Chapter 10 Production
Inside the room, Li San Niang, using the light shining through the wooden window lattice, tried hard to see if the baby's head had emerged.
At this moment, as Li San Niang listened to Li Er Sao's muffled groans of pain, she was thinking: Why didn't Emperor Wu activate his engineering genius? He could make so much money by making glass. If he could install a whole glass window in the room, not only would the lighting be better, but it would also be easier for him to observe the progress of labor.
Now, Li San Niang is just glad that the Li family is still relatively well-off, and the wooden window is not small, and the paper on the window is also quite transparent. Li Er Sao also chose the time when it was still daylight. If she had given birth in the middle of the night, with that dim oil lamp, she really doubted whether she could have seen it clearly.
"ah……"
"Second sister-in-law, give it a push! I think your little nephew is almost out!"
With a handkerchief in her mouth and sweat pouring down her face, soaking her neck in beads of sweat, Li Ersao exerted herself again upon hearing Li Sanniang's words!
Looking at this situation, Li San Niang wondered if it was because Li Er Sao ate well during her pregnancy, or if the baby's head was naturally large, but this time it looked like it was about to tear.
Without hesitation, Li San Niang grabbed a small pair of scissors that had been boiled and washed from a white cloth on the table. She said firmly to Li Er Sao, "Er Sao, this pregnancy is quite large. I think it's about to tear, and the amniotic fluid is almost gone. I'll use the scissors to cut open the lower part of your body first, let the baby out, and then I'll sew it up. Er Sao, trust me. San Niang will definitely ensure that you and my nephew are both safe and sound."
Li Ersao was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then quickly nodded, "The child is the most important!"
Seeing that Li Ersao had agreed, Li Sanniang directly chose the right angle and cut with small scissors.
Sister-in-law Li, supporting Sister-in-law Li, listened to what Sister-in-law Li had to say. When she saw that Sister-in-law Li had taken out the scissors, she was terrified. How painful that must be!
But when it comes to the actual episiotomy, the pain of childbirth has long overshadowed the pain of the episiotomy itself, and it's not as painful as you might imagine.
After all, childbirth is already one of the most painful experiences a human being can endure.
Sure enough, after the episiotomy, the baby's head had enough space to come out, and the last bit of amniotic fluid was lost along with the baby's birth.
Li San Niang quickly and gently cleaned the mucus from the baby's mouth and nose with her fingers. Seeing that the baby could breathe on his own, she had Li Da Sao wrap the baby in a clean, soft cloth. She then washed the scissors used for the episiotomy, cut the umbilical cord, tied a knot with thread, took the baby, and gently patted his back. Only after hearing the baby's loud cries did she feel relieved.
After showing the baby to Li Ersao, he told her to lie down and wait for the placenta to be delivered so he could stitch up her episiotomy wound.
Looking at her youngest son, who was crying loudly—yes, it was a little boy—Li Ersao could finally relax her heart, which was pounding in her chest, and lay down to rest.
Seeing that the placenta had been delivered intact, Li San Niang took Li Wu Lang, who had been given his first bath and wrapped in a small blanket after being cleaned of vernix caseosa and other impurities with a cloth dampened with warm water by Li Da Sao, and placed him on Li Er Sao's chest. She asked Li Da Sao to go and inform Li's father, and then asked Li's father to come to the door.
Although Li's father was a doctor who mainly diagnosed people's pulses and prescribed medicine, Li San Niang remembered that when her eldest brother Li first joined the city's guards, he once came back covered in blood. No one knew why he was like that, but Li San Niang secretly saw her father stitching up a long gash on her eldest brother's back with a needle.
When Brother Li got married, on a hot summer day, when he was washing himself with well water in the yard, Li San Niang, who was about six or seven years old, saw the centipede scar on Brother Li's back.
Therefore, the reason why Li San Niang felt that Li's father had a story after searching her memories is because of these reasons.
When Li's father knocked on the door, he stood there and asked, "Third Sister, why are you calling me? How is Erlang's wife? Is there anything urgent? Do you need me to prescribe some medicine?"
Li San Niang walked to the door with her hands tied behind her back and said to her father through the door, "Father, don't worry, Second Sister-in-law is fine, and Fifth Brother is also doing well. It was because I saw that Second Sister-in-law had signs of tearing during childbirth that I took the liberty of cutting it."
Now we need to wait until the placenta is completely expelled before my son can help my second sister-in-law sew it up. The needle that my mother used to puncture the amniotic sac in her basket can be used, but we lack sutures.
If Father has any, you can lend it to me. If not, please boil and wash a piece of cotton thread, dry it, and give it to me. Also, please have Li Gui go and buy a jug of liquor as soon as possible.”
"I have some catgut. Wait here, I'll go to the room and get it for you. Is one foot enough?"
When Li San Niang heard her father ask this, she thought that if she stitched up two layers, the wound would be about 30 centimeters long, which would be enough.
"Father, that's enough."
"What do you need that liquor for? To wash your wounds?"
"I bet Father knows this too. Yes, I plan to use it to clean wounds and needles. I saw it in the newly published 'Essential Medical Techniques for Ulcer Doctors' by the Imperial Medical Academy. Father, do you know it too?"
"We can discuss these things later. You should focus on your second sister-in-law first."
Li San Niang went back to check on Li Er Sao. Li Er Sao was still energetic, holding the baby and saying to Li San Niang, "San Niang, look, he's hungry. His little mouth is all pouted. I don't have any milk this time. What should I do?"
Whether it was her love for her mother or a hormonal issue, Li Ersao started to shed tears as she spoke.
"Second sister-in-law, you can't cry during your postpartum period."
