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“Don’t be afraid, go ahead with confidence.”
Outside the crowd, Song Jing’an looked at Bai Zhizhi with encouraging eyes.
They had ultimately come, and it was Bai Zhizhi who had insisted on coming. As a medical practitioner, she couldn’t ignore someone’s cry for help.
Listening to Zhao Hu’s sobs, Song Jing’an’s expression was complex. They still hadn’t completely avoided the situation in this lifetime, but compared to the previous life, things were much better. At least with Bai Zhizhi here, Zhao Ligang’s life could likely be saved.
Bai Zhizhi took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself to go in and assess the situation.
“Make way, the doctor is here!” Song Jing’an shouted loudly.
Instantly, the tightly packed crowd parted to create a path, all eyes turning toward Song Jing’an.
People chattered among themselves: “Where’s Doctor Lin?”
“Isn’t that Zhizhi?”
“Oh, it is! Zhizhi has finally come out.”
Everyone knew Bai Zhizhi was no longer mentally impaired, but no one had seen her since her recovery, so they were full of curiosity. Her sudden appearance naturally drew attention.
Suddenly being stared at by so many eyes, Bai Zhizhi swallowed nervously, her hands unconsciously clutching Song Jing’an’s sleeve.
Song Jing’an reassuringly patted her hand, encouraging her to relax.
Although everyone was curious about Bai Zhizhi, no one asked too many questions at that moment—everyone was still worried about Zhao Ligang’s injuries.
“Wasn’t Doctor Lin supposed to be here? Where is he? Someone needs to check on Tiger’s dad quickly.”
Song Jing’an spoke up: “Doctor Lin isn’t here yet, but Zhizhi knows some medicine. Let her take a look first.”
Niu Shuxiang, who had just arrived to see what was happening, heard this and scrutinized Bai Zhizhi’s slender frame. “Her? I’ve never heard Liao Guizhi say her precious daughter knows how to treat illnesses.”
She had been at odds with Liao Guizhi for most of her life and knew very well that if Bai Zhizhi really knew medicine, Liao Guizhi would have boasted about it everywhere.
A well-meaning auntie cautioned, “Yes, Zhizhi, don’t push yourself. Treating illnesses isn’t child’s play.”
Some were hesitant: “But Zhizhi is Old Master Bai’s granddaughter. What if she inherited his medical skills?”
This reminder made everyone recall that Bai Zhizhi’s grandfather had been a highly skilled doctor, but they still didn’t believe Bai Zhizhi knew medicine.
“How old was Zhizhi when the old master passed? And she was impaired before—how could she have learned?”
“That’s true.”
“Let’s just wait for Doctor Lin.”
Bai Junyu was happy to see his sister appear, but before he could rejoice, she was met with skepticism. He quickly went to her side, worried.
But he had blind faith in his sister. Lifting his head, he said loudly, “My sister isn’t foolish! Grandpa taught her before, and she remembers everything. She’s also been learning from Uncle Lin, who praises her for being smart.”
Then he turned to Zhao Hu: “Tiger, let my sister take a look at Uncle Ligang. Trust me.”
Zhao Hu looked at the two of them, meeting Bai Zhizhi’s gaze. Sensing his fear, Bai Zhizhi gave him a reassuring smile. Without thinking, Zhao Hu believed her. “Okay.”
As soon as he agreed, the crowd immediately erupted with objections.
“Oh, Tiger, you’re foolish! How can you believe Zhizhi knows how to treat illnesses? Just wait for Doctor Lin!”
“Yeah, Tiger, that’s your dad!”
“Or wait for your mom to decide.”
“No need!” Zhao Hu shouted, stepping aside with red-rimmed eyes. “Sister Zhizhi, please.”
Zhao Hu didn’t know if his decision was right, but he was willing to trust Bai Zhizhi this once.
The surrounding doubts didn’t affect Bai Zhizhi at all. She had been focused on Zhao Ligang’s injuries—he was severely wounded, still bleeding, and needed immediate treatment to stop the blood loss.
But every time she tried to step forward, Song Jing’an held her back firmly, not letting her move until Zhao Hu agreed.
Bai Zhizhi might not have considered the consequences, but Song Jing’an had to. He didn’t want her good intentions to be met with blame later.
Now that Zhao Hu had agreed, it wasn’t Bai Zhizhi acting on her own. Even if something went wrong, she wouldn’t be solely blamed.
In truth, Song Jing’an was also uneasy. He only knew Bai Zhizhi had a talent for medicine but had never actually seen her in action. He didn’t know if letting her intervene was the right decision, but now he could only trust her.
Bai Junyu felt the same. Although he had blind faith in his sister, and his mother had said she knew how to treat illnesses, he was still very worried at this critical moment.
