Insights Chapter 2: The Hydrostatic Test

Chapter 2: The Hydrostatic Test

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

(TW: death of a baby, blood, autopsy, gore, neonaticide, infanticide)

Someone took on the challenging task, and Cheng Gong instantly felt like he had found a savior. Wen Wan communicated with the group, and the leaders naturally gave the green light. During this time, Shen Junci had already prepared himself.

Wen Wan was still uneasy and told Shen Junci, “Doctor Shen, give it a try first. If you feel something is off, we can figure out another way…”

Before Wen Wan could finish her sentence, Shen Junci skillfully picked up the dissection tools. His fingers were long, and he held the scalpel like a pen, decisively making an incision, cutting open the infant’s abdomen thoroughly. The cut was steady and precise, from top to bottom, with a smooth blade.

Shen Junci’s gaze was extremely focused, as if only this corpse was in his eyes. Wen Wan didn’t say anything more; she and Cheng Gong exchanged glances and concluded that Shen Junci was capable.

After opening the abdominal cavity and observing the peritoneum, the next step was to open the thoracic cavity. Dealing with the chest cavity of an infant posed a challenge; separating the chest muscles required the scalpel to be close to the ribs, avoiding damage to the bones and preventing puncturing the chest cavity.

Shen Junci’s blade moved cleanly and efficiently, separating bone from flesh with a slight sound. The scalpel cut along the boundary between the costal cartilage and the ribs, then precisely pierced the infant’s second costal cartilage, creating an “S” shape to separate it from the first rib, revealing the internal organs. The stomach was shrunk, concealed behind the ribs.

Shen Junci then selected a location below the throat and above the diaphragm and began ligating the trachea and esophagus using surgical thread. The infant’s internal organs were small and soft, resembling fragile jelly.

Shen Junci lowered his head, his fingers moving skillfully, then gently pulled the thread. Applying too much force would directly strangle the trachea and esophagus, while too little force wouldn’t achieve the ligating effect.

Cheng Gong saw Shen Junci’s fingers move gently, and then he cleanly cut and carefully removed the infant’s neck organs, along with the heart and lungs.

Cheng Gong quickly took over with a tray and examined the infant’s lungs under a microscope, “The lungs are sponge-like, with a reddish-brown surface, and there is slight expansion of the alveoli…”

Wen Wan had prepared water on the side. Cheng Gong carefully placed the heart and lungs in the water, and the four stared intently at the glass container. Initially, the organs sank momentarily due to the gravity of entering the water. The water surface slightly swayed, and the organs floated to the surface. 

“Positive!” Qi Yi’an exclaimed with excitement.

Shen Junci pressed the lung lobe into the water, then released his fingers, and the lung lobe floated again. If the test result was floating, it was positive, indicating air in the lungs, and the infant breathed, taking air into the alveoli. In other words, the infant was born alive.¹

The autopsy results confirmed that the child was alive when born. This meant that what the wife said was true, and it was highly likely that the mother-in-law at home was the one who killed the infant.

“I’ll inform the criminal investigation team,” Qi Yi’an said, unable to contain his excitement.

“Wait,” Shen Junci said on the side, “just to be safe, let’s also conduct the hydrostatic test on the intestines and stomach.”

Cheng Gong agreed, “That’s a good idea. It will be more accurate and won’t take much longer.”

Intestinal flotation was generally an auxiliary test to the lung float test. If the infant had spontaneous respiration, air would enter the intestines and stomach. This test could also estimate the infant’s survival time. This test was more complicated.

Shen Junci began working. His slender and nimble fingers operated on the infant’s body, ligating the cardiac sphincter, pylorus, and the upper and lower ends of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon. He handled it meticulously and attentively.

The intestines of premature infants were very small, and these actions required the anatomist to be very familiar with the human body and clearly understand the theory behind the flotation test.

Qi Yi’an had studied this knowledge in college and even passed the exams. Still, he had never practiced it, and his memory of the steps was unclear. In front of him, Shen Junci handled it cleanly and decisively without hesitation. After observing for a while, Qi Yi’an deeply respected his mentor.

