Days passed one by one.
Minnie did not understand why Sanruwi did not go home but stayed at the Yu family. She had nowhere else to go. Since Sanruwi stayed here, she decided to stay too.
At noon that day, everyone was eating. Madam Yu sighed, "I heard Madam Hong's daughter is having a difficult birth. She has been in labor for two days without progress."
"Hong's daughter is about to give birth?" Yiying was surprised.
"It's already been two days," Madam Yu said sadly. "I don't know what will happen."
"Did they hire a midwife?"
"Of course, they hired two. The Hong family is not short of money."
"I will go check on Hong's daughter," Yiying said gloomily. Women's status was important. Having children mattered, but childbirth was risky.
The court required midwives to be supervised by experienced ones for at least three years before working alone. They were registered to improve their skills. Still, accidents happened during childbirth.
It was the worst thing for a family. If the mother died, the family would be ruined.
"I will go too," Minnie said.
Yiying nodded and ate faster.
Before they finished eating, someone rushed into the dining hall stumbling.
"Madam Hong!" Madam Yu said in surprise.
Madam Hong was short and plump, dressed in red and green. Golden bracelets jingled on her arms. Her thick fingers wore many gemstone rings.
Her eyes were bloodshot as she grabbed Madam Yu and said urgently, "Haihua, I heard you have a miracle doctor here…"
Madam Yu looked at Sanruwi with some trouble. She knew Sanruwi's rules but did not want anything to happen to her friend's daughter.
Following Madam Yu's gaze, Madam Hong suddenly knelt before Sanruwi.
Everyone was shocked. For a woman of her age, kneeling before a man was rare.
"Miracle doctor, please save my daughter. I will pay any price," Madam Hong begged.
Sanruwi frowned silently.
Madam Hong knelt repeatedly and bowed her head, "Please, miracle doctor…"
Madam Yu quickly helped her up. "Old Hong, what are you doing? Speak calmly."
Tears streamed down Madam Hong's face. "I only have this one daughter. I gave birth to her when I was thirty-five. She is not even sixteen yet. If something happens to her, what will I live for?"
"Sanruwi, please go see Hong's daughter," Yiying urged.
"Little Jiu…" Madam Yu was about to speak when Sanruwi turned and left.
"Teacher Sanruwi," Minnie hurried after him.
"Sanruwi, Leyo, why are you holding me?" Yiying asked anxiously and tried to pull free from Jax's hand.
"Let Minnie try to persuade him. It might help. Don't cause trouble," Jax said. Then he turned to Madam Hong, "Madam Hong, don't worry. Go back and stay with Hong's daughter. I will bring him to your house later."
Madam Hong hesitated.
Madam Yu also advised, "Old Hong, don't worry. Little Jiu will go even if I have to drag him. You should go home. There are only men at home now. Childbirth is a woman's matter."
"Haihua, I'm counting on you," Madam Hong said, gripping Madam Yu's hand hard and biting her lip as she left.
"Teacher Sanruwi, teacher Sanruwi."
Sanruwi walked quickly. Minnie had to run to catch up.
"Ouch!" Minnie held her nose in pain.
"Fool, watch where you're going!"
Who expected you to stop suddenly? Minnie accidentally bumped into Sanruwi's back, her nose aching badly.
She could not explain and hurriedly said, "Teacher Sanruwi, that Madam Hong just now…"
"No," Sanruwi said coldly.
"Why not?" Minnie was surprised.
"I don't treat people I dislike. I don't treat people when I'm in a bad mood. I don't treat women. These are my three no-treat rules," Sanruwi said.
"But it is two lives."
"So what?" Sanruwi said without pity. "You are good at childbirth. Why don't you go?"
"I want to go. But two midwives are already there after two days. The problem must be serious. If the baby is in a wrong position…" Minnie sighed. If this were modern times, surgery would fix it.
But here, she could do nothing. It had been two days, and she did not know the situation. Could the baby's position be fixed? If something went wrong…
Minnie felt unsure. Without modern medical tools and drugs, she was no better than an ordinary midwife.
