"Rather plain!"
Qin Liuxi: "..."
"You might be fair to look upon, but what good is that when facing the fate of losing everything?"
Qin's elderly lady coughed lightly, casting an annoyed glance at Wan Shi. Was this the time for such comments?
"Ignorant!"
Wan Shi immediately faltered.
Qin's elderly lady then inquired, "Where are the children?"
Xie Shi hastened to respond, "Pan Aunt has taken them to settle down. Mother, what about Third Sister-in-law?"
She looked towards Gu Shi lying on the bed, her eyes carrying a hint of sympathy. Though she usually found Gu Shi's passive demeanor irksome, now, as fellow women enduring hardship, she felt some concern for her.
"She has not yet given birth," Wang Shi replied first, then turned to Qin's elderly lady, "Mother, you should go down and freshen up, have a bowl of ginger soup. We'll manage here."
"Madam and Auntie, please go. You've both been caught in the rain. We've all had our soup. We'll look after things here for now," Wan Shi added.
Qin's elderly lady approached the bedside of her daughter-in-law and, seeing her in pain, advised, "Gu Shi, don't exert yourself too much. You're expecting twins."
Gu Shi opened her eyes slightly, tears streaming down her face, her expression somewhat bewildered and panicked. "Mother, I..."
Qin's elderly lady placed a hand over her mouth. "Don't be afraid. We're here for you." She then looked at Qin Liuxi. "Prepare hot water, basin, scissors, bedding, and cloth. If possible, summon a doctor. Add some brown sugar and eggs to the ginger soup to replenish your sister-in-law's strength. If there are ginseng slices, prepare them as well."
She was preparing for the worst, ready to assist in childbirth if the midwife didn't arrive.
Fortunately, though delayed, the midwife arrived.
After a thorough examination, the midwife's expression soured. Setting aside the blanket covering the expectant mother, she approached Qin Liuxi.
Just as Qin's elderly lady was about to inquire, she saw the midwife bow to Qin Liuxi and was momentarily taken aback.
"Miss, Madam's term is not yet complete, but she's experiencing premature rupture of membranes, with no cervical dilation. She may need oxytocin and some preparation. Please advise, Miss."
While Qin Liuxi didn't react much to this, the women present all had their expressions changed.
Having been through childbirth, most of them were mothers and knew well the perilous journey it was. If Qin's Third Lady failed in this test, it could be a matter of life and death.
Understanding this, Qin's elderly lady's legs weakened, her wrinkled face growing even more tired and dejected.
The two aunts had already started quietly weeping. Qin's elderly lady found their mourning distasteful and rebuked sternly, "Stop crying, get out."
The crying ceased abruptly.
Qin Liuxi then said, "Grandmother, what do you think?"
Qin's elderly lady, weary, replied, "Have the doctor prescribe medicine to sustain her through."
Qin Liuxi nodded and glanced at Qihuang. The two then left the room.
"Go to my small storage room and gather the herbs, then brew them yourself," Qin Liuxi softly instructed Qihuang about several medicinal herbs.
Without any objection, Qihuang hurried downstairs.
Qin Liuxi, looking through the window at the dimly lit figures inside the room, rubbed her brow, sighed, and fetched the medicine box, heading to the adjacent room.
Opening the medicine box, she took out paper, pen, and dark red cinnabar. With a focused expression, she concentrated her qi, took up her brush, and began drawing talismans.
Her strokes were steady and swift, the sharp tip of her brush piercing the paper with such force that it seemed to emit a golden light. After the flash of light, the incomprehensible lines on the paper suddenly became dynamic.