Others who saw Xu Huiqing’s abnormal condition were all startled and hurriedly rushed out into the corridor, shouting, “Doctor! Doctor!”
“Doctor, come quickly! Someone’s life is at risk~!”
Xu Huiqing’s appearance was truly frightening—her face as pale as paper, cold sweat pouring down her forehead like rain, and her teeth chattering loudly. It only made everyone think it was postpartum epilepsy.
The reason they were so nervous was because just a couple of days ago, the hospital had admitted a young postpartum patient with epilepsy. She hadn’t even been treated in time before she passed away. At that moment, it nearly scared all the women in the obstetric ward out of their wits.
The family members accompanying the patients—especially the mother-in-law and father-in-law who had previous conflicts with their daughters-in-law—did not dare cause trouble this time.
They usually argued and bickered, but none of them wanted to see their daughter-in-law’s life threatened.
So when the Obstetric Ward Director mentioned the possibility of epilepsy, everyone’s faces turned pale with fear. They were terrified that Xu Huiqing would have an accident in their ward. With so many newborn babies in the room, their lives were so fragile. If anything happened to their daughters, daughters-in-law, or grandchildren, what would they do? Moreover, they were afraid that Xu Huiqing herself might not make it.
People naturally have sympathy. As long as matters don’t affect their own interests, people can still hold onto a great deal of goodwill.
Soon, the doctors arrived and, after assessing Xu Huiqing’s condition, immediately pushed her bed toward the Resuscitation Room, shouting, “To the Resuscitation Room, immediately!”
Thankfully, this hospital was the Province’s First Maternity and Child Care Hospital. Although the beds weren’t as advanced and flexible as those decades later, they still had swivel wheels underneath. The nurses quickly and skillfully pushed the patient toward the Resuscitation Room.
The duty nurse in the ward knew it was Zhao Mother causing a scene. She ignored the fact that Zhao Mother was still sitting on the bed and pushed it forward. Zhao Mother, whose feet were still on the floor, lost her balance and fell off the bed, staggering forward before being caught by Zhao Zongbao.
Zhao Mother was stunned and immediately asked the family members accompanying the postpartum ward, “W-What… what is epilepsy?”
In the 1960s and 70s, rural women with epilepsy were more common, but why had few people heard of it? Because of limited medical conditions, women who suffered from epilepsy often died tragically.
The family members in the ward no longer indulged her, angrily scolding, “Oh, come on, you old lady. Your daughter-in-law just gave birth to a big, healthy grandson, and yet you seem so happy! How can you torment her like this? You’re making your good daughter-in-law sick! If a joyous occasion turns into a tragedy, you’ll regret it!”
“Just a few days ago, a postpartum patient was admitted—only in her twenties—who had postpartum epilepsy. She didn’t even make it to the Resuscitation Room before she died!”
“Your daughter-in-law gave you a big grandson. What’s the point of all this fussing, old lady? No matter how bad my temper is, I’ve never caused trouble for my daughter-in-law during her confinement!”
Most of them had only heard about postpartum epilepsy recently while staying in the hospital. They didn’t know what it was before.
One after another, they spoke up, terrifying Zhao Mother until her face went pale. She never intended to endanger her daughter-in-law’s life. She was just habitually imitating the way her own mother-in-law used to treat her. Now that she was the mother-in-law, she naturally had to assert herself. Otherwise, how could she be called a mother-in-law?
Which daughter-in-law hasn’t gone through this? Why should she be so special?
Who knew this girl was so useless? She hadn’t done anything, so why did she get epilepsy?
Zhao Mother opened and closed her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks in grievance. Suddenly, she slapped her thigh, “Oh my goodness~~ I’m truly innocent! I really haven’t tormented her!”
She only spat into her daughter-in-law’s porridge, which was nothing compared to how her own mother-in-law had tormented her back then.
Zhao Zongbao, who had been silent and playing dead, suddenly came alive and barked at Zhao Mother, “Enough! What’s the use of crying now? I gave you money to buy food. What did you buy? She just gave birth and you gave her porridge? Didn’t I give you one yuan? One yuan and you buy porridge? Hurry up and get some proper food!”
Zhao Mother was startled by his scolding and stopped crying. She quickly got up and nodded, “Okay, okay, I’ll buy some food. Can I buy chicken soup rice for her?”
Without waiting, she rushed out of the ward.
The others in the ward were shocked by Zhao Zongbao’s harsh tone. The room instantly fell silent. They looked at the frightened Zhao Mother running out and then at Zhao Zongbao’s furious expression, thinking, Is that her son? How can a son speak to his mother like that? If it were them, they’d beat that brat son to death!
Zhao Zongbao anxiously ran his hand through his hair.
He had been the little emperor of the Zhao family since birth, accustomed to everyone revolving around him and prioritizing his interests. He never had to do anything himself. His grandparents, parents, and five elder sisters would proactively bring him whatever he needed. They fought fiercely among themselves but never required his involvement—they spoke up, fought for him, and charged ahead on his behalf.
He had long since gotten used to this way of life. It had become instinctive, a skill he naturally mastered without learning.
So after Xu Huiqing married into the Zhao family, even though he had a decent relationship with her, he instinctively wanted to suppress her, to wear down her edges. The entire Zhao family surrounded Xu Huiqing with brainwashing and intimidation. He knew about it but accepted it as normal. Whenever she was about to rebel, he’d step in as the good guy.
