Chapter 569 Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them.
Li San Niang is currently sitting in the main hall of the Song family, being entertained by Madam Song. On the square table next to Li San Niang, there is not only tea, but also snacks and fruit platters. At this moment, Li San Niang is eating a bowl of ice cream filled with cheese.
This morning around 1:30, the old woman from the Song family came to the clinic and asked Li San Niang to come out for a consultation.
Previously, Madam Song had pulled many strings to invite Dr. Sun, a renowned gynecologist who had previously worked at the Imperial Medical Academy, to examine Song Zhenzhu's pulse. Later, Dr. Sun recommended his fellow apprentice, Dr. Wang, to come to the Song family again to examine Song Zhenzhu's pulse.
(Chapter 556 plot)
Doctor Wang has been practicing medicine in the countryside for many years, and he has seen far more types of female illnesses than Doctor Sun. Moreover, Doctor Wang, like Li San Niang, is one of those people with unusually keen senses.
Furthermore, Dr. Wang was quite unconventional; he volunteered to perform a palpation examination on Song Zhenzhu.
Of course, Madam Song did not agree.
Although Dr. Wang's hair was already gray and his beard roots were turning white, and he was old enough to be Song Zhenzhu's ancestor, Madam Song still felt it was somewhat inappropriate.
However, Doctor Wang did not insist. He stroked his beard and said, "It's alright, but I suppose that female doctor surnamed Li was able to directly diagnose Miss Song's illness because she had examined her."
However, in my decades of practicing medicine in the countryside, I have seen two cases of illness similar to that of Miss Song.
One case involved a premature baby, but the delivery went relatively smoothly, and both mother and child were safe.
The other one was much worse: abnormal fetal position, dystocia, and the loss of both mother and child.
Seeing the fear on the faces of Madam Song and Song Zhenzhu, Doctor Wang nodded and spoke again: "However, Madam Song need not worry too much about this. Since that Doctor Li only said that Miss Song should be careful after she gets pregnant after marriage, and did not directly say that it is best not to have children, I think there should still be a chance for a safe delivery."
Madam Song felt a pang of panic, but as a matriarch who had been in charge of the household for over twenty years, she suppressed her unease, respectfully thanked Doctor Wang, and presented him with a considerable sum of money and gifts before she and Song Zhenzhu properly saw him off.
"Mother, Mother, I...I...will I be unable to have children in the future?"
What should I do? Who would still want to marry me?
Mother, I can't have children anymore, I..."
Madam Song immediately slapped Song Zhenzhu's hand with a loud "smack," which stunned the already dazed Song Zhenzhu. Song Zhenzhu looked up at Madam Song blankly, not even noticing the pain on the back of her hand that had turned red.
Madam Song gave a wink to the old woman behind her, who curtsied and retreated to stand guard at the door.
The lady of the house was going to teach her daughter again, so naturally she couldn't let Song Zhenzhu lose face.
(Plot summary of chapters 527-529)
So, Madam Song pulled Song Zhenzhu down to sit, rubbed her still slightly red hands for a while, and said with a hint of reproach, "You child, you're already of marriageable age, how come you're still so troublesome?"
"Mother?"
Madam Song raised her hand and stroked Song Zhenzhu's hair, then sighed: "Alas, your temperament isn't entirely your own fault. Your father and I have spoiled you for many years, always thinking that you would eventually marry into another family, so we wanted you to be as relaxed as possible while you were at home."
I inevitably became a little lax in your upbringing, which made you prone to yelling and shouting when things happened, and you lack composure.
However, Zhenniang, don't worry. At most, your father and I will choose a marriage alliance for you that our Song family can handle. As long as your father and brother remain in official positions, what does it matter whether you have children or not?
"Zhenniang, don't worry, your mother will protect you for the rest of your life."
That night, in the dim light, the young master and his wife reached an agreement: the future son-in-law of Song Zhenzhu would be changed to a scholar with many children, outstanding appearance, and who needed the support of his in-laws.
