Chapter 130: Helping Pregnant Women Deliver Children]
Qin Mengyue looked at him coldly and said sarcastically, "I am just a commoner now. I dare not rely on His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin, nor can I bear the call of "mother" from His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin. I only ask that the Prince of Jin stop disturbing our lives, and I will be grateful!"
Xiao Yunhao, however, raised his head and glared at him fiercely, cursing, "You killed my brother, the Crown Prince! I hate you! Fifth Brother is a bad man!"
Qin Mengyue quickly covered Xiao Yunhao's mouth.
A flash of coldness flashed across Xiao Yunqi's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
Even if we want to kill them to prevent future troubles, we can't do it openly!
He laughed dryly and said, "Ninth brother, you are still young and don't understand. It was my brother the Crown Prince who rebelled first, so I had no choice but to do this..."
At this moment, the people who were surrounded suddenly cheered: "It's born! It's born! It's a big fat boy!"
The pregnant woman's husband cried with joy.
However, there was no sound of a baby crying.
The midwife patted the baby hard several times, but the baby still didn't cry!
The midwife was frightened and threw the baby away. Then she said in a trembling voice, "It's...it's a stillbirth! It's so unlucky!"
When the other women heard this, they all said, "A stillbirth? Oh! This is unlucky! We have to step over a brazier before we can go back!"
"That's right, I should have known not to help..."
"Alas... how pitiful. She gave birth to a stillborn baby. I'm afraid she'll be divorced and sent home when she returns..."
Fortunately, Shen Fenghe, who was standing by, was quick-witted and caught the newborn baby, preventing it from getting hurt.
She couldn't help but feel a little stunned when she heard the women whispering.
Ancient people had many taboos about these things, and Shen Fenghe understood that, but was she actually being divorced and sent home just because her child died after giving birth? This was too outrageous.
When the pregnant woman heard that it was a stillbirth, she couldn't help but cry and said, "No! It's not a stillbirth! No, how could it be! He kicked my belly just now, how could it be a stillbirth! My child... my poor child!"
Chen Fenghe frowned slightly, she quickly touched the baby's heart, and after sensing the subtle beating, she immediately took off her fur coat, placed the baby on it, and then carefully pressed his little heart with her index finger!
The midwife watched from the side and said, "You...you little girl, don't touch that dead fetus! It's so unlucky!"
Chen Fenghe continued pressing without looking up, saying, "No! The baby is still alive, but he can't breathe on his own. If you press on his heart like this, maybe he'll cry!"
Everyone else looked at her in surprise. The pregnant woman heard this and tightly grasped the corner of Shen Fenghe's clothes. She struggled to get up and kowtowed to Shen Fenghe several times: "Thank you, my lady! Please, please save my child..."
Chen Fenghe was silent for a long time, and finally, with a scream of "Wow", the baby cried for the first time since coming into this world.
Chen Fenghe wrapped the baby in fur and placed it in the pregnant woman's arms. She smiled and said, "See, I told you he was fine. He just... fell asleep."
The pregnant woman burst into tears of joy, crying, "Thank you, young lady! Thank you! I will never forget your kindness!"
The man who was traveling with her also came over, knelt down with a plop, kowtowed several times to Chen Fenghe, and said, "Thank you so much, young lady, for saving my sister and nephew's lives! I have some money here, please accept it!"
As he said this, he took out a small piece of silver from his sleeve.
Chen Fenghe was stunned for a moment. She thought this man was the pregnant woman’s husband, but it turned out to be just her younger brother?
Chen Fenghe was reluctant to accept it, but the pregnant woman said, "Please accept it, benefactor. My brother and I came to Qizhou City to seek refuge with my husband, and we really don't have much more on us. When we find my husband, I will definitely reward him handsomely!"
Chen Fenghe had no choice but to say, "Madam Song's successful birth was not solely due to my efforts. I'd rather change this silver into copper coins and distribute them to everyone as a gift for the birth of the child."
When everyone heard this, those who had copper coins on them immediately helped to exchange them for silver, and everyone went to get the money happily.
Chen Fenghe then wiped the sweat off his face, stood up, and walked towards Qin Mengyue.
The moment Xiao Yunqi saw Chen Fenghe's face, his eyes widened.
She didn't expect that Shen Shian's eldest daughter was so beautiful!
Shen Meixin, the second daughter who was doted on by Shen Shian and the concubine he married into the Prince of Jin's Mansion, was also considered beautiful, but compared with Shen Fenghe, one was a beautiful peony in the back garden of the imperial palace, and the other was just an ordinary weed in the field!