"Teacher Sanruwi, just come with me. I'm really scared. What if I can't handle it? What if there is heavy bleeding and I don't know what medicine to use? What if contractions fail? What if there is infection and fever? I don't know…" Minnie lowered her head.
She felt useless, really useless.
"Then don't go." Sanruwi's voice was very cold.
"How can I not go? Two lives are at stake," Minnie said softly. "There is also a little life, a cute little life that holds the hopes of a whole family."
Tears appeared in Minnie's eyes without her knowing. "Teacher Sanruwi, please go with me."
Sanruwi looked at Minnie, whose tears kept flowing more fiercely. He thought, what does this have to do with him? Is it worth crying for? But seeing her crying so hard, her eyes still full of hope looking at him, he somehow did not want to let her suffer more.
"I won't deliver the baby."
Minnie stopped wiping her tears with her hand.
"But I know a little about gynecology. As you said, if there is bleeding or fever, I might have some ways. Delivering the baby depends on you."
"Slight knowledge" was modesty. In this female-dominated world, how could she not study gynecology when learning medicine? Even if Sanruwi disliked it, his master would not agree.
Minnie nodded repeatedly. With Sanruwi here, her original twenty to thirty percent confidence rose to seventy to eighty percent!
"Go get the medicine box."
Sanruwi's voice sounded like heavenly music. Minnie was very happy. Without wiping her tears, she ran off to get the medicine box. Sanruwi watched her back thoughtfully.
"Divine doctor, you have come." Madam Hong was overjoyed when she saw Sanruwi. Her husband and others gathered around, including Hong's fiancé.
Sanruwi frowned and stepped back two steps.
Jax quietly explained Sanruwi's rules to Madam Hong. She looked scared and glanced at Sanruwi.
"He already made an exception by coming today. He is unhappy now. It is better if we keep our distance."
Madam Hong and the men in her family could only watch Sanruwi from afar. Their eyes were full of eagerness, which even Sanruwi, usually indifferent, found hard to bear. He turned aside and waited outside the delivery room.
Because the woman feared wind, the delivery room door was slightly closed. Minnie had already entered. As Sanruwi instructed, a screen was brought in and placed along with a chair. Only then did Sanruwi enter. Madam Hong and her family hurried in behind him.
The upper body of the woman giving birth was outside the screen. Sanruwi saw her pale face covered with sweat beads. Her lips had deep teeth marks bleeding slightly. Her hair was tangled and soaked, and she was softly moaning.
Sanruwi checked her pulse. Madam Hong anxiously asked, "Divine doctor, my daughter..."
"Why are you here?" Sanruwi said coldly. "Out! Only the midwives stay. All others leave!"
Remembering Jax's words, Madam Hong pulled her husband and fiancé out.
Sanruwi was indeed not skilled in delivery. That was the midwives' job. But just now he checked the pulse of Hong's sister and found it still good. He relaxed a bit. At least now it was not too dangerous, though the baby had been laboring for two days.
Minnie had finished the basic examination. She found the fetal position was wrong and frowned. This was what she feared most and did not expect to encounter so soon. She asked the two midwives about the delivery progress and checked the bleeding. She roughly figured it out.
The labor started two days ago, but the cervix was only half open, not fully. The water broke, but bleeding was light. Minnie thought for a moment, took a dry teacup, inverted it on Hong's sister's belly, and listened carefully to the fetal heartbeat.
She relaxed after hearing the strong heartbeat. The baby was not lacking oxygen. The woman had been struggling for two days. The midwives were exhausted, not to mention the woman.
"This baby is too big, and the position is a bit wrong. I'm afraid..." one midwife whispered.
The baby was indeed large, probably a macrosomia. Minnie judged by Hong's sister's body shape that her pelvis was big enough. She should try natural delivery. It was necessary. Not delivering was dangerous for both. A C-section was impossible here.
But what to do next?
The woman on the bed moaned softly again. Minnie reached out to her belly and frowned.
