The Blessed

“Hmm, thank you, Uncle Ling.”

The little girl nodded obediently. Then the third son took her hand, “Little sister, don’t disturb Uncle Ling. Let him check on mom. Uncle Ling, is there anything we can help with?”

The ten-year-old boy was already quite sensible. Although he was also tearful and worried, he tried his best to pretend to be calm and old, which made people feel very distressed. Ling Jingxuan smiled and said, “Well, you can boil a pot of water for me, and be careful not to let the smoke run into the water.”

If he didn’t find them something to do, he was really afraid they couldn’t hang in there. Kids were kids. However sensible they were, you couldn’t take them as adults. Thinking that his big bun also often behaved like that, Ling Jingxuan felt more determined to save their mom.

“Hmm.”

Nodding his head, the third son took his sister to the kitchen. Aunt Zhao, who was sitting not far away, was still in shock when the eldest brother, Zhao Shan, walked over with a goat, “Uncle Ling, do you think this goat will do?”

Zhao Shan was fourteen years old, and he often helped his dad with his work. He was already quite tall now, wheat-colored skin, looking kind of handsome, who should resemble his mom.

“Yeah. Shengrui, you help me kill it, take the small intestines and put them into a clean earthen pot. I’m gonna check on their mom.”

“Hmm, don't try to be brave. Save her if you can, but no one will blame you if you can't.”

Not knowing what he was gonna do, Yan Shengrui was kind of worried. Ling Jingxuan nodded and went into the room. And Yan Shengrui asked Zhao Shan to fetch the sharpness knife of his family, then pulled the goat in a corner in the yard, and killed it and took out the small intestines as Ling Jingxuan told him.

As he walked into the delivery room, he could smell some dense bloody smell. The women was lying in bed, legs spread open, almost dying. Seeing Ling Jingxuan a strange, she already had no strength to panic, even couldn’t fold her legs, lips moving as if she was asking who he was. Ling Jingxuan walked over and felt her pulse, then felt out the silver needles he almost sterilized everyday, frowning.

“Sister-in-law, don't be afraid, my name is Ling Jingxuan, a doctor, now your condition is very bad, it is impossible for natural childbirth. I will think of a way to keep you and the child, if you are tired, then sleep for a while.”

His voice was as if with a force for calming people. Zhao Shulan feebly closed her eyes. The twinge of pains in the belly wouldn’t allow her fall asleep at all. But at least, her tensed heart had been calmed down. Ling Jingxuan helped her spread her legs, then untied her under clothes, and revealed her round big belly, then got the oil lamp from the cupboard aside and lit it up, used the high temperature to sterilize the silver needles, and then pricked them into quite a few acupoints quickly and accurately, to ease her labour pains and postpone the laboring time, so as to win some time for his surgery.

No sharp pain, Zhao Shulan soon really fell asleep, and when Ling Jingxuan helped her finish the acupuncture and went out, it was already half an hour later.

“Brother Ling, check these herbs.”

Laowang had been back already. Seeing that Ling Jingxuan came out, he instantly took those herb packs before him. Ling Jingxuan opened them and checked carefully. After making sure it was things he asked for, Ling Jingxuan nodded, “Brother Wang, I need a clean room with good light. You prepare for me, and then carry your wife there. Remember, be gentle. I helped her do acupuncture, and she has been asleep now. Don’t wake her up, or she’d suffer again. Besides, I want a lot of clean cotton cloth, which needs to be sterilized using boiling water.”

At such a time, Ling Jingxuan felt lucky that it was July, though a little hot, the light was very good, and the day was long. Even if the operation time was extended, he still could do it before dark. The most important thing is, the things he needed would soon be prepared taking advantage of the high temperature.

“OK, I’ll go prepare things for you now.”

Time is life. Saving people is like saving fire. Laowang also knew now was not the time for formalities. So he instantly turned to go inside. Aunt Zhao who had been stoned there for quite some time looked at Ling Jingxuan suspiciously, and then went to help her son-in-law. Now except trusting him, there was no other choice.

“The intestines you asked for.”

At the same time, Yan Shengrui skillfully slaughtered the goat and carried the earthen pot full of the intestines to him. Seeing his sweating forehead, he felt so worried. They meant to take a walk outside, but who knows…Today he would exhaust him again.

“I’m OK. Saving people is most important. Sorry, I said I was gonna take a walk with you today.”

Seeing the worries in his eyes, Ling Jingxuan felt kind of guilty. No one had expected they would come here on a whim and meet such a thing.

“What are you talking about? Am I that kind of petty person? As long as you don’t wear yourself out, I’ll feel relieved.”

Knocking on his forehead with a knuckle, this time Yan Shengrui unexpectedly wasn’t being unreasonable or complained. Ling Jingxuan couldn’t help smiling. Seeing Zhao Shan walking over with his split vision, Ling Jingxuan hurriedly walked to him, “Boil three bowls of water into one bowl. Be quick. I’ll use it later.”

