Lu Lin took the jacket, carefully handed Chenchen to Gu Mingyue, and then went to the restroom to change his clothes.
When he returned, Chenchen was already asleep in Gu Mingyue's arms, with a little milk stain on the corner of her mouth.
Lu Lin leaned over and gently touched Chenchen's cheek, whispering, "Next time you spit up milk, you can't spit it on Daddy, or Daddy will punish you by making you lie down by yourself."
When the doctor came in for rounds, he brought in the medical record and said to Lu Lin with a smile, "You recovered well after the natural birth, so there's no need to stay in the hospital for observation. Resting at home is the same as in the hospital. Just be careful not to let the mother get too tired."
Lu Lin wanted his wife to stay a few more days to observe her further.
The doctor smiled and said, "Don't worry, the mother is young and healthy. She can rest at home just as well. Staying in the hospital won't serve any purpose. Besides, you live close to the hospital, so you can come over anytime if there are any problems."
"Let's discuss it then."
After the doctor left, Lu Lin asked Gu Mingyue for her opinion. He definitely wanted his wife to stay in the hospital for a few more days, as childbirth is a very important process for the body's energy and blood. Staying in the hospital would make him feel more at ease.
Gu Mingyue blinked, her gaze passing over Lu Lin's shoulder and landing on the baby sleeping soundly in the crib.
The little guy's brows were still furrowed, as if he were clenching his little fists and struggling even in his dream.
She chuckled softly, her voice still a little hoarse: "I want to go home."
She thought about it and realized that what the doctor said made sense. Staying in the hospital meant there were more germs and it wasn't good for recovery. The environment was noisy with people coming and going, and it wasn't as peaceful as her own little courtyard.
I once heard someone say that when someone was harvesting wheat in the field, they suddenly went into labor. They found a clean cloth, laid it on the edge of the field, and the baby was born.
It would be unthinkable in later generations, but in this era, it is commonplace. As she thought about it, she felt a sense of admiration for the resilience of women in the old days.
Lu Lin reached out and ruffled her hair, his touch as gentle as if he were touching a fragile treasure: "Okay, let's go home then. I'll go apply for a car right away."
Deciding to go home, the family didn't hesitate any longer and started packing.
Zhong Yuxiu neatly folded Chenchen's clothes and diapers and stuffed them into the cloth bag.
Lu Wanwan also came to help after receiving the news.
Lu Lin, clutching the letter of introduction from the military, hurried off to borrow a car.
After he parked the car at the hospital entrance, he carefully carried Gu Mingyue into the back seat, then took Chenchen from Zhong Yuxiu's arms and wrapped her tightly in his military overcoat, leaving only the pom-pom on her tiger-head hat showing.
"Drive slowly, don't bump Mingyue and the child," Zhong Yuxiu, sitting in the passenger seat, repeatedly reminded them.
Lu Wanwan sat beside him, holding a cloth bag, glancing back at Chenchen every now and then, afraid that the little guy would be blown by the wind.
As soon as the jeep stopped at the gate of the yard, the neighbors gathered around.
"You're back." Aunt Qin was the first to greet her, reaching out to help Lu Wanwan with her cloth bag, her eyes fixed on the car.
Zhong Yuxiu smiled and nodded, taking Chenchen from Lu Lin's arms and carefully lifting a corner of the military coat wrapped around her: "Look at this child, she slept so soundly the whole way, without making a fuss at all."
"Oh my, what a round little face, so cute!" The neighbors gathered around.
Yangyang stood on tiptoe and asked softly, "Auntie, when can Chenchen play with me? I'll give him my doll."
Lu Lin carried Gu Mingyue out of the car and carefully helped her walk into the yard, smiling as he replied, "When he's a little older, you can let him play with you."
Lu Wanwan and He Xiao were busy unloading things from the car, and the neighbors also helped out, passing things to each other, and the courtyard instantly became lively.
After helping to move the things down and giving a few more careful instructions, the relatives and friends tactfully dispersed one after another.
Qin Hongmei was the last to leave, and she even turned back to call into the house, "Mingyue, rest assured, I'll bring you the stewed pigeon soup later."
Lu Lin closed the door and turned around to see Gu Mingyue sitting on the bed gently patting the baby.
The little one had been startled by the voices in the living room several times, but now nestled in his mother's arms, his little head swayed gently with the rhythm of her patting, and finally he closed his eyes with a soft hum.
"Are they all gone?" Gu Mingyue asked, looking up, her voice as soft as if afraid of waking the child in her arms.
Lu Lin walked over and squatted down at her feet, touching the baby's soft hair with his fingertips: "Let's go. Everyone knows that babies are small and can't handle much fuss. We said we'll come back as a group to 'visit' once the baby has settled into home."
He paused, then reached out to help Gu Mingyue straighten her shawl, which had slipped down. "Go back to your bedroom and lie down. I'll open the living room window a crack to let in some fresh air, and then reheat the brown sugar millet porridge that Mom just brought over."
Lu Lin walked into the kitchen, placed the casserole on the gas stove, and slowly heated it over a low flame.
The millet grains in the porridge absorbed the broth and gently tumbled in the clay pot, while the sweet aroma of brown sugar wafted out through the gaps in the lid.
He would occasionally lift the lid and stir the porridge, worried that the bottom would burn. He also found a shallow bowl, thinking that it would cool down faster when he ladled it out, making it easier for Gu Mingyue to drink.
Gu Mingyue had just put the baby into the crib when she heard a "clatter" from the kitchen. It was Zhong Yuxiu moving a metal bucket filled with coal.
She peered over and saw her mother-in-law bending down to stack pieces of shiny black coal briquettes into the cast iron furnace.
"Mom, let me help you?" Gu Mingyue had just sat up straight when Zhong Yuxiu waved her hand to stop her: "You should go back to your room and rest. You're still weak after giving birth, so you can't be exposed to this chilly wind."
As she spoke, she added a chopped piece of firewood to the stove. The flames leaped up along the grain of the firewood, quickly turning the coal briquettes slightly red.
Lu Lin brought over the cooled millet porridge and happened to see this scene. He quickly put down the bowl and took the stove hook from his mother-in-law's hand: "Mom, let me tend the fire. You go sit down and rest for a while."
He gently poked at the coal briquettes in the stove with the stove hook, making the flames burn brighter.
Before long, the outer shell of the cast iron stove gradually heated up, and the air in the kitchen warmed up as well.
Zhong Yuxiu wiped her hands, walked to the living room, touched the radiator, and said to Gu Mingyue with a smile, "Once the stove is fully heated, this room won't be cold anymore. When the heat comes up, the child won't need to wrap himself in such a thick blanket to sleep."
I had just finished a bowl of porridge when drowsiness washed over me like a tidal wave.
She leaned back on the sofa, her eyelids so heavy she could barely lift them, and she didn't even have the strength to accept the warm water Lu Lin offered her.
The physical strength depleted during childbirth hasn't been replenished yet, and now that I'm relaxing a little, all the fatigue in my body is coming back to surface.
"Go back to your room and get some sleep if you're tired." Lu Lin reached out and held her arm, his voice very soft. "I'll bring the baby to your side, so you can sleep soundly. I'll call you if you need anything."
As he spoke, he carefully picked up the baby from the crib. The little one was still asleep, his little mouth occasionally pursing, as if he were nursing in his dream.
As soon as Gu Mingyue touched the soft bedding, she closed her eyes completely.
Lu Lin covered her with a thin blanket, then placed the baby in the crib beside her, and gently pulled the gauze curtain by the bed, leaving only a gap for ventilation.
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