Chapter 64: Adopting an Abandoned Baby

Chapter 64: Adopting an Abandoned Baby

"Stop!"

Ye Qing urgently called for a halt.

Wu Cong, although puzzled, pulled the reins and brought the ox cart to a stop.

Moments later, they saw Ye Qing nimbly jump off the ox cart and rush into the cornfield by the roadside. She emerged moments later carrying a tattered cloth bundle. Inside the bundle was a crying baby!

The three on the ox cart were stunned.

Ye Qing climbed back onto the cart without a word and unwrapped the cloth bundle, taking out the baby.

It was a newborn girl, probably less than two days old, as thin as a red-skinned monkey, with bones still soft. It was unclear how long she had been abandoned in the cornfield, but the cloth bundle was drenched with dew, and her cries were extremely weak, indicating she had likely gone without food for a long time.

Fortunately, they were still some distance from the base of Changbai Mountain; the baby's cries hadn't attracted any foxes or weasels from the mountain. A single bite could have been fatal.

Seeing the child's cleft upper lip, Ye Qing understood why the baby had been abandoned in the cornfield.

Back then, with limited information, rural areas lacked understanding of congenital deformities like cleft lip and palate. Such conditions were met with great taboo and fear.

A child born with a cleft lip or palate was often seen as cursed by evil spirits, a harbinger of disaster. Some even believed that if a mother ate rabbit meat during pregnancy, the child would be possessed by a rabbit spirit, leading to such deformities. In any case, there would certainly be malicious gossip and condemnation.

Consequently, such children were rarely welcomed, and most were either abandoned to die or killed outright, with the lie that the child had died young.

The baby girl before them faced such a fate.

Seeing the baby’s appearance clearly, the initial outrage and accusations the three had prepared to hurl at the baby’s parents vanished instantly.

Especially Wu Cong, who instinctively backed away, looking nervous and uneasy. His involuntary reaction was telling.

Feeling somewhat helpless, Ye Qing took off her jacket to wrap the baby and explained:

"Don't be afraid, this is called a congenital cleft lip. This condition occurs during embryonic development when the medial nasal prominence and the maxillary prominence fail to fuse properly, resulting in a relatively common congenital deformity."

"According to standard data, without artificial screening intervention, one in every thousand newborns has a cleft lip or palate. It has nothing to do with the superstitions circulating in folklore."

As soon as Ye Qing said this, Gu Weinan and Meng Jia immediately relaxed, and even Wu Cong's tense posture loosened, though he still seemed skeptical, glancing at the baby in Ye Qing's arms before quickly turning away again.

"What does 'congenital deformity' mean?" Gu Weinan asked curiously.

Ye Qing reached out to feel the baby's pulse, relieved to find that apart from the cleft lip, the child had no other physical issues:

"It refers to structural or functional defects in a fetus due to abnormal development. Common examples include anencephaly, hydrocephalus, cleft lip and palate, Down syndrome, spina bifida, and congenital heart defects."

"These conditions are typically the result of a combination of genetic mutations, hormonal changes during pregnancy, malnutrition, and other external factors. There are no specific causes, and the occurrence is random, making prevention or avoidance nearly impossible."

Meng Jia indeed picked up on another key term Ye Qing mentioned earlier:

"Master, you said that without artificial screening intervention, this condition can be managed artificially. How does that fit with saying it cannot be prevented?"

"The incidence of these congenital diseases is indeed high and cannot be precisely prevented or avoided. However, through artificial screening intervention, which involves monitoring the fetus during pregnancy using external instruments, if a severe deformity is detected, options such as terminating the pregnancy or providing postnatal treatment can be considered."

Meng Jia nodded, planning to ask what kind of external instruments could monitor the fetus in the womb, but before she could speak, Wu Cong cautiously interrupted:

"Comrade Ye Qing, what do you plan to do with this baby? Should we still go to the military farm?"

Ye Qing sighed. Who would have thought they'd encounter such a situation halfway?

