—

He Li and the others hadn't gone to collect the debt, and they didn't dare wander around either, so they simply stayed home baking biscuits — planning to bring them for Su Fuling the next day.

These days, the lot of them were entirely dependent on Master Su's guidance.

Since Master Su didn't care for money, they'd make the kinds of things she was actually willing to accept.

'Today I'm making my signature biscuits,' He Li announced. 'I guarantee Master Su will fall in love with them after one bite.'

Ding Lanhui smiled briefly, then sighed. 'Aiya, I wonder how An Hui and the others are getting on.'

'No news is the best news,' He Li said. 'It means everything's going smoothly. Come to think of it, should the three of us find somewhere to go and pray? Ever since that scoundrel Qiang swindled us, our luck has been absolutely rotten.'

Li Liang was eating fruit on the side. 'Mummy, didn't you say that meeting Doctor Su was the luckiest thing that ever happened to you?'

'That,' He Li said, 'is what you call a lifeline in the darkest hour. It proves your mummy wasn't meant to die young.'

She gave Ding Lanhui a pat. 'Alright, stop worrying. That An Hui has better luck than the two of us put together.'

And it was true — among their mahjong circle, An Hui was the one who had it best. A comfortable family, a good marriage, and a devoted daughter.

Auntie Xiang's household was doing well enough too, though her daughter was single-mindedly ambitious and had long since gone to study in England. Auntie Xiang's husband was always buried in work.

Ding Lanhui thought it over and decided she was probably overthinking things.

Then, suddenly, someone knocked at the door.

Li Liang trotted over cheerfully to answer it — and the moment he saw the uniformed police officer standing outside, his expression curdled. 'What do you want? Officer Wang, I haven't done anything lately. Why are you coming to my house?'

The officer at the door was Wang Sihua, the policeman Li Liang had the most dealings with.

Wang Sihua hadn't expected this to be Li Liang's home either.

He said, with all due gravity, 'I'm looking for Ms. He Li and Ms. Ding Lanhui. There's been a traffic accident, and I need to ask them some questions.'

Li Liang immediately blocked the doorway. 'What traffic accident? My mummy and Auntie Xiang haven't set foot outside today! Are you using this as an excuse to give my family a hard time?'

'Don't obstruct police business,' Wang Sihua said, 'or I'll take you in as well. This isn't about one person — it concerns a great many people.'

He Li and Ding Lanhui heard the commotion and came out from inside. 'What's going on?' He Li called. 'Why are the police at our door?'

'Are you Ms. He Li?' Wang Sihua asked. 'There was a traffic accident at Tai Kok Tsui Wharf today. One of the injured parties says you may have information relevant to the case.'

He Li erupted at once. 'Nonsense! I didn't go out today — how would I have any information? Are you sure you have the right person?'

'Do you know a Ms. An Hui?' Wang Sihua said. 'She's the one who mentioned you.'

Ding Lanhui let out a sharp gasp. 'An Hui was in an accident?'

'Yes,' Wang Sihua said. 'At Tai Kok Tsui Wharf. A bus swerved to avoid a lorry and struck the barrier on the side of the road. Everyone on board sustained injuries of varying severity.'

At those words, He Li, Ding Lanhui, and Li Liang all felt as though they'd been struck by lightning.

They knew Doctor Su's words were accurate — but not this accurate...

Seeing the shock on their faces, shot through with an unmistakable air of 'just as expected,' Wang Sihua knew he had the right people. 'Ms. He Li and Ms. Ding Lanhui — Ms. An Hui says you have knowledge of the circumstances surrounding this accident. Please come to the Police Station and assist with our investigation.'

He Li snapped back from her stupor. 'What does this have to do with me? I only told her not to go.'

Wang Sihua seized on that immediately. 'Why did you tell her not to go? How did you know in advance there would be an accident?'

'How would I know it was going to be an accident?' He Li protested loudly.

