I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 108 I'm Still the Smartest
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Li Lin, Ye Shiyun, Ma Xiaojiao and Yuan Qingcheng came to Zhang Chun's palace and met Zhang Chun, who had been studying hard in seclusion for nearly three months.

Zhang Chun, dressed in plain clothes and without any makeup, exuded an indescribable elegance and detachment. She sat by the window, gently clutching an ancient book. Sunlight filtered through the delicate window lattice, dappling her figure and lending her an air of sacredness and inviolability.

The arrival of Li Lin's four daughters did not seem to disturb Zhang Chun's meditation.

Until Ma Xiaojiao called softly, "Sister Chun."

Zhang Chuncai slowly raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "What do you want to talk to me about?"

Seeing that Zhang Chun was only a little thinner than before, her originally ordinary chest seemed a little flatter, and her skin, which was originally as white and crystal clear as jade, was a little whiter and smoother, and there seemed to be no major changes in other aspects, Li Lin and the other three girls felt relieved.

"We heard that you haven't left the house for more than a month. We were worried about you and afraid that something might have happened to you, so we came to see how you were doing," said Li Lin.

"What could happen to me? Besides, don't you know that Zhao Ya comes to see me and chat with me every few days? He also specially instructs the imperial kitchen to provide me with some delicious food every day. My life is so comfortable now." Zhang Chun said with some pride.

In fact, Zhang Chun didn't tell the truth.

It was only in the past two months that Zhao Ya came to see her every few days.

Before, because Zhao Ya was too busy, he hadn't visited Zhang Chun for more than a month.

As a result, when Zhao Ya came to find Zhang Chun for something, he saw that Zhang Chun was disheveled and looked as if he had almost gone stupid from reading too much.

This scared Zhao Ya.

The five girls are all Zhao Ya's golden fingers and Zhao Ya's treasures. No matter which one is missing, it will be an irreparable loss for Zhao Ya.

If Zhang Chun was killed because of a joke, Zhao Ya would definitely regret it.

Later, Zhao Ya learned from Li Shishi that Zhang Chun not only studied hard day and night, but also strongly responded to Zheng Xiansu's frugality and lived frugally all day long. The key point was that she was picky about food. If there was no delicious food, she would not want to eat, so she could not eat much in a day.

Not sleeping well and not eating properly, aren't you seeking death?
Zhao Ya immediately got angry and scolded Zhang Chun, saying that she did not know the importance of the matter and did not know how to cherish herself.

Although Zhao Ya scolded her, Zhang Chun didn't feel angry or aggrieved. She even laughed. She had simply been too hardworking and slovenly. She hadn't expected this look to scare Zhao Ya so much. This inexplicably gave her a warm feeling, and she felt that her efforts had truly been meaningful.

There was a strange light flashing in Zhang Chun's eyes. It was the happiness of being cared for, and also the gratitude for Zhao Ya's care.

Zhang Chun took the initiative to put his arms around Zhao Ya's neck and kissed him on the face.

Zhao Ya wiped his face with some disgust: "You haven't rinsed your teeth for a long time, and you dare to kiss me?"

After saying that, Zhao Ya grabbed Zhang Chun's arm, took her into the bathroom, gave her a bath himself, and asked someone to bring her a pot of ginseng chicken soup for her nourishment.

Afterwards, Zhao Yacai specifically ordered the imperial kitchen to send some delicious food to Zhang Chun every day, and he would come to see Zhang Chun in person every once in a while.

It is worth mentioning that because of this incident, Zhao Ya issued an edict stating that he encouraged thriftiness, but did not allow excessive frugality. From the queen to the palace maids, every meal would have at least one meat, one vegetable and one soup.

"What a joke! If outsiders knew about this, they would think I can't afford to support my own woman."

Among Zhao Ya's harem, Li Lin's four daughters were beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements. Not to mention tightening their belts, they had never even lived frugally. They, including the people in their palace, ate and drank whatever they wanted for every meal, and of course they didn't know these trivial matters that had nothing to do with them.

Seeing that Zhang Chun showed off how much Zhao Ya cared about her right from the start, Li Lin and the other four girls knew that Zhang Chun was fine and it was just a false alarm for them.

Ye Shiyun said to Li Lin and the other two girls, "I told you that no matter who is in trouble, she will be fine. She cherishes her life very much, but you still don't believe me."

Ma Xiaojiao also said: "I was wrong. I shouldn't have worried about her. She doesn't lack our care. It's enough for her to have the officials care about her."

Li Lin nodded: "I think so too."

Even Yuan Qingcheng said, "How about we go?"

