Chapter 15: Under the Embrace of Life

Sister-in-law Li described the events to the Li family with great animation, and after hurriedly taking a sip of water, she continued to recount the great merit Li Sanniang had performed that day.

Sister-in-law Li even mimicked Li Sanniang’s actions in saving the young boy, using the third-youngest child, eight-year-old Li Silang, as an actor to simulate the scene.

She concluded by saying that the lady surnamed Qian might come to their home to express her gratitude.

This vivid, on-the-spot description left everyone with no appetite for their meal. They hastily swallowed the sweet potatoes in their mouths, cleared the bowls and plates, and the four little ones each poured a cup of clear tea for everyone.

Second Brother Li lit some mugwort around the gathering to ward off mosquitoes, and only then did everyone begin to chime in with questions for Li Sanniang.

"Auntie, how much strength did you use to press the young boy's abdomen? If it were a grown man, could he be saved in the same way?"

This question came from Eldest Brother Li. It wasn't that there were no young men who could read and knew martial arts, and the sons of noble families were all taught such things, but for a commoner family to have such a son, there was no one who wouldn't be proud. They always wanted to show off their descendants to acquaintances to save face.

Eldest Brother Li was the very descendant the Li family would show off to outsiders.

"Auntie, why does such an action save the boy? Is there some trick to it?"

This question came from the exceptionally clever Second Brother Li, whose little brain always thought more than others.

Li Sanniang turned her gaze toward Third Brother Li, but he said nothing.

"Does Third Brother have any questions?"

"Auntie, I have no questions. It is enough to know that Auntie saving that boy was a great and virtuous deed."

The thoughts of such kind and simple people were plain, yet they warmed the heart.

"And Fourth Brother?"

"Auntie, when are we going to eat those pastries? I just looked, and there are several kinds I’ve never eaten before."

Hearing Li Silang’s gluttonous remark, everyone burst into loud laughter.

Li Silang felt a bit strange, wondering why everyone was laughing when he hadn't said anything funny.

Feeling somewhat at a loss, Li Silang looked at Eldest Brother Li as he usually did, hoping for an explanation.

Eldest Brother Li wiped the smile from his lips, reached out to pat the little tuft of hair on Li Silang’s head, and shook his head, saying, "It’s nothing. They just don't understand you. We’ll eat the pastries tomorrow; you’ve already eaten plenty for dinner, and eating too much will cause indigestion."

Li Silang nodded obediently and stopped worrying about why everyone was laughing.

Children with fewer worries live happier lives.

Little Luzhu, sitting nearby, looked at Li Sanniang and then at Li Silang, her little eyes darting around. Although she didn't understand why they were laughing at Li Silang, she could sense they were teasing him, so she didn't speak, merely sitting on her own small bamboo stool and stroking the fur of Xiao Huang, who was lying on her lap.

Even though Xiao Huang was a short-haired dog, Luzhu dutifully stroked his fur, occasionally scratching Xiao Huang’s chin and his chubby little belly.

Li Sanniang watched little Luzhu, who was so clever and already knew how to read the expressions of adults at such a young age, and found her incredibly adorable. She instantly missed her modern smartphone; this was the perfect moment for a photo.

"Eldest Brother’s question is crucial. I didn't just press the boy's abdomen; I pressed the upper abdomen, the area between the navel and the sternum.

The amount of force depends on the age and build of the person being saved. For a child, a little force is enough, but for a grown man or someone as sturdy as Eldest Brother, you must use great force—though not too much, to prevent breaking the sternum."

As she spoke, Li Sanniang beckoned Eldest Brother Li over and demonstrated the position on his upper abdomen.

"Furthermore, this method can be used for self-rescue. Those with strength can clench their fist and thrust it into this position, while those with less strength can find a hard object and press their upper abdomen against it—like the corner of this bamboo chair. Through repeated thrusts, the obstruction can be forced out of the airway."

"As for the reason Second Brother asked, it is also quite simple. Second Brother, go into the room and get your father’s waterskin; I will demonstrate it for you. It will be easy to understand."

Once Second Brother Li brought the sheepskin waterskin that Eldest Brother Li carried to work every day, Li Sanniang poured the water onto the roots of the jujube tree in the courtyard. She blew air into the waterskin to inflate it, quickly plugged it with a wooden stopper, but did not tighten it.

Li Sanniang then had Second Brother Li fetch a slice of Angelica dahurica from the herb storage, breaking it into a piece slightly larger than the mouth of the waterskin. She held the piece of Angelica, quickly opened the stopper, placed it at the mouth of the waterskin, and then squeezed the bottom of the waterskin with both hands. Instantly, the piece of Angelica stuck in the mouth of the waterskin flew out.

The Li family members were stunned. The quickest to react was Father Li, who stroked his carefully groomed beard and realized with a start, "This waterskin is like a person's lungs. Just as it says in the booklets issued by the Imperial Medical Bureau, a person's lungs contain air and can inhale and exhale. If you use your fist to strike the upper abdomen, it forces the air in the lungs toward the airway, thereby coughing out the obstruction."

"Father has summarized it perfectly; that is exactly the meaning."

Hearing Father Li’s words, everyone who understood nodded, and even Li Silang, Luzhu, and Xiao Huang followed suit.

"Third Brother said this was a good deed, and I think so too. Now that the world is at peace, there is no family that does not love their children; whether it is a boy or a girl, parents fear losing them."

