Chapter 31: The Stitch-Up

Shen Nian gently rolled up Su Yutao’s sleeve.

The bandages came off.

The wound was exposed.

The doctor leaned in for a closer look.

Qiansui gasped.

“That wound… it’s so deep… the flesh is turned inside out… and it’s swollen all around…”

The doctor was silent for a moment, then asked, “What kind of dog bit you? Stray or domesticated?”

Shen Nian looked down at Su Yutao.

Su Yutao didn’t know.

She only knew the dog was fierce, stank, and wouldn’t let go once it bit down.

She shook her head.

The doctor asked again, “Have you had a rabies vaccine before?”

Su Yutao shook her head again.

She didn’t know.

She knew nothing about this body’s past.

The doctor sighed. “Alright, let’s start with the shots. One today, the second in three days, the third in seven days, and the fourth in fourteen days. Got it?”

Shen Nian nodded. “Got it.”

The doctor began preparing.

Qiansui nervously reported in her ear, “He’s preparing the needle… it’s so long… longer than I imagined… he’s drawing the medicine… the needle tip is so thin… but it looks like it’ll hurt…”

Su Yutao listened to Qiansui, growing more frightened by the second, her body starting to tremble uncontrollably.

Shen Nian’s hand pressed on her shoulder. “Bear with it. It’ll be over soon.”

The doctor approached. “Stick out your arm.”

Su Yutao extended her arm.

The cool alcohol swab wiped across her skin.

Then—

The needle went in.

It hurt.

A sharp pain boring into her flesh.

Su Yutao tensed up, gritting her teeth, not making a sound.

Shen Nian’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “Don’t move. Almost done.”

The needle pushed deeper.

When the medicine went in, there was a sour, swollen feeling.

Su Yutao’s nails dug into her palm.

Then the needle was pulled out.

A cotton ball was pressed over the injection site.

The doctor said, “Press for five minutes. Don’t rub it.”

Shen Nian took the cotton and pressed it on Su Yutao’s arm.

Su Yutao sighed in relief.

Qiansui also relaxed. “Phew… finally done… that scared me to death…”

Shen Nian helped her stand up. “Come on, let’s go to the observation room and wait for half an hour.”

Observation room.

Rows and rows of chairs.

Su Yutao was helped to sit down.

Shen Nian sat beside her.

Qiansui whispered in her arms, “There are so many people here… There’s an uncle sleeping across from us… An auntie playing on her phone next to us… And a little kid eating candy…”

Su Yutao was silent for a while.

Then she reached out, fumbling to touch Shen Nian’s hand.

Shen Nian was startled. “What’s wrong?”

Su Yutao pulled her hand over and opened it.

She wrote on her palm.

W-H-Y-D-I-D-Y-O-U-S-A-Y-F-I-F-T-E-E-N?

Stroke by stroke, she wrote slowly.

Shen Nian looked at her palm and paused for a second.

Then she chuckled softly. “Because you look like you’re fifteen. Small and thin, with a tiny face, all curled up—if I said you were thirteen or fourteen, people would believe it.”

Su Yutao froze.

Shen Nian continued, “What? Is that wrong? How old are you, really?”

Su Yutao didn’t know how to answer.

She shook her head.

Shen Nian watched her reaction and paused. “You don’t know either?”

Su Yutao nodded.

Shen Nian was silent for a few seconds.

Then she sighed. “Alright, let’s just say fifteen for now. It’s not like the vaccine cares about age—just the number of doses.”

Su Yutao lowered her head.

She hugged Qiansui tighter.

Shen Nian didn’t ask further.

She just sat quietly beside her.

Waiting for the time to pass.

Half an hour later.

Shen Nian stood up. “Let’s go. Shouldn’t be any problem. We can go home.”

She helped Su Yutao to her feet and led her out.

***

Back at Shen Nian’s place.

Shen Nian helped Su Yutao sit on the sofa.

