Jinyi Spring

Chapter 69 A Dot of Cinnabar Flattens All Yang
Aunt Wang laughed in exasperation, shook her head, and said, "Sister-in-law Tang, people call you 'Mother Hen' behind your back, saying you always try to get a piece of the action. I didn't believe it before, but now I know it's true."

"What are you thinking? We are a legitimate medical clinic. My eldest sister is the mother of a thousand babies. How could she possibly open her abdomen to take a nursing baby? I'm talking about making a small incision where the baby was born, widening the area so the baby can be delivered more easily."

"It's only an inch long, much better than tearing it apart. My older sister and my daughter have even figured out a good method for suturing in ulcer surgery; the stitches can be removed in as little as five days, or as long as seven..."

Granny Tang's eyes darted around. "That's too good to be true, right?"

Aunt Wang said, "It's true. My daughter said that if you are willing to have an episiotomy, the hospital stay will be waived. You just need to tell others about the benefits of the episiotomy after you leave the hospital."

When Granny Tang heard that the accommodation fee was really waived, her thin old face lit up, and she slapped her thigh and said, "Okay, I agree."

The man asked, "Would you like some anesthetic?"

Aunt Wang said, "You can't drink it. How can you give birth if you're asleep?"

The man, feeling sorry for his wife, refused, saying, "No, it hurts too much..."

Tang Pozi was so angry that she slapped her son a few times. "You lazy bum who doesn't know how to save money! The money in this house doesn't grow on trees. You're so good to your wife."

“Your wife is tough and thick-skinned, what does it matter if you make a small cut? Do you think she's a rich young lady?... Get out of here, take your wife with you and get out.”

The man quickly said, "Mother, I didn't say I disagreed." His dark face contorted into a bun as he said with heartache, "It hurts so much, how can anyone bear it?"

Seeing that there was a chance, Aunt Wang laughed and said, "To use an inappropriate analogy, is it more painful to be torn apart by five horses or to be cut open with one knife? The former is like having the flesh ripped open, while the latter is a quick and painless cut. Childbirth is painful enough, but the pain of an episiotomy is something the mother can't even feel."

"Furthermore, if that area is forcibly torn open, it may not heal for up to six months. It can also easily lead to serious gynecological problems, affect fertility, and even cause death..."

The man thought it made sense, gritted his teeth, and said, "Okay, let's do as Wang the midwife says."

Granny Tang asked again, "Wang the midwife, my daughter-in-law was stabbed. Besides waiving the lodging fee, will meals be provided as well?"

Aunt Wang loathed this greedy old woman, but she didn't want to give up on the family member who was finally willing to be stabbed.

He patiently said, "I'll cover all three meals for the first day."

What kind of food?

"One meal of poached eggs in sweet soup, two meals of chicken noodles."

How many fried eggs?

"two."

"Two aren't enough, we need four."

Aunt Wang gave Granny Tang a disdainful look. "Fine, four."

Old Mrs. Tang smiled broadly, then suggested, "My daughter-in-law is timid, so don't tell her about this beforehand. If she starts crying and making a scene, things will get complicated..."

She was too embarrassed to say what was on her mind, and that meant she couldn't save money. There was something even more she didn't want to say: if the clinic operated on her daughter-in-law and harmed her, she would demand one hundred taels of silver—no, two hundred taels—or she would report them to the authorities…

Aunt Wang was knowledgeable and experienced; Tang Pozi's little scheme couldn't be hidden from her.

With a stern face, he threatened, "The wife of Guo Jialing, an official under Princess Yanghe's household, has invested in my family's clinic. The wife of the Vice Magistrate of Jingzhao Prefecture has connections with my master. Magistrate Li of the county government has visited my family's old residence. I'm not afraid of you reporting me for wrongdoing."

Old Mrs. Tang chuckled and said, "I was just joking when I said that, you should just take it as nonsense."

