Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1237: Chapter 1239 Thirst-quenching Syndrome_1

In order to speed up the journey, the group switched from land to water travel, and fortunately, they encountered favorable winds and waters, quickly making their way Northwest.

However, Chu Hai suddenly came down with alternating chills and fever during the trip, a situation that was very dangerous.

”He’s a martial artist. Even if he suffered in the Sky Prison before, his health shouldn’t have deteriorated to this extent, right?” Jiang Yichun said, somewhat helplessly. Perhaps because Chu Hai had initially pestered Bai Ruozhu to become his Teacher, Yichun still didn’t look too favorably upon him. However, after all, it was thanks to him that they were able to plead with the Emperor to let Chu Hai accompany them to the Western Regions.

Chu Hai, worried about Diao Yao, had been gloomy throughout the journey, deeply downcast in spirits.

Bai Ruozhu gave him a sidelong glance and said, ”He was previously poisoned with Reincarnation Poison. Do you think that’s just some ordinary poison? Moreover, each time detoxification is attempted using the Ancient steaming method it nearly takes a person’s life, otherwise, why would it have to be done at intervals? His constitution is not bad, but he can’t withstand such depletion.”

Jiang Yichun touched his nose, ”Then you prescribe him some medicine to help him recuperate. I’ll arrange for a guard to take care of him.”

Bai Ruozhu chuckled to herself; was he worried that if she were to take care of Chu Hai, she would spend too much time with him? The child was already so big, and he still could get so jealous.

Through continuous treatment on the boat, Chu Hai’s condition gradually improved and he no longer caught colds and fevers so easily. However, the haste of their journey was too much, and Chu Hai was quite worn out.

Bai Ruozhu intended to slow down their pace but was stopped by Chu Hai. He said, ”My health is not the main concern. I’m worried that if we delay too long, something might happen to my mother. Ever since someone in the Capital caught Diao Yao and targeted Diao Bin, I have had a bad feeling that someone would trouble my mother as well.”

Upon hearing that, Bai Ruozhu dared not insist any longer. If they failed their mission, everyone involved would be in trouble. Everyone in the party could be punished.

Once they finished by water, Bai Ruozhu still suggested that they stop by Beiyu City first; she simply couldn’t stop worrying about Yu Hongxiu.

After more than ten days of relentless travel, they finally arrived in Beiyu City. Jiang Yichun went to meet with Meng Liangshen and Tu Lie first. He had discussed with Bai Ruozhu that if anything went wrong in the Western Regions, the Northwest Main Camp would likely be the quickest to provide support.

Bai Ruozhu asked Jiang Yichun to give her regards to Meng Liangshen and stated she would go see Yu Hongxiu before visiting the Meng Residence and the Bai Family along with the elderly Madam Meng and Master Meng.

Bai Ruozhu, accompanied by Jianqi and others, went to the Xie Family. When the servants announced their arrival, Yu Hongxiu couldn’t believe it; she almost thought it was a scam, as Bai Ruozhu hadn’t mentioned in her letters about coming to Beiyu City. It wasn’t until she saw Bai Ruozhu that she believed it was true.

”Ruozhu, I’ve missed you so much!” Yu Hongxiu called out and threw herself into Bai Ruozhu’s arms, ”Why did you suddenly come to Beiyu City? Isn’t your second brother about to take the Imperial Examination? Why didn’t you write to me in advance?”

Bai Ruozhu was amused by Yu Hongxiu’s barrage of questions and pulled her into the yard, ”Let’s not stand at the door hugging. We’ll be surrounded by Onlookers soon enough.”

Yu Hongxiu came to her senses and followed her to the Main Hall, her face flushed.

”Achun and I suddenly received an Imperial Decree to go to the Northwest to deal with the Epidemic, so we didn’t have time to write and tell you. I thought since you said you weren’t feeling well, I’d come and check on you first. But we have an Imperial task to fulfill, so we can’t stay long,” Bai Ruozhu explained bit by bit.

As they talked, she took Yu Hongxiu’s wrist and carefully felt her pulse. But with just one check, her expression turned noticeably grimmer.

”An Epidemic has broken out in the Northwest?” Yu Hongxiu was still astonished when she saw the change in Bai Ruozhu’s expression. Realizing that Bai Ruozhu was diagnosing her, she quickly asked, ”Ruozhu, is there something seriously wrong with my health?”

