Jinyi Spring

Chapter 71 Assisting a Wolf's Birth
On the night of the eighth day of the lunar new year, an infant died due to severe umbilical cord entanglement around its neck.

In ancient times, it was common for infants to die, and that family didn't make a fuss.

They kept the dead child, dressed him in a small set of clothes, and wrapped him in a small mat.

The new mother tearfully said to Feng Chuchen, "Please, Miss Feng, bury the baby in the reed marshes. It is said that babies buried there will be reborn into a better family in their next life."

The following morning, Feng Chuchen and Aunt Wang took Datou in a mule cart to the reed marshes to bury the dead child.

The weather was gloomy, with dark clouds overhead. The reeds swayed in the wind, and reed flowers danced in the air, while dust swirled on the small mound.

After burying the dead child, Feng Chuchen lit incense and had just finished reciting the "Rebirth Sutra" when he saw a bird fly over.

The bird was flying very low, and Aunt Wang recognized it at a glance.

"It's Ah Xuan, how did it get here?"

Ah Xuan landed on the back of Feng Chuchen's outstretched hand, stretched its neck, and cried out, "Awoo~~ Awoo~~"

The sound was somewhat eerie.

Aunt Wang said, "I think it sounds like the howl of a wolf."

Feng Chuchen said, "It's the sound of wolves."

Big Head was initially looking at Ah Xuan gently and barking, but suddenly it turned east and started barking wildly.

Feng Chuchen and Aunt Wang looked over there.

Suddenly, a large gray wolf sprang out of the reeds and walked towards them.

It wasn't running, it was walking, with some hesitation and probing.

The wolf was tall and strong, but it was covered in blood, clearly indicating that it had just been in a fierce battle.

Aunt Wang exclaimed, "Oh my God!"

Big Head barked wildly as he ran over and began to fight with the wolf.

Ah Xuan took flight, circling above their heads, barking incessantly, "Woof woof, Ah-woof, woof woof, Ah-woof..."

They were speaking their own languages ​​at the same time.

Big Head was on the offensive, while Gray Wolf was on the defensive. Gray Wolf had been seriously injured before, and Feng Chuchen was still afraid that Big Head couldn't beat it.

Feng Chuchen quickly took the sickle out of the basket; she was going to help.

Aunt Wang reached for the sickle, shouting shrilly, "I'm going to help Da Tou! Girl, run! Run!"

How could Feng Chuchen possibly run away? While trying to avoid Aunt Wang, she was stunned by what she saw in front of her.

Another wolf emerged from the reeds. This wolf was also badly injured and limped slowly toward them.

Big Head was frantic and tried to rush over to protect his master, but was held back by the big wolf.

When Feng Chuchen raised her sickle to rush over and chop the wolf, she realized that the wolf's belly was enormous, almost dragging on the ground. Its eyes held tears and pleading as it continued to slowly move towards them.

He lay down at a certain distance from them, belly up, and began to sob.

The wolf was pregnant and had a difficult birth, with multiple torn furs and bleeding wounds on its body.

When an animal lies on its belly, it signifies trust and vulnerability.

Does it trust them, or has it come seeking help?

Feng Chuchen found it somewhat unbelievable.

In her previous life, she had read a report about a mother wolf in the Inner Mongolian grasslands seeking help from a military doctor to give birth, and she had doubted its authenticity.

Unexpectedly, the real-life version actually appeared in another world.

Ah Xuan landed on the mother wolf's chest, chirping, "May the Great Yan endure forever, may the Great Yan endure forever."

This is a slogan often shouted by the soldiers of the Great Yan on the battlefield.

Ah Xuan was telling them that these two wolves were on their side and asking for their help?
Feng Chuchen hesitated for a moment, then lifted his leg and walked towards the mother wolf.

Aunt Wang stopped her, "Girl!"

Feng Chuchen paused for a moment, then continued walking forward.

Aunt Wang had no choice but to follow.

She realized that the mother wolf was not yet able to harm them.

The mother wolf twitched her limbs, which were pointing skyward, and her whimpers grew even more mournful.

Everything has a spirit.

They really did come to them to help with their births.

Feng Chuchen was no longer afraid; in her eyes, this was just a pregnant woman waiting for emergency care.

She crouched down and whispered, "Don't be afraid, I'm a doctor."

The mother wolf looked at her with pleading and tenderness in her eyes, and whimpered a few more times.

Ah Xuan very tactfully flew to the side and stood there.

Feng Chuchen used a sickle to cut the cloth covering the basket into strips and first bandaged the wounds on the mother wolf's head and neck.

He then began to gently massage her stomach.

Aunt Wang adjusted the mother wolf's position, then fetched another bucket of water and gently wiped its genitals with a damp cloth.

Upon seeing this, the male wolf and Big Head stopped fighting and looked at them.

The male wolf's eyes were full of tenderness as he whispered something, as if encouraging the female wolf.

Big Head was stunned, completely unaware of what they were doing.

Finally, after a series of violent spasms and whimpers from the mother wolf, a wolf cub was born.

The wolf cub's grayish-black fur was wet, its eyes were closed, and its body was limp; it was dead.

