"Mother... you are being unreasonable! Father..." The eldest son looked toward Old Man Liu, who was hiding in the corner. Old Man Liu turned his head away, remaining silent. Seeing this, Liu Cuihong cried even louder, her accusations becoming more nonsensical by the second.
An elderly woman from the village couldn't stand it anymore. "Listen, Old Liu's wife, everyone can see what really happened. Why are you making such a scene?"
"Our family has lost someone! A mother and two children! What, do you want to pay for it with your life?" Er Dan barked, showing no respect for his elder.
"You—!"
"Exactly! Don't go too far. I would never believe Miss Lixia would harm anyone. If you keep spreading lies, we'll take this to the Village Head!" another villager shouted.
"Doctor Mo... I've dragged you into this," Midwife Fang whispered, her face pale. "If I had known their family was like this, I would never have called for you."
"It's not your fault," Mo Lixia replied calmly. "They simply dislike me." She turned to the Liu family, her voice cold. "I did not harm her. I will say this only once. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
She turned to leave the courtyard, but Er Dan blocked her way. "Thinking of leaving just like that?"
"What do you want?"
"It's simple. Chunying is dead, so who's going to bear my children now? Unless..." Er Dan looked at Mo Lixia with a greasy, leering gaze. He stepped closer, preventing her from dodging. "Unless you marry me to take her place. Otherwise, who's going to give me back a wife?"
Mo Lixia shoved him away with pure disgust.
"Er Dan! What are you saying? Let go of Miss Lixia!" Several women from the village rushed forward to pull him away.
"Get lost, you old hags! This is none of your business!" Er Dan snarled.
"Aunt Qiao!" Mo Lixia called out. One of the women defending her was indeed Aunt Qiao. The villagers had long been fed up with the Liu family's arrogance. A group of married women surrounded Er Dan, scratching and pulling at him. No matter how fierce Er Dan was, he was no match for a dozen angry village women. He was forced to let go of Mo Lixia.
Seeing her son being "bullied," Liu Cuihong jumped into the fray. "You two! Are you just going to watch your brother get beaten?"
But the eldest son and his wife kept their heads down, too ashamed to join in.
"Stop this instant!" A stern voice boomed from the gate. The Village Head had arrived, accompanied by the village elders.
Mo Lixia immediately spotted Mochen following behind them.
"Master, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Mo Lixia smiled at him. "Did you go get the Village Head?"
Mochen nodded excitedly. "Am I smart, Master?"
"En, very smart."
"I already know what happened here," the Village Head said, his presence commanding silence. "Old Liu, you are the head of this house. You saw everything with your own eyes. Control your wife!"
The Liu family was instantly cowed by his authority. Old Liu stood up quickly. "Village Head, it was our fault. We have wronged Doctor Mo."
"Wronged? Village Head, this little vixen killed our Chunying!" Liu Cuihong shrieked.
"Shut your mouth and get inside!" Old Liu roared. Liu Cuihong finally went silent.
"Eldest son, go notify your wife's family... Miss Lixia, the Liu family was out of line. I apologize for the trouble you've faced today. Go home now. Once this is settled, I'll make them offer a formal apology."
"An apology isn't necessary. I thank the Village Head... and thank you all for standing up for me," Mo Lixia said, bowing slightly to the villagers.
After returning home, Mo Lixia shut herself in her room. Mochen knew his master was grieving and stayed quiet.
According to local custom, the funerals for children and pregnant women happened quickly. Mo Lixia stood on her stone steps, watching the distant flicker of torchlight for a long time.
She hadn't saved the baby. From a realistic perspective, given the family the child would have been born into, perhaps this was the kindest end for both Chunying and the infant. Women here were trapped in a brutal system; unless they had a good husband, the tragedy never ended.
Chunying was the first patient Mo Lixia had lost in this life. It was impossible not to feel sad. Even after the funeral, Liu Cuihong and Er Dan would occasionally come to her gate to shout insults.
Because of this, Mo Lixia stopped making house calls and kept her gates locked. Even Mochen couldn't go to school, as Mo Lixia feared Er Dan might target him.
Instead, she taught Mochen at home. One afternoon, in a clearing behind the house, the two sat together wearing white coats Mo Lixia had sewn herself. Mochen was holding a scalpel, pinning down a chicken.
"Master... I'm scared."
"Everyone has a first time. Don't be afraid. Did you give it the anesthetic?" Mo Lixia held the chicken steady.
"Yes... should I start now?"
"En. Start. I'm watching you. I'll tell you if you do anything wrong."
Mochen squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, gathering his courage. Mo Lixia wanted to laugh but kept a serious face to help him focus.
The "patient" was a wild chicken Mochen had found. It had been lethargic and unable to eat. Mo Lixia used this as a practical lesson.
"First, pluck the feathers over the crop. Use the cotton swab with iodine to disinfect it."
"Okay..." Mochen followed her instructions. Though his hands were shaky, he managed to make the incision. As he pulled back the skin to reveal the crop, his eyes widened. "Master, the crop is full of small stones!"
"It must have been so hungry that it ate stones. Take them out carefully."
Mochen used tweezers to remove the fragments one by one. "Master, they are so small. This is hard."
"Surgery is a test of your patience and precision."
"I understand." Mochen took her words to heart. With his small hands, he patiently removed every bit of grit, then washed the crop with boiled water. Mo Lixia acted as his surgical assistant, handing him instruments. Finally, it was time for the sutures. Without medical catgut, they used white cotton thread. Mochen practiced the knots Mo Lixia had taught him.
"Remember, sterilization is the most important part. Otherwise, it will get infected later."
"I will, Master... but why do we call this 'surgery' (shou-shu)?"
Mo Lixia paused, thinking for a moment. "...Because it is a skill (shu) performed by the hands (shou)."