Chapter 73
After learning about Feng Liang's situation, Meng Wanqiu has been trying to contact Master Buxuzi, hoping that he could figure out his whereabouts. However, Buxuzi's whereabouts remained a mystery, and Meng Wanqiu was unable to contact Buxuzi even when she was about to give birth.
In the final month of her maternity leave, Meng Wanqiu's belly was growing so large that her coat couldn't cover it anymore. She took her pulse and had a feeling the birth was coming in the next few days.
However, at that time, women had maternity leave, but men did not. However, Pei Xingzhi's immediate superior was Bai Fengyao, who generously gave Pei Xingzhi half a month of paternity leave.
Meng Wanqiu looked out the window. The moon was dim and the stars were sparse. A cool night breeze blew in, cooling her face and making her breathe easier. Occasionally, she could hear noises from next door, and the cries of a baby. In the past few months, Xinghua Alley had seen the arrival of several children, and the sound of their cries was a constant at night.
Pei Xingzhi came in with a basin, a handkerchief draped over his wrist. "Come and soak your feet. I'll give you a massage later."
As the pregnancy progressed, Meng Wanqiu's feet would often cramp at night. Pei Xingzhi got into the habit of soaking her feet before going to bed, and then massaging her using the method Meng Wanqiu taught him.
Meng Wanqiu was sitting cross-legged on the kang. When she saw Pei Xingzhi, she crawled to the edge and put her legs down. Although her belly was big, Meng Wanqiu was still very flexible.
Meng Wanqiu looked down at Pei Xingzhi, who was helping her roll up her trouser legs. Her eyelashes were long and curled, casting a shadow on her lower eyelid. Her nose was high and straight, and her skin was in good condition, so white and delicate that even her pores were invisible.
Meng Wanqiu couldn't help but touch his face, and she would show off her little hooligan nature from time to time.
Pei Xingzhi's eyelids trembled, and he raised his eyebrows and looked at Meng Wanqiu. The other party gave him a sweet smile, not shy at all.
With the corners of his mouth raised, Pei Xingzhi lowered his eyes, hiding the doting in them. He poured some hot water on Meng Wanqiu's fair feet and said in a cold voice, "Is the water temperature okay? Do you want some hot water?"
Meng Wanqiu shook her head. "Just right. By the way, are all the things ready?"
Pei Xingzhi put the handkerchief on his wrist aside, stood up and walked to the table beside him. There was a large bag on it, and a list next to it. He checked the items on the list and said, "Everything is ready."
Because the due date is approaching, Meng Wanqiu plans to stay in the hospital tomorrow. The bag contains the things they need to take with them, including the baby's diapers, small quilt, milk powder and bottles, as well as her clothes and toiletries.
During the pregnancy, both Bai Fengyao and Meng Mingxia sent a lot of things to Meng Wanqiu and her son, and even Uncle Song's wife came to visit Meng Wanqiu.
A lot of supplements were sent, and Meng Mingxia had a comrade in the army whose family lived in Inner Mongolia. He used his connections to get a lot of milk powder. Meng Wanqiu was worried that the milk powder would go bad if she couldn't finish it, so she sent some to her family.
After soaking her feet, Pei Xingzhi wiped Meng Wanqiu's feet clean with a dry towel and started to massage her.
The couple chatted intermittently, tacitly not discussing the gender of the child. They loved both boys and girls. Meng Wanqiu could vaguely tell the gender of the child, but she didn't tell Pei Xingzhi, wanting to wait for the surprise when the baby was born.
As the night deepened, the quiet Xinghua Lane was awakened by a high-pitched and shrill cry. Xiaohui in the yard was also startled and barked a few times.
Meng Wanqiu sat up suddenly, "What's going on?"
Why does it sound so much like a scream?
Pei Xingzhi patted Meng Wanqiu on the back and said, "You continue to rest. I'll go out and take a look."
Whenever Pei Xingzhi went out, Xiao Hui would follow him, wagging its tail. Now Xiao Hui has grown into a big dog that sits at Meng Wanqiu's knees. When it was young, it had gray fur, but now the ends of its gray fur have turned black, making it look very imposing.
It doesn't look like a dog.
Instead, it looks like a wolf.
