Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 245 Dawn

Xue Yunting leaned against the wall with his hands behind his head, stretching out his legs and swinging them: "I wasn't even in Kunzhou at the time; it was Wuming who gave the order. He wasn't wrong either. The Duan family had been operating in Kunzhou for many years. If they hadn't died, Kunzhou would never have had a peaceful day."

As for Mingzhu hating me, honestly, it has nothing to do with these things. Women, after all, love and hate are entirely up to them.

Nianyao pouted: "You're so young, where do you get so many feelings? And you say love and hate are just a matter of whim, and every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor."

Xue Yunting didn't argue with her: "Sister is right."

The two were silent for a moment, then said at the same time:

"elder sister."

"Yun Ting".

Xue Yunting said, "Sister, please speak."

Nianyao said, "You go first. I'm the older sister, so I have to give way to you."

Xue Yunting couldn't help but laugh: "I'm always the one who gives way to others. It's so nice to have an older sister."

Nianyao said, "If I didn't know you, I would definitely think you were just being glib."

Xue Yunting said, "Perhaps sincerity is also a kind of glibness, only a more sophisticated one."

"Why are you speaking in such profound terms?" Nianyao asked curiously. "You're a general, how come... you're acting like a tutor from the Imperial Academy? And what are you doing here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Xue Yunting smiled and said, "I saw three basins of ice in the room, so I came over specifically to thank you, sister!"

Nianyao said, "Are you being so polite, treating me like an outsider?"

Xue Yunting moved closer to Nianyao and put his hand on her shoulder: "Sister, I want to talk to you about something?"

Nianyao shrugged: "You should think about it yourself. If I wouldn't agree, then there's no need to say anything more."

Xue Yunting said, "Mingzhu probably won't make it through childbirth. I need to take her to Mount Oulu and bury her there. Please take the child with you first, and I'll bring the child back to Qinzhou when I return."

Nianyao subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief: "Is this what you were just going to say? No problem, I agree."

Xue Yunting said, "I just..."

"Yun Ting, Yun Ting..." Qin Jiu's voice came from afar, clearly tinged with panic.

Xue Yunting didn't even get up; he simply leaped out of the tea room to greet Qin Jiu, who rushed in from the backyard: "Ninth Brother?"

Qin Jiu pulled him along: "Mingzhu is crying out in pain, she must be about to give birth..."

Xue Yunting ran towards the backyard, shouting as he ran, "You and your sister go find your brother-in-law, quick..."

Tiger, carrying the large lampstand, was about to enter when he nearly bumped into Xue Yunting. Xue Yunting didn't even have time to speak before rushing into the room: "Mingzhu, how are you feeling?"

Duan Mingzhu's face was pale, and her voice was broken: "I'm in pain... I can't breathe... Call my brother-in-law quickly..."

Xue Yunting turned around and called out, "Where's Luo An? Go and call him. And Song Yuan too, call Song Yuan."

Tiger was intimidated by Xue Yunting's imposing manner and immediately put down the lampstand and turned to leave. Liang Qingcheng lit all the candles, illuminating the room brightly.

Xue Yunting bent down and hugged Duan Mingzhu, his voice trembling: "Mingzhu, don't be afraid..."

Duan Mingzhu endured the pain, stroking Xue Yunting's hair: "...Yunting...you're with me...I'm not afraid...Yunting...you have to stay with me...always stay with me...Yunting...don't cry..."

Xue Yunting buried his head in Duan Mingzhu's neck: "I didn't cry, Mingzhu, I didn't cry..."

Liang Qingcheng had a lot of opinions about Duan Mingzhu, but in this situation, she also felt a lump in her throat: Duan Mingzhu was ultimately a pitiful person!

Song Yuan stood next to Xue Yunting and patted him on the shoulder: "Young General."

Xue Yunting looked up, his eyes terribly red, and roared at Song Yuan, "Where's Luo An? Is he dead?"

Song Yuan pointed to the side: "He's not dead yet."

Luo An stood next to Song Yuan. Nian Yao stood to Luo An's side, holding a tray in both hands, which was full of things.

Xue Yunting was momentarily stunned: "Sister, brother-in-law..."

Luo An looked at him quietly, her expression indifferent, her voice flat: "Get out!"

Xue Yunting looked at Luo An, then turned to look at Duan Mingzhu.

Duan Mingzhu closed her eyes slightly and bit her lip tightly. At this critical moment, Duan Mingzhu showed none of the vulnerable side she usually displayed in front of him.

Xue Yunting couldn't help but say, "If it hurts, just scream. You don't have to hold it in. I won't go out; I'll stay here with you."

Song Yuan advised, "Young General, since ancient times, no man has ever entered the delivery room."

Xue Yunting retorted, "My brother-in-law is a man too, wasn't he in the delivery room too?"

Song Yuan, holding his breath, said, "He's a doctor. Young General, childbirth is a woman's natural right, look at how panicked you are..."

Duan Mingzhu seemed to have recovered by now, and she sat up.

Xue Yunting quickly helped her up: "Don't get up, just lie there..."

Duan Mingzhu took out a handkerchief and covered Xue Yunting's eyes: "It's okay, the pain comes in waves... Brother-in-law, let him stay here with me."

Luo An gave Song Yuan a wink. Song Yuan didn't say anything more, shook his head, and went out with Liang Qingcheng.

Luo An picked up the wine on the tray and said to Duan Mingzhu, "Mingzhu, would you like to drink it now, or later?"

Duan Mingzhu was breathing heavily: "I won't drink, I need to be sober... I don't want to die without feeling anything..."

Duan Mingzhu's pain returned, and she gripped Xue Yunting's hand tightly: "Yunting, you must remember what you promised me..."

Unable to see, Xue Yunting hurriedly replied, "I will... I will do whatever you ask..."

Duan Mingzhu slowly lay down: "Brother-in-law, you have to sew me up... that way I'll look better..."

On Duan Mingzhu's small, pale face lay a fearless acceptance of death.

Even Luo An, who was used to seeing illness and death, was somewhat moved. He knew that comforting Duan Mingzhu would be useless, but he still said, "It hurts so much!"

Duan Mingzhu pulled Xue Yunting's arm towards her: "Yunting, if it hurts, I'll bite you..."

Xue Yunting readily agreed: "Go ahead and bite, I'm not afraid of pain."

Duan Mingzhu seemed about to cry, but tears rolled down her cheeks first: "As long as you're not afraid of pain!"

No one in the world is immune to pain; it's just that some people can endure it, some can't, and some have no choice but to.

Nianyao asked quietly, "Can alcohol disinfect and relieve pain?"

Luo An said, "Take Mafeisan (麻沸散) with wine."

Luo An placed the wine glass back on the tray, holding a gleaming, sharp knife in one hand and a gleaming, sharp pair of scissors in the other: "Mingzhu, I'm about to begin."

Duan Mingzhu was in so much pain that she was delirious and struggling to breathe. She was holding onto Xue Yunting's arm and had no time to respond to Luo An.

Xue Yunting could only sense Duan Mingzhu's pain through the pain in his arm. He murmured, "Mingzhu, if only pain could be transferred."

The sound of her stomach being ripped open was clear in the quiet night. Duan Mingzhu trembled all over, biting Xue Yunting tightly, without uttering a sound of pain…

Nianyao looked away, unable to bear watching any longer: For ordinary people, childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell. For Duan Mingzhu, childbirth was like crossing the gates of hell.

This child, born at the cost of her mother's life, was named Dawn.