Seeing the heartache in Zhong Yuxiu's eyes, Gu Mingyue felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She shook her head and said, "Mom, I'm not wronged. Lu Lin is a soldier. He has to go to protect the country. I understand him. Besides, I have you, Wanwan, and the neighbors in the courtyard to help me. I'm not alone at all."
Hearing this, Zhong Yuxiu smiled and patted her hand: "I'm relieved that you think this way. With me here, you don't have to do anything. Just wait for the baby to be born. Xiao Lin is outside, so we'll just stay home and live our lives well until he comes back."
Gu Mingyue leaned back in her chair, listening to Zhong Yuxiu's rambling explanation of postpartum care precautions. She felt that with her mother-in-law by her side, with this understanding and comfort, even though Lu Lin was temporarily away, the days ahead were filled with a reassuring warmth.
After Zhong Yuxiu arrived, she arranged Gu Mingyue's days perfectly and accompanied her to the hospital for check-ups every few days.
The doctor said the fetus was in the correct position and developing well, which reassured Zhong Yuxiu even more.
On market days, he would help her go to town to buy some soft fabric to make clothes for the child, and bring back some fresh fruit to whet her appetite.
Time flies, and before I knew it, my due date was approaching.
Gu Mingyue grew increasingly nervous and couldn't sleep soundly at night.
This was her first time giving birth, and she was both excited and scared. Sometimes, when she touched her hardening belly, she would suddenly sit up, pull Zhong Yuxiu aside, and ask, "Mom, is childbirth very painful? What if I can't give birth?"
Zhong Yuxiu always held her hand and comforted her: "Don't be afraid, every woman has to go through this when giving birth. I'm here, and the doctor will help."
One morning, Gu Mingyue felt a slight tightening in her stomach and thought she was about to go into labor, so she hurriedly called Zhong Yuxiu.
The mother and daughter hurriedly packed their hospital bag and were about to go to the hospital when the pain in their stomachs stopped. After the doctor examined them, he said it was just Braxton Hicks contractions and told them to go home and wait.
Gu Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief, but a sense of anxiety also arose in her heart, as she hoped the baby would be born soon.
Unexpectedly, before she even gave birth, news came that Luo Haiping had given birth.
Twins are due earlier than singletons, but she suddenly went into labor in the early morning and was rushed to the hospital, where she gave birth that morning.
When Gu Mingyue heard this, she felt uneasy. The elders said that it was unlucky for a pregnant woman who hadn't given birth to visit someone who had just given birth, so she didn't go to the hospital and just waited for news in the courtyard.
In the evening, Zhong Yuxiu returned from the hospital. As soon as she entered the door, she said with a smile, "Haiping gave birth to two sons. They are chubby and their little arms and legs kick very strongly. Their cries are also loud. They look very strong."
Gu Mingyue listened with envy in her eyes, her hand unconsciously touching her pregnant belly: "That's wonderful, I wonder when our baby will finally come out."
As soon as she finished speaking, she thought of Lu Lin again, and her tone lowered: "I don't know when Lu Lin will be able to come back. What a pity it would be if he wasn't there when the child was born."
Zhong Yuxiu patted her shoulder and sighed, "Don't worry, Xiao Lin is definitely thinking about you and the baby. He'll come back as soon as the mission is over. Let's relax and wait for the baby to be born, and also wait for him to come back."
At night, Gu Mingyue leaned against the headboard, touching the baby in her belly that occasionally moved, feeling both anticipation and worry.
In the middle of the night, Gu Mingyue was half asleep when she suddenly felt a sharp, dragging pain in her abdomen, ten times more painful than the previous Braxton Hicks contractions. She couldn't help but cry out, "Mom, my stomach hurts so much..."
Zhong Yuxiu, who was sleeping next to her, woke up immediately upon hearing the noise. She touched Gu Mingyue's forehead and pressed her stomach, then immediately realized, "It's about to start labor. Don't panic, I'll go get someone right away."
She threw on her coat, not even bothering to put on her shoes, and ran out of the yard. Qin Hongmei's house was the closest; she could just push open the door and be there.
"Hongmei, Hongmei, Mingyue is about to give birth, please help me!" Zhong Yuxiu pounded on Qin Hongmei's door, her voice filled with urgency.
The lights in the room came on instantly, and Qin Hongmei ran out in just a thin shirt: "Don't worry, I'll get the bicycle, let's take her to the hospital first."
When the two ran back to the house, Gu Mingyue was gritting her teeth, her forehead covered in cold sweat.
Qin Hongmei quickly helped her sit up, while Zhong Yuxiu picked up the maternity bag that had been packed earlier, and the three of them stumbled out of the hospital.
As soon as they arrived at the door, they saw Lu Wanwan and He Xiao riding up on bicycles, with cotton pads tied to the back seats.
It turned out that when Qin Hongmei came out, Fu Jianguo also came out. Zhong Yuxiu asked him to find He Xiao and Lu Wanwan.
"Sister-in-law, how are you?" Lu Wanwan jumped out of the car, took Gu Mingyue's arm, and looked anxious.
He Xiao took the maternity bag from Zhong Yuxiu and put it in his car: "I'll ride my bike to take my sister-in-law home. You guys follow behind."
In the darkness, He Xiao rode his bicycle, with Lu Wanwan helping Gu Mingyue sit on the back seat, while Zhong Yuxiu and Qin Hongmei followed behind on another bicycle.
Gu Mingyue leaned against Lu Wanwan's chest, too pained to speak, but she could feel the hands of the person beside her tightly protecting her.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctor examined Gu Mingyue and said that her cervix was already dilated, so they quickly moved her into the delivery room.
Zhong Yuxiu and Lu Wanwan stood guard outside the door. Qin Hongmei wanted to stay with them, but Zhong Yuxiu refused. She was already embarrassed to have been woken up in the middle of the night, so she couldn't bear to have her stay with her.
The corridor was dimly lit, but the group's hearts were closely connected, all hoping for the best.
We hope Gu Mingyue can give birth smoothly, and we also hope Lu Lin can come back soon to witness the birth of the child.
The lights in the delivery room were blindingly bright. Gu Mingyue lay on the delivery bed, cold sweat streaming down her face and soaking her pillowcase.
The doctor whispered instructions from the side: "Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and follow my rhythm."
She gritted her teeth and did as instructed, but waves of abdominal pain surged through her, making her involuntarily clench the sheets.
At this moment, she missed Lu Lin terribly.
If he were here, he would definitely hold her hand gently with his warm palms, just like he used to massage her legs.
Just as she was in a daze, she seemed to hear a familiar voice, a little urgent and hoarse, as if calling her name: "Mingyue, Mingyue".
Gu Mingyue thought she was hallucinating from the pain. She struggled to open her heavy eyelids, and through her blurred vision, she seemed to see a figure in military uniform standing at the door of the delivery room, with some dust still on his epaulets.
She blinked, trying to see if it was Lu Lin, but the figure quickly walked over, reached the bedside, and gently took her hand. The warmth of his palm was intense, and the strength was familiar to her. It was Lu Lin.
"I'm back, Mingyue, I'm back." Lu Lin's voice trembled almost imperceptibly.
He had just finished his mission and hadn't even had time to change out of his military uniform before rushing to the hospital.
Seeing Gu Mingyue's face turn pale with pain, he felt heartbroken, but all he could do was hold her hand tightly and gently coax her, following the doctor's rhythm: "Take a deep breath. I'm with you. Let's wait for the baby to come out together."
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