Jinyi Spring

Chapter 66 Lateral Incision
Feng Chuchen lowered his eyes and said, "I don't have any martial arts skills. I just practice flicking my fingers every day to develop strong fingers so that I can apply the Yin Shen Needle."

If Heaven were to take Madam Jin's life, this corrupt official would not be so polite to them.

Commander Jin said, "I thank you. Please go to the east wing for some tea to calm your nerves."

He saw that the big, clumsy girl behind Feng Chuchen was still glaring at him angrily, her hair was messy, her body was covered in dirt, her collar was pulled crooked, and there were several scratches on her face.

He laughed again, "This girl suits my temperament, is strong but weak, and loyal to her master. She's a good prospect for martial arts. It's a pity she's a girl; it would be better if she were a man."

"However, I value talent. If you wish to learn martial arts, come to my residence when you have nothing to do, and I will teach you a few moves."

Peony rolled her eyes at him, wanting to say "You think you can eat shit?", but Aunt Wang tugged at her clothes with her hand.

She pursed her lips and remained silent.

Feng Chuchen led Aunt Wang and Shaoyao into the opposite room.

Several old women were sitting in the room. Feng Chuchen recognized one of them; she was the female doctor Wei who had delivered Grandma Wen's baby. Today, she was the one who was delivering babies.

Doctor Wei had been busy for two days and three nights and was too exhausted to speak. She had just heard women fighting outside and later learned it was Feng Chuchen.

Feng Chuchen was alright, only her hair was a little messy. The maid and the midwife were in a very sorry state, not only were their hair and clothes disheveled, but they also had injuries on their faces.

The female doctor, Ms. Wei, was filled with admiration.

This child is like Doctor Feng; not only is he capable, but he also has an unyielding spirit, so much so that even the servants would rather die than submit to him.

She asked, "Is Dr. Feng alright?"

"Fortunately."

Feng Chuchen and the others were all exhausted, so they sat down to rest.

Feng Chuchen looked down at her right thumb and index finger. Although they looked quite white and not deformed, upon closer inspection, they were not exactly the same as her left hand. The knuckles were slightly thicker, and there was a slightly yellow callus on the tip of her thumb.

She used all her strength when she flicked that old woman's finger.

This year, she polished the copper thimbles at an astonishing speed; she had already polished the eighth one in the first four months, and the ninth one is almost done as well.

Even setting aside the miraculous acupuncture techniques, just for self-preservation, years of practice would have been worthwhile.

Soon after, several bowls of egg noodles were brought in.

After everyone ate and rested for a while, they all got up and left.

Upon arriving outside the side room, two old women handed them purses, including those for Aunt Wang and Peony.

These two old women were the ones who had been beaten by Shaoyao by the hair. They were covered in mud and their hair was a mess, like a bird's nest. They glared at Shaoyao fiercely, but dared not refuse.

The rain had stopped, the night sky was deep and full of stars, and a cool breeze swept over us, calming our restless hearts.

Feng Chuchen exhaled a breath of stale air and boarded the carriage.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest.

The terrifying night passed peacefully.

Feng Chuchen cursed Jin Heizi's mother dozens of times in her mind.

That's so damn unreasonable, so damn evil, so damn capricious...

When ordinary people encounter corrupt officials like this, they can only become meat on the chopping block.

I am once again grateful that Shangguan Ruyu is a shareholder in the clinic.

Feng Chuchen thought again of her aunt's life. Refusing to be coerced and sticking to one's principles is difficult even in modern society, let alone here…

Peony couldn't wait to open her purse. Inside was a large, white silver ingot, weighing a full ten taels, which made her blink.

This was the first time she had earned so much money, and she wasn't angry anymore. Instead, she laughed like a duck, "Hahaha, if I save up some more money, I can build a tiled house!"

Aunt Wang also paid ten taels of silver.

Feng Chuchen opened his purse and found a silver note containing one hundred taels of silver.

