Chapter 48: Selling the Daughter

Li Zhaodi's changes were all seen by the villagers; some envious people ran to Li's parents to sow discord.

"I say, Old Li family, that Doctor Su really has your Zhaodi working as a maid."

"Every day before dawn she has to go up the mountain to pick herbs, then come back to cook and clean; even the old landlords of the past didn't drive their hired hands that hard, and you as parents just watch and do nothing?"

Li Zhaodi's parents were already worried about their son's matter; hearing this, their faces darkened immediately. They were already dissatisfied—why shouldn't Li Zhaodi just learn some medicine and obediently get married? Now, being provoked like this, they became even angrier.

Seeing Li's parents' expressions, that person continued to add fuel to the fire: "Zhaodi used to be such an obedient, sensible child! Ever since she met Doctor Su, she's completely changed."

"Now she doesn't work, she doesn't do any housework, this big girl runs all over the mountains every day; if this continues, who knows if she'll ever be able to marry properly."

This woman's daughter also wanted to follow Su Ruo to study medicine, but because she was timid she didn't pass the assessment; unexpectedly, her own daughter failed to qualify, while Li Zhaodi, whom she had never taken seriously, was selected—this made her jealous beyond measure.

Now that she has the chance, she certainly won't miss it—she's doing her best to sabotage Li Zhaodi, hoping to ruin her medical studies; then maybe her own daughter would get a chance.

Li's parents originally thought Li Zhaodi's interest in medicine would be a fleeting three‑minute enthusiasm, that she'd quit after two days.

They knew their own daughter lacked any aptitude for study; who would have thought Li Zhaodi would become more eager the more she learned?

Upon hearing this woman's provocation again, they immediately panicked—they still hoped to marry off their daughter to get betrothal money for their son!

The bride's belly is already big, they can't wait any longer; they felt they could no longer let Li Zhaodi run wild, so at once they brought a crowd and stormed Su Ruo's clinic in a mighty show of force.

They thought that today, no matter what, they had to seize Li Zhaodi and take her home to prepare her marriage.

Seeing her parents, Li Zhaodi was surprised to find them arriving with a large crowd, mighty and mighty, and she asked, "Mom, Dad, why are you here?"

"Come home with me!" Li's father said, his face dark as iron, reaching to grab Li Zhaodi.

Li Zhaodi naturally refused, struggling hard: "Dad, what are you doing? I'm not going home!"

As they were grappling, Su Ruo asked coldly, "What are you doing?"

Li Zhaodi's mother, Zhang Cui'e, immediately said in a sarcastic tone: "Doctor Su, our Zhaodi is no longer studying medicine!"

"You speak nicely, saying you're teaching my daughter medicine, but actually I see you just want to use my daughter as a free maid! My daughter is foolish, tricked by you, but we won't be fooled by you!"

"Who studies medicine needs to rise before dawn every day to go up the mountain picking herbs, then after that still has to cook for you, clean, and serve you—you're abusing my daughter like this, treating her as less than human."

Su Ruo also saw that the other side had come with ill intent and wasn't being polite; she stared icily at Zhang Cui'e and said, "Look at your daughter now, then think of how she was before—do you call this abuse?"

The onlooking villagers, hearing this, immediately turned their gaze to Li Zhaodi.

The Li family had three daughters before they had Li Jinbao as their son; everyone in the village knows the Li family favors sons and doesn't regard daughters as people.

Li Zhaodi used to be underfed and had to work in the fields, leaving her whole body sallow and thin.

But during this period, after Su Ruo's conditioning and training, Li Zhaodi not only improved her complexion, her spirit and energy also got much better; she no longer walks hunched over as before—she's practically a different person.

An aunt couldn't stand it any longer and said at once: "I say, Old Li family, for Zhaodi to be able to study medicine with Little Doctor Su is something countless people beg for and can't get."

"Your Zhaodi finally got this chance, and you actually want her to give it up—how could there be parents as heartless as you in the world?"

"And you claim Little Doctor Su is abusing your Zhaodi, but you don't even look at her—she used to be as thin as bean sprouts, and now, following Little Doctor Su, not only is her spirit good, her body has become strong."

"If this counts as abuse, we'd all send our own children over to let Little Doctor Su abuse them!"

"Who in this village doesn't know Su Ruo is rich? The clinic stews meat every day, the aroma making countless children drool—yet you don't see Li Zhaodi getting plump from following Su Ruo, and Zhang Cui'e actually says Su Ruo is abusing Zhaodi, which is simply unconscionable."

The onlookers, hearing this, all burst out laughing.

Zhang Cui'e couldn't keep a straight face, gritting her teeth: "Anyway, I won't let my daughter stay and work for free for someone else."

"Mom, I won't go back with you—I want to keep studying medicine with my master."

Li Zhaidi knew her parents too well—she knew they despised her and that she could no longer earn work points for the family, so today she deliberately came to pick a fight.

Li Fu said viciously: "This isn't up to you—I've already arranged with the Wang family; by year's end I'll marry you off. For now you must stay home honestly, preparing for marriage, and you're not allowed to go anywhere."

Hearing this, Li Zhaodi shouted angrily: "I will absolutely not marry that idiot of the Wang family; if you force me, I'll die before you, leaving you with nothing."

Li Fu and Zhang Cui'e hadn't expected Li Zhaodi's temper to be so great—she'd rather die than marry—and they grew angrier, thinking Li Zhaodi was just insensible; why couldn't she be like her two sisters, Lai Di and Pan Di, who obediently married?

Su Ruo had been watching the farce with a cold eye until now, when she finally spoke: "Speak! What exactly is your purpose in coming this time?"

Li Fu and Zhang Cui'e exchanged a glance and said: "The Wang family gave us a hundred betrothal coins; if you want Li Zhaodi to stay and work for you, that's fine, but you must make up the betrothal money to us."

The onlookers gasped, for the Wang family's idiot not only has mental problems but also violent tendencies—rumor has it his previous wife was beaten to death by him.

The Li couple, for money, actually disregarded their daughter's life or death—this isn't marrying off a daughter, it's clearly selling her! Their hearts are too cruel!

After hearing her parents' words, Li Zhaodi felt the last shred of familial affection vanish; she couldn't understand why the people before her, clearly her parents, would treat her this way.

Clearly she had already promised them that once she learned medicine and earned money, she would surely repay them well—why wouldn't they give her a way to live?

"Mom, Dad, I ask you one last time: must you really force me to marry that idiot?"

Li Zhaodi's eyes were filled with resolve and hatred.

Li Fu felt his daughter had embarrassed him, and he shouted angrily: "I gave birth to you and raised you; your life is mine to give—I decide who you marry, and you will obey!"

Zhang Cui'e also cried, saying: "A daughter's fate is fate—you must accept it."

Li Zhaodi despondently closed her eyes, then opened them to find her eyes full of hatred: "This fate you've imposed on me is not my own."

"You've always said my fate is yours to give—fine! I'll give it back to you now! But I tell you, you will never be able to trade me for betrothal money; when I die, you can do whatever you want with my corpse, marrying it off to whomever you please."

Having said that, Li Zhaodi picked up the surgical knife beside her and, without hesitation, stabbed it into her own neck.

Li Zhaodi knew Su Ruo treated her well, but she truly didn't want to drag Su Ruo down any further—her parents were like leeches; as long as she lived they would keep clinging to her, sucking her dry until she was utterly drained, just as her two sisters had been.