“Does Aunt Wu live here?”
Hearing the call, Li Xiuyun put the child down and went to the courtyard gate.
Peering through the crack in the gate, she saw a middle-aged man and asked, “What do you need Aunt Wu for?”
The man outside was sweating profusely with anxiety.
“Miss, I’m Liu San, the steward of Master Liu’s household. It’s like this—our madam is about to give birth. Physician Jiang said her baby is in an improper position and told me to come to the end of Song Family Village to invite Aunt Wu.”
“Physician Jiang sent you?”
Hearing this, Li Xiuyun didn’t dare delay any longer. She opened the door and was about to lead him toward the river.
“My mother went to the river to fish. Come with me!”
Having just given birth, Li Xiuyun naturally couldn’t walk fast. Seeing Steward Liu so anxious he was practically stamping his feet, she simply pointed in a direction.
“You walk faster—go on ahead. It’s over there!”
“Thank you, miss!”
The steward wiped the sweat from his forehead and ran toward the river like a madman.
As he ran, he shouted, “Aunt Wu, where are you, Aunt Wu!”
Wu Yulan had never expected anyone to be looking for her. Hearing someone call for “Aunt Wu,” she continued fishing as if nothing concerned her.
Not until Liu San rushed up to her.
“May I ask—are you Aunt Wu?”
Wu Yulan blinked. “My surname is indeed Wu, but perhaps I’m not the one you’re looking for.”
“Aunt Wu, you’re exactly who I’m looking for! Physician Jiang told me to find you!”
“He said our madam’s baby is in the wrong position and asked me to invite you. Please, come with me!”
“Physician Jiang…”
Wu Yulan remembered who that was, and her expression turned serious.
“Where is she? Take me quickly!”
“Dalang, Erlang, fish a little longer and then head home. Be careful by the river!”
After giving her instructions, Wu Yulan followed Steward Liu at a jog back toward the village.
She had thought it was an ordinary household, but to her surprise, the middle-aged man led her to a horse-drawn carriage.
She frowned slightly. “You said which family you’re from?”
As he drove the carriage, the man introduced himself, “Auntie, I’m the steward of Master Liu’s household in the west of town. My name is Liu San.”
Wu Yulan grew even more puzzled. From her memory, Master Liu was one of the wealthiest families in town.
“With such a large and prosperous household, why would you invite Physician Jiang, just a barefoot doctor, to treat her?”
“Aunt Wu, you may not know—Physician Jiang is no ordinary barefoot doctor. When it comes to treating women’s illnesses, especially childbirth, there are few in Pingjiang Town who can compare to him!”
“I see.”
A human life was at stake, and Wu Yulan dared not waste time. She quickly climbed into the carriage and sat down.
“Aunt Wu, sit tight!”
Calling out a warning, Steward Liu flicked his whip.
“Hyah!”
After about half an hour, the carriage stopped in front of a large residence with three courtyards.
Wu Yulan looked up. The plaque above the gate bore the words “Liu Residence.”
“Aunt Wu, we’re here!”
Liu San tossed the reins to a servant waiting at the door and hurried inside with Wu Yulan.
They passed through several small gardens and turned multiple corners along a long corridor before finally arriving.
“Sister Wu, you’ve finally come!”
When Physician Jiang saw Wu Yulan, his eyes brightened. He hurried toward her.
Wu Yulan caught her breath. “What’s the situation now?”
“Madam Liu is giving birth to her first child. At thirty-five, childbirth is already dangerous, and the baby is lying sideways. I’m truly at a loss. I thought perhaps you might have a solution, so I sent someone to fetch you.”
At the side, Master Liu quickly cupped his hands respectfully toward Wu Yulan. “Madam Wu, I beg you to save my beloved wife.”
“As long as you can save her, Liu will certainly reward you handsomely!”
A handsome reward!!
Wu Yulan was tempted—after all, two granddaughters at home were still waiting to be redeemed, and she was desperately short of money.
But with the exact situation still unclear, she didn’t dare make any rash promises about saving the woman.
“Master Liu, I, Wu Yulan, am merely a village woman who knows a few midwifery techniques. I can only promise to try—I cannot guarantee I can save her. If anything goes wrong during the procedure…”
Master Liu nodded in understanding. “Madam Wu, please do all you can. I, Liu, will bear all consequences. I will not hold you responsible.”
