Chapter 276 The Stone Woman
Because the Women's Assistance Association has recently gained considerable attention in Chang'an, it has also brought Li San Niang's plan to teach midwives delivery techniques for free to the public.
It wasn't just the seven or eight midwives who had previously approached them who were interested in participating; word spread quickly, and in the past few days, the Li family had sent out as many as fifty or sixty registration forms.
"Although dozens of registration forms were taken, I think it would be good if half of them showed up on the appointed day."
Li Dasao's words puzzled Li Ersao, so she looked at Li Dasao with a questioning expression: "Sister-in-law, since San Niang doesn't ask for tuition fees or for them to perform the master-disciple ceremony, why doesn't anyone come to this great opportunity to learn skills?"
Sister-in-law Li shook her head and replied to Sister-in-law Li Er, who was puzzled, "That's not how it works."
Before seeing any tangible benefits, those who come to register are simply afraid of missing out on something.
If we were to actually get them to put aside what they're doing and come to our house to take the exam and compete for the ten spots in the first cohort of students that Third Aunt mentioned, they'd consider many factors. Most likely, they'd first see if the first ten people could really learn anything before deciding whether to come to Third Aunt's midwifery school.”
After Sister-in-law Li explained it this way, Sister-in-law Li understood.
"That's fine, it just takes up some ink and paper."
My concern is that, given Third Sister's criteria for choosing a young, adaptable woman who is open to reform, it's going to be difficult to find one.
While Li's mother and the others were chatting about Li San Niang's midwife exam, Sun, the midwife, arrived at the entrance of the Li family's medical clinic with her granddaughter.
When the young shop assistant Li Gui led the midwife Sun and her granddaughter Chunlan into the courtyard, Li's mother and her two children were very surprised. They really didn't expect that the midwife Sun would bring a child to their door.
After exchanging pleasantries and drinking a cup of tea, Li's mother finally learned from the midwife, Sun, why she had come to the Li family.
“My granddaughter has been smart since she was little. My old man is an enlightened man. Although he didn’t have money to send his sons to school in his early years, and he only had one daughter in his grandchildren’s generation, when Chunlan was seven years old, he still asked a widow who lived in the alley and could read and write to give her her first lessons.”
Chunlan is a well-educated woman; she can write and read.
She'll be turning 18 next year, and I think that although midwives aren't exactly doctors, it's still a skill.
This child won't suffer from learning this; he could always become a midwife in the future.
"I wonder if Dr. Li's side, unmarried women who have never had children are eligible to take the exam?"
Mother Li frowned. Sister-in-law Li and Sister-in-law Li exchanged a glance, with Sister-in-law Li's eyes filled with incomprehension.
It should be noted that before Li Ersao got married, she also had an older sister-in-law who had married into the family. When her sister-in-law gave birth, Li Ersao, who was only eleven or twelve years old, was sent by Wu's mother to the kitchen to boil water.
Because of the fact that women give birth, they often scream and cry, and there is blood everywhere, which is very frightening.
Generally, older women, such as mothers or grandmothers, would not allow unmarried young women to see childbirth, for fear that the horrific sight of childbirth would frighten them and make them afraid of pregnancy and childbirth after marriage, which would be detrimental to their future married life.
After all, at this time, apart from those with physical ailments, even princesses or emperors like Emperor Wu all had to get pregnant and give birth.
Therefore, Li's mother and her two companions were quite astonished that the midwife, Sun, actually wanted their unmarried daughters to learn how to deliver babies. How could she be so foolish?
Are they not planning to let this young lady named Chunlan get married, get pregnant, and have children?
Although Li's mother and the other two did not answer Sun the midwife's question, the shocked expressions on their faces showed their confusion. Sun the midwife looked at her eldest granddaughter, who was standing straight beside her, opened her mouth, but in the end, she did not say anything.
However, he still looked at Li's mother with a questioning gaze.
Faced with that look, Li's mother had no choice but to speak: "Third Sister has never restricted this, so it should be possible. When she gets home from work today, I will definitely ask her. If you are in a hurry, come tomorrow and I will tell you whether it can be done or not."
"Hey, then please ask Dr. Li for me. If it's possible, I'd like to submit a registration form."
Without Li's mother's instruction, Li's second sister-in-law turned around and went to the back to get a registration form that she had copied earlier.
Just as the midwife Sun folded the registration form and put it in her bosom, intending to get up, bow, and leave, Chunlan, the young girl who had been standing quietly beside her, reached out and stopped Sun from bowing.
Chunlan stood up and bowed to Li's mother, Li's eldest sister-in-law, and Li's second sister-in-law one by one. Although she did not speak loudly, she said in a voice that was not low: "Grandma Li, Aunt Li, Aunt Li, Chunlan greets you."
My grandmother actually kept this from me, afraid that I would be subject to gossip, so I didn't tell anyone. I hope you all understand.
After speaking, Chunlan bowed again.
Seeing that Chunlan was about to expose her own shortcomings, the midwife Sun, who had been stopped by Chunlan, quickly said, "Chunlan! Don't..."
"Grandma, why hide it? People will find out eventually. If you want to learn someone else's skills, you should make it clear."
Hearing this, Granny Sun hung her head in dejection, plopped back down in her chair, and said nothing more.
When Chunlan saw Sun the midwife looking like this, she went over and took Sun the midwife's hand: "I know that you are doing this for my own good, but I have my own principles."
If Dr. Li objects and doesn't allow me to take the exam, I'll consider other options.
In any case, there must be no concealment or deception; otherwise, what was the point of all those years of studying?
Then, Li's mother and the other two listened to Chunlan explain why, before she had even reached the age of marriage, she had been taken to Sun, a midwife, to learn the profession of midwife, which was usually done by married women who had given birth.
It turns out that Chunlan is a rare woman with barren skin!
What is a stone woman?
In modern usage, it often refers to a woman whose genitals are closed, making it impossible for her to have normal marital relations and thus preventing her from conceiving.
In more severe cases, there is no uterus at all.
In modern times, the correction would be achieved through surgery, allowing people to live, marry, conceive, and give birth normally.
But in the Tang Dynasty at that time, how could this possibly work?
It's just that she can't live the life of an ordinary woman. If some people with ulterior motives knew about this, they might say that Chunlan committed many evils in her previous life and was reincarnated with a body that is incomplete, to atone for her sins.
"Grandma was afraid that people would find out about my illness. She thought that since I couldn't live a normal life as a mother, my younger brothers couldn't take care of me forever."
Because of this, my family spent money to teach me to read from a young age, hoping that I would learn a skill so that I could make a living from it in the future.
If I could adopt a child in the future, and raise him to adulthood, he could take care of me in my old age and see me off when I die.
Grandma Li, please don't worry. It's not that I intentionally hid anything; it was all for my sake.
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