Pei Xingzhi stroked Xiao Hui's head, looked at his tail which sometimes lifted up and sometimes drooped, his eyes flashed, this guy was probably a cross between a dog and a wolf.
When he opened the door, Pei Xingzhi saw Uncle Feng from the opposite door also coming out with his clothes on.
"Uncle Feng, why are you out too?" Pei Xingzhi greeted Uncle Feng.
Uncle Feng glanced in the direction of the screaming, "Let me see if I can help. Still screaming? Is that Li Xuezhi's wife about to give birth?"
Hu Dajun also came out. He was the husband of Hu Xiaoxifu, who had previously woven mats. He was a worker in the 715 workshop. He was casually wearing a coat, revealing his muscular body.
"Uncle, Mr. Pei, let's go over and take a look."
After being neighbors for more than a year, we all became familiar with each other.
Although Qu Miao is usually mean, Li Xuezhi is still very good at dealing with people outside. For his sake, everyone is willing to help. After all, giving birth is a life-threatening matter.
A few people nodded and rushed towards the Li family.
Sure enough, Qu Miao accidentally fell and the baby was born prematurely, less than nine months old. Everyone in the alley helped carry the baby to the town hospital. After the nurses took over, everyone went home.
When Pei Xingzhi came back, Meng Wanqiu was already asleep. He rubbed his ears. Qu Miao had shouted so loudly that his ears were still buzzing.
The next day, Meng Wanqiu finally learned about what had happened the previous night. She couldn't help but sigh when she heard about the premature birth. But that was it. Given her relationship with Qu Miao, she certainly didn't go back to care for her, but she felt a little sorry for the baby in her belly.
After breakfast, Meng Wanqiu and Pei Xingzhi planned to go to the hospital, leaving the family and Xiao Hui to the care of Aunt Feng for the time being.
Aunt Feng supported Meng Wanqiu and said earnestly, "Don't worry, I'll take care of the family. If you're going to give birth, please tell me and I'll help take care of the baby."
The young couple is young and this is their first child. Aunt Feng is worried that they will not be able to take care of the child.
Meng Wanqiu nodded. "Don't worry, I'll remember that. The hospital isn't far away, only about ten minutes away. He'll be back soon."
After hearing this, Aunt Feng was reluctantly relieved. Now the two families have become sworn relatives, and Meng Wanqiu is pregnant with her grandchildren. Aunt Feng even wants to go with her.
Uncle Feng patted Pei Xingzhi's shoulder and said, "If you have anything to say, just tell me. Don't hide it."
These two children are very thoughtful. Everything is hidden from them, for fear that the old couple will be tired.
Pei Xingzhi nodded, "I know, I'll tell you if there's anything."
After saying goodbye to Uncle Feng and Aunt Feng, the couple went to the hospital. Since the July 15th Hospital was built outside the town, the town's population increased sharply and the infrastructure was being built rapidly. The original health center in the town has now been upgraded to a comprehensive building and inpatient department.
Not only the hospital, but also the school for the children of the employees of the 715 Factory is under construction. When the children grow up, they will not have to leave home and go to school in other counties.
Bai Fengyao had used his connections to reserve a bed in advance. The couple went to the hospital to check in. As soon as they said their names, the nurse took them directly to the bed.
The ward was a triple room with curtains between the rooms, and Pei Xingzhi felt a little more satisfied.
Their bed was at the back, with a window next to it for ventilation. The other two beds were occupied. Meng Wanqiu took a look. The pregnant woman next to the door must have been quite old, with wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth, and her face was pale and unhealthy. She was wearing a hospital gown, her back propped up against a pillow, half leaning against the wall. No one was there to take care of her, and the bedside table was empty.
The pregnant woman in the middle looked about the same age as Su Lili, with a rosy complexion and an apple in her mouth. Next to her sat an elderly woman and a short, thin man. The elderly woman had a kind face, and it was unclear whether she was her mother-in-law or her own mother. The man had a somewhat gloomy expression, but he exuded a sense of excitement.
Feeling a little strange, Meng Wanqiu muttered to himself.
Pei Xingzhi ignored everyone else and asked Meng Wanqiu to sit down first. Then he took out the sheets and quilt covers he brought from home from his bag and put them on again before letting Meng Wanqiu lie down on the bed.