He actually believed the rumors in the capital, saying that Shen Shian's eldest daughter was ugly and grew up in a country farm, and her behavior was no different from that of a village woman!
But unexpectedly, she turned out to be such an incredibly beautiful beauty!
Greed and jealousy flashed in Xiao Yunqi's eyes!
How could the prince be so lucky! He had been favored by his grandfather since he was a child, and was designated as the future prince by the imperial edict. After his father ascended the throne, he had no choice but to follow the edict to make him the prince. Not only that, he even married such a beauty as the crown princess!
Why!
But, the Crown Prince is dead anyway! So what about the Crown Princess?
He has plenty of means to get the Crown Princess! When the time comes, he can give her a new identity and bring her back to the palace to be a maid.
Thinking that the prince's wife would eventually have no choice but to give herself to him, Xiao Yunqi felt a twisted sense of satisfaction in his heart.
Chen Fenghe naturally noticed Xiao Yunqi's lustful gaze, and her brows couldn't help but frown.
Although she was concentrating on saving people just now, she also heard what was happening in the outside world. Naturally, she already knew that this person was the fifth prince Xiao Yunqi who had plotted against Xiao Yunshuo.
She thought he would be some powerful character, but unfortunately he didn't look very smart...
When Xiao Yunshuo saw the look in Xiao Yunqi's eyes when he looked at Chen Fenghe, his dark eyes became even colder and darker.
Xiao Yunqi looked at Chen Fenghe and was about to say something when a rather servile voice suddenly rang out from the city gate: "Where is His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin? Your Highness, I didn't know you had arrived in Qizhou ahead of time. I'm sorry for not welcoming you. Please forgive me!"
As they spoke, a man in official uniform, who was in the lead, and several advisors and staff who were also in official clothes, knelt on the ground in a black mass.
This person is naturally the prefect of Qizhou City, Lord Zhu.
Xiao Yunqi glanced at Chen Fenghe again before turning and walking up to Lord Zhu. He said, "I, the prince, under the order of the emperor, as an imperial envoy, have come to Qizhou City along with the imperial doctors Li and Wang to supervise the treatment and prevention of typhoid and plague. We came incognito, so it's understandable that you learned about it late. It's okay, everyone, get up."
Lord Zhu then wiped his sweat and said, "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Jin."
Lord Zhu stood up and immediately said, "Your Highness, Prince Jin, I have prepared a welcoming banquet to welcome you."
Xiao Yunqi was truly exhausted after the long journey, but he still took the opportunity to establish his persona, saying, "This is Master Zhu's fault! With typhoid fever raging in Qizhou City right now, how could you still have the time to prepare a welcoming banquet?"
Upon hearing this, Lord Zhu fell to his knees again with a thud: "This minister deserves death!"
Xiao Yunqi then said, "Well, you can get up now. Since everything has been prepared, I'm fine with it. Imperial Physician Li and Imperial Physician Wang have worked hard on the journey. After this welcoming banquet, they should recuperate and start treating patients tomorrow!"
Chen Fenghe was speechless.
Not only did he want to eat it, but he also used Doctor Li and Doctor Wang as shields.
This person is really... extraordinary and hypocritical.
At that moment, Lord Zhu led Xiao Yunqi and his party into the city, and order was restored at the city gate.
The exile team and Xiao Yunshuo, Yuan Xu and others also entered the city smoothly.
After entering the city, I saw that all the shops on the streets were open, but there were very few pedestrians. However, there were no patients with fever or cough.
Chen Fenghe couldn't help but feel puzzled. It was said that Qizhou City was the first place where typhoid fever cases appeared. Why was everything in the city still the same now? The city was not even closed, and people were allowed to enter and leave freely.
Chen Wu still led everyone to an inn he was familiar with to stay.
Chen Wu also found it strange, so he asked the innkeeper, "Shopkeeper, when I came to Qizhou City in the past, the market was always bustling with people. How come there are almost no people on the streets today?"
The shopkeeper quickly put his index finger to his lips and whispered, "Master Chen, please don't mention this anymore! If anyone hears, we'll all be in big trouble!"
Chen Wu found this strange and asked, "What do you mean?"
The shopkeeper looked around and then lowered his voice and said, "Master Zhu has driven all the patients infected with typhoid fever, along with their families, to an abandoned mansion in the west of the city and left them to fend for themselves!"
Chen Wu was stunned for a moment: "How could this be? Even if they were infected with typhoid fever, letting them stay at home..."
The shopkeeper said, "Who says it isn't? After all, it's all caused by that idiotic imperial envoy."
"Well... we just happened to meet the Imperial Envoy at the city gate. But... Prince Jin was ordered here to treat typhoid fever, wasn't he? Why would Lord Zhu lock up all the patients..."
