Chapter 83
Meng Yuxiu knew that Han Shuo's water had broken. He had studied physiology, and his mother had reminded him many times that Han Shuo's due date was approaching and that he should be careful.
But those were all theoretical knowledge; witnessing it firsthand was a first for him, so he was momentarily stunned.
However, it only lasted two seconds. Two seconds later, he almost jumped out of bed.
Han Shuo was still lost in his dream. He weakly propped himself up on the bed to look down at his lower body, but his belly was too big, and it was extremely difficult for him to get up.
Seeing Meng Yuxiu get up so dramatically, he asked, "What's wrong with me?"
Meng Yuxiu got off the ground and frantically supported Han Shuo's back, saying, "Han Shuo, you, you don't move, you lie down first, you, it seems like your water broke..."
"Huh?" Now it was Han Shuo's turn to be confused. He touched his belly and frowned, "Wait... it's really February 1st already??? I remember I just had my prenatal checkup yesterday?"
Before Meng Yuxiu could speak to him, he gently patted Han Shuo's arm with trembling hands to comfort him, then rushed out of the room like a gust of wind, shouting as he ran, "Dad! Mom!"
"Dad! Mom!"
In the dead of night, Mencius' parents were awakened by a knock on the door.
"Mom and Dad, Han Shuo's water broke!"
Hearing their son's voice, Meng's parents quickly turned on the light and got out of bed, then opened the bedroom door. None of the family had time to get dressed, only wearing their thermal underwear, and Meng Yuxiu had even put his slippers on backwards.
"Has her water broken?" Mencius' mother asked her son anxiously as she walked. "It's only the 22nd today."
Meng's parents went to the young couple's room. Compared to the panic of Meng's parents and Meng Yuxiu, Han Shuo was still leaning on the pillow, bewildered.
It wasn't until Meng's mother lifted the blanket and peeked at him that she said, "Oh dear, Xiao Shuo, your water really has broken! Quick, we have to go to the hospital right away."
Han Shuo then realized that he was going to give birth today, and his mind went completely blank.
He asked, "Now?"
Meng's mother thought he was just terrified, so she comforted him, "Xiao Shuo, don't be afraid, we'll be fine once we go to the hospital."
As she spoke, she called over Meng Yuxiu: "Xiaoxiu, hurry up and help Xiaoshuo put on his clothes, but don't put on his pants. His water has broken, so try not to let him move around too much."
The eighteen-year-old boy nodded repeatedly under his mother's admonition.
“Then I’ll go call a car!” said Meng’s father.
Mencius' mother: "Alright, alright, go quickly!"
Next, Han Shuo felt like the family of three was in a battle. Meng's father ran out of the room to call a car, and Meng's mother, seeing he was only wearing thermal underwear, reminded him, "Hey, hey, put your clothes on before you go out!"
Mencius' father: "Alright!"
Meng's mother hurriedly took out the baby's items she had prepared in advance from the closet in the young couple's room. While anxiously thinking about what else she needed to prepare, she reminded Meng Yuxiu, who was busy dressing Han Shuo, "I told you, don't let Xiao Shuo sit up. If too much amniotic fluid leaks out, the baby will have a hard delivery!"
"Okay!"
Han Shuo felt like a paralyzed person, being pulled up by Meng Yuxiu one moment and pressed back onto the bed the next.
Then Meng Yuxiu lifted his head and put on a sweater, and then grabbed his arm and put on the sleeve.
Han Shuo was still confused. He asked Meng Yuxiu, "They're going to the hospital already?"
Meng Yuxiu was too busy to look up, and probably didn't even hear Han Shuo's words clearly. He just kept nodding and replying, "Mm!"
The tractor sputtered downstairs. Meng's mother rushed to the window, and when she turned back, she urged Meng Yuxiu, "Hurry, your father has called a car."
"Okay." Meng Yuxiu had already helped Han Shuo put on his cotton-padded coat and cotton socks.
Just as Meng's mother was about to take the bag containing the child's belongings out, she suddenly turned back. In her nervousness, she even mixed up the names. In fact, she had given birth to Meng Yuxiu herself, but that was many years ago. When it came to her daughter-in-law, she, as the mother-in-law, was inevitably flustered.