Wu Yulan inclined her head and followed the midwife into the room.
A heavy smell of blood hit her immediately. On the bed lay a middle-aged woman, pale-faced and breathing weakly.
Another midwife stood by, sweating anxiously as more and more blood flowed from beneath the laboring woman.
Wu Yulan first checked her pulse. The woman was already exhausted, showing clear signs of severe blood loss.
The baby inside was indeed in a transverse position. Given the mother’s current condition, delivering naturally was impossible.
After assessing everything, there was only one option left—cut.
Without hesitation, Wu Yulan turned and went out to discuss it with Master Liu.
“Master Liu, your wife has lost too much blood, and the fetus is in a transverse position. In this situation, I have no conventional solution.”
“Is… is it truly that serious?”
The wrinkles on Master Liu’s face seemed to deepen visibly.
“Madam Wu, Physician Jiang—are there truly no other methods?”
Physician Jiang shook his head and sighed. “Alas, my medical skills are shallow.”
“I do have a method.”
At these words, both men turned toward Wu Yulan.
Seeing her hesitate, Master Liu understood that the method must carry great risk.
“Madam Wu, what method is it? Please explain.”
Wu Yulan glanced at the servants waiting nearby.
Master Liu understood and dismissed them.
Once only the three of them remained in the courtyard, Wu Yulan finally spoke.
“Physician Jiang, have you heard of the caesarean extraction technique?”
Physician Jiang nodded. “I have. When a woman truly cannot deliver, the abdomen is cut to save the child—usually sacrificing the mother.”
Master Liu’s face turned pale again. He knew this was already a desperate measure.
But Wu Yulan’s next sentence reignited his hope.
“That is not what I mean. The caesarean technique I speak of also involves opening the abdomen to remove the child. The difference is that with this method, there is a high chance the mother can survive as well.”
Master Liu rushed toward her in agitation. “You mean… after the child is delivered safely, my wife can still live?”
Wu Yulan nodded modestly. “Seventy percent certainty.”
Upon hearing this, Master Liu lifted his robe and dropped to his knees. “Madam Wu, I beg you—save my wife and child!”
Fearing she might refuse, he declared firmly, “I, Liu, swear that as long as Madam Wu does her utmost, I will bear all consequences!”
“Master Liu, with those words, I will certainly give my all.”
Wu Yulan turned to Physician Jiang. “Physician Jiang, may I borrow your medicine chest?”
She had brought nothing with her. If she were to produce surgical tools out of thin air, it would surely arouse suspicion.
Physician Jiang’s chest would at least contain blades used for treating wounds or scraping bone—enough to serve as cover.
Without hesitation, Physician Jiang handed it over, adding worriedly, “Sister Wu, if it proves too difficult…”
Wu Yulan’s gaze was steady. “Physician Jiang, please stand guard at the door. When I call for you, then come in to assist.”
He nodded repeatedly. “Rest assured, I’ll wait right outside.”
Wu Yulan had several basins of hot water brought in before entering the room with the medicine chest. Naturally, she dismissed all the midwives.
At this point, the laboring woman was half-conscious.
Wu Yulan dared not delay. From the medical system store, she purchased all necessary surgical instruments, anesthetic, disinfectant, gauze, a white lamp, and other supplies.
Of the more than 1,900 system coins she originally had, she spent nearly all of them, leaving just over 250.
Once everything was ready, she began the operation.
What she intended to perform was not an ordinary caesarean section, but the more complex extraperitoneal caesarean.
This method would reduce the risk of infection and allow the mother to recover more quickly.
Naturally, it was also more difficult—but to Wu Yulan, whose medical expertise had reached its peak, it was nothing more than routine work.
Time ticked by.
One after another, doctors arrived in haste—summoned by Master Liu.
Among them were well-known physicians from Pingjiang Town and even renowned doctors from Beiliu County.
When they learned that the person performing the caesarean was a woman—and that she had boldly claimed a seventy percent chance of saving both mother and child—these self-proclaimed experienced doctors scoffed.
“Master Liu, you’d best beware of being deceived. Since ancient times, the caesarean extraction has been performed only to save the child. I’ve never heard of a mother surviving it.”