look up.

Zhou Xueyun turned and went out, seeing the mother of the girl she had saved the previous day.

Yanzi’s mom held a plucked rooster in one hand and a small bamboo basket the size of a watermelon filled with clean eggs in the other.

Seeing Zhou Xueyun, she walked up the stairs and said, “Sister Zhou, there’s not much in the countryside, but I wanted to thank you. I brought you a rooster and some eggs. Please take them.”

Zhou Xueyun, not used to such gestures, quickly waved her hands, declining.

Yanzi’s mom insisted, pushing the items into her hands, “You saved our Yanzi’s life yesterday. We don’t have much to repay you, but please accept these. Don’t refuse.”

Zhou Xueyun didn’t dare refuse, but she felt that what she did wasn’t worth much. Having lived in the countryside for years, she knew the value of a rooster and eggs to rural people. So she said, “It was just a small effort. Really, you don’t need to. Take them back for your children.”

Yanzi’s mom stood firm, “Sister Zhou, you saved Yanzi’s life. If you don’t accept these, we won’t be able to eat or sleep. The rooster is already killed, so please cook it and let us feel at ease.”

Zhou Xueyun looked at Yanzi’s mom, thought for a moment, and compromised, “How about this? I’ll take the rooster, but you keep the eggs. Is that okay?”

Yanzi’s mom smiled, “Alright, thank you, Sister Zhou.”

Zhou Xueyun also smiled sincerely, “Why don’t you stay and eat with us?”

Yanzi’s mom, carrying the basket, turned to leave, “I can’t. My family is waiting for me at home.” After saying that, she quickly walked away.

Yanzi’s mom ran down the wooden stairs and quickly disappeared, her steps light and brisk.

Zhou Xueyun watched her leave, smiling and then took the chicken back inside.

Seeing the chicken in her hands, Ling Yao curiously asked, “Why did they give us a chicken?”

Zhou Xueyun placed the chicken on the cutting board, tied on an apron, and replied, “Mom did a good deed.” As she picked up the knife to chop the chicken, she suddenly thought of something and turned to Ling Yao, saying, “Zai Zai, go call Xi Xi over. Ask her to join us for dinner tonight.”

Ling Yao, confused, asked, “Which Xi Xi?”

Zhou Xueyun responded, “Who do you think?”

Ling Yao realized who she meant just as his meal was almost ready.

After adding the last firewood to the stove, he stood up and said, “I’ll go.”

He then dashed out the door. He ran all the way to the Ruan house and told Ruan Xi, “My mom wants you to come to our house for dinner tonight.”

Ruan Xi, surprised, asked, “Me? Zhou Xueyun?”

Ling Yao nodded, “Yes.”

Ruan Xi smiled, “Is there something good to eat?”

Ling Yao nodded again, “Someone gave my mom a rooster.”

Ruan Xi, not one to be greedy, smiled and said, “No need. It’s rare for your family to have some meat. You should enjoy it. I didn’t do anything yesterday; it was all your mom’s effort.”

She understood why Zhou Xueyun suddenly invited her.

Ling Yao, curious, asked, “What happened yesterday?”

Due to the busy farming season, Ruan Xi hadn’t taken Ruan Jie to see Ling Yao. With no one to talk to, he knew very little about what was happening.

Ruan Xi looked at him seriously and said, “Yesterday, a little girl almost drowned. Your mom saved her.”

Ling Yao quickly understood, “You went to get my mom?”

Ruan Xi nodded, “Yes, I remembered you said your mom is a doctor.”

With a pleading look, Ling Yao said, “Then come to my house for dinner. You know my mom doesn’t get close to people and has never invited anyone over. It’s rare for her to do this. Let her be happy, okay? I’ve never seen her this happy before. She’s genuinely smiling, not faking it.”

Ruan Xi felt a strong urge to ruffle his hair. This kid was so sweet and endearing. So she nodded, “Okay!”

She then turned and called into the house, “Grandma, can I go to Ling Yao’s house for dinner tonight?”

Liu Xinghua poked her head out of the kitchen, glanced at Ling Yao, and said, “Go ahead.”

“Let’s go.” Ruan Xi smiled and walked with Ling Yao to his house.

Ling Yao also smiled, his face beaming with joy.