This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

What else could be done?!

That was Dr. Deng’s inward reaction to the situation. Today’s timing was utterly bizarre; the baby had been delivered the moment she walked through the door! If they had come a bit earlier, they might have been able to help, rather than standing in the yard feeling useless. If they had arrived a little later, they would have turned back halfway and wouldn’t be here at all. Besides, none of them had eaten lunch. They had tossed their meal boxes aside and run up the mountain, then journeyed for nearly an hour on the road. Now, things were just awkward!

But as a doctor from a higher-level hospital, Dr. Deng still stepped forward politely to start a conversation with Du Heng.

”Hello, I am Dr. Deng Jia from the Municipal First Hospital’s Emergency Center.”

”Hello, I am Du Heng, a TCM doctor at the Zhonghu Health Center.”

The two shook hands, and the exchange temporarily alleviated Dr. Deng’s embarrassment. ”Doctor Du, what’s the situation now? Do you still need us here?”

Dr. Deng was essentially hinting that if they were not needed, they would leave.

However, Du Heng’s response left her slightly stunned. ”Certainly. After the mother and baby inside are taken care of, we’ll need you to transfer them both to your hospital.”

Speaking of the baby, Du Heng himself paused for a moment.

It’s a strange feeling. When in the womb, it’s called a fetus, and it has no so-called human rights. But the moment it’s born, when its cry sounds and it can breathe air on its own, its designation changes. It’s called a baby, and he or she becomes an individual protected by law. How magical!

While Du Heng was lost in thought, Deng Jia was also taken aback. ”Your nurses said the mother and child are safe. In that case, why not let them rest at home for the confinement period instead of all this back-and-forth? Besides, did you get the family’s consent for this decision?”

Having regained her composure, Dr. Deng fired off a series of questions.

”It’s like this,” Du Heng explained. ”First, the mother was in a transverse presentation, and her cervix had already dilated. We couldn’t wait for you, so I performed an external cephalic version to adjust the fetus’s position. She needs a thorough examination to ensure there are no internal injuries. Second, the delivery took nearly six hours, so the baby requires a comprehensive check-up. Third, towards the end, the mother’s contractions weakened. I used some Chinese herbal medicine to tonify qi and induce labor, so she’s quite weak and needs proper recuperation at the hospital.”

After Du Heng finished, Dr. Deng was stunned again. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Six hours of labor, a malpresented fetus that had been repositioned, and weak contractions that were augmented with medicine!

Dr. Deng took a moment to process Du Heng’s words, then looked around in bewilderment. ”Did you bring a B-ultrasound machine?”

”Of course not, we were racing against time.”

”So you performed the version blindly, without any imaging guidance?”

”Yes. For a transverse lie, internal cephalic version is optimal. However, as you can see, the environment here doesn’t allow for aseptic procedures, so I had to opt for external cephalic version.”

Dr. Deng swallowed hard. He’s proficient in both internal and external cephalic versions, and he safely completed the procedure even with a dilated cervix and ruptured membranes! Someone like him should be revered in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, practically chained to the delivery room to work as an obstetrician. How could he be out here, merely a doctor at a health clinic? What a shameful waste of talent!

Dr. Deng continued hesitantly, ”You mentioned that when the mother’s contractions weakened... what was that special medicine you said you used?”

Du Heng gave her a puzzled look. This woman seems slow on the uptake, and her hearing isn’t great either, he thought. ”I didn’t use any special medicine. It was just Chinese herbal medicine for tonifying qi and nourishing blood.”

”Chinese herbal medicine? How much did you administer?”

”Two doses in twenty minutes. About four disposable paper cupfuls in total.”

”Can Chinese herbal medicine really work that quickly?”

Dr. Deng couldn’t help but lick her lips. The Municipal First Hospital also has a Chinese Medicine Department, but it mainly prescribes medication and gives acupuncture to old folks. Even so, they often get complaints about being swindlers. As an emergency doctor, she had witnessed the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine and acknowledged its role. However, this was the first time she had ever seen it work so rapidly.

But her words didn’t sit well with Du Heng. Coupled with the fact that he hadn’t eaten lunch and was now famished, he had little desire to continue conversing with Dr. Deng. ”You should take your team in to check on the mother and baby. I’ll go speak with the family.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Dr. Deng, who still wanted to talk more, standing there stunned.

Du Heng approached the husband, who was still comforting his mother-in-law, and said softly, ”I need to discuss something with you.”

The man looked at Du Heng, composing himself. ”Please, Doctor, go ahead. I’m listening.”

Du Heng then repeated what he had told Dr. Deng. ”My recommendation is that your wife and child go with the team from the Municipal First Hospital for a thorough check-up. If any issues are found, we can address them promptly to prevent any long-term complications.”

The man knew his wife had endured a difficult labor, but he wasn’t clear on how difficult or dangerous it had been. He had simply been overjoyed that the baby was born and that both mother and child were safe, unaware of any potential hidden dangers.

Hearing Du Heng’s explanation, a cold sweat broke out on his skin. Despite the scorching sun in the yard, he couldn’t help but shiver.

”Alright, Doctor, I’ll follow your advice. I’ll go get her things for the hospital stay right now.”