After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

Su Xiaoyin stood beside him, looking at the bloody wound on Chen Dashan's head, her heart aching as if something was tugging at her chest. She bit her lip, trying not to cry, afraid of disturbing Doctor Li.

Mr. Chen stood at the door, his fists clenched, his eyes fixed on Dr. Li's hands.

Dr. Li first cleaned the wound, repeatedly rinsing it with medicine to remove the mud and debris. Chen Dashan tensed up in pain, but didn't cry out; he just gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. Su Xiaoyin held his hand; it was ice-cold, like holding a stone.

"Bear with it, it'll be over soon," Dr. Li said as he skillfully stitched up the wound. The faint sound of the needle and thread piercing through the flesh was exceptionally clear in the quiet room. Su Xiaoyin turned her face away, unable to watch.

After suturing, Dr. Li applied a hemostatic and tissue-regenerating powder and bandaged it with clean gauze. He straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and let out a long breath.

"You're alright for now," Dr. Li said. "The injury is to the head, so you'll need to be observed overnight. You might experience confusion or vomiting, which are normal, so don't panic. You need to rest in bed for the next few days, and avoid strenuous physical activity and overexertion."

Mr. Chen quickly asked, "Dr. Li, should we prescribe some medicine?"

Dr. Li nodded: "I'll prescribe three doses of medicine. Come back after you've finished them, and I'll adjust the prescription accordingly." He walked to the counter, picked up a pen, and wrote the prescription, instructing as he wrote, "Decoct this medicine twice a day, morning and evening, and drink it after meals. If you develop a fever, come see me immediately."

Su Xiaoyin took the prescription and carefully put it away.

Looking at the dark sky outside, Chen's father said to Doctor Li, "Dr. Li, I'm sorry to bother you. I'll have to rest here for the night. The mountain is in such a state that it's probably impossible to move it."

Doctor Li waved his hand: "It's alright, there's room in the back of the clinic. You can go and take care of the patient. I'll call you when the medicine is ready." He turned to his apprentice and said, "Go to the back and prepare a room, make the bedding."

Su Xiaoyin and Chen's father moved Chen Dashan to the back room and laid him on the kang (a heated brick bed). The kang was warm, and Chen Dashan finally breathed a sigh of relief as he lay down.

"Dashan, you're awake? How are you feeling?" Su Xiaoyin asked as soon as she saw him open his eyes.

Chen Dashan forced a smile and said softly, "It's nothing... I'm sorry to have worried you."

Chen's father stood by the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at his son. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only said, "Rest assured and rest. We'll talk about it when you're better."

Chen Dashan nodded and closed his eyes again. He was too tired; his head felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead, and his consciousness was sometimes clear and sometimes blurry.

A short while later, the apprentice brought in a bowl of decocted medicine. Su Xiaoyin took the bowl and fed Chen Dashan spoonful by spoonful. The medicine was very bitter, and Chen Dashan frowned, but still swallowed it. After drinking the medicine, he drifted off to sleep again.

Su Xiaoyin put down the bowl, sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and looked at Chen Dashan's pale face, feeling a pang of pain in her heart. She reached out and touched his forehead; thankfully, it wasn't hot.

Chen's father leaned against the doorframe, smoking his pipe, his brow furrowed. He wondered, who pushed Da Shan down the mountain? Why would they want to harm him? Was it that wanted criminal? Or was someone in the village just jealous?

"Dad, you should rest for a while too," Su Xiaoyin said softly.

Father Chen shook his head and tapped his pipe: "I'm not tired. You take care of Dashan, I'll stay here and watch over things."

In the middle of the night, Chen Dashan suddenly developed a high fever. Su Xiaoyin touched his forehead; it was frighteningly hot. She quickly called for Doctor Li. Doctor Li came over, wearing a coat, checked his pulse, and examined his pupils. He said, "It's from the wound. Don't worry. I'll prescribe another dose of fever reducer."

The apprentice went to brew the medicine again, while Su Xiaoyin applied a cool towel to Chen Dashan's forehead, changing it repeatedly. Chen's father paced anxiously beside him, but couldn't help.

The medicine was ready, and Su Xiaoyin fed it to Chen Dashan. Half an hour later, the fever finally subsided. Chen Dashan's breathing became steady, and his complexion improved.

Su Xiaoyin let out a long sigh of relief, leaned against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and only then did she realize that her legs were weak.

The night passed without incident.

At daybreak, Doctor Li came to check on Chen Dashan. He carefully examined Chen Dashan's wound, felt his pulse, and nodded: "He's fine, nothing serious. Go back and take the medicine, and come back in a couple of days to change the dressing. If you live in the county town, I can come to your home to change the dressing. If you live in the countryside, you'll have to come over yourself."

Mr. Chen quickly said, "Dr. Li, we have a place to stay in the county town, in the house behind the general store. I'll come pick you up then, thank you for your trouble."

Dr. Li waved his hand: "No trouble at all. The patient is the priority."

After Chen's father harnessed the mule cart, Su Xiaoyin helped Chen Dashan onto it. Chen Dashan's complexion was still not good, but he was much better than last night and could sit up on his own.

"Dashan, hold on tight." Father Chen drove the cart slowly toward the house behind the grocery store.

Upon arriving at the house, Su Xiaoyin settled Chen Dashan on the kang (a heated brick bed) and covered him with a blanket. Chen Dashan tried to get up, but Su Xiaoyin stopped him, saying, "Doctor Li said you need to rest in bed. Don't move. I'll go and light the brazier; you can't catch a cold."

Chen Dashan obediently lay down, watching Su Xiaoyin bustling around, feeling a warmth in his heart. He recalled her pale face, trembling hands, and the way she kept changing his cold towels last night, and his nose tingled with emotion.

Standing in the yard, Chen's father said to Su Xiaoyin, "Xiaoyin, you stay here and take care of Dashan. I have to go home and tell your mother that Dashan is alright. Also, Dashan said someone pushed him down, and we can't just let this go. I need to go find Brother De and talk to him."

Su Xiaoyin nodded: "Dad, you go ahead. I'll take care of things at home, don't worry."

Hearing this from inside the house, Chen Dashan raised his voice and said, "Dad, I was about to get up, but if someone hadn't pushed me, I wouldn't have fallen. Besides, I felt like someone was following me, so I took a detour to the bamboo forest."

Mr. Chen nodded with a stern face: "I understand. Focus on recovering and don't think about these things. I'll investigate further when I get back."

Father Chen drove the mule cart away. Su Xiaoyin returned to the house, sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and looked at Chen Dashan.

"Dashan, you scared me to death." She finally couldn't hold back her tears.

Chen Dashan reached out and wiped away her tears: "Don't cry, I'm fine. I'm just sorry to have worried you."

Su Xiaoyin held his hand, buried her face in his palm, and cried for a long time before she stopped.

In the kitchen, the medicine pot was bubbling and steaming. Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on Chen Dashan's pale face. His eyes were closed, his breathing even, as if he were asleep.

Su Xiaoyin wiped away her tears and got up to prepare the medicine. She knew that life had to go on, and this family still depended on her. Once the mountains were healed, everything would be alright.