The shopkeeper sneered, "What's there to be confused about? Which official isn't afraid of losing his official hat? If the imperial envoy saw the city full of typhoid patients, wouldn't Lord Zhu be charged with mismanagement? Besides, typhoid fever can't be cured just by saying it can be cured? If the imperial physician can cure it, it will naturally be a great achievement. If not, wouldn't it be a slap in the face of Prince Jin? It would be better to lock up all the patients. Prince Jin and the imperial physician would go on a trip and return to report that the typhoid fever has been cured. Wouldn't everyone be happy?"
Chen Fenghe listened from the side and couldn't help but feel heavy in his heart.
Isn’t that the truth?
However, those patients and their families who contracted typhoid fever became victims silently.
The shopkeeper waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. However, I have to remind you a few words: don't cough for the next two days. Even if you cough twice, if someone sees you and reports you to the authorities, you'll be arrested immediately and thrown into that house!"
After hearing this, Chen Wu quickly clasped his fists and said in thanks, "Thank you for the reminder, shopkeeper. We understand now!"
After arranging accommodation, Chen Wu asked the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, I have one more thing to ask. Is there any way to sell wild wolf meat?"
The weather has turned cold, with the temperature around zero degrees every day, so the wolf meat has not gone bad yet.
After hearing this, the shopkeeper asked, "Wild wolves? Mr. Chen's martial arts skills have improved a lot. He actually killed wild wolves? I wonder how many there are? If there are only one or two, our shop can consume them all."
Chen Wu smiled and said, "I'm so ashamed. I only managed to kill these wolves with the help of an expert. There are probably still about ten of them..."
"Ten... about ten?!" The shopkeeper thought he had misheard and stared at Chen Wu with wide eyes.
An ordinary person would lose half his life if he killed a wolf, but here... there are more than ten of them!
Chen Wu quickly said, "I encountered a pack of wolves, but I was lucky enough to survive because... I was rescued by chivalrous men..."
The shopkeeper, hearing what he said, stopped asking questions and said happily, "I'll have my men go ask the butcher in the city. There's a typhoid outbreak in Qizhou City right now, and the merchants who used to come and go from other places are no longer willing to come to do business. Food, meat, and fur are all in short supply in the city right now, so I'm sure I can get a good price for it!"
In the past, Chen Wu and his companions would hunt game and bring it to the city, and they would sell it to the shopkeeper, who would naturally take a share of the profits.
He could get a lot of reward for these ten or so wild wolves, so he was naturally happy.
Chen Fenghe couldn't help but feel moved when she heard these words.
There is a shortage of supplies in this city, and she has so much food and supplies in her space that she can sell them.
The high price now and the sufficient profit are one thing, but it can also save the poor people in the city. It’s like killing two birds with one stone, so why not do it?
She remembered that there were several shops run by her grandfather's Gu family in Qizhou City - of course, they were now occupied by Shen Shi'an and the Gu family's side branches.
Last time, all the shops in Damingfu City were in the hands of Shen Shian, but this time it was different in Qizhou City. It seemed that they were all in the hands of the Gu family's side branches, and she did not have any house deeds or shop deeds.
But it doesn’t matter, I’ll just try to get it.
After thinking about this, Chen Fenghe remained calm for the time being, and went into the room with Qin Mengyue and the three little guys to rest for a while.
Xiao Yunshuo and Yuan Xu still asked for the room next door.
After settling in, it was almost noon, and Chen Fenghe and Qin Mengyue went to the inn kitchen to cook together.
Chen Fenghe kept half of the wild wolf, pickled it with salt, and made it into ham and bacon to eat on the road.
This time, however, the food was all fresh: a dish of wolf meat stewed with potatoes, a dish of scrambled eggs with spinach, a soup of wolf ribs stewed with white radish, and a dish of pickled cabbage. The staple food was a bean soup, and I bought a few large white steamed buns from the steamed bun shop.
As usual, Chen Fenghe set aside two portions, packed them in lunch boxes, and sent one to the officials, while the other was sent to Xiao Yunshuo's room.
Although they have recognized each other now, they are still pretending not to know each other because they are afraid of being discovered by others. Naturally, it is even more impossible for them to have dinner together.
Shen Yichuan, Shen Qingxing and Xiao Yunhao saw the figure of Xiao Yunshuo next door from afar at the door, and they were so scared that they quickly hid behind Shen Fenghe.
"Sister, they... look so scary..."
"Sister, I'm scared too..."
"Xing'er, don't be afraid. I...I'm afraid too, but I will protect you!"
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