It's alright. I'll ask my sister-in-law to boil some rice oil first, and then I'll have my father prescribe a formula to help you produce milk. Wulang will be able to drink milk tomorrow.
Don't worry. I see the placenta has come out intact. I'll bury it under the tree in your yard later.
"I'll sew it on for you when Father gets the thread. It might be a little uncomfortable, so please bear with it, Second Sister-in-law."
“What else is there to be unable to endure? This time, I am so grateful to you, my sister-in-law, and my father. What is my little bit of suffering compared to this?”
"Don't say you didn't suffer. This time, when I watched Third Aunt deliver your baby, I was so scared that I broke out in a cold sweat. You really suffered a lot."
Here, I'll feed this small bowl of rice porridge to Wulang. You should drink this bowl of millet porridge first to regain your strength.
Sister-in-law Li is truly a good sister-in-law. No wonder in ancient times, the eldest son's wife had to be a responsible person. Sister-in-law Li was loved and valued by both her parents, and no one else in the family disrespected her. Sister-in-law Li's behavior and conduct revealed the demeanor of a lady from a prominent family.
Li's father also handed over a roll of sheep gut thread wrapped in cloth outside the door. Third Aunt took it, opened it, and saw that it was quite new, probably made within the last year.
The advantage of catgut is that it is easily absorbed, but the disadvantage is that it is prone to infection. That's why Li San Niang needed liquor from Shandong to disinfect it.
I wonder if they still brew high-proof liquor now, like the sorghum liquor "Shaodaozi" that was very popular in Northeast China in later generations. It could reach fifty or sixty degrees. Although it can't compare to medical alcohol, it's still pretty good.
Once the placenta was completely delivered, the soju arrived.
After explaining that it would hurt a lot, Li San Niang first had Li Da Sao put Xiao Wu Lang on the bed, then held Li Er Sao down, put a handkerchief on her, cleaned the needle, and quickly wiped the wound with a clean cloth soaked in some liquor. Li Er Sao was in so much pain that she clenched her teeth and broke out in a cold sweat. Li Da Sao, who was holding her down, was also covered in sweat.
While the burning sensation was still intense, Li San Niang quickly stitched up Li Er Sao's wound. There was no needle holder, no hemostat, no curved needle, so she just made do with a sewing needle to puncture and tie the knot.
Without anesthesia, all four people present, except for the baby, were drenched in sweat. It was summer, and to avoid suspicion, the door was only left slightly ajar while the windows were closed, making the air even less ventilated and causing them to feel even hotter.
After quickly stitching up Li Ersao's wound, he wiped the surface of the wound with a cloth soaked in liquor before he was done.
They helped Li Ersao find the menstrual pad that Li Sanniang had complained about before, which was supposed to be reused. Li Sanniang said she wanted to take it to the kitchen to dry it, but Li Ersao didn't care and used it directly.
Sigh, Li Sanniang thought that if she had the chance in the future, she would definitely make some menstrual blood that was at least made of cotton and would not be reused!
Li Da Sao held Xiao Wu Lang, and Li San Niang quickly helped Li Er Sao clean up the bloodstains, change her clothes, and put down a pillow. She first let Li Er Sao lie down on the quilt laid on the ground to rest.
When Brother Li returns, he can carry her to bed. However, even if Sister-in-law Li and Third Sister Li work together, they can't lift Sister-in-law Li, and they're afraid of touching her wound. So they can only wait for Brother Li to return.
Li Wulang had drunk the rice water and was easy to take care of; he was already fast asleep and a good child to look after.
When Li San Niang dug a hole under the pomegranate tree in Li Er Sao's yard and buried the placenta, the four little ones also came home from school.
The four children were overjoyed to hear that Sister-in-law Li had given birth to a little boy. Anyone would be happy to have a little brother as soon as they got home from school.
The group begged Sister-in-law Li at the door to let them see Xiao Wulang, but Li Silang, that brat, couldn't control his mouth and blurted out, "He looks like a little old man, he's too ugly."
Li's father tapped him on the head and said, "You were even uglier when you were born. All babies are like this. You'll look better in a couple of days."
"Haha, I remember when Silang was born, he wasn't as good-looking as Wulang. At least Wulang had nice hair, while Silang didn't have any hair back then." Li Sanlang teased Li Silang a few times, and the two brothers started playing around in the yard again.
Father Li told them to keep their voices down so as not to disturb Second Sister-in-law Li's rest. He then turned to Li Dalang and instructed him, "Go to the street corner and call a donkey cart to pick up your grandmother and second uncle at the city gate. I'll bring you the household registration certificate in a bit, so it will serve as proof if you return to the neighborhood after curfew."
As he spoke, Li's father went back to his room to get the household registration certificate, gave Li Dalang a piece of silver, gave him a few more instructions, and then let him leave.
Before Li's mother and second brother returned from the countryside, Li's third sister used the small half pot of still warm water left over from the large pot of water Li's father boiled in the kitchen to wash her face, hair, and arms. She then changed into a new dress. To be completely refreshed, she would have to ask her eldest brother Li to help carry two buckets of water into the house that evening.
As soon as she finished tidying up, Lu Zhu'er struggled to step over the door frame and came in, rushing to Li San Niang's calves and stretching out her little hands for a hug.
Sure enough, when I'm exhausted, I need to take a big sip of this product to relieve my fatigue.
Li San Niang held Lu Zhu'er's small body and breathed on her for a while. Her breath tickled Lu Zhu'er's neck, making Lu Zhu'er laugh.
“Mother, younger brother, Zhu’er is big.”
"Haha, yes, it's Dewdrop's younger brother. Dewdrop is now an older sister, aren't you happy?"
"Happy, Pearl is happy! Let's play, little brother!"
Haha, children's innocent and childlike words always bring a smile to our faces.
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