It really was a hit.
That was Zhao Chang's first reaction—not jealousy or anything like that, but sheer relief. As the saying goes, a close neighbor is better than a distant relative, and he knew Uncle Li's family situation well.
One word—poor.
Very poor. Extremely poor.
They used to be in decent shape, living in their own house. Uncle Li was a highly skilled tailor, making enough not just to eat well but also to send his kids to school. Life had been comfortable.
But fortune is fickle.
First, the two eldest Li boys were hit by a drunk driver on their way to school. The oldest died on the spot. The second survived but his leg was crushed—and it could have been fixed if they'd had the money.
The problem was, they didn't.
The driver never even showed his face. They didn't even know who he was.
Zhao Chang still remembered it clearly.
At that time, Uncle Li—usually as neat and clean as a tailor ought to be—showed up at his door with disheveled hair, ragged clothes, carrying two bags of candy and meat.
His eyes red and swollen, he came to ask for help.
"You're the most successful person around here. I'm coming to you with my face burning because I have no other choice. I just want to find out who hit them. I'm not asking for vengeance or anything, truly—I just want to find the man and see if he can pay some compensation. My second boy cries in pain every night, and the foreign doctor says if we can raise the money, his leg can be saved. If not, they'll have to amputate. He's only ten years old. He's still young. He can't lose his leg. I've already sold the house, but it's still not enough."
As he spoke, he grew dazed, barely aware of what he was saying:
"Whoever was driving must have money. They're rich people, worth more than us, more important than us. It's all my fault."
"My fault. I shouldn't have sent the kids to school. Should've just had them learn tailoring with me so they'd have food on the table. What was I thinking, dreaming so big? Just wasn't in the cards. Heaven couldn't stand it and took the oldest's life. Why not take mine instead?"
"Now that I think about it, the oldest was twelve this year—it was his zodiac year. We should have been careful. How could I have been so careless? I make clothes for others every day, and I never thought to make a red outfit for my own son..."
Even Zhao Chang's eyes stung to hear it.
He agreed to help.
After all, he'd been a journalist at a major newspaper for years and had connections.
The most important part was that the driver hadn't even bothered to cover his tracks. They found him quickly. He was indeed a "man of importance."
The eldest son of the Qian family.
Rich and powerful. Most importantly, the family was in the comprador trade, deeply connected to the foreigners. And in this day and age, the foreign masters were the true masters.
Anyone connected to them got three lengths of leeway.
Once they knew who it was, with the hospital waiting on money to save his son's leg, Uncle Li didn't dare waste a moment. He went straight to their door. They didn't deny it either, and they agreed to pay compensation.
Uncle Li sighed with relief.
Knowing this, Zhao Chang also felt it was the best outcome in a bad situation.
No matter what.
The living mattered most.
The Qian family didn't delay. They sent the money soon enough—
Thirty silver dollars.
One human life, one serious injury—worth thirty silver dollars.
"Is that all there is?" The joy on Uncle Li's face froze in a grotesque way, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Of course."
The steward who delivered the money was dressed in fine silk, his face kind, his tone unhurried. He looked at Uncle Li disapprovingly:
"Thirty dollars is already quite generous. The going rate for buying a child these days is five dollars. And we asked the young master—it wasn't even his fault that day. Your two boys suddenly ran out into the street. He didn't have time to brake before hitting them. Poor young master, he's young, and he was scared out of his wits. The man's lost weight from the shock."
He let out a long sigh, his eyes full of pity for his young master.
Behind him, one of the other servants snorted coldly, pointing sharply at the Li family:
"People like you, I've seen plenty. You've got hands and feet but instead of working, you just scheme and blackmail. Who knows how many kind-hearted ladies and gentlemen you've taken advantage of over the years. Killing people like you is doing the world a favor."
The steward made a show of rebuking him:
"Quiet now. It's still a human life. You shouldn't be so blunt."
But it was clear he approved of the servant's words.
The entire Li family trembled with rage. The neighbors looked disgusted at the Qian household servants, murmuring among themselves.
The steward, as if blind to it all, quickly took back the conversation before anyone could speak:
"Originally, the master and madam at home were furious. They said they'd have the police come lock you up. But the young master is kind-hearted—he refused absolutely, and even told us to deliver the money quietly."
"Even though the young master is merciful, the Qian family isn't made of paper to be bullied."
"Don't push your luck."
"Thirty silver dollars—that's enough for a coffin and a pair of crutches."
The Li family's faces darkened beyond measure, fury burning in their chests.
But they didn't dare say a single word.
The steward handed over the money. Uncle Li's hands shook as he reached out, but the steward let go too fast.
The silver dollars clattered all over the ground.
"Oh dear, the money fell. Why don't you hurry and pick it up?"
Plenty of people's eyes went red at that moment.
Their fists clenched tight.
In the end, it was Uncle Li himself who crouched down and picked up the dollars one by one before the steward and his men left. They hadn't gone far before they could be heard discussing, in loud voices, stopping by to buy a fine purebred puppy to calm the young master's nerves.
Also thirty silver dollars.
Zhao Chang had been busy at work, so he only heard about all this from his mother when he came back, and even then, he was seething with rage.
The Qian family was absolutely disgusting.
But what could be done?
The Li family had no power or standing. If they made a fuss, they'd only land themselves in jail.
Even if he wanted to help, the newspaper would never print a story that offended the Qian family. All he could do in the end was give the Li family some money, and many of the other neighbors did the same. Combined with the money from selling the house, they barely scraped together the medical costs.
But the delay had already caused lasting damage—the boy walked with a limp now.
At least he kept his leg.
After that, the Li family had to rent a house and pay off debts. Times were always tight.
But now, everything was different!
Zhao Chang walked over to congratulate the Li family, feeling a surge of gratitude toward Su Ning. If a family like the Li's could win, it proved there was no shady dealings behind it.
That made sense.
Someone that arrogant would surely not stoop to such tricks, would they?
Then, another thought struck him.
...And what if she lost? Would she be so unwilling to accept it that she'd lie?
...
"What are you all doing?"
Tailor Li was going about his work. Ever since the family tragedy, he'd worked day and night without rest, trying to earn enough to buy back their house.
Then he'd take his second son to a better hospital.
To see if his leg could be fixed.
Then, suddenly, a neighbor's boy grabbed him without explanation and dragged him home, saying something big had happened at his house. Tailor Li jumped in fright, almost going weak in the knees—afraid something bad had happened again.
He forced himself to hold it together and came back, only to find people crowded around his house, all smiling, with firework wrappers scattered on the ground. And his family—his parents, his wife, his two daughters, even his son who usually stayed indoors since his leg became lame—were all there, cheeks flushed, grinning ear to ear.
He let out a breath. At least nothing bad had happened.
So he asked, confused.
“Looks like Old Li still doesn’t know?”
“Didn’t the second boy from the Sun family make it clear when he passed by just now? Well, he’s the fastest runner, but he’s still a bit young to deliver news.”
“Anyway, it’s great news—no harm in telling him now or later.”
What great news?
Tailor Li was puzzled, but his palms began to sweat uncontrollably, and his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his throat. Just as he was about to ask, he heard the delighted voice of his lame son:
“Dad, we hit it—we got the penicillin! Our family’s going to be rich!”
The shout rang through the sky.
It felt like Tailor Li’s soul had soared into the air. His eyes went wide, his strength drained from him, and with a sudden drenching sweat, he collapsed to the ground.
