“All right.” Feng Jiu’er didn’t hesitate.

As a healer, when she saw a patient, even without any particular reason, she would never simply stand by and do nothing.

The woman pushed open the door to one of the rooms. Inside sat only a single child, perched on a small bed.

He held a book in his hands, absorbed in reading, and it took him a moment to notice someone had entered.

“Auntie.” The child looked at the woman and called out softly.

“Mm.” The woman nodded at him and turned back to Feng Jiu’er.

“Miss Long, this is Little Long. This room houses children six and older—we usually fit eight children to a room.”

“The others are either at the village school or have gone to the fields with their uncle.”

“My husband and I have no children of our own, so we moved in to live with everyone here. The children all call us Auntie and Uncle.”

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er stepped forward toward Little Long.

“You’re Little Long, yes?” She came to his side and sat down.

“Fairy sister, you’re so pretty!” Little Long looked at Feng Jiu’er, his face breaking into a sunny smile.

“And those two sisters too, they’re both so pretty, like fairies.”

“And big brother is handsome too—the most handsome brother Little Long has ever seen.”

“Little Long, what a good boy!” Feng Jiu’er ruffled his hair and took his hand, placing it on the small table.

Little Long glanced at the jade-smooth fingers resting on his pulse and smiled faintly, falling quiet.

It seemed he had grown used to this sort of thing.

After a moment, Feng Jiu’er withdrew her slender fingers from his pulse and met his gaze.

“Little Long, may sister take a look at your legs?”

“Of course.” Little Long looked down at his motionless legs. “But Little Long’s legs can’t move.”

Feng Jiu’er said nothing, simply cradling one of his legs to examine it, then quickly switching to the other.

She carefully examined both intact legs, then untied the cloth wrap at her wrist and opened it.

This was a needle case Feng Jiu’er had made herself, the silk-soft wrap holding silver needles within.

She opened the case and drew out a single silver needle.

“Don’t be afraid, Little Long. Sister just wants to try something.”

“It’s okay, Little Long isn’t scared.” Little Long looked up at Feng Jiu’er, his smile blooming like a flower.

“Good.” Feng Jiu’er nodded with some satisfaction.

Needle in hand, she turned to the woman. “Could you bring in a basin of warm water for me?”

“Of course.” The woman nodded and turned to leave.

Feng Jiu’er turned back, lowering her eyes to Little Long’s legs.

“Has Little Long’s leg always been unable to move?”

Even as she spoke, the silver needle had already pierced into an acupoint on his leg.

“Yes.” Little Long remained unhurried.

His expression stayed calm, nothing at all like that of an ordinary six-year-old.

And he wasn’t afraid, didn’t cry out—it was hard to tell whether he was simply enduring it or felt nothing at all.

“When did Little Long come to this place?” Feng Jiu’er didn’t ask about his sensations, instead pinching a second needle and inserting it into another point on his leg.

“I don’t know.” Little Long shook his head. “I think I’ve been here since I was very small. All the memories I have are of this place.”

Little Long didn’t dare look at his own legs, keeping his eyes fixed on Feng Jiu’er instead.

“Everyone here is so good. Auntie and Uncle are wonderful, and the brothers, sisters, and little ones are all wonderful too.”

“And Lord Duan—Lord Duan said that next year, he’ll take me… he’ll take me to the village school to study.”

“…It’s just, I don’t know—if I still can’t walk, will the teacher refuse to take me?”

“How could he?” Xiao Yingtao watched the boy for a moment, then walked over and handed him a bag of candy.

It was candy they had bought at the market earlier, the kind she herself liked to eat.

“Sister, what’s this?” Little Long looked at the colorful little pouch, his expression brightening even more.

It was as if the one currently being treated wasn’t him at all.

“It’s candy.” Xiao Yingtao tore open the bag and held it out to Little Long.

“It’s all yours, don’t be shy!”

“Thank you.” Little Long, catching the sweet scent, reached out with both hands and took the pouch.

“Thank you, sister.”

“You’re welcome!” Xiao Yingtao ruffled the head of this boy who tugged at her heartstrings.

Her gaze drifted down to his legs, now pierced with several silver needles, but she quickly lifted her eyes back to Little Long’s face.

“Little Long, have one, don’t be shy. Sister has more.”

“Mm.” Little Long nodded, happily pulling out a piece of candy and popping it into his mouth.

“It’s so good! It tastes just like the candy Lord Duan brings us. So sweet, so fragrant!”

“Does Lord Duan come to see you often?” Xiao Yingtao asked softly.

“Yes.” Little Long nodded. “Lord Duan comes by every few days, and every time, he brings us something to eat.”

“Lord Duan is like an immortal. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t even have a place to live.”

“Is that what Auntie told you?” Xiao Yingtao’s voice rose again.

“Mm.” Little Long nodded once more. “Auntie says only someone as good as Lord Duan would take in so many of us.”

“For our sake, Lord Duan has always lived frugally.”

“Sister, do you know? Lord Duan is actually the city lord—the lord of our Yongshan City.” Little Long looked up to meet Xiao Yingtao’s eyes.

He avoided looking at Feng Jiu’er, perhaps out of fear, but so as not to worry those who cared for him, he pretended the treatment wasn’t happening at all.

“I’ve seen Lord Duan wearing patched clothes. Auntie says he can’t even bear to buy himself new ones.”

“Lord Duan is like a grandfather immortal. We all love him very much.”

The child’s eyes sparkled like gems, pure and untainted by even a trace of impurity.

In that moment, both Xiao Yingtao and Feng Jiu’er could picture the scene of Duan Wucheng bringing candy to these children.

This city lord—even one who had raised a worthless son—was undeniably a good man.

“Little Long, try moving this leg.” Feng Jiu’er withdrew the needles and spoke.

Only then did Little Long lower his head to look at his legs.

He steadied himself and began to exert effort.

The woman, who had just carried in a basin of warm water, saw the boy’s leg nearly move.

She froze for a moment, then hurried inside, setting the basin down.

“Little Long, you… move it again, push a little harder, let Auntie see.”

Little Long moved his leg again, and even he couldn’t believe his own eyes—he rubbed them and moved it once more.

“Little Long, your leg can really move, it can really move.” The woman was beside herself with excitement.

“Miss Long, Doctor Long, you really are a living bodhisattva! How did you do this?”

The woman looked at Feng Jiu’er, reaching out as if to grab her arm, then froze, her outstretched hands not daring to go any further.

“This has never happened before. Over a dozen doctors before you couldn’t get Little Long’s leg to move even slightly.”

“Doctor Long, you’re an immortal, a bodhisattva, a savior!”