The narcotic prescription he prescribed was used to make the anesthesia powder invented by Hua Tuo (A famous doctor in ancient China), but he added a few better herbs and made some slight improvements. The effect would be definitely better.

“Hmm.”

Zhao Shan said nothing, only took the herb pack and went to the kitchen, with Ling Jingxuan followed behind carrying the intestines, ignoring Yan Shengrui who picked up the pace with him behind. He scooped out the boiling water and poured into the basin, and those cleaned intestines instantly shrank. Before they shrank into a ball, Ling Jingxuan picked them out with chopsticks, and then scooped another scoop of boiling water to pour onto the intestines, and then put them on the clean chopping board which had been cleaned already, then carefully cut them into thin and even slices along with their grains using that sharp dagger he had always kept with him, and finally sterilized them and made them into intestine threads.

The seemingly simple work wasn’t easy actually. One had to be extremely careful. Yan Shengrui who was standing next to him had no idea what he was doing. Whenever he saw his forehead oozed sweat, he’d wipe it off for him gently. Their tacit understanding couldn’t be described with any language.

“Brother Ling, things are prepared.”

“Uncle Ling, the herbs are decocted well.”

At the same time, Laowang and his son finished the preparation work, Ling Jingxuan, carrying the bowl of catgut, led by Laowang to the new delivery room, because the roof covered with a few bright-colored tiles, the light in the room was not bad, barely enough for him to carry out the operation, but…

“Brother Wang, remove the bed curtain, Shan, blow on the herb liquid in the bowl, and then feed your mother.”

In the countryside, people would hang up a bed curtain to keep the mosquitos and other little bugs out. But now it became an obstacle. Laowang and his son instantly did as they were told. As everything was ready, it was already half an hour later. Ling Jingxuan told them to boil some water and wait on outside, only keeping Yan Shengrui aside as his assistant. Abdominal delivery was kind of too shocking in this world. So before he succeeded, he was not planning to tell him.

“What on earth do you want?”

Yan Shengrui asked in surprise as he saw that Ling Jingxuan sterilized the scissors, a set of strange knives and a few odd needles.

“Abdominal delivery.”

Ling Jingxuan who was busy there replied without even raising his head, but only kept sterilizing those tools forged by stainless steel.

“What did you say?!”

Hearing that, even Yan Shengrui who wouldn’t even turn a hair if Mount Tai collapsed before his eyes exclaimed. Is he insane? Would the woman survive after getting her abdomen cut open? Is he kidding? Does he know what he is doing? If something happens during the process, how is supposed to explain to Laowang and his family?

“Keep your voice down. In principle, an abdominal delivery is a minor operation, not life-threatening, but after all, no one has done it before, so don't let them hear you.”

Knowing why he was so shocked, Ling Jingxuan didn’t mean to explain it in detail. After Ling Jingxuan sterilized all tools, he turned back and saw that Zhao Shulan had woken up, looking at them with that pair of sagging eyes, with naked shock under her eyes. Apparently she heard their conversation. But the anesthetic worked slowly, so even if she was scared, she couldn’t speak it out.

“Sister-in-law, trust me, everything will be fine. After the abdominal delivery, I will stitch it for you. But you can no longer get pregnant. Hope you can understand.”

Standing by the bedside, Ling Jingxuan said so trying to keep his voice as low as possible. In the 21st century, a few years after a C-section, a woman could get pregnant again. But in this era things were different. The only method was doing ligation for her.

Not knowing why, his words and his confidence in the eyes seemed to instantly appease her terrified heart, Zhao Shu feebly nodded, approving of him. Anyhow, the worst scenario was she died, but at least she could keep the baby safe. She believed that even if she died, her husband would take good care of their children and wouldn’t let them be bullied, which was already enough.

“Jingxuan, you sure of this?”

After getting along with him for so long, Yan Shengrui knew him well, since he had already decided, he can't stop him, so even if he was worried, he didn’t try to persuade him to give up, and…there seemed to be a voice in his heart telling him all the time that he could make it, he could make it, he could make it for sure!

“Hehe…Any operation has risks, I am not a god, how can I be a hundred percent sure? But don't worry, there should be no problem.”

Throwing him a soothing smile ,Ling Jingxuan untied Zhao Shulan’s clothes again, picked up a silver needle and pierced her belly, after making sure she didn’t wear any painful expression, he turned to take the clean white cloth he asked Aunt Zhao to prepare for him, and covered below her breasts and above the thighs, and then made a small square on her belly using the cloth, and all preparation work was done.

“Shengrui, I need your help. This is a towel. When I sweat, wipe the sweat off immediately. And if I ask for something, you hand it to me immediately.”

Looking no longer so relaxed like just now, as he took up the scalpel, Ling Jingxuan said using a serious tone. It wasn’t that he had never performed an operation alone. Actually, in his precious life, he often performed operations alone, but the conditions here were different, so he needed to be extremely cautious.

“Hmm.”

Without further words, Yan Shengrui reached out to take over that plate full of tools, with the other hand holding the towel. Ling Jingxuan gave a smile of gratitude, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then turned to start his first operation in ancient times.