Chapter 2678: Childbirth

Chapter 2678: Chapter 2612: Childbirth

Changyu returned with her bags full; even Mingda couldn’t resist choosing a piece of jade—a beautiful mutton-fat jade. She planned to have it made into a bracelet to wear later.

Seeing it was getting late, Manbao got up to see them out, and Zhou Lijun, belly big and round, also walked with them to the gate.

Watching their carriage go off into the distance, Zhou Lijun was just about to turn back, one hand on her belly, when she suddenly cried out, “Ah!” Manbao hurriedly reached out to steady her. “What’s wrong?”

“I—I think I twisted my waist. No, no, that’s not it, I think I’m bleeding—or my water broke? Little Aunt, Little Aunt…”

Manbao glanced down once and said, “Don’t be afraid, you’re probably about to give birth.”

She added, “According to the dates we counted, it’s these few days anyway. That’s perfectly normal. Don’t be scared; it won’t come out in a moment or two. Come on, I’ll help you back inside.”

Zhou Lijun lifted her foot and took only one step before refusing to go on. She felt wet, and it seemed to be continuously running down. She was a bit frightened and shook her head. “No, no, I can’t walk.”

Manbao thought about it and realized she had a point. She quickly turned her head toward Bai Shan; Bai Shan had already sent someone to fetch a birthing stool.

Hearing the news, Xiang Mingxue rushed over. Because he’d run in such a hurry, his foot still looked a bit lame. His forehead was covered in sweat as he stared at Zhou Lijun. He wanted to reach out but didn’t dare. “Th-this… what do we do?”

He wanted to scoop her up, but he knew he absolutely couldn’t manage Zhou Lijun’s weight right now.

Listening to Little Aunt’s words, Zhou Lijun took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. She soothed Xiang Mingxue, “I’m fine. I’ll just wait a bit.”

The servants quickly carried over the birthing stool, with a quilt spread on top.

Manbao helped her lie down on it, then held onto the stool while they lifted her and carried her to the birthing room.

Once inside, Manbao examined her and was a little surprised. “So fast—she’s already about to deliver?”

Zhou Lijun also felt it was fast. This wasn’t what Little Aunt and Her Eldest Sister-in-law had told her. “Little Aunt, didn’t you say the contractions would go on for a long time before the baby actually comes? I—I don’t even feel much pain yet.”

Manbao said, “That just means the child’s heart aches for you. This is a very well-behaved baby.”

Manbao soothed her and said, “Don’t be afraid. Even though it’s time, the cervix still needs time to open. Just lie here and follow my instructions. You’ll be fine.”

Manbao helped Zhou Lijun adjust her breathing, and when she was sure Lijun had relaxed again, she went out to have someone call for the midwife.

That’s right, delivering babies still had to be done by a midwife, even with Imperial Doctor Zhou herself present.

Junior Ms.Qian soon arrived, hands already washed, and brought Ms.Fang and a few others along to help.

None of them were first-time mothers, especially Junior Ms.Qian. Over the years she’d frequently lent a hand when her sisters-in-law gave birth, so she bustled about outside arranging everything with great relish: hot water when hot water was needed, cool water when cool water was needed, brown-sugar eggs when brown-sugar eggs were needed.

Old Madam Liu and Ms.Zheng also hurried over.

The courtyard was suddenly packed with people.

But the birthing room itself remained very quiet; only Manbao, Xi Bing, and May were busy inside. When Junior Ms.Qian came in, she very much wanted to drive them all out. After all, they were all young girls, not even married yet, and they were here helping with a delivery…

But she held back, glanced outside, and said, “Your Imperial Medical Bureau is really something—won’t even give the students a holiday at Mid-Autumn. Otherwise Liru would be home to help you.”

Manbao mumbled, “They’ll let them out after Mid-Autumn.”

This time they were taking quite a few people from the Imperial Medical Bureau along, and to prevent any news from leaking before Mid-Autumn, the bureau had simply been sealed, students forbidden from coming and going.

