Chapter 48: Done For

Zhao Chunjiang's wife was in a daze, yet she could still sense that her parents-in-law had no intention of saving the child. She pleaded, "Mother, please save the child."

She raised her voice again, shouting, "Husband, save our daughter!"

Zhao Chunjiang said impatiently, "What do you old women know? Just listen to your parents."

Zhao Chunjiang's mother was also displeased and cursed, "It's not like we drowned her, so why the wailing? If she lives, she lives; if she doesn't, we have no money for treatment."

By the time Auntie Wang had cleaned up the parturient woman and buried the placenta, the infant had already breathed its last.

Zhao Chunjiang's mother said, "Sister, take the dead child to the reed marshes and bury it."

Auntie Wang looked at the naked, blood-stained corpse of the infant. Had there been timely treatment, the child would not have died.

Poor thing, born into this family.

With a heavy face, she said, "If I am to bury it, shouldn't I wrap it in some cloth first?"

Zhao Chunjiang's mother looked around and picked up a piece of tattered cloth from beside a large basin and handed it to Auntie Wang.

The cloth had been used just now, soaked in excrement, urine, and blood.

Auntie Wang wrapped the child in the cloth. "You are the child's grandparents and parents; how can you be so heartless?"

She extended a hand and said, "I have been busy for two days and one night. One string of cash. Shaoyao is a novice, but her waist support was quite good. Twenty wen of copper cash."

She knew Shaoyao certainly wouldn't get the money, but she had to say it.

Zhao Chunjiang's mother's face crumpled like a bun. "We just took in a dead child, and you want that much money? Can it be less?"

Auntie Wang retorted, "Two months ago, my girl said the baby's fetal heartbeat was abnormal and there was a possibility of a nuchal cord; it was you who refused to believe it. One string of cash, not a single wen less."

Zhao Chunjiang's mother's tone softened. "The family is poor. We'll give six hundred wen first, and pay the remaining four hundred wen slowly. If Midwife Feng were here, knowing we are poor, she wouldn't even ask for six hundred."

Auntie Wang snorted coldly, "My eldest sister was too kind-hearted and was eaten clean by those shameless people. I don't have my sister's good nature; not a single cent less.

"Hmph, we are from the same village, do you think I don't know your family's situation? With several able-bodied men in the house, I won't say you're wealthy, but you certainly have spare cash."

Outside the window, Old Man Zhao shouted, "What are you nagging about, you old woman? Give her eight hundred wen, and top it off with a sack of rice bran and a sack of sweet potatoes to make up the other two hundred. Shaoyao is here to learn a trade; she has no money, so give her two eggs."

Auntie Wang saw the rice bran and sweet potatoes; the sacks were small and worth at most a hundred and fifty wen. She was exhausted and did not want to argue further, so she carried the dead child back toward her home.

Shaoyao carried the rice bran and sweet potatoes.

On the way, Auntie Wang lectured Shaoyao, "I've told you so many times and you still won't change. Only a coarse country woman could endure you. Remember, your legs and arms must be steady, and your hands must be light. You can't use your whole body's strength all at once..."

Shaoyao said helplessly, "I practice against the doorpost every day, but my hands still won't obey me."

Near the doorstep, Auntie Wang stopped. "Go home and tell the girl to take incense and a fire striker to the reed marshes to bury the dead child."

Feng Chuchen walked out with Datou.

She was furious after hearing how that family had acted. "If Auntie Wang had asked for less money, a life could have been saved."

Auntie Wang shook her head. "With people like that, even if you didn't ask for money, they would think you are being meddlesome. Unless it's like Banxia, where you take the child home to raise. Once the child grows up, they'll just take them back to sell for money.

"In their eyes, the life of a sick child isn't worth as much as a sick pig. A sick pig can be cured and sold for money, but a sick child might not grow large; they fear spending money only to lose the child, resulting in nothing but wasted effort..."

Feng Chuchen was speechless. Who says all parents in this world are perfect?

