During the New Year, good news spread, and Lianshan was also delighted for his silly younger brother. Knowing that the brother was skilled at outdoor work but had no clue about kitchen tasks, Lianshan specifically picked out some frozen dumplings, sticky bean buns, and duo mai bean paste buns from the family stash for him.
He also brought over a small jar of spicy cabbage that was guided by Shuzhen and co-produced by him and his second aunt.
In case the younger sister-in-law was unwell for a few days and couldn’t cook, Lian Hai could boil some water to cook the frozen dumplings, or simmer the sticky bean buns or duo mai bean paste buns, and serve it with spicy cabbage to satisfy the family’s hunger.
At home, Qiu Fang wasn’t keen on eating the few jins of meat assigned to them by the team, nor did she want to bother making sticky bean buns or anything like that. They had plenty of pickled vegetables, but unfortunately, it wasn’t as appetizing as what the sister-in-law had prepared—better than ordinary stir-fried dishes. Watching his elder brother busy making so much, the sister-in-law, instead of any displeasure, was keen on bringing more.
Seeing how his wife had a strong reaction to this pregnancy and his own poor cooking skills, Lian Hai sheepishly scratched his head and graciously accepted the goodwill from his brother and sister-in-law.
Thinking that since his elder brother and sister-in-law were being so generous, he, as a younger brother, shouldn’t be stingy.
He thought he should treat his elder brother better when given the chance in the future, and better still, to ensure that the exemplary loving couple wouldn’t have any conflicts because of him, the unlucky younger brother who only "eats without giving back."
After all, just the sheer amount his elder brother had prepared would cause immediate changes in expression and potentially spark a family war in another household.
It was thanks to his kind and generous sister-in-law, who wouldn’t have been so open-hearted with just anyone!
With a sweet smile, Shuzhen calmly accepted the admiring gaze from her younger brother-in-law, having been praised this way.
Dare she do otherwise?
She couldn’t exactly say, "You’re wrong, little brother-in-law; Saozi is generous indeed, but mainly it’s because I have special abilities to provide for myself, so I don’t care about those trifles at all!"
The confidentiality of her abilities was something Lianshan insisted on. Even the brothers and kids were under strict secrecy, let alone Lian Hai, the younger brother-in-law. Ever since they discovered her secret, the guys who used to enjoy a few drinks actively abstained, fearing an accidental slip of the tongue while drunk.
With the New Year spreading good news, by rights Shuzhen and Lianshan, the elder brother and sister-in-law, should have gone to visit.
After all, since the death of the Lian family’s elder generation, Lianshan as the elder brother was viewed by Lian Hai and Lian Yue as a parental figure. Otherwise, would Lian Hai have excitedly come to share the good news on New Year’s Eve?
But looking at Shuzhen, who was eight months pregnant, almost nine, and with a belly even bigger than those about to give birth, how could Lianshan be at ease with her traveling in the cold and snowy weather? If anything were to go wrong, it would be like moving a stone to smash the heavens, wouldn’t be a good idea!
He ordered Shuzhen to stay home obediently. As the elder, he couldn’t very well run over to visit the pregnant sister-in-law. Besides, with Lian Hai taking all those things back, they had surely shown their consideration, hadn’t they?
Following this, visits for New Year greetings and going back to her maternal home were all forbidden. Lianshan was worried about the risks with her pregnancy readily inducing labor.
It’s said that childbirth gets easier with each experience, and pregnancies become shorter. Twins are often born prematurely and are more challenging and dangerous to deliver than singletons.
Because of this, since Shuzhen entered her seventh month of pregnancy, Lianshan had been on high alert.
Not only did he forbid her from leaving the house, fearing the chilling cold and potential slips, but he also banned any housework from her. It was so exaggerated that he scolded her on New Year’s Eve for helping him and their son prepare a basin for washing hands. Even when Shuzhen wanted to bathe or use the toilet, Lianshan followed her closely, never stepping away for a moment.
No matter how shy or opposed Shuzhen felt, it was no use, as he stood firm on one point: "Everything, everything must prioritize the safety of you and the children!"
With such careful guarding, they reached the ninth month. As the lunar month approached its end, with no signs of labor, the cautious Lianshan decided not to wait any longer and went directly to Shouren for an introduction letter.
Liu Shouren panicked upon hearing this: "What’s going on? Why are you planning to be admitted to the city hospital all of a sudden? Weren’t you just saying the other day that Shuzhen planned to give birth at home to avoid the hassle and save money? Why the sudden change of heart?"
The sudden change from what was agreed upon naturally led Liu Shouren to think pessimistically.
Seeing his brother-in-law sweating in the cold winter from anxiety, Lianshan hurriedly explained: "It’s nothing, nothing big brother, Shuzhen is fine; it’s mainly my peace of mind. I thought to take her to the hospital for a thorough check-up, and if necessary, she could give birth there and stay a few days. No matter what, the advanced equipment and staff in the hospital are better than having a barefoot doctor or midwife at home, right?"
Hearing this, Liu Shouren was somewhat relieved and quickly wrote the introduction letter in bold, flowing script. He repeatedly instructed Lianshan to let him know when they decided to go so he could arrange for transport to the town’s bus station.
Initially, Shuzhen, confident from having birthed seven children smoothly in her previous lives, was reluctant to endure the hospital’s hardships and spend the money. But seeing Lianshan fretting and unable to sleep well, developing panda-like dark eyes, she gave up her insistence. They decided to head to the city hospital early on the morning of the sixteenth, after the Lantern Festival, taking their big and small bags.
It wasn’t clear if the bumpy bus ride triggered her labor or if the two children chose the sixteenth as a fitting day.
Regardless, from the moment she boarded the bus, Shuzhen felt intermittent soreness in her sides. By the time they finally wobbled to the destination after more than an hour’s ride, she was sweating in pain, her face as white as a sheet.
Struggling to get off the bus, Shuzhen suddenly felt as though she was losing control, with warmth spreading through her trousers. With a wry smile, she said, "Well, the day’s choice turned out to be quite fortuitous. Forget about exams, let’s hurry—I think I’m about to give birth!"
Seeing her husband in a dazed, thunderstruck stupor with a mix of frantic worry, Shuzhen’s only solace was the bus station’s ideal location—right in front of the city hospital’s entrance. It saved her from the ordeal of waddling around with a big belly about to deliver!