Li Qingruo is also facing a huge test; she is about to give birth.
She was already close to her due date after ten months of pregnancy. It was almost August, but the baby was stubbornly refusing to come out, dragging its feet until the end of July.
Early this morning, she was asleep when she was in excruciating abdominal pain, a pain she had been experiencing for the past few days.
I asked the midwife, and she said it was normal, and labor would start in the next few days, but today was particularly difficult.
Bai Xue had already gone to find a midwife in the next room when Li Qingruo was in pain.
Since Li Qingruo returned, she has been working by Li Qingruo's side again. Although she is small, she does a good job of running errands and relaying messages.
The midwife was invited to come to their home about two weeks ago, as they were worried that finding one from Lijia Village at the last minute wouldn't be timely enough. So the Li family spent a lot of money to have the midwife stay at their home.
"Grandma, Miss's stomach is hurting again."
When the midwife heard Bai Xue knocking on the door, she hurriedly put on some clothes and got up.
"I'm coming right now, could you light up the room first?"
"Hey!"
Upon hearing the reply, Bai Xue quickly ran back and lit several more candles, illuminating the room brightly.
The midwife didn't get impatient from being woken up in the middle of the night. These days, the Li family had been providing her with good food and drink, so she couldn't be called out when it was her turn to do her work.
The midwife rushed in, just as Li Qingruo's water broke.
"My stomach hurts so much!"
"Bai Xue, quickly go and inform the master and ladies, the young lady has started the process!"
Bai Xue's lips were deathly pale. She was young and had never seen such a scene before. She was extremely nervous and frightened. Upon hearing the midwife's words, she immediately ran outside.
Before long, the entire Li family home was brightly lit.
The Li Xuming couple arrived around the same time as the Li Xushi couple, while the Li Xuchang family arrived a few steps later.
"How can it be that the elders have to come out and get tired when she, a younger generation, is giving birth?"
Seeing the whole family gathered together, Mo Qiaoniang felt grateful.
"She's a girl we've watched grow up, and this is her first time giving birth. We can't possibly go to bed early. Forget about these polite words, I've already sent someone to call the doctor."
Liu Yun tried to persuade them, explaining that since Li Family Village had grown stronger, the Li family had spent a lot of money to hire doctors to stay in Li Family Village, making it easier for villagers to see a doctor when they have a headache or fever.
Mo Qiaoniang was worried about her daughter, so she went into the room to check on her. Everyone else was waiting outside.
What's the situation now?
When Pan Jinhua heard that Li Qingruo had given birth, she also got up and came over.
The three families stepped forward to greet her, with Liu Yun and Qi Wan supporting her on either side. It wasn't that Pan Jinhua couldn't walk, but rather to express their respect.
"Why did Mother come? I even told them not to disturb you."
"How can I sleep with something this big happening? How is it now?"
"The midwife has already gone in, saying it's still early. The daughter-in-law has already asked someone to boil water. Fortunately, everything else was prepared in advance, so things won't get chaotic. My sister-in-law went to the inner room to stay with her."
"I hope everything goes well."
Pan Jinhua sat down in a chair and offered a prayer.
For a woman, childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell; the suffering she endures is unimaginable to men.
Not to mention in ancient times when medical care was poor, even in modern times, many women have lost their lives because of childbirth.
Pan Jinhua was naturally worried. During her pregnancy, she repeatedly told Li Qingruo not to eat too much and to eat small amounts frequently when she was hungry. She also reminded Mo Qiaoniang every day to take Li Qingruo for walks, which would be beneficial for childbirth.
Li Qingruo was obedient; she did whatever Pan Jinhua told her to do, knowing that her grandmother wouldn't harm her.
Inside the house, Mo Qiaoniang held her daughter's hand with heartache; her daughter was about to become a mother.
But seeing Li Qingruo in so much pain, she went crazy and thought, "If only I hadn't given birth."
I've really lost my mind.
"Mom! It hurts!"
"My son, just bear with it, it will pass."
When Mo Qiaoniang heard her cry out in pain, her eyes reddened, but she dared not shed a tear.
Li Qingruo laughed while in pain, "Did it hurt this much when you gave birth to me, Mother?"
"That's right. At the time, I was thinking, this kid is so bad, how could he make me hurt so much? When I get out, I'm going to give him a good beating."
Little did I know, the moment you were born, the sight of your sweet, soft face melted my heart, and I completely forgot about ever wanting to spank you.
Li Qingruo gave a big smile, but it was quickly overshadowed by the pain.
"Miss, please stop talking and eat something first. It's still early, so you should conserve your energy."
A bowl of noodle soup was brought in from the kitchen, with a few poached eggs in it.
"Qingruo, eat more and listen to the midwife."
Mo Qiaoniang also urged her to eat, and Li Qingruo nodded with tears in her eyes.
After a while, she actually got used to the pain and leaned against the headboard to slowly finish a bowl of noodles.
During this time, the midwife, along with the family servants, redecorated Li Qingruo's boudoir.
As Pan Jinhua had instructed, the bedding was replaced with newly made, washed, and dried ones. The midwife secretly regretted that they would have to be thrown away after one use.
The scissors were newly made, heated over a fire and then placed aside. The fire under the stove was burning brightly, busy boiling water.
Besides Li Qingruo, Mo Qiaoniang, the midwife, and two other servants, no one else was allowed in the room to prevent bacteria from getting in.
Before the doctor went in, he also put on an overcoat.
A group of people waited anxiously outside the door, and Liu Yun urged Pan Jinhua to go back and rest.
"This baby won't come out anytime soon, and first pregnancies are especially difficult. Mother, you should go back and lie down first, and we'll come and call you when labor starts."
“Sister-in-law is right. Mother should go back to her room to rest first. It’s not even dawn yet, and who knows how long we’ll have to wait. If Qingruo knew, she would feel terrible.”
Li Xushi also advised, saying that sitting here and waiting for half a day would only tire them out.
Li Xuchang and Qi Wan also advised, "We all know that Mother is worried about Qingruo. Only when you are well rested will Qingruo feel at ease, and only then will we feel at ease."
"Our family is about to welcome a new member, which is a joyous occasion. It wouldn't be good if Mother got too tired at this time."
Pan Jinhua was at her wit's end by what these people were saying, so she had no choice but to go back to rest with Yao Niang. There were many things to do at home, and she didn't want to cause any more trouble.
They're not wrong. A woman's first pregnancy typically takes twelve hours from conception to delivery. Some women in good health may be able to give birth faster, but it still takes seven or eight hours. If there's a difficult delivery, it can easily take a day and a night.
"I'll leave after the doctor comes out and explains the situation. If I'm about to give birth, be sure to send someone to tell me."
"That's for sure, the child still needs to see his great-grandmother."
Seeing that Pan Jinhua agreed to go back, everyone was relieved.
Li Xu kept spinning around. The doctor has been inside for a while now, so he should be alright.
Speak of the devil, and he appears; Li Xushi quickly rushes forward.
"Doctor, is my son alright?"
"Don't worry, Mr. Li, Miss's pulse is strong and healthy, and the baby in her womb is doing well."
The doctor's words cheered everyone up, and Pan Jinhua followed Yao Niang after hearing them.
They waited until 10 a.m. the next day. Pan Jinhua estimated this time herself. Calculating the time, Li Qingruo's labor pains should have started around 1 a.m.
After more than nine hours, Li Qingruo finally began to give birth.
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