What the Cui Family said just now left Old Mrs. Mu standing there, stunned.
She turned her gaze to Mr. Mu, hoping he would step in and settle this.
But with things having co to this point, how could Mr. Mu possibly fix it? What could he even do?
"You... you should apologize, beg Old Zhang to forgive you, that’s the only way we can save our girl’s life!" In front of everyone, that was what Mr. Mu said.
Old Mrs. Mu of course refused. She was the county magistrate’s mother, her status was far above these nobodies who grubbed in the dirt—why should she apologize to them?
"I won’t. I didn’t do anything wrong!" Old Mrs. Mu said stubbornly.
When Mr. Mu heard that, his whole face turned purple.
All this ti Mu Dajiang had been carrying Mu Xiangxiang on his back, and he didn’t know where the courage suddenly ca from, but he abruptly carried her out.
He said, "Since Mother doesn’t want Xiangxiang to live, then I’ll carry her back to where we brought her from and let her live or die on her own!"
As soon as Mu Dajiang finished speaking, Old Mrs. Mu jumped to her feet!
"Fourth, you put Xiangxiang down this instant, you... how dare you turn against !"
Old Mrs. Mu shouted from behind, but Mu Dajiang didn’t stop at all.
He ran toward the Old Mu Family’s place, clearly intending to throw Mu Xiangxiang back to where she had been before.
There was nothing else to be done. To save Mu Xiangxiang’s life, Old Mrs. Mu had no choice but to apologize.
Mu Dajiang started walking back, but Zhang Huai Shu was still holding in a bellyful of anger.
"This isn’t sothing you can just fix by apologizing! The girl is now critically ill, beyond saving. My skills are limited; I can’t cure her!" Zhang Huai Shu said.
"Old Zhang, just for the sake that we’re from the sa village, please save her!
Xiangxiang is a woman—long hair, short wit—she’s used to throwing her weight around and acting outrageous. I’ll apologize to you on her behalf. As for the dical fees, we won’t short you a single coin. Whatever you want us to do, we’ll do it. Will that do?"
Only now, when Mr. Mu spoke so humbly and low, did Zhang Huai Shu really get the sense that he was being begged.
Zhang Huai Shu sighed. "I had originally made up my mind not to save your girl! In my whole life I, Zhang Huai Shu, have saved more people than I can count, but the people of your Old Mu Family are the most stubborn, and the most over the line!
People like you will never have good karma, nor will you ever receive Heaven’s favor!
But a doctor’s heart is like that of a parent. Now that you’ve sent her to my door, what else can I do? Fine, fine, this will be the last ti. If I ever treat your girl again, may I, Zhang Huai Shu, never die a good death!"
Zhang Huai Shu’s words were so blunt it made people feel ashad!
Listening to this, Mr. Mu felt awful inside.
But no matter how awful he felt, he could only endure it!
Who told the other man to even go so far as to swear a poisonous oath?
"Old Zhang, just na your price, I... I’ll count it as begging you, you must cure my girl!"
Zhang Huai Shu didn’t respond to Mr. Mu. He took Mu Xiangxiang’s pulse, then shook his head again and again. "You’d better send her to the clinic in town. I really can’t treat her anymore!"
"Y-you’re talking nonsense, you just don’t want to save Xiangxiang’s life! You... you’re vicious, black-hearted!" Old Mrs. Mu started cursing again.
Just then, Mu Shuangshuang showed up outside Zhang Huai Shu’s courtyard.
She said, "Grandma, after you made a scene and fooled around with Grandpa Zhang, he was still willing to feel Little Aunt’s pulse. That proves he truly wants to save her.
As for why he’s powerless to turn the tide, don’t you already know? A doctor is human, not a god. There are illnesses he can treat, and ones he can’t!
If I were you, I absolutely wouldn’t waste even a single mont here, because every extra word you say ans my little aunt’s life becos that much more at risk!
When the ti cos, even if my little aunt dies, it will be because you personally delayed her treatnt. If she dies, the one we’ll hold responsible is you!"
Mu Shuangshuang had co because she’d heard Old Mrs. Mu had gone to make a fuss at Zhang Huai Shu’s place.
Given Mu Xiangxiang’s condition, she actually understood more than Zhang Huai Shu.
Because in modern tis, there were even more girls like Mu Xiangxiang—wanting to keep their figure while still eating a lot, so they’d eat and then force themselves to vomit.
Over ti, forcing themselves to vomit beca a habit, and the burden on the stomach grew heavier and heavier.
The side effects brought by forced vomiting beca more and more obvious!
Big head, binge-eating, hoarse voice, and even their teeth were gradually corroded by stomach acid whenever they vomited.
Mu Xiangxiang’s current condition was already terminal. If this were in modern tis, she might already be at the level of stomach cancer.
But none of that was sothing the Old Mu Family people could understand, nor were they willing to understand.
Because of what Mu Shuangshuang said, Old Mrs. Mu froze. It was quite a while before she ca back to herself.
"Old man, let’s hurry and send Xiangxiang to town. If we’re any later... it’ll be too late!" Old Mrs. Mu said, her face crumpled in grief.
Hearing this, Mr. Mu started flusteredly ordering people to go borrow a cart from the Old Wang Family or Fu Wujia.
Everyone was running around in a ss, but they finally managed to borrow a cart and find a driver, and they sent Mu Xiangxiang off to town.
Following along with the Old Mu Family on this trip to town were Mu Dazhong, Mu Danian, and Old Mrs. Mu.
As for Mr. Mu, for so reason he didn’t get on the cart.
Instead, he went into the third branch’s yard to look for Mu Shuangshuang.
This ti, there was none of his usual lofty arrogance on Mr. Mu’s face. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes.
As soon as he saw Mu Shuangshuang, he asked, "Shuang, that speech Old Zhang gave just now, do you think it’s true as well?"
[People like you will never have good karma, nor will you ever receive Heaven’s favor!]
Mu Shuangshuang glanced at Mr. Mu and nodded.
"What happened today, who was right and who was wrong—you know that yourself.
With Little Aunt and Uncle Dali’s divorce, who was right and who was wrong—you know that too.
But you’ve indulged Grandma again and again, letting her make scenes again and again. I don’t even need to say it; you know very well how everyone talks about the Old Mu Family behind your backs!"
Mu Shuangshuang truly didn’t want to go over these old, worn-out topics with Mr. Mu.
Mu Dade being a county magistrate was one thing, but the rest of the Old Mu Family still had to get at least a bit of good out of it!
A person is precious for knowing their own asure. If they lack even that bit of self-awareness, they can hardly be called human.
The people of the Old Mu Family, aside from the fourth branch, were mostly selfish and self-serving.
They always thought only of themselves, never of others!
After hearing this, Mr. Mu’s back couldn’t quite stay straight.
He thought of many things, and his expression grew worse and worse.
After a long ti, he finally asked, "Rebuilding your kitchen must have cost quite a bit. In a bit I’ll bring over the money your father and mother used to give your grandmother and as filial offerings and give it all to you.
As for later on, just have your parents stop giving us money. We can still get by on our own!"
To Mu Shuangshuang, Mr. Mu’s words sounded more like an attempt to make ands.
Or perhaps, he was thinking of changing the Old Mu Family’s situation.
Mu Shuangshuang shook her head. "Once it’s given to you, Grandpa, it’s yours. I won’t take it back. Besides, Little Aunt is sick now, and who knows how much money she’ll need, so you’d better keep it!"
Mr. Mu fell silent for a mont.
Right now, he felt utterly miserable inside, especially when he thought about those things from the past...
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