The bed in the hospital was clean, but Pei Xingzhi's obsession with cleanliness made him prefer to use his own things.
Meng Wanqiu smelled the familiar scent on the quilt and began to relax.
The result was that I heard the words "how pretentious".
She turned her head and saw that it was the pregnant woman at the door. She looked at her, curled her lips and turned her head away.
Meng Wanqiu was speechless. Pei Xingzhi smiled and consoled her, "Don't worry about those insignificant people." As he continued to unload things from his bag, he asked, "Want an apple? I'll buy you one."
Meng Wanqiu shook her head and said, "Give me a banana."
Pei Xingzhi took out a banana from his bag, peeled it, and handed it to Meng Wanqiu. "You stay here. I'll get some hot water."
After Pei Xingzhi left, the young wife in the middle bed spoke to Meng Wanqiu, "Sister, is this your first child?"
Meng Wanqiu nodded while eating a banana. "Yes, you too?"
The other person looks about the same age as Su Lili, but Su Lili is still smiling foolishly all day long. This girl has already become a mother.
The young wife nodded, frowning and moving a little. "It's my first time. I heard that giving birth for the first time is very painful. Last night, a pregnant woman came in. I heard from the nurse that she seemed to have accidentally fallen. The screams were heard by the whole floor. It made me panic. I had a dream last night that I was giving birth, and my child and I died immediately."
Last night, Meng Wanqiu guessed that the person was Qu Miao. After hearing what his wife said, he said, "Don't worry, there will be a doctor there. If you listen to the doctor, you will be fine."
The old woman next to them interrupted them, her tone soft but firm, "Okay, stop saying these unlucky words. My eldest grandson will definitely be born smoothly."
Meng Wanqiu shut up, but the young wife ignored the old woman. Instead, she patted her chest and said with a palpitating heart: "No, I have to eat more good food, otherwise it would be a loss if I die."
Then, she said to the man next to her, "Where's the chicken soup? I want some soup."
The man glanced at her without saying a word. The old woman next to him patted the young woman's hand and said, "Be good, you've just finished eating the apple. Take a break. I'll give you some chicken soup after you've digested it. Don't worry, it's all yours."
The young wife pouted, "No, I can still eat, I want it now, if you don't give it to me I won't give birth."
The young wife was so willful that the old woman couldn't do anything about her. She winked at the man next to her, and he opened the thermos and poured a bowl of steaming chicken soup for the young wife.
Seeing this, the middle-aged pregnant woman at the door turned over and covered herself with the quilt, but her rumbling stomach and dry lips made her unable to help but curse.
The young wife happily took the chicken soup and drank it with satisfaction, muttering, "Eat as much as you can, because you won't have the chance later."
Meng Wanqiu pursed her lips, feeling that something was wrong with this family.
After a while, Pei Xingzhi came in and said to Meng Wanqiu, "Did you run into Li Xuezhi in the bathroom?"
Meng Wanqiu's eyes widened. "I can even see this. Did Qu Miao give birth? Is it a boy or a girl?"
Pei Xingzhi spread his hands, "I didn't ask, but he told me on his own initiative."
It's a bit funny to say that after Qu Miao set a trap for Meng Wanqiu, he was stripped of his qualification as a formal employee and became a temporary worker in the Propaganda Department.
Qu Miao was not fired because Li Xuezhi became an informant for monitoring the 715 group. According to the original plan, Pei Xingzhi would inadvertently reveal some information to him, and with the help of this information, Li Xuezhi gained a lot of benefits from those people.
Perhaps it was because he had money, and the people in the technical department no longer ignored him as much as before. In addition, Pei Xingzhi's work focus shifted to the dark side, and he was not as valued in the technical department as before. This made Li Xuezhi feel that this was the result of his hard work.
In front of Pei Xingzhi, he returned to his old self and resumed his previous arrogant attitude.
When he met Pei Xingzhi in the bathroom, Li Xuezhi was still boasting to him that Qu Miao had given birth to a son for him, and he hypocritically advised Pei Xingzhi that it didn't matter whether it was a boy or a girl.
