Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 141 

Chapter 141

Shan Ling and Shen Qingyi arrived at the nurse station, asked the nurse to go to the room and clear out the visitors, and then Shan Ling relayed everything Hu Ai had told her to Shen Qingyi, word for word.

Shen Qingyi frowned slightly. She wasn’t entirely sure what Hu Ai wanted to show her, but since she was already here, there was no need to hide. So Shen Qingyi told Shan Ling, “Tell her I’ve arrived. We’ll wait for her here at the nurse station.”

Shan Ling nodded, took out her phone, and opened the conversation window for the little red fox. She saw that, aside from the initial automatic greeting, there was no other dialogue.

We are waiting for you at the nurse station.

Shan Ling sent the message to Hu Ai. The other party quickly replied with an ‘OK’ hand gesture, almost instantly, making Shan Ling suspect she had been waiting for her reply.

Soon, Hu Ai walked over with her red ponytail, her eyes falling on Shen Qingyi and Shan Ling. She curved her lips into a smile and said, “You’re here.”

Shen Qingyi looked at her and asked, “Do you have something you need to see me about?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t come looking for you otherwise,” Hu Ai put her hands in her pockets, smiling comfortably with her eyes curved: “But I’m surprised you were willing to meet me.”

“Why wouldn’t I be willing to meet you?” Shen Qingyi held Shan Ling’s hand, lifted her chin, and looked at her, declaring her ownership: “Just say what you need to say directly. I have other things to do and can’t be delayed for too long.”

Hu Ai knew she was just saying that. If she truly had an emergency, she wouldn’t have messaged her.

“Come with me,” Hu Ai told the two. “Didn’t you two wonder about the owner of that Nüshu book? She happens to be in the hospital now. I’ll take you to meet her.”

Shen Qingyi had never said she was curious, but the way Hu Ai said it did pique her interest in what kind of person the owner of that Nüshu book was.

The hospital’s inpatient department always had many people coming and going. Shen Hongjun was in a high-class single room, and the environment was excellent, which led Shan Ling, who hadn’t been to a hospital much, to believe that most patient rooms were like that.

But after walking through the corridor and arriving at another multi-person ward, Shan Ling realized the hospital also had such cramped places.

Some slightly better rooms were three-person wards, but the space was tiny. The three beds seemed to have been squeezed in, and each patient’s family member could only sit on a chair, making it difficult to even move around.

And the even worse wards made Shan Ling feel simpler and more crowded than the garage she had lived in before.

Many people lay close together. The heavy smell of disinfectant hung in the air. Although it was early spring, the weather was still cold, but even so, the room needed constant ventilation, or the smell was so bad it was almost suffocating.

There were also patient beds scattered along the corridor. Patients lay on them with their eyes closed, either resting or sleeping. People walked back and forth around them. As Shan Ling passed by, she couldn’t help but look twice.

“Why are these people sleeping outside?” Shan Ling quickly walked up to Shen Qingyi, held her hand, and quietly asked.

Shen Qingyi glanced at the people lying on the corridor beds and told Shan Ling, “Those are extra beds added in the hallway for people who don’t have a room.”

This was very common in hospitals. There were always many sick people, but beds were limited. Some patients didn’t have a room and could only stay on corridor beds.

These beds weren’t expensive. The main convenience was being close to the hospital for treatment; otherwise, who wouldn’t want to go home?

Hu Ai heard the quiet discussion behind her, turned to glance at the little mountain sparrow, and saw the confusion and sympathy in her eyes. She smiled softly, stopped at a patient room door, and told the two, “This is it. After I take you in, please don’t speak first.”

Don’t speak?

Shan Ling looked at Hu Ai suspiciously, blinking her eyes but not asking any questions.

Hu Ai opened the door. Shan Ling and Shen Qingyi saw several pairs of eyes in the cramped and tiny ward turn to look at them instantly.

This was an eight-person ward, long and narrow. A row of beds was against the wall, separated by curtains that were drawn back during the day to prevent the room from being too dim.

Although the room was small and crowded, it was kept very clean. The windows were wide open for ventilation. It was a bit cold but didn’t smell too bad.

The others only glanced at Shan Ling’s group. Realizing they weren’t looking for them, they lowered their heads and continued playing on their phones.

Hu Ai led the two to the innermost bed. Looking at the little girl lying on the bed, she was currently hooked up to an IV drip. A pair of dark eyes stared intently at Hu Ai and the people behind her, then broke into a sweet smile.

“Sister Hu Ai.”

The little girl looked to be in her teens, with dark and sallow skin, but her eyes were very bright, and her long hair was black and thick. However, her complexion was poor; she looked seriously ill.

Hu Ai sat down by the little girl’s bed, touched her head, and asked, “How are you feeling? Is there anything uncomfortable?”

The little girl shook her head. She looked at Shan Ling and Shen Qingyi and curiously asked, “Sister Hu Ai, who are these two? Are they your friends?”

