Chapter 60 Wen Xiaoxiao is born
A joyous occasion brought a bright spot to our otherwise somewhat dull lives.
Wenbin and Han Manjuan chose a crisp autumn weekend for their wedding.
Wenbin used his savings from the past few years to buy Han Manjuan a gold ring, a gold necklace, and gold earrings, according to the most popular standards at the time.
The glittering gold jewelry adorned the bride made her smile even more radiant.
Han's parents were very satisfied with the marriage and booked a banquet at a nice restaurant in the county, inviting relatives and friends from both sides.
Although Wenbin had no relatives, many of his pig farm workers came, along with Han's relatives and friends, making the scene quite lively and respectable.
As Wenbin's closest brother and boss, Zhao Fei naturally attended.
He stuffed a thick red envelope into Wenbin's hand, then took out another equally generous red envelope and solemnly placed it in Wenbin's hand: "This is for Xiaoxiao. If she knew you were getting married today, she would be happier than anyone else."
Wenbin held the two heavy red envelopes in his hands, his eyes a little red, and nodded emphatically: "I will definitely find Xiaoxiao and let her see her sister-in-law."
The wedding was simple yet heartwarming.
Wenbin held Han Manjuan's hand, served tea to his father-in-law and mother-in-law, and addressed them as "Dad" and "Mom".
Mr. and Mrs. Han were overjoyed, and they grew to like their hardworking, filial, and sensible new son-in-law more and more.
As agreed, the young couple would live with Han's parents after their marriage, which was considered as him moving into the family. However, Wenbin had no reservations and felt that he had a real and warm home.
On their wedding night, after seeing off the last group of guests who had come to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber, the new room finally quieted down.
Looking at Han Manjuan, who was wearing a red sweater and had a shy expression on her face, Wenbin felt grateful and tender.
He took her hand and sat her down on the edge of the bed, saying earnestly, "Manjuan, there's something I need to tell you beforehand."
"Go ahead and say it," Han Manjuan said, looking up at him.
“My sister Xiaoxiao…you know, she left with two children, and we haven’t heard from her since.”
Wenbin's voice lowered, filled with deep worry.
“She’s my only blood relative in this world. From now on… I might have to take a few days each month to go out and look for her. Even if it’s just wandering around aimlessly, asking around. I’m afraid… if it goes on for too long, you or Mom and Dad will think I’m neglecting my family…”
Han Manjuan listened quietly, then gripped his hand tightly in return.
She had already heard about Wenbin's sister from the matchmaker and his parents, and knew that he had always carried this heavy burden in his heart.
“Wenbin, now that I’ve married you, your family is my family.” Han Manjuan’s voice was gentle. “Xiaoxiao is your sister, so she’s my sister too. She’s all alone outside with a child, so of course we have to worry about her. It’s only right that you go look for her. In the future, when I’m off work, if you go out to look for her, I’ll go with you. More eyes mean more help. Mom and Dad are still healthy at home, so we don’t need to watch over them all the time. Don’t worry.”
Wenbin was overwhelmed with gratitude for his wife's understanding. He pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice choked with emotion, "Manjuan, thank you... thank you..."
In another city, at "Xiaoxiao's Tailor Shop," a different kind of tension and busyness prevails.
Wen Xiaoxiao's due date is in the next few days.
That afternoon, she was using a sewing machine to hem a garment when she suddenly felt waves of tightening and sharp pain in her abdomen, the familiar feeling of uterine contractions.
Having had the experience of giving birth to twins, she immediately knew that she was about to give birth.
She forced herself to remain calm, put down her work, and called out to Liu Shuhua, who was hanging clothes to dry, "Aunt Liu! I think I'm going into labor! Please watch over Yizhen and Bao! I'm going to the hospital."
Upon hearing this, Liu Shuhua rushed in and, seeing the sweat beading on Wen Xiaoxiao's forehead, quickly helped her up: "Can you walk? Do you need to call a car?"
"I can walk." Wen Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and said to Sister Liu, who ran over from next door after hearing the noise, "Sister Liu, I need to trouble you to come to the hospital with me so that Aunt Liu can stay home and take care of the child."