In just a few minutes, Shen Junci completed the operation and checked to ensure no mistakes. The mesentery was separated, and the entire gastrointestinal tract of the infant was taken out. The whole process was as precise as an internal medicine surgery.

Wen Wan had already prepared another glass container filled with water, and the organs were placed inside. The stomach and some intestines floated.

It was positive again!

“The child started breathing. Air would enter the stomach immediately. Thirty minutes later, it would enter the duodenum, and in about six hours, it would spread throughout the entire small intestine. It would cover the entire gastrointestinal tract within twenty-four hours,” Cheng Gong explained. “The duodenum is also floating now. Based on the amount of air entering the intestinal tube, we can conclude that the infant survived for over an hour but less than three hours.”

“The child was killed!” Qi Yi’an finally dared to confirm this.

Wen Wan checked the recording equipment, “All recorded. We can give the conclusion to the criminal investigation team.”

Shen Junci added, “There is a small amount of congestion in the internal organs, pinpoint bleeding beneath the mucosa, and a small amount of soil in the oral cavity and trachea. Preliminary conclusion: the child may have died from mechanical asphyxiation.”

He put it mildly, but in simple terms, the child was buried alive. Although the autopsy results were out, Shen Junci felt the job was incomplete. He said, “I will reexamine the child’s head. You can inform the criminal investigation team of the results.”

After completing the autopsy, Wen Wan looked at Shen Junci with newfound respect, and Cheng Gong repeatedly expressed his gratitude on the side. The rules in the medical examiner industry were quite simple: those with technical skills gained status and were naturally respected.

—

Cheng Gong went to the office to fill out the flotation test inspection result form, attached two screenshots, and handed it to Qi Yi’an to notify the criminal investigation team. Qi Yi’an hurried to the criminal investigation building. The simulation exercise in the criminal investigation team had already ended, and Captain Shao Zhene rushed back from the training ground. Seeing Qi Yi’an, he led him into a meeting room where two families were still causing a commotion.

The in-laws and the bride’s family were at odds, almost resorting to physical violence several times. Yu Shen’s wounds were not yet bandaged, and a few police officers were having trouble restraining them.

The mother-in-law persisted, yelling, “I didn’t kill anyone!” 

Due to her unwavering attitude, her husband and father-in-law sided with her.

Qi Yi’an walked over, placed the inspection report on the table, and said, “The results are out. The child was alive when born.” 

The mother-in-law stood up, “How did you find out?!” 

Qi Yi’an raised an eyebrow, “The hydrostatic test proves there was air in the child’s body. She had started breathing on her own, surviving for at least an hour before death. The autopsy results are recorded on video. Do you want me to explain the scientific principles to you?”

The son’s expression changed, “Over an hour? That’s before I rushed back…” 

At that time, only the mother-in-law and the bride were at home.

The mother-in-law insisted, “It’s impossible!”

“What’s impossible?” Captain Shao stepped forward, putting pressure on her. “The medical examiner’s results are out, the evidence is conclusive. You better confess to the crime.”

The young husband looked at his mother, “Mom, you didn’t really do this, did you?” He couldn’t believe his own mother had killed his child, and committed such a cruel act.

The noisy meeting room fell silent for a moment. The bride then realized, covering her face and crying, “My poor child…”

All eyes focused on the mother-in-law. The bride’s brother grabbed the old lady’s collar and pulled her up. The police held them back; fists were about to fly.

The mother-in-law, her entire demeanor sagging, mumbled, “How… how is it possible?” She muttered a few more words to herself, “How could they find out?” Then the old lady looked up, her eyes moving, “I should have stepped on it, burned it, or thrown the dead child into the well.” Her tone was indifferent, like a venomous snake spitting venom, unrepentant even at this moment.

In an instant, looking at her expression, everyone felt a chill down their spines. Qi Yi’an looked at the old lady as if she were not a person in front of him, but a demon possessed by something unknown.

Captain Shao spoke to the detectives beside him, “What are you waiting for? Take her to the interrogation room.”

