Su Bingcheng also sighed inwardly, finally starting to reflect on whether he and his wife were partly to blame for the discord among their three sons.
This was merely idle chatter between Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng, nothing more worth dwelling on.
The gift they brought for Linlin was a teddy bear from a Shanghai toy factory, specially supplied by the Friendship Store. The shop assistant had assured them that any child would love it, so the elderly couple decided to buy it.
As for Jiang Chengzhou, they gave him his first fountain pen to celebrate his promotion to middle grade.
After months apart, Linlin was still a little distant from her grandparents, but once she sensed their indulgence and affection, she quickly warmed up to them.
Jiang Chengzhou put the pen away and walked over to Lin Zhilan. “Aunt, how are you feeling today?”
“I’m very well,” Lin Zhilan replied with a smile.
Since the start of this month, Su Lang had grown increasingly anxious about her, making the children nervous as well.
Jiang Chengzhou came to ask how she was doing every day after school.
Lin Zhilan felt both exasperated and deeply touched.
Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng went back to the village after finishing dinner.
Auntie Yu had already tidied up the rooms, leaving the elderly couple with nothing to worry about.
They were pleasantly surprised to see Liu Feng again.
He could now move around freely. Though he still had a slight limp, it posed no obstacle to his daily activities.
Keeping himself busy, he had learned to identify many medicinal herbs from Lin Zhilan and Wang Rou during his time at the hospital.
Having heard that the pharmacy purchased wild herbs, Liu Feng borrowed medical books from Lin Zhilan and went up the mountain to gather them, earning a little extra money to support the household.
When Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng saw him again after some time, it felt as if an entirely different person stood before them.
The smile on Liu Feng’s face had grown more frequent, finally resembling that of a young man in his late teens or early twenties.
Xu Yueyun also made a point to check on Kong Baozhu and Shen Man.
Shen Man, being younger, had recovered even better than Liu Feng. Unless she walked quickly, one wouldn’t notice anything unusual about her legs.
Kong Baozhu, too, was now much more spirited.
Though she had not yet fully regained her mental clarity, she would purse her lips and smile at anyone she saw, like a young girl.
Having lived as neighbors with them for a time, Xu Yueyun had developed a genuine bond with this family.
Seeing them now on the mend filled her with joy, and she felt especially proud of her younger daughter-in-law.
Children sometimes give their parents a reason to carry on. With Shen Man recovering, the entire family was starting to find its footing again.
As soon as Xu Yueyun arrived here, she spent every day by her daughter-in-law’s side.
It wasn’t until Su Lang came home from work in the afternoon that mother and son would switch places.
Everyone hoped that Lin Zhilan would give birth in the evening, when the whole family could lend a hand.
But things don’t always work out so conveniently.
One day, as Lin Zhilan was cutting diapers for the baby with Xu Yueyun at home, her stomach began to ache in waves.
Xu Yueyun panicked and rushed to call for help.
Lin Zhilan grabbed her arm. “Mom, will I be able to wash my hair and bathe during the postpartum period?”
Xu Yueyun replied firmly, “No!”
Lin Zhilan, being a doctor herself, knew that was the standard advice.
After childbirth, women suffer from blood deficiency and weakness, with open pores and loosened defenses, making them susceptible to wind, cold, and dampness, which can cause headaches, body aches, and joint pain. That’s why showering or washing hair is not recommended.
The reasoning was about preventing wind and dampness, not the harm of cleanliness itself.
If a room is kept warm, with hot water and a hairdryer available, a proper wash is perfectly fine.
But given the current circumstances—with no air conditioning or hairdryers at home or the hospital—Lin Zhilan dare not risk her health.
Lin Zhilan smiled. “Mom, let me at least wash my hair and take a bath first.”
Xu Yueyun hesitated, looking at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Mm,” Lin Zhilan nodded. “The pain stopped just a moment ago, and it hasn't come back. It’s still early. No problem.”
Xu Yueyun said quickly, “Then sit and rest. I’ll go fetch some hot water for you.”
Xu Yueyun hurried about, fortunately with Auntie Yu’s help.
Together, they helped Lin Zhilan wash her hair and body, drying it as best they could with a towel. Once her hair was dry, they braided it into a thick plait and pinned it securely at the back of her head.
Only then did Lin Zhilan get into the car Su Bingcheng had called and head to the hospital.
The obstetrician checked her cervical dilation. “Three centimeters open. She can be taken to the delivery room.”
Lin Zhilan didn’t want Xu Yueyun to worry, so she had kept a calm face.
But as soon as she entered the delivery room, she couldn’t hold it in anymore. Frowning, she gripped the white sheet beneath her.
Who isn’t nervous about giving birth?
And this was her first time, too.
Biting her lip, Lin Zhilan stopped overthinking and let the nurse help her walk around in the delivery room, speeding up the dilation while easing the contractions.
At the dock.
Su Lang had just gotten off the boat.
These past few days, Lin Zhilan had been urinating more frequently, signaling she could go into labor at any moment.
He, too, had been restless, always thinking about home.
Today especially, something felt off to Su Lang. His palms kept sweating for no reason.
He didn’t dare delay and immediately asked for leave, hurrying home.
As soon as he reached the residential compound, someone shouted at him: “Captain Su! Your wife’s in labor! Don’t go back—rush to the hospital!”
Su Lang’s mind went blank. He spun around and sprinted to the hospital.
Having visited the obstetrics ward frequently over the past months, he was familiar with it. By the time he reached the delivery room door, he was drenched in sweat and as pale as a ghost.
Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng stood in the hallway just outside the delivery room, along with the two children.
There were chairs along the corridor, but no one made a move to sit.
Hearing urgent footsteps coming down the corridor, they all looked up at once.
“Daddy!” Linlin was the first one to spot him. She ran over, wrapped her arms around his legs, and burst into tears.
Su Lang’s heart tightened. He crouched down and hugged his daughter.
Jiang Chengzhou stood a few feet away, his eyes red rimmed.
“Come here,” Su Lang said, his voice hoarse, reaching out his hand.
Jiang Chengzhou’s tears fell uncontrollably, and he flew into Su Lang’s arms, grabbing him by the other shoulder.
“Mom, how is Zhilan…”
“She’s fine. She’s in the delivery room waiting. Don’t panic.”
Su Lang’s face was truly frightening, so Xu Yueyun had to calm him down first.
Only then did Su Lang feel his heart start beating again. With one knee, he collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud that made everyone wince.
The family waited anxiously outside.
Before long, Wang Rou came carrying a thermos bucket.
She glanced at Su Lang and went straight to the doctor. “Doctor, could I take something for my sister-in-law to eat? Steamed egg custard and soft noodles.”
The doctor nodded. “Yes. Go put on isolation gown and come feed her.”
Su Lang stood up.
Wang Rou hesitated for a moment, then handed him the thermos bucket. “You go in.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go—it was that her sister would probably need Su Lang by her side more at a time like this.
Su Lang took it and followed the doctor inside.
Lin Zhilan was lying semi-reclined on the bed, the hair at her temples already soaked with sweat.
When she saw Su Lang come in, she actually smiled.
“Stop smiling,” he said. “You look ugly.”
“What did you say?” Lin Zhilan glared at him, fire sparking in her eyes.
Letting out a deep breath, Su Lang sat down beside her, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped the sweat from her face.