Unaware of their concerns, Bai Zhizhi went to Zhao Ligang’s side and carefully examined his wounds. He had two severe injuries: one on his right leg, which appeared to have been broken while escaping from the wild boar. It was twisted at an unnatural angle, with a large wound that was still bleeding.
Before anyone could react, Bai Zhizhi swiftly straightened Zhao Ligang’s right leg. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for something to clean and bandage the wound.
Song Jing’an cooperated seamlessly, immediately handing her his water canteen—filled with cold water he’d brought along—and then tearing off a strip of clean cloth from his shirt to pass to her.
Bai Zhizhi used the water to rinse away the dust and grass fragments from the wound, then quickly applied the cloth to stop the bleeding. She wrapped the strip around to secure it and also stabilized the broken leg to prevent movement that could cause further damage.
This was the first injury, and dealing with it wasn’t too difficult. The challenge was the second wound—a large gash on his abdomen from the wild boar’s bite. Upon closer look, one could even see his intestines.
Bai Zhizhi’s expression turned grave. She couldn’t tell if any internal organs had been injured and could only provide emergency treatment to stop the bleeding. He needed to be rushed to the hospital as soon as possible.
“Come here and press down on this,” Bai Zhizhi said to Zhao Hu.
Zhao Hu hurried over and, under her guidance, applied pressure to the wound.
Seeing Bai Zhizhi’s smooth and practiced movements, the crowd’s objections gradually quieted until they fell completely silent. It seemed the girl really knew what she was doing.
When she stood up, someone quickly asked, “Zhizhi, is that it? Is Tiger’s dad going to be okay now?”
Bai Zhizhi shook her head. Before anyone could ask more, her eyes suddenly lit up—Uncle Lin had arrived, along with her second brother, who came driving a tractor.
Uncle Lin jogged over with his medical kit and was momentarily surprised to see Bai Zhizhi, but he quickly collected himself.
Bai Zhizhi went up to brief him on Zhao Ligang’s condition and the treatment she had administered.
As Uncle Lin listened, he examined Zhao Ligang. After the check, he said with relief, “You did very well. Now we need to get him to the hospital quickly.”
With everyone’s help, Zhao Ligang was carried onto the tractor. Uncle Lin stayed by his side in case of any emergencies on the way.
Bai Zhizhi didn’t follow. While everyone was helping, she quietly stayed behind—she still preferred not to be around too many people.
Suddenly, a piece of cloth appeared in front of her.
“Wipe your hands.”
Bai Zhizhi looked up and saw it was Song Jing’an.
She reached out, revealing slender, pale fingers now stained with blood. The white of her skin contrasted sharply with the vivid red, like drops of crimson ink on pure paper—making one instinctively want to wipe it away for her.
Bai Zhizhi took the cloth and carefully cleaned her fingers, weaving them back and forth. Song Jing’an couldn’t help but watch for a moment longer.
Realizing he’d been staring, Song Jing’an coughed lightly and quickly averted his gaze. “You were amazing, Dr. Bai,” he praised.
He had just seen another side of Bai Zhizhi—focused, dedicated, and almost sacred. While saving a life, she seemed to glow, shining brilliantly.
It was impossible to overlook her like this. She was clearly meant to be at the center of things, not confined at home.
Bai Zhizhi lifted her chin proudly. “Of course! I’m Bai Xian’er!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a pang of guilt and cautiously glanced at Song Jing’an. Relieved that he didn’t seem suspicious, she relaxed.
Naturally, Song Jing’an didn’t suspect that Bai Zhizhi might be a little hedgehog—he thought the young girl was just boasting and replied with a smile, “Yes, yes, you are.”
“Let’s go, we’re heading home.”
Side by side, the two started walking back.
Song Jing’an’s voice drifted over softly, “See? Going out isn’t so scary after all, right?”
Bai Zhizhi answered hesitantly, “I guess not.”
It wasn’t as frightening as she had imagined. Most people were still kind.
“Then you can come out more often from now on,” Song Jing’an coaxed gently. “If you ever want to go out, I’ll come with you.”
“Okay.”
Bai Zhizhi agreed and skipped ahead, feeling like she had forgotten something but unable to recall what.
Meanwhile, behind them, Bai Junyu stood holding the white goose, staring resentfully at their retreating figures. Dear sister, you forgot your adorable little brother and the white goose.
“Big White, my sister forgot us. She’s been stolen away.”
The goose: “Honk!”
“You’re right. I need to win my sister back,” Bai Junyu said with sudden determination.
Honk?
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Dreamy Land[Translator]
Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying what I'm translating. As an unemployed adult with way too much time on my hands and a borderline unhealthy obsession with novels, I’m here to share one of my all-time favorites. So, sit back, relax, and let's dive into this story together—because I’ve got nothing better to do!