It was clearly unsuitable to bring such a fragile child, who might not survive, to the farm, so she asked Wu Cong to drive back to Kaoshan Village:

"Let's go back first. This child was probably left out in the cold for a whole night. Given the weather, it’s a miracle she’s still alive. I need to treat her first before anything else."

"Big brother Wu Cong, I might need to trouble you to help report this to the town's police station later. Tell the officers that we found an abandoned baby. They should investigate and find out which production team the irresponsible parents belong to. Abandoning a child is illegal, and we need to investigate thoroughly."

Upon hearing Ye Qing's words, Wu Cong's expression turned both helpless and complicated:

"Reporting to the police is no problem, but I have to warn you, Leaf, not to get your hopes up. With the child looking like this, she's bound to be rejected. Even if we do find her parents and return the child, there's a high chance she won't survive."

"Such a young baby, if left without food for a few days or exposed to the cold for a few hours, could easily die of hunger or illness. The parents abandoned her because they clearly didn’t want to raise her. Returning her would only cause more trouble and suffering for the child, and you'd end up making enemies for no reason. It's really not worth it."

Ye Qing's expression darkened:

"This is a life, not a toy that can be discarded at will. Once a child is born, the responsibility to raise her falls on us. How can you say it's unnecessary?"

Wu Cong had always found Ye Qing to be kind and easy to get along with, but he hadn't expected her to be so intimidating when serious. However, this kind of situation couldn't be solved just by being stubborn:

"This is the reality in the countryside. Families are struggling just to get by, and having an extra mouth to feed makes things even harder. Raising a son means having additional labor in the future; by the time he's fourteen or fifteen, he can help with the heavy work at home. But raising a daughter? Apart from hoping she’ll marry and help her natal family, what other benefits are there?"

"A child with a congenital defect will never find a good home. After raising her for twenty years, she might just end up being a burden. Who would want that?"

Wu Cong's words were harsh, as if treating girls like goods to be traded, but this was the mindset of most families in rural areas at the time. Only raising sons was seen as a way to secure one's future, while daughters were considered a loss because they would eventually marry into another family.

Even in the Wu family, one of the wealthiest families in Kaoshan Village, and with Wu Yongbing as the production team leader, their thinking was still more progressive compared to other families. They had invested a lot in raising their daughter, Wu Yueying, which was why she had grown up spoiled with a selfish princess attitude.

But even the Wu family had accepted a substantial betrothal gift when Wu Yueying was engaged to Gu Weidong. That money wouldn't go to Wu Yueying as part of her dowry but would be kept for the Wu family's two sons. A few pieces of furniture and quilts would be considered a generous dowry for Wu Yueying.

In families that were even more extreme in their preference for sons, daughters wouldn't even be allowed to take a single piece of cloth with them when they married. On the wedding day, the family would demand a high price from the groom's family, insisting on various fees before allowing the bride to leave.

Whether Ye Qing liked it or not, this was the survival situation for girls in the 1960s and 70s. The oppressive fate that left girls powerless to resist filled Ye Qing with a bone-chilling fear. But with her current personal strength, she couldn't hope to overturn the heavy mountain that oppressed these girls.

Ye Qing’s mood became heavy and somber. She no longer wanted to argue with Wu Cong, as continuing this debate was pointless. She held the child close to shield her from the biting autumn wind on the ox cart and urged Wu Cong to turn back to the village.

Once back in the village, Ye Qing first secretly used her wood element abilities to regulate the baby's body, then gave her a hot bath before wrapping her in a blanket and placing her on the kang bed in the wing room.

Wang Chunhua was sitting the month (a traditional postpartum period) there, and since postpartum women needed to stay warm, and Wang Chunhua's constitution was somewhat weak, Ye Qing had stoked the kang bed early on. Although the fire wasn't burning very strongly, the room was still a warm twenty-five or six degrees.

When Old Lady Murong saw Ye Qing suddenly return with a baby, she naturally had to ask. Ye Qing didn't hide anything and explained the situation to the old lady in detail.