Yu Shen hurriedly pulled the old lady.

“That’s my granddaughter, don’t I feel pain in my heart? But there’s no other way… it’s that girl’s belly that’s disobedient. If it were a boy, why would I do such a thing?” The old lady refused to leave, turning to her son, “Silly child, you already have two daughters. Having more girls will only burden you to death. When will you have a son? Besides, the child was premature; who knows what’s wrong with her! If we have to spend money on treatment, it’s a bottomless pit. It’s better to die early and reincarnate. In the future, you will understand your mother’s good intentions.”

She wanted to hold her son’s hand while speaking, but he avoided her gaze with fear. Finally, the old lady was taken away. The daughter-in-law cried, the husband comforted her in reverse, but this family had forever fractured and could never return to what it used to be.

Qi Yi’an watched it all, feeling a chill. He had seen too many corpses, but they never made him as uncomfortable as he felt now. He went to the interrogation room with the old lady, and Yu Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to Qi Yi’an, “Thanks. I didn’t expect you to get the results so quickly.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you guys to handle it,” Qi Yi’an didn’t take credit. “It’s also thanks to my Teacher. The autopsy report will be available tomorrow morning.”

He rushed back to the medical examiner’s office from the criminal investigation building. Wen Wan had returned to her office and was organizing the data.

Qi Yi’an asked, “Is it done? Is my teacher still in the autopsy room?”

Wen Wan nodded, “Doctor Shen is still sewing up. I couldn’t help, so I came back first. This time, thanks to him.”

Qi Yi’an went to the autopsy room again. The entire dissection process was complete. Under the lights, Shen Junci was carefully suturing the body. He used the smallest needles; the baby’s skin was as thin as paper, requiring extra care even in breathing.

Qi Yi’an didn’t dare disturb him, cautiously approaching. The body had been cleaned, washed off the dirt, appearing as if peacefully asleep. This small life hadn’t experienced the joys and sorrows of the world, never felt a mother’s embrace, never taken a sip of milk, and hastily left this world.

Shen Junci’s movements were extremely gentle and careful, as if afraid of waking the baby from a beautiful dream. After the final stitch, Shen Junci skillfully tied a knot. Then he removed his gloves and handed them to Qi Yi’an, saying, “You handle the rest.”

With a sigh, Qi Yi’an filled out the paperwork, archived the body, and waited for the relatives to claim it after the case was closed, facilitating the postmortem arrangements.

When Qi Yi’an finished his tasks and returned to the medical examiner’s office at the Special Criminal Division, Shen Junci had poured himself a pot of tea, familiarizing himself with the City Bureau’s system.

Another stick of incense was lit in the corner of the medical examiner’s office, now halfway burned. It seemed like a tribute to the departed soul.

Sitting on a chair, Shen Junci, who was so focused and sharp during the autopsy, had completely lost that intensity.

Qi Yi’an felt that once Shen Junci stepped off the autopsy table, he reverted to that calm and indifferent state.

Seeing him sitting across, Shen Junci lifted the tea cup, asking, “Do you want some? It’s Dragon Well tea from Mingqian.”

Qi Yi’an shook his head. He was thinking about the matter of taking a nap at noon, hesitating as he looked towards Shen Junci. Summoning his courage, he said, “Teacher… um, although there is the concept of a lunch break at the City Bureau, it’s mainly intended for having lunch, and very few people use the rest area to sleep…”

He spoke it out boldly.

Shen Junci made a sound of acknowledgment, rolling the mouse wheel with his right hand. “They won’t fire me for that, will they?”

Qi Yi’an hesitated for a moment, quickly shaking his head. “It shouldn’t be…”

After all, he was recruited from the Provincial Department with some effort, and his Teacher’s skills were really good. Today, on the autopsy table, both Wen Wan and Cheng Gong were convinced.

Shen Junci lowered his head and took a sip of tea. “That’s good.”

Qi Yi’an asked, “If someone says anything…”

Shen Junci replied, “My health is not very good, so I always take a nap at noon. As for my work, I do my job well, with a clear conscience. I don’t mind what others say.”