Because she had woken up earlier than usual this morning, Li Suisui didn’t bring Li Nian Nian. She crept to the seaside in the dark.
This was the first time she had come to this spot—the same beach where she had found the grouper before. It wasn’t very large, but there were relatively few people scavenging along the shore.
She hoped luck would be on her side today.
When she arrived, no one was there. She quickly activated her spiritual vision, scanning the entire beach inch by inch.
Along the way, she saw many small crabs, clams, and other small seafood.
But she didn’t stop for any of it—these things weren’t valuable.
After surveying the entire beach, she still hadn’t seen anything worthwhile.
Then, when her gaze swept over the water, she spotted two bright red fish swimming—it looked like East Star Grouper.
She grabbed her dip net and quickly waded into the water, stopping where it reached just below her chest. Then she swung the net fiercely toward the two groupers.
The motion nearly made her fall, and she only managed to catch one fish.
One is better than none.
Her heart pounding, she dragged the net to shore.
From a distance, voices suddenly rang out—other people were coming to the beach. She quickly put the grouper into her wooden bucket and headed home.
Her clothes were soaked, and the morning air was still chilly. She needed to get home and change quickly.
Back at home, Li Nian Nian was about to go out searching for her. “Sister, why didn’t you call me along? You went to the beach alone?”
“I woke up earlier and wanted you to sleep a bit longer.”
“Hmph! You can’t do that anymore. Wherever you go, you must take me with you!”
Li Suisui spent some time comforting the sulking Li Nian Nian until she calmed down.
After breakfast, she carried the small wooden bucket to town. Her luck wasn’t great today—no ox carts passed by—so she walked the entire way to town, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.
At the Xie family fish shop, Xie Kuan wasn’t there today, but she was already a familiar face. The shop assistant greeted her warmly and gave her a good price.
The East Star Grouper was purchased at 70 wen per jin—three jin totaled 210 wen. The abalones were slightly more expensive, 100 wen each—three abalones totaled 300 wen.
Altogether, she earned 510 wen on this trip.
Remembering what the local healer had said yesterday—that Wang Xiulian needed not only medicine but also nutritious food—she went to the butcher to buy a jin of meat and then to the grocery to buy two liang of sugar.
Next, she settled the payment for the custom doors and windows at Li’s carpentry shop, asking them to hurry and finish them. Last night, the sea breeze had been strong and cold.
She and Li Nian Nian weren’t afraid of the cold, but Wang Xiulian was different.
On the way home, she was lucky enough to catch a ride on an ox cart. Rocking along, she fell asleep again.
Suddenly, a commotion woke her.
“Look! What’s happening over there?”
“It looks like a small child’s throat is blocked.”
“Good heavens! Look at the child’s face—it’s already turning blue and purple! He can’t be saved.”
Hearing a child was choking snapped her awake.
“Where is the child with a blocked throat?”
“See, that little boy by the roadside? That woman’s slapping his back repeatedly—I don’t know if it will work.”
“Just slapping his back won’t help. Uncle Gao, stop the cart.”
“Miss, what are you doing?”
“Saving him!”
Li Suisui jumped off the cart and sprinted toward the boy.
The five-year-old’s face was purple, and he was taking in more air than he was expelling.
“Let me try. Step aside!”
Suddenly, a woman rushed out to stop her. “What are you doing? You little street urchin, get away!”
Ugh, she was being looked down upon again. Did she really look like a street urchin in her clothes?
“Hmph! I wanted to help this poor little boy, but since you won’t let me, fine.
Boy, remember this—if you meet me, you would have survived. But because this woman blocked me, your life is at risk. Hate her if you must—she’s the one endangering you.”
“You brat! What nonsense are you talking about? I’ll beat you to death!”
Li Suisui quickly dodged. “Why are you so angry? Did you cause this boy to choke and now try to stop me from saving him?”
Her words were sharp, but it was the woman who blocked her while yelling.
“You’re lying! I’ll rip your mouth apart today!”
Li Suisui didn’t back down. She rolled up her sleeves. “Come on, then. I’m not afraid of you.”
Just as the two were about to clash, the woman repeatedly slapping the boy’s back shouted, “Stop this at once!”
“Second sister-in-law, this girl is too sharp-tongued; she must be taught a lesson.”
“Now is the time for fighting? My child is nearly dead—how can you think about fighting someone else?”
“I… I’m just angry!”
The woman looked at Li Suisui. “Do you really know how to save my child?”
“As long as he hasn’t stopped breathing, I have about an 80% chance of saving him.”
“Then try!”
“Second sister-in-law, are you crazy? She’s just a little girl in tattered clothes. How can you trust her?”
“Do I trust her, or do I trust you? I said my child can’t eat candy—why did you insist on feeding him?”
“This is for his own good. It’s not my fault he choked. Why yell at me?”
Li Suisui was speechless. Even now, the woman was still arguing.
“Will you help or not? If yes, hand me the boy.”
“Fine. Take him.”
Her child was barely breathing. The healer hadn’t arrived yet, so all hope rested on the little girl.
Li Suisui began to perform first-aid as she had learned in her previous life.
She held the boy from behind, left fist under her right hand, and struck repeatedly on his abdomen just below the navel.
One hit, two hits, three…
“See! I told you she’s unreliable, and you didn’t listen. She’s hitting the child, not saving him!”
The woman’s face turned dark. “Let’s wait a little longer…”
“Wait for what? Second sister-in-law, go take the boy now!”
The woman stepped back a few steps, and Li Suisui shouted:
“Stand still! If you listened to her and made me stop, your child would be dead!”
“No! I don’t want my child to die!”
“Then wait properly.”
Li Suisui, anxious beyond measure, kept silently urging, Come on… come on…
She didn’t know how many times she had struck. Exhausted and sweating profusely, she finally saw a reaction from the boy.
“Pft…”
He vomited something out, letting out a weak whimper.
“Mom… mommy…”
The woman rushed forward, elated. “He’s alive! My son’s alive!”
Li Suisui checked the boy’s mouth for other obstructions and then handed him back.
“He’s been holding his breath too long and is a little traumatized. You’d better take him to the clinic for a check-up.”
“Thank you, young lady! You saved my son—and both of us!”
“It’s nothing,” Li Suisui said and climbed back onto Gao’s ox cart.
The woman holding her son followed a few steps. “What’s your name? Where do you live? I’ll come thank you properly once he’s settled.”
Li Suisui waved her off. “I just helped because I saw injustice. No need for thanks. Hurry and take him to the clinic. Uncle Gao, let’s go.”
After this, Gao and the others on the cart looked at Li Suisui with new respect.
In that situation, she dared to save a life, and she didn’t even ask for reward—such courage and selflessness were rare!