Chapter 105

Zhou Feng had long known that, given Su Ruo's personality, she would absolutely not give up the chance to attend university because of these difficulties, so he gestured with his eyes to his wife, telling her not to say more.

After receiving the admission notice from the branch secretary, Su Ruo and her group did not waste any time, they went straight back to Li Family Village.

At this moment in Li Family Village, because Su Ruo had still not received the admission notice, the matter had already blown up into a huge uproar, with all kinds of unpleasant remarks being made.

The most widely spread rumor is: Su Ruo's transcript is forged; now that the facts have been exposed, because she has no face to meet people, she simply ran away.

Li Zhaodi was so angry that she would stand at the doorway every day, arguing with those who spoke sarcastically.

Even Li Shiru and Wu Qingqing came to the clinic twice, and each time they would say seemingly caring words that were actually mocking; Li Zhaodi was so angry she grabbed a broom and drove them out.

But these rumors, as Su Ruo and them brought back the Jingda admission notice, collapsed on their own.

Zhou Feng personally handed the admission notice to Su Ruo; even the Battalion Commander and the Branch Secretary came to congratulate Su Ruo on getting into Jingda, giving a hard slap to the faces of those who had spread the rumors.

Those who spoke sourly no longer dared to utter a word, after all, they could question Su Ruo, but they dared not question Zhou Feng, the county head.

Li Zhaodi specially bought many firecrackers to celebrate Su Ruo, setting them off for a full two-hour period, venting her pent-up anger.

That day, villagers coming to the Zhiqing Dian to offer congratulations streamed in endlessly; only in the evening did Su Ruo send them all away, and the various local products the villagers brought filled the entire courtyard.

Su Ruo felt somewhat helpless; they couldn't finish eating all these things, she appreciated the villagers' goodwill, but these things needed to be returned to everyone at some opportunity.

Li Shiru feels that the villagers look down on her with dog‑eyed contempt, looking down on her! That's why they treat her differently.

Li Shiru feels that the villagers look down on her with dog‑eyed contempt, looking down on her! That's why they treat her differently.

But she doesn't stop to think: over the past year Su Ruo has been treating illnesses and saving people, while she herself has been hauling night soil; she has done nothing to earn the villagers' gratitude, so why should they be grateful to her?

The day after Su Ruo and her group returned, the brigade leader's wife came to deliver happy news, saying they would hold a hundred‑day celebration for Li YanHong's child and invited Su Ruo to attend the feast.

Su Ruo recalled what happened at Li YanHong's wedding, and not wanting to invite trouble, she didn't go herself—she only sent Li ZhaoDi to give two yuan as a gift.

Li ZhaoDi also didn't like Li YanHong, so she said, "I'll go and come back quickly; they're having a big goose hotpot lunch at noon today."

Su Ruo answered with a smile, but after Li ZhaoDi left she never returned; Su Ruo felt puzzled, wondering whether she should go check on her.

A group of people rushed panic‑stricken to the clinic, the brigade leader running ahead, holding in his arms a baby on the verge of death.

Upon seeing the baby's condition, Su Ruo's face instantly changed; the baby was naked, its entire skin scorched black from the burns, and even its cries had become barely audible.

As soon as the brigade leader saw Su Ruo, he dropped to his knees, tears and voice breaking as he pleaded: "Doctor Su, please, please save this child."

Su Ruo felt moved, but now was no time for talking; she immediately administered first aid to the baby and had Li ZhaoDi, who had followed, fetch burn ointment and apply it all over the child's body.

But it was too late; the baby only let out a few weak cries before losing all breath.

The baby's burns were too severe, and being so tiny it could hardly endure such ordeal; surviving this long was already a miracle.

Su Ruo watched the tiny life slip away before her eyes, feeling powerless for the first time, but she also knew that even if she managed to save the child, such severe burns would cause the child's muscles to adhere all over the body, leaving him unable to see or speak and forced to endure daily skin ulceration pain; death would be a mercy for him.

Su Ruo covered the little one with a white cloth and said to the brigade leader, "Sorry, I did my best."

The brigade leader, over fifty, now had tears streaming down his face, causing the surrounding villagers to feel sympathy involuntarily.

No one expected that on this joyous occasion a perfectly fine child would actually fall into the oil pot for frying dough twists and be scalded to death—truly pitiful.

Li YanHong, who had been a little slower, only now arrived to see the child dead; she rushed up to Su Ruo, grabbing her collar and demanding: "Aren't you highly skilled in medicine? Why didn't you save my child? Why didn't you save my child?"

Her frantic appearance startled everyone; those nearby tried to pull her back but couldn't hold her.

Then the brigade leader stood up, grabbed her and said, "YanHong, calm down a little; little Bao is already dead."

But Li YanHong shoved him away, saying, "You're talking nonsense—my child isn't dead; he was just crying a moment ago! This is my child, born after ten months of pregnancy, my only child—how could he possibly die!"

"He just fell asleep from the pain; the baby isn't scared, Mommy is here, Mommy is here…"

After saying that, Li YanHong clutched the already charred baby to her chest and tried to soothe it; everyone thought she had gone mad, and some women, unable to bear the sight, began to tear up.

Although Su Ruo didn't like Li YanHong, seeing her in this state she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her.

Li YanHong's state was such that no one dared approach; the brigade leader walked over and said, "YanHong, this child is already dead—please hand him over to me."

No one expected that as soon as the brigade leader approached Li YanHong, she immediately flew into a rage, pointing at the crowd and shouting: "Who—who just pushed me? Are you all deliberately trying to kill my child?"

Then she grabbed the brigade leader's hand and said, "Dad, you must avenge little Bao! You must find the murderer—someone just pushed me; if that person hadn't pushed me, little Bao wouldn't have fallen into the oil pot and wouldn't have died."

After saying that, Li YanHong's eyes swept over everyone with a vicious glare, as if she were trying to find the person who harmed her child.

The surrounding villagers, seeing this, all stepped back, fearing that even a slight misstep would cause Li YanHong to blame them—a blame they could not afford.

At that moment Li ZeYu arrived limping with a cane; upon seeing him, Li YanHong threw herself into his arms and wailed: "ZeYu, our child is dead—he was killed by someone."

Li ZeYu comforted her: "YanHong, don't make a scene; this was just an accident—let's go home."

Upon hearing that, Li YanHong immediately shoved him away, angrily saying: "You don't believe me! Someone deliberately wanted to harm our child and pushed me from behind—why won't you believe me!"

After saying that, Li YanHong, seemingly mad, rushed up to each person present, grabbing them and demanding: "Tell me—was it you who pushed me?"

No one could hold her back; finally, overwhelmed by the blow, Li YanHong fainted outright, and the brigade leader had people carry her back, ending the farce.

Seeing this, the crowd dispersed; an elderly woman who walked slowly said: "YanHong, this girl is also pitiful—what a fine girl! She's beautiful and from a good family; who wouldn't envy her? Who could have imagined that after just one year of marriage she'd end up like this."

"Just now I went over, and Li YanHong was standing beside Li ZeYu, with no one else around—how could anyone have pushed her?"

"Most likely she herself accidentally dropped the child into the oil pot, causing the baby to be scalded to death; unable to bear the blow, she was driven mad and started wildly accusing people here."

After the old woman finished speaking and left, Li ZhaoDi watched everything, her expression tinged with sigh, and she asked: "Master, do you think Li YanHong's child falling into the oil pot was due to someone pushing her?"

Su Ruo did not answer Li ZhaoDi, but she watched Li ZeYu's retreating back, her eyes filled with deep thought.