CHAPTER 85: CHAPTER 85: UNSTABLE FETUS

Unexpectedly, she developed a fever just after getting pregnant, and Xiaomi didn’t foresee this, even feeling a bit anxious.

Though she had fever-reducing medicine in her space, she dared not give it to Aunt Wang Xiang.

This fever medicine is Western medicine, and giving it to those here who have never taken it would certainly be very effective.

However, she dared not, not because she dared not take it out, but because she dared not let Aunt Wang Xiang take it, fearing it might harm the fetus.

Fortunately, Xiaomi promptly reminded Liu Yang, and though cabbage leaves as a fever reducer seemed a bit odd, they are, after all, cool, and applying them to the forehead along with wiping the neck and underarms with a wet cloth is considered a physical measure against fever.

Jiang Hu dared not delay, driving the ox cart at an even faster pace than before to reach the town steadily.

Being familiar with the town, he knew the medicine shop’s location from having brought his second wife to see the doctor before. Without waiting for Liu Yang to say much, he drove the ox cart directly to the shop’s entrance.

The little apprentice had just opened the door when Liu Yang rushed in, carrying his wife hurriedly.

Since Liu Yang used a wet cloth to wipe Wang Xiang’s neck and underarms while on the carriage, her collar was somewhat disheveled, scaring the apprentice who thought something serious had happened.

Luckily, Liu Yang quickly explained that his wife was ill, allowing the apprentice to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Place the patient here first, I’ll call the master," said the apprentice, leading Liu Yang inside, with the second wife carrying Xiaomi following.

Jiang Hu glanced at the ox cart: "Second Wife, wait here and see if there’s anything you can help with. I’ll deliver the vegetables to the restaurant first."

She nodded and told the eldest and the second child to get off as well.

Knowing it’s about a pregnant woman with a fever, a matter of life and death, the doctor arrived quickly, without even tying his hair properly.

Wang Xiang lay on the sickbed, with Liu Yang standing anxiously beside her. As soon as the doctor finished taking her pulse, Liu Yang hurriedly asked, "How is it, doctor? Is my wife alright?"

The doctor’s expression was quite ordinary: "It’s nothing serious, just a slight fever, not severe. Fortunately, you brought her in time, otherwise the mother might have been fine, but the child would not have survived."

Liu Yang immediately let out a long breath of relief.

Who knew the doctor would stroke his beard slowly, adding, "But..."

Not only Liu Yang, but even Xiaomi’s heart skipped a beat.

At such times, one fears hearing ’but, however.’

"But what? Doctor, don’t scare me, didn’t you just say it’s nothing serious?"

The doctor chuckled twice: "No worries, no worries, it’s just that your wife’s body isn’t particularly strong. She had a miscarriage before, didn’t she?"

Liu Yang quickly nodded: "That happened last year, we lost a child while fleeing."

The doctor had a knowing look: "Yes, she didn’t properly recover after the miscarriage, leaving an underlying ailment. Normally, it would be very difficult for her to conceive again."

"What!" Liu Yang was shocked, his eyes widening.

The doctor waved his hand: "Don’t rush, let me finish. I said before, but it’s apparent that your wife has been recovering well lately. It’s just that her pregnancy might be more strenuous than for other women. She should rest more, avoid overworking, or it might endanger both her and the child."

Liu Yang let out a sigh of relief, then frowned slightly: "Yes, everything was fine before, but the past few days I’ve been managing the paddy fields. She helped me all morning, and then started feeling unwell in the afternoon."

But not realizing how serious it was then, they only sought the village doctor in the afternoon, discovering she was pregnant. They intended to let her rest well, but didn’t expect her condition to worsen at night.

The doctor had begun writing a prescription, the flamboyant handwriting making Xiaomi dizzy, and she realized she didn’t recognize a single word of it.

Indeed, the doctor’s writing is the same throughout the ages! Always a secret code!

