In mid-June, Zhang Qian went into labor in the middle of the night.
Thankfully, Xue Xingzhou had thought ahead. Because Zhang Qian’s belly was so large, he was worried she might give birth prematurely and had her check into the hospital a few days early.
The hospital was thrown into chaos late that night. The baby was very large, which was making the delivery difficult.
Her water had broken, but the baby was slow to descend.
The doctor recomnded a C-section. Xue Xingzhou wasn’t familiar with the procedure at the ti, so he asked the doctor for more information.
"We’ve actually perford quite a few C-sections at our hospital, though the procedure may not be common in smaller places yet. We can’t guarantee a one hundred percent success rate, so the decision is yours. However, the mother received excessive nutrition during her pregnancy, and the baby is very large. If she attempts a natural birth, safety concerns aside, she will endure trendous suffering even if she succeeds."
Xue Xingzhou chose the C-section without hesitation.
"We’ll do the C-section."
Zhang Qian, drenched in sweat from the pain, gripped Xue Xingzhou’s hand tightly and shook her head. "No, we can’t—we can’t do a C-section."
As far as Zhang Qian knew, this was the first ti she’d ever heard of giving birth by cutting open one’s stomach to take the baby out. The thought was terrifying.
Xue Xingzhou wiped the sweat from her face and murmured, "Listen, the baby’s too big. A natural birth might be more dangerous for you. The C-section isn’t as scary as you think. Trust , okay?"
Zhang Qian started to cry. "Then will you choose to save or the baby?"
If the circumstances had been different, Xue Xingzhou would have laughed.
But seeing her pitiful expression, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
He told her, "Don’t worry. Of course I’ll choose you."
Xue Xingzhou then turned to the doctor. "If there are any complications during the surgery, please prioritize my wife’s safety."
The doctor nodded. That was a given. Even if the family didn’t explicitly state it, the hospital’s policy was always to prioritize the mother’s safety.
The operating room doors opened, and a nurse slowly wheeled Zhang Qian inside. She was still clutching Xue Xingzhou’s hand, her eyes filled with fear and reluctance.
Xue Xingzhou patted her hand comfortingly. "It’s okay. You’ll just take a little nap, and it’ll all be over. Think of , think of our baby. Be strong. I’ll be waiting for you right out here."
As he watched the operating room doors swing shut, Xue Xingzhou’s own legs grew so weak he could barely stand.
He braced himself against the wall, slowly slumping against it. His eyes were glued to the operating room doors, his hands clenched so tightly his sweaty palms ached. He wasn’t nearly as calm as he had appeared; every nerve in his body was stretched taut.
Two hours later, a nurse ca out and told him, "The baby’s here. It’s a boy, nine pounds and one ounce."
"How’s my wife?"
"Mother and child are both safe and sound."
Hearing that both mother and child were safe, Xue Xingzhou finally let out a sigh of relief. When he tried to move, a sharp, tingling sensation of pins and needles shot through his legs.
He hissed in discomfort.
His legs had gone numb from standing for so long. He sat down to wait for the feeling to return.
Half an hour later, Zhang Qian and the baby were finally wheeled into the recovery room.
Zhang Qian was still asleep. Xue Xingzhou leaned over and gently touched her face, then went to look at the baby in the bassinet.
He was a chubby little guy, just as expected. Because he had been so well-nourished in the womb, his face was free of the usual newborn film, revealing a smooth little face and a full head of dark hair.
’So this is my son.’ As a new father, Xue Xingzhou found the feeling hard to describe. His heart felt full and tender.
A smile played on his lips as he watched his son for a long ti.
Zhang Qian was awakened by the sound of crying. The anesthesia had mostly worn off, but she still felt weak and, for now, couldn’t feel any pain.
She groggily opened her eyes to see Xue Xingzhou changing the baby’s diaper off to the side.
’So I really did just go to sleep and wake up with a baby.’ The thought was a bit magical.
