### Chapter 4: Obstetrician

### Chapter 4: Obstetrician

In the obstetrics department, all the waiting patients were heavily pregnant women, occasionally accompanied by men or older individuals. Therefore, Shenchi's presence as a man did not seem out of place.

A heavily pregnant woman sat next to Shenchi. She had come alone and, seeing no one else with him, couldn't help but ask, "Are you here for your wife's prenatal checkup?"

Shenchi turned slightly, intending to ignore her, but then noticed her enormous belly. Realizing he knew nothing about such matters, he asked, "Going into labor?"

The woman was taken aback, then smiled as she patted her belly. "Not yet. I'm only seven months along. I'll give birth in September." Her tone was filled with joy at the impending arrival of her child.

She looked at the well-mannered man beside her, thinking that despite his bruised face, which made him look less than trustworthy, she felt sorry for him sitting there alone. "Your wife must be close to giving birth too, right?"

Shenchi's gaze remained fixed on her swollen belly. Hearing this, he frowned slightly, realizing he had overlooked something.

He looked around, and when his eyes met the time displayed on the screen in the corner, he opened his mouth and said, "Four days."

The woman was confused. "Four days? Medical technology has advanced so much that they can detect it in just four days?"

Shenchi raised an eyebrow, regretting having asked this woman.

Seeing his reaction, the woman suddenly said, "Have you not done any tests yet?"

Shenchi was startled and looked at her warily.

The woman was surprised by his reaction and laughed, her eyes curving into beautiful crescents. "Don't be so tense. I mean no harm. You need to come to the obstetrics department only after three months. Before that, you can go to the gynecology department. Of course, you can get an ultrasound after one month, but don't do it too often; it's not good for the mother or the baby. First-time dad?"

Shenchi nodded thoughtfully, and the woman immediately began enthusiastically explaining various precautions and preparations for before and after childbirth. She also advised him to be patient and caring during his wife's pregnancy, recounting how her husband had been so attentive and caring during her own pregnancy.

As she spoke, her smile never faded, and even her gesturing fingertips seemed to radiate happiness. Eventually, the conversation turned to a renowned obstetrician named Xia Yi.

"Last year, my brother-in-law's sister-in-law's sister was pregnant with twins. It was a case of fraternal twins, and the smaller one was ectopic. My distant relative lived in the countryside and was in poor health. The delivery was difficult, almost resulting in a stillbirth!"

The woman, who had been present during the incident, recalled it with lingering fear. "No hospital would accept her for fear of complications. I saw the true colors of those 'angels in white.' They refused no matter how we begged. Everyone was desperate, and her mother-in-law fainted several times from anger. In the end, Dr. Xia, who had just finished surgery, took her in despite pressure from several department heads. It shows there are still good people in the world."

"In the end, my brother-in-law's sister-in-law's sister gave birth safely to fraternal twins, and both mother and babies were fine!" The woman patted her belly. "Thank goodness for Dr. Xia."

From the woman, Shenchi learned the location of Dr. Xia's office and followed her directions until he reached the obstetrics department office.

The door was slightly ajar. Shenchi pushed it open a crack and saw a person in a white coat sitting at the desk, drinking water. When he turned to look out the window, he seemed to remember something and got up to fill a glass with cold water from the water cooler.

The water cooler was positioned near the door, allowing Shenchi to see the man clearly. He was handsome with sharp features, wearing a slicked-back hairstyle that revealed a smooth forehead and silver-rimmed glasses. His appearance suggested more of an overseas elite than a doctor.

His work ID peeked out of his pocket, and Shenchi could see the name "Xia Yi."

The man went to the window to water some plants, muttering to himself, completely unaware of Shenchi watching him.

Outside, Shenchi narrowed his eyes. Xia Yi, one of the main researchers of the fifth-generation C1S9 antigen after the apocalypse, the founder of the energy shield, and the only person capable of repairing damaged crystal cores, was the famous Dr. Xia of Guangyao Base.

Shenchi had never met him but confirmed his identity based on what a local told him while traveling to Hongshan Base with his parents:

- "Do you know Dr. Xia Yi from Guangyao Base? The one who delivered the twin psychics! He used to be my neighbor! We grew up together. A few years ago, his family got lucky and moved away. When they returned, he was an overseas elite. Do you know what he used to do? He was an obstetrician! A midwife! Imagine, delivering babies all day long! Ha, I wonder if he can still handle it after seeing so many bloody scenes... "

With this in mind, Shenchi turned away and headed to the gynecology department instead.

A woman in a white coat with her hair neatly tied back heard footsteps and asked without looking up, "What's wrong?"

Shenchi: "Stomach pain."

The doctor continued writing, "For general pain, go to the general surgery department. For diarrhea or vomiting, go to gastroenterology. For blood in urine or urinary retention, go to urology..."

Shenchi pulled a chair and sat down, interrupting her. "I'm pregnant."

The doctor stopped writing and looked up at Shenchi, then glanced behind him, puzzled. "Why are you here alone? Where's your wife?"

Facing the doctor, Shenchi directly asked, "My wife's stomach was hit. At first, she had severe cramps, but the pain has since subsided. She also has a slight fever. Will it affect the baby?"

The doctor looked at him sidelong. "Did you hit her?"

Shenchi didn't respond, implying a silent admission.

"Oh, now you're worried? You young people have tempers like black holes. Any small conflict and you can't control yourselves. Is hitting your wife okay? You young people..."

The doctor lectured non-stop, sarcastically criticizing him, but Shenchi remained silent. Seeing his demeanor, the doctor realized she was wasting her breath.

