Chapter 19: Heavy Bleeding, She Survived…

“How long has it been since they went in? Why aren’t they out yet? Something didn’t go wrong, did it?”

“Pah, pah, pah! You and your jinxed mouth—always blabbering nonsense! Giving birth isn’t like taking a dump. It’s normal for it to take time!”

“Taking a dump? You say I’m a jinx, but you’re just plain foul-mouthed! I didn’t mean it that way—I’m worried! Don’t you get it? I’m worried!”

“Of course I get it! You’re afraid that old hag Li wakes up and comes looking for us! Coward. There are so many of us here—are we really afraid of just one nasty old woman?”

“You’re scared too, don’t pretend! When Li was blocking the door just now, not letting us get close to Wang Chunling, if you weren’t scared, why didn’t you go rush in? In the end, it was the regimental commander’s wife who stepped up. Tch! With guts as small as a pinhole, you’re not even as useful as little Xiaolan.”

“You—!”

“Alright, alright, stop arguing. They’re still delivering the baby inside. The two of you yelling like this—isn’t that just making us all look like fools? Quiet down. Listen for the sound—can you hear a baby crying? Has it been delivered?”

Outside the room, the group of military wives were pacing anxiously, nerves fraying and tempers flaring. They were on the verge of a fight, but someone stepped in to calm things down just in time.

The conversation eventually turned back to the baby, and the group fell silent, all straining their ears for any sound.

One even pressed her ear right against the wooden door, completely focused and serious.

Then, at that very moment—“Waaaah—” A loud infant’s cry came from within the room. That unmistakable newborn wail hit like a stone dropping into a still lake, sending ripples of excitement in every direction.

“It’s born! Wang Chunling delivered!”

“If the baby’s crying, it’s alive! It finally came out!”

“Is it a boy or a girl? Let us take a look! Just one look!”

Women are naturally drawn to babies—at the first sound of that cry, they forgot all else and rushed toward the room, momentarily forgetting the pain and danger Wang Chunling had just gone through.

They pushed the door open, about to step in—only to be blocked by a figure.

Chen Fengying stood firmly in the doorway, gripping the doorframe tightly, her expression solemn, showing none of the usual joy that accompanies witnessing a new life.

“Back off. The operation isn’t over yet. None of you are allowed in.”

“But the baby’s already out! Why can’t we come in? Chen Fengying, you—”

BANG!

Her answer was the heavy slam of the door, nearly smashing their noses flat.

Inside the room, the atmosphere remained tense and heavy, far from relaxed despite the baby being safely delivered.

Because—Wang Chunling was hemorrhaging.

She had been bleeding continuously since the start of labor. At first, it was within normal, controllable levels.

But with the prolonged labor, the baby’s birth, and her draining strength, her condition had deteriorated. Her body had grown weaker and weaker, and now the wound could no longer hold.

The cotton blanket beneath Wang Chunling was soaked through with blood, one massive red blotch after another.

And also soaked in blood—was Chu Yue.

Her hands were covered in it. Her clothes bore dark red stains. Blood had even splashed onto her fair face.

Beside her, Huang Aifang and Chen Fengying had wrapped the baby in a small padded jacket. Looking up at the scene before them, their hearts dropped—they gasped sharply at the horrifying sight.

She was still hovering on the brink of death. What now?

“C-Chu… Comrade Chu, can Chunling still be saved?” Huang Aifang’s voice trembled as she asked.

Chu Yue never stopped moving. She stuffed gauze after gauze into the bleeding wound, her eyes steady and determined.
“She can! She definitely can! I will save her! She hasn’t even had a chance to see her newborn baby yet!”

The sharp smell of blood filled the crude little room, like a heavy boulder pressing down on everyone’s chest.

Time passed slowly—another two hours went by. Longer than it had taken to deliver the baby.

Chen Fengying stayed by Chu Yue’s side the whole time, helping however she could—cleaning bloody gauze, handing over scissors, wiping sweat.

Huang Aifang gently bathed the newborn baby, washing away the blood and sticky fluids, then wrapped the baby in the swaddling clothes Wang Chunling had prepared earlier.

