Chapter 216: Swearing to Treat Him Sincerely
As soon as Bai Ruozhu saw the doctor, she understood what kind of person he was. A man who insisted on providing free medical treatment to others, even in his old age and despite his illness, was not merely seeking a good reputation—it truly took someone with a benevolent heart.
Still, the doctor was not entirely indifferent to reputation. After all, he had descendants, which was why he stated to the officials that he had no recollection of such events.
Faced with such a person, Bai Ruozhu had considered seeking his help, just like her mother had suggested. She thought about begging him on her knees for Xiaosi’s sake. But would that genuinely help? He might feel some sympathy, but his heart would be filled with even more sympathy for the Wang Family whose child had died in the womb. The only way to convince him was to reveal the truth.
"My God, why are there so many injuries? He’s just a child!" a woman gasped first, her voice filled with surprise and compassion.
The doctor stumbled in his steps, his eyes wide with surprise and, unlike the woman, filled with anger.
"Did Wang really do this?" the doctor finally asked after a while. He examined the child more carefully and found not only the two injuries Bai Ruozhu pointed out but also many other wounds. Some were older, some were new. They clearly indicated frequent abuse. His heart felt as if it had been struck heavily with a hammer; it ached so much that it seemed to have shrunk. What had he ever done to deserve this?
"Not entirely. His father, older brother, and grandmother have also beaten him," Bai Ruozhu replied.
At that moment, Xiaosi’s eyes were filled with defiance, but he knew that Bai Ruozhu was trying to save him. To be with his kind, older sister in the future, he gritted his teeth, pointed to an old injury, and said, "My mother did this. She said I was an idiot, an unfamiliar dog that couldn’t be tamed."
The doctor was stunned. Only then did he notice the difference between Xiaosi and other children.
Bai Ruozhu’s eyes reddened with sadness. She sniffled, squatted down, hugged Xiaosi, and said, "Don’t mind those evil people, Big Sister knows Xiaosi is good. You are the smartest child."
After she finished speaking, she turned to the doctor and said, "His grandmother once hit his head hard with a pot ladle, which made him unconscious. When his parents paid no attention to him, he became introverted and unwilling to talk to others. As a result, those people neither care for him nor understand him, but instead, accuse him of being an idiot."
Xiaosi pointed out the mark on his leg where he had been burned by an incense stick. "This was done by my brother. This was done by my father. My sister would pinch me as well, but without causing bleeding." His expressions were blank as he pointed out each injury to the doctor.
The doctor’s wife suddenly burst into tears, murmuring, "How can there be such heartless people? Even if he is not their biological child, he is still a small child. Have they had their consciences eaten by dogs?"
Bai Ruozhu, squatting on the ground and hugging Xiaosi, also started to cry. She knew that, even though Xiaosi looked numb and indifferent, as if he didn’t care at all, it was because he was voluntarily exposing his wounds. How could his heart not be in pain?
"What kind of family is this?" shouted the doctor in outrage, his body trembling. His wife jumped in fright next to him and hurriedly consoled, "Father, don’t get angry. Let’s sit down and talk."
The doctor felt dizzy at that moment. He had to be supported back onto the chair by his daughter-in-law. She quickly brought him some medicinal tea, which he took several sips of before finally calming down.
He put down the tea cup and looked up at Bai Ruozhu, asking, "Who are you to this child?"
"I am his cousin. But because my family and his have been separated for a long time, there are many things that we cannot interfere with. I could only secretly provide him with meals and treat his wounds. I originally thought there was no way to save this child. Fortunately, I met Niu Pazi, and only then did I discover the secret of his birth. Since he is not my aunt’s biological child, and they are not truly treating him well, why can’t I save him?" Bai Ruozhu looked at the doctor without any avoidance or fear in her eyes.
The doctor squinted his eyes, "How can I believe that you will truly treat this child well, and how long can you, a woman, take care of him? I don’t want it to end up hurting him even more."
Bai Ruozhu smiled, "The doctor may not know about my family’s situation. I’m a woman who has brought a husband into my family, so I have always lived with my parents. Our family has fields and a small business in the town; we can be considered financially secure. I think I can take care of him until he grows up. My parents and both my brothers, who are willing to take care of him, are all good and hardworking people. My older brother is diligent, and my younger brother has passed the scholar examination this year. My parents are also kind-hearted people."
Upon saying this, Bai Ruozhu extended her hand, placing it next to her head, and solemnly swore, "I, Bai Ruozhu, swear to treat Bai Zeqing kindly, to treat him as my own brother, and to prevent anyone from bullying him. I will also send him to school, so he can learn to read and write, and become a successful person in the future."
If it were in the past, Bai Ruozhu would have found the idea of making such an oath extremely amusing, as modern people typically view oaths as casual remarks. However, things were different now. Ancient people believed in ghosts and gods, thinking that breaking an oath would lead to divine punishment such as being struck by lightning. They also believed the violator would suffer torment in the eighteen layers of hell after death.
Currently, she also held an ancient person’s solemnity and firm belief towards the oath. Perhaps she was increasingly fitting into this place.
The doctor stared at Bai Ruozhu for a long time before letting out a deep sigh, saying, "This child’s situation is somewhat special. I hope you can be patient with him and help him get better."
Bai Ruozhu nodded seriously, "Thank you, Doctor, for your kindness."
The doctor had agreed, but his face was filled with worry. Exhausted, he weakly waved his hand and said, "You should go back. When I go to the County Government Office tomorrow, I will tell the truth. You can rest assured that I will do as I said."
Seeing him in such a state, Bai Ruozhu did not want to leave immediately. She bowed deeply to the doctor, and Xiaosi, following her lead, also bowed deeply to the doctor, bringing tears to the doctor’s eyes.
"Doctor, there can be some flexibility, it won’t affect your reputation," Bai Ruozhu started.
"Please say it quickly, or otherwise my father-in-law will hold onto this worry," the woman at his side said anxiously.
"Tomorrow, the doctor only needs to admit that he remembers treating Mrs. Wang six years ago, and he certainly confirmed that her womb had a stillborn baby. She asked you to prescribe medicine to expel the dead fetus, which is something normal. So, you gave her the prescription. However, you didn’t know that she was hiding it from her family," Bai Ruozhu smiled, "This, too, was what actually happened at the time."
The doctor showed a hesitant face, "Is this okay? She did plead with me to keep it a secret, and I agreed because I felt sorry for her."
Bai Ruozhu shook her head, "You don’t have to mention this. No one had asked you about this before; thus, there is no secret to keep or any lies to tell on her behalf."
"Yes, Father-in-law, her family never approached you, so you just didn’t know that she was hiding it from her family," the woman on the side was so anxious that she nearly stamped her foot. Why was her father-in-law being so stubborn? Bai Ruozhu’s explanation was excellent. It corroborated the events of that time while clearing the doctor’s name; there was nothing wrong with a doctor prescribing medication for a patient. So it would not harm his reputation.
Looking at Bai Ruozhu, the wife remembered the oath that Bai Ruozhu had just made and made a mental note of her name. This was a good woman.