217

"Dissect the body of a pregnant woman with difficult labor?" Upon hearing this, even Cheng Xi raised her eyebrows. This was a little beyond her expectations.

"That's right... I saw Doctor Zhang and the others dissecting bodies. If, if they can do it, they can do it..." Yang Qiuniang's words were barely coherent. She had rushed in to ask for an audience and blurted out everything she had been thinking, which had drained her of all her courage. Seeing the gang leader's expression, she couldn't help but panic. She felt she was being too confused. Why had she bothered the gang leader with her own wild thoughts?

However, Cheng Xi became interested: "Why do you think so? A pregnant woman is not a thief. How can she be easily disemboweled and not rest in peace even after death?"

This made Yang Qiuniang even more nervous. After hesitating for a moment, she took the plunge and said, "I... I saw several doctors rushing to perform autopsies. I'm afraid they have their own reasons. When a pregnant woman is pregnant, no one knows what's inside her belly. If I could see it with my own eyes, maybe I could find a way to deal with a difficult birth..."

She really wants to do research. Cheng Xi looked at the rather embarrassed but extremely stubborn girl and suddenly said, "I'm afraid the family of the deceased won't agree to let a few doctors dissect a pregnant woman. But if it's a woman, maybe there's a chance. Do you dare to do the dissection yourself?"

What?! Yang Qiuniang was shocked and stammered again: "I, I, I'm just a nurse..."

Cheng Xi nodded slightly. "That's right. You're just a nurse, not a doctor. However, medical skills can be learned. They've only just started dissecting, and they're all beginners. It's not too late for you to learn from them. I can also ask Doctor Zhang to teach you some acupuncture techniques and decoctions for inducing labor. Then, if you study hard on your own, you might be able to find a way."

Yang Qiuniang opened and closed her mouth for a long time before she finally managed to utter, "I'm a woman, how can I practice medicine..."

She is a woman, and there is no woman in the world who knows medicine. At most, she has been a midwife or a nurse. This is already a great achievement. Can she take away the doctors' jobs?

Cheng Xi smiled: "I am also a woman, and I am the leader of a gang, right?"

Yang Qiuniang was speechless for a moment. This statement was too difficult to refute. However, in such a big world, there was only one Red Flag Gang, and how could others learn from the daughter of General Qiu?

Yet, even as she thought this, her second sister's agonized face lingered in her mind. Finally, Yang Qiuniang gritted her teeth and said, "I'm afraid Doctor Zhang won't truly teach me medicine, let alone let me perform an autopsy."

Because she was a nurse who had come from a hospital, she knew the tempers of the doctors better. The gang leader had promised to teach these doctors medical skills and have them teach the nurses and medical assistants. However, all they taught them was how to make herbal medicine and recognize a few prescriptions. Even the medical assistants knew more than they did. As for dissecting corpses, forget it. The doctors were all doing their own thing, wary of outsiders like thieves. How could they let a nurse like her learn these skills?

This answer was basically the answer given. Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "Don't worry about that. It's just obstetrics. Zhang Jimin won't keep it privately. Dissection may be more complicated. You probably won't be able to do it yourself. You can only watch from the side. But there are some similarities between animals that give birth to babies. Once you are used to watching dissections, you can practice on livestock first. Once you have more experience, you can consider dissecting corpses. I just want to ask you, are you willing to study medicine?"

The confusion in Yang Qiuniang's eyes gradually dissipated, and she nodded slowly: "I want to study obstetrics."

The word "obstetrics" sounds very appealing. She wants to be not just a midwife or a nurse, but a doctor who cures illnesses and saves lives.

This was what she wanted to hear. Cheng Xi didn't waste any words and said to the guards outside, "Please ask Doctor Zhang to come over."

Zhang Jimin arrived quite quickly. He had originally planned to ask for two more corpses for dissection. Now that the gang leader summoned him, he naturally had to be more attentive.

After entering the study, Cheng Xi didn't exchange pleasantries with him. She smiled and said, "Director Zhang, how's the situation at the hospital lately? Those girls will have to stay for a while. Aren't they too noisy?"

The word "Dean Zhang" made Zhang Jimin relax all over, and his bones felt lighter. However, the following question made his expression stiffen and panic. Could it be that his bastard apprentice had offended someone again by talking nonsense?

Without hesitation, Zhang Jimin said, "The hospital is so big, and the girls are so well-behaved, how could they make a noise? Gang leader, just rest assured and let them stay here."

Cheng Xi smiled and nodded. "Many of these girls will enter the hospital and become nurses in the future. I'll have to trouble Dean Zhang to recruit a few of them. By the way, how is the training of those nurses going? Have their medical skills improved?"

Zhang Jimin was startled, then he noticed that the person standing behind the gang leader was not a maid, but a young nurse. What was going on? Could it be that someone had reported him for not teaching medical skills properly?