'That's right,' Ding Lanhui added. 'We genuinely didn't know it would be an accident. We thought it was just our own bad luck rubbing off.'

'Ms. An Hui says you consulted a fortune-teller?' Wang Sihua pressed.

He Li was tempted to admit it — but then she thought about how that might bring trouble down on Master Su's head.

If trouble came of it, that would be catastrophic. Offending Master Su would be the greatest loss she could suffer.

On the other hand, if the police couldn't find any evidence linking Master Su to the matter, there was nothing they could do.

'Fortune-teller? Can't we do our own divination at home? Have you never heard of divination?'

Li Liang: '...'

Wang Sihua wasn't about to indulge her nonsense. 'Please come with me to the Police Station for questioning.'

'Fine, we'll go,' Ding Lanhui said. 'But, Officer — how is An Hui? Is it serious?'

'Ms. An Hui sustained only superficial injuries,' Wang Sihua said.

Ding Lanhui relaxed.

'Why are you worrying about her?' He Li muttered. 'All she does is make trouble for us. If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered.' She'd tried to help and ended up getting herself marched into a police station for her trouble.

Watching his mummy and Auntie Xiang about to be taken away, Li Liang immediately stepped forward. 'I'm warning you — if you give my mummy or Auntie Xiang any grief, I won't let it go.'

'Threatening a police officer is grounds for detention,' Wang Sihua said. 'Out of respect for Chen Shan, I'll let it pass this time.'

'Then I'm going with my mummy,' Li Liang declared.

You foolish boy! He Li blinked at him furiously. 'What are you going for? Isn't it chaotic enough? Do you want the whole family locked up? You stay out here — at least someone can bring us food. And if anyone gives us trouble, you can go find backup.'

Fortunately, Li Liang wasn't entirely without sense. He and He Li had that much understanding between them. He knew his mum was telling him to go find Doctor Su.

'Got it, Mummy.'

...

After He Li and the others left, things hadn't quieted down on Su Fuling's end either.

Su Fuling had by now made something of a name for herself on this street. Between that and the free consultations she'd offered in the morning, people had been trickling in one after another.

What pleased Su Fuling most was that she had finally begun earning Merit Points through her own free medical work.

The Master Chef who worked at a nearby restaurant had twisted his hand, and passing by, he noticed Su Fuling's free consultations — so close, too — and decided to stop in.

Su Fuling pressed the injury with medicated wine, and the pain eased at once. 'Merit Points +1.'

'Doctor Su, you're remarkable,' the Master Chef said, kneading his hand with a grin. 'I was worried it would swell up by tonight and affect my work. And your fees are so reasonable — you even waived the consultation charge.' He'd hurt the hand tossing a wok during service.

'It's nothing serious — just a sprain,' Su Fuling said. 'Come back again this afternoon.'

'Will do. I'll come back after my shift change. Our kitchen is always frantic; I can't usually get away.'

Su Fuling heard that and immediately said, 'Kitchen work is demanding, and small injuries must happen all the time. From now on, if anyone there gets a burn or a cut or any minor wound, feel free to come to me. I'll treat all of it for free.'

The Master Chef hadn't expected Doctor Su to be so generous.

They were small injuries, yes — but once the word 'free' entered the picture, the whole thing took on a different weight.

'Doctor Su, you're too kind,' the Master Chef said with a broad smile. 'No wonder your reputation is spreading.'

Su Fuling smiled modestly. 'Everyone is far too generous with their praise.'

To encourage the Master Chef to spread the word, Su Fuling also gave him a free Plaster. With it on, he'd be able to manage the pots a little more comfortably come afternoon.

The Master Chef walked away beaming, rubbing his hand, feeling like today was his lucky day.

Su Fuling watched the Merit Points accumulate and felt a quiet satisfaction. She had been working out her approach. Some people were reluctant to follow her treatment plans — setting aside distrust, it was often simply because they found herbal medicine too much of a bother. For minor complaints, they didn't think it worth the effort. So at this stage, she needed to focus on treating external injuries, and stock up on convenient remedies: medicated wines, ointments, and Plasters.