After writing the prescription, the doctor sent the apprentice to prepare and decoct the medicine, then turned back to Liu Yang.

"Your wife’s pregnancy is unstable; she needs to rest properly these days. Where are you staying, is it far? If inconvenient, you can stay at the medicine shop for a day, and find a carriage to return tomorrow."

Staying at a medicine shop is quite normal, like this room now, with several sickbeds set up specifically for distant patients to stay over, with rates a bit cheaper than staying at an inn.

Liu Yang thanked profusely, paid the consultation fee, and the doctor advised him to boil some hot water to help Wang Xiang wipe her body and reduce the fever quickly.

Naturally, Liu Yang went promptly, requesting Second Wife to help care for his wife.

Wang Xiang was feeling much better now, though she remained quietly laying, not daring to sit up.

Touching her belly, she felt lingering fear: "Thanks to Second Wife and you all, lest I might’ve lost this child."

Second Wife chuckled: "How’s it our credit? Wasn’t it just meant to be yours, so it’s yours."

Knowing about Wang Xiang’s previous loss, now seeing her pregnant again, she felt happy for her.

Wang Xiang shook her head: "Had it not been for you, Liu Yang and I would still be on the road now, not knowing when we’d reach the town."

Then she looked at Xiaomi: "Xiaomi was the first to notice my fever. Had it not been for her, I might have been burned senseless, with no hope for the child."

Being pregnant, one fears fever the most; it not only risks miscarriage but may damage the child’s brain, resulting in a dull-witted child.

During that time, in discomfort and daze, she didn’t even realize she had a fever. Luckily, Xiaomi suddenly slapped a cabbage leaf on her face, and the icy sensation shocked her, regaining some clarity.

It was also due to Xiaomi’s actions that her husband noticed she had a fever, Second Wife used a wet cloth, and she got a bit better.

Saying this, Wang Xiang couldn’t help but look at Xiaomi, who had already fallen asleep again on her mother’s shoulder.

Wang Xiang couldn’t help but smile: "She truly is a Little Lucky Star; those around her are blessed with fortune."

Second Wife gently patted Xiaomi’s back, smiled quietly without saying much.

Liu Yang soon brought the hot water over; seeing him about to wipe Wang Xiang’s body, Second Wife led the eldest, the second child, and also Iron Egg, out.

The apprentice was decocting the medicine in the yard, and the doctor, presumably back in his room, was nowhere to be seen, with the outside just barely breaking dawn.

Second Wife found a seat outside the medicine shop, calling over Iron Egg so that the eldest could rest for a bit.

It wasn’t just the two younger ones, even the two older ones hadn’t fully woken up. Originally, they planned to leisurely reach the town, just in time for dawn. Others could catch some sleep in the ox cart.

But due to Wang Xiang’s illness, not only did the ox cart speed up, but the children didn’t get a chance to take a nap, with few people at the market, thus lacking in spirit.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Jiang Hu came over with two bowls of wonton.

"Liu Yang, you haven’t eaten breakfast, right? The wontons taste good, you and your sister-in-law should have some first."

Liu Yang declined: "I couldn’t possibly, Brother Jiang, you all have it, I can go buy something myself later."

Jiang Hu directly placed the two bowls of wonton on the small table next to the sickbed.

"If you’re not hungry, consider your sister-in-law is still ill. The wonton stand is on another street; I can only carry two bowls at a time. You eat first, I’ll take Second Wife and the kids over to eat."

Liu Yang hesitated for a moment but didn’t refuse further, beginning to find money: "Brother Jiang, how much for the wonton, let me pay you."

This was firmly rejected by Jiang Hu with a stern face, who then walked away with his family.

Liu Yang handed a bowl of wonton to Wang Xiang: "Brother Jiang and the others are really good people. They’ve helped us so many times over and over."

Wang Xiang nodded.

The warm wonton going down felt like it eased the stomach discomfort.