Having survived the battlefields, Old Lady Murong valued human life above all else. So, when she heard the baby had a cleft lip, she showed no disgust. Instead, she trembled as she walked over and gently touched the baby's little hands and feet, feeling a deep sense of sorrow.

"Look at how strong her hands and feet are. How could anyone just abandon such a good child? So what if her mouth looks a bit different? As long as she's diligent, she'll find her way in life. Why is appearance so crucial?"

When Wang Chunhua saw the baby's cleft lip, she instinctively shrank back in fear, just like Wu Cong had. But after Ye Qing explained the cause of the cleft lip, Wang Chunhua's expression changed. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the child with pity and sorrow.

"She hasn’t eaten, has she? I've been eating and resting well here for the past two days, so I have plenty of breast milk. My breasts were so full a few days ago that I had to express some milk. She can have it."

As she spoke, Wang Chunhua was about to pick up the baby to breastfeed her.

Ye Qing quickly stopped her and explained:

"A baby with a cleft lip might not be able to suckle properly. Because of the mouth's inability to form proper oral pressure, it's easy for her to choke or suffer from bloating, which could lead to aspiration pneumonia. Feeding her will be more challenging than with a normal baby."

Wang Chunhua was taken aback.

She had just given birth and was overflowing with maternal affection. After being kicked out of the Liu family, she hadn’t been able to see her son and had been feeling down for days. Now, with Ye Qing bringing back this tiny baby, Wang Chunhua’s eagerness to care for the child surged. Her maternal love, which had no outlet, was instantly transferred to the little infant.

"It's alright, if that’s the case, I’ll just squeeze the milk into a bowl and feed her that way, like I did before."

True to her word, Wang Chunhua immediately fetched a bowl and went to a corner to pump her milk. Thanks to the good food at Ye Qing’s place, Wang Chunhua had been doing quite well these past few days, and her milk supply was abundant. Before long, she had pumped half a bowl of milk.

A baby this small obviously couldn’t drink directly from the bowl. Ye Qing asked Gu Weinan to help her find a thin sorghum stalk to use as a straw. They fed the baby bit by bit, and it took nearly half an hour to get her fully fed.

Perhaps because Ye Qing had preemptively used her wood element abilities to adjust the baby’s body to its optimal state, the child, now well-fed and in a quiet, comfortable environment, did not cry or fuss. Instead, she yawned and quickly fell asleep.

Kaoshan Village was tiny, and many aunties paid close attention to Ye Qing. So, before Wu Cong could even return from reporting to the town police station, news of Ye Qing bringing back a baby with a cleft lip had spread through the village.

It was noon, right after the work shift, and many people had come to the end of the village to watch the commotion. They were both fearful and curious about the origin of the unknown infant.

Taking the opportunity, Ye Qing educated the aunties. She explained to them that a cleft lip isn’t caused by curses or demonic possession, but rather an incomplete development in the womb.

The villagers couldn’t understand medical terms, so Ye Qing used simple and straightforward language to explain. After her explanation, everyone understood that it was a natural biological phenomenon, unconnected to old superstitions about supernatural forces.

If anyone else had said this, people might have been skeptical. But Ye Qing’s standing in the village was unshakable. When she said it was scientific, everyone accepted it as fact and carefully memorized this knowledge.

It was well past two or three in the afternoon when Wu Cong finally returned from reporting to the town police station.

He had brought a police officer from the town and Lai Guochang from the Red Flag Commune. Upon entering the house, the officer and Lai Guochang went to check on the abandoned baby, asking Ye Qing many questions and meticulously recording information.

However, they were unsure how to handle the baby.

"We found the baby’s parents. They are from a family in Nangou Village. The family already has four daughters, and the fourth one was given away for adoption as soon as she was born. Now they’ve had another daughter, this one with a cleft lip. Deeming it bad luck, they abandoned her in a cornfield early this morning."

"When we went to ask the family, they got so anxious at the news that the baby might be returned to them that they tried to chase us out, cursing us for meddling. It’s doubtful the child will survive the winter if she’s sent back to them."

