Chapter 868
Chapter 868:
The old woman joined her on the sofa. After a long silence, she began, “This was more than twenty years ago. I was born and raised in the mountains. I was going through a difficult time when I met Isla. My husband was a hunter. Every morning, he went into the mountains, and I stayed behind sewing animal skins to sell in town. It sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it?” She smiled wistfully, as if she could see those days clearly. “You young people will never understand what life was like back then. Yes, it was hard, but believe me—life was good p>
Her smile slowly faded.
“One day, my world came crashing down. My husband was carried home by two of his friends. Blood was seeping from two small holes on his leg.” Her voice tightened. “When I asked what had happened, scared out of my mind, they told me he’d been bitten by a venomous snake and couldn’t walk on his own. I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. We rushed him to the hospital with relatives and friends, but the doctors destroyed my hope.” She swallowed. “They said there was nothing they could do. Too much time had passed, and the poison had already spread. All they could do was keep him comfortable until he died p>
“What happened after that?” Annabel asked softly, drawn into the story. She already had a sense of where it was going.
“After that?” The old woman smiled again, but it wasn’t a happy smile. It was the smile of someone who had walked through hell and somehow made it out. “On the way back, I met Isla and a young man. I think he was her friend. I was so devastated that I didn’t even have the presence of mind to greet them properly. Isla came up to ask me for directions, and when she saw how miserable I looked, she asked what was wrong p>
She exhaled, as if reliving the moment.
“I don’t know what came over me, but I told her everything. I suppose I was so desperate and frustrated that I needed to pour it out, even to a stranger. To this day, I’m grateful I did. Isla told me right away that her friend was a doctor—and that he could cure snake venom p>
A doctor? Someone who could neutralize poison?
Your next story is here gⱯlnσνels․com
As Annabel tried to guess who it might be, only one name surfaced in her mind.
The old woman took a sip of water before continuing. “Of course, I didn’t believe them. If the doctors at the hospital couldn’t do anything, how could they? But my husband didn’t agree with me. He said it wouldn’t hurt to try. Nothing could be worse than death. So we got in their car and went back to my house. To my greatest p>
“…greatest surprise, the young man truly was an excellent doctor. He took a few needles from his backpack and pricked them into my husband’s leg. Almost immediately, the dark purple venom began to seep out, and my husband recovered p>
The old woman’s eyes glistened as she spoke, her voice trembling with emotion. “I can safely say that was the highlight of my life. My husband and I were so happy we didn’t even know how to thank them p>
“Wait a second, please…” Annabel interrupted, leaning forward. “What was the name of the man who saved your husband p>
“His name?” The old woman frowned and thought hard. “I really can’t remember. They only stayed in my house for two days. But I think I heard Isla call him ‘Chan p>