Chapter 234: Failed to Silence
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by Pill Bug
Edited by Gumihou
Gumihou: The second chapter will be out in a couple of days, having trouble keeping up with the chapters…
Attributed Fu Qiuning’s knowledge of how to treat hypothermia and frostbite to her experience of truly starving and nearly dying of cold. Gumi had gotten frostbite early this year and thus researched it. Also, Pill Bug is a real-life medical professional. So, we do know what we’re talking about.
Just then, they heard a commotion in the distance. Yu Jie hurried ahead and looked around before rushing back to Fu Qiuning to say, “Madam, Elder Madam has been informed and she has sent people to help look. She said not to inform the Old Madam, so as not to worry her.”
Fu Qiuning nodded, “That is fine. Let us continue to the search-”[a]
A sudden scream. Her head snapped up in attention. That was… Jin Changjiao… Soon, it was followed by sobs of “Second Brother, Second Brother!”
[b] When she looked around, she saw Jin Changfeng and Jin Xiunan rushing towards one of the large decorative stone structures. Jin Changfeng paused briefly to say, “We split up to find Second Brother, Jin Xiunan went to that side.” Before she could answer, he took off again. She followed him and after rounding a corner, she saw Jin Zhenyi lying on the ground in the snow. He was wearing a cloak, but she could see that his face was already blue with cold, with snow clinging to his hair and eyelashes. [c] Heart sinking, she walked forward swiftly and took off her own cloak to cover him. When she touched his arms and fingers, although they felt ice cold, they were still malleable enough to move. She was not strong enough to pick up a child as large as Jin Zhenyi, but servants quickly arrived and she had one of the sturdier slaves take off their cloak, place Jin Zhenyi onto his back and replace the cloak over them. Then, she had another servant give their cloak over and place that over Jin Zhenyi’s head and body to protect him from the elements.“Right,” she said, “Let us return to Elegant Mansion.” The first order of business would be to go to a warm dry place. They must warm up the boy slowly, and take off whatever wet clothes…
[c] “Madam, this maid will order a hot bath immediately,” one of the maids said.“No, not a bath,” said Fu Qiuning. “Put a stove and a pot of water in the living room. Heat the water until it is boiling gently. Place blankets and towels on the floor, not the kang. We must first dry him off before massaging his limbs. Tell Yu Jie that we have found Zhenyi in the snow, she should know what to do-”
[c1] “Mother, I think Yu Jie is still outside looking for Second Brother. I will go with my brother and sister and help instead,” said Jin Changjiao urgently. She was holding Jin Xiunan’s hands. The silent girl had grown pale and withdrawn, her lips almost as blue as her brother’s. Jin Changfeng had that closed-off, muted expression on his face that signalled near panic. [c] Instead of stopping them, Fu Qiuning nodded, “Alright, you go ahead and give the orders. Feng’er, take care of your sisters. Be careful not to fall.” The children ran off even as the rest of them walked on at a steady pace. [c] How could they not know what to do? How could any of the former residents of the cold, bleak and poorly provisioned Night Breeze Pavilion not know what to do in case of hypothermia or frostbite? [c] That first winter, she had underestimated the cold and was not adequately prepared for it. The children were too young and too malnourished. Fortunately, although they had run out of firewood, the greenhouse was still filled with all kinds of rubbish they could burn as fuel. By staying in a single room, huddled on a single kang bed and doing nothing but sleeping and sipping the occasional thin porridge, the women and children had survived their first winter. [c] Aunt Yu’s feet were blistered from frostbite walking to and fro from the greenhouse to their little room, bringing in more rubbish to burn. Yu Jie’s hands were half frozen from scooping clean snow for them to boil down and drink. It was hell frozen over. Fu Qiuning could only hope that the children were too young to seriously remember everything about it, but, seeing Feng’er and Jiao’er’s reaction…One of the male servants approached from the side, “Madam, should we inform the Young Marquis…”
[d] “Inform him,” said Fu Qiuning duly. “Inform the Elder Madam as well. In fact, inform everyone that Jin Zhenyi has been found. Call a physician as well.”When the servant hesitated, she asked, “What is it?”
“Even the Old Madam?”
“… Not the Old Madam. We should determine Second Brother’s health before we report to her.”
By now, they had reached the threshold of Elegant Mansion, and Bai Lu as well as the maids serving Jin Zhenyi and Jin Xiunan shrieked with despair and were practically howling their grief at the sight of their little master.
Fu Qiuning flashed them a glare, “Leave if none of you can be useful. Don’t howl and scream here. Have you all followed the Young Miss’s orders?”
