Chapter 1290: Chapter 1268: Retrieve the Child
Manbao put down the scalpel, gently reached her hand inside, carefully pulled out the baby’s foot, then lifted the baby slightly by the foot. Her other hand skillfully slid down to support the baby’s neck and head, and before long, she had the baby in her hands.
No one had expected it to happen so quickly. Ms. Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao froze in place for a moment. Manbao glanced at them and said, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and cut the umbilical cord!"
Before they could react, the midwife and Nanny Li, who were trembling but still functional, sprang into action, grabbing scissors and deftly cutting the umbilical cord.
Nanny Li brought over a soft piece of cotton cloth, wrapped the baby, and, along with the midwife, carried him away for cleaning. They cleared away the residue from the baby’s mouth and nose but were left a bit at a loss afterward.
At this moment, they should pat the baby and announce the good news loudly, but when they turned and saw Doctor Zhou Junior still busy with Fifth Lady, they dared not say anything.
The baby, however, clearly felt the change in his environment. He squirmed slightly and let out a faint cry.
Outside the screen, Li Sanlang froze upon hearing the baby’s cry. He stiffly turned his head toward Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Tan, asking uncertainly, "Did you hear the baby’s cry?"
Eldest Lady Han finally shifted her gaze from the wooden bed and turned to the midwife and Nanny Li. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
The midwife finally regained her emotions and happily exclaimed, "Congratulations, Eldest Lady, it’s a boy!"
Exchanging a glance with Nanny Li, they quickly cleaned the baby with warm water, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and carried him out to show Li Sanlang.
Li Sanlang was stunned. "So, so quick? How long has it been? What about Fifth Lady? How is she?"
"Well..." Nanny Li said awkwardly, "Third Master, we can’t really tell, but judging from Doctor Zhou Junior’s expression, it looks like things are okay?"
Eldest Lady Han also turned her gaze back to the wooden bed. After Manbao delivered the baby, she immediately began cleaning the placenta. Ms. Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao, both unmarried young women, were pale-faced and trembling as they assisted in stopping the bleeding and cleaning up the blood...
Doctor Xiao’s complexion grew increasingly pale. In the end, she couldn’t hold it in, retreated a step, put down her tools, and ran outside. Soon, the sound of her vomiting could be heard outside.
Manbao looked up at Ms. Doctor Liu, noticing that while her face was also pale, she could still hold her ground. She continued lowering her head to handle the task at hand.
After cleaning the placenta and ensuring there were no other issues, Manbao nodded and said, "Bring the needle and thread."
Ms. Doctor Liu immediately turned to fetch the suturing kit. She retrieved extremely fine sheep gut thread, the likes of which she hadn’t seen before, and handed it to Manbao.
Manbao threaded the needle while asking, "Imperial Doctor Tan?"
Imperial Doctor Tan replied, "No issues, her pulse is still stable."
Manbao nodded, needing first to suture the uterus. She paused to examine it thoroughly, confirming there was no active bleeding, and then began stitching.
Ms. Doctor Liu held gauze to staunch the abdominal bleeding. The two gradually found their rhythm, working together seamlessly. Doctor Xiao soon returned, wearing fresh clothes.
Manbao instructed her, "You go watch over the baby."
Doctor Xiao exhaled in relief, nodding repeatedly—anything to avoid getting closer. She turned to check on the baby’s condition.
The baby was in Imperial Doctor Liu’s hands. He had already examined the infant thoroughly and confirmed that, while premature and somewhat frail, there were no major issues. He watched as the midwife and Nanny Li tightly swaddled the baby.
Outside the screen, Li Sanlang was pacing anxiously. Why was so much time passing since the baby was delivered, and yet things inside were still unresolved?
Waiting outside, Minister Han was even more anxious. He also knew the baby had been delivered—he’d heard the crying through the door—but still, there was no word from inside.
Only Eldest Lady Han remained relatively composed, as she could see clearly that Zhou Man was still stitching...
She found it strange: Could a stomach really be stitched up like a piece of clothing? And what about the things inside...
She couldn’t resist stepping forward a few paces, though she couldn’t see clearly—and only saw Zhou Man stitching something that resembled a membrane.
Manbao moved her neck to ease the soreness, then continued her work.
Roughly two more quarters of an hour passed before she finished suturing the muscular and serous layers of the uterus and then turned her attention to the abdominal cavity.
She meticulously stitched the muscles, fascia, and other layers separately. Nearly another two quarters of an hour passed before she finished closing the abdomen.
Eldest Lady Han’s legs were already sore from standing.
Ms. Doctor Liu’s complexion had returned to normal. She retrieved the medication and assisted Manbao in applying it and dressing the wound, before they started cleaning the patient’s blood-stained body.
Nanny Li, her legs still weak, stepped forward to help put Fifth Lady’s clothes back on. After covering her with a blanket and seeing she was still unconscious, Nanny Li couldn’t help reaching out to check her breath.
Manbao looked at her expressionlessly. After Nanny Li confirmed breathing and sighed in relief, Manbao asked bluntly, "Well? Is she alive?"
Nanny Li finally snapped out of it, smiling awkwardly at Manbao.
Manbao smiled faintly, not minding too much. She untied the silk thread from her fingers, reached out to check Fifth Lady’s pulse, and said, "She should wake up in a little while, but for now, we can’t afford to be careless. Let’s wait until three days have passed."
Manbao stepped out from behind the screen. Li Sanlang was about to rush inside to check on her, but Manbao stopped him briefly and said, "You can go in, but from now on, try not to let many people enter this room. Limit the number of visitors daily to avoid contaminating her wound."
Li Sanlang paused, withdrawing his urge to dash inside. He stood on tiptoe to take a look and asked, "She’s fine, right?"
"The surgery was relatively successful, but we must tread carefully going forward—make sure she doesn’t get an infection or experience emotional distress. The former could lead to fatal inflammation, the latter could cause massive hemorrhage."
Eldest Lady Han, having just confirmed that her younger sister was indeed alive, was startled by this and decided to stay overnight. She didn’t want the commotion from other curious people at Li Residence disturbing her.
Imperial Doctor Tan and Imperial Doctor Liu, though they hadn’t witnessed the surgery, had spent over half an hour monitoring the pulse and decided they’d call Ms. Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao to them later for further discussion.
Manbao turned to check on the baby. He was her very first Cesarean-delivered infant. She touched his tiny hand, confirmed no significant issues, and stepped out to share updates with Minister Han and Li Sanlang.
"She still can’t eat yet." Manbao, knowing Fifth Lady suffered from diabetes, hesitated before adding, "Never mind, I’ll stay here overnight to monitor whether she can pass gas."
Minister Han let out a sigh of relief, quickly expressing his gratitude. "Thank you, Young Lady Zhou."
Manbao added, "In the future, it’s best for her not to get pregnant again. Cesarean sections cause significant trauma to the mother’s body, and given her physical condition, natural childbirth would be nearly impossible."
Minister Han looked toward his son-in-law.
Li Sanlang hastily declared, "No more, I’ll definitely persuade her once she recovers!"
Just one childbirth had nearly cost him his life; he wouldn’t dare risk a second.
Given that decision, the baby became all the more important. Minister Han promptly began cozying up to Imperial Doctor Tan.