“Chang Qing, have you put all the dishes away? Have the people left?” A voice rang out from the kitchen of the Bei Tian An.
Zhong Li, dressed in a sea-blue robe, turned her head at the sound.
“Who are you?” The young nun who entered from outside the kitchen looked at Zhong Li, her expression blank.
Zhong Li pointed to the hat on her head and said, “Chang Qing.”
Upon hearing this, the young nun approached Zhong Li, peering at her for a long time. Seeing that the character “Qing” was missing three dots of water, she exclaimed, “That’s strange, the embroidery is from the temple, but shouldn’t it be Chang Qing?”
Zhong Li replied, “There is also a Chang Qing. She went out on an errand just now and asked me to watch things.”
The young nun looked enlightened. “There are too many newcomers in the temple recently, so it’s inevitable that names would be repeated. It doesn’t matter!”
As she spoke, she waved her hand and got to the point. “Whether you’re Chang Qing or Chang Qing, hurry up and light the fire to boil a basin of hot water.”
“Ah?” Zhong Li feigned ignorance at her words, her face a mask of surprise. “Are we going to cook?”
The young nun rolled her eyes. “What are you talking about? We don’t have time to eat today. Three girls have arrived one after another, you know that. One of them is going into labor, hurry up!”
“Oh!” Zhong Li finally heard the truth from the young nun’s mouth. She nodded and hurriedly walked out of the kitchen. She went to the back to gather firewood, and soon returned, placing all the wood beneath the stove. She picked up a pile of dry grass, stuffed it in, and began to light the fire.
“Pour water, pour water!” Seeing Zhong Li’s slow movements, the young nun couldn’t help but urge her.
Zhong Li nodded and quickly went out to fetch water again.
The young nun watched her finish and start fanning the stove, then said with a helpless expression, “So clumsy.”
Zhong Li’s movements paused, and she cast a sidelong glance at the nun.
The young nun sneered, hands on her hips. “What are you looking at? Bei Tian An doesn’t owe you money. Hurry up. Remember to deliver the hot water to the innermost room on the right when you’re done. Understood?”
Zhong Li nodded repeatedly.
“Hmph!” The young nun snorted, glared at Zhong Li, and quickly left.
With the firewood burning brightly, the water boiled quickly.
Before long, the water in the pot was boiling.
Zhong Li knew this water was for delivering a baby. She found a clean basin from the cupboard, scalded it, and then fetched the hot water before leaving the kitchen.
By now, the sky had darkened. Bei Tian An was built on a mountain, offering a good view. The vast expanse of stars twinkled, making it clear to see the path ahead without the need for guiding lanterns.
Following the young nun’s instructions, Zhong Li smoothly found the dormitory.
Before she could even walk in with the basin, she could faintly hear suppressed groans from within.
“Don’t shout, don’t shout!”
“Ugh… it hurts so much…”
“You can’t shout, do you hear me?”
“But I… it hurts so much…”
“Doesn’t every woman in labor hurt? Bear with it!”
…
Listening to the conversation inside, Zhong Li could roughly guess it was the midwife and the laboring mother. She pondered for a moment and then reached out to knock on the door.
Soon, the door was opened.
Before Zhong Li could react, she was pulled and dragged into the room.
“Why is boiling water taking so long?” A complaining voice sounded in her ear.
Zhong Li looked up and saw an old nun dressed in a sea-blue robe. The way she was soaking a cloth in hot water and impatiently scolding the woman on the bed indicated she was an experienced hand.
As expected, after finishing with the cloth, the old nun went to the woman’s side, washed her hands, pulled back the blanket covering the woman, and without regard for the woman’s willingness, called out, “Relax.”
As the woman revealed an embarrassed expression, the old nun muttered, “Why only two fingers dilated,” then turned and walked behind a screen. When she emerged, she held a bowl of medicinal soup.
“Still drinking?” The woman’s voice was clearly trembling. She was already covered in sweat from the pain.