Then, the second and the third were both dead.

Feng Chuchen felt very uncomfortable and sighed softly.

Aunt Wang sighed, as if she had taken in three children, "What a tragedy."

The male wolf also realized that the cub was dead, and let out two suppressed howls.

The fourth one was born, and it was also the last one.

It let out a soft cry and then stopped moving.

Feng Chuchen quickly provided first aid.

First, I cleaned the little guy's nose and mouth, then I patted its chest and back.

Half an hour later, the wolf cub's belly began to rise and fall, and it let out a soft cry.

Feng Chuchen was overjoyed and whispered, "It's alive."

She placed the wolf cub in front of the mother wolf.

The mother wolf's eyes shone with maternal love as she gently licked her cub with her tongue.

The male wolf also came over, looking at the other three dead wolves with sorrow in his eyes.

Feng Chuchen said to Aunt Wang, "Bury them here."

Aunt Wang nodded, took out a small shovel, and started digging.

Feng Chuchen took a sickle and cut some reeds.

After digging the pit, Feng Chuchen put the cut reeds into it, placed the corpses of the three wolf cubs inside, covered the corpses with reeds, and filled the pit.

This small mound is slightly larger than the others.

Once everything was ready, Feng Chuchen lit three incense sticks and placed them in front of the small mound, then closed his eyes and recited the "Rebirth Sutra".

To Aunt Wang's surprise, the two wolves seemed to know what the girl was doing, watching her quietly and sadly.

What a wolf in sheep's clothing.

After reciting the sutra, Feng Chuchen opened his eyes and said to the two wolves, "I have recited the 'Rebirth Sutra,' and these three children will be reborn smoothly and happily in their next life. It is dangerous here, so you should return to the mountain as soon as possible."

The two wolves seemed to understand. The mother wolf took the cub into her mouth and followed the male wolf toward the reeds.

When they reached the reeds, they glanced back at Feng Chuchen and Aunt Wang, then disappeared into the reeds and ran away.

Ah Xuan spread his wings and flew away. Only after they were out of sight did Aunt Wang feel frightened. She grabbed Feng Chuchen and said, "Girl, we just helped a wolf give birth! We were so close to it, it could have eaten us with a single bite! Good heavens, that was terrifying!"

Feng Chuchen was also incredulous, feeling as if she had just been dreaming.

"Yes, we helped deliver the wolves' babies. Three died, and one survived."

Aunt Wang wondered, "That's strange. How did they know we could deliver babies, and why did they come here to find us?"

Feng Chuchen didn't know either. "Maybe it was brought by Ah Xuan, or maybe they saw you and your aunt before, or you and I came here to bury the dead child, and thought we could deliver babies."

"All things have a spirit, and maternal and paternal love transcends species, demonstrating their intelligence. The male wolf did not harm Big Head, but Big Head bit its back."

Feng Chuchen looked at the blood and filth covering his hands and felt his blood rushing back to his head.

She quickly sat down, clearing her mind of all distractions, her body's energy flowing with her thoughts. She felt lighter, as light as a reed floating in the sky...

Fifteen minutes later, Feng Chuchen finally let out a sigh of relief and stood up.

I feel completely refreshed.

Aunt Wang noticed that she was meditating, so she stood aside without disturbing her.

Seeing that she had stood up, he asked, "Miss, how are you feeling?"

"very good."

Aunt Wang's eyes showed a hint of fear, "But your face is so pale..."

Her skin was so white it had no color in it, like real jade—delicate, smooth, and lustrous, unlike a real face.

And he didn't sweat.

She was so busy and scared just now that she broke out in a sweat.

Feng Chuchen said, "It's alright, I feel fine."

As soon as the two people and the dog stepped out of the reeds, they saw Uncle Wu running towards them.

“Young ladies, it’s so late, this old servant was worried and came to fetch you.”

Aunt Wang said, "We lingered in the reed marshes for a while."

Back at the old house, Aunt Wu had already boiled a large pot of water and cut the noodles, ready to be cooked.

Feng Chuchen took a shower, but the hot water cooled down quickly, and she could clearly feel that her body temperature was lower than before, definitely below normal human body temperature.

There were no other discomforts, and I didn't feel a chill at all. It was as if a cool breeze was blowing over my whole body, making me feel like I was flying. It was extremely comfortable.

She raised her right hand, her fingers holding a silver needle as if it were a needle. Even without testing, it was clear her acupuncture skills had improved further…

After she came out, Aunt Wang smiled and said, "Thank goodness, the girl's face has regained some color."

Although she's still too pale, at least she's not as scary as she was before.

After the meal, Aunt Wang took two jars of wine and several pieces of pork she had bought to Zhao Lizheng's and Feng Changfu's homes.

Mr. and Mrs. Feng came to the Feng residence with Aunt Wang and talked about what had happened in the village.

The biggest incident was that the county magistrate disqualified Zhao Wei from the provincial examination because he said Zhao Wei's character was flawed.

This is also the first time since the founding of the dynasty that a student has had his eligibility for the provincial examination revoked by the county magistrate for this reason.

