CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 153: YOUR KINDNESS SHOULD HAVE AN EDGE

Pei Shu’er’s expression turned cold, her eyes filled with icy disdain.

"Did I charge you any medical fees?"

The person was taken aback and shook his head hesitantly.

Pei Shu’er continued, "Did I ever say I would save your father first?"

The person looked embarrassed.

No, she hadn’t said that.

Pei Shu’er said, "I am here to save people, but life and death are beyond our control. I’m not the only doctor; there’s also Doctor Liu and his two apprentices. Why don’t you seek them out?"

"You only approached me because I seem kind and easy to talk to."

She raised her voice slightly, "Moreover, I’m not a military doctor; I have no obligation to be responsible for you!"

"Saving you is a matter of morality; not saving you is a matter of duty."

"What’s more, I simply didn’t have time to save him. Any doctor in this situation would have made the same choice as I did."

The person muttered weakly, "He survived such severe injuries; my father’s injuries are much lighter than his."

Pei Shu’er sneered coldly, "Don’t forget, everyone in this tent has been abandoned here to die."

"Now you’re blaming your father’s death on me. Have you lost your mind? Do you really think I’m that easy to manipulate?"

Her voice turned stern, and the soldier shivered, beginning to regain some clarity.

Pausing, she looked at the person, her voice as cold as delivering a verdict.

"I’ve remembered what you look like. If you or your family get injured, whether lightly or severely, I will not treat you."

She came to the camp to save people; it was the condition negotiated by the government officer for her to enter. She has done her duty, yet she was still being blamed, which understandably soured her mood.

She may seem gentle, but in truth, she holds grudges.

These people fail to recognize kindness, and she won’t allow herself to be bullied.

The person turned ashen-faced, realizing that this young woman’s medical skills were extraordinary; injuries are inevitable in battle.

And Doctor Liu judges people by their appearance, which would lessen his chances of surviving without her help.

He took a deep breath; his father was already gone and could not be saved.

Now, staying alive was his top priority.

With this thought, he ran towards Pei Shu’er and then knelt down, crying and pulling at her sleeve.

"Doctor, Doctor, I’m sorry, I said the wrong thing just now."

Pei Shu’er shook off his hand, considering even one more word with him a waste of breath.

As she was about to leave, the person tried to grab her leg.

Yinxing kicked him aside, her gentle voice rising with indignation.

"What kind of scoundrel are you, thinking you can covet our Young Madam?"

Others also wanted Pei Shu’er’s treatment.

Pei Shu’er said coldly, "It’s already time to rest, I need to go back."

Seeing her outburst earlier, others dared not provoke or rush her again.

Indeed, kindness must have an edge, or else one would just be a pushover.

Regardless of being a doctor, in this wounded soldier camp, death was a daily occurrence.

She was not a deity, with a magic breath to bring people back to life.

She was just a mortal, with limited energy, not possessing three heads and six arms.

She could only protect those she cared about.

Though she knew these soldiers were pitiful, she felt no emotional connection to them.

Now she had completed her task.

She still had her own matters to attend to.

Pei Shu’er walked around the camp, this time bringing jujube egg cakes, which were filling and popular among everyone.

Additionally, she made some popcorn, which, despite simple ingredients, produced a large barrel, making it quite economical.

Pei Shu’er slung the items over her shoulder, making them visible.

The soldiers caught a whiff of the sweet aroma, turning their heads to look, eyes widening.

Some wanted to inquire, but remembering they had no money, they refrained from speaking.

They could only watch, swallowing their saliva.

"Free jujube egg cakes, free popcorn!"

Pei Shu’er imitated the street vendors’ call.

Yinxing blushed, following Pei Shu’er’s example.

As soon as the words were said, the soldiers’ eyes widened, and those on break waved at Pei Shu’er, beckoning her to an unguarded area.

"Is it really free?"

The soldiers who had been glancing this way brightened up, and they quickly converged, running faster than going into battle.

Pei Shu’er nodded, "I’m willing to give you food, but you must promise me that when you’re on leave, you’ll come to Deserted Mountain to work for me."

"Work in the morning, and I’ll provide breakfast; work in the afternoon, and you’ll get lunch. Work all day, and you’ll be fed the whole day."

Everyone readily agreed, eyes gleaming with the joy of getting a good deal.

Working during their break wasn’t a problem, especially since they had nothing else to do.

They had already heard about Deserted Mountain, rumored to have excellent crop growth.

Besides, meals were included in the deal; even if the food wasn’t great, they could fill their bellies.

They hadn’t had a full meal in nearly two years, practically starving.

Pei Shu’er handed out a notebook and a pen, asking everyone to sign their names.

Those who were illiterate had Pei Shu’er write for them, then they put their red fingerprints as signatures.

She also wrote down the food owed, the exchange terms, and the fulfillment date.

After finishing, Pei Shu’er showed it to those who could read, and they read it aloud to the soldiers. Once everyone was satisfied, Pei Shu’er distributed the food.

Most of the soldiers exchanged for jujube egg cakes, as they were filling.

The jujubes came from a patch of wild jujube trees found on a hill, with only a few small trees, but their ripe taste was sweet.

The eggs were from wild chickens, which had laid eggs and hatched several chicks, soon to lay eggs themselves.

The jujube egg cakes were a delicacy to the soldiers.

The cakes were sweet and soft, with the jujube and egg sweetness blending in layers, creating an almost blissful taste on their tongues.

Too... too delicious.

They hadn’t tasted such food in a long time.

No, they’d never had such delicious pastries, not even compared to those with some money who’d bought pastries from Li’s pastry shop in town.

They admitted that the shop’s cakes couldn’t compare to these simple egg cakes.

Some exchanged for popcorn, crunching each mouthful, experiencing for the first time what Tang Zan had tasted.

It was unexpectedly tasty, novel, and refreshing!

The downside was that it wasn’t filling.

Despite its sweetness reaching their hearts, it didn’t satisfy hunger.

Once all the food was distributed, Pei Shu’er moved on to the next location.

Afterward, Pei Shu’er visited other places, repeating the same method, quickly enlisting several strong laborers.