Jiang A Yao glanced over and saw a man rushing straight toward her. Lu Da quickly switched to carrying the meat with one hand while using his other to grab Jiang A Yao’s arm, pulling her behind him.
The man charging toward Jiang A Yao appeared panicked, his hands covered in blood, his clothes stained with dark splotches of blood.
“Jiang family’s eldest girl, my wife can’t deliver the baby. She’s bleeding heavily. Please, you must save her…”
The man broke down in tears, his eyes filled with panic and utter helplessness.
Jiang A Yao recognized him at a glance – this was Wu Lao Liu from the village.
He and his wife had been married for three or four years before finally conceiving this child.
Standing behind Lu Da, she spoke with deep resignation, “I don’t know how to deliver babies. I’ve never dealt with this kind of situation…”
“Aren’t you a doctor? You saved that man who was shot with an arrow and nearly died. Why can’t you save my wife?”
Wu Lao Liu beat his chest as he spoke, “Don’t worry, I’ll pay. I’ll definitely pay.”
As he said this, he reached for Jiang A Yao’s arm. Lu Da immediately shielded her and moved aside, “Speak properly. Don’t lay hands on anyone.”
Wu Lao Liu grew so anxious he slapped his thighs repeatedly, then simply dropped to his knees, “Please come with me quickly! If you can save my wife, I’ll serve you like an ox or horse for the rest of my life, alright?”
Jiang A Yao said gravely, “Your wife is having a difficult labor. You should find an experienced midwife. I’ve never delivered a baby before – my going there would be useless.”
“My mother and aunt are watching over her, but she still can’t deliver. Please don’t delay any longer. I’ll kowtow to you, I’m begging you…”
Wu Lao Liu knocked his head hard against the ground, his forehead bruising after just a few knocks.
Villagers never hired doctors – women gave birth at home with experienced helpers assisting. Since Jiang A Yao had suddenly appeared as a doctor, they completely regarded her as a miracle physician, believing she could cure anything.
Although Jiang A Yao had studied clinical traditional medicine, different specialties required different expertise – she had never dealt with women in labor, especially those with difficult deliveries.
But Wu Lao Liu was determined to bring her along. She could only say, “Brother Wu, I can go with you, but I’m telling you in advance – I’m just a mediocre doctor. I might not be able to help your wife. You’d better hurry and prepare a cart to take your wife to town – that might still save her life…”
“Fine, fine, just come see my wife and treat her.”
Seeing his state, Jiang A Yao knew this wouldn’t be easily resolved. She whispered to Lu Da, “We need to find Lao Jin. Only with them keeping watch will he not dare to act recklessly.”
Lu Da said, “I’ll take you there first.”
“No, you go find Lao Jin first.”
Jiang A Yao lowered her voice further, “He’s alone. If something seems wrong, I can run.”
“Alright.”
Lu Da didn’t hesitate. After all, they weren’t far from the small courtyard – he could go and return quickly.
Jiang A Yao followed Wu Lao Liu to the Wu residence. Wu Lao Liu was so frantic she had to jog to keep up with him.
As soon as she entered the room, the pungent smell of blood assaulted her nostrils.
Three or four women stood in the room – some in their fifties or sixties, others in their thirties or forties, all relatives of the Wu family.
The moment Wu Lao Liu entered, a woman in her thirties rushed up to him, her voice choked with tears, “Lao Liu, it’s terrible! Your wife has fainted – she can’t push anymore.”
“The Jiang family’s eldest girl is here. She’ll definitely be able to save Xiao Hong.”
Before Wu Laoliu could push Jiang A Yao forward, an old woman inside the room shouted loudly, “If needles won’t wake her, then chop off her fingers! This child must be born – this is the Wu family’s heir! We can’t let her ruin this!”
Hearing this, the woman who had been speaking with Wu Laoliu turned her head and yelled, “Mother, have you gone mad? Xiao Hong is your daughter-in-law! Are you trying to kill her?”
“My grandson is still in her belly! If she won’t wake up and push, she’s trying to harm my grandson!”
“If you can’t bring yourself to do what’s necessary, I’ll do it! Even if I have to cut open her belly today, I must save my grandson’s life!”
After saying this, Old Madam Wu stood up and went to the kitchen to get a knife. The Wu family members quickly rushed to stop her, but no one paid any attention to Jiang A Yao who had been summoned.
Jiang A Yao hurried to the woman lying on the bed. The basin beside the bed was filled with blood, and the smell of blood was overwhelming.
The pregnant woman on the bed had already fainted, covered in cold sweat and completely pale.
Jiang A Yao checked her pulse – it was faint and weak, clearly indicating she was on the brink of death.
She recalled something she had read in a medical text: in ancient times when women had difficult births, they would use a rolling pin to press on the mother’s abdomen to facilitate delivery.
The process was excruciating and horrifying.
But in this situation with no other resources, this was undoubtedly the only method she knew.
They couldn’t let that old woman actually cut open this woman’s belly.
“Stop fighting! Bring me a rolling pin!”
Jiang A Yao’s sudden shout snapped Wu Laoliu back to reality, and he immediately rushed to the kitchen to get the rolling pin without looking back.
Soon, the rolling pin was placed in Jiang A Yao’s hands.
Holding the rolling pin, she shouted at the stunned women, “What are you waiting for? Come and help!”
Hearing this, they finally snapped out of their daze and hurried over.
“You dare let this little girl tamper with my grandson? Have you all gone mad?”
Old Madam Wu was initially stunned, but after coming to her senses, she started screaming again and tried to attack with the knife.
Wu Laoliu quickly grabbed her and dragged her out of the room.
“That low-born wretch isn’t fit to touch my grandson! If anything happens to my grandson, I’ll fight you to the death! Even if I die and become a ghost, I’ll make you pay…”
“What are you screaming about?”
Lao Jin’s stern shout frightened Old Madam Wu out of her wits, leaving her staring blankly at him.
Then remembering what had happened to Zhao Guizhi, her legs immediately went weak. With a clatter, she dropped the knife and knelt on the ground begging for mercy.
“Off… officer, spare us! Our whole family are good people, we’ve never done anything bad! Please spare us, we beg you…”
Wu Laoliu was also bewildered, completely unaware why such fierce-looking men would come to their home.
“Miss Jiang is treating our master’s injuries. Since you brought her to your home by force, I naturally had to come check.”
Lao Jin had followed Lu Da into the Wu family’s courtyard and said sternly, “But don’t worry – we’re not preventing Miss Jiang from treating your illness. After Miss Jiang finishes the treatment, we need to take her away unharmed.”
Wu Laoliu nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, we definitely wouldn’t dare harm Miss… Miss Jiang.”
“Wouldn’t dare?”
Lao Jin snorted coldly and looked at Old Madam Wu, “Weren’t you just waving a knife and threatening to kill someone? If you have the nerve to shout like that, why didn’t you have the sense to take your daughter-in-law to town for the delivery?”
Old Madam Wu knelt on the ground trembling, not daring to say another word.
Wu Laoliu hastily replied, “Your Honor… we’re truly too poor to afford the town clinic…”
Lu Da said coldly, “So just because you can’t afford it, you drag A Yao here by force? Planning to extort money from us if the treatment fails?”