After the winter break started, Zhao Mingyue didn't go back immediately. She wanted to wait until she had met Shen Qixue's girlfriend before returning. Everyone else in the dormitory had gone back, even Mao Jianlan had left, leaving her alone. During the day, she would go to see Shen Xuyue, and at night she would return to the school dormitory.

Even during his vacation, Shen Xuyue was still busy at school, doing the same things: translating, proofreading, and preparing to publish his third translated book.

That day, Zhao Mingyue asked, "Is Sister Xiaorui about to give birth?"

Shen Xuyue stopped and looked at her: "I think so. Xiaorui said she was born before the New Year. Why don't we go see her this afternoon?"

That afternoon, the two went to see Song Xiaorui. Song Xiaorui and Wei Qin lived in a house allocated by Wei Qin's work unit, in the unit's compound. Wei Qin was in charge of weapons and equipment research, which was a classified unit, and the security checks were extremely strict, even more so than when they went to the Shen family's or Song family's homes.

When they entered, the security guard at the gate checked their identification and even called Wei Qin's home to verify their identity, but no one answered the phone. The guard said, "No one is home. Why don't you go back?"

Zhao Mingyue asked Shen Xuyue, "Did they go to Aunt Fang's place?"

Shen Xuyue asked, "Comrade, did you see them leave? Wei Qin's wife is about to give birth."

The guard blinked. "I haven't seen her leave during my shift." There's only one pregnant woman in their compound, and everyone knows her.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Then they might have already gone out?"

"That's possible. But where could they go in the dead of winter? Wait, let me call Aunt Fang." Shen Xuyue borrowed a phone from the guardhouse and called the Song family. Aunt Fang answered the phone and said, "Xiao Rui didn't come to my place. They came by the day before yesterday. Did you go to her house? She wasn't home."

Shen Xuyue said, "Yes, I'm outside their compound, but no one's home. I wanted to ask if she went to your place, so I called to confirm. She might have gone out." He hung up the phone and shook his head at Zhao Mingyue, "She didn't go."

Zhao Mingyue said to the guard, "Comrade PLA soldier, my sister hasn't gone out, and no one answers the phone at home. Could you please let us go check on her? She's heavily pregnant and alone at home. What if she goes into labor and there's no one there to help?"

The guard thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, go and take a look."

Zhao Mingyue and Shen Xuyue hurried inside. It was a courtyard house with several courtyards, and Song Xiaorui's family lived in the innermost courtyard. When they arrived at Song Xiaorui's house, the doors and windows were closed, but the curtains were not drawn, and a pot of daffodils could be seen on the windowsill inside. Zhao Mingyue leaned closer to the window and peeked inside, and was immediately shocked. Song Xiaorui was slumped on the ground, which was wet, and it looked like she was about to give birth: "Xuyue, quickly open the door, Xiaorui is about to give birth."

Without thinking, Shen Xuyue kicked the door open. The room was heated, so it wasn't too cold, but the floor must have been cold. He wondered how long Song Xiaorui had been lying on the floor.

Zhao Mingyue rushed over and picked up Song Xiaorui's upper body, saying, "Sister Xiaorui, wake up!"

Song Xiaorui hadn't completely lost consciousness; she had just suddenly experienced sharp pains and couldn't hold on any longer. Before she could even reach the bed, she sat down on the floor. Covered in sweat, pale and extremely weak, she finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Zhao Mingyue: "Mingyue, it hurts so much..."

Shen Xuyue grabbed a coat, wrapped it around Song Xiaorui, picked her up, and started walking out. Luckily, he was strong and sturdy; he could even run while carrying Song Xiaorui, who weighed at least 150 pounds. However, he could only run to the front yard. When the guards saw this, they quickly came to help. Zhao Mingyue grabbed some spare items from inside the house and hurried after them.

It was during working hours, and there weren't many people in the hospital, but luckily a leader was home, and his car was also there. So we quickly called the security guard to take him to the hospital.

The hospital wasn't far away. Song Xiaorui was taken to the delivery room. Shen Xuyue was a little dirty. Zhao Mingyue looked at him, and the two exchanged a wry smile. Shen Xuyue was completely exhausted and said, "Luckily we came to see her, otherwise it would have been terrible when Wei Qin came back from get off work."

