Chapter 140
In the dead of night, Gu Xi was awakened by the pain of leg cramps.
The moment she moved, the man beside her sat up alertly and reached out to gently massage her leg to relieve the pain from the cramp.
The grievance that had just welled up in my heart dissipated just like that.
As the pain gradually subsided, Gu Xi sat up.
"What's wrong?" Shen Mingzheng helped her up. "Do you need to go to the restroom?"
There were many symptoms in the later stages of pregnancy. In addition to leg cramps, she had to go to the toilet frequently at night. As her belly grew bigger, he was worried and wanted to help her go, afraid that she might fall while she was still sleepy and couldn't see the road clearly.
Gu Xi went to the restroom, and when she came back, she said, "Big brother, I want to drink some water."
Shen Mingzheng picked up the thermos on the table, poured half a cup of warm water, watched her drink it, and then carefully helped her lie down.
After all that commotion, both of them were now fully awake.
Gu Xi checked the time and found that there were still two hours before the reveille, so she urged, "Big brother, you should sleep a little longer."
After all this commotion day after day, she was really worried that his lack of sleep would lead to premature aging.
Shen Mingzheng lay down beside her, hugging her from behind, but not daring to hold her too tightly for fear of pressing on her stomach, and said, "Sleep, don't worry about me."
Her pregnancy was more difficult than her own.
The various symptoms of pregnancy were taking a toll on her; she couldn't sleep well at night and could only catch up on sleep during the day. He saw all this and naturally felt sorry for her. Fortunately, over the past six months, his superiors had been understanding and reduced some of his long-term assignments, allowing him to stay with her at the military base as much as possible.
"How could I not worry?" Gu Xi muttered. "With all this commotion every day, you look several years older after just over half a year."
As she said this, she slowly turned over to face him and reached out to touch his face.
While it's not a big deal for a man to be a little rough around the edges, it's still quite heartbreaking to see a handsome guy aged several years due to all the rough treatment.
Gu Xi said worriedly, "You're seven years older than me, and you're still doing all this. What if I still look young and beautiful when I stand next to you with the kids, and people think we're three generations of the same family?"
Shen Mingzheng: "..." Does he look that old?
Shen Mingzheng was so annoyed by her phrase "three generations of grandparents and grandchildren" that he refused to admit he was that old.
"Don't overthink it, go to sleep." He touched her prominent belly. "The baby needs to sleep too."
In the darkness, Gu Xi smiled, gave him a comforting kiss, and said, "But you don't need to worry. The baby will be born soon, and then you'll be free." Thinking of something, she added, "But I heard that the baby will be very troublesome after birth, and the parents will rarely get a full night's sleep. I might be the one who gets old in the end."
Shen Mingzheng said, "It's okay, I'll grow old with you."
"No way, I want to stay beautiful and young forever, and not get old so quickly."
"...Then let's grow old slowly."
"That's more like it."
The two chatted for a while, then Gu Xi yawned and quickly fell asleep.
Shen Mingzheng also closed his eyes, taking a nap before the reveille sounded.
**
The pregnancy process was indeed very difficult, but because she had her family by her side and many people in the family compound who cared about her, Gu Xi's emotions remained stable.
Of course, sometimes she would get angry and throw a tantrum at Shen Mingzheng, but most of the time she seemed very gentle.
As her due date approached, Shen Mingzheng and Xu Yuansheng were on high alert, watching her closely and ready to take her to the clinic immediately if they noticed anything amiss.
Under the guidance of Qiao Hui and Ji Ya, Xu Yuansheng also packed a production kit so that he wouldn't have to rush around preparing when the time came.
However, more than anything else, Gu Xi was concerned about when Feng Min would arrive.
On this day, Shen Mingzheng returned and told her, "Mom has already bought the train ticket and will be coming over in a couple of days."
"real?"
Gu Xi stood up happily, which startled Xu Yuansheng, who quickly supported her and looked at her big belly with fear.
In fact, Gu Xi's belly wasn't that big, about the same as a normal pregnant woman's. It was just that her figure was quite slender, which made her pregnant belly appear larger.
