Chapter 206: Late-night Childbirth
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
She would be crazy to go for a body checkup with this guy!
Yu Wan felt that she would not be appeased even if she beat Zhao Heng to death. To say that he was an evil person, he had not broken any laws. But to say that he was a good person, he had forced an innocent woman to death.
Such a man was the most infuriating. The Host would rather forget everything about him because she was extremely disappointed.
“Zhao Heng, you’re a scholar. Why are you talking like this?”
Although she had never experienced it herself, she understood what a physical examination meant to an ancient woman. It was almost a humiliation. A dignified scholar actually said such nonsense. Did he have any education? Had it been fed to the dogs?!!!
“I was really blind in the past to like a refined scum like you!”
“I…”
Yu Wan shouted, “Shut up! Have you forgotten how I worked hard for your Zhao family? You heard two rumors and you clamored that you wanted to break off our engagement. In order to annul the engagement, you didn’t hesitate to ruin my reputation in front of the entire village. After that, you moved out of Lotus Flower Village overnight to escape the three hundred taels of silver… Do you think this is something a man would do?”
Zhao Heng retorted, “It’s not that I want to slander your reputation, but I didn’t expect my sister to…”
Yu Wan interrupted him coldly. “So you admit to all the other crimes?”
Zhao Heng choked. It was neither an admission nor a retort. That was why he said that she was not Ah Wan. His Ah Wan was not so aggressive, nor was she so eloquent!
Zhao Heng wanted to say something, but he saw Yu Wan walking towards him. Yu Wan squatted down in front of him and reached out a pair of slender hands to grab his clothes. His expression changed drastically. “In broad daylight… You… What are you going to do? Woman, do you have any—”
Before he could say the word ‘shame’, Yu Wan had already taken his money bag and poured out all the silver. She said indifferently, “There’s a total of two taels. You still owe me two hundred and ninety-eight taels. In the future, either you avoid me or you pay me back every time you meet me!”
With that, Yu Wan threw the money bag back at him and left without looking back.
When she left the alley, Yu Wan brushed past a noble lady wearing a cloak who deliberately lowered the brim of her hat. The reason why she was certain that she was a noble lady was because she had a noble incense that the poor did not need.
A noble lady would actually appear in such a dilapidated alley? And looking at her careful appearance, she was clearly avoiding attention. But what did this have to do with her? She would not have any interactions with her in this life.
Yu Wan did not care at all, but the noble lady carefully glanced at Yu Wan. However, it was not because of Yu Wan that she cared. She was just cautious and was worried that she would meet anyone familiar here.
She entered a side alley and walked over with a pale face. “Young Master Zhao, are you alright? You’re injured!”
Zhao Heng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “It’s fine.”
The woman reached out and wanted to help him up, but she felt that she shouldn’t be so unruly and put her hand down.
Zhao Heng stood up with the help of the wall and cupped his hands at her as a polite greeting.
“Who injured you like this? Do you want to report it to the authorities?” The woman asked anxiously.
Zhao Heng shook his head. “No need. Why are you here, Miss?”
The woman picked up the medicine bag in her hand and said gently, “I got the medicine for Auntie.”
Zhao Heng lowered his eyes and bowed. “…Thank you.”
… .
Yu Wan returned to the shop that sold snacks. The coachman walked over and saw that Yu Wan’s expression was not good. He thought that she did not catch the thief, so he said, “It’s good that you’re fine. If you encounter such a thing again, don’t chase after them.”
The thieves were all in cahoots. It was too dangerous for a girl to chase after them.
“I got my money bag back.” Yu Wan did not want to explain that she had met Zhao Heng. After saying that, she took out some silver to buy the snacks.
Since she got her money bag back, why wasn’t she happy? In the end, the coachman didn’t ask. In their line of work, they had to have an extra pair of ears and one less mouth.
“Are we going to the Xiao Manor now?” The coachman asked.
“No, it’s late. Let’s go back to town.” Yu Wan got into the carriage.
The coachman looked up at the sky. It was true that it was a little late, but his intuition told him that Miss Yu did not cancel the trip because of the time. However, since Miss Yu did not say anything, he pretended not to know.