Aunt Wang told Feng Chuchen about her conversation with Granny Tang, and added, "Granny Tang is ruthless and likes to take advantage of others. Her daughter-in-law's life is nothing to her."

"They might even be hoping our surgery fails so they can extort money from us. If it does fail, they'll say it was me, and if anyone has to go to jail, I'll go."

Feng Chuchen also inwardly criticized Granny Tang for being greedy and shameless, but since she was the first family member willing to perform an episiotomy, she had to do it. At the same time, she felt even more sympathetic towards the helplessness and lack of human dignity experienced by daughters-in-law in ancient times.

She said, "People who like to take advantage are the easiest to deal with. Just give them money if you really need it. Don't worry, Aunt Wang, I guarantee everything will be perfect. Also, add some ginseng broth to Tang's daughter-in-law's chicken noodles, make sure there's enough."

Aunt Wang also felt sorry for her daughter-in-law, and said, "Okay."

Feng Chuchen encouraged her again, "Aunt Wang, study hard. You'll be the main one doing this in the future. If you do well, you won't just be a midwife, but a doctor like my aunt."

Thinking that such a day might come, Aunt Wang clenched her fist.

"Dry!"

"Dry!"

Aunt Wang, Feng Chuchen, Banxia, ​​and Sister Song, wearing masks, headscarves, and work clothes, entered the delivery room.

The Tang family mother and son waited outside the door, all assuming that it was midwife Wang who would perform the surgery.

Grandma Tang was conflicted; she hoped the surgery would go wrong so she could extort money from them, but she also hoped her grandson would be born safely.

Seeing her son's nervous look, she scolded him in a low voice, "What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of? If your wife really dies, I'll find you a beautiful and fertile one."

The son blushed and said angrily, "Mother, what nonsense are you talking about? Don't you care about your wife or your unborn grandson?"

A little over fifteen minutes later, the sound of a newborn crying came from the delivery room.

Granny Tang was stunned. So fast?
Then they heard Aunt Wang's joyful voice, "It's a girl, weighing six pounds and three ounces."

Although Tang Pozi was not entirely satisfied with her granddaughter, she was her first grandchild, and she was fair-skinned and chubby, so her desire to take advantage of her was put aside.

Tang's daughter-in-law always thought that Feng Chuchen delivered her baby, and wondered how a young, unmarried woman could deliver a baby.

Aunt Wang told her, "My daughter didn't deliver the baby; she performed a minor gynecological surgery on you so you could give birth smoothly. I'm the one who nursed the baby."

When Tang's daughter-in-law heard that she had undergone a C-section during childbirth, she was completely bewildered, asking, "How come I didn't know?"

Aunt Wang laughed and said, "This just proves how skilled my daughter is. I've been delivering babies for over ten years and have seen countless cases. In your situation, without an episiotomy, it's uncertain whether both mother and child would be safe. Even if the baby were born, the area would be torn, affecting your ability to have children."

"It's just a small cut now, and it's been stitched up. It'll be healed in a few days..."

As Feng Chuchen performed the surgery, she explained the procedure. Tang's wife was in pain and nervous, so she didn't pay attention to what they were saying, nor did she notice that it was Dr. Feng who handed the infant over to Wang the midwife.

Back in the ward, Granny Tang whispered to her daughter-in-law, "How are you? If you feel unwell anywhere, I'll go find Dr. Feng right now and ask her to compensate us."

Tang's daughter-in-law said, "I don't feel uncomfortable anywhere, I didn't even know I had been stabbed."

Granny Tang was somewhat disappointed, her triangular eyes widening, "Really, nowhere hurts?"

The man from the Tang family knew what his mother was thinking and advised her, "Mother, I thought it would take another day or two before she could give birth, and I didn't even know if she could give birth at all. I didn't expect her to give birth so quickly, and both mother and child are safe and sound."

"We should thank the clinic and Dr. Feng, and not think about those other things. My wife will have more children in the future, and my younger brother and sister will also have children, so we can't offend them."

