A coal stove burned warmly in the room, filling it with a gentle, cozy aroma of milk. Su Wantang sat leaning against the headboard, holding her baby in her arms. The little one was eating heartily, sucking vigorously with his tiny mouth, making soft, contented "gurgling" sounds. She looked down at the child's dark hair and chubby profile, her heart softening completely.

Wen Yuzhen moved around the main room with extremely light footsteps, as if afraid of disturbing the peace.

"Thump, thump thump..."

The knock was very soft, with a hint of hesitation, as if afraid of disturbing someone.

Wen Yuzhen walked over and opened the door. Standing outside was a young military wife, holding a child in her arms.

Su Wantang looked up and immediately sensed something was wrong.

The military wife was very young, looking no more than twenty years old, but her face was flushed red, her lips were dry and cracked, and she was shivering in the cool breeze. The baby in her arms was wrapped in a thick blanket, with only the little face showing, its eyes closed, emitting a weak, kitten-like cry.

"What's wrong with you..." Wen Yuzhen was startled by her appearance.

"Auntie, I...I'm looking for Tang Meizi..." The military wife's voice was weak and nasal. Her gaze went past Wen Yuzhen and went straight to Su Wantang in the house.

Su Wantang recognized her; it was Sister Liu, who lived in the back row. Her husband was a squad leader in the Third Company, and her name seemed to be Liu Fen.

"Come in quickly!" Su Wantang said hurriedly, gently patting the baby who was already full and asleep in her arms, and carefully placing him into the cradle next to her.

Wen Yuzhen quickly ushered them in, closed the door to keep out the cold air. "Oh dear, your face is as red as a cloth! Sit down and have some hot water!"

Liu Fen, holding her child, sat awkwardly on a small stool, her body still trembling uncontrollably. She took the enamel mug that Wen Yuzhen handed her; the scalding hot water in her hands seemed to feel no warmth.

"Tang, I...I just wanted to ask..." She stammered, her eyes looking at Su Wantang before quickly lowering to the listless child in her arms, "Aren't your two kids...tiring to take care of?"

Su Wantang tucked the blanket around the cradle before sitting up and said gently, "It's alright, they're both very well-behaved. They go to sleep after eating."

"Then...what about at night? Do you get up a lot at night?" Liu Fen asked again, her voice filled with an indescribable despair.

"Fortunately, both the baby and the baby sleep quite well, and can stay awake for three or four hours after one feeding."

Upon hearing this, Liu Fen's eyes instantly reddened. She bit her lower lip tightly, her shoulders began to tremble violently, and large tears fell without warning, one by one, onto the swaddled baby in her arms.

The child in her arms seemed to be startled and began to cry softly again, but the crying was weak and heartbreaking to hear.

"What's wrong?" Wen Yuzhen asked anxiously. "Tell us what's wrong, don't keep it to yourself."

Liu Fen could no longer hold back and burst into tears, her sobs suppressed and filled with anguish. "I don't know what to do... He cries every day, wakes up seven or eight times a night. It's not that I don't feed him, but I..."

She spoke haltingly as she cried.

Su Wantang listened quietly, but her brows furrowed more and more. She looked at Liu Fen's flushed face and the stiff, unnatural way she held the child, and a thought flashed through her mind.

“Sister-in-law Fen,” Su Wantang walked up to her, squatted down, and softened her voice, “Are you… having trouble producing milk?”

Liu Fen stopped crying, suddenly raised her head, and looked at her with a face full of tears, as if she had found an outlet for her emotions. The grievances and pain in her words burst forth.

“I don’t know! My breasts are so swollen and painful. In the middle of the night, my breasts felt like they were weighed down with lead weights, as hard as rocks. Even the slightest touch was excruciating! The pain was so intense that I was sweating profusely, and I felt like I wanted to die! But my milk just wouldn’t come in, and my baby was crying from hunger, I…”