The coachman tactfully drove the carriage back to Lotus Flower Town.
Yu Wan walked back to the village and gave the snacks and candied hawthorn to Little Bruiser and her sister.
“Why are there three sticks?” Little Bruiser said, licking his candied hawthorn.
Yu Wan rubbed his little head and thought to herself, I’m so lethargic. In the end, my mood was still affected by that scumbag. I don’t understand how such a scumbag managed to pass the county-level examination.
Yu Wan looked at Little Bruiser. “You’re not allowed to do this in the future.”
Little Bruiser was dumbfounded. What?
… .
Yu Wan dreamed that she had given birth that night.
She dreamed of a night with lightning and thunder. She was lying on an unfamiliar big bed with a thick mattress under her. Her entire body was soaked in cold sweat, and there was a breaking pain in her lower abdomen and tailbone.
“Nanny! Nanny!”
A maidservant about the same age as Aunt Lin pushed open the door and walked in. “What’s wrong?”
“Nanny, I’m in pain…”
The maidservant walked forward and touched her stomach with her cold fingertips. Her eyes changed. “Not good, she’s giving birth!”
She couldn’t see the other party’s face clearly, but she grabbed her hand. “Nanny… Don’t go…”
The maidservant said, “You’re giving birth… I have to call the midwife!”
Tears fell from her eyes. “Nanny, I’m afraid…”
“Don’t be afraid, you’ll be fine. Women have to give birth. It won’t hurt after giving birth…” With that, the maidservant pried her hand away, put on her raincoat, and rushed into the rain.
The cold wind and rain rushed in, and she was in so much pain on the bed. Suddenly, she felt a heatwave below her. Did her water break?
Yu Wan shuddered and woke up from her sleep! She widened her eyes and looked at the familiar beams for a long time before coming back to her senses.
The pain in the dream was too real. Even when she woke up, she could still vaguely feel the remaining pain in her lower abdomen and tailbone, as if she had really been in pain.
“It’s too scary. Why would I have such a dream?” Yu Wan sat up. Her clothes were already drenched. She didn’t know if it was because of the heat or because she was frightened. As for the heat wave…
Yu Wan lifted the blanket and touched Little Bruiser. She sighed helplessly. This child wet the bed again!
Yu Wan changed the bed sheets and mattress, and also changed Little Bruiser and herself into dry clothes. Just as she was about to fall asleep again, Aunt Zhang’s scream came from outside.
Did something happen to the Zhang family?
Yu Wan put on her skirt and coat. Yu Shaoqing was also woken up. The father and daughter met by chance in the central room.
“I think it’s Aunt Zhang’s house,” Yu Wan said.
“Let’s go take a look.” Yu Shaoqing left with his daughter.
When the two of them arrived at Aunt Zhang’s house, Aunt Bai and the village headman’s family also came.
“Hey, don’t go in.” The village headman stopped Yu Shaoqing. “Sanniu’s wife is giving birth.”
Sanniu was Erniu’s younger brother. Back then, Erniu’s marriage was delayed when he was arrested for conscription. Therefore, his younger brother got married and had children before him. Sanniu’s wife was having a second child. Logically speaking, it shouldn’t be too troublesome, but she’s bleeding. It seemed to be quite serious.
It was not good for the men to say these words. The village headman only cleared his throat and said, “Erniu and Shuanzi have already gone to invite the midwife.”
Yu Shaoqing said seriously, “I’ll go too.”
There were no midwives in the nearby villages, so they had to go to town. Shuanzi must have driven the ox cart, but how could the ox cart be faster than the warhorse?
The village headman nodded. “Alright, come back soon.”
Yu Shaoqing rode off.
Sanniu’s wife screamed miserably. Yu Wan thought of that dream again and panicked. She took a deep breath and said, “I’ll go in and take a look.”
“Aye.” The village headman let Yu Wan go.
Sanniu’s wife was lying on the bed with Little Chen guarding her. She kept wiping the blood below with a handkerchief. Aunt Zhang, who was at the side, was crying. Aunt Bai was carefully comforting her.