Once Mid-Autumn passed and the emperor’s personal expedition was announced to the world, they would be able to leave.

Manbao finished her preparations and confirmed that nothing was missing; she even took out her needle pouch and set it aside. Only then did she nod in satisfaction. “All right, everything’s in order. Now we just wait.”

Wait until her cervix opened enough for the delivery stage.

The midwife’s home wasn’t close by. Although the Zhou Family had booked her well in advance, since this was the first child for both couples, experience said there would be a long period of contractions before labor truly began, so no one had thought to bring her over ahead of time to wait in the house.

As a result, the trip back and forth still took quite a bit of time.

As soon as the midwife arrived, she was about to rush into the birthing room when May and Xi Bing, waiting outside, grabbed her and dragged her into the side room first to change her clothes and wash her hands before letting her in.

The midwife laughed. “Oh my, I didn’t forget. I already changed clothes on the way here. Even if I go in again, I’d still wash.”

She wasn’t exactly a stranger to Imperial Doctor Zhou, and she herself had been delivering babies for over ten years; she knew these rules well enough.

May smiled. “Please don’t mind us, Madam. This is our Second Young Aunt’s first child; everyone’s a bit nervous.”

After they had the midwife washed and ready and sent her in, Manbao was already standing at the bedside coaching Zhou Lijun. Since Zhou Lijun had practiced beforehand, she didn’t scream and wail. Instead, she took a deep breath, held it hard, and pushed exactly as Little Aunt told her. But—

It hurt so much. So, so much…

Even the corners of Zhou Lijun’s eyes brimmed with pain-born tears. Junior Ms.Qian, at her side, wiped her tears away and gripped her hand tightly.

Manbao adjusted her posture again and said, “You’re using your strength in the wrong way. Take a breather first. In a bit, when I tell you to inhale, hold your breath, and then push…”

The midwife stepped up to take a look, and Manbao moved aside to let her take position.

The midwife asked, “Is the baby in the right position?”

“Yes, it is!”

The midwife glanced at the size of her belly and saw it wasn’t very large. She had examined Zhou Lijun before and knew her pelvis was decent, so she said, “Madam, don’t panic. Your belly isn’t big, and the baby’s in the right position. The cervix is already open now; the baby will come out soon. Come on, breathe in with me, breathe out, then in and out again. Take a deep breath, hold it, hold it, sink down, push downward…”

Manbao: …

It was clearly the same instructions. Why was it that when she guided Lijun, the effort went off track, but as soon as the midwife came, it all went right?

At this moment, Zhou Lijun was clenching her hands tightly, eyes and mouth firmly shut as she bore down. When she opened her eyes again, she looked at the midwife and followed her cues to inhale and hold her breath again…

The midwife called out loudly, “That’s it, that’s it, just like that. I can already see the baby’s head. One more time…”

The midwife’s whole body was swaying; standing at the foot of the bed opposite Zhou Lijun, her hands made broad, sweeping gestures as she coached her to exhale and inhale. She herself breathed along with her, then took a long breath and held it, shouting loudly for her to push, push…

Manbao stared, stunned. This wasn’t the first time they’d worked together, but she’d never paid much attention to the midwife’s movements before.

Manbao looked at the midwife, then at Zhou Lijun, and instinctively tried to imitate her, swaying her body up and down along with the midwife, urging Zhou Lijun to hold her breath and then push.

Junior Ms.Qian stood to the side and witnessed the whole thing: …

How had the child she’d raised with her own hands turned into this in the blink of an eye?

The midwife cried out excitedly, “It’s out, it’s out…”

She reached forward and cradled the baby’s head in her hands, guiding Lijun to keep pushing. In just a moment, the whole baby slid out.

With deft hands, she cut the baby’s umbilical cord, tied it off, then turned and handed the baby to Zhou Man, before going back to tend to Zhou Lijun’s cleaning.