Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 87

Chapter 87

Lin Jiangshan and Ye Xi stopped their playful antics and quickly got up. Opening the door, they saw Ye Shan rushing out, not even bothering to put on his outer jacket.

Ye Xi hurried over and asked, “Brother, what happened?”

Ye Shan’s face was pale with worry. “Your sister-in-law is about to give birth!”

Ye Xi’s heart skipped a beat. “But she’s not due for a few more days, why so suddenly?”

It was raining and thundering, it would take a while to get the midwife, who lived in the next village.

“She was just resting when she said her stomach hurt, the pain wasn’t severe at first, and then her water broke!”

Liu Xiufeng also got up quickly. Hearing that her water had broken, she said, “We can’t delay! Quickly go and get the midwife, even someone from the village will do, we can’t be picky now, I’ll go check on her!”

Ye Shan immediately rushed out into the rain.

Lin Jiangshan said, “I’ll go ask around the village, see if any of the women can help.”

Ye Xi nodded. “Be careful.”

After the men left, Ye Xi went to the kitchen to boil water, and Father Ye helped by bringing firewood.

Li Ran lay on the kang inside, her forehead covered in sweat from the pain.

Liu Xiufeng, having given birth before, checked on her. Fortunately, it wasn’t an emergency yet, and there was no bleeding, which was a good sign.

“My good daughter-in-law, just bear with it, the child is impatient, wanting to come out on this stormy night,” Liu Xiufeng said, holding Li Ran’s hand comfortingly.

Ye Xi brought hot water and wiped Li Ran’s body. “Sister-in-law, don’t be afraid, my brother has gone to get the midwife, she’s experienced, and once she’s here, you’ll give birth soon.”

A few more claps of thunder and flashes of lightning lit up Shanxiu Village, the rain pouring down, making them even more anxious.

After waiting for a long time, Ye Xi couldn’t stand it anymore and paced anxiously by the door, looking out for his brother.

There was no one in sight in the dark and rainy night, only the sound of dogs barking in fear of the thunder.

Liu Xiufeng took a pair of scissors and a basin of hot water. “If he doesn’t come back soon, we’ll have to deliver the baby ourselves.”

Ye Xi’s hands trembled, he had no experience in childbirth, but it was his sister-in-law, his brother’s wife, and his nephew inside, he had to try.

“Mother, even if we don’t know how, we have to try our best.”

Liu Xiufeng and Ye Xi quickly checked Li Ran, and Ye Xi encouraged her, “Come on, Sister-in-law, push!”

Li Ran, in pain and fear, gripped Ye Xi’s hand and pushed with all her might.

Liu Xiufeng’s eyes were red with worry. “I’m afraid the baby is breech, she can’t deliver.”

They didn’t know how to turn the baby, and Li Ran was exhausted, her eyes rolling back, about to faint.

“If she can’t deliver soon, she’ll hemorrhage! And the baby will suffocate! Buddha! Our family hasn’t done anything wrong, why are you punishing us like this!” Liu Xiufeng knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

Ye Xi looked out the window anxiously. “Where’s Brother? Where’s the midwife?!”

A clap of thunder and a flash of lightning split the dark sky, and Lin Jiangshan rushed in with a woman.

Ye Xi’s eyes lit up. “Did you find the midwife?!”

Lin Jiangshan quickly led the woman inside, and Ye Xi realized it was Mother He.

“Aunt He, you know how to deliver babies?”

Mother He wiped the rain from her forehead and said quickly, “My mother and aunts in my family were all midwives before I got married, so I learned a few things from them. I even delivered my own children, I cut the umbilical cord myself.”

Ye Xi said, “I didn’t know you had such skills! Please, save my sister-in-law!”

Mother He comforted him, “Don’t worry, I’ll check on her, childbirth is never easy.”

She went inside, and Ye Xi quickly brought a basin of hot water.

Mother He examined Li Ran and felt her belly. “The baby is breech, his head isn’t down, it’s a breech presentation, she won’t be able to deliver even if she pushes until tomorrow.”

Liu Xiufeng asked, “Then what should we do? Should we get the doctor to administer acupuncture?”

Mother He rolled up her sleeves. “No need, I can turn the baby, once the head is down, she’ll be able to deliver.”

Ye Xi said, “Thank you, Auntie!”

Mother He bent down and felt Li Ran’s belly, locating the baby’s position, then pressed firmly on both sides, and Ye Xi saw her belly change shape.

After a while, Mother He felt the area below Li Ran’s navel. “Alright, the baby’s head is down now, quickly make some brown sugar water for her, to replenish her energy, so she can push.”

Ye Xi quickly went to the kitchen to make brown sugar water, and Father Ye boiled another pot of water, filling a basin with clean water, which Ye Xi brought in.

After drinking the brown sugar water, Li Ran regained some strength. Mother He wiped her body with hot water, placed a warm, wet cloth on her lower belly, and told her to relax.