In Xinghua Alley, people had always said that Qu Miao was pregnant with a boy, while Meng Wanqiu was pregnant with a girl. After Qu Miao gave birth to a son, Li Xuezhi became convinced.
After hearing what Pei Xingzhi said, Meng Wanqiu sneered disdainfully, "My daughter, what's wrong with my daughter? The princess is still my treasure."
Pei Xingzhi smiled, "Of course, our children, whether boys or girls, are our treasures."
The old woman next to her heard it and rolled her eyes inadvertently. How can a girl compare to a boy? If she wants someone, she can just pick one up on the street.
The young wife put down her bowl and her eyes darkened as she listened to what Pei Xingzhi and his wife said.
In the afternoon, someone finally came to the home of the pregnant woman next to the door. After seeing them, Meng Wanqiu counted them one by one.
One, two, three, four, five—
Ha, there are five daughters.
There were five girls, and the two oldest ones were carrying the younger ones on their backs. Their clothes were patched with patches. They all had pale faces and thin bodies. Their limbs were as thin as bamboo poles, so thin that you could see the bones.
"Where's your dad? Why hasn't he brought me any food yet? Do you want me to starve to death?"
Seeing this string of money-losing goods, the middle-aged pregnant woman slapped the eldest sister standing nearby on the head. The eldest sister, carrying her sister on her back, shrank her neck and said timidly, "Dad went shopping, let me come over to take care of you first."
After hearing this, the middle-aged pregnant woman became even angrier and slapped the eldest brother again. "What kind of care are you giving me? You don't even bring anything. Do you want to starve me and your brother to death?"
The sisters huddled in the corner in fear, not daring to breathe. Seeing this, Meng Wanqiu frowned. Pei Xingzhi patted her hands, saying that it was none of their business.
The old lady in the middle glanced at him indifferently and looked away.
Fortunately, after a while, the middle-aged pregnant woman's husband came. He had an unshaven beard and mud on his feet. He brought a lunch box with him. When he opened it, it was full of eggs.
Meng Wanqiu silently looked away, not knowing whether to sympathize or say that the man deserved it.
They are all women. They have suffered so much themselves, but they treat their daughters so harshly.
The middle-aged pregnant woman made a bitter face and complained, "Why are there only eggs and no oil at all?"
Other people's homes only have chicken soup, apples and bananas, but she hasn't even seen any meat for so long during her pregnancy.
The man said perfunctorily, "Come on, eat quickly. You've already spent a lot of money staying in the hospital. Having eggs is good enough."
The couple, both from the countryside, had already given birth to seven or eight children. The first few were girls who were either given away or abandoned, while the last two were sons. However, because they had given birth in the countryside with poor sanitary conditions, neither of them survived. This time, they listened to the village health worker and came to the city hospital to give birth.
The middle-aged pregnant woman nodded helplessly. The man slapped the girl next to him on the back and said, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help your mother peel the eggs."
The girl shrank her neck and walked to the bed to peel eggs, swallowing her saliva as she peeled them.
"Don't worry, after you give birth to our son, mother said she would kill the old hen at home to nourish your body."
Hearing the man's words, the middle-aged pregnant woman's expression eased a lot, and a loving expression appeared on her face. She touched her belly lovingly and said, "My son, be good. When you are born, I will give you everything."
On the other side, Meng Wanqiu lay on the bed and yawned lazily. Pei Xingzhi scratched her nose and said, "Go to sleep if you're tired."
Meng Wanqiu took Pei Xingzhi's hand and said with a nasal tone, "What about you? Will you be bored?"
Pei Xingzhi took out a book from his bag and said with a smile, "It's okay, I'm reading. I'm not bored."
Meng Wanqiu nodded. "If you feel sleepy, come to bed and get some rest."
Pei Xingzhi stood up, closed the curtain, and kissed Meng Wanqiu between the eyebrows. He then rubbed her belly and said, "Well, I know. Go to sleep."
Meng Wanqiu didn't sleep for long before she was awakened by a cry of pain from the person next to her. Pei Xingzhi supported her and said, "It's okay, it's okay. The person next to you is about to give birth."
When he opened the curtain, Meng Wanqiu saw his young wife, who had been eating, lying on the bed with sweat all over her forehead and whimpering in pain.
