Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to explain herself.
At this point, the case was completely resolved. No matter how unwilling Li Dashan was, he no longer had any grounds to blame the doctor.
Thus, Doctor Zheng was cleared of all charges on the spot by the magistrate.
Seeing this, the people from Li Family Village were overjoyed. They truly hadn’t expected that this little girl—who had only arrived in the village yesterday—would end up being such a great help.
After picking up Doctor Zheng, the villagers rode their two ox carts back to the village.
Along the way, everyone was in high spirits, chatting excitedly.
Especially on the cart where Shen Qingli was sitting.
Although her grandfather and uncles surrounded her protectively, they still couldn’t stop the villagers’ enthusiasm.
“A literate person really is different from rough folks like us! Old Li, your family is blessed—this little girl is amazing!”
“Exactly! I thought Doctor Zheng was doomed this time. Who knew he’d come back completely unharmed!”
“That’s right! And the magistrate even made that Li Dashan apologize. Otherwise, he would’ve been beaten with a board! Seeing his frustrated face was so satisfying!”
“He deserved it! He was clearly trying to extort money using his mother’s death. Even if they beat him, it wouldn’t be unjust!”
“Our magistrate is too kind—he spared him the punishment out of pity for his recent loss. If it were me, I’d have him beaten until he couldn’t sit!”
“Exactly! When his mother died, I didn’t see a trace of grief on his face—just calculation. Disgusting!”
…
The more they talked, the more excited and cheerful everyone became.
After going through this ordeal, Doctor Zheng was deeply grateful to Shen Qingli.
He never expected that at his age, he would encounter such a disaster—truly “misfortune falling from the sky while sitting at home.”
“Child, thank you so much. I owe you a great favor. If you ever need anything from this old man, just say the word—I will do my best.”
Shen Qingli smiled lightly and replied:
“You’re too kind, Doctor Zheng. I heard you once saved my grandfather. That makes you our family’s benefactor. This is only right.”
She didn’t think much of it. She was a simple person—she acted according to her own principles.
It was her first time in Li Family Village, and she had a very good impression of the people here. She liked this place, so she was willing to step forward for someone like Doctor Zheng.
Besides, she would be living in this era for the rest of her life—she wasn’t the type to endure injustice quietly.
Her strength would be revealed gradually, allowing others to slowly accept and trust her.
If Li Family Village had been like the original host’s Shen Family Village, she wouldn’t have bothered at all.
And so, chatting and laughing, the group returned to the village.
After arriving, the village head couldn’t help but take a few extra looks at Shen Qingli, smiling and nodding in approval.
He already knew that Old Li, the butcher, had brought back his divorced daughter and granddaughters yesterday.
He had assumed they would be just like the Li family—simple and honest.
But Shen Qingli was clearly different.
In a place like the county court, she remained calm, spoke clearly and logically, and showed no fear.
She was far more capable than the three Li boys.
He still remembered how Li Tietou used to stutter nervously whenever there were many people around.
The other two weren’t much better.
That whole family might look tall and fierce, but in truth, they were soft-hearted and easy to bully.
So seeing someone like Shen Qingli emerge among them truly surprised him—and made him happy for the Li family.
With someone like her, they wouldn’t have to silently endure injustice anymore.
After returning home, once Li Erhe recounted Shen Qingli’s performance in court, everyone in the Li family looked at her differently.
No one had expected that she would be the key person who saved Doctor Zheng!
Compared to others, Li Liuyue and Shen Qingping reacted the most calmly—because they had already witnessed Qingli’s abilities before.
Besides, they believed in the “immortal’s blessing” she spoke of.
At this point, even if Qingli claimed she was a fairy, they would believe her.
From then on, the Li family became even more convinced that Qingli was a lucky star.
Not only did she bring fortune to them—even their neighbor benefited. Doctor Zheng had been “brought back safely” thanks to her.
Just as everyone was chatting happily, Doctor Zheng from next door came over, carrying some dried goods and medicinal herbs he had gathered from the mountains.
Smiling, he said to Old Li:
“Brother Li, today was all thanks to your Qingli. I don’t have much, but please accept these dried goods and medicinal herbs.”
“This medicine is for strengthening the body—boil it for your wife; it will be beneficial to her health.”
Old Li waved his hands quickly:
“Oh, Old Zheng, why so polite? We’re neighbors—helping each other is only natural!”
In his view, helping others in times of need was simply the right thing to do. Qingli being able to help made him happy—there was no need for any reward.
But Doctor Zheng insisted, so Old Li had no choice but to accept.
As Doctor Zheng was about to leave, he noticed Shen Qingli and Shen Qingping standing nearby.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind, and he asked:
“By the way… can these two girls read?”
Li Liuyue didn’t know why he asked but answered honestly:
“Yes, they learned some basic literacy when they were young.”
Doctor Zheng nodded, then asked:
“Would they be interested in learning medicine from me?”
The moment he said this, everyone in the Li family froze in surprise.
Seeing their reactions, Doctor Zheng quickly explained:
“I’m getting old and don’t have the energy to gather herbs anymore. I’ve been wanting to take on an apprentice.”
“Originally, I wanted to take one of your boys as a student…”
“But unfortunately, they’re too slow at learning. After several days, they still couldn’t distinguish herbs from weeds. They’re just not suited for medicine.”
“Today, I feel these two girls have a good affinity, so I wanted to ask.”
“If they’re not interested, that’s fine—no pressure.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the three “blockheads” turned red with embarrassment.
Only now did they realize—
That all those times Doctor Zheng called them over to help dry herbs…
He had actually been trying to choose an apprentice.