In other words, as long as Lord Li remains the county magistrate, Zhao Wei can forget about taking the imperial examinations.

Zhao Wei's path to becoming a scholar has been temporarily put on hold.

Aunt Wang laughed and said, "Lord Li has sharp eyes and can see that Zhao Laosan is no good."

Feng Changfu laughed and said, "The cries of Master Zhao and Zhao Laosan could be heard several houses away. They beat the silly Laosi even more badly. They even said they would ask Magistrate Zhao to help them pull some strings so they could take the exam again the year after next."

Feng Chuchen invited the couple to stay for dinner, and Uncle Wu even drank with Feng Changfu.

The next morning after breakfast, Feng Chuchen and the others left the old house and returned to Beijing.

When Feng Buji, who had just finished school, heard that they had helped deliver wolves' babies, he was not afraid at all, but rather extremely regretful.

With a pout, she said, "I wanted to go, but you wouldn't take me. I didn't even see a wolf. What a shame!"

Peony laughed, "It's a good thing I didn't go. If I had killed the male wolf first, it would have been a disaster."

Banxia teased, "You talk like you're so great."

"Don't you believe me? I'm just as good as my dad. My dad can kill two wolves by himself."

Before going to bed, Feng Chuchen took out her diary again and wrote:

On the ninth day of the eighth month of the twentieth year of Jianzhang, a gentle breeze blew and the lotus leaves withered.

Yesterday, I helped a female wolf give birth in the reed marshes. I noticed a significant change in my body; my temperature was lower than normal, but I didn't feel any discomfort.

Seeing the male wolf protecting the female wolf, I suddenly felt that having a loving man to accompany me for life wouldn't be so bad...

She put down her pen, realizing there was so much more she wanted to write but couldn't.

The body's temperature was previously below 36 degrees Celsius, but now it is definitely below 35 degrees Celsius. However, there is no vasoconstriction, insufficient blood volume, cerebral ischemia or hypoxia, and there are no symptoms such as confusion, slow reaction, hallucinations, or coma.

According to the theory of past lives, this is unscientific.

It should be related to her using the Yin Shen Needle, as well as her assisting the mother wolf in giving birth yesterday and the Green Reed Marsh.

Why things turn out this way when they are related to these three things is unknown.

As the saying goes, the end of science is metaphysics.

Since time travel, she has encountered many things that cannot be explained by science.

Unable to sleep, Feng Chuchen opened the door and went into the courtyard.

A gentle night breeze caressed her, feeling incredibly comfortable. She knew the night breeze should be quite cool at this hour, but she felt no chill at all.

After several months of hard work, the courtyard is now a riot of color, with a sweet fragrance wafting in the air. Chrysanthemums and orchids are the most abundant flowers, and the garden is not only overflowing with blooms, but many potted plants have also been placed under the eaves.

She has spent a lot of money on this hobby.

The shadows in the courtyard moved with her movements.

She looked up at the half-moon hanging quietly in the sky, and it seemed as if the image of her grandfather and she playing Go at home in her past life appeared in the moon.

She shook her head, and the shadow disappeared again.

Feng Chuchen chuckled. In her past life, apart from Go, which she was unwilling to learn, she diligently studied everything else that her grandfather was interested in.

How could this illusion appear?
She looked down at her hands, knowing that the changes in her body would improve her acupuncture technique.

Not just the Yin Shen acupuncture needle, but all acupuncture techniques.

Even without trying, she knew that after this extraordinary encounter and the changes in her body, her medical skills had now surpassed those of her grandfather and aunt...

At the beginning of the afternoon on August 12th, Feng Chuchen was busy at the clinic when Mu Jin came over to report, "Miss, Young Master Shangguan has arrived."

Her face flushed with excitement.

Young Master Shangguan is even more handsome than the legends say.

Feng Chuchen hurried over to the house.

A luxurious carriage was parked in the courtyard. Shangguan Ruyu stood under the eaves, while Duan Yan and two guards stood in the courtyard.

Feng Chuchen smiled and asked, "Isn't Young Master Shangguan on duty today?"

He was invited to the main room.

Peony had just returned from washing clothes by the river when she heard that Shangguan Ruyu had arrived. She quickly put down the large basin and ran to snatch the tray from Hibiscus's hands.

Shangguan Ruyu's expression was stern. After sitting down, she asked, "I heard from my servants that you can perform surgery on people, cutting open 'that place' and then stitching it up, with the wound completely healed after a few days, and even with several layers of stitches?"

"There" of course refers to a woman's private parts.

Duan Yan, standing behind Shangguan Ruyu, blushed.

Peony paused in her pouring of tea, spilling a few drops outside.

What a scoundrel! How dare he say such filthy things to his own daughter, after all the time she's called him "beauty"?

Peony had just straightened up, ready to yell at someone, but seeing that her young lady looked perfectly normal and not angry at all, she held back.

Feng Chuchen nodded and calmly said, "Yes."

Shangguan Ruyu asked again, "In surgery, only one layer of stitches is used. Why did you use three layers? Is it because," he blinked his charming eyes, finally showing a hint of embarrassment, "that the flesh there is thicker than other places?"