“Y-yes, we have prepared clean towels and the stoves of water…”
[c] “Good.” [c1] When she reached the living room, a nest of towels had been prepared in the middle of the room, more folded towels on the side, along with cotton bedding that could absorb water and keep the body warm. Feng’er was directing the maids where to place the blazers with pots of water on top while Jiao’er was comforting Jin Xiunan. [c] After directing the servant to place Jin Zhenyi in the middle of the nest of towels, she had the maids quickly undress him. She would have done it herself, but it would be best for professionals to do it. Once the clothes were off, they were taken away along with the first layer of towels, which had become wet from the snow-soaked clothes. [c1] Jin Zhenyi was still a little damp, but that was enough.“You two, rub his feet,” she instructed Jiao’er and Xiunan, trusting Jiao’er to tell Xiunan how to do it. “You check his hands, especially the fingers,” she ordered Feng’er, who had already pulled out one of Zhenyi’s hands to rub and massage.
[c] Nodding her approval, she approached Jin Zhenyi’s head with a towel. That was when she finally noticed the flakes of red on the cloth. A quick check showed a bump under the still-damp hair. The skin had broken enough to bleed, but the thick hair had hidden it earlier. A cold feeling swept over her as she carefully felt for contusions or cracks, not knowing exactly what she was looking for, but she was relieved to find that the skull felt intact. [c] For now, Jin Zhenyi was breathing, if a little shallowly. The room felt stuffy from the steam, but no one complained. Yu Jie arrived at the scene with a little cry, but quickly went to work massaging Jin Zhenyi’s chest while Feng’er worked on his other hand.Suddenly, footsteps could be heard from outside, and Madam Jiang walked in. Although she had never really liked children, she could not help but pale at the sight of Jin Zhenyi lying in a steamy room, his eyes shut and surrounded by people. Flustered, she turned to Fu Qiuning and asked sternly, “What’s this? What is going on? Brother Yi was perfectly fine earlier, how did he become like this?”
[e] Fu Qiuning gave Jin Zhenyi’s hair one last stroke before lowering her head to say, “We found Brother Yi in the plum forest, in the snow and wearing his overcoat.” There was really no need to give this woman a long and involved explanation since she was probably only there to show her ‘concern’ so that Buddha wouldn’t strike her down to hell.Madam Jiang was born into a noble family and had her fair share of schemes and intrigues. However, although people had… disappeared, around her, she had never personally witnessed a corpse or seen an actual attempt on someone’s life. [f] Seeing Jin Zhenyi, who was known for being lively and naughty being so still, made her uneasy.
“Then, surely he should be awake now? Isn’t he warm through?” demanded Madam Jiang.
[c] A streak of maliciousness ran through Fu Qiuning as she lowered her eyes further and said, “Brother Yi also suffered a blow to the back of the head. It is possible that he may have been struck and was… left behind.”Madam Jiang froze in place, her haughty, slightly anxious look replaced with utter horror.
Just then, Jiang Wanying and Concubine Huo also arrived.
The first thing Jiang Wanying said was, “Where is the physician? What are you doing with all these braziers?”
“The physician has been sent for but has not arrived yet. To treat the cold, one must be swift, so I had the maids prepare this…” began Fu Qiuning.
She [f1] was interrupted by Madam Jiang, “What physician? Call for an imperial physician immediately! My grandson has just been struck and left for dead! Call an imperial physician! And Fengju! Where is Fengju? Why isn’t he here?!”
A voice from outside sternly interrupted, “What happened here?” Like a whirlwind, Jin Fengju rushed heroically into the room.
Fu Qiuning shielded her eyes. Trust this person to come in when the action was over. Still, since he was here, he could deal with his mother, his other wife, his concubines, call for an imperial physician or whatever and tell his grandmother what happened-
[g] “Qiuning, what happened? You’re so pale,” Jin Fengju rushed over to pull her to her feet and practically propelled her to sit on the kang bed. It was only after he noticed Fu Qiuning’s shocked disbelieving look that he coughed and made a show of examining his son’s condition.“Zhenyi’s breathing and heartbeat are relatively stable. Good, this is… good. Jin Ming, go and summon Imperial Physician Feng. Wanying, you escort Elder Madam to her courtyard. It is late and Brother Yi’s condition is stable. There is no need for everyone to stay. Elder Madam’s health is not the best. It is not good for her to strain herself too much.”
“Cousin, how can Elder Madam and I rest before Brother Yi wakes up?” Jiang Wanying sighed, her eyes reddening as she said, “This is all due to my lax management. Tomorrow, I shall have those evil servants tied up and whipped until their skin flakes off. See who dares not confess. Who were the servants escorting Brother Yi?”
