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Li Shi, seeing her daughter unharmed, felt relieved and began to cry loudly, accusing everyone of mistreatment, causing onlookers to speculate that the Shen family might be in trouble this time.
Li Zheng’s face darkened, wondering why the Zhao family was behaving so unfairly.
“Brother Shen Youfu, since Xiaohua claims to be unwell, shall we bring a doctor from Qingyun Town? If necessary, we can bring one from the city, have multiple doctors examine her, and then they will be reassured,” Li Zheng, the Village Head suggested.
Shen Youfu nodded and said, “As long as it helps Xiaohua recover, I will bring in all the doctors. Our Shen family upholds righteousness.”
Shen Zhu chimed in, “Exactly, bring in the doctors. I want to see if Xiaohua’s illness persists. If it worsens, it might indeed become a mystery illness.”
The Zhao family members feared that the situation might escalate. Zhao Xiaohua felt increasingly anxious, worrying that if all the doctors declared her fine, any further pretense on her part would be exposed, leaving her unsure how to face others in the future.
Sun Shi interjected, “If all the doctors confirm that Zhao Xiaohua is uninjured, and she is pretending, then she should pay her medical expenses herself. The Shen family has been wrongly accused, and we won’t cover her medical costs!”
Dazhu’s Wife immediately countered, “We can’t jump to conclusions. If the doctors can’t find any injuries on Xiaohua, they will likely say she’s fine, which wouldn’t be fair to us! Besides, perhaps those doctors have been bribed by you!”
“Nonsense! Are you suggesting I’m biased?!” the Village Head retorted, displeased. He already harbored dislike for the Zhao family, which only intensified. He couldn’t fathom their audacity—falling at someone’s home, having doctors called in, yet still plotting to shift blame onto the hosts. He saw through their schemes and considered their behavior delusional!
Zhao Dazhu quickly interjected, bowing respectfully, “Village Head, please don’t be angry. My wife was just concerned and spoke out of turn. Please overlook her mistake.”
Observing the Shen family discussing bringing in another doctor, Su Zhi decided to step forward. She had noticed Zhao Xiaohua’s disdainful gaze towards her husband earlier and felt compelled to act. Despite the family separation, they were still part of the Shen family. If they were deceived by the Zhao family, it would bring misfortune upon them. Therefore, she chose to address the situation publicly.
“Everyone, please hold on and hear me out,” Su Zhi began, noticing all eyes on her. She continued slowly, “Xiaohua has been complaining of a headache. I harbored doubts. Zhao family, please don’t be upset. As you witnessed earlier, a light touch made Xiaohua cry out in pain, yet despite Aunt Li leaving bruises on her wrist, Xiaohua showed no reaction. This leads me to suspect she might be pretending.”
“Su Zhi, you can’t say that! You are part of the Shen family; naturally, you would side with them!”Aunt Li retorted, glaring at Su Zhi as if to intimidate her.
Su Zhi observed that, aside from Liu Siniang and Zhao Daliang, the Zhao family members all had similar traits: they would flatter you as long as there were no conflicts, but once a disagreement arose, they would turn hostile. After such incidents passed, they would act as if they had forgotten the disputes, ready to ingratiate themselves once more, displaying a shameless lack of dignity. Liu Siniang was a genuinely kind person, while Zhao Daliang’s cunning nature prevented him from being openly disrespectful, though his thick skin made him equally disgraceful.
Shen Zi’an gave Su Zhi a reassuring tug towards him, then glanced at Aunt Li. To him, not even Shen Zhang shi should glare at his wife, let alone any other woman.
Aunt Li, under Shen Zi’an’s gaze, flinched backward, then forcefully pounded the bed while wailing loudly, “Oh my goodness, just one remark from me and now she’s glaring at me! This is how the wealthy are, trying to bully us poor folks. Heavens above, look at what kind of people you’re favoring!”
Despite Aunt Li’s outburst, bystanders paid no heed, remembering that she had initially glared at Su Zhi. Now, she was playing the victim, which further solidified the belief among Li Zheng and others that the Zhao family were troublemakers.
Su Zhi spoke up, “Aunt Li, please don’t cry. I have a way to help Xiaohua recover immediately.”
Aunt Li abruptly halted her crying, with everyone’s attention now on Su Zhi, especially Doctor Huang, whose eyes gleamed with curiosity, wondering what new idea Su Zhi had in mind.
Shen Zhu urged, “Sister-in-law, if you have a solution, please share it quickly. If you had shared it earlier, we wouldn’t have been in this mess for so long.”
Su Zhi rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking, “I have a plan, and now you blame me? I didn’t cause this trouble.”
Shen Ziju gently pulled Shen Zhu aside and softly said, “Sister-in-law, we entrust this matter to you.”
