Chapter 12: Rescue

After entering the house, everyone gathered around her, chattering eagerly about the things she had brought today. Ming Leyao said nothing and simply placed the basket on the ground, letting everyone pick what they wanted. She just had to collect the money. Within ten minutes, she had already earned more than thirty yuan.

A few of the women still weren’t satisfied, chattering and surrounding Ming Leyao, asking when she would come again. Ming Leyao didn’t give them a definite answer since she was still at the production team and it wasn’t easy to come out. She ignored their disappointed looks, left the eldest sister’s house, and was about to head back.

At this moment, an elderly gentleman with a refined demeanor but dressed in ragged clothes caught her attention. More precisely, it was the gold ring on his hand that attracted her. The old man’s cheeks were hollow, with dark bruises under his eyes, cracked lips, and his legs trembled involuntarily — clear signs of long-term hunger. Coupled with the current state of the country, Ming Leyao immediately saw a business opportunity.

Feeling the weight of her basket behind her, she quietly approached the old man.
“Grandpa, do you need some help?”

“You…” The old man was startled by her sudden warmth, his expression tense and wary as he sized her up. His clear eyes, fair skin—much fairer than most women—delicate eyebrows, and a slight smile at the corner of her mouth made him let his guard down somewhat.

“Child, I… I…” The old man hesitated, nervously stroking his gold ring, unsure how to start.

“Are you looking to trade for grain?”

“How do you…”

Ming Leyao leaned in a little and whispered, “Grandpa, I do this kind of trade, so naturally I know what you want.”

“You’ve been… been to that place?”

“Of course, I just came back with some leftover stuff.” She gestured to the basket behind her. The old man glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then pulled her aside to a secluded spot.

“Child, do you have fine grain? I can trade with this.” The old man, hesitating, put away his gold ring and pulled out a jade bracelet instead—its naturally vibrant color immediately caught Ming Leyao’s attention.

“Sure, sure, Grandpa, I have plenty of noodles and meat I can trade.”

“Meat?” The old man got so excited he forgot to lower his voice, quickly covering his mouth and shrinking back. “Child, I know this used to be valuable, but now you can’t even get a pound of fine grain for it, let alone meat. But don’t worry, I still have quite a bit at home. Wait for me, I’ll get some for you—I promise you’ll be satisfied.”

“That’s enough. The value of these things depends on the person,” Ming Leyao said, setting down her basket and pulling out two bundles of noodles, twenty eggs, and a pound of meat, handing them to the old man.

“This… this is too much.” The old man looked at the goods, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

“Not too much. Grandpa, whenever you want to trade for something, just come to me. Or if there’s anything you want, just tell me, and I’ll bring it next time.”

“Good, good, child, you should come with me to my place and meet my old friends. I have plenty of little things to trade.”

“Okay.” Ming Leyao followed the old man, turning left and right until they reached a secluded alley. The houses there all shared one trait—dilapidated and fragile, looking like a gust of wind could blow them down.

“This is the place.”
“Alright.”

“Child, next time you come, could you get us some medicine?”
“What kind of medicine?”
“For colds, fevers, inflammation.”
“I’ll try.”
“Thank you, thank you, child. Here, keep this ring. I know you’re a good girl, but I can’t take advantage of you knowing this thing isn’t worth much.”

Ming Leyao looked at the gold ring in her hand without much feeling. She had quite a few pieces of jewelry and antiques in her space, all treasured collections from her grandfather, who apparently knew she wouldn’t be living in that era and had stored everything in the space for her.

“Grandpa, I’ll leave now. Next time I’ll come directly to you.”
“Yeah, yeah, better go quickly.” The old man’s identity was sensitive, and he didn’t want to get the young girl into trouble.

Ming Leyao walked back to the main street, wandering through alleys and back, turning over goods a few times, making a small profit of five hundred yuan and various tickets. She skipped lunch and it was already nearing dinner. Too lazy to go home and cook, she went to a state-run restaurant and ordered a bowl of shredded pork noodles to fill her stomach.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard a loud crash—at the next table, a middle-aged man collapsed. The restaurant was nearly empty, only six people including Ming Leyao. Everyone was startled but no one dared to intervene.

The man’s wife knelt on the floor in panic, calling his name desperately and begging the bystanders to help get him to the hospital. Ming Leyao saw the man’s face turning blue and knew it was urgent. She rushed over and took his pulse.

It was an acute cerebral hemorrhage—he needed immediate treatment. But she hesitated; in this era, many medical practices were considered reactionary and people were arrested for them. If she used acupuncture needles openly, it might cause trouble.

Thinking quickly, she said to the kneeling woman, “Comrade, your husband’s condition is very serious. I have to treat him immediately and need your cooperation.” Her eyes were firm and clear, inspiring trust. The woman, desperate and out of options, nodded quickly. “I trust you, comrade, please treat him.”

Without hesitation, Ming Leyao pressed several acupoints for fifteen minutes, then took some water from the woman’s hand, secretly adding some spring water from the Lotus Pond in her space. She helped the man sit up and fed him the water.

As the water slid down his throat, the man gradually woke up.

“What happened to me? Why was I on the floor? Yu’er, don’t cry, don’t cry.” The man looked at his wife who was crying like a child, pulling her into his arms and soothing her gently.

Seeing his instinctive reaction, Ming Leyao raised her eyebrows slightly, her liking for him growing a bit.

“Dear, you were eating just fine, then suddenly collapsed. No one dared to come forward, but this young lady massaged your head for a while and gave you some water, saving you.”