Morning light streamed through the window, casting dappled patterns on the mud-brick wall. The air was filled with the delicate fragrance of crabapple blossoms, mingled with the warmth of rice porridge wafting from the kitchen, making the early spring morning exceptionally gentle. When Lin Wanqiu opened her eyes, her eyelashes still clung to sleep. The vivid dream from the previous night still lingered in her mind—a beautifully sculpted little girl with pigtails, crabapple petals clinging to her skirt, ran towards her holding a freshly picked flower, her soft, sweet voice like honey: "Mommy, let me put a flower on you."

"Awake?" Shen Tingzhou walked in carrying a copper basin, the warm water inside steaming. "I just made millet porridge with some brown sugar. Try it and see if it suits your taste." He placed the basin on the dressing table, reached out and touched her forehead, his fingertips feeling her slightly cool body temperature. "You didn't kick off the covers last night, did you? You seemed to be sleeping soundly, with a smile on your lips the whole time."

Lin Wanqiu sat up, leaning against the pillow embroidered with lotus blossoms, her fingertips gently stroking her lower abdomen, her eyes full of tender smiles: "I had a sweet dream, I dreamt that we had a daughter, just like Nian'an when she was little, with bright, sparkling eyes, and she would even give me crabapple blossoms."

Upon hearing this, Shen Tingzhou's smile deepened. He sat on the edge of the bed, gently placing his hand on her lower abdomen. He felt a slight fetal movement in his palm, as if the baby was responding to their conversation: "A daughter is good, so sweet. If we could have both a son and a daughter, our family would be complete." He recalled how his comrades in the army always called daughters "little cotton-padded jackets" (a term used to describe warm, comforting daughters). He hadn't truly understood it then, but now, looking at Lin Wanqiu's gentle demeanor, he suddenly felt a deep longing to have a little girl like her.

"Mom! Dad!" Shen Nian'an's clear voice came from outside the door. Accompanied by light footsteps, he pushed open the door and ran in, holding a piece of drawing paper in his hand. "Mom, look at what I drew! This is you, this is Dad, this is me, and this—" He pointed to a small figure in the lower right corner of the drawing paper, "This is my little brother! I dreamed about my little brother yesterday. He would play marbles with me!"

Lin Wanqiu took the drawing paper. There were four crooked little figures drawn with crayons, and several sunflowers were drawn next to them, painted in particularly bright colors. She looked at the little figure labeled "brother" and couldn't help but laugh: "Nian'an drew it so well, but Mom dreamed of her sister yesterday. She even brought flowers to Mom."

"Little sister?" Shen Nian'an blinked, leaned close to Lin Wanqiu's lower abdomen, and gently listened. "What is your little sister doing now? Will she like my painting?"

"I'll definitely like it." Lin Wanqiu patted his head, then suddenly remembered the name she had thought of last night, and her tone became serious. "Nian'an, if Mom gives birth to a little sister, how about we name her 'Nianxi'? 'Nian' is the same as yours, and 'Xi' is the same as 'xi' in 'little stream.' We hope she will be like a little stream, gentle yet resilient, and grow up happily."

Shen Nian'an tilted his head and thought for a moment, then nodded vigorously: "Nianxi! That sounds nice! Then I'll call her Xixi from now on! I'll teach her to draw, take her to see the sunflowers, and protect her so that no one can bully her!" As he spoke, he even stretched out his little fist and waved it, looking extremely serious.

Shen Tingzhou felt a surge of warmth as he watched the interaction between the mother and son. He got up and brought over some millet porridge, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it, and held it to Lin Wanqiu's lips: "Try it quickly. I added brown sugar. Director Li said you need to nourish yourself more now. When our Nianxi is born, she'll need a healthy mother."

Lin Wanqiu opened her mouth and drank the rice porridge. The sweet warmth slid down her throat and into her stomach, soothing her and making her feel at ease. Looking at Shen Tingzhou's gentle profile, she suddenly remembered the days when she was first reborn—back then, she was ostracized by the Shen family with her frail Nian'an, and she couldn't even afford a full meal. Now, she not only had a considerate husband, but also hope for the future. This kind of life was something she never dared to dream of before.

After breakfast, Shen Tingzhou went to work in the workshop, while Shen Nian'an went to school with her schoolbag on her back. Before leaving, she went to Lin Wanqiu's side and gently touched her lower abdomen: "Little Xixi, I'm going to school now. I'll bring you a little red flower when I come back tonight!"

Lin Wanqiu smiled and waved him out, then turned back into the house. She took out the cotton cloth and cotton given to her by the commune, preparing to make little clothes for the baby. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on the light blue cotton fabric. She picked up the scissors and carefully cut the fabric according to the measurements she remembered. Her fingertips traced the fabric, her heart filled with anticipation—if it were Nianxi, she would look beautiful in this light blue dress; if it were a boy, she would also make a gray jacket, so the two siblings could wear matching outfits and run and jump together in the yard. Just thinking about it filled her with happiness.

As she was cutting, there were several knocks on the door, accompanied by the voice of her neighbor, Aunt Zhang: "Is Wanqiu home? I'd like to bring you something."

Lin Wanqiu put down the scissors, got up and opened the door. She saw Aunt Zhang carrying a cloth bag and wearing a warm smile: "Wanqiu, I heard that the commune cadres came to see you yesterday. You are pregnant now, so you must take good care of yourself. My husband caught some crucian carp by the river yesterday. I made you some fish soup. Drink some while it's hot to nourish your body."

"Aunt Zhang, you're too kind. Why bother making fish soup?" Lin Wanqiu quickly took the cloth bag. The enamel bowl inside was still steaming, and the rich aroma of fish wafted out. She was deeply moved. Ever since she and Shen Tingzhou started the workshop in the team, the neighbors' attitude towards her had improved a lot, especially Aunt Zhang, who would often bring her some vegetables she grew herself or pickled vegetables. This kindness warmed her heart.

"Don't mention it!" Aunt Zhang walked into the house, her eyes falling on the cotton fabric on the table. She smiled and said, "Is this for making clothes for the baby? The fabric is so beautiful. Our Nian'an never wore such nice fabric when she was little. You have such good craftsmanship, the clothes you make will definitely be beautiful. If you need any help, just let me know. I don't have much to do at home."

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