Chapter 23: Stepping In to Save a Life

A loud scream rang out again. “Ah!!”

Liu Wei quickly turned her head.

What she saw left her stunned.

Behind them, Zhang Shumin, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly rolled her eyes back and slumped against Li Mei, her body convulsing uncontrollably.

The people around them reacted as if they had seen a ghost, covering their mouths and scrambling backward in fear. Their faces were filled with horror.

The scream had come from somewhere within the crowd.

“Comrade Zhang, what’s wrong?” Li Mei was terrified, her voice trembling with tears. “Shumin!”

Across from them, Ding Ping shouted at the top of his lungs, “Is there a doctor? Is there a doctor here?”

Song Yue didn’t even register the mechanical voice of the system in her mind. She turned her head and saw Zhang Shumin convulsing violently, her eyes rolling back, and white foam bubbling from her mouth.

Her first reaction—epilepsy.

Without thinking, she blurted out, “Press the acupoint between her nose and lips!”

Li Mei was shaking, tears pooling in her eyes. “The acupoint… where is it?”

Song Yue got up to move, but Liu Wei was frozen in shock, sitting there in a daze.

She called out, “Comrade Liu, make way!”

No response.

Without hesitation, Song Yue stepped onto the seat and flipped over it, landing beside Zhang Shumin.

First, she pulled Zhang Shumin away from Li Mei, then helped Li Mei up so she could give up her seat. She laid Zhang Shumin flat across the row of seats.

Once Zhang Shumin was lying down, Song Yue tilted her head to one side and loosened the top button of her shirt.

She then reached into her bag and pulled out a handkerchief, using it to clean and control Zhang Shumin’s mouth to prevent her from choking on any foreign objects or biting her tongue.

As she worked, she caught a glimpse of a pair of chopsticks on a nearby table.

Still holding Zhang Shumin steady with one hand, she reached for the chopsticks with the other, but they were just out of reach.

“Chopsticks!”

Seeing no other choice, she turned to the bystanders for help. Just as she looked up to ask, the people around her shrank back in fear.

Left with no other option, she called out to someone she knew. “Comrade Li Mei, pass me the chopsticks!”

Li Mei trembled. “I… I… I…”

“Just push them over a little!”

Li Mei hesitated, visibly scared. “I…”

At that moment, Lin He, Li Xinyue, and Zhao Zirui arrived after finishing their meal in the dining car, drawn by the commotion.

Upon seeing the scene, Li Xinyue and Zhao Zirui froze in fear, unwilling to approach.

Lin He, however, forced his way through the crowd. “Move aside! I’ll do it!”

He finally made it to the front. “What do you need?”

“Chopsticks,” Song Yue replied.

Without hesitation, Lin He grabbed the chopsticks and handed them to her. “Here.”

Song Yue had no time to thank him. She wrapped the chopsticks in the handkerchief, turning them into a makeshift bite stick for Zhang Shumin to clamp down on.

At the same time, the mechanical voice of the system rang in her ears again.

Song Yue’s gaze darkened slightly. She reached into her inner pocket and pulled out a small box, placing it on the table.

Inside the box were several fine silver needles.

She swiftly took out a few and inserted them into key acupuncture points—Chongyang, Neiguan, Hegu…

Everyone around her fell silent, watching in stunned fascination.

Lin He, Liu Wei, Li Xinyue, Zhao Zirui, and the others all stared at Song Yue in disbelief.

Their minds were filled with a single thought—She knows medicine? Is she a doctor? Why would a doctor be sent to the countryside?

The silver needles went in.

In just a few dozen seconds, Zhang Shumin’s convulsions ceased, and her eyes stopped rolling back.

Someone murmured in astonishment, “She… she stopped shaking!”

Song Yue removed the needles.

She crouched beside Zhang Shumin and spoke close to her ear. “Zhang Shumin!”

“Zhang Shumin!”

“Can you hear me?”

Zhang Shumin’s unfocused eyes gradually became clear. A weak sound came from her throat. “I… I can hear you…”

Hearing her response, Song Yue continued, “Blink and move your eyes.”

Zhang Shumin followed her instructions.

“Good.”

As her consciousness returned, Zhang Shumin became aware of her surroundings. She realized she was lying down, with a circle of people staring at her.

Her face flushed red, and tears welled up in her eyes. She felt utterly lost. “I…”

Before she could say anything else, Song Yue interrupted. “Do you need water? I’ll get some if you do.”

Zhang Shumin stared at her in a daze.

She… wasn’t afraid of her?

Song Yue reached out and held Zhang Shumin’s hand, her voice unexpectedly gentle. “Your condition is special. If you need something, just say so. Don’t feel embarrassed.”

Zhang Shumin searched Song Yue’s eyes for fear or disgust—but found none.

For years, whenever she had an episode, even her own parents would sometimes look at her with fear and rejection.

Let alone strangers or relatives.

But Song Yue’s words, for some reason, reassured her.

She nodded slightly. “Mm.”

Song Yue stood up. “Keep an eye on her. I’ll—”

Lin He spoke up. “Give me the cup. I’ll get the water.”

Song Yue glanced at him before handing him Zhang Shumin’s thermos.

Lin He took it without a word and immediately left to fetch hot water.

After resting for a while, Zhang Shumin sat up with Song Yue’s help.

The others, seeing that the crisis had passed, gradually returned to their seats.

Li Mei, still shaken, was too afraid to sit next to Zhang Shumin and quickly switched seats with Song Yue.

Looking apologetic, Zhang Shumin said, “I’m sorry for scaring you all.”

She was speaking to Song Yue, Lin He, and Ding Ping.

Before they could reply, Li Xinyue, who was sitting in front, sneered, “Why would you even come to the countryside if you have a condition like this? You nearly scared us to death.”

“Is your illness contagious? What if we all catch it?”

The word “contagious” sent a ripple of panic through the crowd.

They had all witnessed her seizure.

What if they got infected? Who would take responsibility?

Noticing their wary stares, Zhang Shumin panicked. “No, no! It’s not contagious!”

“I have hospital proof! And a certificate from the local authorities!”

But Li Xinyue refused to let it go. “Of course, you’d say that! Who knows if those certificates are—”

Song Yue suddenly let out a cold laugh. “If it were contagious, you’d be the first to get it. You’ll be having a seizure any moment now.”

Li Xinyue’s face turned pale with rage. “You—”

Song Yue cut her off. “If you can’t say anything useful, then shut up. Do you think the authorities would send someone with a contagious disease to the countryside?”

“Would they let them board a train with everyone else?”

“If something happened, who would be responsible?”

“Use your brain.”

With that, she not only shut down Li Xinyue but also reassured everyone else—Zhang Shumin’s illness wasn’t contagious.

Li Xinyue, called out for her stupidity, fumed in silence.

Song Yue had no interest in dealing with someone who was all looks and no brains—not even as smart as Liu Wei.

She turned to Zhang Shumin. “Did you bring your medicine?”

Zhang Shumin nodded. “Yes.”

“But you haven’t taken it?”

Zhang Shumin’s voice was low. “I… I had no way to brew it.”

Song Yue stood up. “Give me your medicine. I’ll talk to the train staff.”

Just then, the train attendant finally arrived. “Comrade, I’m here. Tell me what happened so I can report it to my superior.”

Song Yue glanced at Zhang Shumin and said, “Comrade, this passenger has a medical condition and needs her medicine to prevent another episode.

Her medicine requires brewing, so we need to borrow your kitchen.”