Lai Guochang didn’t dare tell Ye Qing the harsher details. The mother, who had just given birth, had even threatened to strangle the baby if they tried to return her.

Lai Guochang and the town police officer were furious but helpless. The woman was illiterate, unreasonable, and completely ignorant of the law. She didn’t understand that killing her own child was illegal and thought Lai Guochang and the officer were just trying to scare her.

The baby’s biological family was a hazardous environment. If they sent the child back, the family would surely treat her as a curse and might find some underhanded way to get rid of her.

Because of this concern, they ultimately decided not to force the baby’s return to Nangou Village. They feared that if the child ended up dead, they would be indirectly responsible for her death.

However, they had been debating all the way there about what to do with the baby.

"The main issue is her condition. Not many people here are willing to accept her, even for adoption. Unless we send her to the county orphanage."

"But there are so many children in the orphanage, and her situation is different. We can’t be sure if the orphanage will give her special care or if the other children will accept her."

The officer and Lai Guochang explained the harsh reality to Ye Qing. They weren’t shirking responsibility, but the unfortunate truth was that even if the baby wasn’t with her birth parents, she might not have an easy life elsewhere.

Ye Qing’s expression darkened, her face ashen as though it might drip water at any moment. She had anticipated that the situation might not be good, but she hadn’t expected the family to be so heartless.

Looking at the peacefully sleeping baby on the kang, she took a deep breath and suddenly looked up at Murong Ah Po.

"Ah Po, may I ask a favor of you?"

Murong Ah Po was momentarily stunned.

"What's the matter, dear?"

Ye Qing replied helplessly, "This child, if I can't find a suitable family to adopt her, I plan to raise her myself. With my means, it won't be difficult to provide for one more mouth. The tricky part is the child’s household registration. This might require your assistance. When the time comes, the child could be registered under your name, as a foster granddaughter. What do you think?"

Old Lady Zou was taken aback, just about to speak when Wu Yongbing's voice came from outside the door:

"Little Ye, have you really thought this through?"

Ye Qing looked up at the doorway and saw Wu Yongbing rush in, his eyes fixed on her with intense concern.

Ye Qing found it odd that Wu Yongbing would come to her place at this hour, but she nodded seriously:

"Since we've met, it must be fate. I can't just stand by and watch her suffer. Even if others don't accept her, I won’t. From now on, I'll treat her like my own younger sister."

"Besides, I'm a doctor. Her cleft lip isn't incurable. In a few months, I can perform surgery to repair it. With a few adjustments, by the time she's three or four, she'll be no different from any other child."

"When she grows up, I'll teach her some skills. If others look down on her because of her past as a baby with a cleft lip, then she doesn't have to marry. As long as she has the skills, she can live a good life on her own. With me around to support her, you can rest assured about her future."

Wu Yongbing wasn't worried; he was overjoyed.

In fact, he was absolutely delighted by this turn of events, even hoping for it.

After paying the public grain quota in the morning and returning to the village, he had already visited the Zous once.

However, when he proposed his idea to Old Lady Zou, she didn't give him a direct answer, only saying she would wait for Ye Qing to return before discussing it further. With no choice, Wu Yongbing went back to his own work.

When his eldest son, Wu Cong, returned and told him about Ye Qing bringing back a baby with a cleft lip, Wu Yongbing immediately rushed to the Zous' house at the end of the village.

Now, learning that Ye Qing had decided to adopt the child, Wu Yongbing didn't beat around the bush. He directly shared what the village officials had discussed earlier and his own thoughts.

"In front of Secretary Lai, I'll be frank with you."

"According to the intentions of the cadres in our production teams, they certainly hope you will settle down in our village. This way, everyone can feel more at ease."

"Once you settle down, you will have a stronger sense of belonging to our village, and the members of our commune will treat you as one of their own. Handing over the health station to you won't worry us about it falling into the hands of outsiders in the future."

