Chapter 400 Return to the Village to Save People
Bai Zepei did not press Bai Ruozhu any further, he only urged Ruozhu and his sister-in-law to be careful on their way.
Bai Ruozhu picked up Dengdeng, and followed Wan Caiyue to the Entrance of the Town to find a Donkey Cart. Once they boarded the cart, Bai Ruozhu finally caught her breath and asked: "Sister-in-law, who brought the news and what else did they say?"
Wan Caiyue’s brows were tightly knitted, revealing her anxiety.
"It was Zhao Ludan who brought the news on behalf of Aunt Deshun, saying the old mansion is in a mess and there’s no one managing things. The old lady is just crying, and Third Master is lying on the bed without uttering a word. The doctor was called by the neighbors." Wan Caiyue was obviously worried, hence she spoke faster than usual.
Bai Ruozhu sneered, "So the old lady only knows how to cry now, what was she doing before this? If she hadn’t been so selfish, caring more about her granddaughter, perhaps Ruolan wouldn’t have tried to hang herself."
Wan Caiyue nodded in agreement, "Yes, and if Widow Zhou enters the family, Ruolan would be even worse off."
Bai Ruozhu sighed. She didn’t like Bai Ruolan and never regarded her as a family, yet that was a precious life after all. If Ruolan were to die, she would feel a knot in her heart...
"Did Zhao Ludan mention if she has stopped breathing?" Bai Ruozhu thought for a minute, and decided to ask.
Wan Caiyue shook her head and replied, "He said her breathing was almost gone. It’s hard to tell if she can be saved. Ruozhu, you’re skilled in medicine, do you think there’s hope of saving her?"
"I can only tell after seeing her. If she has stopped breathing, no one can bring her back." Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but sigh again.
As they were talking, the cart arrived at the Rear Mountain Village Entrance. They got off the cart, paid the fare, and hurried towards the old mansion.
"Oh, Caiyue, you’re back. Go and see Ruolan, she’s almost dead!" Wang Pozi, chatting with someone on the roadside, saw Wan Caiyue and Bai Ruozhu. Pretending to not see Bai Ruozhu, she shouted at Wan Caiyue.
Wan Caiyue frowned slightly, she didn’t have a good impression of Wang Pozi, but she was an elder in the village, so she was usually polite to her. But now, she didn’t want to deal with Wang Pozi at all, her words were just too unpleasant.
Seeing that Wan Caiyue ignored her, Wang Pozi spat on the ground and grumbled, "She’s only been married into the Bai Family for a few days and she’s already so arrogant. She really thinks she’s a lady."
One of the women next to her quickly tugged at her sleeve, warning her in a hushed voice, "She might not have heard you, this is a matter of life and death. And the Wan Family is not to be trifled with."
Wang Pozi knew that she shouldn’t mess with the Wan family, but she wasn’t afraid of the Bai family. She snorted coldly and said, "They even let that widow in, no wonder the girl in their family wanted to hang herself. They aren’t ashamed at all!"
The other women also looked disdainful. The Bai Family’s old mansion had completely lost face. Most families wouldn’t stoop so low.
Although Bai Ruozhu had excellent hearing, she could hear Wang Pozi’s conversation from afar. She sighed inwardly. Fortunately, she was not a traditional person like her parents who cared about face. Otherwise, she would feel suffocated. If the old mansion lost face, wouldn’t the Bai Family lose face as well?
When they arrived near the old mansion, there was a crowd gathered at the entrance. Without paying much attention to what others might think, Bai Ruozhu followed Wan Caiyue and ran straight into the yard.
Lin Ping’er immediately noticed her, rushed over, took Dengdeng from her arms and said with a worried face, "You should go and see her quickly. If she can be saved, do whatever you can. We’ll pay for any medicinal materials required. After all, it’s a matter of life and death."
Bai Ruozhu nodded, but hanging oneself was not the same as childbirth or severe injury, for which ginseng could be used to save life. If the windpipe had already been strangled and she stopped breathing, no matter how good the medicine was, it couldn’t be administered.
"I’ll have a look first," Bai Ruozhu said and headed straight for Bai Ruolan’s room.
Upon entering, she saw Bai Ruolan lying on the bed, her eyes tightly closed. Her pretty face was pale, and the bruised marks on her neck were striking.
Bai Ruolan was only a few months older than her, but now she was lying lifeless on the bed, which was quite a sight to behold.
The old woman, Bai, was sobbing quietly in the room. It seemed to be genuine, she must have been truly frightened.
Doctor Li was standing by the bed checking Bai Ruolan’s pulse, looking extremely serious. Seeing Bai Ruozhu’s arrival, he stood up immediately and said, "You should have a look."
Bai Ruozhu nodded in appreciation to Doctor Li. However, as she was about to approach Bai Ruolan, the old lady stopped her, crying, "What could she know? Doctor Li, you have to hurry and start the cure, don’t let her delay saving lives!"
Doctor Li disliked the old woman for two reasons: her flashy attire and her only capable of crying when something happened. It was the same when her grandson broke his leg and now when her granddaughter hung herself, she didn’t even think to offer a consultation fee.
"Bai Ruozhu is more competent than me. I can’t save her. If she doesn’t check, would you?" Doctor Li spoke with a bad temper. The old lady’s face turned unpleasant, yet she cried louder upon hearing Doctor Li’s claim that he couldn’t save her.
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but frown. The old lady’s crying was too noisy.
"Father, please take grandma to rest. Don’t cry until you get sick." Bai Ruozhu called to the outside. If the old woman kept crying here, she wouldn’t be able to save anyone.
Getting the hint, Bai Yihong quickly entered the room and helped the old woman out, telling her to take a drink to calm down.
Finally, the room quieted down. Bai Ruozhu checked Bai Ruolan’s pulse, her brows furrowed deeper. Doctor Li opened his mouth, wanting to ask if there was any solution but eventually shut his mouth, not daring to interrupt her.
Next, Bai Ruozhu took out a silver needle, swiftly inserted it into Bai Ruolan’s body. While she performed smoothly without realizing anything unusual, Doctor Li was so astonished that his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, as if he could swallow an egg."
"It’s a divine skill, truly a divine skill." Doctor Li murmured quietly, his eyes filled with reverence and fanaticism. Was this really a teenage girl in front of him? Was her skill even faster and more accurate than his, after practicing medicine for decades? He felt utterly ashamed.
Soon, Bai Ruozhu took out the silver needles one by one and put them away. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, with little trace of relief on her face.
"How is it?" Doctor Li couldn’t help but ask.
Bai Ruozhu shook her head slightly, "Her life is saved, but she contained her breath for too long, causing severe damage to her body. As for any potential aftereffects, we will only know once she wakes up."
Doctor Li couldn’t help but sigh. If only they had managed to save her earlier. He heard that when the old woman found Ruolan, she was so frightened that she collapsed, she didn’t even think to lift her up from below, it was the neighbors who finally saved her.
At this moment, Bai Ruolan lying on the bed started to cough a few times, then slowly opened her eyes. Bai Ruozhu hurriedly looked at her, and was taken aback by her current appearance.