Meng Wanqiu couldn't bear it, so she said, "Come down and walk around, you'll feel better later."
The man next to her glared at her and said, "Are you a doctor? Don't give me any random advice." He was just a novice and asked her not to harm his son.
The young wife ignored the short and thin man next to her and forced a smile to Meng Wanqiu, "Thank you, sister." Then she propped herself up and was about to climb out of bed.
Meng Wanqiu smiled and said, "You're welcome. Just listen to the doctor and do whatever he tells you to do during the birth."
The young wife nodded, holding her belly and then walked to the bed. The man had no choice but to shout outside, "Mom, come here quickly."
On the other side, a middle-aged pregnant woman had just fallen asleep when she heard the noise and sat up impatiently, "Will it ever stop? It's so noisy! Your wife can't even be as loud as you."
The man's face darkened and he looked over there at the middle-aged pregnant woman.
The man was right next to them. He was a working farmhand, much stronger than the skinny city guy. He stood up and shouted coldly, "Who the hell are you staring at?"
However, the men in the city are thin, but they are very brave. "I'm staring at you. This is a hospital, not your home. What's wrong with me calling a doctor? If you don't like it, go back to your hometown."
The country boy's forehead veins popped up when he heard that. He picked up the stool under his butt and rushed over. "Say it again, who the hell are you telling to get out?"
"Dad, stop and ignore that dwarf." The pregnant woman quickly asked her daughter to hug the man to stop him from causing trouble.
The young wife was also stunned. After coming to her senses, she slapped the thin man and said, "You don't want your son anymore. What if he accidentally hurts me?"
The thin man finally calmed down.
At this time, the nurse heard the commotion and came in. Seeing the stool in the hands of the country man, she warned him, "This is a hospital. If you dare to cause trouble, I will call the police and let them handle it."
"Pregnant woman, please walk for a while. The doctor has already started preparing and will go into the operating room soon."
The nurse was about to leave when the middle-aged pregnant woman next to her clutched her belly and cried out, "Ouch! I'm about to give birth too."
"Nurse, nurse, come and see my wife." The country man ignored his arrogance and pulled the nurse to his wife.
"Oh no! My water's broken." The nurse lifted the blanket and saw the woman's pants were soaked. "Hurry up and carry the pregnant woman with me."
At this time, the young wife smiled bitterly and said, "Nurse, I am about to give birth too."
Young Nurse: ...
"Xiao Liu, Xiao Liu, come here quickly and call Doctor Zhang. Another pregnant woman is about to give birth."
Meng Wanqiu and Pei Xingzhi stared with wide eyes, watching everything in front of them in silence. It was simply too dramatic.
In just a few minutes, so many things happened that she didn't know where to look.
After a while, the two pregnant women in the room were taken to the delivery room by the nurses, and the room became quiet.
Meng Wanqiu slowly exhaled.
Pei Xingzhi looked at her relaxed yet somewhat regretful expression, and couldn't help but pinch her nose, "Why, you still can't see enough?"
Meng Wanqiu dodged and said, "I feel dizzy. The doctor said before that one of them would give birth tomorrow and the other tonight, and in the blink of an eye, they are both about to give birth."
Pei Xingzhi smiled and covered Meng Wanqiu with a blanket. "Don't worry about them. Just make sure your stomach is at peace."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Xingzhi felt his hand being tightly grasped. He looked at Meng Wanqiu in confusion: "What's wrong?"
Feeling the warmth from her husband, Meng Wanqiu slowly revealed an unpleasant smile, "When did you become such a jinx?"
Good things don’t work, but bad things do.
Pei Xingzhi was stunned for a moment.
Bang——
The chair crashed to the ground, and a figure suddenly ran outside. "Doctor—"
Meng Wanqiu was left laughing. It was the first time she had seen Pei Xingzhi lose his composure like this. Then, waves of pain came from her stomach, causing Meng Wanqiu to frown.
After taking her own pulse and knowing that the pain would continue for a while, Meng Wanqiu got up from the bed and pressed her own stomach, which was the acupoint for inducing labor.
Meng Wanqiu walked into the delivery room by herself.