Zhang Jimin's face darkened, and he snorted coldly, "Learning medicine is not that simple. You still have to start by learning to make herbal medicine. Spending several years is just to identify medicinal herbs and read a few medical books. If someone thinks learning is too slow and their mind is wandering, they are not suitable for studying medicine!"

These words are truly righteous and serious, and to study medicine one must first learn medical theory and pharmacology, so it can't be said that he is being perfunctory.

Cheng Xi frowned and sighed pretentiously: "It seems that I thought too simply. Could Dean Zhang first teach one or two people some simple medical skills, such as the decoction for inducing labor and the acupuncture method for treating difficult labor, so that we can be prepared for the future."

Zhang Jimin was about to refute this when another thought occurred to him. The gang leader had also invited a midwife to the island and had all the nurses attend a lecture, hoping they would learn how to deliver babies. Was this just for the women on the island? Of course not. No matter how powerful she was, she was still a woman, and she had to give birth. If she were truly in danger, would she trust outsiders more? Of course, cultivating a trusted confidant, or a group of them, would be more reliable.

This was a matter of life and death, just like the imperial physicians around the emperor, no carelessness was allowed. Furthermore, if she really entered the delivery room, she would definitely want a woman to serve her, not an old man like him.

As soon as he understood, Zhang Jimin immediately said, "If it's just about inducing labor, it won't be difficult to teach. It's not just me, Doctor Yin probably knows something about it too. We can learn from each other and teach together."

Doctor Yin was the pediatrician who had just arrived on the island. He had no interest in studying anatomy, so it didn't conflict with his own interests. However, since the nursery was about to be built, he had to establish a good relationship with him in advance so that they could share their knowledge and skills. Teaching him an apprentice was a perfect excuse.

Zhang Jimin thought he'd thought it through, but in Cheng Xi's eyes, it was as clear as a blank sheet of paper, his thoughts written all over his face. Her smile deepened, and she added, "I'm relieved that the director is willing to teach me. But there's one more thing. Delivering a baby requires courage. Can you let this girl follow you during the dissection, see some blood, and practice her courage?"

Zhang Jimin immediately shook his head: "What a spectacle an autopsy is! The body is naked. How can we let a little girl see that?"

Yang Qiuniang pursed her lips and tried to defend herself. She was a nurse, and she had seen everything when caring for the wounded. Besides, the patients they were dissecting were all dead, so how could they jump up and humiliate her?

However, Cheng Xi rushed ahead: "It's not like she's doing anything, she's just handing over a pair of scissors, a handkerchief, or something like that. In the future, when you really treat the wounded, won't you also need a nurse to serve you? And she's not just with you, she'll have to watch when the other doctors are performing the autopsy."

This made sense. They weren't just looking at him, but everyone else. Could it be that the gang leader had doubts about their autopsies? It wasn't impossible. Although she was the cause of this incident, the doctors were now doing it behind closed doors, only bringing along their disciples, and no one else was allowed in. This kept things secret, but it also left a lingering feeling. Who knew what they were doing with the bodies behind closed doors? Having someone watching would give them peace of mind.

Besides, if we watch every autopsy, wouldn't we be able to get some information from this little girl and find out how others performed the autopsy and what they discovered?

After figuring it out, Zhang Jimin no longer hesitated and nodded, "Since you're going to teach her medicine, she'll be considered my registered disciple. It's fine for her to serve during the autopsy. But, Gang Leader, we've run out of corpses. Could you please get us two more?"

Having agreed to so many conditions, isn't it for some benefit? Cheng Xi smiled and said, "When the execution is held next month, I will have someone send a batch of fresh corpses. Don't worry, anything in our hospital will definitely be closely related to you, Director Zhang."

Zhang Jimin was delighted when he heard this: "Boss, you're so thoughtful. I'll just wait for good news."

Cheng Xi exchanged a few more pleasantries with him, then turned to look at the girl standing beside him: "Qiuniang, the opportunity to study medicine is hard-won. You must work hard and not let Dean Zhang down."

Medicine is an empirical science, and she doesn't know enough. She can only help these people broaden their horizons. The development of medicine depends on practitioners who are dedicated to helping the world and bringing peace to the people. With such a promising young person, perhaps future mothers will have an alternative path to survival, saving more than just one or two lives. Furthermore, once this path is opened, medical learning will no longer be limited to word-of-mouth transmission between teachers and apprentices; the entire medical system may be transformed. Hoarding one's own knowledge is not a good habit; it must be gradually nurtured to encourage more people to join in research.

Seeing the approval and expectation in the other party's eyes, Yang Qiuniang's eyes turned red and she nodded vigorously: "Thank you, boss!"

This opportunity was clearly obtained for her by the gang leader, and she would definitely not let the gang leader down!