Siqi pushed Nan Sheng's hand away and instead clung to her stepmother's leg, wailing loudly.
"I just don’t want to go to school, Mom. I can dig wild vegetables for you every day at home. I’m really capable—please don’t send me to school."
Nan Sheng couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Even Wang Baochuan, the legendary diligent woman, couldn’t out-dig you. She was impressed!
"Alright, alright, no school then. But if you keep crying, your mom’s ears will go deaf."
Sizhe’s dream of attending school was ruthlessly crushed by his little sister. He sighed and had no choice but to reject his stepmother’s suggestion. As always, he couldn’t bring himself to leave Siqi alone with her.
"Then I won’t go to school either. Earning work points is just fine."
Nan Sheng was so annoyed she nearly laughed. Were these two kids testing her patience now, daring to talk back? She raised her hand threateningly at Sizhe. "Say that again?"
Sizhe: "..."
The memory of her slaps instantly flooded back. He used to be such a cheerful, lively boy—now he was practically depressed from all the beatings.
"I think—"
Slap! His left cheek flushed red.
"I—"
Slap! His right cheek swelled up.
Sizhe covered his face with both hands. "Fine! I’ll go tomorrow!!!"
Satisfied, Nan Sheng lowered her hand, thinking to herself, Does this kid have some kind of disorder? He only listens after a beating.
Just as she was about to send Siqi and her brother back to the west room to sleep, the little girl copied her brother, covering her face with her hands, clearly afraid of getting slapped too.
Nan Sheng clicked her tongue and continued her threat. "After New Year’s, you’ll be six years old. You have to go to school then. If you don’t obey, I’ll spank you too, understand?"
Siqi nodded frantically. Fine, I’ll go. But New Year’s is still far away.
Before bed, Nan Sheng checked her system. As expected, the affection points hadn’t increased—probably because those last two slaps had hurt quite a bit...
The next morning, Nan Sheng finished cooking, but neither child had gotten up. Worried that Sizhe had gone back on his word, she marched into their room, hand raised for another slap.
Inside, she found both siblings still fast asleep, looking perfectly content. She yanked the blanket off and pinched their noses one by one. "Sizhe, Qiqi, time to eat."
School required students to arrive by 7 a.m. With no clock at home, Nan Sheng could only guess the time. Siqi woke up first, blinking drowsily and calling out, "Mom..." But Sizhe didn’t stir at all.
Nan Sheng sensed something wrong. She touched his forehead—it was burning. Lifting his clothes, she saw the welts on his body had swollen. The wounds were likely infected, causing the fever.
"Sizhe? Sizhe, can you hear me?"
She rushed to the kitchen for a basin of warm water, soaked a cloth, and wiped him down. Then she instructed her daughter,
"Qiqi, your brother’s sick. Stay here and keep him company, okay? Mom’s going to fetch Uncle Li to check on him."
Siqi nodded obediently and even mimicked her stepmother, gently wiping her brother’s face.
Li Min was Xiangyang Village’s barefoot doctor, stocking basic medicines and even giving injections. Villagers usually went to him for minor illnesses.
Country folk rose early. When Nan Sheng arrived at the Li household, the family was eating breakfast. Li Min’s wife greeted her, "Oh, Lin Han’s wife! Join us for a bite?"
It was just polite small talk—Nan Sheng knew better than to take it seriously. "No, thank you, sister. It’s urgent. Sizhe’s running a fever. I need Big Brother Li to take a look."
Li Min immediately set down his bowl and began packing his medical kit. "Big Brother Li, Sizhe was whipped with a bamboo stick yesterday. The wounds are swollen now. Do you have any ointment to bring along?"
"Got it!" Li Min ducked into another room to fetch the medicine. His wife muttered angrily, "That Third Brother Lin is a real piece of work. How could he hit a child so hard? He made the poor boy sick!"
Nan Sheng’s face darkened with worry. In these times, a high fever was no joke—many children ended up brain-damaged from it. She had no idea how long Sizhe had been burning up.
"You’re absolutely right, sister. I’ve got a quick temper too—I’ll smack them when they misbehave—but I’d never use a stick or bamboo on them. What kind of uncle does that?"
Once Li Min had everything ready, he hurried out with Nan Sheng, both walking briskly.
His wife watched them go and murmured to herself, Huh. Maybe Lin Han’s wife isn’t as bad as everyone says. She’s frantic over that sick kid.
Sizhe’s fever was severe. Li Min prepared an injection first, jabbing it into his backside, then left behind fever-reducing pills and an ointment for the wounds.
"Give him the pills when he wakes up. If the fever hasn’t broken by noon, I’ll come back for another injection. This boy’s constitution is too weak."
Nan Sheng felt the subtle jab at her parenting. She forced an awkward smile and went to fetch money. The visit cost her one yuan and fifty cents—proof of how illness could bankrupt the poor.
After applying the ointment, Nan Sheng fed Siqi breakfast and wiped Sizhe down twice more to cool him.
About two hours later, Sizhe finally stirred. His temperature had dropped, though he still spoke weakly.
Knowing he’d have no appetite, Nan Sheng brought him only a thin porridge. "Sizhe, you’ve got a fever. Rest well. Sleep if you’re tired—you’ll feel better when you wake up."
Sizhe closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. He’d heard his stepmother’s voice earlier but couldn’t open his eyes. He’d felt her wiping him down, calling the doctor, applying medicine... He remembered everything.
Before he knew it, his eyes grew damp. If only she’d treated me like this from the start...
Li Min’s medicine worked wonders. By noon, the swelling had subsided, and though Sizhe was still warm, the worst of the fever had passed.
Li Min stopped by to check and smiled. "No need for another injection. Just keep taking the pills."
As Nan Sheng walked him out, Lin Guozheng and his wife arrived at the door. Li Min greeted them, "Uncle, Auntie! Don’t worry—Lin Han’s wife took good care of him. The boy’s fever is down."
Lin Guozheng sighed in relief. "Thank you, Min. If not for you, the poor child might’ve been ruined by that fever."
Li Min waved it off and left to finish his meal.
An awkward silence fell between the three. The elderly couple had never liked Nan Sheng, and she didn’t push it. "Go see Sizhe. He’s feeling miserable from the illness."
Her mother-in-law, Fan Shuting, asked quietly, "We just got back and heard Sizhe was sick. Did his uncle do this yesterday?"
Nan Sheng didn’t sugarcoat it. "Hard to say. This morning, the whip marks were swollen, and he was burning up. I should’ve taken it seriously sooner."
They entered the room to find Sizhe trying to sit up for his grandparents. Fan Shuting pressed him back down. "Rest while you’re sick. No need to get up. You’ve suffered enough."
Oh, he’s suffered alright—your grandson even cried in secret, Nan Sheng thought.
Before leaving, the couple tried to give her five yuan. Nan Sheng refused. "Lin Han left me money before he went away. Keep yours. If I need funds, I’ll demand it from Third Brother—he’s the one who beat my child half to death."
The logic was sound. Lin Guozheng and his wife exchanged a glance and took the money back.
They were just afraid the third son's wife wouldn't agree, and the two families would end up fighting again!
