The cold wind from the north swirled fine snowflakes, tapping against the thickly papered windows of the military medical station, yet the interior was warm and cozy, filled with the aroma of medicine.
An'an, with her unusually large belly, almost occupied half of the table. She supported herself on her lower back with one hand, holding a pen in the other, carefully annotating a thick medical book. Her brow was slightly furrowed as she pondered the dosage of a new prescription. Her pregnancy was quite pronounced; even in a loose winter coat, the rounded curve of her belly was clearly visible. She moved rather clumsily, and her face was somewhat pale, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness as she focused intently on the prescription before her.
With a creak, the heavy cotton curtain was lifted, letting in a blast of cold air. Luo Qingrou walked in carrying a heavy food box, followed by two maids holding a hand warmer and a hot water bottle. She immediately noticed her daughter-in-law's belly, which was almost touching the edge of the table, and her brows furrowed with worry.
"An'an!" Luo Qingrou's voice was filled with disapproval and deep heartache. She walked quickly to the table, put down the food box, and snatched the pen from An'an's hand without saying a word. "Take a rest! What time is it? Why are you still reading these tiring prescriptions! Didn't Old Master Wang tell you to rest in bed more? Your belly... looks bigger than when I was pregnant with Xiao'er and Qi'er. It scares me to look at it!"
An'an raised her head, revealing a reassuring smile, and slowly stood up, supporting herself on the table. "Mother, you've brought me food again? I'm fine. I'm just sitting here anyway, so I might as well think about improving the formula for this hemostatic powder. There were many wounded soldiers in that battle a few days ago, and we're running low on medicine." As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily drifted to the medical books on the table.
"If there's not enough medicine, other military doctors will take care of it! Your top priority now is to take good care of yourself and give me a big, healthy grandson or granddaughter!" Luo Qingrou helped her sit down on a chair with thick cushions next to her, and personally opened the food box, the rich aroma of chicken soup immediately wafting out. She ladled a bowl of steaming soup and handed it to An'an, her tone leaving no room for argument: "Drink it quickly! I personally watched you stew it, with red dates and goji berries, it's the most nourishing. Look at your little face, it's completely pale!"
An'an took the bowl, her heart warmed. "Thank you, Mother. I'm really fine, it's just that this child... is so fussy." She gently stroked her protruding belly, her face glowing with maternal tenderness. "Walking around in the camp and seeing the wounded soldiers makes me feel more at ease. If I had to lie in the house, I would be so bored."
Looking at her stubborn expression, Luo Qingrou sighed helplessly, her eyes filled with love and admiration. This daughter-in-law was exactly like herself back then, refusing to leave the military camp even while pregnant. She didn't try to persuade her further, but carefully tucked a stray hair behind An'an's ear: "You're just too strong-willed. Mother knows you can't bear to leave these wounded soldiers. Fine, Mother will come to keep you company every day, bring you food, and make sure you rest. If you're too busy," she rolled up her sleeves, revealing her still-nimble wrists, "Mother hasn't lost her skills; she can lend a hand."
Sure enough, in the days that followed, Luo Qingrou became a regular at the military medical station. Every day, she would bring carefully prepared meals on time, watching An'an eat them, and then help organize medicinal herbs, care for the less seriously injured soldiers, or quietly read medical books. A large portion of her attention was always on An'an, ready to lend a hand, offer a glass of water, or remind her to get up and move around. With this experienced and loving mother-in-law overseeing things, An'an, though still busy, was finally "forced" to rest considerably.
That afternoon, a group of soldiers injured in an avalanche during patrol were suddenly brought to the wounded soldiers' camp. The situation was urgent. The medical station was thrown into chaos. An'an couldn't sit still either. With her heavy pregnant belly, she moved with difficulty, supported by Luo Qingrou, directing the medics and their apprentices to triage and treat the wounds. Her face was pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. The baby in her womb seemed to sense the tense atmosphere, kicking and punching restlessly.
"Quick! This leg bone appears to be fractured and needs immediate immobilization! Use a splint!"
"Hemostatic powder! Wound medicine! Quickly!"
"Hot water! Clean strips of cloth!"
An'an's voice trembled slightly, but remained clear and calm. She had just finished directing the initial treatment of a seriously wounded soldier and was about to turn around to look at the next one when suddenly, an indescribable, intense pain exploded from the bottom of her abdomen! The feeling was so fierce that she gasped for breath, her legs went weak, and she almost knelt down!
"Ugh—!" she cried out in pain, instinctively grabbing Luo Qingrou's arm tightly, her nails almost digging into her flesh.
"An'an?!" Luo Qingrou's expression changed drastically. She immediately reached out and held An'an tightly, her hand feeling cold and sweaty. "What's wrong? Is she... about to give birth?" With her rich experience, she felt her heart sink when she saw An'an's suddenly pale face and her body tense up.
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