Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Thinking of this possibility, Xia Yu asked Granny Liu.

"Grandma Liu, why did your sister make you wash your hands with strong liquor? Is this a ritual held before giving birth?" Xia Yu's voice was very soft, afraid that if she spoke loudly, it would arouse Grandma Liu's suspicion.

"What kind of ceremony is this? She just does whatever comes to mind. Humph, she's been picking up children for decades, and the other day she suddenly called me over and told me that from now on, whenever I pick up children for someone else, I have to wash my hands several times with boiled and cooled water, and also with soap. Finally, I have to wash them again with strong liquor. What's the point of boiling and cooling the water? Strong liquor is precious; how many of us in the countryside are willing to buy a pound or two to entertain guests during the New Year? Using it to wash hands is such a waste!" Although she was nagging, she kept her voice very low, afraid that Granny Liu would hear her and scold her. Granny Liu was, after all, a well-known midwife in the neighborhood; it would be so embarrassing for her to be scolded to her face by her sister.

"Then why do we do all this?" Xia Yu asked Granny Liu, seemingly puzzled, her voice soft.

"It was about annihilating...annihilating...annihilating what again? I can't remember." Granny Liu thought for a moment and shook her head.

"Sterilize?" Xia Yu whispered a reminder.

"Ah, yes, yes, that's the 'jun'," Granny Liu nodded hurriedly upon hearing Xia Yu's words. Then, belatedly, she asked, "How did you know it meant 'exterminating the jun'?"

"I think I heard your sister say something just now, but I only heard the word 'jun,' and I didn't hear what the word before that was. Now that you mentioned it, I remember the word. But what does 'exterminate the jun' mean?" Xia Yu made up a reason to fool Liu Po.

"I don't know what it means either, but my sister said it's for the health of the mother and child. Although it's a waste of some things, it's good for both adults and children." After complaining, she vented her dissatisfaction with Granny Liu. At this moment, Granny Liu finally remembered that she and Granny Liu were in the same boat, sharing the same fate. Complaining was one thing, but she still had to smooth things over and not let the host family think that her sister was deliberately wasting things.

"That's right, that's right. You've been doing this for half your lives, you're experienced, you know how to do it better." Then, cautiously, she asked...

"Grandma Liu, will my second aunt be alright?"

Hearing Xia Yu's question, Granny Liu sighed and said, "Your second aunt is not in good health, and the fetus is too big. She's going to suffer a lot this time."

After hearing Granny Liu's answer, Xia Yu thought that she was bound to suffer, and just hoped that everyone would be safe and sound.

Over there, Uncle Ma drove the mule cart with Zhang Youtie and Da Niu towards the town. The snow that had fallen last night hadn't been compacted yet, making the road easier to travel than it had been a few days ago. Bringing Da Niu along was definitely the right decision. There were a few potholes on the road where the wheels got stuck, and Da Niu had to push hard from behind the cart to get through them smoothly without wasting any time.

Upon arriving in town, they went straight to Baohetang and asked Manager Li to arrange for a skilled gynecologist, Dr. Qi, to accompany them.

Upon hearing that the doctor was about to give birth, he didn't say much. He quickly packed up the necessary items, and a young apprentice carried them on his back. The two of them got onto the mule cart outside the door without wasting a moment.

On the bus, Dr. Qi asked Zhang Youtie

"What is the mother's condition now?"

"Uh, I don't know." Seeing the disapproving look in Doctor Qi's eyes, he quickly explained, "It was my second sister-in-law who gave birth. We don't live in the same house." There was no need to say more. Since they didn't live in the same house and he was the woman's brother-in-law, there were some things he naturally wouldn't know.

Seeing that no one could provide any useful information, Dr. Qi said no more. He simply reviewed in his mind the various situations he had encountered in his years of medical practice and the corresponding coping strategies.

There were no further mishaps on the road, and we arrived at Zhangjia Village smoothly. Uncle Ma avoided all the potholes we encountered on the way there.

Upon hearing that the doctor invited from the town had arrived, Wang and Li quickly pulled up the curtain on the kang (a heated brick bed), only allowing Li's arm to be extended for the doctor to take her pulse.

After taking her pulse for a while, Doctor Qi politely asked Granny Liu and Granny Liu to come outside with him to discuss the mother's other conditions. Granny Liu described the situation in great detail, and Doctor Qi looked at her strangely several times after listening to her description. After hesitating for a moment, he finally asked...

"Have you studied medical theory?"

"I've never studied it, but I've seen a lot of children and figured out some things from it," Grandma Liu replied modestly, bowing her head.

Upon hearing that he had not studied medicine, Doctor Qi did not ask any further questions, but simply had his apprentice bring pen and ink to write down a prescription.

Seeing that ginseng was in Dr. Qi's prescription, Dr. Liu quickly said, "The new mother already had a bowl of ginseng soup. Will drinking it again now have any effect?"

"How long ago did you drink it?" Doctor Qi asked after hearing the question.

"An hour ago."

"It's alright. Go ahead and fry it quickly." After saying that, he asked the person standing next to him, "If you have any ginseng at home, do you have any to use? The one I brought is from Baohetang, and it will cost money."

"Yes, yes, we happen to have a ginseng root at home." After saying that, Grandpa Zhang went back into the house and brought out the remaining ginseng root.

When Dr. Qi saw what was in Old Master Zhang's hand, his eyes lit up. He hadn't expected that a farming family could produce such a fine item.

Carefully, he used a knife to cut off a few slices and handed them to the apprentice, returning the rest of the ginseng to Old Master Zhang. He then instructed him...

"Sir, this ginseng is quite good; you must preserve it carefully. I just wonder where you bought such a fine piece?" Doctor Qi asked casually.

"Dr. Qi is joking. My family doesn't have any spare money to buy these things. This was dug up by my third son on the mountain."

"Oh, that's truly extraordinary luck," Doctor Qi exclaimed. Finding such a large ginseng root is not just a matter of luck.

It wasn't until late afternoon, when it was already dark, that the sound of a newborn baby crying came from Li's room. The Zhang family, who had been on tenterhooks all day, finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the child's cry.