"How far along is she? Has there been any bleeding? Have you done any tests?"

Shenchi frowned. Since waking up, he hadn't gone to the restroom. "Less than a month. There's an external injury, and no tests have been done."

The doctor's frown deepened. "How did the external injury happen? Hitting her within a month and being so rough?"

The doctor scanned the disheveled man, guessing his wife wasn't weak either, and huffed. "At this stage, the baby is very vulnerable. It can lead to miscarriage, developmental issues, or even deformities. She needs to come in for a checkup."

Shenchi remained silent.

Doctor: "...???"

Shenchi: "..."

The doctor sighed, asked about the pain and other symptoms, prescribed some medication, gave some advice, and waved Shenchi off.

The hospital was crowded and noisy. Shenchi straightened his coat, his dark eyes scanning the people around him, and left the hospital carrying a bag of medicine.

Most of the medication was what he had specifically requested. He couldn't stand the sight of rows of medicines standing silently.

The nearby cafeteria emitted the aroma of food, and the surroundings were bustling. Shenchi stood on the steps as an ambulance pulled up, and a team of medical personnel carried a bloody patient inside. As they passed him, Shenchi instinctively clenched his hand, feeling nothing but emptiness.

The patient's family rushed forward, holding the patient's hand and disappearing from Shenchi's view with the medical team.

Another group rushed into the hospital.

Shenchi let go of his hand and looked down at his rumbling stomach: It was time to eat.

It wasn't mealtime yet, so there weren't many people in the restaurant. Shenchi pushed open the glass door and as soon as he stepped inside, he felt a refreshing coolness. The air conditioner indicator light wasn't on, so it must have just been turned off.

"Ah, Little Shen is here?" Aunt Liu, who was wiping the tables, saw Shenchi come in and smiled, pulling a receipt from the cash register and walking over. "Haven't eaten yet?"

Shenchi sidestepped to avoid Aunt Liu's hand and sat down by pulling out a chair himself.

Aunt Liu's smile froze as she placed the order slip and pen in front of Shenchi and said, "Take a look at what you want to eat. Call me if you need anything."

The menu had a wide variety of dishes, and even without pictures, the descriptions alone were enough to make one's mouth water.

Shenchi still had some lingering effects of a hangover, and now that his stomach was empty, his head was throbbing with pain.

He put the medicine bag on the table and asked Aunt Liu to choose a few nutritious dishes for him. He then grabbed a small plate of peanuts and started chewing them vigorously.

The salted peanuts were crispy but also very dry. Shenchi poured a cup of warm tea and gulped it down, leaving a bitter taste of tea leaves in his mouth. The liquid flowed down his esophagus, through his stomach, and straight into his intestines.

Shenchi grabbed a tissue from the table and the medicine bag beside him and strode towards the restroom.

He remembered this place and Aunt Liu, but his memory was limited to a table and a pair of hands serving food. Still, he found the restroom immediately. As he entered, his eyes scanned the surroundings, quickly forming a three-dimensional map of the restaurant in his mind. Determining the location of the back door and escape routes was crucial after the apocalypse.

When he pulled down his pants, Shenchi hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment before bending down, his eyes like searchlights, closely examining his lower body.

—Very good, no blood. Apart from some bruising and bite marks on his thighs, there was nothing particularly unusual.

After using the restroom, Shenchi's appetite was fully awakened. The dishes brought to the table were often nearly finished before the next one arrived, and even the large bowl of rice was rapidly diminishing.

Shenchi ate quickly, and by the time most of the dishes were gone, his stomach finally felt full.

He drank the last sip of soup, burped, and his senses returned to normal. Only then did he notice the sour smell of alcohol on his body.

Shenchi's family lived in a small county in Yuhui Province. His parents were illiterate farmers, and their economic conditions were already difficult. Supporting Shenchi's education pushed them further into poverty.

To ease the burden on his family, Shenchi started doing odd jobs during winter and summer breaks from junior high school. Throughout high school, he worked part-time while studying, and by college, he no longer needed financial support for tuition or living expenses.

For convenience, Shenchi rented a house outside the campus, and he had lived there since his freshman year, for nine years.

Returning to his rental house, Shenchi took a deep breath facing the scattered bottles on the floor. Then, he quickly stepped over the bottles to the window and pulled the curtains open.

Instantly, the bright sunlight drew a circle on the floor below the window.

Standing in the circle of light, Shenchi pushed open the glass window, basking in the warm sunshine. Outside, energetic grandpas gathered around a chessboard, cursing and playing, while grandmas played with their grandchildren. Young girls walked their dogs and laughed together, and uncles and aunts returning from work greeted each other, some carrying briefcases, others with baskets of vegetables...

Shenchi stood by the window for a full half hour until a phone ring interrupted his reverie.

Turning around, Shenchi surveyed the mess on the floor and followed the sound to find his phone under the bed.

Seeing the caller ID "Manager," he recalled receiving a similar call before the apocalypse, which led him to wallow in self-pity for a month. When he finally "revived" and found a job, he rushed back home due to flu concerns about his parents in the countryside.

After hanging up and turning off his phone, Shenchi threw it aside. Once he had cleaned up the house and lay in the bathtub, enveloped in warm water, all his fatigue surged back. He pinched the purple bruise on his arm, feeling the pain intensify. Contrary to his physical exhaustion, his mind was unusually clear.

I've been reborn—Shenchi thought. If not, then he hadn't died, and everything happening now was just a dream, or perhaps he had woken up.

Author's note:

Tried several times but couldn't reply. Thank you, Xiong Xiao Zhi~ Also, thank you for my first grenade. Recording this moment <(￣︶￣)>.