Then she glanced at the ratty penguin doll in Su Yutao’s arms.

She frowned.

“That doll of yours really needs some work.”

Su Yutao froze, hugging Qiansui tighter.

Shen Nian said, “I’m not going to throw it away. I’ll sew it up for you and add some cotton. Look how flat it’s gotten.”

Su Yutao shook her head.

She made a “mmph mmph” sound.

No.

You can’t touch it.

Qiansui is inside.

Shen Nian saw her reaction and sighed. “I’m not trying to take it from you. I just want to fix it for you. If you keep holding it like that, all the cotton inside will fall out.”

Su Yutao still shook her head.

She clutched the penguin to her chest and shrank back.

The “mmph mmph” sound became more urgent.

Seeing her like that, Shen Nian felt a bit helpless. “You little mute… do you think I’d harm you?”

Su Yutao wouldn’t listen.

She slid off the sofa, sat on the floor, and hugged Shen Nian’s leg.

Looking up.

“Mmph mmph mmph” sounds.

Though she couldn’t see, her eyelashes fluttered, her small face full of pleading.

Shen Nian looked down at her.

A meter-fifty small figure, sitting on the floor, hugging her leg, looking up with that tiny face, making mmph sounds.

Like a little dog begging its owner not to take its bone.

Shen Nian’s mouth twitched.

“Are you trying to act cute?”

Su Yutao didn’t know what acting cute meant.

She only knew that no one could touch Qiansui.

She kept “mmph”-ing, rubbing her face against Shen Nian’s knee.

Qiansui whispered in her arms, “Um… I think she really just wants to sew me up…”

Su Yutao didn’t listen.

Shen Nian looked at her, silent for five seconds.

Then she sighed. “Fine, fine, fine. I won’t take it.”

She bent down, picked Su Yutao up from the floor, and put her back on the sofa.

Su Yutao still held onto her leg.

Shen Nian said helplessly, “Let go. I won’t take your doll.”

Su Yutao slowly let go.

But she still held the penguin tightly to her chest.

Seeing this, Shen Nian turned and walked to another room.

After a while, she came back.

In her hand was a doll.

Brand new.

Fluffy.

Qiansui whispered in her arms, “She brought a new doll… white… a rabbit? No, it’s a bear? I don’t know.”

Shen Nian walked up to Su Yutao and sat down.

Then, right in front of Su Yutao, she grabbed the new doll with both hands.

And tore it apart.

“Rip—”

The sound of fabric tearing.

Su Yutao was stunned.

Qiansui was also stunned.

(The doll indicates it’s now free)

Shen Nian put the torn doll on the coffee table and started pulling out the cotton inside.

Snow white.

Soft.

Fresh cotton.

She pulled out a large clump, then turned to Su Yutao. “Hold out your hand. Give me the penguin.”

Su Yutao hesitated.

Slowly, she handed the penguin over.

But she still gripped one of its wings and didn’t let go.

Shen Nian glanced at it. “You can hold it yourself. I’ll sew it right in your hands.”

Su Yutao nodded.

Shen Nian began stuffing cotton into the penguin’s belly.

One clump.

Two clumps.

Three clumps.

Qiansui whispered in Su Yutao’s ear, “So soft… much more comfortable than the old dirty cotton…”

Hearing its satisfied tone, Su Yutao gradually relaxed.

After finishing stuffing the cotton, Shen Nian took a needle and thread from under the coffee table.

She threaded the needle.

And started sewing.

Right on Su Yutao’s hands.

The sound of the needle piercing through fabric.

The sound of the thread tightening.

Su Yutao didn’t move a muscle.

Qiansui whispered in her ear, “She’s sewing so carefully… the stitches are so tight… even better than my master’s work…”

Shen Nian muttered as she sewed, “You tell me, a broken penguin doll, and you treat it like a treasure.”

“I don’t know what’s so great about it inside.”

“Dirty and broken, almost chewed up by that dog.”

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