At the door, Meng Wanqiu squeezed Pei Xingzhi's hand, her face grim with pain, and she gasped, "Don't worry, it's okay, I'll be out soon."
After saying that, the door was closed by the nurse.
Pei Xingzhi's face had lost all color and turned extremely pale, his hands and feet were extremely cold, and he could still hear the screams of the two pregnant women.
It made his mind go blank.
He leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, listening to Meng Wanqiu's suppressed screams of pain, his hands clenched into fists.
The middle-aged pregnant woman was in the delivery room across the street. Her husband was nervously pacing outside. Seeing Pei Xingzhi nearby, he said, "Brother, do you have a cigarette? One?"
Pei Xingzhi slowly opened his eyes and said coldly, "Smoking is not allowed in the hospital."
The man waved his hand indifferently and said, "It's okay, no one cares."
"Go away."
The man was stunned for a moment. He wanted to teach the other party a lesson, but when he saw the coldness in Pei Xingzhi's eyes, his heart panicked. He walked aside dejectedly, muttering to himself: "Why are you so arrogant?"
An unknown amount of time had passed. When Pei Xing was almost stiff and paralyzed, a loud cry suddenly came from the delivery room.
Pei Xingzhi's pupils suddenly shrank. He was about to take a step forward when a numb feeling in his feet reached his brain. He quickly held onto the wall to avoid falling.
"It's born."
The man next to him shouted in surprise. The girls next to him were huddled together in the chairs and taking a nap. When they heard their father's voice, they got up in surprise and said, "Mom has given birth. Is my little brother out?"
Pei Xingzhi ignored the other party.
The next second, the delivery room on Pei Xingzhi's side was opened, and a nurse came out hurriedly, "Give me the quilt."
Pei Xingzhi quickly took out the small blanket he had prepared in advance from his bag, handed it to the nurse, and asked, "How is my wife?"
The nurse was stunned. It was the first time she heard someone ask about the pregnant woman instead of the child. "Very good, she's still awake." After that, the door of the delivery room was closed again.
Pei Xingzhi let out a long breath and came back to life.
The family next door was a little embarrassed, thinking that it was their wife who had given birth, but it turned out to be the one across the street.
After a while, the door of the delivery room opened and Meng Wanqiu was pushed out first. The child was held by the nurse and was still crying loudly.
At this time, Meng Wanqiu's face was pale, and her hair was wet with sweat. She saw Pei Xingzhi and said with a smile, "Our Xixi is here."
Pei Xingzhi also smiled, and his eyes turned red as he smiled. He leaned over and kissed Meng Wanqiu on the forehead. "Okay, I get it. You've worked hard. Go to sleep."
"Also, I love you."
Meng Wanqiu's eyes were particularly bright, "Me too."
After she finished speaking, she was overwhelmed by fatigue and fell into a deep sleep.
Pei Xingzhi wiped the sweat from her forehead before thanking the medical staff, "Thank you all for your hard work."
In this era, doctors and nurses in the delivery room have seen a lot of cases of favoring boys over girls. Some even scold the doctors and beat the nurses when they hear that the baby is a girl.
After seeing Pei Xingzhi today, the doctors and nurses felt purified.
"You're welcome. This is our job. The pregnant woman has a good constitution and didn't suffer much, but I still recommend that she be hospitalized for observation for two days." The doctor rolled his glasses and shook hands with Pei Xingzhi.
If it were someone else, he would never make such a suggestion, because those people would not listen at all and would even accuse him of meddling in other people's business.
Pei Xingzhi nodded solemnly, "Thank you, we will pay attention to it."
The doctor smiled and nodded, "If you need anything, just let the nurse come to me."
Pei Xingzhi thanked her again, then pushed Meng Wanqiu back to the ward before taking the still crying Pei Jingxi from the nurse.
Pei Xingzhi was a small, soft ball, and his movements were a little stiff. The nurse smiled and helped him adjust. "The child is growing well. It's because you and the pregnant woman are a little taller. She will definitely be a beautiful little girl in the future."
Pei Xingzhi looked down at the little guy in his arms. He had black hair and snow-white skin. Although his eyes were still closed, he could still see that his eyes were big, his nose was small and straight, and his lips were red, like a ripe tomato.
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