Within the undulating hills, a narrow path meandered through the mountains.
Wei Ruo was walking along this path with a bamboo basket on her back. It was early spring. The weather was just right, and the sunset glow was shining on her fair face.
Though Yunping Mountain was far for her, the mountain was abundant in rare wild medicinal herbs, which made her early-morning journey worthwhile.
Not long after she got out of the mountain trail and turned into the official road, she heard a noisy group of people, coming from not far away.
A grand carriage was parked on the side of the road, surrounded by a group of followers. It was a large entourage.
Wei Ruo stopped, thought for a moment, and then carried on, pretending not to notice them, adhering to her 'the less trouble, the better' mentality.
However, they noticed her. A man dressed in exquisite clothing briskly walked over to her and blocked her path: "Where is the nearest doctor's clinic?"
His voice was frantic, and his expression was almost scaring.
"There isn't a doctor's clinic nearby. The nearest one is in the county town which is about seventy or eighty miles away," Wei Ruo answered, keeping her head lowered.
"What about a midwife? Is there a village nearby with a midwife?" The man asked again.
"No."
Wei Ruo's answer made the man's face increasingly gloomy.
Seeing that the man didn't ask any more questions, Wei Ruo, not wanting to meddle in other's affairs, turned around to leave.
She had hardly taken two steps when a woman's agonized scream echoed from the carriage, followed by the anxious voices of the maids:
"Madam, hold on. You will be fine. We will find a doctor soon."
"Feet, I see feet! What do we do? It's feet! Someone is going to die!"
"Water, get hot water and ginseng tea quickly!"
Wei Ruo couldn't help but stop in her tracks, frowning.
The woman in the carriage was evidently giving birth and in a very critical state.
Should she help?
It was better not to interfere, lest she invites trouble upon herself. The look of this group of people was not particularly pleasant.
Just as she decided to carry on walking, another round of screams from the woman echoed out.
How could she keep walking? This was a matter of life and death, and it involved a child!
Wei Ruo glanced at her bamboo basket, pondered for two seconds, and then, unable to resist the urge, she turned back.
As Wei Ruo approached the carriage, the followers immediately tried to stop her.
"I have some medical skills, and coincidentally, I have some fresh herbs in my basket. If you choose to trust me, let me get into the carriage now, or I will leave," she succinctly presented the man with two choices.
He should make up his mind quickly. If he refused her help, she would immediately leave. It would be simpler that way!
The man was at a loss at these words. Upon hearing that the maids saw the foot of the baby, he knew that if a baby was born foot-first, it was as good as stepping into the Ghost Gate!
Another bout of screams echoed from inside the carriage, each one landing like a heavy blow to his heart.
The man didn't have time to ponder anymore: "Give it a try. Save my wife and child, and I will ensure your future is filled with prosperity!"
Upon receiving consent, Wei Ruo quickly climbed into the carriage.
Inside the carriage, an elegantly dressed woman was moaning in pain, drenched in sweat, tightly clutching the hands of her maids.
Wei Ruo looked down; the amniotic fluid had broken, and the fetus was in an abnormal position, making childbirth difficult.
Thankfully, not all of the amniotic fluid had drained, and the baby's leg had not fully entered the birth canal.
Wei Ruo fumbled through her bamboo basket and found a cloth bundle inside, which contained several needles for acupuncture and some essential drugs.
She took out two pieces of dried ginseng for the woman to hold in her mouth, and told the maids to prepare some sweetened water or soup for the woman.
Wei Ruo tried to calm the woman: "Don't cry, don't shout, save your energy. I am going to use acupuncture to relieve your pain, then I will help correct the fetal position. Don't be nervous, try to relax as much as possible."
What? Correct the fetal position?
At such a time?
And needles too?
The maids looked at each other, their faces pale.
This was a task even the most experienced midwives in the capital city dared not attempt! Correcting the fetal position at this point was far too risky!
Wei Ruo said nothing more. She quickly washed her hands with the available hot water, opened her acupuncture kit, and started inserting the long silver needles into specific points on the woman's body.
Within moments, the woman's body was pierced by more than ten silver needles, which noticeably eased her labor pains.
Then, much to the disbelief of the maids, she pushed the protruding baby's foot back into the womb!
The maids looked on in horror, almost screaming out in shock.
Next, Wei Ruo placed her hands on the woman's belly and slowly maneuvered the child within, as if performing tai chi.
The maids inside the carriage were once again left speechless by this spectacle; the child within was truly moving!
As time passed agonizingly slowly, the waiting crowd outside the carriage grew increasingly anxious, feeling as if they were being roasted on a grill.
Could that girl from earlier do it?
She could, right? But what if she couldn't... What then?
"May the Gods bless us, may the Buddha protect us!"
An hour later, the sound of a baby's first cry pierced through the gloom hanging over the crowd's heads.
Everyone looked towards the carriage in surprise and joy, soon erupting into cheer.
With the cheering crowd outside, Wei Ruo inside the carriage managed to tend to the baby's umbilical cord and stop the woman's bleeding.
Wiping off the sweat from her forehead, Wei Ruo sighed in relief and climbed down from the carriage, her body weary.
As soon as she said that they could now see the woman, the elegantly dressed man eagerly climbed into the carriage to see his wife.
After a while, urged by his wife, the man disembarked from the carriage to find Wei Ruo and give her a generous reward in thanks. Instead, he found that the woman who had just saved his wife had disappeared without a trace...
He had promised prosperity to the woman. Why had she left without a word?
On the way home, Wei Ruo began feeling regret.
The ginseng pieces she offered the woman and the hemostatic herbs she used weren't exactly cheap!
Wei Ruo thought to herself, if there was a next time, she had to ask for some sort of compensation!
Carrying her basket on her back, Wei Ruo headed towards home. Normally, it would take slightly over an hour to reach home, but her rescue operation had drained her energy, making it hard to continue walking.
Three hours later, Wei Ruo arrived at a small isolated courtyard.
This was where she had been living for the past ten years: bleary roof tiles, white walls, green bricks, conveying a sense of decay.