In the southern small town with azure bricks and green tiles, the scenery was picturesque like a painting.

Shao Mingyuan led Qiao Zhao straight to the address mentioned in Ye Luo’s letter.

It was a two-story small building nestled among flowers and trees. The ground floor was enclosed by a bamboo fence to form a courtyard, where free-range chickens and ducks leisurely strolled about, perfectly matching the tranquil atmosphere of the small town.

Shao Mingyuan stopped halfway.

“What’s wrong?”

“No one’s there.”

Qiao Zhao felt somewhat disappointed and speculated, “Could they have gone out to see patients?”

Although they were in seclusion, Qiao Zhao knew that Physician Li’s pursuit of medical knowledge was endless, and the improvement of medical skills was inseparable from the accumulation of experience, which required seeing more patients and encountering all kinds of illnesses.

Just as they were talking, someone next door poked their head out: “Who are you looking for?”

The speaker was a woman around fifty years old. Despite her age, one could still see the gentle grace typical of southern women.

The old woman even had a blooming pale yellow rose tucked behind her ear.

Qiao Zhao smiled: “Auntie, we’re looking for the person who lives here.”

“Who are you people?” The old woman’s gaze carried wariness.

“The person living here is my grandfather.”

Upon hearing this, the old woman’s face showed more of a smile: “Oh, so that’s how it is! They went to the Zhang family at the end of town. Their youngest daughter-in-law is about to give birth.”

Qiao Zhao was stunned.

Grandfather Li had started delivering babies.

The old woman seemed to sense Qiao Zhao’s confusion and explained: “The Zhang family’s youngest daughter-in-law is having a difficult labor. The person is already beyond help, but the Zhang family’s youngest son won’t accept fate. So they invited Physician Li over, insisting that Physician Li is a living immortal who can save lives…”

Seeing that the old woman tended to talk endlessly, Qiao Zhao quickly said: “Auntie, could you take us to the Zhang house?”

The old woman hurriedly waved her hands: “It’s not convenient for me to go, otherwise I would have gone already. You just walk toward the end of town, and when you see many people gathered around watching the excitement, that’ll be their house.”

“Then thank you very much, Auntie.”

The old woman glanced at Qiao Zhao and said while walking back: “No need to thank me. But young lady, calling me Auntie isn’t quite appropriate—just call me Grandmother Wang.”

Qiao Zhao: “…” This auntie was a bit strange!

The two bid farewell to the old woman and walked toward the end of town. Sure enough, they soon saw many villagers gathered outside a household, discussing animatedly.

“This Zhang boy is making a mess! The person has already breathed their last breath, so why let Physician Li go in? Physician Li isn’t a midwife.”

“Exactly! When women give birth, how can you let a man go in, especially now that the person is gone…”

Soon, a voice full of vigor came from inside: “Where’s the strong liquor? Didn’t I tell you to bring the strong liquor!”

Qiao Zhao and Shao Mingyuan exchanged glances.

“It’s Grandfather Li,” Qiao Zhao said in a low voice.

“What are you doing? Why are you taking a knife to my wife? Don’t you touch—she’s still alive!” came the hoarse, desperate shouting of a man.

This was immediately followed by a series of clanging and banging sounds.

Qiao Zhao’s heart tightened, and she hurriedly squeezed through the crowd. She saw Physician Li being pushed and shoved outward by a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

Ye Luo, who was guarding outside the door, stepped forward to stop this when he saw what was happening. Physician Li was furious: “Just throw this boy out!”

Ye Luo expressionlessly grabbed the young man and threw him out.

“Grandfather Li—” Seeing that Physician Li was about to go back inside, Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but call out.

Physician Li’s body paused, and he turned around abruptly. After seeing clearly that it was Qiao Zhao, before she could react further, he waved at her: “Girl Zhao, you’ve come at just the right time! Come in with me!”

“Tingquan, I’ll go over first.” Qiao Zhao lifted her skirt and ran over.

