You say you're pretty, can that be eaten with rice? It's still a life doomed to copy others!
Old Mrs. Qin coughed, displeased, casting a glance at Aunt Wan, is this the time for pleasantries?
Aunt Wan immediately cowered.
Only then did Old Mrs. Qin speak: "Where are the children?"
Mrs. Xie hurriedly said, "Aunt Pan is leading them to get settled. Mother, how is Third Sister-in-law?"
She looked at Mrs. Gu, lying on the bed, her gaze showing a hint of sympathy. On normal days, she disdained Mrs. Gu's meek and peace-seeking demeanor, but now, as a woman and having faced difficulties together, she was somewhat worried for her.
"Still unable to give birth," Mrs. Wang answered first, then said to Old Mrs. Qin, "Mother, you should go wash up first, and then have a bowl of ginger soup. We can handle things here."
"Lady and Great Aunt should both go, you've been caught in the rain. We've all had some, we can keep watch here for now," said Aunt Wan.
Old Mrs. Qin walked to her daughter-in-law's bedside, seeing her in pain, and said, "Mrs. Gu, don't yell, save your strength, you still have to give birth to two."
Mrs. Gu slightly opened her eyes, tears rolling down, her gaze somewhat bewildered and fearful: "Mother, I..."
Old Mrs. Qin put her hand over her mouth: "Don't be afraid, we are all here for you." She then turned to Qin Liuxi, "Get someone to prepare hot water, basins, scissors, bedclothes, fabric, and such. If possible, invite a doctor to come stay with us. Add some brown sugar to that ginger soup, and beat a couple of eggs into it, let your Third Aunt gather her strength. If there are ginseng slices, also have them ready."
She was making the worst-case plans, to deliver the baby themselves if they couldn't find a midwife.
Fortunately, although delayed for some hours, the midwife was finally summoned.
After a check-up, the midwife's expression looked somewhat gloomy. She put down the blanket that covered the pregnant woman and walked towards Qin Liuxi.
Old Mrs. Qin was about to ask questions, but saw the midwife already bowing to Qin Liuxi, and was momentarily taken aback.
"Young Miss, this lady's term is not full, yet she has bleeding and her waters have broken, and the cervix is not dilating. I fear she will need to take induction medicine. Moreover, there should be some preparations, please instruct us, Young Miss."
Qin Liuxi heard this without much reaction, but the other women present all changed their expressions.
They had all been through it, most of them mothers themselves, who didn't understand that childbirth for a woman was like going through Ghost Gate, and this current crisis was fraught with danger, like a path laid with swords; any weakness on Third Mrs. Qin's part could result in three lives lost.
Understanding this, Old Mrs. Qin's knees went weak, she clutched her Buddha Beads tightly, her wrinkled face looking even more tired and aged.
The two concubines had started sobbing softly, to Old Mrs. Qin's annoyance, she reprimanded sharply: "Stop crying, get out."
The crying ceased abruptly.
Qin Liuxi then said, "Grandmother, what do you think?"
Old Mrs. Qin cast a glance at her young daughter-in-law on the bed, exhaustedly said: "Have the doctor write a prescription and brew it here."
Qin Liuxi nodded, glanced at Qi Huang, and they both walked out.
"You go to my storage room to pick out the medicine ingredients, personally brew them," Qin Liuxi said to Qi Huang in a low voice, naming several medical herbs.
Qi Huang did not voice any objections and quickly went on his way.
Qin Liuxi watched the shadowy figures inside the room through the window, massaged the tip of her brows, let out a sigh, and took a medical kit to the side room.
Opening the medical kit, she took out paper and a pen and dark vermillion, paused thoughtfully to gather energy, then began to draw a talisman.
Her strokes were stable and quick, the sharp tip of the pen pressed hard against the paper, as if a golden light flashed by; and after the flash of golden light, the incomprehensible lines on the paper suddenly sprang to life.