"The village cadres have already discussed this. After the corn harvest is completed, we will start building the health station and the educated youth point. At that time, the village will specially allocate a plot of land for you to build three rooms."

"And no matter whether you get married or take in a son-in-law in the future, these three rooms will not be reclaimed by the village; no one can take them away from you."

"I am definitely in favor of allocating the land, but I have a different idea, which I have already discussed with Aunt Zou. The old lady has no objections, it's just up to you if you're willing."

Wu Yongbing's words were somewhat tantalizing, and Ye Qing was taken aback, glancing involuntarily toward Aunt Zou, unsure what Wu Yongbing was going to say.

Wu Yongbing explained:

"Aunt Zou is a martyr's family member. When she returned to the village, the village built these two rooms specifically for her to live out her old age. However, the village made an agreement at the time: after the old lady passes away, both the house and the land will revert to the collective ownership of the village."

"I've noticed that you and the old lady have been getting along quite well recently. She is alone now and could really use a child to bring her joy in her later years. If you are willing to keep her company, my suggestion is that you formally recognize her as your godmother and register your household under her name as her granddaughter."

"This way, the old lady will have someone to rely on in her old age, and her retirement will be secured."

"As for you, when the old lady passes away, the village will not reclaim the house; it will directly go to your name."

"Furthermore, I can arrange for the two rooms to be renovated and an additional east wing room to be added next to the main house. This way, you will have three rooms and the land plot, all of which will be yours in the future, and you won't have to spend your own money to build them, which is much more cost-effective than the village allocating a new plot of land for you to build on."

"With a ready-made house, you save time and effort and don't have to wait. It also saves our village a lot of trouble. You, Aunt Zou, and the village will all benefit."

Seeing that Ye Qing remained silent but showed no signs of resistance or dissatisfaction, Wu Yongbing guessed that his proposal was already halfway successful, so he continued to push:

"You want to adopt this child, right? But the child is so young. Just in case, I mean, just in case Aunt Zou passes away while the child is still young, having an outsider registered under Aunt Zou’s name, occupying two houses, might cause some dissatisfaction among the villagers. They might even demand that the old house be taken back by the village."

"So, I think the best solution is for both you and the child to be registered under Aunt Zou's household. This way, you'll be official sisters, and the house will eventually be transferred to your name, so the villagers won't have any objections."

Ye Qing wasn't stupid; she knew exactly why Wu Yongbing was so eager to make this happen.

It was all about tying her to Kaoshan Village using the household registration, the homestead land, and the house.

However, Wu Yongbing's proposal did hit on Ye Qing's desires. The idea of owning a house in Kaoshan Village was very tempting to her.

But Ye Qing wasn’t swayed by the offer to agree on the spot. She remained calm and didn’t immediately give Wu Yongbing her consent:

"Uncle Wu, this is no small matter. I need to think it over and discuss it with Aunt Zou. After all, it involves this infant, and I can't make a decision without careful consideration. Can I get back to you in a day or two?"

"Of course! Take your time. Even if it takes you ten days or two weeks, it’s fine. This matter isn’t urgent."

Wu Yongbing was actually in a hurry, which was why he had visited Aunt Zou’s house several times a day. Until this matter was resolved, he wouldn’t feel at ease.

But he was shrewd enough to understand the situation and knew he had to be patient and wait for Ye Qing to make up her mind.

Wu Yongbing was focused on the development of the Kaoshan Village health station, while Lai Guochang and the police were eager for Ye Qing to take over this troublesome issue, so they could wash their hands of the matter. After that, they wouldn’t have to deal with the child's problems anymore.

Only Aunt Zou was considering Ye Qing’s perspective and voiced strong opposition:

"Girl Qing, I think you should forget about this idea."

"I have my state pension, so you don’t need to worry about me. But the child is a different story. You’re still young yourself, and taking in such a young baby would add a burden. How will you find a husband later on? Do you plan to marry with an unrelated younger sister in tow? Which family would be willing to accept a daughter-in-law like that?"

