Cheng Su had made the soup and got dressed, ready to leave, when Qi Taiguo just returned and asked, "It’s so early in the morning, and there’s no need to open the store, where are you going?"
"Chunhua gave birth last night to a girl. This morning, Liang Shurong came back to make soup. No one from their family has come over yet, so I told him to stay at the hospital. I made some soup and am just about to take it there!" Cheng Su explained with a smile.
"She gave birth? Then I’ll go and have a look too," Qi Taiguo said.
"No, you don’t have to. You just finished the night shift and should rest. They’ve just had a baby, and you’re all full of ’killing energy’. I can go by myself. Wait until they’re discharged from the hospital to see them; it won’t be too late," Cheng Su stopped him.
Qi Taiguo thought it over and reluctantly gave up on the idea.
"There’s still food in the pot; you can eat it yourself. I’m leaving now!" Cheng Su said.
"Be careful riding your bike."
"Mhm!"
She pedaled to the hospital and, following Liang Shurong’s earlier instructions, found Chunhua’s ward—a three-person room that was quite cramped.
Chunhua was lying with her eyes closed on the bed closest to the door, with neither Liang Shurong nor the baby in sight. Cheng Su walked over quietly and placed the thermos she was carrying on the table.
Hearing the noise, Chunhua opened her eyes: "Who’s there? Oh, it’s sister-in-law, happy new year!"
Cheng Su replied with a smile, "Happy New Year, you’ve worked hard," and added, "Are you hungry? I made some egg soup. I hear you can’t have too nutritious soups now; just egg. I added lots of ginger to dispel the wind."
Chunhua’s face was pale, but she laughed in response: "Thank you."
As she tried to sit up with some effort, Cheng Su quickly helped her and propped her pillow behind her, saying, "Take it slow."
Once she was comfortably seated, Cheng Su poured some soup into a bowl and handed it to her: "Be careful; it’s hot. You’ve just given birth, so I didn’t add too much salt."
Chunhua thanked her again, eating and talking with Cheng Su.
"...I started feeling pain in my belly yesterday evening, but it wasn’t too bad. I gave birth at ten, six pounds three ounces," Chunhua said, then sighed, "It’s just a pity that I had a girl, not a boy."
"Having a girl is good too. Girls are like tender little coats keeping your heart warm, and they’ll have plenty of time to be filial to you in the future. What matters now is the child’s health and filial piety. Just raise her well—that’s all!" Cheng Su consoled her.
"That’s true. But in the countryside, having a girl is a bit disappointing, you know. We are military families, and now there’s even more emphasis on having just one child. For us in the military, it’s even more important. To have a second one would mean giving up military life," Chunhua said, "My mother-in-law hasn’t even come over yet. She won’t be happy to hear that it’s a girl, and whether she will come to take care of me or not, I don’t know!"
"Don’t talk nonsense; she’s her granddaughter, how could she not come over," Cheng Su chided her, "Don’t think too much right now; the main thing is to recuperate. We can discuss the rest later. Even if your mother-in-law doesn’t like it, so what? I think Old Liang seemed pretty pleased."
Upon hearing this, Chunhua showed a smile: "He always says having a daughter is good, saying that when she marries, her husband will be like a half-son to us. He does seem genuinely happy."
"There you go, it’s settled then. Just wait and see; once you raise this little girl, she will bring endless blessings to both of you," Cheng Su said cheerfully.
Her words were comforting, and Chunhua felt reassured, replying, "Then I’m counting on your good fortune."
No sooner had she finished speaking when the nurses came in carrying the baby who had just been bathed, followed closely by Liang Shurong. Seeing Cheng Su, he greeted her with a smile.
Once the baby was placed in the cot, Cheng Su leaned over to look. The little one’s face was all wrinkled, but her skin was quite fair, and Cheng Su couldn’t help but be charmed.