Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

"Where is the child?" Chen Ping asked.

Sun Xiuying's voice choked, and tears welled up again, even more fiercely than before.

She opened her mouth, the voice seeming to be squeezed out from her throat, "My child... my child dropped out of school last year. His father couldn't afford the tuition; he gambled away all his money and is now drowning in debt. My child said, 'Mom, I'm not going to school anymore. I'll go work and earn money to pay off the debts.' He's only fifteen years old..."

She couldn't continue, so she covered her mouth and began to sob.

Cui Ying's eyes reddened, and she bit her lip until it turned white.

She wanted to say something, but it felt like something was stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Sun Xiuying cried for a while, then wiped her face and sniffled.

"This morning, he asked me to borrow money again. I've already borrowed from my family, relatives, and neighbors. I've borrowed from everyone I can. Who else would lend me money?"

I told him I couldn't borrow it, and he called me, then said not to come back if I couldn't borrow it. I sat at home all morning, not knowing where to go or what to do. I came here, looked at the water, and thought…”

She didn't finish speaking, but Chen Ping and Cui Ying both understood.

Cui Ying finally couldn't hold back anymore, her voice trembling with anger: "Your man is no human being! He gambles, beats his wife, forces her to borrow money, and even forced his child to drop out of school! What kind of man is he?!"

Sun Xiuying lowered her head and remained silent, tears falling drop by drop onto the stone.

Chen Ping was silent for a moment before speaking: "Sister Sun, if you die, what will happen to your child?"

Sun Xiuying's body trembled.

"If you die, your man won't be sad. He'll just find another wife and keep gambling. What about your child? He's only fifteen. He's working away from home. He'll come back for the New Year and find his mother gone, his home gone. What will he do?" Chen Ping said.

At this point, only the child can save Sun Xiuying's life.

Sun Xiuying's tears flowed even more fiercely, but this time she didn't cover her face; they just flowed, down to her chin, and dripped onto her knees.

"You can't die. If you die, the person who hit you will benefit. As long as you live, there is hope. The child can come back, and life can go on."

Sun Xiuying raised her head and looked at Chen Ping, her eyes so swollen they were barely open.

"What...what else can I hope for?" Her voice trembled.

"Don't count on too much. Your man gambles, and that's not something that can be changed overnight. But you have to stay alive first. Only by staying alive can you have a chance. Your child is waiting for you. If he works and earns money, but comes back and can't find his mother, he'll hate you for the rest of his life," Chen Ping said.

Sun Xiuying's lips trembled; she wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back.

She lowered her head, looked at her new slippers for a while, and then nodded.

"I'm not dead." Her voice was soft, but it was a little more steady than before.

Cui Ying breathed a sigh of relief and put her hand on her shoulder: "Sister Sun, we'll take you home first."

Sun Xiuying shook her head: "No need to see me off, I'll go back by myself."

"no."

Chen Ping stood up. "We're worried about you looking like this."

Sun Xiuying kept her head down and didn't speak, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

Chen Ping and Cui Ying exchanged a glance.

Cui Ying nodded, and the two of them, one on each side, accompanied Sun Xiuying back.

Sun Xiuying neither refused nor spoke. She just walked with her head down, her steps very slow, as if each step was on cotton.

The three of them walked through the poplar grove and onto the dirt road.

The cornfield was still rustling, but Chen Ping felt that the sound was different from when he arrived; it carried a stuffy quality.

"Sister Sun, where in Sunjiagou is your home located?" Chen Ping asked.

"The third house at the east end of the village." Sun Xiuying's voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of being overheard.

It took the three of them more than half an hour to reach Sunjiagou.

The village is small, with only a few dozen households. The houses are all old-fashioned mud-brick houses, and the whitewash on the walls is peeling off in patches, like they have a skin condition.

The third house at the east end of the village had a courtyard wall that had collapsed halfway. The gate was made of two wooden planks, hanging crookedly on the door frame. The red paint on the door had long since peeled off, revealing the grayish-white wood underneath.

Sun Xiuying stood at the door but didn't go in.

She glanced back at Chen Ping and Cui Ying, her eyes filled with something indescribable—not gratitude, but embarrassment.

"You...don't go in. If he sees us, he'll cause trouble again," Sun Xiuying said.

"Are you sure you can go in alone?" Cui Ying asked, somewhat worried.

"Okay." Sun Xiuying nodded. "I won't die, don't worry."

Chen Ping glanced at her, then looked at the crooked door.

"Then be careful. If anything happens, come find me at the health center. My name is Chen Ping, from Siping Township Health Center," Chen Ping said.

Sun Xiuying nodded, pushed open the door, and went inside.

Chen Ping and Cui Ying stood at the door, not leaving.

The two exchanged a glance, both somewhat uneasy.

Sun Xiuying's footsteps echoed in the courtyard, soft and cautious, as if she were hiding from something.

Then came the sound of the door closing, very softly and carefully.

There was silence for about ten seconds.

Then came a muffled thud, like a fist hitting flesh, followed by Sun Xiuying's cry—not a shout, but a muffled groan, as if something had covered her mouth.

"So you actually came back? Where's the money? Did you manage to borrow it?"

The man's voice was rough like gravel, reeking of alcohol, and could be smelled even through the wall.

"I...I couldn't borrow any..." Sun Xiuying's voice trembled.

"Didn't borrow it? What are you doing back here if you didn't borrow it?"

There was another muffled thud, followed by the sound of the stool falling to the ground.

Cui Ying's face turned pale instantly, and she turned to rush inside, but Chen Ping grabbed her arm.

"You wait here." Chen Ping's voice was filled with murderous intent.

He pushed open the crooked door and went inside.

The yard wasn't big, and it was littered with trash and empty bottles.

A man stood at the entrance of the main room. He was in his forties, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, and shirtless.

He grabbed Sun Xiuying's hair with one hand and raised the other, about to strike her.

Sun Xiuying knelt on the ground, blood at the corner of her mouth, her hair being pulled by him, her face upturned, her eyes filled with tears.

Chen Ping knew that this man must be Sun Xiuying's husband, Zhao Dezhu.

Chen Ping rushed over in three strides and grabbed Zhao Dezhu's wrist.

Zhao Dezhu's hand froze in mid-air. He turned his head, saw Chen Ping, paused for a moment, then his face contorted with rage: "Who the hell are you?"

Chen Ping didn't say anything, but increased the pressure on his hand by three points.

Zhao Dezhu's face changed, from red to white, from white to green, his mouth opened wide, and a hissing sound squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Let go!" Zhao Dezhu tried to break free, but Chen Ping's hand was like an iron clamp, not moving an inch.

"Let go first." Chen Ping glanced at the hand that was gripping Sun Xiuying's hair.

Zhao Dezhu hesitated for a moment, then loosened his grip.

Sun Xiuying collapsed to the ground, covering her head and trembling all over.

Chen Ping also loosened his grip.