This is not only a consultation fee, but also an apology.

Feng Chuchen thought to himself, "No matter how much you give him, he'll still be a bad seed."

Seeing that Peony was still happy, Aunt Wang got angry and pinched her hard a few times.

He scolded, "You idiot! You know you're strong, yet you still stare with those big eyes. Don't you know how to bend your knees and lower your head? You don't even know how to behave in front of those officials, you almost got the girl into trouble..."

Peony knew she had caused trouble, and though she was in pain, she didn't dare to cry out. She pouted and shrank her neck.

Aunt Wang scolded again, "Now you know how to cower? What were you doing just now?"

Feng Chuchen glanced at Shaoyao. This girl was loyal to her master, and she had suffered the most today. But she was also the most troublesome; if she wasn't properly disciplined, who knew how much trouble she would cause.

She said coldly, "You didn't know how to conceal your sharpness when faced with trouble, and you've caused a great disaster. Go home and stand under the eaves for an hour. If it happens again, I won't want you anymore. Go home."

She disliked the ancient practice of punishing people by making them kneel, as it hurt their self-esteem.

Peony burst into tears, "Girl, I'll never dare to look at people indiscriminately again. I'll bend my knees when I need anything so that no one will notice me..."

Aunt Wang said, "The girl is a kind-hearted person. If you were to change masters, they would beat you half to death first, and then sell you."

Peony pouted and said, "Yes, I'll stand here when I get home."

Aunt Wang added, "Girl, I finally understand the benefits of an episiotomy. If I had an episiotomy today, I wouldn't have needed to break the baby's collarbone. With just one incision, the mother wouldn't have suffered so much. I'll definitely practice diligently when I get home."

Previously, Aunt Wang was not very optimistic about episiotomy, and her learning about episiotomy was passive.

With motivation comes the willingness to work hard, and Feng Chuchen is very satisfied.

"From now on, Aunt Wang should practice more when she has nothing to do. She shouldn't do anything else except deliver babies."

Although I can't teach Aunt Wang how to perform an episiotomy on a person, she has been a midwife for so many years and is extremely familiar with the structure of a woman's lower body.

Feng Chuchen showed her the drawings, explaining where to make the incision, what instruments to use, how to make the incision, how long and deep to make it, how to protect the perineum and deliver the baby, how to suture and tie the knots, and the follow-up care.

They then practiced cutting and sewing on pork.

Episiotomy suturing requires three layers: the vaginal mucosa, the fat and muscle layer, and the skin layer.

Although Feng Chuchen described each layer in great detail, Aunt Wang was still somewhat confused.

Feng Chuchen comforted her, "This kind of surgery is very simple. Once you master the technique, you'll understand it after watching it twice."

Disinfectant also existed in this era, which was made by boiling albinism in water. Albinism was a herb unique to this era, and it had excellent disinfecting properties; doctors used water boiled with it for disinfection.

Feng Chuchen added Atractylodes lancea, which made the effect even better.

In this era, surgical sutures were made of mulberry bark. These fine threads would grow into the flesh as the wound healed, becoming one with the human body.

It uses the Hua Tuo suture technique, also known as the invisible suture technique in its previous life, which leaves almost no visible trace of the thread after suturing.

Hua Tuo's suture technique is not only of great significance in the medical field, but has also become part of Chinese culture, and many people in the past used it for sewing clothes.

However, Feng Chuchen did not approve of using this needle technique to suture wounds.

Those stitched to the inner layer do not require "invisible sutures," while those stitched to the outer layer can be removed after a few days, which is more beneficial to the body. However, Feng Chuchen had to perform these surgeries herself for the first few times.

Because she is unmarried, she cannot deliver babies; and because she does not have a medical license for ulcers, she cannot perform ulcer surgeries.

She had no choice but to forcibly classify this technique as "gynecology," a minor surgery within the broader field of gynecology.

