Reaching Out to Touch the Sky
Zhou Dalang responded with a simple acknowledgment.
Qian turned to He and advised, "Rest at home tomorrow." Were you frightened today?
His face was somewhat pale. She forced a smile and replied, "I'm..." "I'm alright."
With a sigh, even Qian, not to mention He, felt a lingering unease.
Back at Zhou's house, Qian instructed Feng to stay with He for the night before retiring to her own room.
Zhou Xi warmed the medicine and brought it over to He. Little Bao followed closely behind like a shadow.
Only after drinking the medicine did Qian notice Little Bao standing behind Zhou Xi. Zhou was reluctant to light the lamp, and when he did, he kept the wick low, leaving the room dim.
Seeing Little Bao still awake, Qian couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. "Why aren't you sleeping yet?"
"I can't sleep, Mother." How is Sister Huzi doing?
"We'll know tomorrow," Qian sighed wearily and waved her hand. "Hurry and go to bed." "Aren't you skipping school tomorrow?"
Oh, right. It is a rest day the day after tomorrow.
Zhou Xi led Little Bao back to their room and tucked her into bed. After asking, "Do you want Big Sister to sleep with you?"
"No need," Little Bao replied. "I can sleep by myself."
Zhou Xi left her be and returned to his own room.
Unable to sleep, Little Bao retrieved the "Complete Huangdi Neijing" and started reading, immersing herself in the chapters on medicine. She couldn't help but ask, "What will happen if people in the future have difficult childbirths?"
"People in the future won't face difficult childbirths."
"Huh?" Little Bao asked, puzzled. "Why?"
Why do people nowadays face difficult childbirths while those in the future won't?
"Because all intelligent beings can choose to gestate children in artificial wombs," explained the system. "In the era in which I was created, few humans choose natural birth anymore." Even if they do, future medical advancements will ensure the safety of pregnant women.
Wide-eyed, Little Bao exclaimed, "That's amazing!" Can I learn that?
"You can learn, but I doubt you will succeed," said the system after a moment's pause. "Because there's a technology gap of nearly ten thousand years." Not to mention that the materials and techniques required for basic gestation technology are beyond your era. "The amount of information you would need to learn is immense, and I do not recommend it."
Of course, books on such topics were available in the encyclopedia hall and could be purchased with points, but achieving mastery was uncertain.
Furthermore, mastery did not guarantee practical application.
The materials used in artificial wombs involve biochemistry and advanced materials from millennia later. You would need to create additional instruments, but the materials required for those instruments are unavailable in this era.
It was a cycle, and the system didn't believe she could manage it.
Hence, while the system encouraged hosts to learn, it discouraged them from pursuing overly advanced technologies.
Furthermore, there were deeper issues between technology and production that it couldn't assist with. If the main system were to find out, it would be considered disruptive to the timeline and planetary development, potentially leading to its destruction—a consequence the host could not bear.
The system had existed for a long time, and Little Bao wasn't its first host, nor would she be the last, but she was certainly the youngest.
It had been with her since she was a child, accompanying her through her innocent years. It knew her better than anyone else and had a significant influence on her life.
It didn't want her to pursue impractical efforts. Dreams were allowed, ideals were necessary, but they should be achievable.
Even with the system's help, she already stood taller than people of this era, but she couldn't reach the technological heights of ten thousand years in the future.
Little Bao's head was spinning from all this information. She sighed sadly and fell asleep clutching the medical book.
The next day, before dawn, young and middle-aged men began returning. Zhou Erlang returned, but Zhou Sanlang and Xiao Qian hadn't come back.
Little Bao got up from bed, half-closed her eyes, and went to the courtyard to wash up. There, she saw Zhou Erlang scooping water from the basin to wash his face.
After a sleepless night, he looked a bit haggard.
Originally feeling drowsy, Little Bao perked up upon seeing him. "Second Brother, is Sister Huzi okay?"
Zhou Erlang wiped his face and replied, "She's fine. She gave birth to a son." In a couple of days, you can go see him. He's your nephew. Remember to bring two candies.
He knew that Little Bao loved sweets.
Little Bao happily agreed, fully awake now, and hurried to wash up before breakfast and school.
"Why hasn't Big Sister returned?" She asked.
"She's staying a bit longer to help Sister Huzi." "She should be back by noon," Zhou Erlang said before realizing something. Slapping his forehead, he added, "Oh, I almost forgot. Since Big Sister isn't coming back today, should we have your second sister-in-law prepare lunch for your school?"
Little Bao hesitated. "I don't mind, but while I'm accustomed to her cooking, my classmates might not enjoy it."
Just as Little Bao finished preparing her breakfast, Feng came out of the kitchen wiping her hands...
Zhou Erlang, still facing away from the kitchen, didn't see his wife and sighed upon hearing her words. "What if the second sister-in-law cooks a meal that disrupts the big sister's work?"
Little Bao spotted Feng and immediately looked down, pretending she wasn't finished washing.
Feng couldn't hold back and placed her hands on her hips. "Zhou Erlang, is my cooking really that bad?"
Zhou Erlang nearly stumbled into the tub. After glaring briefly at Little Bao, he managed to smile and turned around. "No, no, it's not that bad at all."
"Not that bad?" "So, is it bad then?"
Little Bao sighed softly, holding her small towel, and said to the system, "Second Brother is truly pitiful."
The system objectively stated, "That has been consistent across all eras."
Women who are angry often fail to see their own shortcomings, while men who strive to please often resort to telling white lies.
It has always been this way throughout history.
Little Bao didn't dwell on it. She dried her face and wiped away the water droplets before heading into the kitchen to find something to eat.
After calming his wife down, Zhou Erlang went inside to report to Qian. Meanwhile, Little Bao carried her food into the main room and heard voices coming from the adjacent room: "We estimated the timing and sent her to the county town, catching the gate opening at Ji Shi Tang. By the time I returned, the bleeding had stopped, but she couldn't come back yet. Big Sister will stay a while longer to find someone to help in the county town, then she'll be back.