When they arrived, Doctor Jiang was just explaining the details of a cesarean section.
In fact, the military hospital had been performing this procedure for several years, and the technique was quite advanced.
However, the older generation held more traditional views. Most people believed that natural delivery allowed for quicker recovery—mothers could get out of bed soon after giving birth—while making an incision on the abdomen could weaken the body's vitality.
Additionally, natural birth wouldn’t affect the possibility of having a second or third child later.
Some also believed that during natural delivery, the pressure from the birth canal helped expel amniotic fluid from the baby’s lungs.
This not only reduced the chances of choking or pneumonia later but was also thought to make the child smarter.
Lastly, there was the matter of cost.
For a natural birth, the maximum expense—covering three days of hospitalization and delivery fees—was only about five or six yuan.
Not only were these costs fully reimbursed by the military, but mothers would also receive a one-jin ration coupon for brown sugar, ten eggs, a ten-foot cotton cloth coupon, and a "Heroic Mother" certificate.
On top of that, they were entitled to 56 days of maternity leave.
But with a cesarean, not only would all expenses have to be paid out of pocket, but the rewards for childbirth would either be forfeited or halved.
Even the days spent in the hospital would be deducted as sick leave, cutting 30% of their wages.
All these factors combined meant that in recent years, not a single expectant mother had opted for a cesarean.
Even in the most critical cases, the family would insist on natural delivery, refusing any alternative.
Of course, Doctor Jiang explained all this just so they could make an informed decision.
If natural delivery was possible, that would naturally be the preferred choice.
But since Jiang Si was carrying twins, if any complications arose during labor, they might have to switch to an emergency cesarean.
After laying out all the details, Doctor Jiang handed them a "Surgical Risk Consent Form."
"You’ve been informed of the situation. You can discuss it among yourselves, and if you agree, please sign here."
Though she said this, Doctor Jiang didn’t hand the form to anyone else—she gave it directly to Jiang Si.
Her life was her own.
Whether natural or cesarean, the decision should be made by the mother herself.
"Thank you, Doctor Jiang."
With those words, Jiang Si immediately passed the form to Huo Tingzhou.
She didn’t even need to ask—she knew him well enough.
Sure enough, Huo Tingzhou didn’t hesitate. He took the form and signed "Agree" without delay.
"Doctor Jiang, whether it’s natural or cesarean, no matter what happens, please prioritize my wife’s safety."
Doctor Jiang nodded. "Don’t worry, we will."
After filing the consent form, she stood up. "I’m on duty tonight. If anything comes up, come find me anytime."
"Thank you for your trouble, Doctor Jiang." Huo Tingzhou escorted her to the door before quickly returning to the ward.
By then, Third Uncle had already taken a seat by the bedside.
More than twenty years ago, on a night just like this, Little Man (Jiang’s mother) had gone into labor.
By the time they rushed to the hospital after receiving the news, Jiang Si had already been born.
Tiny and pink, like a little cotton ball.
He had held her in his arms for just a short while, and she had smiled at him.
From that moment, he had vowed to protect this little girl for the rest of his life.
Now, in the blink of an eye, that cotton ball had grown up.
And then Huo Tingzhou had swept her away, pot and all.
And now, that cotton ball was about to become a mother herself.
Time truly flew by...
Lost in these thoughts, Third Uncle couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
Pregnant women were already emotional, but seeing the once-indomitable Third Uncle cry like this made Jiang Si’s heart ache too.
"Third Uncle—"
Before she could finish, a sharp pain made her gasp. "Ah—!"
"Jiang Si, are you okay? Does it hurt badly...?"
"A little, but I can bear it."
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Si forced a playful tone. "Third Uncle, you can’t keep crying. What if the babies take after you and turn into little crybabies?"
Hearing this, Third Uncle quickly wiped his tears. "No more crying, no more crying."
He was about to become a great-grandfather—he had to set a good example.
"That’s better."
Jiang Si glanced at the three tense faces in the room. "It’s only been less than a centimeter of dilation. There’s still time. Everyone, sit down."
Having them all hovering around her was making her nervous.
They complied.
Huo Tingzhou pulled up a chair and sat slightly behind her, his large hands warming up before pressing gently against her tailbone.
His strong hands worked wonders, the pressure easing her discomfort.
But as the contractions came wave after wave, Jiang Si was soon doubled over in pain.
By the time Mother Huo arrived with a pot of medicinal soup, Jiang Si was drenched in sweat.
Mother Huo tenderly brushed the damp hair from Jiang Si’s forehead. "Jiang Si, I made your favorite longan and goji berry steamed egg custard. Try a bite, okay?"
"Mm." Jiang Si nodded.
The custard was as delicious as ever, but she could only manage a few spoonfuls before pushing it away.
Mother Huo didn’t force her, quickly offering some honey water instead.
After that, mother and son took turns massaging her spine, working in shifts.
As time passed, Jiang Si’s breathing grew more labored.
Doctor Jiang checked in a few times, monitoring the babies’ heartbeats and measuring her dilation.
They had arrived at the military hospital around 8:30 p.m. By 1:30 a.m., Jiang Si’s cervix had finally dilated to three centimeters.
But with delivery rooms in high demand, she couldn’t be admitted until she reached five centimeters.
Strangely, the pain seemed to dull at its peak—Jiang Si no longer felt as much discomfort.
Still, the sticky sweat covering her body was unbearable.
Thankfully, Huo Tingzhou brought a basin of warm water and carefully wiped her down.
After watching Huo Tingzhou’s reddened, glistening eyes for a long moment, Jiang Si reached out to him.
He clasped her hand tightly.
For a while, they simply looked at each other in silence.
Jiang Si managed a faint smile. "It doesn’t hurt as much now."
Even though she said it didn’t hurt, her words struck Huo Tingzhou like a bullet to the heart.
He crumpled instantly. "Darling, it’s my fault—"
Jiang Si saw the guilt and pain in his eyes.
But she didn’t respond right away.
Pregnancy had been hard, and the agony of childbirth was beyond anything she’d imagined.
But not once—not a single day, night, minute, or second—had she ever regretted it.
No, never.
Instead, she was filled with anticipation.
Anticipation for the day their family of four would finally meet.
With that thought, she gave their intertwined hands a little shake.
Her voice was soft, but her gaze was unwavering. "Whether it’s good or bad isn’t for you to decide. I’ve never measured whether you’re worth it—because in my heart, you..."
Before she could finish, a knock at the door interrupted them.
Doctor Jiang arrived.
After a series of examinations, with everyone’s combined efforts, Jiang Si was wheeled into the delivery room, bed and all.
As for the idea of having someone accompany her during labor—that was out of the question.
The delivery room was already in chaos, with several mothers-to-be crying out in pain.
Perhaps the prolonged agony of early contractions had drained her completely.
By the time active labor began, Jiang Si had no energy left to dwell on anything else.
Following Doctor Jiang’s steady cues to inhale and exhale,
Jiang Si felt something slip out from between her legs.
Slap!
A crisp smack rang in her ears.
With a loud waaah, the baby burst into cries.
Before Jiang Si could even marvel at how sharp that slap had sounded,
Doctor Jiang’s voice reached her again: "There’s another one—I can see the head now. Push, come on—"
And so, with Doctor Jiang’s relentless encouragement,
the second child slid smoothly into the world.
Slap!
Another crisp smack.
"Waaah— waaah—"
Jiang Si was exhausted, so much so that she could barely keep her eyes open.
But she mustered the last of her strength to ask, "Doctor Jiang… boys or girls—?"