The first few doctors to perform episiotomies will definitely target pregnant women from poor families, promising them certain benefits, and naturally some will be willing to do it.

As for why Feng Chuchen knew these things, the excuse was that they were recorded in her aunt's notes. Unfortunately, she passed away before they could be implemented.

After reading the notes, and combining them with her aunt's and Aunt Wang's descriptions of childbirth, as well as the ulcer treatment techniques she had learned from medical books, Feng Chuchen understood...

Peony said, "Our maternal and child health clinic is good. It has midwives and doctors, and can simultaneously save mothers and infants. It's a pity that I was born with these big hands, so I can't do midwifery."

This is the biggest regret of her life.

When I got home, the rooster had already started crowing.

Feng Chuchen and Aunt Wang went to take a bath, and Shaoyao consciously stood under the eaves. She thought the girl was too kind; she hadn't made her kneel even though she was so angry.

Aunt Wang felt that the master's punishment was too lenient, and fearing that Shaoyao would not learn her lesson, she pinched her a few times in private and scolded her.

Feng Chuchen slept for more than an hour, but still got up at the beginning of the morning.

He practiced Tai Chi with his younger brother and Banxia, ​​and also practiced finger-flicking kung fu.

When Feng Buji heard that his sister had been beaten, he was both surprised and angry. He scolded Shaoyao severely and punished her.

"Just making you stand as punishment is too lenient. You're not allowed to eat today. If you break the rules again, you're out."

Peony showed a very good attitude in admitting her mistake, saying, "Young Master, I know I was wrong, and I will never do it again."

After breakfast, Feng Buji was sent to school, and Feng Chuchen took Banxia to the Jingzhao Prefecture.

The Duan inkstone was already waiting there.

The group went inside and revised the contract. After they came out, Feng Chuchen recounted what had happened at the Jin residence the day before.

Duan Yan wanted to laugh but dared not.

He said, "Commander Jin is a roughneck; he's capable of doing something like this. He was a beggar in his youth, and he was fiercer than anyone else when it came to grabbing food. When he was twelve, he was picked up by the old Duke Ming and brought into the army. He fought like a madman, and the old Duke Ming personally trained him."

"More than twenty years ago, when the old Duke Ming led the army to quell the rebellion in the south, the old Duke Ming, my son-in-law, and Commander Jin all followed the old Duke and Princess Changning. Once, my son-in-law was poisoned, and it was Commander Jin who carried him out of the dense forest."

"But Commander Jin has a bad temper. He likes to fight and cause trouble, and he likes to drink and get into trouble. He was scolded by Princess Changning several times with a riding crop. As long as Princess Changning beats him, Old Duke Ming will also beat him."

Feng Chuchen asked, "Is Princess Changning the Old Madam Ming?"

Duan Yan said, "Exactly."

Feng Chuchen understood. No wonder the old Duke Ming loved his wife so much; it turned out that the old lady was a heroine like Hua Mulan, who had fought alongside him.

Duan Yan smiled again, "I'll go back and report to my second master. He will definitely not allow Lord Jin to treat Miss Feng that way."

Feng Chuchen said, "Not only can't you do that to me, you can't do it to anyone. How can you hit someone for no reason, especially in front of a pregnant woman? It's so unreasonable."

"Alright, please have my second master speak to Lord Jin. If he doesn't listen to advice, then tell Old Madam Ming. Old Madam Ming is the kindest of all, and she will definitely teach him a lesson when she finds out."

The next afternoon, Feng Chuchen was reading in her room when Aunt Wu came in and reported, "Miss, a carriage has arrived outside. They say it's Young Master Shangguan's carriage."

Shangguan Ruyu?

Feng Chuchen got up to greet them. The carriage had already entered the courtyard. Duan Yan was driving the carriage himself, accompanied by two guards on horseback.

Shangguan Ruyu got off the carriage and smiled brightly at Feng Chuchen, "Young Master Feng invested in the clinic, so I came to see how it's being built."