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "I hope both the adults and children are alright. Let's go and inform Aunt Fang and Brother Wei Qin."

Shen Xuyue said, "Okay, I'll make the call."

Zhao Mingyue sat anxiously outside the delivery room, listening to Song Xiaorui's loud screams inside. Zhao Mingyue knew how painful childbirth was; it felt like having a piece of flesh torn out of your body. In the dead of winter, her palms were sweaty with nervousness.

A nurse came out shortly after and said, "The amniotic fluid has almost all drained out, so you can't have a vaginal delivery. You'll need a cesarean section. Family members need to come and sign the consent form."

Zhao Mingyue said, "I'm not a family member, just a friend. Can I sign this? If not, can the mother sign it herself?" She remembered that if the patient was conscious, she could sign it herself.

The nurse said, "Okay, let the mother sign it herself."

When Shen Xuyue returned after making the call, Zhao Mingyue told him, "You can't have a natural birth; you'll need a C-section."

“Then let’s have a C-section,” Shen Xuyue said.

Zhao Mingyue said, "She said it required a family member's signature, but we're not considered family members, so I had Sister Xiaorui sign it herself."

Shen Xuyue nodded: "Okay. There shouldn't be any problems."

Zhao Mingyue clasped her hands together and placed them to her lips in a prayerful gesture: "I hope nothing bad will happen."

When Aunt Fang and her husband arrived, they could already hear a baby crying inside. Aunt Fang anxiously grabbed them, asking, "Has Xiaorui given birth?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Yes, she has already given birth. She just gave birth."

Aunt Fang looked anxiously at the delivery room: "Why isn't she out yet?"

Zhao Mingyue put her arm around her shoulder: "Aunt Fang, don't be nervous, she'll be out in a bit. When we brought her here, Xiao Rui's amniotic fluid had almost all leaked out, so the doctor had to give her a C-section."

"A C-section?" Aunt Fang became anxious again. "Won't Xiao Rui be in danger?"

Commander Song said, "Don't worry, we're in a hospital, so trust the doctors' skills."

After a while, a nurse came out carrying a wrapped-up baby: "It's a girl, mother and daughter are safe!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Aunt Fang quickly went up and held the baby in her arms. The little baby was red and wrinkled, with its eyes closed. Its thin lips moved slightly, and it was a sight that melted everyone's heart.

Looking at the child, Zhao Mingyue was so moved that she wanted to cry. She said, "Congratulations, Aunt Fang and Uncle Song."

Aunt Fang said with tears in her eyes, "That's wonderful, that's wonderful. Thank you, Mingyue, Xiaoxu. Thanks to you two for going today, otherwise Xiaorui would have been in danger."

Wei Qin arrived shortly after. Wei Qin's parents had been transferred to another city and were no longer in Beijing; otherwise, they wouldn't have left Song Xiaorui home alone. Just then, the doctor wheeled Song Xiaorui and the baby out. Song Xiaorui was too weak and had just undergone surgery; she had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Wei Qin was so excited he shouted it out. Shen Xuyue pulled him back and calmed him down after a long time. Wei Qin scratched his head a few times, feeling extremely remorseful: "It's all my fault. I was too careless. The due date was still a week away, and I was thinking of sending her to my mother's tomorrow. I never expected something like this to almost happen. Xiao Xu, thank you so much for going to see Xiao Rui today, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable." As Wei Qin spoke, his eyes welled up with tears.

Aunt Fang placed the little girl in her son-in-law's arms: "Wei Qin, come and hug your daughter. Don't be sad. Xiao Rui is very lucky. It's all thanks to Xiao Xu and his wife. They also saved your daughter. It's fate. You can recognize her as your godfather and godmother in the future."

Wei Qin nodded vigorously, "Okay, okay." He carefully held his delicate daughter in his arms, his face softening with tenderness.

Commander Song said, "Put the child on the bed too, it's too cold."

Wei Qin nodded, gently placed the child next to his wife, and looked at the two women, one big and one small, feeling a bittersweet ache in his heart.

Song Xiaorui didn't wake up. Zhao Mingyue and Shen Xuyue stayed for a while before saying goodbye and leaving, saying they would come to see Xiaorui again tomorrow. Stepping outside, looking at the clear blue sky, they couldn't help but sigh. They exchanged a glance, feeling utterly amazed by the dramatic turn of events.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Luckily we thought of visiting her today, otherwise it would have been so dangerous."