The word “friends” made Hu Ai very happy. She turned to look at the little mountain sparrow, then nodded and said, “They are my friends. I ran into them today and brought them to see you.”

Then, Hu Ai pointed to Shen Qingyi and said, “Do you remember the book you brought? She is helping you restore it now. I believe you will have the complete book very soon.”

The little girl’s eyes immediately brightened. She looked at Shen Qingyi gratefully: “Thank you. That book is very important to me. I hope you are willing to restore it.”

Shen Qingyi lowered her gaze and nodded, which was an acceptance.

Afterward, Hu Ai chatted with the little girl about many things. It wasn’t until the nurse came to change the medication that she got up and led Shan Ling and Shen Qingyi out of the room.

As soon as they left the room, Shen Qingyi asked, “Who is that?”

Hu Ai looked back at her and said, “Her name is Xiao Cai. She came out of the mountains a month ago. She is ill and urgently needs money for treatment. At the time, Xiao Cai only had that book and wanted to sell it for 5,000 yuan.”

“She didn’t know the value of the book, only that it could be sold for money, and the money could save her life.” Hu Ai suddenly asked, “How old do you think she is?”

Shen Qingyi thought for a moment and said, “17?”

“About that,” Hu Ai whispered, “She just turned 16 this year but is already engaged and preparing to get married and have children.”

“That young?” Shan Ling said in surprise, “She’s not even an adult at 16, how can she get married? Does the country allow it?”

“In the mountainous regions, many little girls get married at fourteen or fifteen. Even in the rural suburbs now, there are girls who drop out of junior high school to return home and get married,” Hu Ai said. “They don’t have the opportunity to go to school, and they can’t find suitable work. Their families don’t want to feed an extra mouth and actively introduce them to partners, marrying them off as soon as possible.”

Shan Ling frowned upon hearing this. Her family’s place was strictly a small town, but there was no tradition of preventing children from going to school, nor were there families forcing girls to marry in their teens.

But in this world, there were indeed people like this. They couldn’t go to school and could only marry and have children early in their teens, living lives where they could see the end from the beginning.

The three left the multi-person ward and arrived at the elevator.

Hu Ai turned to Shen Qingyi and said, “I have finished translating that Nüshu book. Now it depends on how your restoration goes.”

Shen Qingyi nodded and said very seriously, “The current restoration progress is acceptable. However, I will have to come to the hospital frequently these two days. It should be fully restored by the end of the month at the latest.”

“That’s good. These days, I can also entrust my friends to contact buyers,” Hu Ai said casually, her hands in her pockets. “If the book can be sold for a good price, maybe she can attend a decent university in addition to receiving treatment.”

“Can her illness be cured?” Shan Ling asked with concern.

Hu Ai thought for a moment and smiled, “As long as there is money, there is always a way. Haven’t you heard that saying? Most problems in this world can be solved with money, and even if they can’t be solved, they can be alleviated with money. If her illness truly cannot be cured, then this money will still be enough for the little girls in her village to have a decent education.”

Trading a book for the fate of an era—it was worth it no matter how you looked at it.

Before leaving, Hu Ai also set up a time to meet with Shen Qingyi next time, as selling the book required photos of the restoration. Otherwise, if collectors couldn’t see or touch it, it would be almost impossible to get money out of their pockets.

After she left, Shan Ling looked at Shen Qingyi, held her hand, and asked, “Yiyi, what are you thinking?”

Shen Qingyi looked at Shan Ling, then shook her head and said, “Nothing, it’s just… I realized I have never considered what kind of lives people outside my circle live.”

Perhaps because Shen Qingyi was born wealthier than others. Although she didn’t have a mother, Shen Qingyi lacked nothing.

Shen Hongjun worked hard to earn money, so Shen Qingyi never had to worry about food or clothing from a young age. Even as an adult, she opened her own shop and never suffered from a boss’s temper.

Thinking about it this way, Shen Qingyi was much, much better off than those children struggling below the poverty line.

Shan Ling leaned against Shen Qingyi and comforted her: “Yiyi, you’re not a saint. Most of the time, you can only focus on the things around you. You’re powerless to help with things that are too far away.”

It was already difficult for everyone to live their own lives well, full of domestic disputes and trivial matters. How many people could genuinely care about others?

To do charity, one must first be well off themselves before helping others. Shan Ling knew Shen Qingyi was a gentle person and definitely felt sympathetic, and she would choose to trust and support Shen Qingyi, but she also hoped she would prioritize herself.

“Don’t think too much. Just focus on your own things for now,” Shan Ling pulled Shen Qingyi along and told her, “It’s almost noon. Let’s go ask your dad what he wants to eat. The doctor said he’s recovering well and can eat some light food.”

Shen Qingyi nodded, rubbing Shan Ling’s head, and said, “I understand. Let’s go back now.”

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