Zhang Chun realized that his display of affection had offended others, so he quickly pulled back the topic: "I was just joking with you guys, look at you, why did you take it so seriously?"

Then, Zhang Chun warmly invited Li Lin and the other two girls to sit down and said, "It's been a while since we've gotten together. It's a good opportunity to talk about what we've learned during this time. Otherwise, why don't you stay today? Let's follow the ancients and sleep on the same bed and have a sleepover."

"I can't do that. Zhao Ya will come to my place tonight," said Ye Shiyun.

When Ye Shiyun said this, Zhang Chun was immediately silenced. "After all this, apart from Qingcheng who has absolutely no intention of being with Zhao Ya, I am at the bottom of the list. Alas, life is unpredictable and one's big intestines are bound to be small intestines."

Shaking her head, Zhang Chun happened to see Ma Xiaojiao, whose belly was already very big. She asked, "Are you about to give birth?"

"Pah, pah, pah!" Ma Xiaojiao quickly interrupted Zhang Chun's ominous words: "I'm only seven months pregnant. If I give birth, it will be a premature baby."

This was not their original era, but the Song Dynasty. Due to the limitations of the overall medical level of this era, this era lacked advanced equipment and technologies such as thermal insulation and respiratory support. For premature babies, especially those with small gestational age and low weight, it was difficult to cope with serious problems such as respiratory distress and infection. Therefore, most premature babies faced a higher risk of death.

Zhang Chun also knew that the neonatal mortality rate in this era was alarmingly high.

Starting from Zhao Kuangyin, the emperors of the Song Dynasty had a total of 181 children. Not counting the two sons of Song Duzong who died in war, a total of 82 people died young, accounting for more than 45% of the total number of the emperor's children.

The royal family had the best medical resources and living conditions of the time, but the mortality rate of their children was so high.

Not only children, but also pregnant women in this era had a mortality rate of up to 10 to 20 percent during childbirth.

This shows how difficult it is for a woman to give birth and ensure the safety of both mother and child in this era.

It's no wonder Ma Xiaojiao was so nervous. Zhang Chun quickly said, "Time travel can happen to us, we must be the children of destiny. Jiaojiao, believe me, you will definitely give birth to a son smoothly."

Ma Xiaojiao has a positive attitude. She said, "It doesn't matter to me whether it's a son or a daughter. As long as the baby is born safely and grows up healthy, that's all that matters."

Ye Shiyun said, "Don't worry, I've read the Barefoot Doctor's Handbook. When you give birth, I'll be there to help you and ensure you have nothing to worry about."

“Have you read the Barefoot Doctor’s Manual?!!!”

Zhang Chun was so excited that he almost jumped up.

Ye Shiyun was stunned: "Why are you so excited?"

Zhang Chun didn't answer but asked, "Don't you read online novels?"

Ye Shiyun rolled her eyes: "Who's a good person reading that kind of useless stuff? I'm just reading economic masterpieces, okay?"

"Who are you scolding?" Zhang Chun asked unhappily.

"I also read online novels. I like science fiction, especially hardcore science fiction," said Ma Xiaojiao.

"I like reading romance novels, the kind that are pure love stories," said Yuan Qingcheng.

"I've seen 'Bullet Holes' by Fenwu Yaoji," said Li Lin.

Ye Shiyun surrendered: "No, I mean, I've read The Barefoot Doctor's Handbook. What does that have to do with whether I like reading online novels or not?"

"It's very important. If you travel through time, you must bring three magical books: The Barefoot Doctor's Manual, The Militia Training Manual, and The Friend of Military and Civilian Dual-Use Talents. Legend has it that if you get these three magical books, you will be able to become a great treasure even if you travel back to ancient times; if you encounter a nuclear war in the future, you can also use these three magical books to rebuild human civilization!" said Zhang Chun.

Ye Shiyun was a little bit unbelievable: "Is this true? This shabby book that every villager has is so powerful?"

Zhang Chun rolled his eyes. "The Barefoot Doctor's Handbook covers everything from acupuncture and moxibustion techniques to the diagnostic methods of observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, from collecting and preparing Chinese herbs to practical Western medical procedures! It's a must-have for both home and travel."

At this point, Zhang Chun couldn't help but feel skeptical: "Have you really read the Barefoot Doctor's Handbook? Don't lie to us."

Ye Shiyun rolled her eyes again. "Why would I lie to you? My family is originally from the countryside. My parents were in poor health, and we had no money to pay for their medical treatment. So I treated them according to the 'Barefoot Doctor's Handbook'. They were lucky. Not only did I not kill them, I cured them all. When the people in our village saw how good I was, they all came to ask me for help with any illness, big or small. After a while, with my photographic memory, I must have memorized the 'Barefoot Doctor's Handbook'."