After watching for a mont, Zhang Qian asked softly, "What’s wrong with the baby?"
Xue Xingzhou picked the baby up and, hearing Zhang Qian’s voice, turned to look at her.
"You’re awake? How are you feeling? Does your incision hurt?"
Zhang Qian slowly shook her head. "I can’t feel it."
Xue Xingzhou brought the baby over to her. "Look, this is our baby. You did an amazing job."
Zhang Qian turned her head, her gaze softening as she looked at the child. Only then did she ask, "Is it a girl?"
The arms holding the baby tightened, and his eyes flickered nervously. "No, it’s a boy."
He imdiately looked at her face, worried that any disappointnt might aggravate her wound.
Zhang Qian was stunned for only a mont before reaching out to hold the baby’s tiny hand.
She said calmly, "Oh, well. A boy is fine. I gave birth to him, and after all that hard work, I’d love him even if he were a puppy."
Xue Xingzhou smiled and leaned down to kiss the corner of her mouth.
"He’s not a puppy, he’s our treasure. Look, see how adorable he is."
Zhang Qian looked at her son’s chubby little face and had to admit he was quite cute.
The baby started making little whimpering sounds.
Zhang Qian asked, "Is he hungry?"
Xue Xingzhou nodded. "Probably. Can you try feeding him? The doctor said you should try as soon as you wake up. It’s supposed to help your uterus contract."
"I think so, but... I don’t feel like I have any strength."
Xue Xingzhou placed the baby beside her. "Don’t move. I’ll help you."
The next morning, Xue Yue ca to the hospital to bring them food and was shocked to learn that Zhang Qian had given birth in the middle of the night—and by C-section.
"Oh my god, Sister-in-law, you’re so brave! A C-section?"
Just hearing the term made Xue Yue’s heart pound in fear. ’Good thing I wasn’t here last night, or I would have been scared to death. A woman giving birth is already knocking on death’s door, and she went and had her stomach cut open!’
Only soone like Xue Xingzhou, who knew what the future held, understood that C-sections would beco increasingly common.
Zhang Qian sighed. "It’s not like I had a choice. This little devil was over nine pounds! The doctor said he’s the heaviest baby she’s delivered in years."
It was no wonder. Ever since getting pregnant, Zhang Qian not only had no morning sickness, but her appetite was also incredible. With Zheng Guofeng and Xue Xingzhou preparing a wide variety of nutritious als for her every day, she herself had beco round as a ball, to say nothing of the baby.
"But the incision really hurts now. I’m afraid to even move."
The pain dication had worn off in the early hours of the morning, and her abdon had started to hurt. A doctor had co to check on her and confird that the wound hadn’t opened.
Xue Yue exclaid, "Of course it hurts! It’s a cut big enough to pull a baby through."
Xue Yue stayed at the hospital to look after Zhang Qian and the baby, while Xue Xingzhou went ho for a bit. He took the opportunity to call his master and the others. When Zhang Hongjie heard that Zhang Qian had given birth, he happily announced he would imdiately take leave from work and co to Beijing City with Zhang Qian’s mother.
Zheng Guofeng also ca to the hospital. His injury had mostly healed—he just couldn’t do any strenuous exercise yet—and he had returned to work so ti ago.
Just then, He Lang arrived with the children, and a large crowd gathered around the bassinet to see the baby.
"Little brother, I’m Brother Shiyi! Wake up and play with . I have lots of toys, and I’ll let you play with all of them."
Ruanruan also peered over the edge of the bassinet, holding the baby’s hand. "His hands are so tiny."
Zheng Guofeng watched them with a broad smile on his face.
"Dad, have you picked a na for the baby yet?" Zhang Qian asked.
Zheng Guofeng nodded. "I chose them long ago. I decided on Ling Rui for a boy and Ling Ling for a girl."
Zhang Qian smiled. "Zheng Lingrui. That sounds lovely! What do you think, Xingzhou?"
"It’s a great na."
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