"That's right. If you're about to give birth, I'll have to stay by your side every day," Shen Xuyue said with emotion.

Zhao Mingyue's lips curled up: "Why say that now? It's still a long way off."

"Why so early? If we get married next year, you might already be pregnant by this time next year." Shen Xuyue's eyes were full of smiles.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Even if you're going to have a baby, you can't stay home every day, you still have to go to work. I learned from Xiaorui's experience and am not so careless, so I stay home alone."

“Yes, I’ll have my mom take care of you then,” Shen Xuyue said.

Thinking of Shen Xuyue's mother's temper, Zhao Mingyue realized that if she were to take care of her, life would be really difficult. So she said, "Can I ask my mom to come and take care of me then?"

Shen Xuyue nodded: "Okay, if your mother is willing to come, it would be even better if she came to take care of you." Shen Xuyue was very self-aware, knowing that his mother's temper was like a rock in a latrine, both smelly and hard.

"Then let's agree on this first," Zhao Mingyue said. "Let's go back and change your clothes; they're all dirty."

Shen Xuyue was holding Song Xiaorui when he was covered in amniotic fluid and blood. Luckily, he wasn't too particular about it. If it had been an older man, he would have felt very uncomfortable.

"Okay, let's go back and change our clothes quickly."

"Let's come see Sister Xiaorui again tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll pick you up first thing tomorrow morning."

The next day, the two of them went to the hospital to see Song Xiaorui. They bought a lot of nutritional supplements, as well as little clothes and shoes that Zhao Mingyue had made for the baby by hand. These were all made slowly in her spare time and were very exquisite.

Song Xiaorui has regained consciousness, but she can't get out of bed yet and needs to stay in the hospital for a few more days. When Song Xiaorui saw the two of them, she was so grateful that tears welled up in her eyes. Zhao Mingyue said, "Sister Xiaorui, don't cry. You shouldn't cry when you're giving birth. Luckily, you're alright. You and your baby are very lucky."

Song Xiaorui nodded: "Thank you, Mingyue and Xiaoxu. I can never repay your kindness."

Zhao Mingyue wiped away the tears that were sliding down her cheeks: "You don't need to be so formal with us. From now on, Bao Bao will be my goddaughter. I saved my goddaughter's life, so there's no need to be polite. Sister Xiaorui, do you agree?"

Song Xiaorui smiled and nodded, "Okay." They had saved her and her daughter's lives, so why wouldn't she be happy to be adopted as a goddaughter?

Wei Qin brought over the chicken soup, his face beaming with the joy of becoming a father for the first time. He ladled some soup for his wife, saying, "Xiao Xu, Ming Yue, would you like some?"

Shen Xuyue laughed: "Are you kidding, brother? This is my goddaughter's food. How could I snatch food from a tiger's mouth?"

Everyone laughed at that remark. The baby hadn't even opened her eyes yet, but her features were already discernible; her eyebrows and nose resembled her father's, and her mouth her mother's—she practically inherited the best features of both parents. She was sure to be a little beauty. "The baby is so cute! What's your name?"

While drinking chicken soup, Song Xiaorui said, "We've already come up with a nickname. He was born in winter, so we'll call him Dongdong. We haven't decided on his formal name yet; we'll wait for his dad to come up with one."

Wei Qin said, "Actually, I had already come up with a plan, but the elders on both sides disagreed, saying it was too hasty."

Shen Xuyue laughed and asked, "What name did you give her?"

“Our generation has had a particularly tough time and has experienced too many setbacks. I hope my child will have a smooth and peaceful life, so I named him Wei Sui. Sui means smooth and successful.”

Shen Xuyue couldn't help but burst out laughing: "You really know how to joke. If you had a different surname, it would be fine, but you have to be surnamed Wei, and you even named your daughter Wei Sui. You should change it."

Song Xiaorui chimed in, "I don't like it either. Let's have Grandpa, Grandma, and Grandpa on both sides come up with a solution together and brainstorm. By the way, Mingyue, didn't you go home for your holiday?"

"Oh, Xuyue said my older brother is bringing his girlfriend back, and he wanted me to see her before I left, so I stayed," Zhao Mingyue said with a smile. "If I hadn't stayed, I wouldn't have made it in time for you to have your baby."