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Young Master Shangguan's presence is an honor to our humble abode."

They only let him stand at the side door and look towards the clinic before inviting him into the main room.

Today, Peony went home to deliver money on her day off, and Pinellia went to the street to buy supplies for the clinic.

Since none of the maids who wanted to see the beautiful women were there, Feng Chuchen personally brewed tea for Shangguan Ruyu.

Shangguan Ruyu, fanning himself with a large fan, laughed and said, "Yesterday, I made a special trip to the Jin residence and gave Lord Jin a good talking-to. Lord Jin begged me for a long time not to tell Old Madam Ming about that matter."

He also said that Miss Feng's fingers were extremely sharp; with a light flick, she could create a bloody hole in a person's forehead.

Feng Chuchen said, "It's not that exaggerated. In order to perform the magic needle, you have to practice your fingers and be a little stronger than the average person."

He also mentioned wanting to buy the land behind the clinic.

Shangguan Ruyu said, “No problem, I’ll have Guo Jialing talk to the officials in the Ministry of Works and the county government.”

The imperial court uniformly manages and plans land and housing within the capital city, and land use must be approved by the Ministry of Works.

Feng Chuchen was secretly pleased; having connections in the court made things much easier.

Shangguan Ruyu came here out of boredom, and after being advised by Duan Yan, he left after staying for nearly 45 minutes.

Banxia, ​​who returned later, and Shaoyao, who returned in the evening, were disappointed for a long time and didn't even have a good appetite.

The renovation work continues at a rapid pace.

Feng Chuchen started taking care of her health again, drinking beauty soup herself and also giving it to the women in her family.

When he has nothing to do, he will also tinker with some of the food from his previous life. For example, he made some Western-style pastries from his previous life and even created "bread crumbs" specifically for frying pork ribs, shrimp, or pork chops.

The whole family likes to eat these things, but Aunt Wang is very unwilling to eat fried pork ribs and fried shrimp. Her face is wrinkled like a bun because of her heartache.

"Oh dear, stewed pork ribs and boiled shrimp are already heavenly delicacies, and to add deep-frying is not worth it. Too much indulgence is not good..."

The stingy Feng Buji has been tamed by his older sister and knows that it's better to increase income than to cut back on spending, so he no longer worries about his sister spending more money.

As July arrived, the renovation of the maternal and child health center was completed, and all staff had been recruited.

Feng Chuchen is a specialist in gynecology and pediatrics, and also the director of the clinic.

One of the doctor's apprentices was Banxia. She had to study medicine diligently, and in three to five years she would be allowed to take the Imperial Medical Academy exam to become a real doctor.

The two lead midwives, Wang and Zhang, are equivalent to obstetricians. The two assistant midwives, Li and He, are equivalent to midwives...

Feng Chuchen really disliked the term "midwife" and wanted to change it to "delivery doctor." But she knew that most doctors wouldn't like that title, and as a young girl, she didn't dare offend that group.

They hired a medicine-making master named Master Wang, a medicine-dispensing master named Master Zhu, and a medicine-pounding clerk and medicine-making apprentice named Xiao Jinzi.

They hired two handymen and clinic gatekeepers, Aunt Jin and Aunt Yang. Aunt Jin was Xiao Jinzi's mother.

We hired an accountant named Sister Zhao, who not only did the bookkeeping but also helped the two midwives write medical records.

She was a widow with a young son, so she had to go out and earn money.

These people all live in or near Beianfang.

He also made arrangements with the two midwives who were registered with the Imperial Hospital, saying that they would be asked to help out temporarily if the clinic was too busy.

Since Peony could no longer work as a midwife, she was made to be Feng Chuchen's personal maid, helping with odd jobs and fighting.

Although she didn't seem as promising as Banxia, ​​Shaoyao was very willing to serve Feng Chuchen for the rest of her life without having to rack her brains to learn to read.