Chapter 181: Chapter 181
Chapter 181
"Hmm? No one can answer? Then perhaps the boy’s father can answer?" Yueqian raised her eyebrow as she asked.
The middle-aged man, who had been looking down on her, was startled by the sudden question. He quickly composed himself.
"I think the same as the others. My son hasn’t been getting enough sleep. The poison from this dreadful disease has made it impossible for him to sleep."
He chose not to mention other truths, such as their fear of being deceived, which delayed them from getting the medicine, or their decision to wait outside while sending others to gather information first. In the end, everyone thought the same and no one volunteered to become citizens of Red Earth City.
All those reasons were truly embarrassing. Saying that his son hadn’t slept enough should suffice.
"It’s unbelievable that a father thinks his son’s only issue is lack of sleep," Yueqian shook her head lightly and turned her attention away from him. She addressed her students seriously once more.
"As I’ve taught you, observe everything about the patient, including the lips and eyes, right?" Yueqian asked them. This time, the others took a closer look at the boy again.
Until one student exclaimed,
"Pale lips, weak body, constant dizziness, rapid pulse, and irregular breathing. These symptoms indicate dehydration."
An assistant spoke excitedly. Yueqian nodded, acknowledging his diagnostic skills, and immediately tossed him a copper coin.
"Thank you," he said excitedly, quickly putting the coin into his pouch.
"What you said is correct. Actually, this issue is something that should always be considered in hot weather. Dehydration is not a minor condition and can easily lead to death if it worsens. Therefore, diagnosis is crucial. Equally important is that the family should also monitor this. However, it seems both his father and mother were unaware of this. It’s evident they are not truly attentive to the child," Yueqian turned to scold them.
Allowing the child to become dehydrated shows a clear lack of care. If the child were to die, who else could they blame?
"For this matter, we didn’t know, but we’ll be more careful in the future," the father said with remorse.
However, he still felt a strong sense of resistance. He believed he already had many responsibilities as the head of the family. Shouldn’t these minor matters be his wife’s concern? Why was he being accused like this?
Yueqian noticed the other party’s unwilling demeanor. She smiled coldly, understanding that people of this era often thought this way. Even if a child died, men rarely saw themselves at fault.
Her eyes showed clear disdain, and though Yueqian didn’t say anything, her thoughts were conveyed without any reservation.
"Bring water for the child to drink and let him rest. As hospital staff, you are part of the effort to save lives."
"Regardless of whether people take good care of themselves or whether their families do, your duty is to take good care of them. Some families may want to let someone die, but once in the hospital, their fate is not for others to decide. It is solely your responsibility. If you face opposition, you must fight back. Your duty is to preserve life," Yueqian instructed.
The case of this middle-aged man and his family was not severe. She had seen worse, even parents who didn’t want to treat their children at all.
In her previous world, there were insurance issues involved. Some parents saw their children as merely a source of money. The more the doctors wanted to care for the children, the more anxious the parents became. In the end, sometimes even obstructing the medical staff.
In this world, it might be similar. Though there was no insurance, there were financial burdens involved. People here were poor, so a person’s life was equated with the cost. Especially for daughters, they were even less inclined to care.
If this little boy were a girl, his family might not have decided to move so quickly during such risky times. Fortunately, he was a boy, drawing the family’s attention. They couldn’t let a future heir die, so they were willing to sacrifice everything to save him.
However, Yueqian did not agree with the neglectful care that left the women to manage everything, essentially treating them like servants within the family. She spoke of them unfavorably.
"Governor’s Furen, you speak as if I want to let my child die! As the head of the family, I have many duties and responsibilities. It may have been a mistake not to follow up with my wife in caring for our children. However, I have already said that from now on, I will manage her properly. If she fails in her duties, it is indeed the fault of the head of the household, but I never intended for my child to die."
The middle-aged man, unable to bear it any longer, quickly defended himself. He felt deeply embarrassed by her words, even though she didn’t mention him directly. Nonetheless, discussing case studies about families letting their children die seemed like a slight against him, didn’t it?
