Lin Yan cried until she was exhausted and fainted on the bed. There was another round of chaos.

No one had the appetite to eat, so Zhou Chunlan finally made a simple pot of dumpling soup, which everyone enjoyed. They had to take the child to the mountain for a proper burial before dark.

No one in the village knew that Lin Yan was a twin. The Zhao family didn't want to cause any trouble, nor did they want the villagers to point fingers at Lin Yan in the future, so they decided to keep it a secret.

At night, Lin Yan woke up slowly and heard them discussing going to the mountain. He forced himself to go with them. Zhou Chunlan and Zhao Shiyun persuaded him for a long time before he gave up the idea. "Brother Yan, you are still in confinement and can't go out. After you are out of confinement, I will accompany you as soon as possible, okay?" Zhao Shiyun hugged Lin Yan. He knew that Lin Yan was upset, but he was weak now. If he went out again, he would get sick, which would be bad.

Lin Yan shed tears silently and stopped being willful. He asked Zhao Shiyun to take out a small set of clothes from the closet and said, "Would you please wash him and change him into new clothes?"

Zhao Shiyun choked up and nodded repeatedly, "Hat, shoes, socks, let's put them all in together, okay?"

"My poor child, he passed away before he even had a name." Lin Yan stroked the tiger-head hat made by Amo. Every stitch and thread was the result of Amo's hard work, but the child could not wear it.

"Let's give him a name, so he doesn't go away nameless."

Lin Yanqiang forced a smile. "I've already decided on the name Zhao Yihuan. I originally hoped he could follow his heart and live a happy and joyful life. Now, I just hope he's happy over there, and can be reborn into a good family soon, without suffering..."

Zhao Shiyun agreed with tears in his eyes. Lin Yan continued, "Let's name this living child Zhao Yian. I hope he's safe and happy, and grows up well."

Zhou Chunlan and Yu Ge'er stayed at home with Lin Yan. Lin Yan was lying on the bed, listening to the sound of the courtyard door opening and the footsteps of several people walking out, which gradually faded away. He bit the quilt and tears burst out. How could he let go of this? He felt like his heart was hollowed out, painful, bleeding, and leaking, and it could never be mended.

That night was long and cold, seemingly endless. This family, once filled with hope and joy, was stricken by fate's ruthless blow and plunged into a deep darkness from which they could not escape for a long time.

*

"An An, An An..." Yu Ge'er was teasing Zhao Yian who was lying on the crib with a rattle. This crib was bought by Zhao Shiyun from the carpenter when he took time out. He had originally planned to buy two cribs, but he didn't have time yet.

Xiao Yian followed the rattle with his eyes and stretched out his hand to grab it, giggling. Yu Ge'er raised his hand to stop him from touching it. Xiao Yian refused to accept it and complained in a babbling voice.

Time flies so fast. Two months have passed in a flash. Xiao Yian is still thin and small. He used to be fed goat milk once an hour a day, but now he is fed once every hour and a half. His weight has only increased by more than two kilograms, but his complexion is rosy and he is very energetic. The family is relieved.

Lin Yan finished her confinement a month ago and now spends most of her time at home taking care of the child. The shop is left to Zhao Shiyun and Li Yuemei. When Zhou Chunlan is not going to the town to sell vegetables, she comes to the Zhao family to help take care of the child after finishing her housework, which also gives Lin Yan some time to catch her breath.

Little Yian might have cried. He needed his mother to hold him and coax him for half an hour before he could fall asleep at night. Sometimes he woke up in the middle of the night and refused to fall asleep, crying loudly. Lin Yan, Zhao Shiyun, and Li Yuemei took turns holding him and coaxing him, but after two months of trying, there was no improvement.

But Lin Yan didn't care. It was inevitable for a child not to cry. Every time he looked at Yian's little face, his fatherly love overflowed and he wanted to kiss and hug him more.

Doctor Bai said that children cannot be close to anyone other than their father, otherwise they will get sick easily. The family doted on this child who was finally born, so they followed the doctor's advice and implemented it strictly.

Lin Yan came in from outside, holding a bowl of goat milk in his hand. He put the goat milk on the table, picked up little Yian, and rubbed his little face with his nose: "An'an, good boy, are you hungry? Daddy will feed you goat milk."

Little Yian slurped the goat's milk, but halfway through he began to feel sleepy, his eyelids drooping uncontrollably. Lin Yan simply stopped feeding him, wiped his mouth clean, and held him to sleep.

After Xiao Yian fell asleep, Lin Yan carefully put him in the stroller, and then he had time to eat lunch. He closed the door quietly and went to the kitchen to quickly eat a bowl of noodles. He was afraid that Xiao Yian would wake up and not find his father and cry again, so he ate voraciously.

Li Yuemei went to the shop today, otherwise she could help hold Lin Yan and let him eat lunch slowly.