“Who are you people? What right do you have to barge into my house?” the young man shouted at Shao Mingyuan, who was following close behind.

The young man’s family members, seeing that Shao Mingyuan had an extraordinary bearing and being intimidated by Ye Luo’s recent display of capability, forcefully held back their son, who wanted to rush over and fight desperately.

“Dad, Mom, why are you holding me back? That old man wants to take a knife to Chunhua!”

“Si Wa, let them be. You called the doctor yourself. Now that Chunhua and her child are both gone, what’s the worst that could happen?” the young man’s mother said through her tears.

The townspeople all knew that the two old men who had settled here a few months ago were not to be trifled with—not because the two old men had any special abilities, but because the young man who silently followed them had frighteningly great strength. Anyone who showed disrespect to the old men would be thrown out by him.

“No, I can’t let Chunhua be desecrated by them like this!” The young man struggled desperately.

Shao Mingyuan glanced at him and said indifferently: “If you stay quiet, things might not be so bad.”

Perhaps intimidated by Shao Mingyuan’s presence, the young man stopped struggling.

Qiao Zhao entered the delivery room and immediately smelled the strong scent of blood.

The midwife had already been driven out, leaving only Physician Li and Coroner Qian inside.

On the bed lay a young woman with a highly protruding belly. Her eyes were tightly closed, her face was pale blue-white, and she looked to be beyond help.

“Clean your hands!” Physician Li shouted.

Qiao Zhao collected herself and hurriedly washed her hands carefully, then wiped them with gauze soaked in strong liquor.

Physician Li nodded and pointed to a tray: “Hold this and assist me.”

Coroner Qian held up a knife and gestured: “Didn’t you say I would do it?”

Physician Li lifted his foot and kicked Coroner Qian aside: “The dead belong to you, the living belong to me.”

“But this woman has already breathed her last—she just died moments ago.”

Physician Li glanced at Qiao Zhao before saying, “But the fetus in her womb is still alive.”

Qiao Zhao was shocked, and her hands gripping the tray involuntarily tightened.

“Knife!”

Qiao Zhao hurriedly handed over the knife.

Physician Li gripped the knife tightly and aimed it at the woman’s protruding belly, cutting downward. As he cut, he said to Qiao Zhao, “Girl Zhao, watch carefully. This is a rare opportunity—you might need to use this someday.”

“Mm.” Qiao Zhao responded and watched intently.

Coroner Qian stood to one side and couldn’t help but nod.

Old Li had chosen a good successor. Although she was just a young girl, watching this scene of opening up the body, she didn’t even blink her eyes, and her expression didn’t change much either. This showed she was naturally suited for this work.

Sigh, it looked like his craft was going to be lost to posterity. Should he try to steal Old Li’s disciple?

“Don’t think too much!” Physician Li lifted his eyelids to glance at Coroner Qian and said coolly.

“You’re still as petty as ever!” Coroner Qian muttered.

Both were accustomed to such scenes and could still chat and laugh while facing the woman whose belly had been cut open.

Although Qiao Zhao maintained calm on the surface, her heart was extremely tense.

Physician Li quickly extracted the fetus from the woman’s abdomen, cut the umbilical cord, and handed it to Qiao Zhao: “Wash this baby and wrap it up properly, then take it to the family.”

Qiao Zhao took the newborn infant, not knowing where to put her hands and feet.

“Old Qian, you wash the baby. I still have some things to teach Girl Zhao.”

Coroner Qian took the infant from Qiao Zhao’s hands and used a warm, soft cloth to wipe the blood from the baby’s body. Soon, the room was filled with loud crying.

“Needle and thread!” Physician Li called out.

Qiao Zhao hurriedly handed over the needle and thread.

This thread was not ordinary cotton thread, but mulberry bark thread, which had the effect of promoting wound healing.

“Do you see? After extracting the fetus, you must suture like this. If the woman is in good condition and this procedure is performed in time, both mother and child can be safe…”