She looked at the filthy cloth, then lifted it to glance at the dead child. The tiny, wrinkled face held no life, and the small body had already stiffened, covered in blood.

This child had two chances to live, but her family gave none.

Feng Chuchen went inside to find a small mat to wrap the dead child.

After burying the child and reciting the Sutra of Rebirth, Feng Chuchen walked to the plum tree and stood still.

Under the lingering glow of the setting sun, the withered branches trembled in the cold wind, yet they remained upright and straight, utterly fearless.

Only such a flower could thrive on this land.

Like her eldest aunt, it was born in the most barren soil, yet it bloomed the most magnificent flowers.

Auntie Wang gazed at the small mound of earth nearby.

Fourteen years had passed, and the small mound seemed to have sunken slightly, covered in pebbles and withered leaves.

She then looked at the figure under the sunset. Slender, tall, and handsome with a hint of heroic spirit, standing proud and dazzling like a plum blossom, unafraid of the wind and cold...

She truly looked like her eldest sister.

Feng Chuchen bent down to pick the withered leaves off the small mound, then went to the stream to shovel some fresh soil to cover it.

Having finished this, she broke into a light sweat. Suddenly, she felt the blood in her body flowing rapidly, as if gas were surging upward.

She sat on the ground, placed her palms upward on her thighs, and cast aside all distracting thoughts. Her intention moved with the gas, reaching the top of her head before sliding down to her heart, and finally dispersing to every nerve ending.

Auntie Wang had often seen her eldest sister practicing breathing exercises here, so she did not disturb Feng Chuchen.

More than fifteen minutes later, Feng Chuchen exhaled and opened her eyes.

It was a brand-new, exquisitely wonderful experience that left her entire body feeling refreshed and invigorated, having broken into a sweat.

After returning home, she first took a bath. Once finished, she picked up her silver needles and began to rotate them, closing her eyes to feel the *qi* swirling around the needles.

She hadn't performed acupuncture on anyone, yet she felt her technique had reached a new level.

Seeing her sister's joyful face, Feng Buji asked, "Sister, what are you happy about?"

Feng Chuchen pulled him close and said, "Sister's acupuncture technique has improved again—a great improvement."

Feng Buji jumped for joy. "Sister is as capable as Great Aunt!" Touching her hand, he added, "Sister, your hands are so cold. Wear more clothes; little ladies are too fond of beauty."

Since transmigrating, Feng Chuchen had felt that this body's temperature was slightly cooler than a normal person's, yet she did not fear the cold. At this moment, it felt even cooler than before...

Feng Chuchen searched her memories; it seemed her eldest aunt's hands were also very cold. She had taught the original owner acupuncture hand-in-hand, and the original owner would shiver every time, until she learned to perform the "Yin Spirit Needle," at which point the sensation became less obvious.

So, the body temperature was related to performing the Yin Spirit Needle.

The better one's Yin Spirit Needle technique, the cooler the body temperature.

Having realized this, Feng Chuchen was overjoyed and could not help but pull Feng Buji in for a kiss.

Feng Buji became incredibly bashful, the tips of his ears turning red.

"Sister."

Feng Chuchen laughed aloud and held him, saying, "Brother, you are only six; a kiss won't hurt."

The next morning, Auntie Wang was invited by the village head Liu of the neighboring village to assist with his daughter-in-law's delivery, and she invited Feng Chuchen as well.

The labor went smoothly, and a son was born shortly after the start of the Shen hour in the afternoon.

Feng Chuchen was not needed, but she was still given ten red eggs.

The two returned to Baima Village.

The red sun slanted toward the west, and a thin layer of snowflakes covered the vast land as the cold wind rolled in from all directions.

Wearing a thick, padded *beizi*, Auntie Wang shivered and gasped from the cold, but Feng Chuchen did not feel particularly cold. If she weren't afraid of standing out, she could have worn something even thinner.

Just as they reached the edge of the village, they saw a thirteen or fourteen-year-old youth walking toward them.

(End of Chapter)