788 The Truth About the Saintess
The brother Yu Wan that Madam Lan was talking about was the legitimate grandson of the Lan family. The children of the Lan family were not little to begin with, but they were framed one after another. Until now, they only had one legitimate grandson by their side, but he had died of illness not long ago.
Zi Yan was the maidservant of her grandson.
Madam Lan saw Yu Wan say, “Zi Yan is not only pregnant with your brother’s remaining child, but also our Lan family’s hope.” Madam Lan gently held Yu Wan’s hand. “Ah Wan, help me over.”
Yu Wan lifted the blanket for Madam Lan and carefully supported her.
Yu Wan had gained a lot of weight after she got pregnant. Her cheeks were chubby and her waist was gone. However, because her clothes were wide, Madam Lan did not realize that Yu Wan was pregnant.
If Madam Lan knew that, she would definitely not let her enter the delivery room to see blood.
Yu Wan was a doctor and did not care about this. She followed Madam Lan.
Shadow Six, who was outside the door, became anxious. “Did you hear that? Someone screamed so miserably!”
Shadow Thirteen said calmly, “If Young Madam didn’t call us, we shouldn’t go in and cause trouble.”
Shadow Six hung his head helplessly.
Yu Wan had just arrived and did not understand many things. Coincidentally, she had encountered an urgent matter like a woman giving birth. It was probably impossible for her to sit down and have a good talk with Madam Lan. However, it did not matter. Since she was already here, she would know the truth sooner or later.
Other than the mute maidservant, there was also a little maidservant serving Zi Yan in the courtyard.
The maidservant was not a proper servant who had been trained. She had only spent a tael of silver to buy a cheap maidservant bought from the market. She had never seen the world and did not know much. Fortunately, she was quite agile.
After Zi Yan acted up, the maidservant hurriedly helped her to the bed and then went to look for Madam Lan.
“Stop running. I’m here.” Halfway there, Madam Lan met a flustered maidservant.
The maidservant said, “Zi-Zi-Zi Yan is giving birth!” She was a little stutterer and her face was disfigured. The seller couldn’t sell the child for a high price, so he sold it to the Lan family.
After the maidservant finished speaking, she was stunned when she saw Yu Wan beside Madam Lan.
Madam Lan did not have the time to explain anything to her. She instructed, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and call the midwife!”
The maidservant said with difficulty, “The-the-the-the money… is gone!”
They were so poor now that they couldn’t even eat. Where would they get the money to hire a midwife? Moreover, even if they had enough money, there might not be a midwife willing to come. Who didn’t know that this Lan family had offended the Saintess and was chased out of the Nether Capital? It was already merciful of the Saintess to let them stay outside the city and struggle at death’s door. Who was willing to interact with them and treat their illness?
At the thought of this, Madam Lan’s heart ached. Her grandson died of illness because there was no one to treat him! Back then, the Lan family was so glorious, but now, they had ended up being avoided by everyone like snakes and scorpions!
“I… I’ll go invite her!” Madam Lan said.
“Master!” The maidservant’s face turned pale.
“Grand-aunt…” Yu Wan said.
Madam Lan patted her hand. “I know what you want to say. I’m sorry for making a fool of myself, but nothing can happen to Zi Yan’s child. Whether it’s for the Lan family or for your brother, I have to protect this child.”
Yu Wan: “I…”
Madam Lan: “It’s my fault that I didn’t treat you well. If you don’t mind, you can go in and sit first. I’ll come and reminisce about the past after I’m done with Zi Yan.”
Yu Wan: “Not this…”
Madam Lan closed her eyes. “Stop talking. I’ve made up my mind. Even if I have to kneel and beg, I have to beg the midwife!”
Yu Wan looked at Madam Lan’s departing figure with her walking stick and sighed. “Grand-aunt, I want to say that I know how to deliver babies.”
Madam Lan stopped in her tracks.
Yu Wan said, “I’m a doctor. I know medicine. My master is the number one divine doctor in the Great Zhou. I know everything that the midwife knows. I also know everything that the midwife doesn’t know. If you don’t mind, let me try.”
Madam Lan turned around and looked at her in surprise.
Yu Wan smiled. “I’m not lying to you. I really know how.”
Madam Lan wiped her tears. “You…”
“Ah—” Zi Yan’s scream came from the inner room.
Yu Wan’s gaze swept past Madam Lan and she looked at the tightly shut courtyard door. “Thirteen, go to the carriage and bring my medicine box over.”
“Yes,” Shadow Thirteen agreed and said, “Should we call Old Cui over?”
“No need.” The Lan family did not trust outsiders enough. If they called Old Cui over now, Madam Lan would not be at ease with him showing it to Zi Yan. Besides, she would deliver the baby!
Shadow Thirteen brought the medicine box over.
Madam Lan asked, “Ah Wan, have you delivered babies before?”
Yu Wan puffed up her chest and said, “Yes!”
For the pigs, cows, and sheep!
Madam Lan heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that her expression did not seem to be fake and brought her to Zi Yan’s room.
