“Lin Yao, don’t go too far. They’re just children playing around. Nothing serious happened. An apology should be enough. Besides, you almost killed my daughter, and I haven’t even said anything about that.”

The moment He Yun heard Lin Yao mention divorce, alarm bells went off in her head.

Lin Yao sneered.

“Why don’t you take that argument to the police station and see how well it works?”

He Yun hesitated.

In the end, she still preferred settling the matter within the village. Making it a bigger issue would do her no favors.

“Fine. Tell me. What do you want?”

Her face was full of caution.

Lin Yao raised one finger.

“One hundred yuan as compensation for recovery expenses. And I want the family divided.”

“One hundred yuan?! Dream on!”

He Yun nearly fainted from anger.

“My family doesn’t even have a hundred yuan! Have you gone crazy? Your son isn’t even hurt!”

“My son didn’t die, but he’s weak and frail now.”

Lin Yao refused to back down.

At that moment, the quick-witted Qin Yuanbao suddenly threw himself onto the ground and groaned weakly.

“Ouch, Mommy… Qin Yuanbao doesn’t feel well. Grandpa Guo, I feel so terrible. Did the water hurt my body?”

“Cough, cough!”

He even started coughing dramatically.

Lin Yao immediately pounced over and gathered him into her arms.

“Qin Yuanbao! Are you alright, Yuanbao?”

The little boy secretly winked at her but continued his pitiful act.

“Waaah, Mommy, I’m so cold. I feel awful. Do I need an injection? Do I need medicine? Am I sick?”

“Captain Guo, I need to take Yuanbao to the county hospital. Whatever treatment costs arise should be paid by He Yun, right? Please write me a letter of introduction and a guarantee agreement with He Yun’s fingerprint on it.”

Lin Yao naturally wasn’t going to waste her son’s excellent cooperation.

Every time she thought about how Yuanbao had died so young in her previous life, she wanted nothing more than to skin He Yun alive.

Looking at Yuanbao’s soaked clothes and pale little face, Guo Dezhang couldn’t tell whether the boy was genuinely sick or merely pretending.

“It would be best to take him to a hospital. Falling into cold water isn’t good for a child’s health.”

“I’ll write the introduction letter right now.”

He pulled out a fountain pen and notebook from his pocket and immediately began writing.

Holding Yuanbao, Lin Yao looked toward He Yun.

“The examination fees at the county hospital won’t be cheap. If he has to be hospitalized, that’s several yuan per day. Food costs money too. Naturally, He Yun should pay all of that.”

“And if any of Yuanbao’s organs are damaged, or if his health becomes weak and requires long-term treatment, then all future medical expenses should also be paid by He Yun.”

“What did you say?!”

He Yun nearly jumped into the air.

“If your son ends up disabled, are you saying I have to support him for the rest of his life?”

“That’s right.”

Lin Yao gave her a cold smile.

“That’s what the law says. If you don’t believe me, go ask the commune director yourself.”

He Yun staggered backward in fright and almost lost her footing, bumping into her husband, Qin Hai.

Grabbing his arm, she asked anxiously,

“Old Qin, what do we do? Are we really going to have to support a sick person who can’t work for the rest of our lives?”

“Pay the money.”

Qin Hai gritted his teeth.

Looking at Lin Yao, he said,

“Second Sister-in-law, this time our child was indeed poorly taught. We’ve paid the price for it. After you take the money, I hope you’ll also sign a statement saying any future health problems Yuanbao develops have nothing to do with us.”

Of course, Lin Yao knew her son was fine.

Though she wasn’t a highly skilled doctor, she knew enough about pulse diagnosis to tell he wasn’t injured.

Otherwise, she would have taken him to see a doctor immediately. Nothing mattered more than her son’s health.

“Sure. Give me the money first.”

Captain Guo was present as a witness.

“What are you afraid of? I’m not like you people.”

She couldn’t resist one final jab.

Qin Hai’s face turned green with anger, but he swallowed it.

“Go get the money,” he told He Yun.

Slapping her thigh, He Yun finally burst into genuine tears.

“Where are we supposed to get a hundred yuan? Even if we sold the whole family, we wouldn’t have that much!”

Qin Hai’s eyes reddened with fury.

“If you don’t have money, then borrow it!”

The moment borrowing money was mentioned, the surrounding villagers instinctively stepped backward, avoiding eye contact with the couple.

He Yun cried even harder.

But no one sympathized with her.

Instead, the villagers pointed fingers and gossiped.

“See? This is what happens when you don’t discipline your children.”

“Serves her right. If she hadn’t been taught a lesson, she’d still think other people’s children don’t matter.”

“Qin Hai, you’d better hurry up and gather the money. Don’t waste everyone’s time.”

Under the crowd’s criticism, Qin Hai glared furiously at He Yun.

“Go borrow money from your parents’ family.”

“What?!”

He Yun immediately resisted.

“Do you want to pay even more later? Your daughter did this. If you don’t go, who will?”

His low voice carried a clear warning.

He Yun was afraid of her husband.

No matter how unwilling she was, she could only cry and agree.

Soon, He Yun left to borrow money from her family.

Lin Yao, meanwhile, asked a villager to notify her own parents.

Then she took Qin Yuanbao to the village clinic.

“Lin Yao, don’t let this wound get wet for the next few days. Change the dressing regularly. If you feel dizzy sometimes, that’s normal—probably a mild concussion. It’s nothing serious. Just rest and don’t overwork yourself.”

Doctor Wu from the clinic gave his instructions.

Lin Yao nodded casually and pushed Yuanbao forward.

“Doctor Wu, take a look at Qin Yuanbao too.”

After examining him, Doctor Wu prescribed some cold medicine.

“If you’re worried about long-term complications, you’ll need a larger hospital. The most I can treat here is a common cold.”

Doctor Wu had already heard about the incident in the village.

His words were carefully neutral. He clearly didn’t want to get involved.

Lin Yao nodded and left with her son.

“Qin Yuanbao, from now on, whenever you see those cousins of yours, stay far away from them. A wise man doesn’t stand beneath a crumbling wall, understand?”

Only now did Lin Yao have time to teach her son.

Holding her hand, Qin Yuanbao tilted up his little face.

“Mommy, I understand. When Qin Zhenzhen started arguing with me, I was already going home. But she suddenly pushed me. I wasn’t fast enough.”

His voice was full of frustration.

Lin Yao smacked him lightly on the backside and rolled her eyes.

“Silly boy. Qin Zhenzhen is ten years old. How old are you?”

“Hmph!”

Qin Yuanbao puffed out his cheeks and planted his hands on his hips.

“Mommy, stop praising other people. Praise me instead! I’m your baby!”

Lin Yao laughed.

“Praise you for what? For running too slowly?”

This time the little boy was genuinely upset.

Stamping his feet, he rushed over and hugged her leg.

“Mommy, you’re mean! Hmph! Yuanbao isn’t playing with you anymore!”

The little radish-head walked away with great determination, refusing to look back.

Lin Yao reached out and pulled him back.

Instantly cheerful again, he wrapped himself around her arm and grinned sweetly.

“Mommy, I’ll always be your favorite baby!”

Looking at her son’s silly, innocent expression, Lin Yao sighed.

Such a good child.

Without her protection, how could he possibly survive among these ruthless wolves and jackals?

At that moment, Yuanbao suddenly pointed toward the distant ridge between the fields.

“Mommy, I think Grandpa and Grandma are coming to find us.”