Chapter 816 Five Years Later (Part 5) Sun Chunlan
"...That's right. I was thinking that if we could recruit two female doctors early next year, we would select two of you to go to Luojing (now Luoyang City) to open a maternity clinic."
You'll definitely have to go then, Afu; your experience will be the most useful.
In Luoyang, you'll have to start from scratch, but the local branch of the Imperial Medical Bureau will assist you.
If Dr. Tang is willing, he can transfer to the clinic there with you. We can also arrange for your son's education.”
Chen Yanfu nodded in response to Li Sanniang's gaze, indicating that she understood.
Li San Niang then continued, "As for the other person, it depends on what the four of you think."
However, if he were to actually go to Luoyang, he would definitely have to join the Imperial Medical Bureau, and he would be able to become a ninth-rank official.
Moreover, according to my estimates, I will need to stay in Luoyang for at least three years.
If you wish, we can arrange work for one of the family members of the person going, as compensation for leaving home to accompany them.
Li San Niang looked at Wu Er Niang, Sun Chunlan, and Yu Xuelian one by one. All three of them were unmarried and childless young women. If one of them really went to Luojing with Chen Yanfu, it could be said that they would be free from all burdens.
However, since she is a woman, she still needs family members by her side, which makes her feel much more at ease.
"If you don't want to go, that's fine too. After all, you're leaving Chang'an. Although Luoyang isn't far, it's still leaving home."
I can transfer people from elsewhere when the time comes.
If you all want to go, then it will be a competitive process. I will have to conduct an evaluation before I can finally decide who will go.
I know you all well, and I won't speak empty words. If you do well in Luoyang, it's possible to rise from the ninth rank to the eighth rank in three to five years.
"I've seen everything you've done under my management. Don't worry, as long as you do well, I will definitely commend you!"
After saying this, Li San Niang didn't give the other women time to think. She started asking questions about the medical records of the women who had come to the maternity ward in the past half month.
The interrogation finally ended after about half an hour.
After exchanging a few more words with Chen Yanfu, Li Sanniang planned to leave with Qiuxiang and Song Fuling. Taking advantage of the remaining time, she wanted to return to the Imperial Medical Bureau to write down the issues raised at today's grand court assembly so that she could discuss them with Director Wang in the future.
"Third Sister! Third Sister!"
Li San Niang turned around and saw Sun Chunlan chasing after her. She stopped and waited for Sun Chunlan to come over. When Sun Chunlan came up to her, Li San Niang smiled slightly and asked, "What's wrong?"
But there's something I forgot to ask earlier?
Li Sanniang pulled Sun Chunlan aside, away from the drafty doorway, and then looked at Sun Chunlan with a beaming smile.
Sun Chunlan nodded first, then looked up at Li Sanniang with a hint of shyness. She opened her mouth but then closed it again, and didn't say anything.
Seeing Sun Chunlan's expression, Li Sanniang realized that Sun Chunlan must have something private to tell her. She winked at Qiu Xiang, who was standing nearby. Qiu Xiang was very perceptive and immediately understood what Li Sanniang meant. She quickly pulled Song Fuling, who was still staring blankly with wide eyes, and led her outside.
"Huh? You're leaving already?"
Song Fuling was talking, not understanding why they were leaving so soon, but she was very obedient and followed Qiu Xiang toward the carriage parked outside the maternity ward.
Reaching the carriage, Song Fuling finally realized, "Ah! Sister Chunlan has something private to say to Master alone!"
Qiu Xiang gently flicked Song Fuling's nose and said with a smile, "You just noticed? Chunlan's cheeks are quite red. Didn't you see it earlier?"
Meanwhile, Li Sanniang, who was standing in a sheltered spot, took Sun Chunlan's hand and led her to sit down under the covered walkway.
"You must have something to tell me."
Alright, it's just the two of us now, so go ahead and say it.
Sun Chunlan, who sat down with Li Sanniang's help, took a breath and, after mentally preparing herself, raised her still slightly flushed face to look at Li Sanniang: "Sanniangzi, I really don't know what to do, so I had no choice but to come to you."
I don't know who else I could say this to, only you, my wife. You're the only one I can think of.
Li San Niang nodded gently, looking at Sun Chunlan and waiting for her to tell her the reason why she had sought her out alone.
"...That's how it is. My grandma thinks it's good. She thinks that this way I won't be all alone in the future. If I raise that child well, I'll have someone to take care of me in my old age and see me off when I die."
If that child has a conscience in the future, when he burns paper money for his father, he might burn some for me too, so I'll have money to spend in the underworld.
Upon hearing this, Li San Niang did not offer any opinion, but simply gestured to Sun Chunlan that she was listening.
"Third Sister, although my grandmother's words make some sense, my mother doesn't think so."
My mother felt that with my health, if I were illiterate and hadn't learned to be a female doctor from Third Sister, then the fact that Fifth Brother of the Zhang family had taken a liking to me would be the best outcome for me.
However, thanks to Third Sister, I've now entered this maternity ward and can receive a monthly salary.
Even if I never have children in my life, after seven or eight years, when I get older and have saved some money, I can buy a house and ask a young girl from the orphanage to take care of me. That would be a good thing.
My mother also said that if I become capable in the future, she would choose a female disciple to teach me everything she knows, just like Third Sister. She said that anyone with a conscience would not abandon me.
My mother said that if I were to become someone's stepmother, that would be real suffering.
After all, he's not their biological son, and the young man is already old enough to remember things. Even with careful upbringing, it's unlikely they'll truly bond with him.
Besides, my body..."
When talking about her health, Sun Chunlan became somewhat saddened.
However, this was a fact she had long recognized. After waiting for a couple of breaths, Li San Niang heard Sun Chunlan say, "My mother said that my body is not suitable for me to marry a man."
Even if Zhang Wulang truly didn't care that I couldn't have children, it would be fine if he stayed with me for a year or two. But over the long term, he's a normal man; how could he stay with me forever?
Sun Chunlan's situation is actually quite simple. She is now of marriageable age. Even though she registered with the Jingzhao Prefecture early on due to her physical ailment (imperforate hymen) and the Sun family reduced her tax burden, matchmakers still come to her door to arrange marriages for her because of her current respectable position as a female doctor in the maternity ward.
Even though the Sun family didn't go into details, only mentioning that Sun Chunlan couldn't have children, the matchmaker still came to their door.
This Zhang Wulang was a son of the Zhang family in Shengpingfang, east of Chang'an.
Zhang Wulang had three older brothers. Zhang Sanlang died young from an illness, and the Zhang family had separated a few years earlier.
Now, Zhang Wulang lives in Ping'er Alley in Shengpingfang with his young son who has lost his mother. The young son is only three years old. His mother passed away from illness two years ago.
Zhang Wulang was a peddler who traveled from street to street and was never home. His mother was getting old, and his two older brothers, Zhang Dalang and Zhang Erlang, did not want her to help take care of Zhang Xiaolang.
As for Zhang Silang, he was recruited as a son-in-law and left Chang'an City long ago.
Therefore, Zhang Wulang sought out a matchmaker, hoping she could help him find another wife to take care of Zhang Xiaolang.
Knowing his situation, Zhang Wulang was open-minded and told the matchmaker that even an older woman who couldn't have children would be fine, since he already had Zhang Xiaolang.
As long as the woman treats Zhang Xiaolang well, he will definitely make Zhang Xiaolang take care of her in her old age and see her off in her final days!
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