Song Xiaorui laughed: "This is truly a blessing for my daughter and me. We have to thank Xueqi and my future sister-in-law for this."

Wei Qin said, "Well, I'll have Qi Xue give my daughter a generous New Year's red envelope then."

Song Xiaorui said, "By the time we hold the full moon celebration, Mingyue should have already returned to school. We'll come to the celebration then."

“Okay, you must come.” Zhao Mingyue saw that Song Xiaorui had finished her soup, and then took out the little clothes she had brought to show Song Xiaorui. “Sister Xiaorui, I made a few little clothes for Dongdong. They’ve all been washed and can be worn right away.”

Looking at the pretty little clothes, Song Xiaorui couldn't put them down: "Mingyue, how are you so skillful? They're so beautiful! You even knitted little sweaters. Xuyue, you're so lucky. Mingyue is so capable; even I'm jealous."

Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue, a happy smile spreading across his face: "You mean, you're not very satisfied with Brother Wei Qin?"

Song Xiaorui pouted: "Wei Qin is busy with work every day, all he knows is his long lenses and microphones, it's so boring."

Shen Xuyue raised an eyebrow at Wei Qin: "Brother Wei Qin, did you hear that? We need to pay more attention to Xiao Rui and Dong Dong."

"I will definitely correct my shortcomings. You guys will supervise me."

The whole house was filled with a harmonious and joyful atmosphere, which drove away the harsh winter outside.

On the day before the Lunar New Year, Shen Qixue returned to Beijing with his girlfriend. Zhao Mingyue didn't go home; she naturally spent the Lunar New Year at Shen Xuyue's house. After the Lunar New Year, she was supposed to go back home.

In the north, people celebrate the Lunar New Year on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, while in the south, it's on the 24th. On the day before the Lunar New Year, people clean the house. Zhao Mingyue and Shen Xuyue came early to help with the cleaning. Shen Fuyu's family didn't go back to their hometown for the New Year either; they went back to her parents' home to celebrate together. The whole family was together, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

Shen Fuyu said, "Once Qixue arrives, everyone will be complete."

Mother Shen smiled so much that crow's feet appeared at the corners of her eyes: "That's right, they'll arrive this afternoon. Xu Yue can pick them up then."

Yang Maolin said, "I can pick him up." Yang Maolin has been driving for others for the past six months, and he has become more confident and cheerful. It seems that people should do what they are good at and like in order to maximize their initiative and enthusiasm.

Shen Xuyue said, "Okay, brother-in-law, you can pick me up then."

Shen Fuyu turned to her husband and said, "You drive every day, haven't you had enough? Let Xiaoxu go!"

Yang Maolin chuckled twice. He knew his wife said that because she wanted him to spend more time with her and their child. He had been driving all month, and only got a day off today, the day before the Lunar New Year. He had to drive again tomorrow to make the last trip of vegetables before the Spring Festival.

In the afternoon, Shen Xuyue drove out, and Zhao Mingyue was also called by him. The two of them went to pick up someone together. Zhao Mingyue was very curious about this girl from Guangdong and asked her many questions, but Shen Xuyue had only met her once and couldn't say much about his impressions: "You'll know when you see her for yourself."

The train arrived at the station around 5 p.m., and after picking them up, we got home just in time for dinner.

Zhao Mingyue and Shen Xuyue had already gotten off the bus and were waiting in the heated waiting room. The waiting room was crowded; it seemed quite a few people were still traveling from Beijing back to their hometowns for the Spring Festival. As an ancient capital, Beijing can actually be considered a city of immigrants, though many of these immigrants were generations ago, and their descendants have become native Beijingers. Zhao Mingyue looked at them, thinking that one day she too would become a new Beijinger, and a few generations later, her descendants would also become native Beijingers. Becoming a city dweller—this was probably the goal that generations of people had strived to achieve.

At 5:15, they heard the train station announcement that Shen Qixue's train had arrived. The two of them went out to greet him. Zhao Mingyue was wearing a knitted woolen hat and a woolen scarf around her neck; Shen Xuyue also had one around his neck. These were all knitted by Zhao Mingyue in her spare time. Her roommates had also learned to knit from her, even starting a trend where many girls in the school followed suit.