“What else? Your water broke early, and delaying it too long is bad for both you and the baby, so drink up quickly,” the old nun explained impatiently.
The woman glanced at Zhong Li, who was standing not far away. A complex look flickered in her eyes. After biting her lip in thought, she reached out to take the bowl.
However, she found it difficult to drink while lying in bed. She wanted to sit up, but her body was weak from the pain, and her belly was too large, making it strenuous. For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.
Seeing her predicament, Zhong Li sighed and walked to her side, helping her sit up.
“Thank you,” the woman murmured. She looked at the medicine in the bowl and drank it in one gulp.
Beside her, Zhong Li also smelled the medicinal soup. It was just a common labor-inducing broth, given to women whose labor was taking too long. There was no problem with it.
“It’s so bitter,” the woman gasped after drinking, her face full of grievance.
Seeing her like this, the old nun sneered mockingly, “Bitter? Ask any noble lady who comes to Bei Tian An who hasn’t drunk this? Why didn’t you say anything when you were having fun?”
The woman did not expect the old nun to speak so bluntly. She lowered her gaze and remained silent.
Zhong Li noticed that the woman seemed to be enduring, her fingers gripping the quilt so tightly that her fingertips were turning pale.
“Alright, you’ve drunk what you needed to. Given your condition, it will likely be a while longer. I’ll go sleep for a bit in the adjacent side room.” The old nun took back the bowl, felt the woman’s pulse, confirmed there were no issues, and turned to leave.
As she reached the doorway, she seemed to remember something and glanced at the hat on Zhong Li’s head, saying, “You’re Chang Qing, right?”
Zhong Li quickly stood up.
“Watch her. Tell me if there are any problems, understand?”
Zhong Li nodded.
The old nun chuckled and said, “You’d better listen to me. The child in her belly is very important. The last one, due to laziness and drowsiness, almost resulted in a double fatality. That person has already disappeared from Bei Tian An. Got it?”
Zhong Li’s heart tightened. “I understand.”
“Good. Anyway, if something happens, don’t blame me for not warning you.” The old nun finished speaking and slammed the door shut.
Now, only Zhong Li and the laboring woman on the bed remained in the spacious dormitory.
Zhong Li saw malt candy on the table and took a piece, placing it in the woman’s mouth. “Childbirth is painful. Eating some candy will help a little.”
The woman was stunned. She had expected Zhong Li to be as fierce as the old nun before, but she hadn’t expected her to be so gentle. With no familiar faces to accompany her these past two days, and in a place where she was constantly watched, a stream of warmth flowed through the woman’s heart.
She twitched the corner of her mouth, about to express her gratitude, when suddenly her abdomen ached. A cold sweat broke out, and she clutched the quilt tightly, letting out a cry of pain.
“It’s best to shout less,” Zhong Li said, knowing she was in great pain, but still advising her.
“I… I know…” the woman replied intermittently. “You… you’re afraid I… afraid I’ll shout and expose this place… aren’t you?”
Zhong Li’s eyebrows furrowed, and she shook her head. “I don’t know why others tell you not to shout, but my doing so has its reasons. If you shout a lot during labor, there will be more air in your belly. When it’s time to expel the lochia, it will press on your stomach, causing you a lot of pain, and your belly will also become uncomfortable due to swelling.”
“So… that’s how it is… Mmm… hiss…” Hearing Zhong Li’s explanation, the woman smiled with relief, but before she could finish speaking, another wave of pain hit her. She bit her lip, trying her best not to cry out.
Seeing her suffering, Zhong Li wanted to help, but she was really not an obstetrician and didn’t know how to deliver a baby. What should she do?
“Can you… chat with me to alleviate… my pain?” the woman asked Zhong Li, looking pitiful.
Zhong Li nodded and pulled a chair to sit beside her.
The woman curled her lips. “My name is Wang Mei, what’s yours?”
Wang Mei?
Zhong Li raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t this the person who had come to Bei Tian An just two days ago? She was giving birth so quickly?