Chapter 69: Husband and Wife United! A mountain of baby clothes!
"Don't rush, let me see."
Jiang Wu stopped Qin Lie from "violently opening the box".
She held the small, exquisite sandalwood box in her hands. Her keen senses, honed from her past life as a cultivator, immediately told her that this copper lock was no ordinary item.
The lock is engraved with intricate cloud patterns, which seem to be decorations but actually contain hidden secrets.
Her fingertips, like butterflies skimming the water, pressed down on those seemingly inconspicuous lines in a specific order, sometimes lightly, sometimes heavily.
Qin Lie watched in disbelief, completely bewildered by what his wife was doing. He only felt that her movements were as graceful as if she were playing a zither.
There was a soft "click".
The copper lock, which had no key, suddenly opened with a click.
"It's open!" Qin Lie exclaimed in surprise, looking at Jiang Wu with admiration. "Wife, you're amazing! How did you even do that?"
"It's just a trivial skill," Jiang Wu said with a faint smile, offering no further explanation.
This is just a kind of "mechanical lock" commonly used by ancient craftsmen. For an "old monster" like her who has lived for thousands of years, it is a piece of cake.
With a mixture of curiosity and seriousness, she slowly opened the box.
There was no gold or silver jewelry as I had imagined, nor any priceless antiques or paintings.
Inside the box, lying quietly, was a stack of small clothes wrapped in clean, fine cotton cloth, and a thread-bound diary with a yellowed cover.
Qin Lie was somewhat disappointed, "That's...that's all?"
Jiang Wu didn't say anything; she carefully picked up the topmost piece of clothing.
It was a baby bib handmade from the finest pure cotton fabric, with a small, adorable lotus flower embroidered on it in red silk thread.
Although the clothes were clearly quite old, they were very well preserved, without a trace of yellowing or mold, as if they had just been made yesterday.
One can imagine how much its original owner cherished and kept it.
Jiang Wu's heart softened for no apparent reason.
She opened the yellowed diary again.
The neat handwriting came into view.
[Spring of 1947 (Republic of China Year 36)]
Today marks the third month since I married into the Qin family. My husband is away on a military campaign, and his return date is uncertain. My mother-in-law treats me extremely well, as if I were her own daughter. However, there is still no sign of pregnancy, and I can't help but feel anxious...
Summer of 1948.
Today, I finally received the wonderful news! I am pregnant! My hand is still trembling as I write this. My mother-in-law and I both wept with joy. From now on, I am no longer alone.
[...I'll sew a new garment for my son. May he live a life of peace, joy, and freedom from illness and misfortune.]
The diary records the feelings of a young wife, from the anxiety of being newly married to the joy of pregnancy, and then to the various emotions of becoming a mother for the first time.
Between the lines, she is filled with longing for her husband and boundless love for her unborn child.
Jiang Wu flipped through the pages one by one.
She saw that this great-grandmother of the Qin family had recorded what she liked to eat during her pregnancy, the excitement of the first fetal movement, and the happiness of preparing little clothes and shoes for the child.
It turns out that, regardless of time or place, and regardless of one's identity, it doesn't matter.
A mother's love for her child is the same for everyone.
Pure, yet fiery.
Jiang Wu's gaze finally landed on the last page of the diary.
Today marks the one-month anniversary of my son's birth. His name is Jianguo (建国).
It is hoped that in the future, he will live up to his name and make great contributions to this country.
Today, my mother-in-law passed this box to me. Today, I also seal this box away. When my son marries and has children, I will pass this box to my daughter-in-law.
The Qin family bloodline has been passed down through generations, continuing unbroken.
Qin Jianguo is Qin Lie's father.
Therefore, the owner of this diary is Qin Lie's biological grandmother.
Jiang Wu closed her diary, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up inside her.
This thin booklet and these few small garments carry the love and legacy of three generations of women in the Qin family.
She was no longer that wandering, helpless soul in another world.
From the moment she received the box, she was truly accepted by this family and became an integral part of it.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
Qin Lie noticed that Jiang Wu's eyes were red and asked with some concern.
"It's nothing." Jiang Wu shook her head, carefully put the diary back in the box, and a bright smile appeared on her face.
"Qin Lie, let's make some clothes for our baby too!"
"Making clothes?" Qin Lie was taken aback. "Do we... know how?"
“If you don’t know how, you can learn!” Jiang Wu’s eyes shone with an unprecedentedly bright light.
She also wanted to be like the Qin family ancestors, personally sewing clothes filled with love and blessings for her children.
Let's get right to it.
The next day, Jiang Wu took Qin Lie to the only fabric shop on the island.
She carefully selected several pieces of the softest, most skin-friendly pure cotton fabric, some white, some light yellow, and some lovely sky blue.
Back home, Jiang Wu began to draw the style of the clothes on paper, relying on her memory and the descriptions in the diary.
A tiny monk's robe, an adorable tiger-head hat, and delicate little soft-soled shoes...