When the baby started to descend, she held Li Ran’s hand. “Come on, push, don’t scream, just push with all your might.”

Li Ran gritted her teeth and pushed with all her strength, a wave of intense pain washing over her.

“The baby is almost here, take a few deep breaths, and push again,” Mother He said, pressing on her belly to help the baby descend.

This was a special technique, not known to ordinary people, a traditional midwifery skill.

Another wave of pain, Li Ran’s head was covered in sweat, her vision blurry, only hearing Mother He urging her to push.

Just as Ye Shan entered the courtyard, carrying the midwife on his back, a loud cry came from inside the house.

Ye Shan’s hands loosened, and the midwife fell to the ground, landing on all fours.

“She… she gave birth…”

Liu Xiufeng came out of the room and splashed a basin of hot water in the courtyard. Seeing Ye Shan standing there, stunned and weak-kneed, she shouted, “What are you standing there for?! She gave birth! Come and see!”

Ye Shan finally regained his composure and rushed inside.

Li Ran lay exhausted on the bed, a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes beside her.

Mother He exhaled and smiled. “It’s a boy, about seven or eight catties!”

Ye Xi, seeing his brother in a daze, quickly said, “Brother, go and change your clothes, so you can hold the baby.”

He was drenched and covered in mud, looking disheveled.

Ye Shan hurried to change. Now that the baby was born, everyone could finally relax.

The rain and thunder had been heavy tonight, and when he took a shortcut to get the midwife, the field ridge had collapsed, and the midwife slipped and fell into the muddy field, unable to move, her torch extinguished. He had to find her in the dark, pull her out, and carry her back on his back, which delayed them. Thankfully, Mother He was there.

Although the midwife didn’t deliver the baby, she had been through a lot tonight, so the Ye family still gave her twenty wen as a thank-you gift and let her rest in the side room.

Ye Xi finally had time to ask Lin Jiangshan, “How did you find Aunt He?”

Lin Jiangshan wiped the sweat from Ye Xi’s forehead with his sleeve, knowing that he must have been worried sick tonight. “You must have been terrified.”

Ye Xi finally relaxed and sighed, “I was, seeing Sister-in-law like that, I was afraid something would happen to her and the baby.”

Lin Jiangshan gently put his arm around his shoulder. “I went to the village to find the midwife, but I couldn’t find her, the village midwife, Mrs. Li, was away for the night, so I thought about finding someone who knew about childbirth.”

“With the heavy rain and thunder, I didn’t know what to do, so I went to knock on the village chief’s wife’s door, and the He children heard me. Little He opened the door and asked who I was looking for. I said my sister-in-law was giving birth and we needed a midwife. He quickly went inside and called his mother, who said she knew how to deliver babies, so she changed her clothes and came with me immediately.”

Ye Xi was grateful that he had inadvertently helped the He family, and his sister-in-law was safe now, truly, good deeds were rewarded.

Ye Shan changed his clothes and hurried to see his wife and baby. Liu Xiufeng had already wrapped Li Ran’s head with a cloth to protect her from the wind.

The baby, after crying a few times, was now sleeping peacefully. Li Ran didn’t have any milk yet, so they could only feed him some rice water for now.

Ye Xi asked Lin Jiangshan to go home and get some goat milk for the baby after the rain stopped, waiting for Li Ran’s milk to come in.

After a chaotic night, as dawn broke, the Ye family welcomed a new life.

Liu Xiufeng held Mother He’s hand and thanked her profusely. “Thank you so much, our whole family is grateful for your help.”

Mother He smiled. “It’s just a skill I happen to know, your Xi-ge’er has always been helping our family, it’s my way of repaying your kindness.”

Liu Xiufeng handed her a red envelope. “This is for you, not much, but a token of our appreciation!”

Mother He refused to accept it. She had done her best because of Xi-ge’er. “Your family didn’t mind that I’m a widow and let me deliver the baby, you’ve shown me great kindness, I can’t accept your money.”

Many families were particular about choosing midwives, preferring those who were blessed with good fortune, and they avoided widows, considered unlucky, afraid of bringing bad luck to the newborn.

Therefore, even though she had the skills, she rarely had the opportunity to use them.

Ye Xi pressed the red envelope into her hand. “We don’t think you’re unlucky, Auntie, you’re a blessed person, your children are filial and sensible, and when they grow up, you’ll have the best life in Shanxiu Village. And I’m also pregnant, I might need your help later, if you don’t accept the money today, I’ll be too embarrassed to ask for your help in the future.”

Mother He’s eyes reddened, and she finally accepted the red envelope. “Alright, I’ll definitely come and help you when you give birth, Xi-ge’er.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

After Mother He left, the rain stopped, and the rising sun peeked over the mountain, casting a golden glow over the valley.

Ye Shan, holding his baby, beamed with joy.