Yu Wan had not forgotten to study the medical books that Grandpa Bao had left for her during this period of time. There were detailed records of childbirth in the medical books. How to diagnose, deliver, and even make a preliminary assumption of a cesarean section. Yu Wan remembered every detail deeply in her mind, but for some reason, the moment she saw the blood, Yu Wan’s mind suddenly buzzed.
“Ah Wan, don’t just stand there! Come and help!”
Little Chen’s voice interrupted Yu Wan’s thoughts.
Yu Wan composed herself and walked forward.
Little Chen handed a piece of bloodstained cotton cloth to Yu Wan and grabbed a new one to wipe Sanniu’s wife’s blood.
Yu Wan looked at the blood cloth in her hand and then at Sanniu’s wife, who was screaming in a pool of blood. Her mind suddenly went blank.
“Mother—I’m afraid—”
“Nanny—I’m afraid—”
San Niu’s wife’s cries overlapped strangely with the voice that inadvertently flashed across her mind.
Yu Wan stood up. The blood cloth fell into the basin and blood splashed all over Little Chen.
Little Chen exclaimed, “Ah Wan, what are you doing!”
Yu Wan’s chest heaved heavily, and thin sweat broke out on her forehead.
“Ah Wan, are you… alright?” The first to notice Yu Wan’s abnormality was Aunt Bai.
Yu Wan was indeed a country bumpkin who was ignorant of the world in the past, but ever since she was hurt by Zhao Heng, she seemed to have changed into a different person. Aunt Bai did not think that there was anything wrong with this. She only felt that Zhao Heng had hurt Yu Wan to the core and she had thought it through. Since then, she has learned to become a new person.
Aunt Bai saw Yu Wan’s change. No matter how dangerous the situation was, there was never a trace of panic on her face. However, at this moment, she was like a frightened little girl.
“I’m fine…” It was unknown if she was answering Aunt Bai or talking to herself. Yu Wan walked to the bed and raised her hand to touch Sanniu’s wife’s bulging stomach. She murmured, “The position of the fetus is not right. We have to adjust the position of the fetus first.”
Little Chen was stunned. “How did you know?”
“I gave birth before,” Yu Wan blurted out and was stunned.
Everyone in the room was stunned. Even Sanniu’s wife, who was in so much pain, stopped crying and looked at Yu Wan as if she had been struck by lightning.
Yu Wan was even more surprised than them. She did not know why she would say such a thing.
Aunt Bai coughed lightly and tried to smooth things over. “Ah Wan said that she delivered a baby before! What are you guys thinking!”
Yu Wan lowered her eyes. She did not admit or refute.
Everyone thought that she had tacitly agreed and heaved a long sigh of relief. They knew it. She was a young girl and had not even found a man. How could she have given birth?
Sanniu’s wife calmly lay back on the bed. “Ah—” She continued to cry.
Yu Wan left the delivery room.
The village headman came up to him. “How’s Sanniu’s wife?”
Yu Wan shook her head.
“What does this mean? You… you can’t treat it?” The news of Yu Wan stitching up Erniu and Yu Song had long spread. The village headman knew that she could occasionally treat people.
“Yes, I can’t treat it.”
It was not that her medical skills were not enough, but her hand…
Yu Wan looked at her trembling hands. Ever since she touched Sanniu’s wife’s stomach, her hands had started to tremble uncontrollably.
“The midwife is here!” Yu Shaoqing’s horse galloped over and stopped in front of the house.
Yu Shaoqing carried down the midwife, who was about to vomit, and handed her to Aunt Bai to bring into the house.
Yu Wan returned to her house.
Little Bruiser was still sleeping soundly, but Madam Jiang woke up.
Madam Jiang sat at the head of Little Bruiser’s bed. She covered Little Bruiser with the blanket he had kicked over. She seemed to be guarding Little Bruiser, but also seemed to be waiting for Yu Wan.
“Mom,” Yu Wan said with difficulty. “…Have I given birth before?”
Madam Jiang did not turn around to look at Yu Wan, nor did she ask her why she said that. She only lowered her head gently. “…Yes.”