Chapter 154: Similar Abnormalities in the Pulse of the Three Elder Sisters-in-Law

Chapter 154: Similar Abnormalities in the Pulse of the Three Elder Sisters-in-Law

Seeing He Zhiran's thoughtful expression, the eldest sister-in-law spoke up, "Ninth Sister-in-Law, Sixth Sister-in-Law might really have caught a cold.

Ever since I married into the Mo family, whenever I catch a cold, it becomes much more severe than before, and I've also experienced a situation similar to Sixth Sister-in-Law's fainting."

The second sister-in-law followed suit, "After hearing Eldest Sister-in-Law put it that way, it does seem so. After I joined the Mo family, I caught a cold once as well. Although I didn't faint, it was much more severe than any cold I'd had before."

The words of the two sisters-in-law made He Zhiran realize a problem first.

Both of them mentioned that their colds became more severe after marrying into the Mo family.

This inevitably reminded He Zhiran of something Nan Heng had confessed.

The Empress had bribed the Mo family's servants to tamper with the tea whenever there was a new bride. Old Nurse Liu would add something to the tea, preventing the Mo family's wives from conceiving.

He Zhiran frowned in deep thought.

Could it be that Elder Sister-in-law's severe fever is related to the contraceptive medicine she once took?

This was merely her initial suspicion. To confirm it, a blood test would be necessary for a more precise diagnosis.

At present, with so many people gathered outside Sixth Sister-in-law's tent, it wouldn't be convenient to draw blood immediately.

He Zhiran seized the opportunity to examine the other sisters-in-law first.

She gently held Eldest Sister-in-law's wrist to feel her pulse.

Eldest Sister-in-law wasn't suffering from a cold, but the subtle irregularity in her pulse led He Zhiran to conclude that there was a similarity between her and Sixth Sister-in-law's condition.

Not knowing why Ninth Brother's wife was examining Eldest Sister-in-law's pulse, assuming she was making a comparison, Second Sister-in-law offered her own wrist without hesitation.

Indeed, the abnormalities in the pulses of the three sisters-in-law were similar.

If not for Nan Heng's revelation about the sisters-in-law being drugged, these subtle irregularities might have gone unnoticed.

This could explain why no one in the Mo family had discovered the root cause of their infertility.

This matter was of great significance; He Zhiran had no intention of disclosing it before being absolutely certain.

Seeing that she remained silent after examining them, Second Sister-in-law inquired,

"Little Sister-in-law, is there anything wrong with our health?"

"Don't worry, Second Sister-in-law. Both you and Eldest Sister-in-law are in good health. I merely took your pulses to compare them with Sixth Sister-in-law's."

Second Sister-in-law was reassured.

"Oh, I see. I thought there was something wrong with us too."

He Zhiran found Sixth Sister-in-law's cold to be a minor issue. The medicines in her space could alleviate the symptoms with some consumption.

The most pressing task now was to take Sixth Sister-in-law's blood for analysis.

"Sisters-in-law, I'd like to apply acupuncture on Sixth Sister-in-law. Since she has a cold, she should avoid exposure to the wind. Please wait outside and ensure no one enters or leaves until I'm done."

Neither of the two sisters-in-law doubted He Zhiran's words. They promptly left the tent upon her request.

He Zhiran hastily retrieved a silver needle.

In truth, Sixth Sister's cold didn't necessarily require acupuncture treatment. She intended to use the act of acupuncture as a distraction to draw some of Sixth Sister's blood for testing.

"Sixth Sister, I'll be administering the needles now. It might be a bit painful, so please bear with it."

Sixth Sister nodded slightly. "Thank you for your trouble, Ninth Sister-in-law. Sixth Sister isn't afraid of pain."

He Zhiran pricked a few acupoints with the silver needle. Seeing that Sixth Sister was already on the verge of dozing off, she discreetly took out a blood sampling kit from her space and drew a vial of blood.

Having attended to these matters, He Zhiran removed the silver needles, and Sixth Sister gradually regained consciousness.

He Zhiran stood up. "Sixth Sister, you're weak. Rest in the tent. I'll go prepare some medicine for you."

Upon seeing He Zhiran exit, the women of the Mo family promptly surrounded her, asking about Sixth Sister's condition.

He Zhiran informed them that Sixth Sister likely caught a chill while working on the dolls late into the night, which led to today's illness.

The group had no reason to doubt this explanation; they indeed felt rather cold last night while crafting the dolls around the fire.

Sister Six was naturally frail, so catching a cold was not unexpected.

Knowing that Sister Six's sudden fainting wasn't due to any severe illness, everyone felt somewhat relieved.

He Zhiran gave a clear account of Sister Six's condition before retreating into her own tent to prepare the medicine.

The herbs she had picked on the way could indeed be compounded into a treatment for typhoid, but their effects were slower compared to Western medicine.

Given how high Sister Six's fever was, the first priority was to bring it down.

Thus, she retrieved fever reducers, anti-inflammatory medication, and cold medicine from her space.

After repackaging all these medicines in oil paper, she returned to Sister Six's tent.

Eldest Sister brought a bowl of water, and He Zhiran helped Sister Six sit up.

"Sister Six, these medicines were given to me by a master healer. They're very effective against typhoid. You should take this one first."

He Zhiran started with the fever reducer for Sister Six. The other two medications needed to be taken at intervals.

Sis Six was intrigued by these peculiar-looking pills, assuming they must be of great value since they came from an expert. She hesitated momentarily.

"Ninth Brother's Wife, this is far too valuable."

He Zhiran smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry, Sis Six. I've already learned how to make these pills. As long as I have the herbs, I can produce them. So there's no need for you to feel burdened."

Relieved by his words, Sis Six felt less strained.

Following He Zhiran's instructions, she popped the pill into her mouth and washed it down with a large gulp of water.

Mo Hanyue's interest in the pill in He Zhiran's hand intensified.

As Mo Hanyue emerged from the tent, she approached them.

"Ninth Sister, I've been learning herb picking from you lately and can now recognize many types of medicinal plants. Could you teach me how to make these pills? If I succeed, I could help earn some silver for our family."

He Zhiran had long noticed the young girl's enthusiasm for medicine.

However, mastering medical skills was not something that could be achieved overnight.

Moreover, in her previous life, she specialized in Western surgical medicine and was not an expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

She could only diagnose illnesses and perform acupuncture after learning the basics from the former hospital director when she joined the military hospital.

Though she wasn't proficient in TCM, she had a good grasp of pharmacology and possessed numerous formulas for patent medicines.

Instead of teaching Mo Hanyue TCM theories step by step, it would be more practical to instruct her on how to make patent medicines.

In this era, manufacturing effective patent medicines was undoubtedly a lucrative business.

With this in mind, He Zhiran stroked Mo Hanyue's head. "If you're interested in medicine, Hanyue, let's start with pharmacology!

I'll find a book on Chinese medicinal herbs for you later. Familiarize yourself with the properties of different herbs first."

Mo Hanyue nodded eagerly. "Sure, I'll study hard, Zhiran."

He Zhiran was eager to distribute the wages for making dolls and also needed to examine Sister Six's blood sample. After a few more words with Mo Hanyue, she called the women together in an open space.

The women knew that He Zhiran had summoned them for their wages, and their eyes sparkled with anticipation that they couldn't conceal.