Aunt Zou was genuinely concerned about Ye Qing’s future. She believed that taking on such a burden would impact Ye Qing’s entire life, so her stance was firm. She also strongly disagreed with how the commune had handled this matter."

"If Secretary Lai and the police comrades can't come up with a good solution, then send the child to the Women's Federation and let them handle the child's future. Don't take on everything yourself!"

"What if you cure the child's illness and work hard to raise him into a capable person, only for his parents to come back and claim him? Wouldn't all your efforts be in vain? You would have wasted your own marriage prospects and ended up with nothing, making you a big fool!"

Ye Qing felt both warmth and bitterness in her heart. This old lady truly regarded her as a granddaughter, caring more about her future than her own retirement.

Originally, Ye Qing was hesitant, fearing that her quick agreement to Wu Yongbing's suggestion might make it seem like she was after the two rooms under the old lady's name, which could make the arrangement of recognizing the old lady as a godmother less sincere and potentially upset her.

But now, seeing the old lady's reaction, Ye Qing no longer had those concerns.

As for whether this child would become a burden and affect her chances of finding a partner, it wasn't even within Ye Qing's consideration.

She never intended to marry in this era; she only wanted to focus on her career. The arrival of this child was actually quite timely, as it would make the matchmakers in the village who were eager to set her up think twice.

Those who saw Ye Qing's abilities and wanted to trick her into their homes to take advantage of her would surely reconsider once they saw she had an infant to care for, and they wouldn't easily come to harass her again.

With the child as a shield, Ye Qing could avoid many unnecessary troubles, which was a one-time solution to her problems. Therefore, she didn't feel like a fool at all.

As for the child's parents coming back to claim him, that issue was also easy to resolve.

After all, Secretary Lai and the police officers were still here. As long as they helped her get the child's biological parents to sign a voluntary waiver of custody, and then the police and the Women's Federation handled the legal adoption procedures, the responsibility for raising the child would officially transfer to Zou's family in Kaishan Village. Even if the child's parents caused trouble in the future, it wouldn't matter.

Lai Guochang and the police weren't foolish. If Ye Qing was willing to take responsibility for the child, it would save them from a major headache. Running a few errands to gather some documents was something they were happy to assist with.

Seeing Ye Qing's determination to adopt the child, the old lady didn't try to persuade her further. Instead, she silently calculated how to use the private savings she had hidden away to support the girl. With an extra mouth to feed, the household expenses would increase significantly. Ye Qing was already generous with her spending, and the money she earned wouldn't be enough.

Ye Qing didn't know that after giving her the money hidden in the kang (a traditional heated bed) for medical fees, the old lady was planning to give her the rest of her savings.

After seeing Lai Guochang and the others off, Ye Qing prepared to go to the cellar to fetch the leftover cotton from the last quilt-making session and ask Aunt Gu next door to help make some cotton clothes and swaddling clothes for the child.

"I didn't expect someone to show up at that moment, and suddenly there was a voice from outside the door:

'Excuse me, is Ye Qing, the Young Ye, living here?'

Ye Qing was startled and hurriedly walked a few steps to the courtyard entrance, responding:

'Yes, Sister Xu, why did you come all the way out here?'

The visitor was none other than Sister Xu from the town post office.

As soon as Xu Xianzhen saw Ye Qing standing at the courtyard gate, she immediately smiled:

'Oh, you live a bit remote; it was hard to find. I asked several people along the way before I found the place.'

With that, she led a thirty-something female comrade over.

Ye Qing was puzzled by Xu Xianzhen's unexpected visit, but as a guest is a guest, she led the two into the courtyard.

Xu Xianzhen didn’t come empty-handed; she brought several gifts, clearly indicating she had something on her mind. Ye Qing couldn’t help but ask:

'Sister Xu, what’s this for—'

Xu Xianzhen quickly introduced the woman behind her:

'This is my cousin, Song Hongying. Last time when you gave acupuncture to me and Qin Jiejie, you mentioned that you could treat any women’s illnesses? So I brought her over, hoping you could help with the treatment.'