The two servants were just outside the door. Seeing Jin Zhenyi in such a state, their souls had flown away long ago from fright, knowing they definitely could not escape responsibility. Hearing Jiang Wanying’s threats, they knelt and kowtowed, howling, “We servants truly did not expect things to turn out like this. If we knew, even if Young Master beat us to death, we would not have dared to come back without him. Spare us, ah, Madam. Spare us!”
Seeing that Jiang Wanying was practically steaming with killing intent, Fu Qiuning said gently, “Little Sister, you mustn’t take all the blame. I am to blame as well for not vetting the servants properly. I shall do my best to take care of this, therefore, please escort Elder Madam back. I shall personally explain the situation to everyone tomorrow.”
“That’s right, escort Elder Madam to her courtyard, Wanying. You are no longer needed here,” said Jin Fengju.
Jiang Wanying gritted her teeth in anger, thinking: You think I cannot discipline two servants from Elegant Mansion? Think again.
[h] While she was still seething, Jin Fengju continued, “Bring those two servants to my study later.” [h] The noble ladies all stared at him in shock. While it was not unprecedented for the man of the house to discipline inner court servants, it was just not done! It was just like the farmstead trip again. Jiang Wanying was supposed to be the one to arrange matters relating to the inner court, but Jin Fengju had once again stepped in just to please Fu Qiuning. [h] It was happening again!Jiang Wanying was so enraged that darkness actually covered her vision for a moment. How could she not understand what was happening? [h] Her cousin was bending over backwards to cater to this woman’s whims once again. Not only did he ignore her and snatch her children away, he was also undermining her authority, the one thing that garnered her respect within this estate!
Perhaps sensing the rising tension, Madam Jiang stood up and said, “Indeed, too many people would only add to the chaos. Come, let us go, Wanying.”
Jiang Wanying had no choice but to take Madam Jiang by the elbow and escort her out. As soon as they were out of sight of Elegant Mansion’s front door, she turned to Madam Jiang and said, “Did Aunt see that? Did you see how Lord Husband treated me just now? He just dismissed me and took Elder Sister’s side. [h] Not only that, he bypassed my authority and… and…”
Madam Jiang glanced at her niece. She suddenly recalled Madam Fang’s comment about how Jiang Wanying had a habit of judging noble people through petty eyes and how she only cared about gaining power…
She wriggled uncomfortably in place for a moment before saying, “Forget it, those are her Elegant Mansion people. Rather than whipping two worthless servants to death, we should turn our attention to accumulating good karma for Brother Yi instead.”
Jiang Wanying choked, suddenly realising that Madam Jiang was [h] clearly not on her side. Otherwise, why would she suddenly say that? Had her aunt gone over to that Fu woman’s side just like her cousin? She thought: How easy it is to be a ‘good person’ when you don’t have to discipline any of the servants. All she had to do was protest against some ‘unfair’ discipline and she would be seen as a ‘benevolent’ person while I remained the evil one for trying to maintain order. Has anyone within this estate ever appreciated anything I did for the family? How could they even consider it a betrayal on my part when they were the ones who betrayed me first? As for that fool, Qiu Xia…
As soon as Madam Jiang left, Imperial Physician Feng stepped onto the scene. Not just him, Imperial Physician Qin was there as well. Jin Fengju couldn’t help but be surprised. Imperial Physician Qin usually had no notable connections with him and was a seemingly inconspicuous figure at the Imperial Hospital, so how did Jin Ming end up inviting this person here?
Just as he was feeling perplexed, Imperial Physician Feng chuckled and said, “Young Master, perhaps you are unaware, but Imperial Physician Qin, although ordinary in other medical fields, has a perfect record in treating frostbite. After hearing a general account of the situation from the esteemed official estate’s steward, this lowly official invited Old Qin to come with me. It is indeed my lord’s good fortune that we both happen to stay in adjacent rooms.”
Fu Qiuning had to applaud this Physician Feng’s ability to lighten the atmosphere and make jokes under dire circumstances. Come to think of it, he was the same the last time he came to examine Jin Zhenyi…
“Goodness, I remember examining this young man’s forehead last time. There was a cut and a bump on his head. Fortunately, the child’s head is as robust as ever. Although he was struck, there is no damage to the bone. The blood is from a breakage on the skin. It would be best for him to rest on his front or sides for a while. I shall prepare a poultice for him, but he should be as good as new in a short time.”
“You say that he had been lying in the snow for some time?” Physician Qin spoke up. “I should examine his body next.”
