CHAPTER 169: CHAPTER 169: PREGNANT

When it comes to undermining the situation, Yi Chichi knows exactly what’s going on with the old man and old lady. If she really could endure, she wouldn’t be having restless, sleepless nights.

"Let’s endure it for a few days. Once Aunt brings the medicine back, we’ll try the folk remedy."

That’s all they could do.

Three days later, Mu Da returned with the herbs after her shift. Yi Chichi ground the herbs into powder, then dry-fried it with salt until it was scalding. She applied it to the old man and the others.

Uncle Yaozi was watching on the side and asked Yi Chichi, seeing the old man and others flinch from the heat, "It won’t burn them?"

"It won’t."

Yi Chichi calmly replied as she wrapped the powder on Ye Yuntang’s leg, "There’s a layer in between."

Since it wasn’t applied directly on the skin, it couldn’t burn them.

Uncle Yaozi murmured in response, still skeptical about the efficacy of the medicine bags.

But he didn’t directly raise any doubts. Instead, he whispered quietly with Mu Da, who was observing the expressions of the old man and others, speaking so softly that Yi Chichi could only catch words like "effect" and "crying".

Yi Chichi ignored them. After wrapping the powder on Ye Yuntang, she pushed him onto the heated bed and, for good measure, covered him with a quilt.

Covered from head to toe, making everyone else’s mouths twitch.

The person was still alive, yet she wrapped him like a burial shroud.

Even Ye Yuntang didn’t fare much better. He wriggled his head out from the quilt and glared at Yi Chichi.

"Your uncle is still alive."

"That’s why I’m covering you."

Yi Chichi pulled up the quilt again, "Uncle, listen to me. You’ll feel much better if you sweat a bit, wipe down, and change clothes. You have more coldness in you than the old man and others."

What a good thing?

Ye Yuntang looked surprised, "You sure I’ll feel better after sweating?"

"I’m sure."

Before she finished speaking, Ye Yuntang ducked his head back in like a gopher.

"Uncle, Aunt, keep an eye on him. I’m going to boil some water."

If nothing goes wrong, they’ll all sweat. Whether it’s a big or small sweat is uncertain.

But it’d be good to have some hot water ready just in case.

"Alright, you go ahead."

So, Yi Chichi went to the kitchen to boil a large pot of boiling water. Once the fire in the kitchen roared, the temperature of the heated bed in the room began to rise sharply.

When she brought the water in, the old man and others were all drenched in sweat, gasping from the heat.

Uncle Yaozi and Mu Da were examining their hands as if they had discovered a new world, asking them how they felt now, if the wounds and lodged shrapnel or bullets still hurt, and such.

"A bit uncomfortable, but it’s not pain."

It felt like walking barefoot in shoes with sand that scratched the soles.

Compared to the previous pain, this discomfort was nothing.

"We can continue using it."

Mu Da concluded, making Yi Chichi very excited, "It’s useful?"

"The effect is very noticeable. We can watch its effects over time."

Usually, the initial use of a medicine is the most effective because the body hasn’t yet developed resistance, but the powder bags are external, differing significantly from internal medicine.

So, whether it’s a coincidence or truly effective can be seen over further usage.

This wasn’t something Yi Chichi could keep watching over, so she instructed Uncle Yaozi, "Tomorrow, after I go to work, please apply and record the medicine’s effects on the old man and the rest."

Uncle Yaozi nodded, "I’d do that even if you didn’t mention it."

At least he’s a local, living in the cowshed without anyone daring to say anything. Yi Chichi, a sent-down youth, had to avoid possible troubles.

So, it was decided this way.

In the coming days, Uncle Yaozi would go to the cowshed to apply the medicine to the old man and others.

After a few days of record-keeping, a course of treatment was finished, and they had to wait a few days before starting a second course.

Then, Uncle Yaozi, without the need to go to the cowshed, cheerfully took some medicine to Mr. Liu’s leg.

He was also a veteran who returned from the battlefield with leg problems. Though summers were fine, seasonal changes and winters were tough. Without good solutions before, he simply endured.

The painkillers applied for at the brigade medical office were essentially for Mr. Liu.

But often without medicine, Mr. Liu lived quite a difficult life.

After a few days of applications, Mr. Liu, feeling much lighter, sent Liu Lan to thank Yi Chichi for her contributed remedy.

"Here, my grandpa asked me to give you this gift."

She took out a few meat tickets from her pocket and handed them over. Yi Chichi looked at them, finding they totaled five pounds, with the latest expiration date at the end of February.

Since it was only early January, these meat tickets had a two-month expiration.

Yi Chichi, "??? Where did they come from?"

"Jun exchanged them with someone."

"Thank you."

She wasn’t being modest, directly putting the tickets in her pocket.

Liu Lan just laughed, "It’s us who should be thanking you."

Yi Chichi was about to speak when a violent dry retching sound came from the door, followed by Mr. Qian’s panicked voice.

"Wife, what’s wrong with you?"

"I don’t, don’t know."

Liu Xiaocao weakly said, "Quickly, help me in to see Uncle Yaozi."

Uncle Yaozi wasn’t there, as someone from the Red Flag Brigade next door had injured their head and called for a doctor, leaving for a house call.

Only Yi Chichi was there.

She and Liu Lan, hearing the commotion, rushed to the door, only to see Liu Xiaocao, wrapped up like a bear, weakly leaning on Qian Ping’an, being supported as they walked.

"Carry her!"

Liu Lan shouted in urgency, and Qian Ping’an was momentarily stunned before suddenly realizing, "Oh right, I can carry Xiao Cao!"

Before he finished speaking, he lifted Liu Xiaocao and ran towards Yi Chichi.

"Chichi, quickly have a look at her."

Yi Chichi, ?? Uh oh, what was she going to do if she couldn’t check the pulse?

"Let me take a look first."

Though feeling uncertain, she maintained a calm facade. This instantly reassured Qian Ping’an, who placed Liu Xiaocao on the examination bed as instructed.

Liu Xiaocao, anxious and uncertain, couldn’t help but speak up after seeing Yi Chichi holding her wrist without moving, "Chichi, what’s wrong with me?"

Yi Chichi hesitated. Her diagnosis seemed to show a pregnancy, but she wasn’t sure.

Fine, a verbal inquiry would be safer.

"Besides nausea and vomiting, is anything else uncomfortable?"

"No."

"When was your last period?"

Liu Xiaocao was taken aback, hesitated as she tried to recall, "I think it was around November 10th or something, I can’t remember clearly."

"November 20th."

In a critical moment, Mr. Qian could be counted on. Frankly admitting, "I returned that same day..."

He trailed off, a mix of embarrassment and awkwardness on his face.

Yi Chichi and the others instantly understood. This was them being excited to reunite, only to stop because of his wife’s discomfort.

Thus, the date was firmly in mind.

Yi Chichi calculated, "Pregnant."

It was now January 3rd, over ten days late, plus the nausea and loss of appetite matched pregnancy symptoms.

"Preg- Pregnant with what?"

The couple was dumbfounded, with Qian Ping’an especially looking incredulously at Yi Chichi.

She nodded, "You heard right. Xiao Cao is pregnant."

The couple looked at each other, and then—