Volume One, Chapter 17: Beaten

Su Tingxue lifted her flushed face, aggrieved and on the verge of tears. “Mom, my sister hit me and it hurts so much!”

“Did I say anything wrong? If she hadn’t neglected our brother, he wouldn’t be like this now!”

Su Ningxia looked at Su Tingxue with cold indifference. “Are you sure this is because of me? Didn’t I remind you to change our elder brother’s bandages? Every time I brought him food, I told you. Did you ever change them?”

“You’re lying! You never said that!” Su Tingxue gritted her teeth. “Mom, Second Brother, Third Brother, do you believe me or her?”

She pointed at Su Ningxia.

Both the second and third sons looked at Su Ningxia, their tone full of dissatisfaction. “Ningxia, you’re the elder sister. Xiaoxue has never done this sort of thing before. If only you’d been more attentive, how would our elder brother have ended up like this?”

“You have to take responsibility for his leg!” Third Brother added.

Second Brother sneered, “Just as I thought, not a real daughter—never truly one of us!”

“Mom, you shouldn’t have let Su Ningxia take care of our elder brother!” Su Tingxue’s lips curled with triumph, until Su Ningxia raised her eyes and pronounced, word by word, “She knows that our brother’s bandages need changing every day.”

“And she deliberately didn’t do it.”

“Ningxia, how can you slander your own sister? Tingxue is my flesh and blood—how could she ever hurt her real brother?” Their mother didn’t believe her.

Nor did the two brothers.

Su Tingxue raised her chin high. “Sister, are you trying to sow discord in our family?”

Just then, the doctor standing beside Su Ningxia suddenly spoke up. “This young lady waits outside every day and brings food three times a day, only to be chased away by the other young lady. And every time we come to check on the patient, the other girl insists the bandages have been changed. What’s really going on in your family?”

Su Tingxue’s face turned pale. “That’s not true! You’re making things up—I didn’t do any of that!”

“If that’s the case, why did you say the bandages were changed? Your sister reminded you every time, and you just shirked your duties!” An auntie in the next bed, awakened by the commotion, looked at Su Tingxue in displeasure.

Su Tingxue bit her lip, unable to defend herself this time.

Their mother and eldest brother both looked at her, their eyes full of disappointment.

“Xiaoxue, why did you lie? Why slander your sister? Just tell the truth—look at the state your brother is in now…” Their mother clutched her chest, overcome with distress.

Second Brother put on a show, stepping forward to inspect the injured leg, pretending to be an expert. “In my opinion, there’s still hope. The city clinic might be behind the times, but if we had a real doctor from a big hospital, they’d never say it was hopeless!”

The doctor’s face darkened at his words.

This man didn’t even have a medical license, yet he dared to cast judgment on a seasoned doctor!

“If you don’t want treatment, take him home and stop wasting our time!” the doctor said sternly before turning to leave.

Their mother quickly pleaded, “Doctor, please, save my eldest son. He didn’t mean any harm!”

“I think the clinic’s doctors are just incompetent!” Su Tingxue chimed in. “My second brother is amazing—he’s studied medicine for years. If he says he can cure him, then he can! Let’s take eldest brother home and let Second Brother treat him!”

“So what if the bandages weren’t changed a few times? It couldn’t possibly be that serious. I don’t believe someone could die just from not changing bandages!” she shouted, stubborn as ever.

Su Ningxia had no desire to deal with this family any further. She was about to leave when her mother suddenly grabbed her hand. “Ningxia, it was wrong of your brothers and me to put this on you, but don’t blame your sister—she’s still young and doesn’t understand things yet!”

“Your brother’s treatment will cost a lot of money, and there are mouths to feed at home. How about you find a job to help out?”

At this, Su Tingxue stepped forward. “Didn’t Third Brother introduce a job before? Teaching children to read—I could do that.”

“I’m educated, too. If I could stay home with my parents, maybe I could even get into university!” she said with confidence.

Su Ningxia pressed her lips together.

She knew better than to get involved in matters like these, so she played along.

“Mom, I think my sister is quite capable. Let her take the job. If those people can afford a tutor, their family must be well off. Perhaps they can help her find an even better position in the future!”

Su Tingxue thought so too.

She smiled to herself. The most important thing was that in a wealthy household, she might meet her true love. If she could marry well, she would never have to suffer again!

She made up her mind to ask Third Brother about the family as soon as they returned home. Su Ningxia quietly followed along and learned that the family had three children who needed tutoring.

The job offered a thirty-yuan stipend a month—even more than working at the radio station—but it required a high level of education, at least graduation from a key high school.

“You can use your sister’s diploma to apply. She’s a graduate from a key high school!” Su Tingxue boasted.

“When I was in the countryside, conditions were poor. My adoptive parents didn’t want me to study—they just wanted to marry me off for a dowry. I only escaped later.”

“My sister has lived with our parents all these years and did well in her studies—it’s only natural.”

“I guess I was just born unlucky, not as fortunate as my sister. Even being switched at birth, I was destined for hardship,” she said, lowering her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Their mother hugged her, weeping bitterly. “My child, you’re not unlucky at all! It’s not your fault, Xiaoxue—it’s that hospital’s mistake, swapping you and Ningxia. But now our family is together, and Ningxia is a good sister to you!”

Third Brother spoke up.

Second Brother, however, remarked, “Ningxia’s real parents haven’t come looking for her. Clearly, they don’t want her.”

“It would be best if they came and took her back.”

At these words, Su Ningxia looked at Second Brother, her eyes dark and inscrutable.

Another mouth to feed meant less to go around.

In the past, the family's resources had all gone to Second Brother, since his medical studies were expensive—very expensive.

Back then, any money she earned would help support the family and him.

Now that she had no job and was of no use, it was time to cast her aside.

A bitter smile crept into Su Ningxia’s heart.

Selfish, self-serving men.

The eldest brother was taken back home. The next day, Fu Zhilin arrived, arms full of gifts. Their mother cooked a good meal and called Su Ningxia home as well.