Hearing that her daughter might have a premature and difficult birth, Mother Qi was unsettled and hastily sent her younger daughter to her elder daughter’s place, then ordered Cheng Su to look for Father Qi in the fields, as they would head over first.
Cheng Su also knew the situation was critical and immediately went to summon people from the fields. As soon as her father-in-law got some money, they rushed to the village where Elder Sister was.
But upon their arrival, they heard Elder Sister had already been taken to the hospital, unable to deliver naturally. Her elder daughter, Xiao Yun, was crying inconsolably, clinging to Cheng Su’s hand without letting go, her little face filled with terror.
"Don’t be afraid, Auntie is going right now to take a look, your mom will be fine!" Cheng Su said, seeing her cry so pitifully. Then catching sight of a basin of bloody water in the courtyard, she shuddered. Having to go to the hospital because of a difficult labor was no wonder the child was scared, uncertain if Qi Fenglian could hold on.
Racing to the county hospital in the county town, she and Father Qi hurried inside.
The hospital was small at that time, and with a quick inquiry, they knew where obstetrics was. Cheng Su hurried over there.
Entering the obstetrics corridor, she heard a noisy commotion and frowned.
Why didn’t the hospital nurses take care of all this noise?
"What do you mean? She can’t deliver but you won’t let her have a C-section? I’m telling you, if something happens to my Sister Feng, you Zhang family are murderers!" The shrill voice of an old woman came clearly to Cheng Su’s ears.
"Which daughter-in-law doesn’t give birth naturally? If we agree to a C-section and my grandson doesn’t survive, what then? He’s my grandson!" Another old woman’s voice retorted.
"So you’re saying you’d rather save the child than the mother?" The first voice was clearly shaking now, "Jisheng, do you think the same? She’s your wife!"
"He’s the eldest grandson of the old Zhang’s family!" The old woman said loudly.
"You’re going to kill my sister," a young woman’s voice shouted in anger.
Cheng Su’s face darkened; she knew by the voices who they were. Turning around the corner of the corridor, wasn’t it her mother-in-law, Mother Qi, and her sister-in-law?
And the other people belonged to Qi Fenglian’s husband’s family. They had come to drink at her wedding too. Qi Fenglian’s mother-in-law had even taken quite a bit of food back with her.
"The labor-inducing injection has been given, and she still can’t deliver. Are you signing or not? If you don’t decide now, we can’t save either the mother or child," said a nurse coming out of the delivery room.
At the nurse’s words, everyone was stunned.
The old woman who should be Qi Fenglian’s mother-in-law quickly pulled her own son, speaking nervously, "How can she not deliver? We’re at the hospital. Aren’t you doctors skilled at delivering babies? And it’s not her first birth. How’s my grandson?"
"If it weren’t for you, Sister Feng wouldn’t have had a premature fall. You, old thief!" exclaimed Mother Qi, becoming frantic as she realized her daughter was in danger and started cursing.
Cheng Su hurriedly approached the nurse and asked, "Miss, what’s the condition of the woman inside now?"
"It’s a difficult birth, the labor-inducing injection is ineffective, and if we don’t proceed with a C-section now, we can’t save either the mother or child," the nurse said, seemingly taken aback but quickly replied, "Even with a C-section, saying who we can save is difficult; make a decision fast, both the mother and child can’t wait."
"Save the child, save the child, miss, you must save my grandson." Mother Zhang shouted, "He’s the eldest grandson of Zhang family, choose the child."
"You, you..." Mother Qi was furious, pointing at the man crouched on the ground, "Zhang Jisheng, is that what you think too? Fenglian couldn’t give birth at home, and you still won’t agree to a C-section; do you want her dead along with the baby?"
Qi Fenglian’s husband, who was Zhang Jisheng, looked up for a moment then withdrew his gaze again.
Cheng Su, feeling a surge of anger, snatched the paper and pen from the nurse and hastily signed her own name, saying, "Miss, save the mother."