The days when I was an obstetrician and gynecologist in Chang'an

Chapter 989 "Dewdrop! My Dewdrop!"

(Thanks to Qi Ai for casting 4 monthly votes.)
In Liangzhou, Guzang County, inside the Imperial Medical Bureau, in the courtyard where Du Qinghui lived, the atmosphere was as heavy as iron.

Li San Niang sat on a stone bench in the courtyard like a stone sculpture. On the stone table in front of her was a detailed map of Liangzhou and the surrounding area, which had been marked with countless possible directions and clues in red ink.

This map was certainly not given by the governor of Liangzhou, but sent over by the Bad People.

For the past three days and two nights, she had barely closed her eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was as pale as paper, but her back remained ramrod straight.

The suppressed madness and determination beneath that calm made everyone who passed by her unconsciously slow their pace, for fear of attracting her attention and incurring her reprimand.

Inside and outside the courtyard, there are longing figures.

Government yamen runners, soldiers in leather armor, and various martial arts figures with sharp eyes kept coming and going in the courtyard, bringing all sorts of news, and then hurriedly leaving to carry out their orders.

The reward of a thousand taels of gold and a "life-saving promise" was enough to shake the entire Liangzhou region.

"Report! Suspected wheel tracks have been found beside the abandoned post road thirty miles north of the North Gate, leading towards Wolf Valley!"

"Report! News from Jianghu Road Thirteen: Three days ago, a suspicious Western Region caravan restocked Qingshui in a village near Wild Wolf Valley!"

"Report! Our undercover agents have discovered that the manager of the 'Fu Man Lou' inn in the prefectural city has been in close contact with a caravan that recently disappeared. He has been apprehended and is under interrogation!"

The information was gathered and then quickly analyzed and investigated.

Li San Niang's mind raced, using the map to narrow down the possible locations where the assassins might appear.

In the county jail of Guzang County, at least a hundred people were arrested in less than ten days.

Deep within the prison, piercing screams echoed intermittently.

In order to get those desperate criminals to talk, extraordinary measures must be taken in extraordinary times.

Li Sanniang even violated the rules of doctors by providing Chen Yong, the military commander of Liangzhou, with various medicines, not deadly poisons, but peculiar prescriptions that amplified pain and undermined willpower.

With the combined force of the veteran soldiers' torture, those who had been arrested revealed everything they could and could not say.

"Tell me! Where exactly did you take that young girl?"

"It...it ran away north of Wolf Valley."

The bloodied and mangled killer finally broke down and uttered some fragmented words.

"Who is your leader? Who is he acting on your orders?"

"No, I don't know. I only know that they are noblemen from Chang'an who have offered a large sum of money to the brothel to obstruct the rescue."

The news obtained from the interrogation in the prison was quickly relayed back to the courtyard and reached Li San Niang's ears.

Li Sanniang suddenly stood up, her eyes filled with coldness: "Qiuxiang, Lao Shi, gather the men and set off immediately!"

Just as tensions were rising and the troops were about to move out, a series of extremely rapid hoofbeats, almost tearing through the night, suddenly came from outside the courtyard, along with the guards' loud shouts and a series of excited, distorted cries.

"Make way! Make way quickly! Doctor Li's daughter has been found!!"

"What? We found it!"

"Quickly! Go and report to Physician Li!"

The entire courtyard fell silent instantly. Everyone froze, their eyes fixed on the gate. A horse trod across the bluestone path, leading the way was Tang Dalang, travel-worn and his robes stained with blood. Behind him stood the figure that had tormented Li Sanniang—Dewdrop!

"Mother-in-law!" Tang Dalang reined in his horse and shouted to Li Sanniang in the courtyard.

"Auntie!"

Upon seeing Li San Niang, Dewdrop burst into tears and struggled to dismount, wanting to throw herself into Li San Niang's arms.

This call, hoarse and weak, was like a thunderclap, splitting through all the tension and solemnity in the courtyard, piercing straight into Li San Niang's ears, and striking her heart even more fiercely.

Li San Niang was frozen in place, as if she had been put under a spell, and did not move at all.

She could hardly believe her eyes and ears, her gaze fixed on the small, disheveled figure as if she would disappear in the blink of an eye.

The calm shell that had been forcibly maintained for several days shattered in an instant!
"Dewdrop!"

Li San Niang let out a cry that was almost like weeping blood; it was the strongest sound that erupted from the fear, worry, and despair that had been suppressed for far too long.

She rushed forward like an arrow released from a bow, disregarding everything. Because she stood up so suddenly, she even stumbled and almost fell to the ground, but in Li San Niang's eyes there was only her daughter—Dewdrop!

Li San Niang almost knelt down, opened her arms, and hugged Lu Zhu'er, who was running towards her, tightly and with all her might!
Li San Niang hugged Lu Zhu'er tightly, her arms so strong they almost crushed her.

After holding her for a few breaths, Li Sanniang finally released Luzhu'er. She reached out and quickly and carefully examined Luzhu'er—her hair was disheveled, her clothes were torn, she had scratches on her face and hands, and her eyes were still filled with fear.
Fortunately, his limbs were intact, he was conscious, and there were no obvious serious injuries.

"It's alright, Mother's here, it's alright."

Li San Niang's voice trembled uncontrollably as she repeatedly stroked Lu Zhu'er's back, as if confirming the reality of her lost and found love.

"Dewdrop! My dewdrop!"

At this moment, Li San Niang was somewhat incoherent, and scalding tears gushed out like a burst dam.

After confirming that Lu Zhu'er was not seriously injured, Li San Niang hugged Lu Zhu'er tightly again, as if she wanted to meld Lu Zhu'er into her own bones and blood, never to be separated from her again.

Her body was trembling uncontrollably from the lingering fear and the immense emotional shock.

"Mother, Mother, I'm so scared. I miss you so much."

Dewdrop buried her head in Li Sanniang's warm and familiar embrace, smelling the faint fragrance of medicine. All the strength, wit, fear and grievances of the past few days finally found an outlet.
She burst into tears, clutching Li San Niang's clothes tightly with her little hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

The mother and daughter embraced and wept bitterly in the courtyard, in full view of everyone.

In those cries were the ultimate joy of regaining what was lost, the endless fear of surviving a disaster, and the complete release of the torment and suffering of the past few days.

Qiu Xiang and Lao Shi also had tears in their eyes, silently guarding each other.

Tang Dalang stood aside, watching the two embrace, a tired but gratified smile on his face, feeling that everything he had done was worthwhile.

Li San Niang stroked Lu Zhu'er's back again and again, feeling the real warmth and heartbeat in her arms. Her heart, which had been hanging in mid-air and was almost about to shatter, gradually returned to reality, filled with immense relief and the ecstasy of regaining what she had lost.

"Alright, alright, it's alright now, Pearl. Mother's here, Mother's here. No one can hurt you anymore. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

Li San Niang choked up, repeating these words over and over, both to comfort Lu Zhu'er and to comfort herself.

　Thank you Qi Ai for casting 4 monthly votes.

　　Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!
　　(End of this chapter)