Shen Xuyue put Zhao Mingyue's hand in his military overcoat pocket and eagerly awaited the gradually emerging crowd. He saw his older brother in the distance and waved to them, "Big brother, over here!"

Zhao Mingyue stood on tiptoe to look. The tall Shen Qixue was not particularly conspicuous in the crowd, as there are many tall people in the north. However, his green military overcoat was very eye-catching, so he was spotted at a glance. He was carrying a duffel bag and a green camouflage backpack. Behind him was a girl wearing a black overcoat. The girl was not very tall, about 1.6 meters, with two braids and a scarf. It was impossible to see what she looked like.

Shen Qixue led the group over and smiled at them: "You're all here. Didn't Xiao Zhao go back? It's so cold, I can hardly get used to it. Come, let me introduce you. This is Fang Zhen. Fang Zhen, this is my brother's girlfriend, Zhao Mingyue."

Zhao Mingyue pulled her hand out of Shen Xuyue's pocket and extended it to him: "Hello!"

The girl named Fang Zhen shook hands with her, and with her other hand pulled her scarf down a bit, smiling at Zhao Mingyue: "Hello!" Zhao Mingyue saw the girl clearly; she had a small face, big eyes, and was very pretty, though a bit dark-skinned, and when she smiled, she revealed a set of white teeth.

Shen Xuyue took the luggage from Fang Zhen's hands: "Let's go back for dinner, we've been waiting for you."

Two men walked in front, with Zhao Mingyue and Fang Zhen following behind: "Is this your first time in Beijing?"

Fang Zhen nodded: "Yes, I didn't expect it to be so cold." Fang Zhen's nose was red from the cold, and he exhaled a puff of white breath as he spoke.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Yes, the lowest temperature here is below minus ten degrees Celsius, which is nothing compared to Guangdong."

Fang Zhen gasped, "Where I'm from, the coldest it gets is only four or five degrees Celsius, and I can't stand it." She spoke without any retroflex consonants, her voice was straightforward, but it was quite pleasant to hear.

"You'll get used to it. It's alright indoors, there's heating, so winters are actually not too bad. It's better than my hometown. In my hometown, when it rains in winter, the cold is biting, that's really torturous," Zhao Mingyue said with a smile.

Where is your hometown?

Zhao Mingyue said, "X Province. It's in the south, but compared to your place, it's neither in the south nor the north."

"Hehe, I've never been there before. This is my first time leaving Guangdong Province. I didn't expect to cross most of China. It took me a long time to get here by car."

The two girls chatted animatedly and quickly became close. This was probably why Shen Xuyue had brought Zhao Mingyue along; he was afraid that Fang Zhen might feel uncomfortable suddenly joining everyone alone. If she were more familiar with Zhao Mingyue, she would feel more at ease.

Shen Xuyue started the car and took everyone home for dinner.

Although Fang Zhen's Mandarin wasn't fluent, communication wasn't a problem at all. She was a few years older than Zhao Mingyue, already twenty-six this year, and had been working for several years. She was also quite worldly-wise, and her communication with Shen's parents went relatively smoothly. Shen's mother didn't seem to dislike her either, but she wouldn't say she was particularly warm or polite.

After dinner, everyone chatted for a while. Shen Qixue took his girlfriend to the public bathhouse to take a shower. The rest of the family chatted together. Shen Fuyu said, "I think she's good. She's polite and perceptive."

Shen Xuyue nodded: "I know she's good to my brother, and I think that's enough."

Mr. Shen said, "Anyway, I have no objection. I chose my own wife. Whether she suffers or enjoys happiness in the future, she will bear it herself."

Zhao Mingyue suddenly felt like laughing. This was probably his own profound understanding. He had married Shen's mother, and whether he had suffered or enjoyed happiness over the years, he knew it all in his heart. Shen Xuyue had told him that his father was a very magnanimous man who had never beaten or scolded his wife, and rarely criticized her in public. Zhao Mingyue thought that if Shen Xuyue inherited this trait, her life would be much better. From what she knew so far, he certainly seemed to be that kind of person.

Mother Shen spoke up: "He's just a bit short. I don't care anymore, let him be. I only have one request, he has to come back to Beijing." Her son is getting old, and the longer it drags on, the worse it gets. This girl named Fang Zhen has a good family background, it's just a bit far away, but that doesn't matter, since her son is marrying into the family, not the other way around.