Tang's daughter-in-law was furious. It was bad enough that they bullied her at home, but now they were trying to extort money from the clinic.

She said, "Mother-in-law, I heard that government officials have invested in this clinic. Even if something were to happen to me, we wouldn't be able to fight against it."

Granny Tang had no choice but to abandon those ideas.

Grandma Chen and Zeng's daughter-in-law would often visit Tang's daughter-in-law's hospital room to see how she was doing after the surgery. Later, other women in labor who had been staying at the inn heard that Tang's surgery had not only greatly shortened her delivery time but also resulted in the safe delivery of both mother and child, so they all went to see what was going on.

Tang's daughter-in-law showed no discomfort and was breastfeeding and eating normally.

Aunt Wang confidently told the young wives, "Just like a normal delivery, you can have sex as soon as the lochia stops, it won't affect your ability to have children..."

Tang's wife blushed, while the other young wives covered their mouths and laughed.

The stitches were removed on the fifth day, and Tang's daughter-in-law did not feel any discomfort.

Mother and child were safe and sound. The birth didn't cost a penny, and the Tang family happily left the hospital and went home.

Banxia was very indignant, "I stayed for six days and didn't receive a single penny. I've lost out big time."

Li, the midwife, also said, "It's thoughtful of them to give a few red eggs; that old woman Tang is just stingy."

Feng Chuchen said, "As long as they explain the benefits of episiotomy, people will be willing to have it done. Not only can it save lives, but the future benefits will also be better." This is a living advertisement.

Zeng's daughter-in-law was also having her first child and was particularly afraid of pain.

She approached Feng Chuchen and said, "Dr. Feng, could you also perform one of those minor gynecological surgeries on me?"

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "If we can deliver the baby smoothly, we'll try to avoid an episiotomy."

In his previous life, the rate of episiotomy was quite high, ranging from 10% to 70%. However, due to the limited knowledge of the ancients, Feng Chuchen was reluctant to perform episiotomies unless absolutely necessary.

In the evening, Feng Chuchen asked Aunt Wu to cook some good dishes so they could have a nice meal to celebrate the successful episiotomy.

There are too many people now, so one table isn't enough. We've split into three tables.

Feng Chuchen and her siblings sat at one table with Aunt Wang, Banxia and five others sat at another table, and Uncle Wu and his family of three sat at the back to eat.

As everyone was eating, a dog suddenly barked outside.

Judging from the sound, it's not a big head.

Big Head has a deep, rough voice, while this one's voice is soft and childish, like a puppy barking.

Then came Big Head's powerful bark, "Woof woof, woof woof."

The puppy barked twice more, "Woof woof, woof woof."

Feng Buji asked in bewilderment, "Whose dog ran into our house?"

He put down his chopsticks and ran outside. "Hey, the sound is coming from the tree! Hahaha, it's you!"

Peony, who had followed them out, craned her neck and asked, "On the tree, where?"

Feng Chuchen and the others went outside.

Feng Buji pointed to the tree and laughed, "There it is, that myna bird, the one I saw in front of my aunt's grave. My sister said its name is A-Xuan."

A small black bird stood among the dense foliage, staring at them with its tiny black eyes.

Upon seeing the familiar young lady again, it excitedly barked, "Robbery, robbery, robbery!"

Everyone laughed.

It really is Ah Xuan.

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Little Ah Xuan must be hungry. Give it some millet and stewed lean meat."

His owner came back, and the little guy came back with him.

Ah Xuan seemed to understand, and happily called out to Feng Chuchen, "Even the hibiscus cannot compare to a beauty's makeup, Amitabha."

Feng Buji burst out laughing, "He's a frivolous monk, praising beauties and chanting Buddhist scriptures at the same time."

Everyone laughed again.

Banxia ran to the kitchen, grabbed a small handful of rice and put it in a bowl, and then scooped some lean meat from the pot.

Feng Buji took the bowl and held it up, saying, "Ah Xuan, come and rob me."

