Chapter Ten: Delivering the Child

The words of Father Song left the two brothers, who had just been speaking up for Su Yanyan, trembling with fear. Cutting off their living expenses was no different from forcing them to their deaths!

In the eyes of an ordinary person, 200 yuan could last for over half a year. But who were they? The friends in their circle were all dressed in finery, and a single meal at a state-run restaurant could cost 50 yuan. Between social obligations, treating others to meals, and buying gifts for the young ladies in their social circle, 200 yuan wasn't nearly enough to get by for a month. Yet, their father actually wanted to revoke their allowance?

"Did you hear me?" their father bellowed again.

The two brothers completely caved, nodding repeatedly, terrified that if they hesitated, the remaining 20 yuan in their pockets would be snatched away as well. Mother Song rubbed her aching temples on the side, thinking about that drab, countryside girl. Since she couldn't become her eldest daughter-in-law, the prospect of her becoming the second or youngest daughter-in-law made her head ache all over again.

*

At the train station, Meng Shuyue sat in the waiting room, checking the local specialties she had just purchased: cured meat, cool cakes, and the large red dates only found in this region. She checked the time; there were three hours left before her train.

Just then, a radio belonging to a nearby traveler broadcast an emergency alert: "Dear listeners, due to severe convective weather, a neighboring city has experienced sudden torrential rain, leading to a dam breach and flooding. Any young, able-bodied men in the vicinity, please head over immediately to assist in rescue efforts. Elderly and children, please move to higher ground and wait for assistance. Once the floodwaters recede..."

As she listened intently, the station's public address system broadcast an urgent announcement: all trains had ceased operations, and passengers were to follow staff members to nearby shelters immediately. In an instant, the already bustling station erupted into chaos, with crowds pushing toward the exits. Meng Shuyue clutched her bundle, pushed along by the tide of people. She tried to push through to offer help, but like a piece of duckweed caught in a current, she was swept out of the station.

Since the flooding was in the neighboring city, it would take time for the water to reach them. Nevertheless, the crowd was already gripped by panic, running toward the mountains on the outskirts. After walking for half an hour with the crowd, people began to slow their pace as they saw the looming mountains, sitting in roadside haystacks to catch their breath.

Someone turned on a radio to hear the latest news. The broadcaster’s magnetic, rhythmic voice shifted to a live report from a journalist: "Many comrades from the neighboring city have already arrived to provide support. Elderly people and children are trapped on the roofs of earthen houses, and one woman is trapped in a tree while holding her child. Commander Shen of the 13th Corps is leading his soldiers to the rescue."

Hearing the stirring reports of heroism, the crowd could not help but tear up. Suddenly, the radio emitted a burst of static, followed by a breaking news bulletin: "Attention listeners, we have an urgent update. In the center of the disaster area, a pregnant woman is trapped on a rooftop; a large tree branch has pierced her right arm, pinning her to the roof and making it impossible to move her. The woman is in critical condition and about to go into labor. We request any medical personnel with relevant expertise in the vicinity to come to her aid and give this unborn child a hope for life!"

Outside, the sky was thick with dark, heavy clouds that seemed to press down from above, making it hard to breathe. The long-delayed downpour finally began, the raindrops falling like beans, growing heavier by the second. The ground turned slick, muddy, and riddled with potholes.

Everyone listening to the news began to cry. Tears mingled with the rain on their faces. In a daze, some turned off their radios, some put on straw hats, and some got back on their bicycles, heading toward the mountains.

Meng Shuyue stood still, her thin frame drenched by the rain, looking as helpless and isolated as a wandering soul. Images flashed through her mind—her father teaching her the principles of saving lives as a doctor, and the memory of helping her mother with her first delivery, the moment the newborn let out its first cry, and she first felt the miracle of life.

Watching the receding crowd, Meng Shuyue tightened her grip on her bundle, hoisted it onto her back, and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

"Comrade, are you going to save them?"

Meng Shuyue paused and looked back. A young man stood in the rain, pushing a bicycle toward her. He handed it to her. "Take this bike. I can't carry it up the mountain, and it will just be washed away by the flood anyway. Give it to someone who can make use of it!"

Meng Shuyue took the bicycle, her voice choked with emotion. "Thank you, thank you..."

Before she could finish, the young man waved his hand and ran off. She climbed onto the bike, squinted against the rain, and pedaled hard toward the neighboring city.

The neighboring city was separated from them only by this mountain range. When she reached the border of the neighboring city, she happened to encounter the rescue troops. Looking at the desolate scene before her, Meng Shuyue was stunned. Looking toward the low-lying villages, all she could see was floodwater; only scattered rooftops remained above the surface, confirming that the rushing torrent was not a river, but a place where villagers had once lived.

Meng Shuyue quickly abandoned her bike and ran toward the rescue workers who were arranging boats. "Comrade, I am a midwife! Please take me across!"

The commander, holding a map, looked her up and down, nodded immediately, and called several comrades to escort her to the most severely affected low-lying area.

Before long, their small, rocking boat arrived at the roof of a small house. A young comrade reported that a doctor had arrived. A hand covered in bloodstains reached down from the roof, and a low, smoky, magnetic voice cut through the sound of the relentless rain: "Be careful!"

Meng Shuyue didn't have time to think; she gripped the hand and jumped onto the roof. Only a two-meter-wide patch of tiles remained above the water. She looked at the pregnant woman, her shoulder pierced by a tree branch, and was shocked by the scene. It was no mere twig; a massive, palm-sized branch tip was exposed on the woman's shoulder, its point driven through the roof, pinning her in place.

It was clear why they couldn't move her; cutting the branch on either side would cause massive hemorrhaging, leading to shock and death on the way to the hospital, and the child would certainly not survive.

The woman’s water had broken, and she seemed to realize she wouldn't make it to a hospital, which was why she had begged the rescuers to find a doctor. Seeing Meng Shuyue, the woman’s dull, gray expression suddenly flickered with life. She grabbed Meng Shuyue’s hand, her voice choked with sobs. "Doctor, please, save my child... please..."