Chapter 101: A Fright, But No Danger
Ning Xiyue walked out carrying a basin and looked at the crowd gathered in the middle of the courtyard with a puzzled expression.
“What’s going on here?” she asked.
“Xiyue, you’re here — help me!” Liu Yao, who was lying on the ground, shouted, her eyes filled with desperate hope.
Yu Zhiyu stopped pushing his bicycle, and the noisy surroundings suddenly fell silent.
When the people in the yard saw her come out, it was as if they had seen a savior.
Ning Xiyue thought to herself: Are they all stunned by my female lead halo?
Chen Yechu hurried over, grabbed Ning Xiyue’s hand, and pulled her toward Liu Yao as she asked anxiously, “Xiyue, do you have any medicine?”
“Huh?” Ning Xiyue was confused. “What medicine? What happened?”
Before Chen Yechu could explain, Yu Zhiyu answered anxiously, “Antivenom! Yaoyao was bitten by a snake! There’s no medicine and no doctor at the commune clinic. We were just about to take her to the township clinic.”
A villager who had come along to check the situation scolded them angrily, “Then why are you still standing around? Hurry up and take her to the clinic! Calling Xiao Ning here won’t save her — snakebites can kill!”
Yu Zhiyu snapped back to his senses and hurriedly started pushing the bicycle again.
Aunt Liu, the gossip queen from the drying team, was also there. She rolled her eyes at the young educated youths around her and said, “Exactly. Look, this Comrade Liu is already pale. Don’t you dare blame our Comrade Xiyue later for delaying things. If you do, I’ll drown you all with my spit right here in the brigade!”
Hearing that, Chen Yechu froze for a moment, wondering if she had made a mistake. Why had she instinctively thought Xiyue could treat this?
Ning Xiyue, who had been pulled over, gave Aunt Liu a grateful smile when she heard those words.
“Auntie’s right.”
She then turned her gaze to Liu Yao on the ground. There was a vine tied tightly around her leg, causing some blood congestion. On her ankle were two small bloody puncture wounds with some white powder sprinkled on them.
Liu Yao was clutching her calf with both hands, her face pale as she choked out, “Xiyue, I feel like I’m dying… I was bitten by a poisonous snake… I’m going to die!”
Ning Xiyue was speechless. With a voice that strong? Who sounds like that after a venomous snakebite? She brushed away the powder, and the blood seeping from the wound was bright red.
“Stop screaming. Relax. You’re not dying — the snake isn’t poisonous. If it were, would you still be shouting here?”
“Huh? Not poisonous? Really? Then I’m not going to die?” Liu Yao’s tears turned into laughter in an instant. Realizing she was fine, she grinned like a fool.
“Xiyue, thank you.”
Ning Xiyue waved her hand dismissively. “What did you put on the wound?”
Chen Yechu stepped forward to explain, “Oh, I happened to have an anti-inflammatory pill in my bag. She was bleeding a lot after tying up her leg, so in a panic, I crushed it and sprinkled it on the wound.”
Ning Xiyue nodded, now understanding the source of the powder — some random purchase from an online shop. She didn’t ask further. Instead, she turned to Liu Yao and reminded her:
“Untie that vine around your leg. Clean the wound. We don’t have much here, so mix some salt water and rinse it repeatedly. Then apply some more medicine. The one you used isn’t bad. If you’re still worried, I suggest going to a hospital for proper treatment to avoid infection.”
“Okay, thank you.”
As Ning Xiyue spoke, Yu Zhiyu followed her instructions on the side.
Chen Yechu brought over a basin of water to help clean the wound.
After Ning Xiyue finished speaking, the villagers watching nearby whispered among themselves, now looking at her with newfound respect.
Aunt Qian stared at Ning Xiyue in admiration. “Xiyue, you even know how to treat people?”
Aunt Wang, who was always terrified of going to the clinic, patted her chest. “That’s right, Xiao Ning. The way you spoke just now — we didn’t even dare to breathe. You sounded exactly like a doctor from the township clinic.”
Ning Xiyue smiled confidently. “My grandfather used to be the barefoot doctor for the brigade. I learned a bit from him. I can treat common colds and basic illnesses.”
(She needed to lay the groundwork — she was determined to claim the position of barefoot doctor in the team.)
“So impressive!”
Aunt Liu thought to herself. Their brigade’s barefoot doctor had just left. If Xiao Ning became the new one, she wouldn’t have to swallow her pride to see a doctor anymore.
“What’s so surprising? Xiyue’s always been amazing. I’ve known for a while that she could treat people. Honestly, I think Xiao Ning should become the barefoot doctor.”
“Mm, makes sense.”
Someone whispered, “Our brigade doesn’t have one anymore, right? I wonder what the captain plans to do. If they’re thinking of bringing someone from elsewhere, I’d rather we suggest Ning to them.”
Aunt Liu then pulled Ning Xiyue aside and whispered, “Xiyue, I heard our brigade’s barefoot doctor left. If you want to go for the position, I’ll fully support you — hands and feet included. I’ll even help you gather information.”
“Really? Then I’ll definitely try. I hope I can contribute to the brigade. Thank you so much, Auntie.” Ning Xiyue couldn’t help but marvel at the power of the female lead halo.
“No need to thank me. We’re family — come on, let’s go.” Aunt Liu led Ning Xiyue back to the crowd.
“Hey, look at Liu now — her face looks so much better. Seems like she’s fine.”
Liu Yao looked at Ning Xiyue and thanked her sincerely. “Xiyue, thank you. After cleaning the wound, I feel so much better. I’m not dizzy anymore.”
Ning Xiyue thought: Could it be that you were just panicking too much before, and now that the bleeding’s slowed, it’s just psychological?
A fright, but no danger.
The crisis was over, and everyone in the educated youth courtyard breathed a sigh of relief. The crowd gradually dispersed.
Since Liu Yao’s wound was fine, and the township clinic was far away, they decided not to go.
Ning Xiyue returned indoors, but she hadn’t been sitting long before someone came to find her.
Ning Xiyue: …
The publicity’s that effective? The news spread that fast?
It hadn’t even been half an hour.
When she went out again, it was a group of village aunties. Having learned that she could treat illnesses, they had formed a group to visit her. They wanted her to check on their minor ailments — mostly simple colds that they usually just endured.
Now that the young comrade they chatted and gossiped with every day turned out to have real medical skills — skills they had once doubted — they fully believed the rumors about her medical talent.
It was ridiculous, yet strangely reasonable.
Ning Xiyue patiently answered their questions, explaining which herbs they could pick in the mountains for their colds and giving them dietary advice, as well as the reasoning behind each recommendation.
Her clear, logical explanations left the aunties stunned — they were completely convinced that this young educated youth could really treat illnesses. Just listening to her made them feel she was knowledgeable and well-educated.
“Oh my, Xiao Ning, you know so much. No wonder Aunt Liu keeps praising you.”
“Exactly — such a capable girl. We’ll speak well of you to the captain.”
Ning Xiyue smiled. “I’ll gladly accept your praise and kindness. Thank you, aunties.”
“Alright then, we’ll go for now. Tomorrow, we’ll see if we can find some of those herbs you mentioned and bring them here for you to check.”
“Sounds good.” Ning Xiyue nodded cheerfully. “Goodbye, aunties.”
After sending them off, Ning Xiyue returned to the house. She had barely started chatting with Chen Yechu when someone else came looking for her.
It was truly a sweet burden. For a better future, she could only keep pushing forward.
When she stepped outside and saw who was at the entrance of the educated youth courtyard, Ning Xiyue rubbed her eyes.
“Captain? What brings you here?”
