Chapter 33: Saving a Life

Tang Xiaorou felt full after eating her steamed bun, while Yao Bingcheng, after receiving the chocolate, looked delighted. 

“Sister,” he said, “after we get off the train, let’s give Xiaoliang and Xiaoyan some of this chocolate. They’ll surely love it.”

Hearing this, Tang Xiaorou smiled and said, “Give them only a little; too much sugar is bad for their teeth.”

Yao Bingcheng obediently agreed, already thinking about sharing some with his grandmother and aunts.

Qin Xueqiong, seeing her daughter and Yao Bingcheng finish eating, quickly asked, “Are you both full? Do you want more?”

“Mom (Auntie), I’m full.”

Yue Yuan then realized his misunderstanding Yao Bingcheng wasn’t Qin Xueqiong’s son.  However, he didn’t ask further, quietly eating his steamed bun. He’d rushed back, unprepared, almost missing his train ticket, and his bag only contained a box of chocolate someone had given him before he left. Luckily, he’d traded for two steamed buns, avoiding the need to buy food on the dining car.

His large steamed bun and pickled vegetables caught the eye of a little girl next to them. The child cried loudly, wanting a steamed bun too.

“Eat, eat, eat! All you know is eat! What right does a little girl have to a white flour bun?  A steamed corn bun should be enough for you!” The child’s grandmother said impatiently.  However, she gave her grandson a white flour bun, and the girl only a coarser steamed bun.

Qin Xueqiong frowned at this, feeling uneasy. Her Xiaorou had also been looked down upon and mistreated since childhood.  Were girls really inferior to boys?  Everyone was so biased.  Just as she was about to give her bun to the little girl, the man opposite her spoke.

“There, there, don’t cry.  Here, eat. Little girls can eat white flour buns too. Men and women are equal. Women can hold up half the sky, so don’t cry.”

The little girl stared at Yue Yuan, then quickly took the bun and started eating.

The child’s grandmother frowned, wanting to take the bun back for her grandson, but seeing the man’s sharp gaze, she didn’t dare.

Qin Xueqiong, watching Yue Yuan, said, “Are you not full? I have another bun here. If you don’t mind, you can have it.” In the countryside, almost all men were biased towards sons.  This was the first time she’d seen a man not disdain a little girl and even speak of equality between the sexes.

Yue Yuan smiled and shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m full.”

Seeing this, Qin Xueqiong said nothing more.

Tang Xiaorou looked at Yue Yuan again, then took out a small jar and handed it to him. “This ointment is very effective for bruises and injuries. You can use it if you get hurt.” She placed it in front of him.

It was leftover from when she made ointment for Xiaoliang and Xiaoyan.  Now it could be given away.

Yue Yuan couldn’t help but smile.

Was she giving him this because he only had one bun left and she thought it wasn’t enough to trade for chocolate? He didn’t refuse, taking it. “Thank you, little girl.”

Just then, someone shouted,

“Someone’s dead…”

“Ah…”

The crowd panicked. Screams, cries, and noise erupted. Fortunately, a railway police officer was nearby and immediately shouted, “Don’t move! Everyone, stay still!”

Soon, everyone understood. An elderly person had suddenly fainted. Someone nearby had shouted, causing the commotion.  Everyone stepped back, leaving space around the fallen elderly person.

“They say he fainted, but looking at him, he might really be dead,” someone said.

“Yeah, look at his face, so pale, and his chest isn’t moving. He might really be dead,” the surrounding people whispered, pointing at the old man.

Tang Xiaorou quickly stepped forward to check the situation.

Qin Xueqiong, seeing her daughter rush over, was about to call her back, but remembering her daughter’s medical skills, she hesitated.  She was still nervous, fearing her daughter might get into trouble.

The railway police officer, seeing Tang Xiaorou approach, quickly said, “Young lady, don’t get close. I’ll go and see if there’s a doctor on the train.”

“I’m a doctor.”

Tang Xiaorou immediately checked the old man’s condition, finding it critical.  If she didn’t act quickly, he might really die. Without hesitation, she took out her golden needles and began acupuncture.

“Goodness… Young lady, what are you doing? He might not be dead yet, but you’ll kill him with those needles!”

“Yeah, that’s not right!”

Someone tried to stop her, but Yue Yuan pulled them back.  “She’s saving him! Do you want to kill him by interrupting?”

“Of… of course not.”

“Then don’t move.”

Seeing Yue Yuan’s serious expression, the person didn’t dare move.

Others thought a young girl like Tang Xiaorou couldn’t possibly be a doctor, but they couldn’t help either, so they could only watch.

By this time, Tang Xiaorou had inserted the last needle.  “Phew… I’ve saved him.”

Hearing this, others frowned. “Young lady, are you really a doctor? The old man isn’t showing any signs of waking up.  So many of us are watching. If anything happens to him, you’ll be responsible.”

“Exactly! It’s not our problem. You’ll be responsible if anything goes wrong.”

Seeing everyone doubting and blaming her daughter, Qin Xueqiong stepped in front of Tang Xiaorou.  “My daughter was trying to save him. Even if something goes wrong, it’s because the old man had a medical emergency. Why blame my daughter?”

Seeing Qin Xueqiong’s defense, Tang Xiaorou smiled, reassuring her, “Mom, don’t worry. The old man will be fine. I’ve saved him.”

Seeing her daughter’s calm expression, Qin Xueqiong relaxed slightly, but the old man was still unconscious, leaving her uneasy.

The railway police officer, seeing the needles still in the old man, asked, “Comrade, is the old man really alright? Why isn’t he waking up? Do these needles need to stay in?”

“I’ll remove them soon, but it’s not time yet. We need to wait.”

Despite this, the police officer remained unconvinced, and the onlookers watched intently, whispering amongst themselves.  Thankfully, Tang Xiaorou quickly removed the needles.

“Hmm…”

The old man groaned in pain and slowly opened his eyes.

“He’s awake! He’s awake! She really saved him!”

“Goodness, that young girl is really a doctor! You can’t judge a book by its cover!”

The surrounding area was noisy, while Wei Yunxiang looked around in confusion.

“What happened?”