Chapter 261 Imagination

While Dr. Cui was explaining rapidly but clearly, the rain outside started to drizzle.

A strong, earthy smell, like that of rain-soaked soil, wafted to Li San Niang's nose.

According to Dr. Cui, the woman's abdomen was distended as if she were pregnant, either due to a tumor or miscarriage.

Because Dr. Cui clearly stated that he did not detect a pregnancy pulse in the woman during the pulse diagnosis, it meant that the woman was not pregnant.

If the abdomen is so distended without pregnancy, then it can only be due to other diseases.

If the fetus had truly died in the womb, how could this woman have come to see a doctor with her servants all in good health?

Therefore, Dr. Cui said so, but the woman clearly did not want to believe it.

"That's just how it is. I'm just stating the facts based on my diagnosis."

This woman doesn't believe me, and there's nothing I can do about it.

I will not accept payment for this consultation; please seek another expert, madam.

This wasn't the first time Dr. Cui had been practicing medicine in Chang'an. He had seen plenty of people who couldn't accept reality and only believed in their own delusions.

That wasn't a big deal, but the fact that the woman had shouted loudly in the clinic and argued with him still made him feel somewhat embarrassed.

Then, Li San Niang saw that Doctor Cui's face darkened. Although he spoke slowly and softly, his expression clearly showed that he was very angry.

After all, someone who has worked diligently as a doctor in Chang'an for twenty years would find it unbearable to be met with such distrust and refusal to listen to explanations from someone who says something nonsensical. If this happened to Li San Niang, she herself would probably find it unbearable.

Now that things have been said to this extent, what is there that Dr. Gao and the others don't understand?

"It's understandable if this lady doesn't trust the doctors at our clinic. People compare prices before buying anything, so it's even more important to be cautious about something as important as a doctor's consultation."

"Why don't you go and take another look at Huichuntang, my lady?"

Dr. Gao trusted Dr. Cui's judgment, and through Dr. Cui's explanation, Dr. Gao also guessed why the woman was acting this way.

How can you reason with a patient, especially one who is desperate for her child?

"The doctor Ji at Huichuntang is very skilled in women's health care. You might as well go and have a look."

Right now, Dr. Gao just wants to pass this hot potato to his old rival, Huichuntang, and doesn't want this woman to continue shouting and yelling in the clinic, which is very undignified.

Seeing how Doctor Gao handled the situation, Li San Niang gave up her intention to go forward and examine the patient, and then went back to her own consultation position.

Unexpectedly, Li San Niang had only taken two steps when she heard the woman say, "Hmph! I'm going to get my medical check-up in your clinic!"

"Please wait a moment, female doctor."

The female doctor was the only one present, Li San Niang, who was clearly designated as such.

Li San Niang turned around and looked at the woman with a puzzled expression.

"The female doctor and I are both women. I trust the female doctor. Please take my pulse."

This truly put Li San Niang in a difficult position.

Li San Niang naturally trusted Doctor Cui's judgment. After all, Doctor Cui had no reason to fabricate such a matter, and with his many years of experience in medicine, he couldn't possibly be wrong.

Sending Li San Niang to check would surely yield the same result.

But the woman's words seemed to confirm that the female doctor, Li San Niang, would not lie to her and would definitely be able to diagnose that there was a living child in her belly.

If Li San Niang were to finish taking your pulse and then say that you are not pregnant, it would be as if Li San Niang were deliberately lying to avoid abandoning her identity as a doctor and to get closer to male doctors like Doctor Cui, thus abandoning her identity as a woman.

This is indeed not a very good situation to handle.

"this……"

Li San Niang looked at Doctor Gao and gestured with her eyes, asking, "What should we do?"

Should I examine this woman or decline the appointment?

Before Doctor Gao could speak, the woman sneered, "Ha, what's wrong with you not seeing patients now that I've come to this clinic?"

If word gets out that the clinic is not accepting patients, the uninformed people will definitely gossip, regardless of the truth.

Just like when Li San Niang killed the villain, people said that she betrayed herself to save her life.

People who gossip don't care about the truth of the matter; they just want to satisfy their urge to talk big through gossip.

"Then Dr. Li, please examine this lady and tell her the truth."

Our clinic operates with integrity and upright conduct, so we have nothing to fear from outsiders' gossip!

Li San Niang looked at the woman in front of her and began to examine her.

"Madam, what brings you here for a consultation? What is troubling you?"

"I came to see a doctor because of persistent bleeding from my lower body."

Next, Li San Niang asked how many months pregnant the woman was, and how her appetite, sleep, and bowel movements were.

The woman answered all the questions, appearing just like a normal woman coming for a medical consultation.

"May I come inside, my lady, and gently touch your belly?"

The woman was willing to cooperate and was helped by the old woman behind her into the examination bed inside where Li Sanniang was. She carefully lay down, and as soon as Li Sanniang's hand touched the woman's abdomen, she knew in her heart that something was indeed wrong.

The woman had previously said that she was over four months pregnant, and that at this stage, it was certain that a fetal heartbeat could be heard, meaning that there would definitely be another pulse inside the pregnant woman's body.

Moreover, even before measuring the fundal height and abdominal circumference, one glance was enough to tell that the woman's belly did not look like she was only four months pregnant. Li San Niang had previously said that the woman's belly was unusually large, and her clothes were clinging tightly to her skin.

The woman's belly looked like she was more than five months pregnant, more like she was over six months pregnant, and because of her clothes, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was in her late pregnancy.

Furthermore, when Li San Niang was given permission to gently touch it with her hand, she felt an even more obvious difference.

This belly is too soft!

Because the uterus protects the woman inside the pregnant belly, even in some overweight women, the pregnant belly will still have a certain firmness, which is obviously different from that of women who are not pregnant.

But the woman's belly was too soft; she definitely didn't look pregnant.

"Wife, is it alright? Let me see if there's any bleeding down there?"

The woman paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and then nodded.

Li San Niang saw that the woman was wearing a menstrual pad filled with wood ash, and there was already a lot of blood on it.

When Li San Niang took her pulse, she carefully examined it and it was very clear that there was no sign of another living being present. This woman was indeed not pregnant.

"Doctor, what should I do? Is there anything wrong with the baby in my belly?"

Faced with the woman's anxious yet hopeful inquiry, Li Sanniang did not answer, but instead asked, "What is your surname, madam?"

Why didn't your husband come with you?

"Madam, have you visited any other clinics before coming here?"

The woman was somewhat displeased at not getting the answer she wanted, but she regained her patience when she thought that Li San Niang was the only one who hadn't directly denied her and had even carefully examined her belly and lower body.

"My surname is Ma, and my husband's surname is Liu."

Dalang must have had something to do, otherwise he would definitely have come with me.

"I've already checked it out. It's the Huichuntang that your manager mentioned," Madam Ma said, glancing back at Doctor Gao who was still standing there. "The doctors at Huichuntang aren't very accurate, that's why I came here."