She felt she ought to prepare more topical medicines.

That evening she would look through the System and see if there were any effective external formulas to be found.

'Doctor Su, have some tea — I've brought pastries. Take a little rest.'

Zhao Facao was assiduously pouring tea for Su Fuling. The moment he saw her finish with a patient, he was at her side.

If the circumstances had allowed it, he would have gladly brought a warm towel for her to wipe her hands.

'Master,' Su Fuling said, '...you really don't have to do this. I've told you — I can't teach you.'

'Doctor Su, as long as you're willing to try, I'll accept whatever I manage to learn. Don't worry — if I don't learn well, that's my own lack of aptitude. I won't blame you for the teaching. Please, just teach me.'

Zhao Facao was nothing if not adaptable — thick-skinned and perfectly capable of setting his pride aside.

But Su Fuling was no stranger to the world. She had accompanied her grandfather on house calls since childhood and encountered every manner of person. She could remain unmoved by this sort of shameless persistence. She smiled and shook her head.

Zhao Facao, seeing her so resolute, gritted his teeth. 'Fine. Consider it my treat. I won't ask you to teach me.'

With that, he turned and went back to his seat to read.

Su Fuling watched him put on his most pitiful expression, but there was nothing she could do.

The hour was getting late. She decided to pack up early and go find her younger uncle, so they could head to the herbal medicine shop together.

Suddenly, someone came sprinting in from outside, startling Zhao Facao half out of his seat.

It was Li Liang — the same boy who had come by that morning — gasping for breath. 'Doctor Su, something terrible has happened!'

'What is it?' Su Fuling asked. She had already checked: nothing was supposed to go wrong for Li Liang and the others today.

Li Liang panted, pressing a hand to his chest. 'It's not us — it's Auntie An Hui and the others. They were going to go settle scores with that scoundrel Qiang today too. My mummy and Auntie Xiang called to tell them not to go, but they didn't listen. Just now the police showed up at our door and said they'd been in a car accident.'

Su Fuling felt a jolt of alarm. She hadn't imagined that what she'd glanced at so casually that morning was actually this serious an incident.

Beside her, Zhao Facao's eyes went wide with shock — and when he looked at Su Fuling again, every last shred of his earlier composure was gone.

A true master. This was a genuine master.

'Was the accident serious?' Su Fuling asked.

She wished she had used that intervention slot. She had assumed it was just those three going — she hadn't known there were others.

But then again, Ding Lanhui and the others had already warned An Hui, and she hadn't listened. Even if Su Fuling had used the slot, An Hui probably wouldn't have heeded it either.

'She was still able to talk and point the finger at my mummy,' Li Liang said, 'so it probably isn't too serious.'

Su Fuling: '...'

'But,' Li Liang added anxiously, 'my mummy and Auntie Xiang have been taken away. The police said they knew about the accident in advance, so they must have inside information, and they've been brought to the Police Station. You have no idea how unreasonable those officers can be.'

Su Fuling found herself at a loss for words. How had the Police Station gotten dragged into this? Wait — 'The police are actual police?'

'Who else would they be?' Li Liang said.

Su Fuling: '...'

Li Liang asked carefully, 'Doctor Su, my mummy won't be in any trouble, will she? Could you do a reading?'

'There's no reading to be done for something like this,' Su Fuling said. 'But they won't be harmed. Here's what we'll do — when the time comes, say it was me who made the prediction. I'll say it was a coincidence. I've only just arrived in Hong City; there's no reason for anyone to suspect me of anything.' Best not to involve her uncle and aunt — she didn't want to worry the family. They were both straightforward people who surely wanted nothing to do with this sort of business.

At that, Zhao Facao immediately stepped forward. 'Master, leave this to me. Say it was my prediction — let me handle it. I have experience dealing with people like this.'

Su Fuling: '...'

Who are you calling Master?