”Let’s go inside and sit down, and I’ll take a proper look at you,” Bai Ruozhu said with a frown.

Yu Hongxiu sighed, ”These days I’m constantly dizzy, short of breath, and always thirsty. I sweat profusely at night, and I’ve caught a cold several times, but it just keeps recurring without improvement.”

She indeed looked unwell, her originally rosy cheeks had become sallow, and her oval face had sharpened into a more gaunt V-shape.

Bai Ruozhu led her to the Main Hall and took her pulse again. This time, Bai Ruozhu was finally certain that her initial diagnosis had not been wrong.

”Sister Hongxiu, you have contracted Thirst-quenching Syndrome,” Bai Ruozhu said, feeling a dryness in her own mouth. Thirst-quenching Syndrome in ancient times was what we now call diabetes. Even in modern times, diabetes is difficult to cure completely. Many diabetes patients need to regularly inject insulin and often suffer from various complications, which also lead to them becoming increasingly emaciated.

While Bai Ruozhu’s traditional Chinese medical treatments could address Thirst-quenching Syndrome, the treatment would take a long time, and a cure was not guaranteed. The approach was mainly to control and regulate the condition. However, if Yu Hongxiu did not take care with her diet or if she became overly fatigued or stressed emotionally, the condition might relapse.

Upon hearing the words ”Thirst-quenching Syndrome,” Yu Hongxiu turned pale, ”I—I had a relative who had Thirst-quenching Syndrome and they never got better, eventually passing away. They looked frighteningly thin at the end,” she said with a choked voice. ”Ruozhu, am I going to die? What will happen to my two children?”

Bai Ruozhu grabbed her hand and comforted her, ”Don’t think nonsense. He just didn’t meet a good doctor. How could I not treat you properly?”

Yu Hongxiu’s emotional state was very important at the moment, and Bai Ruozhu needed to give her hope and help her rally.

”Really? Ruozhu, you’re not just trying to comfort me, are you?” Yu Hongxiu’s eyes brightened, as if she had seen hope.

Bai Ruozhu nodded seriously, ”It’s true, but you must listen to me. You have to follow a strict diet; you can’t keep eating those sweets you like.”

”Ah? Did I get Thirst-quenching Syndrome because I ate too many sweets?” Yu Hongxiu asked with regret.

”Not entirely. It’s more likely you consumed too many greasy foods after childbirth, which made your blood sugar consistently high. Didn’t you eat excessively to ensure you had enough milk for your children?” Bai Ruozhu recalled encouraging Yu Hongxiu to breastfeed her children herself.

Yu Hongxiu’s cheeks flushed slightly, ”Yes, I was afraid there wouldn’t be enough milk. But I haven’t been breastfeeding recently because of illness and medication.”

It was already like this; anything said now wouldn’t change the situation. Bai Ruozhu quickly patted her shoulder and reassured, ”It’s okay, it’s okay. We’ll adjust your condition slowly. Once you’re feeling a bit better, go to the Capital, and when I return, I’ll continue to regulate it. You’ll surely get better.”

Luckily, Yu Hongxiu’s condition mostly involved postpartum blood sugar changes, and it had been detected in time without becoming too severe.

Putting her words into action, Bai Ruozhu asked Yu Hongxiu for paper and pen and quickly wrote out a formula for her to have someone fetch the herbs and prepare the medicine. She also wrote down a diet plan, clearly listing what Yu Hongxiu should eat more of, what she should limit, and what she should completely avoid, and so on.

Afterward, Bai Ruozhu wrote two more formulas, instructing Yu Hongxiu to switch to a new one after half a month, and then another half a month later. However, as Bai Ruozhu would not be with her, she could only tell Yu Hongxiu to see the senior doctor at Fushou Hall when the time came to see if the pulse indicated it was appropriate to switch the formulas.

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The last Chapter where Little Dengdeng tried to hold back tears is entirely drawn from observing my son. He takes his pride seriously and had a hard time letting go of me when he first started kindergarten. He wanted to cry yet feared being seen by others, pursing his lips then holding it back, leaving me feeling sour inside as I left. The teacher also said it was heart-wrenching to watch, then mentioned how he would hide and cry quietly, wiping away tears without a sound...