Chapter 33: Saving People

After resting for a while, Xia Qingfeng checked on a few more patients. Seeing that their conditions were stable, she instructed the family members nearby on some precautions. With the help of two maidservants, she made her way to find Master Kong Zhi.

The two maidservants had been busy for a while, but as martial artists, they were calm and composed, showing no signs of fatigue. It was truly something ordinary people couldn’t envy.

The monks here were all knowledgeable in medicine. Xia Qingfeng had only demonstrated once, and they had already performed the procedures very well.

“Not bad, though the stitching is a little ugly. With more practice, it’ll be fine,” Xia Qingfeng commented, making a few of the older monks blush.

She reminded them of a few more things, stressing that they should come to her if any of the patients developed a fever, then dragged her tired body back outside.

As soon as she exited the courtyard, she saw the old madam, the madam, and Xu Xiaoxiao, who was being held by Ling Xiaoyu, waiting for her.

Xu Xiaoxiao immediately broke free from Ling Xiaoyu and ran over to Xia Qingfeng, hugging her legs tightly. After hearing about the dangers earlier from Ling Xiaoyu, she was still shaken, but fortunately, everything had turned out okay.

Xia Qingfeng walked over to the old madam, who took her hand and began walking back with her. “Child, you’ve worked hard. I’ve already arranged for someone to go down the mountain to invite a doctor, and I’ve also sent for extra help. You can rest easy now!”

Tonight, the injured and their families would be staying at the mountain temple. The burned Dharma hall would need cleaning, but that wasn’t something Xia Qingfeng had to worry about. She led Xu Xiaoxiao back to her meditation room to rest.

As soon as the door was shut, Xia Qingfeng pulled Xu Xiaoxiao close. “That Ling Xiaoyu? He’s my son-in-law. It’s confirmed.” She then told Xu Xiaoxiao how Ling Xiaoyu had instinctively known how to use the fire mask and the fire extinguisher, without needing to be taught. “Daughter, this is our person, you’ve got to win him over. You can do it, I support you.”

Xu Xiaoxiao nodded. “Mother, I believe he will remember the past.”

Since Xia Yingjun had already appeared from the space, there was no way for it to disappear now. Xia Qingfeng explained that the white fox knew the way and had been following them through the forest all along.

Because of Xia Yingjun’s brave actions today, it had become the temple’s favorite, and it was the only one allowed to eat meat in the temple.

After such an eventful day, Xia Qingfeng went to bed early that night.

In her drowsy state, she heard Xia He calling her name.

“What is it?”

“Madam, there’s a woman in the temple who’s about to give birth. It’s very dangerous. The abbot hopes you can go and take a look.”

*Xia Qingfeng quickly sat up, threw on her clothes, wiped her face with a handkerchief, and had Ginkgo grab the medicine box before rushing out. In her previous life as a military doctor, whenever there was a task, she acted immediately. This habit was deeply ingrained, and even though she had traveled to another world, she couldn’t shake it off.

The woman in labor was the daughter-in-law of the elderly woman who had been seriously injured today. The elderly woman had personally chosen her daughter-in-law, and they had a relationship as close as mother and daughter.

When the fire broke out earlier, her husband had stayed behind to grab some belongings and hadn’t followed them. The two women planned to move to a safer area ahead, but as they reached the entrance of the Dharma hall courtyard, a crowd suddenly rushed out. In an attempt to protect her daughter-in-law, the elderly woman was knocked down by the crowd and trampled, sustaining severe injuries. Her daughter-in-law, feeling immense guilt, stayed by her side, crying nonstop. Unfortunately, her baby was only eight months old, and the stress caused her to experience a sudden miscarriage—her waters broke.

This temple was halfway up the mountain, so it was impossible to find a midwife at such a late hour. They had to rely on a few women who had given birth themselves to help.

An old saying goes, “Seven live, eight do not,” and the labor had been going on for an hour without any sign of progress. The woman’s husband had been kneeling outside the delivery room, crying for an hour. Everyone felt sympathy for him—his mother-in-law was gravely injured, his wife was in labor prematurely, and it seemed as though both mother and child might not survive. How could this man bear such a heavy burden?

When Xia Qingfeng arrived, the area outside the delivery room was chaotic, with the man’s cries mixed in with the voices of the others. Xia Qingfeng immediately instructed Xia He and Ginkgo to disperse the crowd, leaving only the husband.

Inside the room, several women were sweating profusely from the pressure, but the laboring woman was exhausted and unable to give birth.

Xia Qingfeng stepped forward and examined her. She found that the amniotic fluid was almost gone and the cervix was still not dilated. A cesarean section was the only option. She ushered the women outside and had Xia He and Ginkgo assist her in preparing the space. Then, she hurried outside to speak to the husband.

“I have a way to save them. I’ll perform a cesarean. Do you agree?” Xia Qingfeng said, not wasting any time with pleasantries.

The man’s voice trembled as he asked, “Will my wife survive?”

Xia Qingfeng softened her tone a little. “Don’t worry. As long as she recovers well afterward, she’ll be able to have more children for you in a few years.”

Hearing this, the man’s hope was reignited. “As long as my wife is safe, I’m willing to do anything!”

“Good!” Xia Qingfeng nodded and immediately returned to the delivery room.

She quickly pulled out the surgical tools from her medical box—actually, from her space—and set everything up. Ginkgo brought in hot water, while Xia He helped wash and disinfect the patient.

To ensure the surgery went smoothly and to minimize complications, Xia Qingfeng decided to put the woman under general anesthesia.

After the anesthesia took effect, the laboring woman fell into a deep sleep. Xia Qingfeng swiftly took the scalpel in hand and made a clean incision. The sound of the blade slicing through the skin was faint, but it was enough to startle both Xia He and Ginkgo.

Both of them were accustomed to handling knives, but seeing how decisively their master wielded the scalpel, they couldn’t help but feel a deep respect for her.

Xia Qingfeng proceeded carefully, layer by layer, opening the woman’s abdomen. With steady hands, she gently retrieved the baby.

This was a baby boy, premature, with wrinkled skin and a very light weight. The baby had his eyes tightly closed, curled up, and arrived in this world in such a special way.

Immediately, Xia Qingfeng carefully cleaned the baby’s mouth and nose, gently tapped the soles of the baby’s feet, and a crisp, strong cry of the infant echoed.

Good, he’s healthy.

At that moment, the sound of a man crying came from outside.

*Sigh! He really cries a lot.*

Xia Qingfeng quickly cut the umbilical cord, did some simple cleaning, then wrapped the baby in a small blanket she had prepared earlier, and handed him to Yinxing. “Take him to his father, tell him mother and child are safe, and ask him to stop crying.”

Yinxing had never held such a small baby before. She carefully cradled him in both hands and gently carried him out.

Xia Qingfeng turned her attention back to the mother.

She removed the placenta, cleaned the uterine cavity, sealed it layer by layer, and finally stitched up the abdomen.

Once everything was done, Xia Qingfeng plopped down onto the bed.

Today was too exhausting. Why did everything have to happen today?

She returned to the meditation room, told the two maids to rest as well, and then immediately fell asleep.