Perhaps it was her natural beauty, but after Gu Xi became pregnant, only her belly changed, and the rest of her body didn't change much.
Her face was still the same, just a little fuller, looking like baby fat, soft and even easier to pinch. Her limbs were still slender, her legs weren't swollen, and even her skin hadn't changed much. Her belly was still white, without any blemishes or melanin deposits.
Many women in the family compound envied her good skin and concluded that Gu Xi was having a daughter.
There's a saying that "the less attractive the mother is during pregnancy, the more likely she is to give birth to a son, likely due to the influence of male hormones." Conversely, if the mother is beautiful during pregnancy, she's more likely to give birth to a daughter. Take Qiao Hui, for example; her pregnancy didn't seem to affect her appearance at all, and she remained beautiful with fair and smooth skin.
Gu Xi was skeptical of this claim, finding it unscientific, but she also considered the possibility of the child being a daughter…
She asked Shen Mingzheng, "Brother, do you like daughters?"
"I like it." Shen Mingzheng nodded. "My daughter will definitely look like you." Daughters are most beautiful when they resemble their mothers. Just imagining it makes him happy.
Gu Xi thought it was great to have a daughter. She liked girls and could dress her up beautifully and raise her like a little princess.
But the thought of my daughter getting married in the future makes me feel a little reluctant.
Of course, even if a son marries, he may not necessarily live with his parents; in other words, the son will also "marry out."
When he heard her say that, Shen Mingzheng was speechless.
Whether it's a son or a daughter, they will leave their parents when they grow up; this is an inevitable part of a child's growth.
Gu Xi concluded, "So, it doesn't really matter whether it's a son or a daughter."
Seeing that she wasn't fixated on having a son or a daughter, Shen Mingzheng felt somewhat relieved.
Pregnant women are very sensitive. What if the baby is born and the gender doesn't meet her expectations, and she feels upset? It would be best if she could accept it.
**
Upon learning that Feng Min had arrived at the military base by train, Gu Xi, heavily pregnant, would stand at the entrance of the family compound every day, gazing into the distance.
Shen Mingzheng said helplessly, "Mom is still on the train. You won't be able to wait for her here."
"I know," Gu Xi said dismissively. "That doesn't stop me from coming out to wait for her. I'll just treat it as a walk. My sister-in-law said I'm about to give birth and I need to get some exercise every day."
But before Feng Min arrived at the army base, Gu Xi gave birth.
While eating dinner, she felt something was wrong with her lower body. She put down her chopsticks, went to the toilet, and found that her underwear was wet.
My water broke.
Upon learning this, Xu Yuansheng nearly spilled her bowl, and Shen Mingzheng also picked her up with a tense expression.
Gu Xi seemed a bit lost. After thinking of something, she asked hesitantly, "My water just broke and not much has leaked yet, so I shouldn't give birth too quickly. Should I wait for Mom to come before I give birth?"
Shen Mingzheng: "..."
Xu Yuansheng: "..."
"Big sister, what did you say?!" Xu Yuansheng raised her voice, "Can this kind of thing wait? Brother-in-law, take her to the clinic right away, I'll pack my things and go there."
Shen Mingzheng was a little stunned as this was the first time he had encountered something like this. Upon hearing her words, he immediately picked her up and carried her out without saying a word.
It was still early, and many people on the road saw him carrying someone to the clinic, so they knew that Gu Xi was about to give birth.
Many enthusiastic military wives rushed over to comfort Gu Xi, telling her not to be nervous. When they learned that her water had just broken, they told her that this was her first pregnancy and that it would probably be some time before she gave birth. They also asked her if she had eaten.
"I just ate a little," Gu Xi said, rubbing her stomach with one hand. "I'm still not full."
"You need to eat your fill first, otherwise you won't have the strength to give birth."
Someone else asked, "Gu Xi, does it hurt now?"
"It doesn't hurt, I don't feel anything."
"That's right, it usually doesn't hurt much when the amniotic sac first breaks, but it will start to hurt once the cervix dilates."
When will the cervix open?
