Chapter 14: Rescuing An Old Man
The moment Xiao Ju exited the restaurant, she lamented. “Oh God! Elder Sister, we ate a meal that cost fifteen silver taels! Even if we have money, we shouldn’t be so wasteful!”
Liu’er agreed as her eyes turned red. “I won’t be able to fall asleep tonight. If my family had fifteen silver taels, I wouldn’t have been sold off.”
Previously, Lin Haihai had always been a frugal person. Any excess money she had, she would donate to the orphanage or the Red Cross. Last night, she didn’t feel distressed tipping the servants because they were all poor. But now that she ate such an expensive meal, she felt very guilty. Her parents had always taught her to be economical. Yet…
Thinking of her parents, Lin Haihai felt terrible. She is now in an unknown dynasty. She will never be able to return to her time. Her parents will suffer so much when they realize she’s missing. Lin Haihai sighed miserably.
From behind, the man could see her upset expression and it really bothered him for some reason. He looked troubled. Next to him, his subordinate stepped forward.
“Master, would you like to question the young lady?”
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Lin Haihai returned back to the residence with the girls so Tangtang could take his afternoon nap. Then, she went to roam around on her own.
She recalled a song called ‘One Night in Beijing’. There was a line that resonated very much with her. I don’t want to ask you where you are anymore. I don’t want to think about whether you’ll return.
Immediately, tears filled Lin Haihai’s eyes. This was the first time she cried in this unfamiliar era. It wasn’t because she felt sorry for herself. Instead, she was grief-stricken and concerned for her parents. How will they react when they find out she’s gone?
Not to mention, two of her patients were still in grave condition in the ICU. Although there were many great doctors in the hospital, they were assigned to her from the start. Hence, she had a more in-depth understanding of their situation.
Furthermore, she promised the kids at the orphanage that she would take them to McDonald’s this Sunday. Now, she will be breaking her promise. How would the kids react if they found out their Mother Lin is dead?
Uncle Lin from next door had diabetes and high blood pressure for years. He had already shown complications a while back and stayed at the hospital for nearly a month. Now that he’s home, is he avoiding certain food and going to his scheduled appointments to take his blood tests?
However, she was most worried about Xiao Lan, the child with leukemia. The poor child was only eleven years old. Her strength was painful to watch. Each time she went through chemotherapy, she gritted her teeth to bear the pain. She always greeted the doctors and her parents with a smile because she didn’t want them to be upset. I wonder if she has found the right bone marrow that matches hers.
There were so many people she couldn’t let go of, yet she was no longer able to return back to them. Her family, patients, and friends were the ones who made her life worthwhile, but she was now stuck living without any purpose in an ancient era hidden in a residence.
Lin Haihai continued strolling while her imagination went wide. She completely failed to notice the man following her.
Suddenly, she heard chaos up ahead. The man behind the stranger instantly stood protectively in front of his master. Meanwhile, Lin Haihai wiped her tears and hurried to the scene.
There was a crowd of people surrounding an old man lying flat on the ground. The man had his left hand on his chest and appeared to be in tremendous amounts of pain. Immediately, Lin Haihai concluded it was a heart attack.
She wanted to squeeze through the crowd but no matter how hard she tried to shove her way in, she wasn’t able to.
Her eyes turned to the old man again. His eyes were shut and he was no longer moving. The physician next to him placed his finger underneath his nose to check his breathing. Then, he held his wrist to check his pulse. “There’s no pulse. His heart has stopped beating.”
His heart stopped beating? Then they must try to revive him now!
Lin Haihai waved and those in front of her suddenly felt a strong current blasting from behind. They couldn’t help but topple over.
Just as the old man’s son sobbed and was able to lift his father up, Lin Haihai hollered. “Don’t move him! Put him down!”
Everyone turned and saw a young, beautiful lady. They assumed she was here to start trouble. The son was so filled with grief that he wanted to toss Lin Haihai away. But before he could take any action, Lin Haihai had already spoken. “Press his forehead down and lift his jaw.” Lin Haihai instructed the physician. However, he was just staring at her, flabbergasted.
“Hurry! Why are you daydreaming?” Lin Haihai exclaimed. The man that was following Lin Haihai immediately stepped forward and followed Lin Haihai’s instructions.
Lin Haihai turned to look at him and nodded. Then, she untied the old man’s clothes. For a woman to do this in public during this era was extremely inappropriate. The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves. However, Lin Haihai didn’t care. It was critical that they resuscitated him right away. Otherwise, the man may actually lose his life.
Lin Haihai rolled up her sleeves and revealed two fair and delicate arms. There was even more discussion between the commoners now.
Lin Haihai pressed both her hands down on the old man’s chest while urging her follower, “Hurry, pinch his nose and start blowing air in!”
Then, she twisted her head to face the physician. “Fetch me a thin piece of ginger from your medical box and put it under his tongue!”
Flustered, her two helpers hastily carried out her instructions.
A few moments later, color gradually returned to the old man’s face again. He exhaled and coughed out loud. Lin Haihai stopped her rescue attempt and wiped the sweat off her forehead.
The son was so emotional that he plopped down on his knees and repeatedly pounded his forehead to the ground. “Thank you for saving my father, Miss! Thank you!” he cried.
The physician was shaking his head on the side, face paled. “That’s impossible. His heart was no longer beating. How could this be?” he muttered.
The commoners were all astonished and amazed while the man gazed at Lin Haihai. With shimmering confidence displayed on her face, he saw her take a deep breath. All her concerns had flown out the window. Surprisingly, her reaction calmed him down as well.
Lin Haihai made eye contact with the man. It was the same gaze she felt from inside the tavern. She reached out her right hand and introduced herself. “Hi, my name is Lin Haihai. Nice to meet you!” she beamed.
It wasn’t until the man stared at her extended hand that Lin Haihai realized she was in an ancient era. It wasn’t the norm to shake hands yet. Lin Haihai awkwardly grinned.
The man was mesmerized by her smile; it was so bright, lively, charming, and quick-witted.
She managed to save a person that was already dead. Is she a fairy?
Lin Haihai could tell the man was zoning out and waved her hand over his face. Unexpectedly, his subordinate aggressively gripped her wrist.
Lin Haihai yelped out in pain and the man snapped back to reality. “Impudent! Release her!” he bellowed.
His subordinate immediately let go and stepped aside. The man apologized to Lin Haihai. “Sorry, my subordinate lacks manners. Please forgive me, Miss Lin!”
Lin Haihai smiled, “It’s okay. There’s no need to call me Miss Lin! We’re both from jianghu. You can call me Haihai!”
“Alright. My name is Yang Da. You can call me Brother Yang.”
“Ok, Brother Yang. This little sister has been out for a long time. I have to leave now. We’ll hang out again in the future. This little sister will take her leave now!”
Yang Da was reluctant to part with her, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he smiled and watched as Lin Haihai’s rearview gradually disappeared from sight.
His subordinate stepped forward. “Your Majesty, we should return back to the palace now.”
Yang Da instantly turned grave and took large strides towards the Forbidden City.
houseau3's ThoughtsSneak peek!! Hehe. If you've discovered this novel, you must be a hardcore fan! ;) The novel will officially launch on August 15th!