After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

What is eclampsia?

Ye Cheng took half a step forward, not even noticing that his knee hit the edge of the coffee table.

"It can cause convulsions, and in severe cases, it can cause unconsciousness. Both adults and children can be in danger."

Ye Zhen did not continue to talk about the consequences of placental abruption and cerebral hemorrhage.

A single blood pressure reading is not enough for a definitive diagnosis, but the combination of headache, blurred vision, and significant edema cannot be dismissed as a typical late pregnancy symptom.

The thermos flask stopper was leaking air, and a faint hissing sound could be heard in the room.

Zhao Xiuxiu's enamel mug bumped against the coffee table, and a few drops of water spilled out along the rim.

Ye Cheng quickly squatted down and held her hand.

He couldn't even steady his own hand.

"Zhenzhen, what should we do?"

"Brother, don't panic."

Ye Zhen pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Zhao Xiuxiu.

"Let your sister-in-law lie down for half an hour first, then I'll take her blood pressure again. We'll have to repeat the tests tonight and tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow we'll go to the main hospital to check urine protein, platelets, liver and kidney function, and coagulation, and then have an ultrasound to confirm the baby's size, placenta, and amniotic fluid."

She moved the blood pressure monitor closer to the table.

"None of you are allowed to return to the village until the results are in."

Ye Cheng opened his mouth.

"Brother, it will take at least forty minutes to get from Heishan Village to the county hospital, and that's assuming nothing goes wrong on the way."

I cannot guarantee whether the county hospital's obstetrics department has sufficient magnesium sulfate, monitoring equipment, or emergency surgical facilities.

"At this time, I dare not gamble with my sister-in-law and child."

Ye Cheng swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"If the test results are not good, you will be admitted to the hospital to prepare for delivery."

"The main hospital has obstetrics and gynecology, anesthesiology, and operating rooms, so there won't be any delays if there's a need for emergency treatment, and I can get there immediately."

Zhao Xiuxiu held the cup and rubbed her fingers back and forth on the inside of the cup a couple of times.

"Zhenzhen, how long will we be staying here?"

"We still have chickens at home, and we can't leave the quarry unattended."

"The chickens can be fed by their parents, and my brother isn't the only one at the quarry."

Ye Zhen pushed the plate of red dates towards her.

"If something goes wrong with you and your child, no amount of chickens or stones can bring you back."

Ye Cheng squatted down beside him and rubbed his face twice.

"Don't all the women in the village give birth at home?"

"Find a midwife, boil two pots of water, and it'll be fine."

"Our mother gave birth to us on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Mom had nowhere to go back then."

Ye Zhen did not raise her voice.

"In the past, when some women had complications during childbirth, their families didn't even know the name of the illness; they just said it was bad luck."

"The hospital is right here, there's no need to gamble with the adults and children anymore."

The room was quiet for a while.

Zhao Xiuxiu reached out and tugged at Ye Cheng's sleeve.

"Brother Cheng, Zhenzhen is a doctor, she's right."

"Let's listen to her."

Ye Cheng lowered his head and thought for a long time before finally nodding.

"Okay, stay here first."

He stood up and wiped his palms on his trouser leg.

"Zhenzhen, will it bother your brother-in-law if we stay at your house?"

"What influence could he possibly have?"

Ye Zhen put away her stethoscope.

"He would love to have more people in his family."

The door lock clicked as soon as he finished speaking.

Gu Zheng pushed open the door and came in, carrying a box of apples on his shoulder and two bags of milk powder under his arm.

He stopped as soon as he stepped into the living room.

"Big brother, sister-in-law, you're here?"

"Why do you all look so pale? Did you get carsick on the way here?"

Ye Cheng didn't know where to begin.

Ye Zhen explained the situation to him.

"My sister-in-law's blood pressure is a bit high; she'll go to the hospital for a full check-up tomorrow."

"If the outcome is not good, you may need to be hospitalized for delivery."

Gu Zheng placed the apple box against the wall and then put the milk powder on the coffee table.

"Then let's stay."

"When can my sister-in-law go back? It depends on the doctor."

"There's a bed and food at home, so don't be shy with me, brother."

After he finished speaking, he pushed one of the bags of milk powder in front of Zhao Xiuxiu.

"Give one bag to my sister-in-law. These two bags were originally bought for Zhenzhen. She's pregnant now and can't stand meat. If she can drink milk powder, we'll give her more."