Women are like this, never understanding the duties men have. Of course, from now on, he would handle his negligent wife. The other party nearly caused his child to die by not giving him water. Though their food supply was limited, they never lacked drinking water. It was purely negligence, and this was his wife’s fault!
"Hmm? As the head of the family, you believe you failed because you didn’t manage your wife to take care of the children?" Yueqian raised an eyebrow, her tone icy.
“...........” The middle-aged man nodded in bewilderment. Wasn’t it natural and understandable for him to be responsible for this? Why was she questioning him like this?
"In that case, as the head of the family, tell us what your responsibilities entail." Seeing the opportunity, Yueqian didn’t let it pass. It wasn’t just to teach this newly arrived villager, but the mindsets of the hospital staff also needed to be adjusted.This was an excellent opportunity to educate them, changing their views to be fair and unbiased, not seeing duties solely as the wife’s responsibility.
"I must work to earn money to support the family. Naturally, as the head of the family, I’m responsible for the well-being of everyone," the middle-aged man said confidently. However, Yueqian just laughed.
“Ah, then you, the wife who is not the head of the family, tell us what you do for the family.”
“Um, I...” The middle-aged woman felt frightened. She wasn’t very confident and was even less so in such a conversation. Yueqian glanced at her. Women in this era were indeed like this, prone to being bullied, appearing weak and timid before men...
Seeing Yueqian’s gaze, the middle-aged woman trembled slightly and was startled by it. In the end, she slowly began to speak.
“My duties are to wake up early to fetch water, prepare water for washing for my husband and children, cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner, clean the house, and work in the garden with my husband. I also have to sell or trade our produce, and at night, I weave baskets to exchange for eggs.”
As she listed her tasks, her face grew paler under her husband’s gaze. Eventually, she fell silent, while Yueqian looked on with a mocking expression.
“You didn’t mention how you take care of the children, how difficult childbirth was, or even that ensuring the children drink water is also your duty, isn’t it?” The beautiful woman laughed.
Her clear, resonant voice did not bring joy to the listeners. The middle-aged man’s face grew darker.
“It seems your duty is to work alongside your wife, then simply enjoy the comforts she provides. Meanwhile, your wife, who is not the head of the family, does all the work. Is this the extent of your importance?”
“In fact, our Red Earth City offers many opportunities. Women can find work too. You could also find a job and bring in income for the family. Then you could become the head of the family, and no longer need to care for the children, do housework, or cook. Surely your husband would accept this, as he’s currently doing just that,” Yueqian said with a smile.
Though she knew that in reality, this might not be possible—even if the middle-aged woman found work, household duties would still fall to her. But Yueqian’s point was to tell everyone that... household responsibilities belong to everyone. Even if one works outside, a willingness to help at home is what makes a better family, isn’t it?
Men who blamed everything on his wife was laughable, and when Yueqian pointed this out, the middle-aged man’s face grew even darker. He felt as if he had been slapped in the face.
"I don’t know how you all feel about this, but let me tell you, this way of thinking doesn’t improve your lives. Deep down, you feel uneasy around each other."
"One side looks down on the other, believing all problems stem from them. The other feels overly inferior, living in constant fear, unable to speak or explain. In the end, you live like this, not thinking to change? Open your hearts, try to understand each other. A happy family, living together joyfully, is much better," Yueqian advised.
She sighed in resignation. Saying this didn’t guarantee they would listen attentively. Perhaps after she left, they might end up fighting even more fiercely. Ultimately, such deeply ingrained beliefs would take time to change.
But Yueqian believed that as the society developed, more women would have the opportunity to take care of themselves without relying on men. When that day came, even if people didn’t want to change, they would have to, otherwise, how could they live together?
This was just the beginning. Yueqian had spoken to the middle-aged woman and the young girls who were not well cared for, but most importantly, to her hospital staff, both men and women. They needed to understand this too. Everyone working for her now earned a salary, could save money, and didn’t need to rely heavily on men. Soon, they would see their own worth.Yueqian led her people away shortly after. In the patient’s room, the little boy lying on the bed didn’t understand what had happened. But after drinking some water, he felt much better and fell asleep, holding onto his mother’s rough hand, hoping she would stay by his side until he drifted off.
