Chapter 17: A Rescue

After finishing the meal, Mu Xingjue and Xu Xingyu took turns carrying the backpacks, deliberately not letting the two women get involved. They walked steadily, stopping and going, all the way back home.

As soon as they entered the village, they noticed quite a few people rushing toward one household. Su Yao glanced at the time and realized it was still a bit early for dinner. She looked back at the two men. "You two head back first. Simin and I will go see what's going on."

Without waiting for a response, she pulled Ye Simin along and started walking toward the commotion.

Mu Xingjue tossed the backpack to Xu Xingyu. "You take the things back, I'll come check it out too."

Xu Xingyu, mildly annoyed, quickened his pace to deliver the items and then went to investigate.

When they arrived, Su Yao heard a piercing cry that startled them both. She quickly asked someone nearby what was happening.

The person standing there was Chen Xianglian, the scorekeeper, who had a very good impression of Su Yao. "It's you, Su Zhiqing. Ah, it's the second daughter-in-law of the team leader's family. She went into labor but had complications. Neither the mother nor the baby survived."

Su Yao was surprised it was the team leader's family. She had been here for days but hadn’t known. "Why didn't they take her to the hospital? Maybe she could have been saved."

Chen Xianglian shook her head. "From here to the hospital, even by ox cart, it takes an hour. By the time they get there, it's already too late."

"Then why not give birth at the hospital? With doctors there, it would be safer," Ye Simin frowned and said.

"You city girls don’t understand. We've always done it this way. Who could afford to burn so much money on the hospital?" interrupted a middle-aged woman.

Su Yao knew that even in the seventies—and sometimes even in the eighties and nineties—some women still gave birth at home.

She looked inside the house. The team leader was squatting on the ground wiping away tears. The woman who had fainted beside him must be his wife. After a moment’s thought, Su Yao stepped inside. "Team leader, may I come in and take a look? I know a bit of medicine."

Wu Hongtao immediately stood up but then slumped again when he saw it was Su Yao. What could a young girl know? He sighed, worrying how he would explain this to the in-laws later.

"Team leader, time is critical. Maybe the mother can still be saved," Su Yao urged. Now it was a race against the Reaper—every second counted.

"Alright, then, Su Zhiqing, please help us," Wu Hongtao said, thinking it was worth a try.

Once inside, Su Yao didn’t look at anyone else but immediately took the pulse of the woman on the bed. The pulse was weak but there was still a chance.

Su Yao pretended to take silver needles from her bag and first inserted one at the philtrum point. The woman showed no sign of awakening, so Su Yao then inserted a needle at the Baihui point, a spot that tests skill, but Su Yao did so without hesitation.

At once, the woman on the bed let out a low, muffled groan and slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly, another contraction hit, and her voice sharply rose.

"Ah..." The piercing scream shattered the heavy atmosphere inside and outside the house, instantly reigniting hope in everyone.

"She's alive?"

Cui Xia, though hearing the commotion outside, didn’t think highly of the educated youth, especially the newcomers—all so young. How could they possibly have such skill?

But her father-in-law had agreed, so she couldn’t refuse.

Unexpectedly, this young Su Zhiqing really had the ability to save the second daughter-in-law.

Outside, the team leader sprang up and gazed inside. Slowly regaining consciousness, his wife Cai Chunhua nimbly got to her feet, dusted off her clothes, and anxiously rushed inside.

Seeing the second daughter-in-law come back to life, tears streamed down her face, but fearing it might startle the woman, she held back from crying out loud.

"Su Zhiqing, right? I’m the team leader’s wife. You can call me Aunt Cai. Is my daughter-in-law alright?"

Su Yao withdrew the needle and felt the abdomen of the mother. She discovered the baby’s head was tilted to one side of the birth canal, and the contractions were continuously pushing it out. If this continued, the baby’s neck would be crushed.

"The baby’s head is tilted at the birth canal. We need to turn it properly; otherwise, it will be crushed."

"What should we do? Su Zhiqing, I beg you, save my daughter-in-law," Cai Chunhua said, almost kneeling.

In those days, no one dared to let others kneel. Su Yao quickly helped her back up. "Auntie, no need for that. Since I’m here, I will save her."

Su Yao pressed on several acupuncture points, assisting in repositioning the fetus. "It will hurt a bit—you have to bear with it."

Li, the mother, had thought both she and the child were doomed. Now that she was alive, this pain was nothing. Dripping with sweat, she nodded, "Su... Su Zhiqing, I can endure it."

Turning the fetus was truly painful. Li’s screams echoed one after another, frightening the onlookers outside to step back.

"Alright, that’s enough now," Su Yao wiped the sweat from her forehead. Those screams were terrifying enough to give her a lifelong aversion to childbirth.

Soon, the crying of a newborn filled the air.

Cai Chunhua and Cui Xia stepped forward to receive the child—one holding the baby, the other cleaning it.

"Mother, it’s another boy. Our Wu family is just not meant to have daughters," Cui Xia laughed, looking at the baby’s tiny legs.

Everyone inside and outside the house was overjoyed. When they heard Li had survived, they were amazed, and no one expected the baby to be born healthy as well.

"Looks like Su Zhiqing really has some skill. From now on, if anyone has a fever or headache, they can come to her."

"Exactly. A trip to the hospital costs a lot. This will save us money."

"Right, since we’re all from the same village, it wouldn’t be right to charge."

Everyone chatted excitedly, but Wu Hongtao’s smile quickly faded. "What are you all thinking? Su Zhiqing doesn’t want to earn work points or even eat our food. Since we’re from the same village, why not share some of your things with her?"

Those hoping to take advantage felt a little embarrassed. "We’re only joking. Of course, one must pay for medical care."

Wu Hongtao ignored them—they were a bunch of greedy women. Once he told his wife, she would deal with them.

Su Yao packed away her silver needles and stepped outside. Wu Hongtao came forward repeatedly thanking her. "Thank you, Su Zhiqing. If you hadn’t been here, my daughter-in-law and grandson would have been lost. Once things settle down at home, my family and I will come to thank you properly."

"Team leader, you’re too polite. I’m just glad to help. Your sister-in-law has suffered a lot. She should extend her confinement period by a month to rest well."

"Of course, I’ll tell my mother-in-law to take good care of her."