Chapter 11

“The Pei family’s getting off two stops before us. Hurry up and give Xiaojing another acupuncture session, or there won’t be enough time later.”

Zhao Fang had nowhere to sleep last night. At first, she squeezed into a seat next to her son for a while, but eventually couldn’t take it anymore and came back to the floor, spread out a couple of jackets, and slept there for the night.

Surprisingly, she woke up feeling refreshed.

She picked up little Yueyue, who had just woken up, changed her diaper, and then urged Su Weiwei to quickly go give Pei Shujing another acupuncture session.

She was acting so enthusiastically, you’d think Pei Shujing was her daughter.

Sigh…

Su Weiwei got up helplessly, grabbed her acupuncture kit, and headed to the Pei family’s soft sleeper compartment.

She knocked on the door, and Pei’s mother immediately called out from inside:

“Come in, the door’s not locked.”

Hearing this, Su Weiwei pushed the door open and walked in.

“Oh, Weiwei, you’re here!”

Pei’s mother was sitting on the edge of the sleeper berth, with two large bags beside her. Seeing Su Weiwei enter, she immediately stood up with a smile and warmly greeted her, even handing her a freshly washed apple.

“Try this—it’s really good. I bought it from a vendor through the window at a station. Super crisp and sweet.”

Her attitude was so welcoming, it was like Su Weiwei was her own daughter.

“…”

Su Weiwei paused for a moment, feeling a strange sense of emotional balance return.

She took a few bites of the apple, looked around the cabin, then asked:

“Auntie, where’s Xiaojing? I wanted to give her another acupuncture session before you all get off the train.”

“She’s outside.”

Pei’s mother had just opened a bag and handed Su Weiwei a packet of roasted peanuts. She smiled and replied:

“Thanks to you last night, she woke up feeling a bit better today. She went with Shuchen to the dining car to get food. They should be back any minute now.”

Sure enough, just as she finished speaking, the door opened and Pei Shuchen walked in, holding an enamel bowl filled with pumpkin porridge.

Pei Shujing followed behind him. The young girl looked gentle and demure, a complete contrast to her panicked state the previous day.

She was holding a large plate with a few steaming hot buns—white, fluffy, and looking delicious.

When they saw Su Weiwei in the compartment, Pei Shuchen paused slightly, while Pei Shujing stared curiously.

“Why are you just standing there? Put the food down.”

Pei’s mother told her children to place the food on the small table by the window. Then she turned to ask Pei Shuchen:

“Did you take some to Auntie Zhao?”

Pei Shuchen nodded slightly and said, “Mm.” Pei’s mother, used to his quietness, didn’t press further. She handed a bun to Su Weiwei and said to her daughter:

“Xiaojing, eat a bun first to fill your stomach, then let Weiwei give you another round of acupuncture.”

“Okay.”

Pei Shujing nodded, her lips forming a gentle smile, and two small dimples appeared on her cheeks. Looking shyly at Su Weiwei, she said softly:

“Sister Weiwei, thank you for saving me last night.”

Su Weiwei was mid-bite and quickly swallowed before waving it off:

“It’s nothing, really. Just lending a hand. And besides, Auntie already thanked me yesterday. No need to be so polite.”

This family… is almost too polite.

She was starting to feel a bit embarrassed. After all, she’d already accepted payment from Pei’s mother—a solid 1,300 yuan.

Plus the 500 yuan she got from the Pang family earlier… that gave her a decent starting fund to settle in this soon-to-boom city she remembered from the future.

Take money, heal the patient. That’s only right.

And considering how much she was paid, Su Weiwei took the treatment very seriously—she even used a rare technique taught by her other mentor… the Panlong (Coiling Dragon) Acupuncture Method.

…Before long, Pei Shujing’s upper body was once again covered in needles like a porcupine.

The poor girl had been unconscious the first time and didn’t feel anything, but now, fully awake, she was visibly nervous. Her muscles were all tense, and Su Weiwei could clearly feel the resistance when inserting the needles.

Worried she might faint, she asked Pei’s mother to stay and chat with her, to distract her attention.

In the end, it was Su Weiwei who broke a sweat.

Pei Shuchen quietly watched from the side. His gaze first lingered on his sister’s “porcupine” head, then involuntarily shifted to the woman performing the acupuncture.

She was extremely focused. Her pale, delicate forehead was covered with a thin sheen of sweat. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her nose and lips delicate… unlike his gentle, reserved sister, she had a beauty like wild peach blossoms blooming in the mountains.

Vibrant. Irresistible.

Pei’s mother had been casually chatting with her daughter, but when she turned and saw her son’s intense stare, her expression immediately froze.

