The crowd made way.
From outside the crowd, an old woman with graying hair and a sallow face walked in, supported by a middle-aged woman.
The old woman walked up to the woman and, with a trembling hand, slapped her across the face.
With a loud smack, a handprint immediately swelled on the woman's face.
Because she had exerted too much force, the old woman clutched her chest and coughed violently.
The woman did not dodge; her tears flowed freely.
She didn't even try to defend herself. She just held the bowl steadily and fed the medicine to her son.
"Shitou's Mother, you really shouldn't have done this."
"Shitou is the only child of the Liu family. No matter what, you shouldn't have sold him!"
The middle-aged woman supporting the old woman looked heartbroken.
"Could it be that you've had a change of heart and want to sell Shitou so you can remarry?"
"Heaven is watching what people do! Aren't you afraid that God will strike you dead with lightning?"
"If you ask me, Shitou's father should never have married you in the first place!"
"I've always said that outsider women are unreliable; they'll run away eventually!"
The middle-aged woman righteously accused Shitou's Mother.
Shitou's Mother looked numb, turning a deaf ear to the woman's accusations.
The onlookers began to discuss among themselves, saying all sorts of things.
"Does this woman already have a lover? She's just thinking about how to get money and run away!"
"How is that possible? Just now, this woman was kowtowing and begging for the sake of her child."
"She must have been putting on an act for outsiders. Otherwise, if she gets seen through, how could she take the money and run?"
"Could those people be accomplices she brought in?"
"Hey, could what that person just fed the child be poison?"
Someone shouted out in surprise.
Hearing this, Shitou's Grandma immediately stumbled over to Shitou's Mother and snatched her grandson away.
She reached out with her withered hand and tried hard to dig into Shitou's throat, wanting to make him throw up the medicine.
"The medicine just now cost one tael of silver!"
Master Zhang suddenly spoke coldly.
The old woman was so frightened that she immediately stopped.
"What kind of poison costs one tael of silver?"
"Master, we bought this person for ten taels of silver."
"Bring him over and drive the irrelevant people away!"
Duoduo saw the child being shaken back and forth and was very worried.
Li Jin nodded.
He walked up to Shitou's Grandma, who tightly hugged her grandson, refusing to let him be taken away.
Li Jin grabbed Shitou and snatched him over in one swift motion.
"My grandson! You shameless wretch, give me back my grandson!"
Seeing her grandson snatched away, Shitou's Grandma slapped Shitou's Mother across the face again.
Shitou's Mother covered her face and could only cry.
Duoduo signaled Li Jin to place the child in front of her, and she reached out to check his pulse.
"What are you doing? Let go of my grandson!" Shitou's Grandma struggled to come over and snatch him back.
"Mother! Shitou already belongs to them!"
Shitou's Mother tightly hugged her mother-in-law, sobbing uncontrollably.
The middle-aged woman who had been supporting the old woman hurried over to help Shitou's Grandma pull her daughter-in-law away.
"How can you be such a cruel daughter-in-law? Your mother-in-law is still sick!"
Shitou's Mother hurriedly let go.
On this side, Duoduo picked up a silver needle and pierced it into Shitou's Lingtai acupoint.
"Shitou!"
Terrified, Shitou's Grandma got up and lunged forward.
Li Jin was worried she would hurt Duoduo, but he was also afraid that striking out carelessly would cause unnecessary trouble.
Therefore, he could only block the way in front of Duoduo.
Shitou's Grandma crashed right into him. Li Jin gave her a tug and pulled her aside.
"If you want your grandson back, bring ten taels of silver."
Shitou's Grandma froze.
The middle-aged woman held out her hand toward Shitou's Mother, "Hurry up and return the silver to them!"
Shitou's Mother sat on the ground, motionless.
"Do you really want to trade Shitou for money so you can remarry?" Shitou's Grandma looked thoroughly disappointed.
"Take out the silver. If you want to leave, I won't stop you, but Shitou is the only root left in our family."
"Just consider it as me begging you, alright? Whatever you want from the house, you can take it all!"
The shopkeeper, watching the spectacle from the side, clicked his tongue twice.
"Shitou's Mother, so your family actually has some savings after all!"
"Then why do you still owe the clinic so much for medical bills! No wonder the clinic refused to treat your son!"
"If you ask me, you should have taken everything out of your house and pawned it. That would be better than going around washing clothes for people!"
Shitou's Grandma was stunned. "When did we ever owe money? Where did these medical bills come from?"
"Mother! Grandma!"
Suddenly, a weak voice attracted everyone's attention.
"Huh? Was that child really saved?"
"It's true, he can actually stand up?"
"Oh my, could this little girl be a divine doctor?"
"Wait, wasn't that child about to die just a moment ago?"
"Yes! The doctor in the clinic took one look and said he couldn't be saved, and had the assistant kick them out!"
The onlookers discussed fervently.
Seeing Shitou, Shitou's Grandma immediately burst into tears.
"My grandson! Come to Grandma quickly!"
Shitou wanted to go, but Li Jin held him back.
"To save you, your mother sold you for ten taels of silver. This is your deed of sale."
Li Jin showed the deed of sale in his hand to Shitou.
Shitou took a look but didn't cry or make a fuss, which somewhat surprised Li Jin.
Shitou's Grandma hurriedly pinched Shitou's Mother hard. "Hurry up and give them the silver to get Shitou back!"
Shitou's Mother covered the pinched spot with a bitter expression. "Mother, it's gone. It's already been spent!"
Shitou's Grandma turned pale with fright.
"Ten... ten taels of silver! You spent it all in such a short time? Where did you spend it!"
"If you don't take it out, I will divorce you!"
Shitou's Grandma clutched her chest, swaying as if about to collapse.
"Mother, don't cry!" Shitou was very anxious.
"Mother, I don't blame you! You did the right thing!"
"Mother, I know you must have given the silver to the clinic. I remember Grandma owes five taels and sixteen copper coins for her medicine."
"Oh right, our family also owes the auntie who sells grain on the street over a tael of silver. Mother, remember to pay her back."
"Keep the rest of the money to pay for Grandma's medical treatments."
"The doctor said that if she keeps taking her medicine, her illness will be cured!"
Shitou's words made Shitou's Mother burst into loud sobs.
She cried so agonizingly that even the spectators couldn't help but wipe their eyes.
The middle-aged woman who had supported Shitou's Grandma curled her lips.
"Shitou, you've been tricked by your mother. She wants to sell you so she can remarry!"
Shitou spat at her.
His hands were tightly clenched into fists, and his teeth ground together with a creaking sound.
"You're the one talking nonsense! You badmouth my mother in front of my grandma every day!"
"You just want to drive my mother away, then anger my grandma to death so you can seize our house!"
The middle-aged woman looked a bit uncomfortable. "You child, why don't you know what's good for you?"
"I was trying to help you, and yet you make up lies about me! You really don't recognize a good person's intentions!"
"I didn't make up lies about you, I heard you say it with my own ears!"
"You even said it was a good thing your daughter didn't marry a short-lived ghost like my father!"
"Since you keep saying you're doing this for my own good, then lend us ten taels of silver, and I'll kowtow and apologize to you!"