Jian Feng and Qiu Yu hurried forward to remove the thick blanket covering Jin Zhenyi. The room was already bright with braziers and was still a little stuffy from the steam. Fu Qiuning directed the maids to open the door and let out some of the steam so that the doctor could give his patient a more thorough examination. After observing Jin Zhenyi’s skin colour, and carefully testing the elasticity of his toes and fingertips, Imperial Physician Qin leaned back and stroked his beard, “The boy seems to have suffered no ill effects from his bout in the snow. Was he found wearing thick clothing with gloves and boots?”
“He was wearing a thick cloak and some gloves, the shoes were ordinary waterproof ones,” said Fu Qiuning.
[a1] “M-madam ordered us not to place Second Young Master Yi in a hot bath!” Jian Feng blurted out. “Is that alright? We were ever so worried.”Jin Fengju looked questioning at Fu Qiuning, his eyebrows having disappeared into his hairline.
Imperial Physician Qin’s eyes gleamed with approval as he nodded, “Madam, your knowledge is truly profound, to actually know this subtle thing. Most people, when encountering someone freezing, rush to immerse them in hot water or place them on a heated kang bed, covering them with thick blankets. Little do they know that this is the most taboo. If the patient had a single breath left, they would have robbed the patient of that last breath.” [1]
Gumihou: I cannot believe AR Qiuning attributed her ‘first aid skills’ to ‘modern me’ when she had survived 5 freaking ANCIENT CHINA WINTERS with INADEQUATE CLOTHES & FUEL to draw experience from. Addressed this issue accordingly.
This insanity included, but was not limited to, this hideous final paragraph: Frostbite cannot be immediately treated with heat. This was common knowledge in the modern world, known to almost everyone, and that was why Fu Qiuning could handle the situation appropriately. Unexpectedly, the senior doctor expressed continuous admiration. At that moment, she understood why many transmigration novels featured numerous ‘golden fingers’. Modern individuals had far too many channels of obtaining knowledge, and what might be common sense to them could be a lifesaving method in ancient times. How could they not have any ‘golden fingers’?
Like dude. Wut even-
[a] Delete moments where FQN was being ‘seen heroic and thoughtful and telling everybody about it’ because, hellooo? What? Please be more concerned about the child’s safety than the old madam’s sensitive heart. [a1] Have the maid be super ‘helpful’ [b] Have a more realistic ‘discovery’ scene, because Jin Changfeng sobbing and screaming and wailing is just… eww? [c] Realistic reaction from someone who had lived through five harsh winters in this ancient world with insufficient resources. [c1] Have the poor traumatised children be more involved [d] Deleted ‘oh noes, what should I do’ moments where weak female AR Qiuning seeks strong hunky hubby for support. [e] This scene was meant for AR Qiuning to show off and to show MIL in a good light. Have Actual Qiuning show disdain for this useless MIL [f] Realistic reaction from Madam Jiang beyond ‘oh shock’, or ‘oh the horrors’ [f1] Attribute ‘call the imperial physician’ to Madam Jiang, because modern-day FQN calling for an imperial physician is just more ‘oh hunky hubby’ bait [g] Watch me ruin the ‘heroic’ moment. [h] Give Jiang Wanying plausible reasons to hate JFJ & Co. aside from ‘I is ebil’ or ‘I is jealous ebil beetch’ [h1] No feeding information. Delete: she wanna steal my credit, that beetchh~~
Pill Bug TL Notes:
[1] Doctor Qin has a point.Placing him under a quilt immediately would have been fine. Immersing him in hot water would not have been fine; that is too abrupt.
When the body is suffering from hypothermia, the body shunts the blood flow towards the core organs in order to preserve heat. The body does this by constricting the blood vessels at the extremities where it is the coldest to prevent warm blood flowing there and losing heat, i.e. fingers, toes, then arms, feet, legs…
When you put someone directly into a hot bath, the surface of the extremities heat up very very fast. In fact, the surface starts to overheat even if the inner parts are still suffering from hypothermia. Those blood vessels in the extremities respond to this, expanding in order to carry hot blood away and cold blood towards the extremities.
Unfortunately…
Too many blood vessels expand at once because the body thinks it will overheat. Warm blood in the core flows towards the extremities. A bit of hot blood, plus a lot of cold blood in the extremities, flows into the core. The end result is the core being shocked with a flood of cold blood.
And how does the body react to cold blood? It contracts the blood vessels. Cold blood in the core, especially the heart? Heart blood vessels contract suddenly, potentially causing a heart attack and death.
This is why we give shivering people (who are still conscious and will not choke) warm water or warm soup to drink. The warm stuff in the stomach heats the core and guards against this cold shock from happening.
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