Chapter 1293: Chapter 1271: Scaring People
Han Wuniang hasn’t eaten anything all morning. Now that the sky has turned dark, she still can’t eat, leaving her understandably uncomfortable.
Manbao had just finished her evening meal and encouraged her, “Why don’t you try getting out of bed and moving a bit? Once you pass gas, you can eat.”
Han Wuniang: “Pass gas?”
“That’s right,” Manbao explained. “Once you release the air trapped in your stomach, you can eat again.”
Han Wuniang: …
The others were puzzled. “Why do you have to wait until she passes gas to eat?”
“Passing gas helps the intestines recover,” Manbao said. “Don’t worry. If by tomorrow morning you still haven’t passed gas, I’ll use acupuncture to help you. But you also need to try moving a bit yourself; it’ll encourage the gas to come out.”
Han Wuniang half-understood, half-didn’t, but seeing Manbao’s insistence, she gritted her teeth and shifted slightly. Still, she couldn’t get out of bed—it hurt too much.
Manbao helped her move her legs, but seeing her cry out loudly in pain, Eldest Lady Han covered her mouth, wanting to help but not daring to reach out. After helping her for just a short while, Manbao stopped.
To be honest, Manbao had prepared several exercises to help release gas, but looking at Han Wuniang’s current state, it didn’t seem like she’d manage to do them.
Manbao sighed.
Han Wuniang drank some warm water, and later, when she felt too hungry to bear, Manbao reluctantly agreed to let her drink a bit of rice broth.
Initially, the kitchen had prepared vegetable soup because Manbao had mentioned vegetable soup was fine too.
So the kitchen used high-quality pork ribs to make a broth, adding fresh seasonal vegetables—a rarity at this time of year. When it was brought over, Manbao glanced at the meat in the soup and promptly took it for herself.
She said to the wide-eyed Han Wuniang, “This is all for your own good.”
Then she instructed the servants to bring Han Wuniang a bowl of rice broth from the kitchen.
Han Wuniang, who had been starving for a full day and night, was so weak the next morning that her vision blurred, and she felt utterly drained of strength. Manbao thought for a moment and then, taking a firm tone, forced her out of bed to shuffle a few steps with the help of the bed frame. Finally, seeing no other recourse, she performed acupuncture on her. “This is just a supplementary measure — it may or may not work.”
As it turned out, not long after the needles were placed, Han Wuniang began releasing a rapid succession of gas. Whether it was the acupuncture effect or just coincidental timing, Manbao wasn’t certain.
The sound of it didn’t faze Nanny Li and the other servants, but Eldest Lady Han turned her back with a faint expression of disgust.
Manbao also remained composed but quietly took a few steps back. Encouraging the embarrassed Han Wuniang, who looked like she wanted to hide under her blanket, she said, “That’s right! Just like that.”
Once the gas was released, food was allowed.
Manbao checked the wound, changed the dressing to her satisfaction, and administered a pain-relief injection. Then she advised, “Stick to liquid foods like broths and thin porridges. Avoid anything greasy. Rest and recover well.”
While sipping her soup, Han Wuniang noticed Manbao packing up her needle pouch to leave and asked, “Doctor Zhou Junior, are you leaving?”
Manbao nodded. “You’ve passed gas, and you didn’t have a fever last night. That’s pretty much it—what’s left is just recovery. Oh, and stay in this room; don’t let too many people come in. Have your household stock up on Atractylodes and prepare for a possible disinfection session. If necessary, we’ll fumigate again.”
Manbao invited Eldest Lady Han to walk her out, and just as they reached the door, they saw several ladies from the Li Residence approaching together to visit Han Wuniang. However, the maid at the doorway stopped them.
Manbao could tell the maid likely wouldn’t be able to hold them off for long. Sure enough, they soon called out to Eldest Lady Han, smiling as they asked, “Eldest Sister Han, how is Fifth Lady doing?”
Eldest Lady Han smiled back and replied, “Much better now. We’re truly grateful to all of you for your help. The household’s preparations were only so comprehensive thanks to your support.”
It was the ladies’ first chance to encounter Manbao directly after the surgery because previously she had either been in her guest room or staying in the birthing chamber with Han Wuniang. Their attempts to see her had all been blocked by Eldest Lady Han.
After asking about Han Wuniang, the ladies turned their attention to Manbao with a mix of curiosity, excitement, and skepticism. They wanted to inquire about Han Wuniang’s condition and expressed their desire to visit her.
What they really wanted, though, was to confirm whether Han Wuniang was truly alive and alert.
Manbao declined their request. However, seeing their still-excited expressions and Eldest Lady Han beginning to waver under their repeated appeals, she hesitated before saying, “Actually, cesarean sections aren’t all that difficult compared to other procedures. It’s just that no one has ever considered delivering a child this way before. Do you know why?”
The ladies were intrigued by this, especially since they had either given birth already or would likely do so again, and their faces showed genuine interest.
Manbao answered, “Because it’s very likely to result in death.”
The ladies: … Did that really need to be said?
Manbao continued, “Do you know why it’s so likely to result in death?”
Lady Li Er hesitated before guessing, “Because of the abdominal incision? Blood loss?”
Manbao nodded. “That’s one reason, but it’s also true that natural births can involve life-threatening hemorrhages.”
Manbao explained, “Suturing isn’t the most challenging part. The more you practice, the more adept you become. The real issue is something called ‘external evil.'”
Manbao gestured in the air. “External evil is everywhere—whether it’s spring breezes, summer drafts, autumn chills, or winter cold. Aside from illnesses originating from within the body, external diseases come from outside. We call those external evil.”
Manbao decided to share her understanding of illness with them before leaving. “Take a look—this is skin. It’s intact, with only fine pores.”
Pulling up her sleeve to show her arm, she said, “When external evil invades the body, it has to go through the nose, mouth, or these pores. But since hands are often exposed, the body develops natural resistance. Comparatively, external evil prefers to invade through the neck and respiratory passages, which are more sensitive and larger. That’s why, when you see a doctor for symptoms like colds, fevers, or dizziness, they’ll often tell you it’s due to external evil invading.”
The ladies were transfixed. This explanation was simple and easy to understand, and they nodded repeatedly. What next?
“So then one day, I made an incision on a particularly sensitive spot—the abdomen—and even opened it up. At that moment, all-pervasive external evil rushed into the body because it didn’t have to go through the skin anymore. Tell me, doesn’t that sound terrifying?” Manbao gestured as though slicing the air to vividly illustrate her point.
The ladies turned pale, visibly shaken by Manbao’s depiction.
Manbao continued, “Have you ever wondered why soldiers on the battlefield often don’t die from being struck down during combat but instead succumb afterward from their wounds?”
“It’s precisely because of this external evil. That’s what makes cesarean sections so dangerous.”
Eldest Lady Han was frightened as well. “Then what about Fifth Lady…”
“Fifth Lady is fine now because, before the surgery, I fumigated the room with Atractylodes and reduced the external evil inside significantly. I also meticulously cleaned my hands with medicinal solutions, covered my hair, and took every possible precaution.”