"Push, push!" both midwives cheered her on.
"Minnie," Minnie walked over. "Is there any medicine to let the woman sleep for a while?"
"Sleep?" Sanruwi was puzzled.
"Yes. She is too tired, and contractions are weak. If she could rest well, contractions might improve. Also, she needs some high-energy food."
Minnie went to the door and asked someone to bring sweet food and sugar water.
Madam Hong hurriedly said, "There is ginseng soup."
"Ginseng soup can't be used," Sanruwi said quietly. "Her pulse is strong now. She doesn't need ginseng soup. Using it might cause heavy bleeding. Keep it ready."
Sanruwi thought for a moment and wrote a prescription for medicine.
Hong's sister was helped by a midwife to drink sugar water and eat several overly sweet snacks. After resting, her condition improved slightly.
Minnie washed her hands several times and soaked them in strong alcohol for a while. She held her hands up to dry naturally in the air.
She said to Hong's sister, "Hong, your baby's position is a bit wrong. I will try to adjust it. It might be uncomfortable. Don't push hard."
One midwife smiled happily. "The girl can turn the baby? I've only heard of it but never seen it. I didn't expect it to be real."
Minnie smiled bitterly. Turning the baby was rare in modern times. If the position was slightly wrong, families would demand surgery. Here, Minnie met the second woman who needed this.
C-sections were not practical here. Surgery tools, disinfection, and hemostasis were lacking. Also, after a C-section, women could not get pregnant for two years. Future births would mostly need surgery, not natural delivery.
Promoting C-sections here was very unsuitable. But sometimes it was necessary. If natural delivery failed, surgery was the only life-saving option. It must be minimized.
Turning the baby was both technical and physical. Minnie felt her fingers almost breaking.
"It really turned!" the midwife said happily. Her eyes looked at Minnie differently.
Minnie washed her hands and thought herself lucky.
Sanruwi's medicine was ready. Hong's sister took the medicine and soon fell asleep, though she still groaned sometimes in her sleep.
The two midwives took chairs to rest.
Minnie stood, hands on Hong's sister's belly, feeling the strength of the contractions.
About an hour later, Hong's sister woke up. Her face looked better. Minnie felt the contractions were much stronger and was satisfied.
She gave Hong's sister some food. Seeing her in pain, Minnie checked again. The cervix was almost fully open. It was time to try!
Minnie helped massage the belly and pressed hard during contractions to help deliver the baby. The two midwives helped nearby.
"Push, push! The head is showing!" the midwives shouted.
Minnie peeked. At this rate, Hong's sister might tear badly.
She saw scissors ready for cutting the umbilical cord. The scissors were heated in candlelight. At the right moment, Minnie used the scissors.
"Push, breathe in, push! Almost there!" the midwives called.
Hong's sister's painful screams mixed with the calls. "Ah—ah—"
Madam Hong was as anxious as ants on a hot pan, pacing wildly. Her husband and others were rubbing their hands, very worried. Hong's fiancé clenched his fists tightly, with a grim, scary face. One might think he had seen an enemy.
"Fifth brother, it has been so long..." Yiying dared not think of the worst.
Jax held her hand and felt her cold palm covered with sweat. He comforted her, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
After saying this, Jax felt the words were powerless. He added, "Minnie helped Erina deliver for Second Boss at Phoenix Mountain. Everything went smoothly. She said delivery is her specialty..."
"It will be fine!" Jax repeated.
Among all the chaos, Sanruwi was the calmest, though not comfortable.
He lowered his head and did not look at Hong's sister. The painful screams could not be avoided. The sound was like a saw. Not sharp but pulling back and forth at his chest, making it hard to breathe, very painful.
From the corner of his eye, he saw veins bulging on her hands. Sweat had soaked her clothes.
Is every woman this painful when giving birth?
Does every child cost the mother such labor pains? Maybe even her life?
The birth of a little life is such a dangerous event.
Was it the same when he was born?
Sanruwi closed his eyes, hiding the moisture in them.