Before Ye Zhen could stop him, Gu Zheng had already revealed the news.

Ye Cheng was stunned for a moment.

"Pregnant?"

"Zhenzhen is pregnant too?"

"Um."

Ye Zhen had no choice but to admit it.

"It was just diagnosed, and it's still early in the pregnancy."

Ye Cheng was happy.

"Really pregnant?"

"So I'm going to be an uncle?"

He laughed after he finished speaking, and then paced back and forth in the living room a couple of times.

"We'll have one more child this year, and another one next year."

"Great, that's wonderful."

Zhao Xiuxiu quickly placed the enamel cup firmly and reached out to pull Ye Zhen along.

"Now the two children will have each other for company."

"Even if we're only a few months apart, we can still play together."

She was happy for a while, but then she remembered how busy Ye Zhen had been.

"You're pregnant yourself, yet you're only concerned about me."

"The hospital is so busy, can your body handle it?"

"My job has been changed."

Ye Zhen patted the back of her hand.

"I am now mainly responsible for teaching, and I no longer enter the X-ray area or come into contact with radiation."

Before the joy on Ye Cheng's face had faded, he was suddenly faced with another problem.

"Then we definitely can't stay here."

"You need to take care of yourself too. Aren't we just adding to your workload by coming here?"

"Brother, I'm just pregnant, not sick."

Gu Zheng chimed in from the side.

"I'll take care of Zhenzhen. If you feel bad about it, please help me fix the window on the balcony."

"The window doesn't close properly, and it always lets in drafts at night. I've tried to fix it twice but still can't figure it out."

Ye Cheng's shoulders relaxed a little.

"I'm good at fixing windows."

"Then it's settled."

Gu Zheng turned and went into the kitchen.

After a while, he poked half of his body out of the door again.

"How about noodles for dinner?"

"Can your sister-in-law eat noodles?"

This question was directed at Ye Zhen.

"Clear broth noodles, less salt and oil, with a poached egg and two blanched greens."

"Alright."

Soon, the sound of water filled the kitchen, and the pot lids clattered against the stove.

Zhao Xiuxiu pressed her face with her sleeve.

Ye Cheng quickly squatted down next to her.

"Why are you crying again?"

"I'm just happy."

Zhao Xiuxiu sniffed.

"Zhenzhen and her brother-in-law are so good to us. She was pregnant herself, but she still took care of me first."

"Sister-in-law, if you stay in the hospital as advised by the doctor and get well soon, you'll save me a lot of worry."

Ye Zhen rolled up the cuff of the blood pressure monitor and put it back in the box.

"Don't eat anything after 10 p.m. tonight. I need to have my fasting blood drawn tomorrow morning, and I'll also check my blood sugar."

"If your headache worsens at night, you feel tightness in your chest, upper abdominal pain, or your child moves less than usual, call me immediately. Don't try to bear it."

Zhao Xiuxiu nodded repeatedly.

"I've remembered it all, I've remembered it all."

Ye Zhen closed the box lid.

A single instance of high blood pressure is not enough for a definitive diagnosis; further assessments of blood pressure, urine protein, and blood results are necessary for the next step.

There is no evidence to suggest a more serious diagnosis, so there is no need for her to frighten her brother and sister-in-law with the diagnosis first.

But these symptoms all fell on Zhao Xiuxiu, and she would never comfort herself by saying "everyone in the village is born like this".

Ye Zhen got up and went into the kitchen.

The broth was very bland and didn't make her feel nauseous.

Gu Zheng was picking noodles into his bowl with his chopsticks, humming an off-key song.

He lifted the pot lid, and a cloud of steam covered his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Sister-in-law, reduce the salt in your bowl by half."

Ye Zhen took the salt shaker off the spice rack and measured it with a small spoon.

"I'll put less in this bowl too, I can't stand strong smells."

"Yes, ma'am."

Gu Zheng pushed most of the salt back into the spoon.

Ye Zhen leaned against the kitchen door and lowered her voice.

"If the test results are bad tomorrow, my sister-in-law will probably have to stay in Beicheng until she gives birth."

Gu Zheng's chopsticks never stopped.

"Then stay until you give birth."

He picked the noodles into a bowl, poured in the clear broth, and then arranged the poached egg and vegetables.

"It's not like we don't have enough room at home."