Sun Shi, seeing Su Zhi taking the spotlight again, needlessly stirred up trouble, remarked, “Weren’t you just saying Xiaohua was fine? Now you claim you can cure her. Is she really ill or not?”
The Shen family members glared at her, silently thinking: “Are you the one who’s ill?”
Su Zhi thought to herself, “This Sun Shi is always stirring up trouble. I should keep my distance from her in the future. It’s safer to treat her as an enemy rather than a friend. She might be a friend, but she’s as trustworthy as a pig.”
Su Zhi responded, “Xiaohua indeed isn’t seriously hurt. Feeling dizzy and nauseous after hitting one’s head is common. Seeing her distressed by this minor pain, I couldn’t bear it. I have a remedy that can alleviate this suffering, but it has a particular feature.”
Li Shi inquired, “What is the special feature?”
Su Zhi smiled and said, “The special feature of this remedy is that if a person who genuinely suffers from pain takes it, regardless of the ailment, they will immediately feel better. However, if someone without any pain consumes it, they will experience excruciating agony. This medicine follows the principle of using poison to combat poison. Xiaohua, if you truly feel pain and want to avoid any future complications, it’s best for you to take this medicine. But if you’re not in pain, it’s advisable not to consume it. So, will you choose to take it?”
Upon hearing Su Zhi’s words, the people present excitedly discussed this peculiar medicine. Inside the room, and outside, discussions ensued about the existence of such a strange remedy. Many doubted Su Zhi’s intentions, suspecting she might be trying to scare Zhao Xiaohua into admitting she wasn’t actually in pain.
Doctor Huang eagerly asked Su Zhi, “Madam Zhao, can you really make this kind of medicine? Does such a remedy truly exist?”
Su Zhi nodded and said, “I don’t have the ingredients on hand, but I can prepare them. This remedy requires over a dozen ingredients, most of which are easily accessible. However, two of the ingredients are particularly rare to find. Luckily, I have a small amount of these rare ingredients, sufficient to make a few doses. With the right proportions, the medicine can be crafted. So, Xiaohua, if you’re willing to take this medicine, I can prepare it for you. It will alleviate your pain and prove your innocence by showing your genuine suffering. Are you willing to try this medicine?”
Zhao Xiaohua was stunned. She had never heard of such a strange medicine before. If what Su Zhi claimed was true—that it could cause pain if taken without experiencing any—she was hesitant to try it. She looked at her mother and brothers, unsure of what to do, relying on her family for advice.
Dazhu’s Wife scoffed and remarked, “There’s no such bizarre medicine in this world! You must have made this up to deceive people. Who knows, you might give Xiaohua poison, and she’ll suffer terribly! We can’t allow that!”
Aunt Li nodded in agreement, adding, “Su Zhi, you can’t be so ruthless! After all, we are all from the same village.”
Su Zhi proposed, “I can start preparing the medicine now and make some extra doses. Later, Li Zheng can bring a few genuinely unwell individuals and a few healthy chickens. Everyone can take the medicine to see its effectiveness. I suggest involving people to demonstrate the medicine’s healing properties and sparing the chickens from unnecessary suffering. However, if you doubt the honesty of the chosen individuals, you can bring some chickens and administer a mild discomfort-inducing substance to them, though I fear it might not be as conclusive. Therefore, it’s best to involve genuinely ill individuals.”
Li Zheng nodded in agreement, “Su Zhi makes a valid point. The miraculous medicine should alleviate human suffering rather than be wasted on chickens. I will arrange to find sick individuals in the village. There are many genuinely suffering people in the village, making it impossible for them to pretend they are not in pain.”
“Thank you, Li Zheng, for your understanding,” Su Zhi expressed gratitude. “To ensure fairness and dispel any doubts about the medicine’s integrity, I will give the medicine to you, Village Head Li Zheng, for distribution. I have considered all aspects and am willing to contribute the final ingredient for making this medicine. My aim is to prove that the Shen family did not cause Xiaohua’s injury, fostering peace between our families. Therefore, I kindly ask you, Li Zheng, to persuade Xiaohua to agree to take the medicine.”
Li Zheng addressed Zhao Xiaohua, “Xiaohua, you heard what Su Zhi has proposed, she has put in a lot of effort. Since you have been complaining of a headache while Doctor Huang and Su Zhi insist you’re fine, this situation has led to doubts and strained relations between both families. We need a resolution. If you wish to prove your innocence, consider taking this medicine.”
Zhao Xiaohua was caught in a dilemma. Refusing to take the medicine might imply she was not actually in pain. Yet, the thought of consuming it made her anxious, fearing that Su Zhi might give her poison or the strange medicine might indeed cause pain if taken without suffering. The Shen family urged Su Zhi to prepare the medicine promptly, while the Zhao family members deliberated. Outside, more and more onlookers gathered, curious about the unfolding events.
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