If he didn’t wear down her university student aura and sharp edges, how could she obediently center her life around him, working like a beast of burden for the Zhao family? And whenever she resisted, he would symbolically scold his family members, turning himself into the so-called caring husband in others’ eyes, thus making the family target her even more. This was his goal.
This wasn’t even a calculated scheme, but rather something he naturally learned growing up—an instinct.
Just like right now.
But he never expected that simply giving birth would lead to such a severe situation, one that could cost Xu Huiqing her life.
This was not what he wanted to see. Besides Xu Huiqing being a university student, she was also beautiful and gentle. They had only been married for four years, at the peak of their relationship. He didn’t want to see her die like this.
He was both restless and worried as he paced outside the Resuscitation Room, anxiously asking every passing doctor, “Doctor, how is my wife? Is she alright?”
Xu Huiqing could hear everything clearly around her. The pain in her body was so real. Even the expressions on the doctors’ faces, the medical equipment inside the Resuscitation Room, and the sharp scent of disinfectant filling her nostrils all told her this was not a dream but reality!
This realization almost moved her to tears of joy.
Yet the doctors forcefully held her mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue and repeatedly reminded her, “Can you hear me? Don’t bite, don’t bite! Relax! Open your mouth!”
Knowing that this was reality, not a dream, gave Xu Huiqing a new sense of hope. She wanted to live well, to take good care of her body. Her daughter was still waiting for her!
Her body was not truly ill. The trembling and clenched teeth were not due to epilepsy.
The doctor’s words echoed in her ears. Driven by a strong survival instinct, she reflexively tried to follow their instructions, unconsciously relaxing her jaw and no longer biting her molars so tightly.
Seeing that she really relaxed, the doctor was overjoyed. He didn’t expect the patient could control her muscles. He continued to soothe her, “Yes, relax. It’s a minor problem, not a big deal. Relax your body, it’s okay!”
Postpartum epilepsy can be caused by various factors, such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, cerebrovascular abnormalities, metabolic disorders, and more.
Although Xu Huiqing’s symptoms—muscle spasms, rapid breathing—were triggered by the trauma of her daughter’s previous accident and not true epilepsy, they couldn’t rule out the possibility that she might develop real epilepsy.
With Xu Huiqing’s cooperation, the doctors’ rescue and treatment quickly stabilized her condition, much to their relief.
At this moment, Zhao Mother had already gone to the cafeteria and brought back chicken soup rice. She pitifully held it, standing outside the Resuscitation Room, anxiously watching inside.
Fearing her son would blame her, she carefully approached and handed the chicken soup rice to Zhao Zongbao. “Zongbao, have you eaten breakfast? If not, you should eat something first.” She glanced toward the Resuscitation Room. “I don’t think Huiqing will be out soon. After you finish, I’ll go buy more.”
Zhao Zongbao had eaten breakfast before coming. Being the center of the world since childhood, he never let himself get hungry. Hearing her, he glanced at the chicken soup rice and replied impatiently, “What took you so long? I gave you money to buy food! Buy food! Bring her a bowl of porridge!” He pointed at Zhao Mother’s nose. “If anything happens to Huiqing, I want to see what you’ll do!”
Startled, Zhao Mother shrank back, tearfully coaxing, “I know it’s my fault, I know I was wrong. Son, listen to your mother. You just eat a little, okay? Just eat a little first.”
She always knew what mattered most to her. As long as her son was there and could forgive her, she had nothing to fear.
So even now, she wasn’t thinking of guilt toward Xu Huiqing but about soothing her son and preventing his blame.
After all, she was his mother. Seeing her pitiful state, Zhao Zongbao’s fury from before in the ward subsided somewhat. His tone was no longer as explosive as before. With a serious face, he said, “When Huiqing comes out, whatever she wants to eat, you buy it for her. No more tricks! Let her complete her confinement quietly. If you can’t take good care of her, I’ll call the Eldest Sister and Second Sister to come help.”
His elder sisters were all married with their own families and children, but he spoke as if calling them to care for Xu Huiqing was a matter of course. He didn’t consider if their children needed their mother or if they could leave their homes.
From childhood to now, whenever he had any needs, the whole family had to revolve around him. His needs and orders were the highest command.
Zhao Mother dared not argue. She was utterly pitiful, weak, and wronged-looking.
When the Resuscitation Room door finally opened, the mother and son hurried forward anxiously, asking the doctor, “Doctor, how is my wife? Is she okay?”
They didn’t plan to tell the patient’s family that it wasn’t epilepsy. Of course, they didn’t confirm it was either, because if the patient was startled by such words, it could actually trigger real postpartum epilepsy. Sometimes, doctors exaggerated the situation to scare family members who treated patients like objects, all to ensure better care for the patient.
Looking at the tired Zhao family duo, the doctor nodded wearily, “She has been rescued, but the patient had severe postpartum hemorrhage and is not yet completely out of danger. She must not be disturbed. If anything happens, the cost of treatment in the future would be the least of your concerns. As family members, I believe you don’t want any harm to come to her, right?”
Zhao Zongbao hurriedly smiled, “Yes, yes. Whatever carelessness happened this time, I wasn’t in the ward. I didn’t know what my mother did. I already told her not to cause trouble again. Thank you, doctor.”
The doctor only nodded coldly and walked away.