Ye Qing immediately smiled:

'So it’s about a medical treatment, why all this ceremony? You surprised me. We’re such close friends; why bring all these things? Are you trying to embarrass me?'

Sister Xu’s face lit up; this Young Ye really had a way with words. Her words warmed hearts.

'Hey, I told my cousin not to bring anything. She insisted on bringing something for the first visit. But don’t worry, the gifts aren’t expensive, just a small token. Her family isn’t poor. Her husband works at the forestry farm and earns quite a bit in subsidies every month!'

As she spoke, Xu Xianzhen tugged at her cousin, signaling her to speak up.

Seeing that her cousin had been silent since entering the door, Xu Xianzhen helplessly had to explain on her behalf:

'You see, she’s been married for more than ten years but hasn’t been able to conceive. Her in-laws have many complaints and are quite dissatisfied with her. They even suggested adopting a child from her brother-in-law’s family to raise, but my cousin is stubborn and refuses. She said she’d rather divorce than raise another woman’s child.'

'So, I thought of bringing her to you for a check-up. If there’s a physical problem, it should be treated early. If there’s nothing physically wrong, we need to find out why she can’t conceive. Dragging this out isn’t a solution.'

Ye Qing initially thought the two had come for gynecological issues, but it turned out to be about infertility treatment. She looked at the silent woman beside her and frowned.

'Sister Song, could you come a bit closer so I can take a look at your face?'

Xu Xianzhen’s earlier words had left Song Hongying embarrassed and flustered, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to hide in. It wasn’t until Xu Xianzhen nudged her that she snapped out of it.

Once the woman came closer, Ye Qing immediately began her examination. She pulled down Song’s eyelids and asked her to stick out her tongue. After checking her tongue coating, Ye Qing felt her wrist pulse.

After a thorough examination, Ye Qing’s expression turned serious:

'Comrade Song, what is your occupation?'

Song Hongying, seeing Ye Qing’s serious expression, felt a lump in her throat. This time, she didn’t need Xu Xianzhen’s help and spoke up:

'I’m a warehouse manager at the county soy sauce factory. Doctor Ye, is something wrong?'

Ye Qing initially suspected the woman’s work environment might be affecting her condition, but if she worked at the soy sauce factory, environmental factors could be ruled out.'"

She hesitated for a moment before explaining:

"It's not infertility; it's poisoning."

Hearing this, both Song Hongying and Xu Xianzhen's faces changed:

"Poisoned, what do you mean by that?"

Ye Qing explained:

"Her overall health is fine, but her under-eye areas and tongue coating are somewhat dark. Additionally, her pulse confirmed this. She has likely been exposed to something over a long period, leading to mild chronic poisoning.

"I'm not sure what the toxin is, but I'm certain it's the cause of her long-term infertility. I recommend you get a blood test at the hospital to identify the toxin. After all, the hospital’s equipment is more precise and reliable than my pulse diagnosis."

This news shocked the two women. Song Hongying seemed to realize something, her eyes flashing with realization and fury. After thanking Ye Qing, she hurriedly got up and left.

Seeing this, Xu Xianzhen was about to follow her, but Ye Qing quickly stopped her, pushing the gifts back into Xu Xianzhen's arms.

Xu Xianzhen tried to return the gifts, but Ye Qing firmly refused. Worried about her cousin, Xu Xianzhen didn’t want to argue further. Leaving a quick "I’ll come find you later," she hurriedly followed Song Hongying.

Ye Qing wasn’t sure what was happening with Song Hongying, but after a moment’s thought, she decided not to dwell on it. Just as she was about to pass through the kitchen to the cellar, she suddenly heard a knocking sound from the kitchen window.

Ye Qing instinctively looked toward the sound.

Turning her head, she saw a sharp-faced ghostly face pressed against the broken window paper.

When the ghostly face saw her, it grinned, revealing a gaping, bloody mouth.

Even in broad daylight, this sight made Ye Qing almost lose her breath. For a moment, her blood seemed to freeze, and she almost screamed.