Chapter Twenty-Four: A Critical Situation

Before Da Niu could even speak, Liang Yunqing had already stepped inside. Passing through the cluttered courtyard, she followed the sounds and pushed open the side door.

Inside, a few candles flickered. Old Mother Ma was cradling the infant, trying to soothe it, while the Third Aunt on the bed was pale and delirious, moaning incoherently in her distress.

Seeing Liang Yunqing walk in so suddenly, Old Mother Ma looked up, bewildered. "Why are you here?"

"Auntie Ma, what has happened here?"

Chu Shi frowned as she looked at the Third Aunt on the bed, observing the scene in silence.

Liang Yunqing stepped forward first to check the infant in the swaddling clothes. Its face was flushed with fever, its lips were chapped, and its crying had grown weak. She then moved closer to the bed, where the Third Aunt’s condition appeared even more dire.

"Why haven't you called for a doctor yet?"

Old Mother Ma choked back a sob. For some time now, the baby had been without milk and had been fed on cow's milk, draining their meager savings. How could they possibly afford a doctor?

Liang Yunqing quickly grasped the situation. She reached into her pocket, pulled out ten coins, and handed them to Chu Shi.

"Mother, please, go and fetch a doctor immediately. Uncle Da Niu, go to the well and draw some icy cold water."

Chu Shi took the money and ran out without looking back. Da Niu also reacted quickly, grabbing a wooden basin and rushing out.

"How can I let you spend your money? Oh, heavens..."

Old Mother Ma knew the Liang family was no better off than her own; taking out ten coins was a heavy blow to their livelihood. She paced back and forth, clutching the child in distress.

"Auntie Ma, give the child to me. You go attend to the Third Aunt. This is no time to talk about money."

With lives at stake, Liang Yunqing took the baby and gently rocked it. The full-term infant felt alarmingly light, its cheeks gaunt and thin.

Da Niu soon returned with the well water. Liang Yunqing took a cloth from nearby, soaked it in the icy water, and carefully wiped the feverish child. Feeling the coolness, the infant seemed to ease slightly, its cries losing their sharp, piercing edge.

An hour later, Chu Shi returned, dragging a panting doctor to the house. The old doctor caught his breath and set aside the medicinal herbs he had brought in his kit.

"These are... the herbs Miss Liang requested earlier. Let me see the child's condition."

Liang Yunqing looked at the herbs piled on the table, only then remembering the prescription she had previously bought for her own health. She handed the child over.

The old doctor took one look and sighed deeply. He produced silver needles, quickly administering acupuncture to stabilize the child's condition, then rummaged through his supplies to hand some herbs to Da Niu.

"Quick, take these and decoct them. Bring me a bowl once it's brewed."

"Yes, yes!" Da Niu stumbled out with the medicine. Old Mother Ma cried out in desperation, "Doctor, please, look at my daughter-in-law. She is fading!"

The old doctor returned the child to Liang Yunqing and strode to the bed. He felt the pulse, his expression turning grim.

"The pregnant woman has consumed too many wild greens, likely including some that have triggered a reaction, causing blocked milk ducts and fever. You must find a midwife for this."

"A midwife?" Liang Yunqing asked, holding the child.

The old doctor looked troubled as he turned back. "Yes, only a midwife is skilled in handling such obstetric complications. I can only prescribe anti-inflammatory medicine to stabilize her for now."

"Then prescribe it."

Liang Yunqing handed her purse to Chu Shi. As a woman herself, Chu Shi understood the severity of the situation and did not hesitate to take out sixty coins for the doctor, then accompanied him back to the pharmacy to fetch the medicine.

"Yunqing, I leave this to you. I will surely repay your kindness. I am going to find the midwife now."

"Go quickly, Auntie. Keep the money safe."

Liang Yunqing pushed the remaining coins into Old Mother Ma's hands. Old Mother Ma took only ten coins from the purse, clutching them tightly.

Outside the door, Da Niu returned with a bowl of dark, bitter medicine. Liang Yunqing took the bowl, blew on it until it cooled, and fed it to the infant.

As soon as Old Mother Ma stepped out, she twisted her ankle in her haste. She collapsed by the door, her face drained of color from the pain, yet she struggled to get back up. Da Niu rushed to help his mother; the household was in complete chaos.

Liang Yunqing bundled the swaddled baby securely. She instructed Da Niu to look after the house while waiting for Chu Shi to return with the medicine, then, relying on the original heroine's memories of the midwife, she carried the child and headed out.

Late at night, the small path outside was empty. Every household had closed its doors, and many had already extinguished their candles.

Liang Yunqing wrapped the infant's blanket tighter. She held the drowsy child close, walking with long, purposeful strides before breaking into a run. The midwife lived in the next village, and one had to cross the main road to reach her—a distance of nearly two kilometers.

Regrettably, Uncle Ma would likely be asleep by this hour.

"Eh? Is that the Liang girl?"

A man carrying wild fruits suddenly called out. Seeing Liang Yunqing holding something, he was about to warn a young woman against wandering alone at night when he realized it was an infant in her arms.

"Auntie Ma’s grandchild has a fever, and the Third Aunt is critically ill. I... I must go to the next village to find the midwife!" Liang Yunqing replied, gasping for breath.

The man understood the urgency immediately. He dropped his load of wild fruits and began running, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Hey! Old Ma, if you're not asleep, get up! Something is wrong at Auntie Ma's house!"

"Villagers! Anyone with a fast pair of legs, come out!"

Not long after the man shouted, candles began to flicker to life in house after house. Many villagers threw open their doors and stepped out, draped in their coats.

"I heard the midwife went to the West Village."

"Is that so? I thought she went to the East Tuen to assist in a birth?"

"How are we supposed to find her?"

Everyone compared notes. Liang Yunqing was astonished that a single shout had brought everyone out. The simple-hearted villagers discussed anxiously where to find the midwife, but soon decided to split up. Liang Yunqing would head to the nearest village, while the others dispersed to search the rest.

Every household sent their swiftest young people. Uncle Ma even brought his carriage. Grateful, Liang Yunqing climbed aboard and headed toward the neighboring village.

The wind whistled in her ears. Liang Yunqing used her body to shield the child. The main road was pitch-black at night, and Uncle Ma dared not drive too fast. The surroundings were dark, illuminated only by the flickering light of a torch.

"The horse is slow to navigate in the dark. Is the child alright?"

Liang Yunqing felt the baby’s temperature begin to normalize and let out a long breath. "It's fine, Uncle Ma. Take your time."

"Right." Even so, Uncle Ma dared not delay. The dense trees blocked the moonlight, forcing him to hold the torch high to discern the path.

Just as they reached a fork in the main road, the sound of thundering hooves erupted.

"Giddy-up!"

A chorus of overlapping voices approached from the distant junction. There must have been dozens of riders. Uncle Ma’s face darkened; he tried to steer the horse into the nearby woods, but the animal grew spooked and began to pace nervously.

"Who goes there! How dare you block our path?"

A booming voice rang out. A black, glossy horse appeared before Liang Yunqing, ridden by a sturdy man in soft armor. He brandished a long whip, watching the two of them with sharp, vigilant eyes.

Liang Yunqing was startled by the sudden appearance. She stepped down from the carriage, holding the child. "We are only seeking a doctor; we did not intend to block your way."

"Commoner! How dare you argue!"

The man let out a sharp cry, his whip whistling through the air as he struck directly at Liang Yunqing.