The snow disaster in the capital’s outskirts was severe. Without wind to blow the heavy snow away, roofs collapsed under the weight, trapping many villagers. Zhu Yanyi had predicted this. Upon hearing the news from Yan Aohan, she immediately took her three students to the disaster zone.
Yan Aohan provided full support from behind the scenes. Any medicine or equipment Zhu Yanyi requested was delivered instantly.
Zhu Yanyi did not sit in a hospital waiting for patients. She believed a doctor’s skill and ethics were tested in the field.
“Teacher, this patient’s leg is crushed,” Hui Junlan reported calmly. “It is fractured, but not broken completely. It needs setting.”
Zhu Yanyi nodded slightly. She examined the patient again and smiled. “Junlan, your skills have improved. However, this patient’s meridians are also misaligned. You must set the bones and align the meridians at the same time.”
As she spoke, Zhu Yanyi gently twisted the leg. There was a crisp click. The patient, who had been crying out in pain, stopped screaming almost immediately.
“No more pain? Then get up and walk. You are fine,” Zhu Yanyi said, moving on to the next patient.
The disaster area was large. Many people had stayed indoors to avoid the cold, never expecting their homes to collapse overnight. The elderly were most at risk of freezing to death under the snow. Zhu Yanyi’s team provided immediate emergency care.
She taught her students how to bandage wounds quickly and treat minor injuries. The severely injured were stabilized by Zhu Yanyi before being transferred to hospitals.
“Doctor! Doctor! Help!”
A man rushed in, carrying a pregnant woman. She was already in shock.
Zhu Yanyi acted instantly. She inserted a gold needle into the woman’s body. “Where is the family?”
“I am her husband,” a young man said, her face full of worry.
“The mother is in shock due to long-term lack of oxygen,” Zhu Yanyi explained. “The lack of oxygen has also compressed the abdomen, causing premature labor. She is nearly eight months pregnant. The baby should survive, but we must deliver immediately. I am informing you now.”
She turned to her students. “Take the pregnant woman to the operating room. I will perform the surgery.”
“Yes, Teacher.” Hui Junlan and the others quickly helped carry the woman into a tent set up as a temporary operating room.
Zhu Yanyi began the surgery. She used gold needles to restore the mother’s breathing. Because of the prolonged oxygen deprivation, the mother would take time to wake up. Zhu Yanyi inserted needles into specific acupoints to ensure oxygen reached the brain, then prepared for a cesarean section.
The mother’s lack of oxygen meant the baby was also deprived. Since the mother could not give birth naturally, a cesarean was necessary. For Zhu Yanyi, this surgery was simple.
She carefully opened the abdomen and lifted out the baby, placing it into a basin of warm water. Hui Junlan washed the baby while Zhu Yanyi handled the placenta. Once the placenta was removed, she stitched the abdomen and used gold needles to protect the mother’s life force. The mother’s surgery was complete. Now, it was time to treat the baby.
The baby was less than eight months old and immature. However, Zhu Yanyi had successfully saved a seven-month-old fetus on a train before. This was no challenge for her. More importantly, she used this surgery to teach her students basic procedures. As a teacher, she took her role seriously.
After wrapping the baby in blankets, she instructed the students to move the mother to a ward tent.
Zhu Yanyi carried the baby outside. The husband was pacing nervously. Seeing her, she rushed over.
Zhu Yanyi handed her the baby. “Mother and child are safe. However, due to long-term oxygen deprivation, the mother needs time to recover. She will likely wake up in about half a month. The baby was born via cesarean, so you must care for both carefully. For the next half month, your responsibility as a husband and father is heavy.”
“I don’t care, as long as they are both safe,” the man said, finally looking relieved. It was his true feeling. As long as his wife and child were out of danger, everything else was fine.
Zhu Yanyi nodded. “Go to the ward. Your wife can be moved there now. Remember to give her small amounts of water every day. She cannot eat solid food yet.”
“Understood.” The man remembered her instructions and went to the ward tent.
Zhu Yanyi returned to the rescue work. It took about a week for the emergency phase to wind down.