Ah Xuan chirped and jumped among the branches and leaves, refusing to come down.

Feng Buji said regretfully, "It's afraid of me."

Feng Chuchen took the bowl, held it up, and laughed, "Ah Xuan, come and rob us!"

Ah Xuan fluttered its wings and flew to Feng Chuchen's wrist, then lowered its head to eat.

Feng Buji pouted and said, "He really is a philandering monk, only liking pretty young women."

Peony laughed, "Ah Xuan is Young Master Ming's pet. Since Young Master Ming can't like the young lady, Ah Xuan will like her as much as he wants on behalf of his master."

Everyone was even happier.

Aunt Wang scolded, "Don't talk nonsense again. Didn't you stand long enough last time?"

Peony stuck out her tongue and dared not say anything more.

After Ah Xuan finished eating, he flew to stand on Big Head's back and would occasionally sing a line, "The wind rises and the clouds fly."

The others went back to their rooms to eat, but Feng Buji was reluctant to go back and smiled at Ah Xuan.

Peony took Feng Buji's food out and fed it to him.

Ah Xuan looked at the peony and cried out again, "Black pot, black pot."

Peony was furious. "Who's to blame? My name is Peony, I'm a flower, a beautiful flower..."

I've said "flower" dozens of times.

Ah Xuan finally called out, "Flower, black flower, black flower."

Peony rolled her eyes. "Can't you speak properly? Why use the 'black' part? Can't you just call me Flower?"

"Black flower, black flower, black flower..."

Feng Buji laughed until his stomach hurt, "What a clever bird, it even knows what black is."

As dusk fell, several dark clouds emerged from the fiery sunset in the west, surrounded by a ring of golden light.

Dazzling and eye-catching.

Ah Xuan spread his wings and flew into the sky, soaring higher and higher until he merged into the glow of the sunset.

Feng Buji was extremely reluctant to part with him, and murmured as he watched the figure grow smaller and smaller, "Ah Xuan has flown away, Ah Xuan has flown away..."

Feng Chuchen said, "It has already returned to Beijing. Once it can find our home, it will come to visit often."

What clever birds! They remembered them after all this time and found their way here.

After flying over a large, secluded courtyard, Ah Xuan swooped down and landed on the steps in front of a three-story building.

The attic is located in a bamboo grove, where the only sound is the rustling of the bamboo leaves in the wind.

The two palace lanterns in front of the door were dim, which made the light in the small window on the second floor seem even brighter.

Seeing that the windows and doors were all tightly closed, Ah Xuan nodded his head to the doorman and was about to call out "Open it!" when the doorman grabbed him.

The servant quickly pinched its little beak and silently went to the side room, locking it in a cage. To prevent it from making noise, the doors and windows of the room were kept tightly closed.

The attic is the Zhuyin Building, the outer study of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion. The old Duke of Dingguo, the Duke of Dingguo, and Ming Shanyue are having a quiet conversation on the second floor.

The old Duke of Dingguo carefully examined his grandson's face under the lamplight. The small black mole below his left eye had turned slightly red. The reddening of the mole made the man appear softer and more handsome.

Ming Shanyue has only one mole on her entire face.

The old Duke nodded in satisfaction and chuckled, "It really has turned red. Although it's not the brightest red, blackish-red is still red. Master Chi Hui once said that if Shan Yue's little mole turns from black to red..."

“A touch of cinnabar can balance the yang energy, and the fate will change. It’s a pity the master has gone on a journey and we can’t ask him to take another look.”

A slight smile appeared on the Duke of Dingguo's face. "Master Chihui named Shanyue 'Yue,' which means yin, to balance the five elements. He also said that only an extremely yin woman can suppress Shanyue, and only by marrying Shanyue can one avoid being harmed."

"The six girls we selected before were all born in yin years, yin months, and yin days, but that still couldn't suppress their fate. Now that Shan Yue's destiny has changed, finding a wife shouldn't be a problem."