"Does the bear not sunbathe often? Also, does it have restless sleep at night, tossing and turning, crying easily, or being easily startled?"
He Xing and Chen Dahe exchanged a surprised glance and asked, "How does Madam Qin know so much? My Da Xiong does have these symptoms. But aren't all children like that? I thought Da Xiong was just a bit more prone to crying than other children, maybe it was just his nature. The old ladies in the village also said he's a night-crying child and that he'll grow out of it. Is there something wrong with him?"
No, of course it's inappropriate!
"Da Xiong's condition, including his pigeon chest (yes, you can feel the protrusion in his chest), is all caused by calcium deficiency. You should take him out in the sun more often and make him more bone broth."
Mr. and Mrs. He hurriedly touched their child's chest and found that the child's chest bones were indeed protruding. They hadn't expected that there was a reason for this. If Da Xiong's illness was due to insufficient nutrition, wouldn't it all be their responsibility? The couple felt a pang of anxiety.
Chen Dahe quickly stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Madam Qin, you are so knowledgeable and experienced. Could you please show us a way to save my husband, Da Xiong? Our whole family will never forget your kindness!"
Seeing that the man's eyes were red and he looked like he was about to kneel down before her, and with He Xing, who was holding the baby beside him, also looking expectant, Qin San Niang quickly helped him up.
“You two really don’t need to do this. We’re all from the same village, so we should help each other out. Ah Xing and Uncle Chen Geng have helped us a lot. I have some experience with rickets. Every morning and afternoon, I take the child out to bask in the sun for about half an hour to an hour. Also, every three days, we drink a big bone broth, the kind that’s really thick. Children like to drink it. My child can drink two big bowls every time.”
Remembering that there were still chewable calcium tablets for children in the space, it was time to take them out. "Also, I have some calcium supplements for children here. One tablet a day is enough."
As she spoke, Qin San Niang took out a bottle of calcium tablets from her sleeve pocket. Fearing they might be suspicious, she explained, "My child often takes one to strengthen his bones and muscles. These are sweet, and little kids love them!"
Life was tough on the road of fleeing famine. Not to mention the children, even she and Liu were calcium deficient. So Qin San Niang would often give her family some calcium supplements to make up for their lack of calcium.
She has replaced the plastic bottles with ceramic ones; there's no plastic in this era.
He Xing took the porcelain bottle with trembling hands. It looked very clean and white, without a single impurity. She was afraid that her family wouldn't be able to afford a decent thank-you gift. However, thinking of her son's illness, she still held it tightly.
"Thank you, Madam Qin. I know this medicine must be very expensive. May I ask how much it costs?"
"Yes, Madam Qin, my husband and I only have this one child. No matter how much it costs, we'll sell everything we own to pay for it. We can't let you pay for it in advance."
Chen Dahe and his wife were a perfect match; they weren't the kind of people who didn't know proper etiquette. However, he was unsure about the expensive-looking porcelain vase; he worried that even if they sold everything they owned, they might not be able to afford it.
In times of war, besides food, medicine is the most precious commodity. That's why the couple planned to sell everything they owned, and why the whole family tightened their belts because of Da Xiong's illness. Otherwise, given Old Man Chen's wisdom and the fact that the whole family consisted of able-bodied men, they wouldn't have had to endure such hardship.
Qin San Niang smiled brightly, thinking to herself, "Ah Xing's family are indeed all honest people."
"These are all from the North, I prepared a lot because I was fleeing. You don't need to pay me, just consider it a gift from me to Big Bear. It's almost New Year's, isn't it? Why don't you have Big Bear wish me a Happy New Year?"
He Xing and his wife were taken aback, not expecting that Madam Qin would be so magnanimous!
Chen Dahe reacted faster, quickly taking his son from his wife and saying to his son, "Quick, Da Xiong, go and wish Madam Qin a Happy New Year."
Big Bear is an obedient child. Although he doesn't know why his parents are so excited, he still knows how to offer New Year's greetings. He had already learned how to offer New Year's greetings to his grandfather at home yesterday.
The little bundle of joy knelt down smoothly and kowtowed, saying, "Happy New Year, Madam Qin! May you live as long as the Southern Mountains and enjoy boundless blessings!"
He's treating her like his grandfather.
Qin San Niang quickly helped him up and gave him two large coins as New Year's money. "Alright, this is New Year's money from your aunt. All the little kids who come to wish me a Happy New Year get some. Go and play with them."
He Xing and his wife were about to decline when Qin San Niang waved her hand, indicating that it was nothing to worry about. "It's just two coins. Let the kids have some fun. It's not worth taking it back. By the way, regarding Da Xiong's occasional convulsions, judging from your description, could it be infantile epilepsy?"
She asked this question because she was unsure whether such a saying actually existed at that time.
He Xing and Chen Dahe looked puzzled, saying they had never heard of this name before and naturally didn't know what epilepsy was.
"Madam Qin, what kind of illness is that? Can it be cured? We saw a doctor in He County before, but the doctor couldn't say anything. He just said to go to the prefectural city to find a better doctor."
Childhood epilepsy is recorded in ancient medical books. Although the Great Sheng Dynasty is a fictional dynasty, it should be quite advanced in medical skills. Childhood epilepsy should be curable!
Just then, Liu, who was carrying some snacks, overheard their conversation and said, "This child's epilepsy is naturally a congenital condition. Ah Xing, were you frightened when you were pregnant with Da Xiong?"
Having lived half her life as a midwife, Liu had seen countless newborns, and epilepsy was a birth disease she had witnessed before.
“Auntie is right. When I was pregnant with Da Xiong, the city was in chaos, and bandits came to the village to rob grain. I was terrified and followed everyone to hide in the mountains. Could it be that I was frightened at that time? Is that the root cause of Da Xiong’s illness?”
Those bandits were truly terrifying. Even now, when He Xing recalls their ferocious appearance, she still breaks out in a cold sweat!
In Shiligou, everyone lived in fear. Nowadays, if any child misbehaved, the adults would say, "What are you crying for! If you attract the bandits, they will definitely catch you and roast you like a pig!" Therefore, even children knew that these bandits were like ferocious beasts and should never be provoked.
Hearing her say that, Liu nodded, "Then that's it! This illness is probably the result of the fright you suffered back then. Da Xiong was frightened in the womb and developed epilepsy after birth."
"Auntie, do you know how to treat epilepsy?"
Chen Dahe didn't care about anything else, nor did he care that Liu was an old woman from the countryside who didn't know anything about medicine. As the saying goes, when you're desperate, you'll try anything. He quickly got up and asked Liu.
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