Father checked Xiao Lan's pulse.
Then he shook his head. "Xiao Lan's constitution is incompatible with the medicine."
Xiao Lan's father didn't believe it. "Impossible, check her pulse again."
Father glanced at him lightly. "If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."
Xiao Lan's mother rolled her eyes. "Dr. Li, our Xiao Lan is still young; there's no rush to take the medicine."
"How about this: you leave one pill with us, and in two years, we can give it to the child."
Father scoffed. "You don't trust me?"
"If we can't trust you, then forget it."
"You can leave now."
Xiao Lan's parents looked a bit anxious.
They wanted to say something more, but Father had already stood up to see them out.
Seeing this, they had no choice but to give up.
Once they left, Father turned to me and asked, "Are you satisfied?"
Yes! I rushed over and hugged his neck. "Dad, you're the best!"
I was overjoyed and ran outside in a hurry.
Before I even reached Xiao Lan's doorstep, I heard shouting and cursing.
"You little wretch, dare to hide!"
"I'll make you pay for eating for free!"
"You're just as useless as your deadbeat mother, only knowing how to sponge off others!"
"I'll beat you to death!"
Along with the shouting came Xiao Lan's cries.
I was startled.
Xiao Lan was being beaten?
I quickened my pace and ran over.
As soon as I reached the door, I saw Xiao Lan rolling on the ground, beaten. She kept banging her head on the floor, pleading, "Dad, please, stop hitting me."
"Dad, I'm willing to work at home. I'll do any chores; I promise I won't misbehave again."
Xiao Lan's Mother stood to the side with her arms crossed, a smirk lingering at the corner of her mouth.
Xiao Lan's Father, tired from hitting her, turned to lash out at Xiao Lan's Mother. "You wretched woman, it's your spoiling that caused this!"
"All you do is eat!"
"I'll beat you to death!"
I was terrified and quickly ran home.
Once inside, I gasped for breath. My father approached me and asked, "Yuying, what's wrong?"
It took me a while to catch my breath before I could reply, "Dad, Xiao Lan got beaten."
He let out a light grunt. "Is that so?"
He didn't seem surprised at all.
I found it strange and asked, "Dad, why aren't you shocked at all?"
He patted my head gently and said, "Silly child, there’s no love or hate in this world without reason."
I didn’t quite understand but chose not to ask further.
A few days later, Xiao Lan came looking for me. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying.
“Yuying, my parents said they want to marry me off to Wang the Lame from the neighboring village.”
I was taken aback. “Why?”
Xiao Lan shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“They said Wang the Lame can give my father twenty taels of silver.”
“But if I marry him, my whole life will be ruined.”
I thought for a moment. “How about I talk to my father and see if he can sell you some medicine?”
Xiao Lan's eyes lit up. “Can you do that?”
I hurried to find my father.
He was grinding medicine.
I rushed over. “Father, Xiao Lan wants to take some medicine. Can you give her a pill?”
He shot me a glare. “No.”
I tugged at his sleeve and pleaded, “Please, Father, just give Xiao Lan one.”
He set down the pestle. “Yuying, haven’t you learned your lesson from last time?”
I paused.
Last time, I had wrongly accused him.
But Xiao Lan hadn’t done anything wrong.
I just wanted to help her.
“Father, Xiao Lan is my good friend. Just help her this once.”
He looked at me, silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “Yuying, remember that not all good intentions will be met with gratitude.”
“No matter how much you do, people may not appreciate it.”
“Not everyone in this world is worth your kindness.”
I still didn’t understand.
But since my father wouldn’t agree, I had no choice but to go find Xiao Lan.
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