Before long, a series of design drawings full of childlike fun and love appeared on the paper.
Qin Lie watched from the side and felt that his wife could do everything, she was simply an omnipotent fairy.
Once the design drawings are complete, the most crucial steps—cutting and sewing—come in.
This part was a disaster for the two "new parents".
"Honey, look at my haircut, isn't it straight?"
Qin Lie held a large pair of scissors, leaned over the table, and carefully measured them, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
As a result, with one snip of the scissors, the edge of the fabric immediately showed a wavy shape like a dog chewing it.
"Oops! It's crooked!" he cried out in frustration.
When it came to sewing, the situation was even more appalling.
Qin Lie was tall and strong, with thick fingers, and he was holding a small embroidery needle, which looked awkward no matter how you looked at it.
He poked at a piece of cloth for a long time.
"Ouch!"
With a scream, he successfully pierced his own finger with the needle.
A drop of bright red blood oozed out.
"Honey! I'm bleeding! I'm bleeding a lot!"
He raised his finger and ran exaggeratedly to Jiang Wu for comfort, looking so pitiful that he seemed more like a child than the baby in her belly.
Jiang Wu was both amused and exasperated by him, so she grabbed his hand, put it in her mouth, and gently sucked on it.
"Okay, it doesn't hurt anymore."
Qin Lie felt the warm, soft touch from his fingertips and immediately grinned, feeling that even if he were pricked ten more times, it would be worth it.
The two of them spent the whole afternoon working on it, wasting a lot of fabric, but they couldn't even make a decent piece of clothing.
In the end, Jiang Wu came up with a solution.
She was in charge of drawing and cutting, and then she took the cut fabric, along with some candies and snacks, to her neighbor Zhou Nianci's house.
Zhou Nianci and several other skillful military wives in the family compound, upon hearing that they were making clothes for Commander Qin's "golden grandson," all enthusiastically came over to help.
As a result, the Qin family's courtyard became the liveliest place on the island for several days in a row.
The women sat together, threading needles.
While sewing baby clothes, they chatted about their parenting experiences.
"Hey, Xiaowu, let me tell you, childbirth is like passing through the gates of hell, but don't be afraid, Dr. Zhang at our island's health center is very skilled!"
"Taking care of a baby after giving birth is even more tiring! Especially at night, I have to feed the baby every two or three hours, and I can't get a good night's sleep!"
"But when you see that little one grow up day by day, learn to smile, and call you 'Mommy,' you'll feel that no matter how hard or tiring it is, it's all worth it!"
Jiang Wu sat to the side, listening quietly.
These simple words gave her a more genuine understanding of the identity of "mother".
She was no longer afraid, nor was she confused.
My heart is filled with nothing but anticipation.
Qin Lie would move a small stool and sit not far away every day, reading his precious "Handbook for Maternal and Child Health Care" while watching the group of women like a supervisor.
He watched Jiang Wu chatting and laughing with her neighbors, and saw the gentle and happy glow on her face. His heart was filled with a great sense of satisfaction.
He knew he had given her a real home.
A warm home with a loved one, friends, and a lively atmosphere.
A few days later.
With everyone's efforts, a pile of cute and exquisite little clothes, shoes, and hats filled the Qin family's bed.
Looking at these little things that embodied everyone's love, Jiang Wu and Qin Lie's hearts melted.
That evening.
The two of them folded the small clothes one by one and placed them on the bedside table.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, bathing the room in a gentle, silvery glow.
Qin Lie gently wrapped his arms around Jiang Wu from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder, his broad hands carefully covering her already protruding belly.
He could clearly feel the little creature inside rolling and kicking from time to time.
"Wife," his voice sounded especially gentle in the quiet night, "tell me, is it a son or a daughter?"
Jiang Wu leaned against him, feeling his warm body temperature, a lazy smile on her face.
"Whether it's a son or a daughter, they are all our precious children."
"Mmm." Qin Lie responded with satisfaction, hugging her even tighter.
He felt that this was the happiest moment he could imagine.
Peaceful times, tranquil life.
He has a wife, children, and a family.
Just as this moment of warmth was about to transform into a sweet dream.
"Knock knock knock!"
A series of urgent knocks on the door suddenly broke the silence of the night.
Who could it be so late?
Qin Lie frowned, released Jiang Wu, and got up to open the door.
Standing outside the door was a young soldier from his communications company, his face unusually solemn.
Upon seeing Qin Lie, he immediately saluted, his voice low but revealing an unusual tension.
"Commander, something's happened."
"A telegram just came from the mainland, forwarded by the higher-ups."
As the young soldier spoke, he handed a thin telegram to Qin Lie.
"The telegram contains... a formal complaint against you, alleging that you abused your power to protect the relatives of criminals."
“And…” the young soldier paused, then began with difficulty, “and I must say that you have a chaotic private life and serious issues with your conduct!”
Qin Lie held the light telegram, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
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