With a sudden resolve, Xu Dongwang didn't care if the pearl hairpin was valuable or not, and shoved it into Xu Jianing's hand.
He then said apologetically, "Girl, Uncle just got back from the fields. I was in too much of a hurry this morning and didn't bring any silver with me. Take this hairpin, consider it payment for medical fees. Hurry and go see Doctor Liu, don't let it leave any after-effects."
Seeing that she had accepted it, Xu Dongwang took the opportunity to explain, "Your second cousin hasn't been well recently and is recuperating at home; she's quite upset. She probably didn't expect that a small spat between you young ladies would turn out so serious."
"I will speak to her when I get back, so don't take it too much to heart, okay? Between sisters, how big of a feud can there be?"
*She wants to clear her own daughter's name,* Xu Jianing thought maliciously, *so I'll lend her a hand and let her wash it clean.*
She nodded gently, looking as if she understood everything, "I understand, Uncle. I won't stoop to the second cousin's level. She must have received some shock, just like my Eldest Sister. Otherwise, she wouldn't have acted so abnormally."
"Uncle, hurry back and check on her. If it's serious, quickly find a Doctor to examine the second cousin. I shouldn't have accepted this pearl hairpin. You know our family's situation; I will return it when we have money. Oh dear, my head hurts so much, I need to go lie down; I feel unwell all over right now."
As soon as her words fell, she saw the surrounding villagers who had gathered to watch the excitement beginning to whisper amongst themselves.
They all knew what was going on with Xu Jianing's Eldest Sister.
That Girl was also pitiful; she was supposed to get married within the next year or two, but unexpectedly, her parents passed away one after the other. Her fiancé's family disliked them for being inauspicious and publicly broke off the engagement.
After learning this news, that Girl's temperament suddenly changed drastically; she became withdrawn and hostile towards everyone, leading to the rumors that she had gone mad.
Now hearing that the Village Chief's second Daughter was also acting strangely, it couldn't help but make them think otherwise.
Everyone knew that the Village Chief's family was relatively well-off in this area. There were even rumors before that after the second Daughter went to the city, she started looking down on country folk like them.
What's happening now? Could it be that she was dumped? Is that why she acted so extremely out of heartbreak?
They hadn't expected the Village Chief's family conduct to be like this. The way they looked at Xu Dongwang had changed.
Watching Xu Jianing walk away, Xu Dongwang felt increasingly aggrieved the more he thought about it, making his liver ache with anger.
This damned Girl, didn't she know what she was saying? How could their second Daughter be compared to that lunatic? No, he had to quickly explain before the villagers dispersed.
He deliberately cleared his throat and spoke with an air of regret, "Jianing is really something; ever since her Eldest Sister had her incident, she's become very suspicious, thinking everyone will turn out like her Eldest Sister. Poor child, I hope nothing goes wrong with her, or how will my younger brother live!"
"Alright, alright, everyone disperse! It's time to go back and eat."
Seeing this, everyone also left.
Xu Jianing, who had been hiding in the shadows waiting to watch the show, pursed her lips. She sighed inwardly; her Uncle was truly an old fox, very cunning. In just a few words, he had shifted the blame back onto her.
But it didn't matter; she had at least secured some compensation, so it wasn't a total loss. There was still plenty of time, and she had many opportunities to seek justice for herself.
Fearing discovery, she quickly walked forward. According to the information in her memory, their home should be at the east end of the village, not far from here.
Sure enough, after just a few steps, she saw a dilapidated thatched hut enclosed by a fence.
Could this be the place she would have to live from now on?
It wasn't that she hadn't expected their family to be poor, but she hadn't anticipated they would be poor to this extent.
To use modern terms, it was practically a dangerous building. If there were strong winds or heavy rain, the roof would surely blow off, and their whole family would be finished.
The thought of this possibility sent a chill down her spine. No, she couldn't die again like this; she had to find a way to improve this situation.
Just as she was thinking, the courtyard gate suddenly opened, and a man walked towards her with a limp. Seeing the injury on her forehead, the man said with heartache, "Jianing, how did you get hurt? Does it hurt a lot? You wait right here, Father will go invite a Doctor for you right away."
Xu Jianing knew that this man was the original body's father, Xu Dongyang, Xu Dongwang's biological younger brother.
Judging by his posture, he was planning to go into the mountains to hunt. But upon seeing her injured, her father dropped his things and rushed towards the west end of the village despite his mobility issues. When he stumbled, he got up and kept running.
This action moved Xu Jianing, who had lacked fatherly love since childhood. Honestly, in all her years, no one had ever treated her this well.
Her parents in the modern world were always busy making money. For her, the thing she lacked least growing up was money.
The fact that she was considered rebellious and a menace was largely due to her parents' laissez-faire attitude towards her.
She suddenly felt a bit fortunate to have arrived in this unfamiliar world.
Finally snapping back to reality, she couldn't help but run to Father Xu's side and quickly helped him up, "Father, don't worry, I'm fine. Look, the scar on my forehead looks scary, but it's just scraped skin. I'll show you after I wash up. Let's go back first, so Mother and the others don't worry."
Father Xu looked at her with deep concern, "You say you're fine, but there's so much blood on your forehead. When you were little, you were the most afraid of pain; you would cry for half a day even if you just fell down. It's all my fault for being useless, unable to even handle a small matter like fetching a Doctor for you."
Xu Jianing saw his dejection. For a moment, she genuinely didn't know what to say to comfort him.
Just then, Uncle Jingde, whom she had seen before, walked over with a young man carrying a medicine box on his back.
"What happened? Brother Dongyang, are you alright? I've invited Doctor Liu; let him examine you, okay?"
"No, no need, I'm fine. Doctor Liu, you should examine my Jianing instead! It wouldn't be good for a young girl to be left with a scar."
Doctor Liu looked at Xu Jianing silently, "She's fine, perfectly well. The wound looks scary, but it's really just a superficial scratch. The one who needs attention is you. Didn't I instruct you not to be rash or fall again? Have you considered what I mentioned to you before?"
Seeing her father's eyes shift evasively, Xu Jianing sensitively realized he was hiding something from them, and it wasn't a small matter—it must concern his leg. Could it be that her father's leg still had hope?
Without a second thought, she pulled Doctor Liu aside, "Tell me? Is there actually hope for my father's leg? What needs to be done?"
Doctor Liu looked at her with slight amusement, "Can you make decisions in your family? You must know that your father, your Mother, and your Eldest Sister—their illnesses are not severe, yet not entirely minor either. Most importantly, they need to cooperate with my treatment, which, of course, will cost quite a bit of Silver. Do you understand?"
I understand, I understand, of course I understand! In other words, their family's situation could improve, provided they have money! In the end, it all comes down to being too poor! If you're poor, you can't even afford to be sick!