"Smooth talker," the old lady chuckled, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "That’s exactly how you tricked me when I was young."
Zhu Yanyi smiled back. "Uncle She looked so honest and kind back then. I thought, 'If I’m going to marry, I’ll pick a gentle man.' So I chose her, and look at us now."
Hearing this, Zhu Yanyi laughed heartily. "Auntie, Uncle She clearly treasures you very much."
"That’s right. A husband should always cherish his wife," Old He replied seriously.
Yan Aohan nodded in agreement. "Uncle He is right. A real man protects and loves his wife."
"You young people speak the truth. I’ve always believed that," Old He said, finishing his bowl of noodle soup in one gulp. "But I can’t stand He Atu from the end of the village. He’s my nephew, but he’s no man. Whenever he drinks, he beats his wife. It makes me sick to see it."
"Why does she hit her wife?" Zhu Yanyi frowned slightly. "Did she do something wrong?"
"No, she’s the kindest woman in our village. She has cared for her paralyzed mother-in-law since she married in. she Atu used to be decent, but after marriage, she changed. If she drinks even a little, she beats her wife," the old lady sighed. "her wife, Ju Xiu, lost two children because of her violence. She can’t hold a pregnancy anymore."
Zhu Yanyi frowned deeper. "If this continues, she will suffer habitual miscarriages."
"Yes, the doctor confirmed it last time. But He Atu looks honest usually. It’s only when he drinks that he goes crazy," the old lady sighed again.
"Then stop him from drinking," Yi Yunfei said firmly. "If drinking causes this, he must be forbidden from it."
"How can a woman stop her? her mother is paralyzed in bed. Ju Xiu is just a woman; she has no power to force her," the old lady replied helplessly.
Suddenly, a shout came from outside. "Help! He Atu is beating someone again!"
"That bastard!" Old He didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his raincoat and hat and rushed out.
"What a mess, even in this heavy snow," the old lady complained.
"Let’s go see," Zhu Yanyi said after a moment’s thought. "We can’t stop her, but if she hurts her badly, we can treat her."
The old lady’s eyes lit up. "That’s a good idea. If you can check Ju Xiu’s health, that would be best. It would be a pity for such a good girl to have no children."
Although the snow was falling heavily, they decided to go.
People like She Atu existed everywhere, but Zhu Yanyi rarely encountered them. Yet, today, she felt a strong urge to go. She always trusted her instincts. Since her heart told her to go, she wouldn’t hesitate, even if the snow blocked the path.
Zhu Yanyi followed the old lady out. The walk from Old She’s house to She Atu’s place took only two minutes. Although Old She didn’t live at the very end of the village, she was close enough.
When they arrived, they saw a woman in a worn cotton coat lying on the kang, covered in blood. Her face was filled with despair.
The strong smell of blood shocked Zhu Yanyi. She rushed over. She didn’t even need to check the pulse to know this was a pregnant woman, nearly miscarrying from the beating.
"Senior Brother, silver needles," Zhu Yanyi said quickly. Her golden needles were in her Ruyi Space, so she couldn’t take them out casually.
Yu Qingyun immediately handed her the silver needles she carried. Zhu Yanyi inserted them with lightning speed. Her technique was so fast that Old She and the old lady watched without blinking.
So, this girl really was a doctor. And a very skilled one.
Old She and the old lady had never doubted her profession, but they hadn’t expected her skills to be this precise. After finishing the acupuncture, Zhu Yanyi said, "Bring me a cup of warm water."
She took a packet of medicine powder from her small bag. When the water arrived, she mixed the powder into it and said to Ju Xiu, "Sister-in-law, drink this medicine first. Otherwise, you won’t be able to save the baby."
Ju Xiu seemed stunned. She looked at Zhu Yanyi. "My baby… is still there?"
"Yes, but you must take the medicine. If you don’t, the baby will be in danger. The needles helped, but without medicine, it won’t be enough," Zhu Yanyi said seriously.
Hearing this, Ju Xiu tried to sit up. Zhu Yanyi helped her lean against the wall and handed her the medicine. Ju Xiu drank it in one go. The pain in her lower abdomen had vanished after the acupuncture, and now, with the medicine, she felt much more relaxed.
After seeing her drink, Zhu Yanyi checked her pulse again. "The baby is safe. But you must rest in bed for a few days. My medicine is good, but it’s not magic. You can’t jump around immediately."
"Girl, is Ju Xiu pregnant again?" the old lady asked.
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "Less than two months. Luckily we were here. Otherwise, she would have lost this baby too. Sister-in-law Ju Xiu has a constitution prone to habitual miscarriages. Keeping a baby is hard enough, and with the beating, the chance of survival was almost zero. So, it’s a blessing that this snow brought us to your village. Otherwise, Ju Xiu would have another regret."
Perhaps this was the will of heaven, brought by the snow. Zhu Yanyi smiled faintly, letting her thoughts wander. Indeed, if not for the snow, they would have left long ago, and they couldn’t have saved Ju Xiu from losing another child.
"However, as doctors, we can save a patient for a moment, but not for a lifetime," Zhu Yanyi said, shrugging slightly. "If her husband continues to beat her, even gods couldn’t help. We can’t save her every time."