Zi Yan had just had an attack, and there were still at least ten to twelve hours before she gave birth. At this moment, the pain was not intense. She screamed because her water had broken. She had no experience and thought that the child was going to be gone.
After Yu Wan took her pulse, she realized that she was having a difficult labor. However, Yu Wan did not say anything and only patiently comforted her. “I’m a doctor. The child is fine. Don’t worry.”
Zi Yan cried and nodded. Yu Wan wrote another prescription and asked the maidservant to bring it to Shadow Thirteen outside the door. There were not many herbs on the prescription. They were all nourishing ingredients.
Yu Wan took the ingredients and went to the kitchen to make a pot of ginseng soup for Zi Yan.
Madam Lan held her walking stick and watched Yu Wan busy herself in front of the stove from the door. This child had been raised well and was fair and fat. When she first saw her, she thought that she was a young lady raised by a rich family, but the way she worked made Madam Lan understand that this child had also suffered.
Yu Wan closed the pot lid and said to Madam Lan, “Grand-aunt, go in and sit. There’s still a while before the ginseng soup.”
Madam Lan did not sit down. Instead, she sighed with emotion. “Mother and Sister’s medical skills are also very good. What about your grandmother and your Mom? Are their medical skills also good?”
It was already good enough that my grandmother and Mom could understand medical books. Other than being beautiful, they didn’t seem to have inherited anything else.
Yu Wan smiled awkwardly. “Grandma and Mom can’t treat illnesses. Ah, by the way, I’ve been here for half a day, but I haven’t seen the other grand-aunt. Is she not at home?”
“She passed away,” Madam Lan said in a low voice.
Yu Wan was speechless.
Madam Lan said, “I told you just now that the Lan family was once glorious, but the tallest tree will be destroyed by the wind. The Lan family is in the limelight too much, and there are many jealous people. Your great-grandmother was schemed against and left the Nether Capital helplessly. Someone saw her seriously injured with their own eyes and asserted that she didn’t have long to live. However, Sis and I firmly believe that she can live. Back then, Sis went out to look for her because firstly, she wanted to reunite with her. Secondly, the Lan family was at a critical juncture and needed the Saintess to step forward to preside over the situation. This search lasted for more than ten years until… the Lan family produced a new Saintess.”
This coincided with Grandma’s deduction.
Yu Wan looked at Madam Lan steadily.
Madam Lan laughed self-deprecatingly and said, “The Lan family is the descendant of the Saintess, and the Saintess’s bloodline is passed down to women but not to men. Therefore, in the Lan family, women’s status is higher than men. My sister was originally the head of the Lan family, and she had recruited a husband. I originally thought that he was an upright and kind gentleman, but I didn’t expect him to be an ingrate! Not long after my sister left the Nether Capital, he hooked up with the illegitimate daughter of the Lan family. After I found out about this, I expelled her from the family. I warned him that if there was a next time, he would be the one expelled from the family!
“On the surface, he had turned over a new leaf, but his concubine was secretly pregnant with his daughter and gave birth to a bastard child. I wanted to kill that bastard for Sis! Who knew…”
At this point, Madam Lan clenched her fists.
Yu Wan finished her unfinished words for her. “That child is the Saintess.”
Madam Lan took a deep breath. Because she was suppressing her anger, her body was trembling slightly. “The heavens are really blind. When he first arrived at the Lan family, he unfortunately contracted the epidemic. My sister was pregnant and took care of him. In the end, he recovered, but the child was gone… He actually has the shame to give birth to a bastard child with another woman! I really hate him! I hate myself for not killing these two sluts back then!”
Yu Wan could guess what happened next without Madam Lan saying anything.
The concubine who had been expelled from the family had given birth to the bloodline of the Saintess. A mother was noble because of her child, and she had become an existence that the Lan family could not offend.
Her eldest grand-aunt returned to the Lan family to deal with family matters, but she lost to the concubine’s daughter who had the Saintess. In the end, not only was her husband gone, but even the position of the head of the family was snatched away by the concubine’s daughter.
Her eldest grand-aunt died of depression, leaving her youngest grand-aunt to be wasted by that adulterous couple.
Madam Lan said coldly, “That slut became the head of the Lan family and chased me and my sister out. My sister died of illness, but I’m unwilling to die just like that! I swear that as long as I’m alive, I’ll fight that slut to the end!”
Yu Wan empathized with the Lan family’s grief and indignation. “However, what does this have to do with Zi Yan’s children? You said just now that her children are also the Lan family’s hope.”
Madam Lan’s eyes lit up. “If Zi Yan can give birth to a baby girl… perhaps she can also be a Saintess.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Zi Yan acted up even more. Yu Wan carried the ginseng soup into the house. After a while, a loud cry could be heard.
Madam Lan was stunned. So, so quickly?
Zi Yan originally had a difficult labor, but the ginseng soup was too disgusting. Her entire body trembled and the child came out.
Madam Lan asked excitedly, “Ah Wan! Is it a boy or a girl?”
