FDNL CH 11

Chapter 11 – Saving a Life

“What brings you here?”

Su Lianyi stood calmly before the woman and her child.
Her face was neither warm nor cold—just utterly composed, expressionless.

That was precisely the kind of composure that had once earned her the nickname Doctor Mo Chou (“the doctor who never worries”) back at the hospital.
But those days were long gone.

She hadn’t meant to look intimidating, but her plump figure, combined with her notorious reputation and lack of expression, was enough to terrify the poor woman.

The frail mother trembled all over, and the little boy quickly darted in front of her protectively.
Though silent, his jaw was clenched tight, and his big dark eyes glared at Su Lianyi with fierce caution.

“S–Su… Miss Su…”

The woman’s voice shook so badly she could barely speak.

Lianyi frowned.
Am I really that scary?

Then she remembered how, back in her hospital days, the director used to scold her over and over—

“Smile, Dr. Su! Smile! A doctor’s got to look kind!”

So she forced herself to engage all forty-two facial muscles, trying to produce what she hoped looked like a “kind” smile.

On her chubby face, that smile might not have been beautiful—but it did soften her fierce appearance considerably.
Sure enough, the woman’s trembling lessened.

“Miss Su, thank you for what you did earlier,” the woman stammered. “We… we understand what you meant. Please, take this. It’s not much, but it’s something.”

She held out a few copper coins with both hands, shaking as she did.

***

Inside the house, behind the open window, the tall man—Da Hu—stood silently in the corner, watching.
He couldn’t be seen from outside, but he could clearly hear and see what was happening.

When he saw the woman timidly offering money, a flash of disdain crossed his cold eyes.
He remembered Su Lianyi’s bold words yesterday: “I’ll earn the money myself.”
So this was what she meant—taking advantage of others’ gratitude.

How predictable, he thought.
At least now he was certain she hadn’t changed—and that eased his suspicion.

****

“You understand my meaning? What do you mean by that?”

Lianyi blinked, confused.

The woman smiled nervously, trying to flatter her.

“Miss Su, you didn’t expose that I had money on me earlier, right? That means… you wanted a little more for yourself?”

The moment she said it, she froze, realizing she might’ve said too much.
Wouldn’t the “vicious Miss Su” be angry at such bluntness?
Her whole body trembled again.

Lianyi almost burst out laughing.
So that’s what she thought?

“You’ve misunderstood,” she said gently. “I helped you, that’s all. Keep your money and go home.”

She turned to leave, but the woman suddenly grabbed her sleeve tightly.

Then, with a thud, the woman dropped to her knees.

“Miss Su, please have pity on us! We’re truly desperate. We have no one left to turn to.
Please, I know you’re above such small amounts of money, but… please… please help us…”

Tears streamed down the woman’s face.

Lianyi finally understood.
The woman wasn’t here just to repay her—she wanted protection.

As outsiders in this village, the Sun family had no one to rely on.
Now that the husband was ill, they were easy prey for bullies like her so-called “father.”
Her plea made sense.

“Keep your money. From now on, no one will dare bully you,” Lianyi said firmly.

From the window, Da Hu’s frown deepened.
Why isn’t she taking the money?
He was finding her harder and harder to read.

“No, Miss Su, please—you must take it! Otherwise we won’t feel at ease.”

The woman insisted, shoving the coins into Lianyi’s palm so hard it almost hurt.

Lianyi sighed. She understood this kind of thinking all too well.
If she refused the payment, they’d assume she didn’t truly mean to help.
Even in this world, she thought wryly, human nature doesn’t change.

Back in the hospital, patients’ families would often try to stuff red envelopes into her hands before surgery.
She’d always refuse—but that only made them anxious, convinced their “small gift” wasn’t enough and that the doctor wouldn’t try her best.
It was absurd, but somehow universal.

Now, here she was in ancient times, facing the same thing again.

“I don’t want your money,” she said softly. “Use it to buy medicine for your husband.
As for your family’s safety, I, Su Lianyi, will take responsibility. Don’t worry.”

But at her words, the woman’s face twisted with pain.

“My husband… can’t be cured,” she sobbed. “Even if we had money, it wouldn’t matter.”

Lianyi’s brow furrowed.

“Nonsense. He’s only in his thirties—how could it be hopeless? If he’s sick, he should be treated. Even if you can’t cure him completely, you can at least keep him alive. What illness is it?”

She paused.
There shouldn’t be diseases like AIDS in this era…
Could it be cancer?

“It’s useless,” the woman wept. “He used to be so healthy, but one day he just collapsed.
At first it was weakness, then he couldn’t move at all. We spent everything, saw every doctor—even Master Zheng in town—but none of them could find the cause!”

“Couldn’t find the cause?” Lianyi’s eyes sharpened.

“Take your money,” she said, “I’ll come see him myself.”

The woman froze in shock.

“You… you’ll come see him?”

“Yes,” Lianyi replied simply, already walking toward the Sun family’s home.

“You devil, don’t you dare go near my house!”

The little boy suddenly jumped out, grabbing her sleeve and shouting.
His mother turned pale with fright.

“Jin’er, stop it! Don’t be rude!” she cried, pulling him away.

Lianyi ignored their struggle and kept walking, following the memory of where the Suns lived.
The woman, half dragging her son, followed nervously behind.

From the house window, Da Hu watched their departing figures, his brow furrowed even tighter.

What on earth is that woman up to now?

***

It was near dusk.
Smoke rose from chimneys all across the village as families cooked their dinners.
But the Sun household’s chimney was silent.

Their stove had been smashed by Su Feng and his gang earlier that day—just to look for hidden money.

The elderly grandmother was hunched over in the yard, trying to rebuild it stone by stone.
Her frail body trembled with effort.
The sight made Lianyi’s chest ache.

The old woman’s face showed no sadness, only numb resignation.
Years of hardship had wrung even the strength to grieve out of her.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up, expecting to see her daughter-in-law and grandson.
Instead, she saw Su Lianyi.
Startled, she lost her grip—the stone in her hands crashed down, and she fell heavily beside it.

“Grandma! Are you okay?”

The little boy rushed forward, checking her anxiously.

Watching that thin, determined back, Lianyi felt a lump rise in her throat.
Such a good child, she thought. So young, yet already carrying the weight of the world.

“Mother, Miss Su… Miss Su said she wanted to come take a look,” the Sun woman stammered as she helped the old woman up, unsure how to explain.
Even she didn’t know what this “witch” intended to do.

“Alright,” Lianyi said softly. “Take me to see your husband.”

Even someone made of stone would have softened at this sight—
and though Su Lianyi’s face was cold, her heart was anything but.

Inside, the room was pitch dark and bare.
There was only a single broken bed and an old wooden chest—nothing else.
It seemed they had already sold everything of value.

On the bed lay a man, motionless and pale, barely breathing.

“Jin’er’s father! Wake up!”

The woman cried out in despair, shaking his shoulders frantically.

“Move aside.”

Lianyi’s calm but firm voice cut through the panic.
She gently pushed the woman aside and leaned over the patient.

Her fingers went to his nose—there was still a faint breath.
Good. His heart was still beating.
No need for CPR.

She pinched the man’s philtrum point, slapped his cheeks lightly—

and began her rescue.

***