Such a tiny infant seemed to sense that her mother was teetering between life and death. Aside from the first few cries, she had been quietly sleeping ever since.

Thanks to Chu Yue’s relentless efforts, the bleeding was finally stopped, and the incision she had made was now being carefully stitched up, bit by bit.

After finishing the procedure, Chu Yue let out a long breath, set down the final surgical clamp, straightened her back, and gave her stiff lower back a few knocks.

Finally… it was done.

Chu Yue said, “Give me clean hot water.”

Chen Fengying immediately brought over a steaming basin.

Chu Yue removed her plastic gloves, dipped her hands into the warm water, and washed the blood from her wrists. After briefly drying them, she moved to Wang Chunling’s side to check her breathing and pulse.

Very weak, but the rhythm was steady.

Chen Fengying, seeing that Chu Yue had stayed silent for a while, grew increasingly anxious. After some hesitation, she asked cautiously, “Comrade Chu, is Chunling going to be okay?”

Chu Yue pulled back her hand and looked up. “She’s okay for now. Once her body recovers, she’ll wake up.”

Chen Fengying and Huang Aifang exchanged glances. The worry they had been suppressing for so long finally lifted. The two women couldn’t help but smile—and as they smiled, their eyes slowly welled up with tears.

It had been too hard… truly too hard.

Giving birth is like walking through the gates of hell. Wang Chunling had nearly been dragged away by death, and it was Chu Yue who had stubbornly pulled her back from the brink.

Though the worst was over, there was still a lot that needed to be done.

The bedding beneath Wang Chunling had to be changed. The baby couldn’t breastfeed yet, so formula and bottles had to be prepared. There were countless little things to handle.

All of this should have been done by Gong Jinlan, Chunling’s mother-in-law. But not only was she nowhere to be found, even if she were present, she wouldn’t have cared enough to help.

Fortunately, the sisters-in-law in the courtyard were all warm-hearted. They didn’t fuss over details and were willing to lend a hand wherever they could.

Chu Yue gave instructions on what needed to be done next, then stepped outside.

The moment she walked out, the other women immediately crowded around.

When they saw that it was Chu Yue, they froze for a moment. After all, she was Lu Zhanlin’s partner and had just taken down Gong Jinlan with a swift karate chop—undeniably fierce.

Not to mention the strong smell of blood still clinging to her—it made her even more intimidating.

The women stared at Chu Yue in shock. The questions they had wanted to ask were swallowed back down their throats.

Then Chen Fengying followed Chu Yue outside, and the women quickly turned their attention to her, bombarding her with anxious questions—Was the baby okay? A girl or a boy? How did the delivery go? Is Chunling alright? Did she suffer a lot? The questions came non-stop.

Chu Yue was finally left in peace. She glanced around the courtyard, searching for Lu Yuanbao.

Just then, Xia Xiaolan walked over. She was young and timid but was the only one brave enough to talk to Chu Yue.

“Comrade Chu, is Sister Chunling alright now? Is everything stable?”

“She’s okay for now. The mother’s body is severely weakened and needs extended rest and proper nutrition to avoid long-term health issues. The baby was slightly asphyxiated at birth, which could lead to respiratory problems. Someone must watch over the child constantly for the next three days. But other than that, they’re both alive and safe.”

Chu Yue could tell Xia Xiaolan was different from the other army wives, so she gave a more detailed explanation.

“Alive… they’re alive… they’re alive!”

Xia Xiaolan repeated the words, her voice growing choked and her eyes turning red. She quickly lowered her head and wiped away her tears with her sleeve, then looked up and gave Chu Yue a grateful smile.

“Comrade Chu, thank you for saving Sister Chunling and her baby. You’ve been at it for so long—you haven’t even eaten lunch. Please go eat something and rest. And your son…”

Xia Xiaolan pointed to a corner of the courtyard.

“At noon, I tried giving him something to eat, but he wouldn’t take it. He wouldn’t talk either—just sat there quietly the whole time. You’d better check on him. Don’t let the child go hungry.”

Your son…

Chu Yue was a little unaccustomed to that term, but she quickly realized that Xiaolan was referring to Lu Yuanbao.