The atmosphere outside Er Dan's house was thick with tension. Groups of villagers stood in circles, whispering and casting pitying glances at the tightly shut door.
"It's been an entire day and night. I heard the blood is soaking through the mattress," one woman whispered, shaking her head.
Mo Lixia didn't stop to listen. She pushed through the crowd, her face grim.
"Move aside! Let the doctor through!" Midwife Fang shouted, clearing a path.
Just as they reached the door, a man stumbled out—it was Er Dan. He looked disheveled, but instead of worry, his face was full of irritation. "What's all the noise for? If she can't even push out a child, what use is she?"
Mo Lixia stopped in her tracks, her eyes flashing with cold disgust. She didn't say a word to him. To her, talking to such a person was a waste of breath. She brushed past him and entered the room.
The smell of blood hit her immediately.
On the bed, Chunying lay pale as a ghost. Her breathing was so shallow it was barely perceptible. Her eyes were rolled back, and her forehead was drenched in cold sweat.
"Miss Lixia... you're here!" Er Dan's mother, a sharp-tongued woman, didn't show much gratitude. "Look at her. We've spent so much on midwives, and she still can't produce a grandson for us. If anything happens to the baby, I'll—"
"Shut up!" Mo Lixia barked, her voice like a whip. "If you want them to live, get out. Now! And bring me a basin of boiling water and clean cloth!"
Shocked by the young girl's sudden authority, the old woman grumbled but scrambled out of the room.
Mo Lixia immediately turned to Chunying. She checked her pulse—thready and rapid. Hemorrhage.
"Madam Fang, hold her down. I need to perform an emergency version to correct the baby's position," Mo Lixia commanded. "She's exhausted and has fainted from the pain. We have to move fast."
Mo Lixia opened her medical kit and took out a small bottle of essence. She forced a few drops into Chunying's mouth to stimulate her heart. Then, she pulled out her silver needles.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
She focused her energy, placing needles in the Sanyinjiao and Hegu points to induce labor and stop the bleeding.
"Chunying! Wake up!" Mo Lixia shouted, slapping the girl's cheek gently. "Think of your child! You have to push one more time!"
As the needles took effect, Chunying let out a weak, guttural groan. Her eyes slowly flickered open.
"Doctor... Mo..."
"Don't talk. Listen to me. The baby is stuck, but I've turned him. On my count, you must give me everything you have left," Mo Lixia said, her voice calm and steady, acting as an anchor in the storm.
Outside, the villagers heard a sudden, sharp cry of pain from inside the house, followed by a tense, heavy silence.
Er Dan leaned against the fence, picking his teeth, looking indifferent. But a moment later, a thin, wailing cry broke through the air.
Waaaah! Waaaah!
The crowd gasped. "She did it! Miss Lixia saved them!"