Originally, Madam Song wanted to find a suitable marriage partner for Song Zhenzhu from among her maternal relatives, a family with a small number of members.
But if Song Zhenzhu really has difficulty conceiving in the future, then having offspring will be a major problem.
At this time, whether they were from a prominent family, a commoner, or a poor villager, whose primary purpose in taking a wife was to procreate and carry on the family line?
If this primary goal cannot be achieved, how can the husband's family respect the daughter-in-law?
How could he not give his wife a hard time?
Or even worse, it can be a torment to people?
Just like Shen Qiuniang (the plot in chapters 31-33), the main reason is not her, but her ex-husband still doesn't treat Shen Qiuniang as a human being.
Now, the main reason lies with Song Zhenzhu. If she doesn't choose a good family, even if she comes from the Song family, she will still be mistreated.
Furthermore, having been childless for so many years, how could Song Zhenzhu not have been able to live with herself?
How few women are able to have children without making things difficult for themselves?
At least in the current environment, most women cannot do that.
Therefore, it is no easy task for Song Zhenzhu to choose a suitable son-in-law whom the Song family can control and who can also help resolve any problems that may arise in the future.
Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them.
Madam Song truly loves her youngest daughter.
At this point, you might say, if you can't have children, or if there are great risks associated with childbirth, and you might be disliked by your husband's family, then why not just not get married?
In modern society, this is also understandable. There is indeed no need to get married and have children. If you want to date, you can just say so before you start dating. If you don't want to date, there's nothing wrong with being single for life.
The problem is that this is the Tang Dynasty, a feudal society, an era based on a clan-based patriarchal system with a small-scale peasant economy.
Even if the Song family could support Song Zhenzhu for the rest of her life, ensuring she lives a life free from financial worries, and could afford to pay Song Zhenzhu's "single tax," the impact of this would be immeasurable.
Public opinion is a fearsome thing.
Because Song Zhenzhu doesn't marry, all the women in the Song family have to bear the burden of the question: "Does Song Zhenzhu have an illness or a problem with her upbringing that makes her not marry? Could the other women in the Song family also have problems?"
Song Zhenzhu's parents and brothers were all willing to support her for the rest of her life, using their own money.
But do the other members of the Song family really want that?
"If your daughter doesn't remarry, why should you receive so much property from the clan?"
"Your unmarried daughter is ruining my daughter's reputation; your family should use your assets to compensate us!"
Yes, that's how unreasonable it is.
When faced with self-interest, reason and morality are worthless.
Therefore, Song Zhenzhu will still get married. It's just that Song's father and wife are capable of choosing a suitable family for Song Zhenzhu, which is already quite good.
Li San Niang put down the ice bowl in her hand and listened carefully to what Madam Song had to say, and she understood what Madam Song meant.
Then Li San Niang spoke up: "Madam, rest assured, once Song Niangzi leaves this room, I will keep my mouth shut tight, and no one else besides you and me will know about her condition."
Secondly, just as the lady mentioned Dr. Wang, this condition is likely not that serious.
However, it is true that after Lady Song gets married and becomes pregnant, she will definitely need to be careful about some things.
If conditions permit, Madam Song may request that I examine Lady Song again.
If problems arise, making a decision to terminate the pregnancy early should save Lady Song's life.
In this life, nothing is more important than one's own life.
Of course, it's also possible that Madam Song had no problems at all and gave birth smoothly.
However, I still want to say that even if everything goes smoothly, you should try to reduce the number of times you have children to avoid any uncontrollable problems.
Madam Song, pregnancy and childbirth are like passing through the gates of hell for a woman; it's not something she can always hide.
Upon hearing Li San Niang's explanation again, Madam Song nodded and then stopped talking about Song Zhenzhu, changing the subject to the flower-viewing banquet that the Song family would be holding in a few days for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
"Dr. Li, you may also bring your little girl. I heard from Zhenniang that Dr. Li's child is very clever and bright."
At this flower-viewing banquet, most of the ladies who have been invited will bring their children, and it will be a joy for the children to play together.
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