I clenched my fists and grinded my teeth. It was no help. I can't talk straight with these people.

But when I thought all hope was lost. Someone stepped up and gave an opinion.

"I think we should keep them."

We all look at the person speaking, and I realize that was the doctor the old leader handed Si over for treatment earlier.

He walked up helped me stand up, then faced the woman.

"I respect you as a doctor, but I don't see any reason why to keep them," the woman frowned.

The doctor looked at everyone and gave a friendly smile. He said, "The Ly is a big and generous family that has helped a lot of us in South City, so I think it is right for us to help their only family member left. As for the boy named Si, he is currently very sick and needs care. Throwing him back to this weather is not something a human should do."

The doctor appeared to be a respected person among these people. His words carry a level of authority that is only below the old leader. So many heads turned to his side.

"What about him?" the woman pointed at me. "There's no reason to keep him."

He smiled somewhat playfully. "He will be my assistant."

It was an answer that none of us could have expected.

"Think about it," he added. "There are currently a lot of patients in my care because of many reasons. Hunger, dehydration, fatigue, cold... and that number will only increase. You can't expect me to take care of all of them. I need an assistant. Taking care of these patients carries risks of getting ill yourself, so why don't we use Grass instead of one of us? We don't need to care if he will get sick or not."

What he said was able to persuade the people. Eventually, through some more convincing from the leader and the doctor, even the woman agreed to let me stay.

When things are done. I thanked him. "I don't know why you helped me, but I thank you with all my heart."

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He looked at me deeply and said, "I don't know much about you, Grass. I only know from what I hear, but your actions and words today are opposite to what I thought of you. But still, I haven't fully put my guard down on you yet."

"Anyway, thank you," I said again and bowed.

After he left, the leader gave me a nod and walked away as well. I slowly got to the tent and opened it. Ly Giai's face appeared right at me.

"Is that what you don't want me to see? That you were kneeling?" she asked, with a scent of anger and betrayal in her voice.

I smiled playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "So you saw it after all."

"Do you not trust me? I won't think less of you. I'm even willing to kneel with you."

I shook my head. "Not at all. It's because I know you are that kind of person, Ly Giai. I don't want you to lower yourself with me. You don't deserve that." I paused and chuckled bitterly, "But the thing was, I want to save the last bit of my dignity left in your eyes, however small it is."

Ly Giai's face softened, and her voice became gentler. "Oh Do. Why do you always see yourself less? You are as dignified as any nobles and royals can be."

"Thank you," I said with all gratitude. "Thankfully, that doctor came and helped me."

"Yes, we must make sure to repay him," Ly Giai nodded. "Let's go assist him."

"Don't follow me, Ly Giai. I don't want you to get sick."

She flicked my forehead. "We will be staying in the same tent after you finish helping the doctor anyway. How is it more dangerous for me to assist you? So why can't I help you as much as I can?" she replied.

Ly Giai and I went to the doctor. It took some convincing for him to let Ly Giai lend a hand.

"Any of you know anything about medicine?" he asked us.

"No," we both replied.

"Then follow me and note down whatever I'll say. We are visiting patients right now."

Ly Giai and I quickly took some paper and writing brushes. The patients' tent is next to the infirmary tent, so the doctor can easily check on them.

And it was also the tent where Si was in. Along with him were about ten other patients. They all looked in their twenties to forties.

The doctor visited each in order. Ly Giai and I would write down the medicines and methods of treatment for each of them. The doctor assigned me to the male patients and Ly Giai to the female patients to treat and clean them up daily.

Then he went to Si. It was a long checkup in silence. When done, he looked at Si puzzledly.

"What's wrong, doctor?" Ly Giai asked.

The doctor shook his head, "I think I am just worrying too much."

"Is there something strange?" she asked again.

He said thoughtfully, "I am confident that Si is having a cold right now. But when I just checked him, there were moments where his body turned unusually cold, as though there is something else besides the cold."

"Something else? What would that be?" Ly Giai was worried.

"I don't know yet. For now, take care of him like I instructed you to. I will go through my books to see if I can find anything."

"Okay," we both replied.