“…”

She quickly jabbed his arm while Su Weiwei wasn’t looking, giving him a warning glance.

Yes, Weiwei was a wonderful girl—but she was still married.

If she and her husband ended up reconciling, wouldn’t her son’s budding feelings wither before they even had a chance to blossom?

Tsk, what a headache…

Pei’s mother could no longer focus on the conversation. Her mind was full of anxious calculations—what were the chances Su Weiwei would actually go through with the divorce?

Zhao Fang had sounded certain, but in this era, as long as the husband was willing to come back, most marriages didn’t end.

Plus, a girl like Weiwei…

No, too risky. She couldn’t let her son fall too deep too soon.

Thinking this, Pei’s mother turned to her son and said:

“Shuchen, stop standing around in here. You’re big—makes the room feel crowded. Also, Weiwei’s almost out of alcohol swabs. Go grab another bottle from Dr. Yu.”

Pei Shuchen: “…”

He glanced at the half-full bottle on the table, frowned slightly, but after meeting his mother’s firm stare, he fell silent… and left the room.

He understood her concerns.

But this was his own business—he had his own sense of restraint, and it wasn’t as serious as she imagined.

Forget it… I’ll deal with it after a month.

As the compartment door closed, Pei’s mother stared at it in a daze, then let out a long sigh.

“Sigh…”

…What a mess.

Su Weiwei had just finished inserting the last needle when she heard Pei’s mother sigh and thought she was distressed.

She wiped her hands with an alcohol swab and turned with a smile:

“Auntie, acupuncture is supposed to feel like this. It’s really not as painful as it looks. If it gets uncomfortable, just don’t look at the needles—it’ll help.”

Then, turning to Pei Shujing, who was sitting stiffly on the bed, pale and motionless:

“You too, Xiaojing. Don’t focus so much on the needles. Try to relax, okay?”

Pei Shujing: “…”

She really wanted to—but she just couldn’t.

She wasn’t normally that focused, but now, it felt like every nerve in her body was hyperaware of the needles. The areas being needled tingled and pulsed like they were breathing, sending shivers through her.

So scary…

She looked pleadingly at her mom—only to see Pei’s mother avert her gaze with a blank expression.

Cold as iron…

Pei Shujing suddenly doubted whether she was still her mother’s favorite child. Her mom wasn’t even worried about her.

Su Weiwei might not have noticed, but she certainly did—her mother’s sigh just now was for her brother, not for her.

…

After about ten minutes, Pei Shujing was sweating slightly. Seeing that the time was up, Su Weiwei began removing the needles—twisting and disinfecting each one before putting them back into her acupuncture kit.

Pei Shujing wiped the sweat from her forehead, stretched her arms and legs, and let out a huge breath of relief. Then, surprised, she said:

“Weiwei-jie, I feel so much lighter!”

Because of her condition, she usually felt sluggish, like there was a heavy weight dragging her down—and her head always felt foggy. But today, she felt awake and clear-headed. Even the sky outside looked a bit bluer.

Feeling cheerful, her smile widened.

Seeing her sweet little dimples, Su Weiwei couldn’t help smiling too. She reminded her:

“This is only temporary. Your condition is serious, and your body’s very weak. You’ll need ongoing treatment. Don’t forget to take the herbal medicine I prescribed.”

“I will, Weiwei-jie.”

Pei Shujing nodded sweetly. Her illness had affected her cognitive development a bit, leaving her a bit slow sometimes—but because she was so pretty, it made her slowness kind of adorable.

Honestly, she was just too lovable…

Su Weiwei almost reached out to ruffle her hair—but restrained herself at the last second.

Pei’s mother, seeing her daughter’s improvement, felt much more cheerful.

When she saw Su Weiwei packing up to leave, she quickly stopped her, pulled something from her bag, and walked over to put it on her wrist.

Su Weiwei froze, then gasped:

“A Certina women’s watch?”

“Yep, that’s the brand.”

Pei’s mother smiled as she fastened it for her, then stepped back and admired it.

“Looks so good on you—really suits a young girl.”

“…”

Su Weiwei felt the cool metal on her wrist and loved it… but still hesitated:

“Auntie, isn’t this watch worth several hundred yuan?”

She’d already taken 1,300 from them—any more, and she’d really feel like she was taking advantage.

Pei’s mother laughed affectionately:

“Silly girl, I really like you. And besides, when an elder gives you a gift, you shouldn’t refuse. Just accept it.”

Seeing how sincere she was, Su Weiwei no longer declined. She thanked her with a big smile and happily turned to leave.

Too excited, she opened the door a little too quickly—and collided smack into a man who had been about to walk in.

“…”