After an unexpected muffled groan, Jiang Si felt a warm fluid uncontrollably trickling down.
It wasn’t just a feeling—her water had truly broken!
Perhaps because he had mentally rehearsed this scenario hundreds of times before, Huo Tingzhou wasn’t as panicked as one might expect.
Instead, the moment he heard it, his body moved faster than his mind, scooping her up into his arms.
"Darling, don’t be afraid," Huo Tingzhou murmured, pressing his cheek against hers in reassurance. "I’m taking you to the hospital now. Everything will be fine."
"Mm," Jiang Si responded softly.
Thanks to the lessons from Teacher Hu’s classes, she felt no trace of nervousness or anxiety at all.
As she spoke, Jiang Si adjusted her position slightly, ensuring her hips were elevated above her head.
In the living room, Mother Huo and Third Uncle were deep in conversation.
Since Jiang Si had reached her due date without any signs of labor, Third Uncle and Uncle Zhong had moved in temporarily out of concern.
At the sound of the door opening, everyone instinctively turned their heads.
Seeing Huo Tingzhou carrying Jiang Si out, Third Uncle’s voice trembled with worry.
"Jiang Si… is she… is she going into labor?"
Huo Tingzhou nodded. "Her water just broke. I’m taking her to the hospital now…"
"The baby is full-term. It’s perfectly normal for the water to break. Don’t worry," Mother Huo reassured, her experience from raising four children evident.
As she spoke, she hurried back to the room to grab a flashlight and the pre-packed hospital bag.
She also quickly bundled up a washbasin, foot basin, and thermos.
Oh, and the spare clothes and soft pillow too.
Once everything was gathered, Mother Huo retrieved a prepared stash of ginseng slices and the famed "Safe Delivery Elixir" from the drawer.
This elixir was a renowned remedy for smooth childbirth, and Mother Huo had gone to great lengths to procure it.
"Family, let’s get Jiang Si to the hospital first. As for the house…"
"Don’t worry about the house. Go, go! Uncle Zhong and I will catch up shortly!"
Without delay, Mother Huo flicked on the flashlight and followed, calling out to Huo Tingzhou as they left,
"Hold her steady, watch your step—don’t drop my daughter-in-law!"
The journey to the hospital was filled with continuous reassurances.
Huo Tingzhou moved swiftly, and they arrived at the military hospital in no time.
With National Day approaching, the maternity ward was packed.
As Doctor Jiang had put it, National Day was an auspicious time, and with the New Year holidays giving people more free time,
the hospital’s regular wards were already full.
Even the obstetrics department had been pulling all-nighters to keep up.
Fortunately, a room had been reserved in advance, so they headed straight to the fourth floor.
The room was decent—a small suite spanning about thirty square meters.
While Huo Tingzhou went to complete the admission formalities, Mother Huo wasted no time replacing the hospital bed’s sheets and blankets with their own.
She had brought two sets of sheets, both in soft pink hues, hoping the cheerful color would lift Jiang Si’s spirits.
"Jiang Si, take it slow," Mother Huo said gently, kneeling carefully to help her out of her shoes.
Once Jiang Si was settled, Mother Huo propped two pillows beneath her hips and tucked a soft pillow into her arms.
"Jiang Si, how are you feeling?"
"Mom, I’m alright. Don’t worry."
Jiang Si wasn’t just saying this to comfort her mother-in-law.
Perhaps it wasn’t time yet, or maybe it was due to the long-term consumption of spiritual spring water,
but aside from a dull ache in her lower back, she felt relatively fine.
Mother Huo, however, wasn’t convinced.
Childbirth was like stepping halfway into the underworld, and with twins on the way, how could she not fret?
"Does it hurt here?" she asked, massaging Jiang Si’s tailbone in slow circles.
"Does this help?"
Jiang Si gave a slight nod. "Yes, much better."
Mother Huo’s voice remained calm and steady.
"This is your first time, so your cervix will dilate slowly. Save your energy—it’s not time to push yet."
"When the contractions come, focus on your breathing."
"Inhale when it hurts, then exhale slowly."
"We’re all here with you. Don’t be afraid."
"Mom, the pain hasn’t started yet. You should sit and rest for a bit."
Already, beads of sweat had formed on Mother Huo’s forehead from the massage.
Jiang Si was deeply moved.
"I’m not tired," Mother Huo insisted.
She knew full well who Jiang Si was enduring this for, and sitting idle would only make her feel worse.
Meanwhile, after completing the admission process, Huo Tingzhou immediately sought out Doctor Jiang.
Used to seeing him flustered, the doctor was almost taken aback by his composed knock.
But as they walked upstairs, Huo Tingzhou’s stiff, mechanical gait betrayed his inner turmoil.
Truly, as the old saying went: "From love comes worry, from love comes fear."
It was clear—Huo Tingzhou was utterly, helplessly in love.
When they entered the room, Mother Huo was still massaging Jiang Si.
After a quick examination, Doctor Jiang said,
"Jiang Si’s cervix is less than a centimeter dilated. It’ll likely be tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes. The first three centimeters take the longest, especially for first-time mothers. Five to six hours at the earliest."
Glancing at the calendar, he added, "These little ones sure know how to pick a time—National Day."
Huo Tingzhou couldn’t care less about holidays.
All he wanted was for his wife to be safe.
Though she hadn’t uttered a single complaint, he could tell she was uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be lying there with her brows furrowed in silence.
Jiang Si was indeed starting to feel it—the contractions Teacher Hu had described.
Though bearable for now, Doctor Jiang had just confirmed she wasn’t even at one centimeter yet.
Seeing Jiang Si’s pale face, Huo Tingzhou’s heart clenched.
"Doctor Jiang, if the pain gets worse, is there anything we can do to help her?"
There were options, but most were temporary fixes at best—just pain relief.
Another option was an analgesic, but with her water broken, that wasn’t possible.
It could affect the babies’ breathing.
Noticing the shared tension between mother and son, Doctor Jiang offered some comfort.
"Don’t worry too much. Jiang Si is young and healthy. She’ll be fine."
As for the pain—well, that was unavoidable.
Every mother went through it.
"Oh, and prepare some food for her—she’ll need energy for the delivery. A strong cup of honey water would help too."
Hospital rules were strict: no food once dilation reached three centimeters.
Otherwise, if vomiting occurs suddenly during delivery, it could lead to aspiration pneumonia.
So, while the contractions aren’t too intense yet, she should eat as much as she can now.
After all, she’s carrying twins—if her strength runs out later, things could get complicated!
"Understood, Doctor Jiang. I’ll go right away."
When it came to cooking, Mother Huo was the expert.
She glanced at Huo Tingzhou and added, "You stay here with Jiang Si. Keep massaging this spot for her—don’t stop."
With that, Mother Huo hurried downstairs.
Just then, Third Granduncle and Uncle Zhong arrived, meeting her at the stairwell.
Third Granduncle: "How’s our Jiang Si doing, dear in-law?"
"She’s holding up for now. The contractions have already started."
Mother Huo briefly shared the room number and her daughter-in-law’s condition.
Then she added, "Please go on ahead. I’m heading back to prepare some food for Jiang Si."
"Of course, of course. Thank you for your trouble, dear in-law."
"What trouble? The one suffering the most is Jiang Si—she’s enduring all this for my son’s sake."
Honestly, even if she asked for the stars in the sky,
they’d find a way to pluck them for her.
"Let’s leave it at that for now, dear in-law. I’ll be on my way."
"Go, go."
This wasn’t the time for formalities. As soon as the words were spoken, Third Granduncle and Uncle Zhong rushed off to find the room.
