Chapter 200

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains. Lin Xiaonuan rubbed her sleepy eyes and noticed a handmade card resting on her pillow.

The card featured a crooked drawing of three figures—a little girl with a ponytail standing in the middle, holding hands with two adults on either side. Beneath it, written in colorful crayon, were the words: "Thank you, Sister Lin, for saving my mom."

Her eyes welled up instantly. This was from the daughter of the car accident victim she had treated last week.

Her mind flashed back to that rainy night. The emergency room lights had been blindingly bright. The little girl had been curled up on a bench in the hallway, clutching a tattered cloth doll to her chest.

"Sister, is my mom going to die?" Her large, innocent eyes had been filled with terror.

Lin Xiaonuan had knelt down and gently wiped away her tears. "No, sweetheart. I promise."

Now, the sun on the card beamed brightly—just like the little girl’s smile when she learned her mother was out of danger.

Carefully, she tucked the card into the deepest corner of her drawer, where seventeen similar thank-you notes were already neatly stacked.

Behind each one lay a family given a second chance at life.

The phone suddenly rang. The head nurse’s urgent voice crackled through: "Xiaonuan, we need you in OR Three!"

She cast one last glance at the smiling sun on the card before turning and sprinting toward the elevator, her white coat billowing behind her.

Today’s sunlight felt especially warm.

Maltose Creamer wasn't cheap.

Elizabeth Stone pursed her lips and fell silent.

Her sister-in-law was clearly doing this on purpose—only asking about the expensive items.

"How about some canned fruit?"

"No."

"White Rabbit Candy?"

"No."

Elizabeth gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Sister-in-law, it's not that I don’t want to share. You're the one refusing."

Old Man Stone, who was driving the oxcart, listened to their exchange, his gaze lingering on Robert Stone’s injured leg. It hadn’t been long since the family split, and already trouble had struck.

Just by looking at their clothes, it was obvious which households were doing well and which were struggling.

"Thank you for thinking of us," Robert said, though he felt slighted. They truly couldn’t afford Maltose Creamer.

Another ten minutes passed before everyone had arrived.

"Emily, you’ve bought quite a lot," someone remarked.

Emily Johnson smiled faintly. "The New Year is coming, and since we rarely get to town, I stocked up on some supplies. What did you all buy?"

"Things that don’t require ration coupons are scarce. I only got some hard candies..."

As soon as the oxcart stopped, Emily hoisted her basket and hurried home.

"Mom’s back!"

There was a little guest in the house.

"Ethan?"

"Hello, sister-in-law!"

The two boys circled around their mother excitedly.

Emily pulled out a bag of fruit candies and poured half into David’s hands. "Take your brother and bring these to Uncle Robert."

She gave the rest to Ethan.

"Sister-in-law..."

"Take them. These don’t need coupons. Consider it my New Year’s gift to you."

Ethan fished out a crumpled dollar bill to give her.

"You want to pay me for a gift? Put that away."

Emily turned to her sons. "Go and come back quickly."

"Sister-in-law, I’ll head home now." Clutching the candies, Ethan resolved to help her family more often.

What a sensible child.

After seeing them off, Emily began organizing the New Year’s supplies.

Gifts for her in-laws: pastries, candies, and a bottle of liquor.

The glass bottle of cheap liquor she’d bought online—soaking it in water would peel off the label.

Two pounds of egg cakes, a bag of sugar, five pounds of noodles, and a bottle of oil.

When David and Tommy returned, they were clutching fifty cents.

"Come on, let’s deliver these to Grandma."

"Mom, what’s a New Year’s gift?"

The mother and sons walked toward the old house, carrying the basket.

"Emily, bringing something to your mother-in-law?" someone called out along the way.

"Yes."

"Emily’s so filial now, always sending things to her in-laws."

"Why wasn’t she this generous before?"

"Back then, the whole family lived together. Anything she gave would just get divided between the sisters-in-law. Who’d want that?"

"Fair point."

When they reached the old house, Mary Stone was about to start cooking when she saw them enter with the basket.