"That... depends on the time."
They walked and talked all the way until they finally arrived at the health station.
When the nurses at the health station saw this, they quickly made arrangements for Shen Mingzheng to carry the woman to the ward so that the doctor could examine her and confirm that her water had broken. They then told her to stay at the health station that night.
Then Xu Yuansheng also hurriedly came over, carrying the things he had prepared in advance.
Qiao Hui also came along. She went into the ward to keep Gu Xi company and held her hand to comfort her.
Xu Yuansheng had little experience with childbirth, so he followed instructions. After putting his things away, he rushed home, packed some food, and brought it over so that Gu Xi could continue eating.
Gu Xi was in good spirits and finished her meal before waiting.
A little later, Ji Ya and Gu Yuanyang also arrived with Gu Tuantuan.
Seeing Gu Xi lying on the bed, who was otherwise alright except for being a little pale, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"When did the doctor say you'd give birth?" Gu Yuanyang asked with concern.
Shen Mingzheng, sitting next to Gu Xi, was peeling fruit for her and said, "I don't know, we'll have to wait until the cervix opens."
The doctor also said that in this situation, you just have to wait.
Gu Tuantuan leaned against the bedside and asked, "Auntie, is my little sister finally coming?"
She had also overheard some of the older residents in the family compound talking about how her aunt was still so beautiful even after getting pregnant, and that this baby must be a girl.
The child lacked the ability to distinguish, so she believed it and thought that the baby in her aunt's belly was her little sister. She even had a plan on how she would take care of her little sister after she was born.
Gu Xi smiled at her, "Yes, maybe my sister will come after Tuantuan gets up tomorrow."
Gu Tuantuan said, "Then I'll stay here tonight to keep Auntie company until my little sister is born?"
"That won't do. There's no bed for you to sleep in here. You have to go home to sleep."
It was already getting dark. Since they weren't sure when Gu Xi would give birth, the women in the family compound left first, saying they would come to see Gu Xi again tomorrow.
Ji Ya and Gu Yuanyang stayed to keep them company.
It was getting late, so Ji Ya told Gu Yuanyang to take the child home to bathe and go to bed, while she stayed behind to watch over them. As a doctor, she could help in case of any unexpected problems, and with her there, Gu Xi felt more at ease.
Around 10 p.m., Gu Xi finally started to feel pain and was taken to the delivery room.
Outside the delivery room, Shen Mingzheng, Xu Yuansheng, and Ji Ya waited anxiously for news.
Soon after, Gu Yuanyang, who had just put his daughter to sleep, also rushed over and joined the anxious wait.
Hearing intermittent noises coming from inside, the people outside were extremely nervous.
The two men, in particular, looked extremely grim, as if they were the ones who had given birth.
Xu Yuansheng was extremely anxious and turned to ask, "Sister-in-law, how long did it take you to give birth to Tuantuan?"
"Not long after," replied Gu Yuanyang, who knew the whole story. "It seems like Tuantuan was born about three hours after she was taken in."
"Three hours?" Xu Yuansheng looked down at his watch. "My older sister has only been inside for an hour, so we'll have to wait another two hours."
Ji Ya said, "Everyone's physical condition is different, so the time it takes to give birth is also different; some are faster and some are slower."
We cannot use the time of her delivery as a standard.
Xu Yuansheng became anxious again, "How long will it take? Will my sister be in a lot of pain?" Just listening to the sounds inside made her lose her composure.
Seeing that she was sweating profusely with anxiety, Ji Ya comforted her, "Don't worry, Xixi is young and has taken good care of herself since she got pregnant. Nothing will happen." Thinking that Xu Yuansheng was not yet married, it would be bad if he was frightened by the fact that a woman was giving birth. So she suggested, "We'll stay here and wait for the baby to come out. You can go back and rest first, and come back tomorrow to relieve Commander Shen. Also, make some soup for Xixi."
Xu Yuansheng shook his head, "No, I have to stay here, and I won't be able to sleep if I go back."
Her sister is giving birth inside; how can she possibly sleep at a time like this?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