“No problem! Let’s go!” Sister Liu, being a feisty person, immediately took Wen Xiaoxiao’s other arm.
The two hurriedly left the house, hailed a tricycle, and headed straight for the nearest health center.
Because she was a multiparous woman and had a vaginal delivery, the process was painful but relatively smooth.
A few hours later, a loud cry from a newborn broke the silence of the delivery room.
"It's a boy! He weighs six pounds and eight ounces, quite strong!" The nurse handed the baby to the exhausted Wen Xiaoxiao.
Looking at the red, wrinkled little face in her arms, Wen Xiaoxiao felt a mix of emotions.
Regardless of whose child it is, she has already decided that this child will belong only to her from now on.
She had already decided on a name: "Gai" (改).
Minor revisions to the text.
Hopefully, this child can completely change the trajectory of her unfortunate fate and start a brand new life.
On the third day postpartum, after a check-up showed no problems, Wen Xiaoxiao, accompanied by Sister Liu, was discharged from the hospital with her newborn.
Liu Shuhua had cleaned the house spotlessly, and Yizhen and Yibao were curiously looking at their newborn little brother.
During her postpartum period, Liu Shuhua took meticulous care of Wen Xiaoxiao, making soups to promote lactation, washing and massaging her, and looking after her three children, allowing Wen Xiaoxiao to get plenty of rest.
Wen Xiaoxiao's health was ultimately compromised; she didn't produce much breast milk, so Wen Xiaogai had to drink formula most of the time. Fortunately, the child wasn't picky and grew quickly.
After her postpartum confinement period, Wen Xiaoxiao's first priority was to register her child's birth.
She specially chose a day, carrying Wen Xiaogai who was wrapped up tightly, and took a long-distance bus back to the county where her household registration was located.
It was deep winter, and the cold wind was biting.
Wen Xiaoxiao wrapped herself and most of her face in a thick scarf, leaving only her eyes exposed. She also put on a woolen hat and the bulkiest cotton coat, deliberately bending over to make herself look like an ordinary country woman.
Her heart was pounding, and she took each step cautiously, afraid of running into Zhao Fei or Zhao Qingda at the police station or on the street.
Fortunately, the process went surprisingly smoothly.
The staff glanced at her divorce certificate and her child's birth certificate, asked no further questions, and quickly completed the process.
When the name "Wen Xiaogai" appeared under her household head "Wen Xiaoxiao" on the brand-new household registration book, she breathed a long, silent sigh of relief.
Inside the courtyard, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive and heavy each day.
Li Yugu's illness progressed rapidly.
The cough became increasingly severe, often leaving him breathless, and his face became abnormally flushed.
After walking just a few steps, I was panting like a bellows and had to stop and rest for a long time.
He was so thin he was unrecognizable, his eyes were sunken, and his once gray hair was almost completely white, lying messily on his scalp.
Seeing his mother like this, Zhao Qingda felt bad.
With the money he earned from driving his car, besides necessary expenses, he also started to grit his teeth and buy some painkillers for Li Yugu, and occasionally take her to the hospital for injections to relieve her pain.
But his abilities were limited, and there was more he couldn't do.
Wang Juan is now completely tied to her home.
Tie Tou needs constant care; he needs to be fed, drunk, and relieved of all his needs. Li Yugu is also very ill, so Zhao Qingda made it clear that she can no longer accompany him in the car and must stay home to take care of him.
Wang Juan felt a thousand and one unwilling things to do, and her life seemed bleak with no hope for the future.
She transformed all her resentment and bitterness into a crazy obsession with "having another child".
If she can give birth to a healthy son, everything will be different! Zhao Qingda will value her again, she will have a place in the family, and she will have someone to rely on in the future!
So, at night, no matter how tired Zhao Qingda was when he came back from driving his truck, Wang Juan would pester him, using all sorts of methods, even with an almost obsessive eagerness, making endless demands.
She counted the days, treating both herself and Zhao Qingda as tools to complete their "birth quota."
Zhao Qingda initially tried to appease her, but later, exhausted, he roughly pushed her away.
Wang Juan then started crying and making a scene, accusing him of being useless and not wanting to live a good life.
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