Zhang Chun complained when he heard this: "No, why didn't you tell us about such an important matter earlier?"

Ye Shiyun said as a matter of course: "What are you talking about? You're saying that even if I don't work in economics anymore, as a PhD in economics, I can go back to the countryside and be a barefoot doctor who's breaking the law to treat people?"

Zhang Chun said angrily, "You still haven't understood our situation?! We're living in the Song Dynasty, a time when medical knowledge and resources are scarce. Your 'Barefoot Doctor's Handbook' is an invaluable treasure. With the knowledge within, you could elevate medical standards, promote public health, and become a renowned physician by integrating traditional Chinese medicine with modern medicine. Despite the challenges of resource and cultural disparity, your knowledge of modern medicine could have a profound impact on society."

After a pause, Zhang Chun continued, "Just this one book, 'The Barefoot Doctor's Handbook,' is worth every economic book you've ever read, both ancient and modern, both in China and abroad."

Ye Shiyun was stunned: "Is this true? Is this crappy book really that powerful?"

Zhang Chun was completely clueless about Ye Shiyun, who was unaware of her precious pregnancy. She said, "In the 1950s, the neonatal mortality rate in rural areas was as high as 30 percent. That means almost one in every three or four newborns died in infancy. The reason for this was the lack of medical resources in rural areas at the time. There were no doctors, no medicine, and people's mindsets were backward. Did you know they used rolling pins to squeeze the mother's belly and stuff rags into her mouth, as if the baby would burst out? And that was in the New China era. People today are even more backward, more ignorant, and more foolish."

At this point, Zhang Chun felt a little jealous of Ye Shiyun. "You've read 'The Barefoot Doctor's Handbook,' and you'll know that the information contained in it can greatly reduce neonatal mortality and prevent infectious diseases. It has reduced the infant mortality rate in rural areas from 30% to 3.7%, and increased life expectancy from 49 to 64 years. 'The Barefoot Doctor's Handbook' is known as the medical work that has saved more lives than any other book in history. It has been translated into over 50 foreign languages ​​and distributed worldwide. If you spread the word about 'The Barefoot Doctor's Handbook,' your status in the medical community will definitely be on par with Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, and Li Shizhen."

"I go!!!"

Not only Ye Shiyun, but even Li Lin, Ma Xiaojiao and Yuan Qingcheng did not expect that the "Barefoot Doctor Manual" would be so awesome.

Ma Xiaojiao immediately took Ye Shiyun's hand and said excitedly, "Shiyun, the lives of me and my child depend entirely on you."

Ye Shiyun was a little dazed: "I've read so many great economics books, and in the end I really have to become a barefoot doctor?"

Yuan Qingcheng said, "Let's talk about whether you become a barefoot doctor first. Hurry up and write the 'Barefoot Doctor's Handbook' and give it to Zhao Ya. Ask him to find a way to promote this book that will benefit all mankind. If you do that, there will definitely be many people who will build a shrine for you."

Ye Shiyun agreed: "Okay, I'll write it down when I get back."

After chatting for a while, Zhang Chun looked at Li Lin and Ye Shiyun: "How are you guys? Is your stomach still not moving?"

Li Lin sighed after hearing this, then looked at Ye Shiyun: "Is there any treatment for female infertility in the Barefoot Doctor's Handbook?"

Ye Shiyun said: "Yes, you can use Chinese medicine conditioning, acupuncture and other methods."

Li Lin said, "Please help me treat it later."

At this point, Li Lin said with some annoyance, "I originally thought that with my physical fitness, I could easily get pregnant. Who would have thought that it has been several months and there is no movement. The key is that Zhao Ya has also been bullying me. To be honest, I can now understand Pei Sui's pressure."

Zhang Chun looked at Ye Shiyun: "What about you?"

Ye Shiyun said nonchalantly, "I don't care. If I get pregnant, I'm lucky. If I don't, I'll have one. If I don't, that's fine too. It won't prevent me from enjoying the pleasures of love."

Zhang Chun thought, "You are just being stubborn, I don't believe you don't want to fight for a guarantee for your life. You have been in the palace for so long, how could you not know that Zhao Ya's favor can only make you happy temporarily. Only by giving birth to a son for Zhao Ya can you get eternal happiness."

At this moment, Zhang Chun was extremely grateful for his wise decision: "Although I am a few months behind you, as long as I win the imperial examination, I will definitely have a son. This is something you can't compare to! Hahaha, I am still the smartest..."

……

(End of this chapter)