Chapter 896 Gan Niangzi and Feng Niang.
Several days after the plaque bearing the inscription "Benefiting the Country and the People" was hung under the signboard of Zhongli Family Pharmacy, the long-planned free clinic by the Imperial Medical Academy finally began.
Yesterday, Li San Niang simply didn't go home; she sent Lu Zhu'er back to the Li family home to stay.
Thus, before the fourth watch of the night, when it was still dark, the maternity ward was brightly lit.
The maternity ward was bustling with activity. Some were checking equipment, some were counting medicine packets, and others were arranging groups to assist. Everyone had something to do, and the scene was busy but orderly.
Only Li San Niang sat quietly to one side, drinking refreshing tea, while Song Fu Ling stood beside her, massaging her shoulders.
"Master, why don't you take a nap? You haven't slept all night, how can you stay up?"
Li San Niang raised her hand and patted Song Fuling's hand on her shoulder, then gently shook her head in refusal.
"How can I sleep at such a crucial time?"
It's alright, it's just that I stayed up all night.
I'll go home early today and go to bed early tonight.
While the two were talking, Steward Li and Chen Yanfu had arranged everything in a very orderly manner.
At dawn, Li Sanniang stood at the front of the large courtyard of the maternity ward. Standing on the steps, she looked at the more than one hundred people standing in the courtyard and said a few words: "Everyone, whether our maternity ward can make a name for itself today, establish a position in the Imperial Medical Academy, in Chang'an City, and even in the entire Tang Dynasty, depends entirely on you all!"
I earnestly request that you all not tarnish the reputation of our maternity ward!
With a solemn bow, Li San Niang gestured for everyone to board the carriages in an orderly fashion and head to the pre-arranged free clinic locations.
"Rest assured, the medical supervisor will not tarnish the reputation of our maternity ward!"
"Don't worry, Third Sister, we'll definitely do a good job!"
"Just you wait and see, Medical Inspector Li!"
These heartfelt voices, heard in the still-dark night, filled one with strength, emboldening them to step into the darkness and fight against the unknown monsters lurking within.
Li San Niang smiled as she watched the crowd file out, orderly boarding the carriages and leaving the maternity ward in the pre-arranged procession.
Chen Yanfu then cupped her hands in greeting to Li Sanniang and led her group out the door.
In the end, only one female doctor and two female doctors remained in the maternity ward. Manager Li was to accompany Li San Niang to inspect various free clinics throughout Chang'an City today, in case of any unexpected situations.
"Dr. Wu has worked hard for several days. When it's time, he will have someone else take your place."
"Don't worry, medical supervisor, I can do it."
Li San Niang, along with Steward Li, Song Fuling, and Qiu Xiang, boarded a carriage and headed to the nearest free clinic.
While Li San Niang and her companions were inspecting the various free clinics of the maternity ward, Gan Niangzi of Chang Le Fang did not open her restaurant today. Yesterday, she specially took her young daughter Feng Niang to the hot spring, where she spent copper coins to thoroughly wash herself and Feng Niang. She even took their hair out and used soap to massage it from root to tip.
Lady Gan is not opening her restaurant today, and she cleansed herself yesterday, all so that she can take her daughter, Fengniang, to the free clinic at the maternity ward for a check-up today.
The one who needs medical attention is not Lady Gan, but her young mistress, Feng Niang.
Fengniang is the posthumous child of Gan Niangzi's deceased husband. She is only six or seven years old now, and is at a very cute age.
Maple Girl's belly was round and bulging, but not like a normal child's belly; it looked as if there was something inside.
Recently, the swollen-bellied Lady Gan felt that the thing in Feng Niang's belly seemed to have grown a bit. Although Lady Gan only ran a small restaurant, she had some savings, so she took Feng Niang to see many doctors.
Feng Niang was young, but she had drunk a lot of bitter medicine, but in the end, it didn't help the contents of her stomach to go down.
Thus, Lady Gan set her sights on the free clinics at the maternity ward.
Lady Gan led Lady Feng to queue up, and after queuing for at least half an hour, they finally received a small wooden plaque from the person in charge of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Although Lady Gan was illiterate, she listened carefully to the instructions given to her by the manager who was distributing the tokens, remembered the time, and then hurriedly carried the already hungry Lady Feng to find a place to eat.
After sharing a bowl of pork balls with Fengniang at a roadside food stall, Gan Niangzi led Fengniang to the intersection and waved to the old woman selling food with a basket. They spent a copper coin to buy two still-warm sesame cakes, and Gan Niangzi quickly pulled Fengniang's hand toward the light green tent they had seen a couple of days ago.
There were a lot of people, and Gan Niangzi knew that there would be a long queue, so she bought sesame cakes because she was afraid that Feng Niang, who had only eaten three or four dumplings earlier, would be hungry.
After queuing for about an hour, it was finally Gan Niangzi and her daughter's turn.
The female doctor seeing patients here is Wang Yue. She is from the Wang family in the Chang'an Medical Alliance. Like Li San Niang, she learned medicine from her father since childhood. After seeing Li San Niang become a female doctor step by step and enter the Imperial Medical Bureau, Wang Yue was also moved.
The obstetrics and gynecology clinic had only been established for half a year when Wang Yue passed the exam of the Chang'an Medical Alliance and worked in a clinic under the alliance for a year before Li San Niang took her over.
Therefore, Dr. Wang Yue truly possesses genuine skills.
As soon as Gan Niangzi and Feng Niang entered, they took their seats. When asked who needed a medical consultation, Gan Niangzi naturally picked up her little girl.
Wang Yue looked at Feng Niang's small face and smiled at her, "Madam, tell me, what's wrong with this young lady?"
Gan Niangzi quickly said what she had prepared beforehand to Wang Yue: "...That's right, I'm very scared because I see that her belly is getting bigger. Doctor, please take a look at my Feng Niang."
At this point, Gan Niangzi's voice choked with emotion. She held back her tears and looked at Wang Yue with hopeful eyes.
Wang Yue nodded reassuringly to Gan Niangzi, and then began to carefully inquire about the details of Feng Niang's swollen belly, from the first time Gan Niangzi noticed something was wrong with Feng Niangzi's belly to the present, including Feng Niang's behavior during this period, whether she had seen a doctor, what medicine she had taken, and so on.
As she asked the questions, Wang Yue wrote them down on a piece of paper.
After asking enough questions, Wang Yue finally took Feng Niang's pulse.
When Lady Gan saw Wang Yue's brows furrow, her heart also tightened, fearing she would hear from Wang Yue the words she had heard from those male doctors in the past: "There's no hope, Lady, you should prepare for the worst."
"My wife is young; she'll have children in the future."
After taking Feng Niang's pulse, Wang Yue didn't say much. Instead, she asked Gan Niangzi to carry Feng Niang to the inner room.
Upon entering the room, Gan Niangzi saw a tall wooden bed and a rather large table with many oddly shaped utensils on it.
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