Li Sanniang looked around the circle, and only after seeing a touch of tenderness on the faces of Father and Mother Li did she continue: "I have always remembered following Father to memorize herbs and prescriptions when I was young, watching him diagnose and prescribe, and watching Mother deliver babies. I felt that relieving or curing people's pain and bringing new life to families was a virtuous deed."

"Father often told Second Brother and me that poor people only come for medical help when they can no longer endure it, so helping them is a good deed."

"I often watched Father waive the consultation fees and sell medicine at a loss. I thought that if I were to succeed in my studies in the future, I would do the same, so as not to waste Father’s teachings."

"So, let’s forget about the 'great merit' talk. I just happened to be there, that’s all."

Li Sanniang’s emotional confession left Father and Mother Li feeling a bittersweet ache. Father Li remembered when Li Sanniang was still a little girl with a small tuft of hair, following him to the clinic. So many years had passed, and though the little girl now had her own little ones, she still remembered her father’s words and deeds.

Mother Li, however, remembered how bold Li Sanniang was when she was young, insisting on following her to people's homes to see how women gave birth before she had even reached the age of fifteen.

But all these years later, that girl with the bright smile not only had her own treasures but also remembered what she had said: if you have the ability, help others; every good deed counts. She was truly her own thoughtful, precious daughter.

Father Li signaled to Eldest Brother Li that once he had heard this, he should return to his room to practice his calligraphy, and not to forget the ten pages of calligraphy each of them owed him by the end of the month.

After sending the four little ones back to their rooms, it was late, and little Luzhu was getting sleepy. She squinted her eyes, yet insisted on stroking Xiao Huang’s fur. Xiao Huang lay there obediently, letting her do as she pleased.

Li Sanniang scooped Luzhu into her arms and patted her back, and before long, Luzhu was lulled to sleep.

Very well, the children were all off-duty for now; it was time for an adult conversation.

"The Lady Qian that Sanniang mentioned must be the daughter-in-law of the Dali Temple Shaoqing, Qian Shaoqing. That young boy must be Lady Qian’s only child."

"Rumor has it that last year, the Qian family’s young boy followed Qian Shaoqing to Jiangnan to investigate a case, encountered water bandits, and barely escaped with his life. He was once so weak he couldn't even get out of bed."

"Rumors shouldn't be fully trusted, but the boy Sanniang saved is indeed their only child, so this is no small matter."

Eldest Brother Li didn't think there was any profit to be made from saving the child of a high-ranking official; rather, he felt that getting involved with such a family could bring significant trouble.

For one, the position of Dali Temple Shaoqing was not an easy one to hold. This Qian Shaoqing had only been promoted to Shaoqing last year after taking his son to Jiangnan to investigate a major case. The previous Shaoqing had been taken down after the 'Bad Men' (Buliangren) found evidence that he had accepted bribes from noble families to cover up the case. It had unraveled a whole chain of corruption, and Emperor Wu never pardoned such parasites.

It had rained heavily at the time; otherwise, the stench of blood in front of the Jingzhao Prefecture office wouldn't have dissipated so quickly.

"Eldest Brother, there is no need to be so nervous. Such a family will naturally not make a scene; they will likely send a calling card and come quietly. We have acted uprightly and correctly; if trouble comes, we will find a way to solve it. Look at it another way: having some connection like this can be considered an extra contact for our family."

Second Brother Li, not being in the officialdom, didn't share Eldest Brother Li’s worries. After offering a few words of comfort, he asked Li Sanniang with great curiosity: "Sanniang, where did you learn this method? Or did someone teach you? It is truly miraculous."

Father Li didn't speak, but he was equally puzzled. Everything Li Sanniang had learned had been taught by him since she was a child. Although she had some talent for modifying prescriptions, this first-aid method was something entirely new.

Father Li wondered if it had been written in the books recently printed by the Imperial Medical Bureau.

"Second Brother, have any new books been sent to the Alliance recently?"

"Father, not recently. If there were new books, I would have brought them to you first."

After Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he vigorously promoted the formation of alliances across all trades to discuss techniques and promote development and progress.

The Imperial Medical Bureau had gathered famous doctors, registered practitioners in Chang'an, and major medicine merchants to hold a meeting, announcing the establishment of their own publishing house. In the future, they would print medical classics, and any family with rare books could send them to be printed, aiming to implement Emperor Wu’s vision of "letting a hundred schools of thought contend" and promoting medical progress.

Therefore, almost every family at the meeting had paid a deposit to buy the medical books printed by the Imperial Medical Bureau’s publishing house. In addition to existing books, the Bureau had later issued many pamphlets. Many doctors had verified that the methods written in them were effective, leading even village doctors outside Chang'an who knew a few prescriptions and folk remedies to ask peddlers to bring these pamphlets. Those who couldn't read would find a scholar to read them aloud.

In fact, when Li Sanniang and Sister-in-law Li were riding the donkey cart home that evening, she had been thinking about how to justify knowing this first-aid method.

Li Sanniang had considered brazenly claiming she had thought of it herself, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. After all, she was merely a practitioner standing on the shoulders of giants; plagiarism was shameful.

She could say she had accidentally read it in a book, but then the questions would follow: when and where did she read it? Where was the book? Were there other first-aid methods?

One lie requires countless lies to cover it up, and eventually, her cover would definitely be blown.

Therefore, Li Sanniang decided to tell a perfect, untraceable lie!

Thanks to Huai Xun 1 for the 10th time for the 5 recommendation tickets, thank you very much!

I plan to revise the already published chapters over the next two days. The first three chapters were written too wordily. Without changing the overall direction of the story, there is no need to deliberately go back and read them again.

Finally, I wish everyone a wonderful weekend.

(End of chapter)