“Zijin, just treat it as me lending it to you. Can you return it in the future? If your current body can’t support it, what about your ambitions?”

Su Chong scratched his head in frustration. He really wanted to force open Liu Zijin’s mouth and force him to drink.

Liu Zijin said nothing.

He refused to accept. Su Chong, Su Hua, and Zhou Heng did not know how to persuade him.

At this moment, the teachers were also calling for everyone to continue on their way.

The students all stood up and followed.

Liu Zijin forced himself to stand up and followed him step by step.

Looking at his unsteady steps, Zhou Heng sighed.

Su Xiaolu put away the medical kit. She was speechless. If he didn’t accept it, so be it.

Liu Zijin walked very slowly and gradually fell behind.

Su Chong, Su Hua, and the others followed him.

Liu Zijin’s face turned red with anxiety. He wanted to hurry, but in his panic, he felt suffocated and uncomfortable. The road in front of him seemed to be shrouded in darkness, and he could not see clearly.

He staggered and almost fell. Fortunately, Su Chong pulled him back.

Before Su Chong could ask, Liu Zijin quickly waved his hand and said weakly, “Thank you, Su Chong… I, I, I’m fine…”

He was breathless from talking, yet he said he was fine.

As soon as Su Chong let go, Liu Zijin staggered and fell.

Su Xiaolu stepped forward and violently pinched Liu Zijin’s chin. “I’ll save you if I want to. I don’t care if you agree or not.”

She touched Liu Zijin’s throat with her finger, and Liu Zijin was forced to swallow the pill.

The thumb-sized pill choked Liu Zijin until he couldn’t breathe or speak. He only came back to life after the pill entered his stomach.

Su Xiaolu had already opened the needle bag and pricked Liu Zijin’s neck.

Liu Zijin suddenly felt that his vision was clear, and his blocked throat seemed to have opened up all of a sudden. His face flushed, and he said to Su Xiaolu in a thin voice, “Thank you for saving my life, Miss.”

“Thank you for saving me. I can’t repay your kindness…”

Liu Zijin looked at Su Chong and the others, feeling extremely guilty.

“What do you mean there’s nothing to repay? You’re seriously ill. If I save you, you have to write me an IOU. You don’t have money now, but you might not have money in the future. Return me thirty taels of silver in the future.”

Su Xiaolu rolled her eyes at Liu Zijin.

Liu Zijin looked at Su Xiaolu in a daze. He was caught off guard and Su Xiaolu grabbed his collar. “I’m a divine doctor with powerful martial arts skills. If you dare to go back on your word, I’ll skin you alive!”

Liu Zijin came back to his senses and nodded repeatedly. “Alright, I won’t go back on my word.”

He did feel better now that he’d taken the pill. Many times better than the doctors he’d seen before.

Liu Zijin was shocked by Su Xiaolu’s skillful acupuncture. He knew that he had to accept help. Su Xiaolu had helped him in this way before he could lower his head and beg.

Liu Zijin felt much better.

Liu Zijin took out a pen and paper from his book bag. “I’ll write an IOU for the girl.”

Su Chong hesitated and wanted to speak, but Su Xiaolu had already replied indifferently, “Go ahead and write.”

Su Hua shook his head at Su Chong. Su Chong didn’t say anything in the end.

Liu Zijin wrote an IOU, and Su Xiaolu immediately put it away.

With a clear debt, Liu Zijin was much calmer and took the medicine bottle.

Su Xiaolu took out two big white steamed buns and said to Liu Zijin, “Eat something first. Whatever you eat now, you have to return to me in the future.”

Liu Zijin was weak. There were reasons for his illness, including hunger. He was already weak and did not eat well, so how could he recover? Therefore, Liu Zijin was sickly.

Su Xiaolu was so generous that Liu Zijin felt less awkward accepting it. He took it and nodded, saying softly, “Okay, I’ll return it.”

Liu Zijin ate and walked. He walked slowly, but he persevered. When he arrived at Anping County, Liu Zijin was covered in sweat.

When they arrived at the inn, they shared a room. Su Chong quickly asked Liu Zijin to change his clothes and sleep.

Liu Zijin didn’t have any clothes, so Su Hua gave him his. Liu Zijin was about to speak when Su Hua said lightly, “Write an IOU. You’ll pay it back together in the future. Anyway, you owe thirty taels, so a little more wouldn’t matter.”

Su Chong added, “Exactly.”

Zhou Heng’s expression was gentle. He held back his laughter and said, “Zijin, quickly go and change your clothes. Xiaolu and I will go and get some medicine for you. We have to cure you. Otherwise, our money will be wasted.”

Liu Zijin’s pale face blushed. He nodded. “Zijin will definitely not let you all down.”

Liu Zijin went to change his clothes.

Su Chong touched his head and said, “If I had known he was like this, I would have been able to help him last time. Xiaolu has a way.”

Su Hua smiled and didn’t say anything. No matter what, saving Liu Zijin was a good thing.

Su Xiaolu and Zhou Heng went to the pharmacy to get medicine.

On the way, Zhou Heng asked Su Xiaolu, “Xiaolu, why didn’t you care about Liu Zijin’s wishes just now? Aren’t you afraid that he will hate you because of this?”

One couldn’t just give help simply because they wanted to.

Even if he died for that cheap pride and self-respect, it was someone else’s choice.

The last time they met Liu Zijin, they had asked him to eat with them, but Liu Zijin had refused.

Liu Zijin had his own concerns, so they could only respect him.

Su Xiaolu smiled. “So what if he hates me? I’m the divine doctor’s disciple. Minggu doesn’t care about this. I can do whatever I want. If I don’t want to do it, I won’t. What he thinks has nothing to do with me.”

She was not familiar with Liu Zijin, so Liu Zijin’s life had nothing to do with her.

But now, if Liu Zijin died like this, it would affect her eldest and second brother’s mood. If Liu Zijin wanted to die or not, she wouldn’t care after the exam. Anyway, he couldn’t collapse now!

But she wasn’t going to tell anyone what she really thought.

She had grown up, too. It was time she had her own little secrets.

Zhou Heng looked at Su Xiaolu and couldn’t help but smile. “That’s true.”

“What medicine is Xiaolu going to get?”

Zhou Heng asked Su Xiaolu.

“Liu Zijin’s body has suffered heavy losses. If he wants to survive the exam these few days and take some medicine, he will need to take medicine in the future. It should be about thirty taels of silver.”

Su Xiaolu told him the truth. She was not lying when she said thirty taels. Liu Zijin’s body was too weak. After removing the root of his illness, he had to continue taking medicine. Thirty taels was not a lot.

When they arrived at the medicine store, Su Xiaolu said that she would pay 30 taels of silver for the prescription.

When they returned to the inn, Su Xiaolu went to borrow a clay pot to make medicine. She bought some flour from the inn and prepared to make a medicinal cuisine cake for Liu Zijin.

It could fill his stomach and work as medicine. It could help him survive the exam for the next few days.

Holding it in front of Liu Zijin, Su Xiaolu said, “This medicinal cuisine cake has small ginseng, lingzhi grass, and other precious herbs. I spent a total of 30 taels. There are 40 pancakes here. Eat this for the next few days. It can satisfy your hunger and can also be used for medicinal purposes.”