"Oh dear, Xiao Xiu's pants... Oh, and Xiao Shuo must be cold if he doesn't wear them outside. Xiao Xiu, take that towel blanket out of the closet and wrap it around him!"
Meng Yuxiu hurriedly rummaged through the wardrobe, found a towel blanket, and wrapped it tightly around Han Shuo's lower body.
"Mom has to go get the money now! Oh, and hurry up, put on your clothes!" After saying that, Meng's mother hurriedly left the room.
Meng Yuxiu grabbed his clothes and pants from the bed and quickly put them on. This was the only time in his life he had dressed so quickly; the first time was when Han Hong caught him in bed with another woman.
He glanced at Han Shuo every now and then while he was getting dressed.
"Don't be afraid."
"Uh..." Han Shuo felt that Meng Yuxiu's serious expression made it seem as if he was the one giving birth.
Meng's father ran upstairs and into the room. He waved to Meng Yuxiu, "Quick, the tractor has arrived, let's go downstairs right away."
Meng's mother followed him into the room, carrying large and small bags, and said, "Take Xiao Shuo downstairs."
Meng Yuxiu immediately reached under Han Shuo's legs and scooped him up in his arms. Actually, he had no problem carrying Han Shuo normally, even though Han Shuo was 1.8 meters tall. It wasn't like he hadn't carried Han Shuo while doing certain things.
But things were different now. He was already flustered, and after picking up Han Shuo, he realized that not only were his legs weak, but his arms were also weak. So, he and Han Shuo were about to fall onto the bed.
"Holy crap!" Han Shuo was so shocked that his stomach twitched.
Upon seeing this, Meng's father exclaimed, "Hey! What's wrong with you? You can't even hold a person properly?"
Fortunately, Meng Yuxiu acted quickly enough to prevent Han Shuo from falling. Then, surrounded by his parents, he carried Han Shuo downstairs.
The door was wide open, and a gust of cold wind jolted Han Shuo awake.
During the day, while at the market, Han Hong said that with the New Year approaching, they needed to clean the house, so he took Han Ting back to Xiaoshi Village. Han Shuo's heart sank immediately, and he hurriedly asked Meng Yuxiu, "What time is it now?!"
Meng Yuxiu was holding him so he couldn't free his hands.
Han Shuo asked loudly again, "What time is it now?!"
Meng Yuxiu: "Dad, what time is it?"
"Oh, oh." Mr. Meng quickly raised his wrist to check the time, "It's 2:30 a.m.
Han Shuo asked his mother, "Mom, when will I give birth?"
Mencius' mother said, "How could I possibly know? But your water has broken, so you definitely need to give birth quickly."
Han Shuo's head buzzed, and his heart pounded wildly. His throat tightened, and his mind raced.
It takes an hour to drive there from Xiaoshi Village to Baishan Town by tractor, and another hour to drive back. If he gives birth within two hours, he won't even be able to see Han Hong and Han Ting one last time.
"Teacher Meng."
"Hey, Mr. Wang, could you please make a trip to the hospital for us?"
“What’s the trouble? It’s just a few steps from the town.”
Mr. Wang, the tractor driver in the village, has already started cranking the tractor.
The village's tractors are usually used to carry passengers for business, but since winter is here, they have also been fitted with rain shelters to protect them from the wind and rain.
Meng's father and mother climbed onto the tractor first. After they took Han Shuo from Meng Yuxiu, Meng Yuxiu also nimbly climbed up and then hugged Han Shuo to his chest.
The tractor sputtered to life and drove out of the village.
Han Shuo grabbed Meng Yuxiu's wrist tightly and said urgently, "We have to go call my brother right away!"
Meng Yuxiu understood what Han Shuo meant: "I know, I know."
Then he said to Meng's father, "Dad, could you ask Uncle Wang to pick up my brother?"
Meng's father said to Han Shuo, "Don't worry, Xiao Shuo. After we get you to the hospital, Dad will go with Master Wang to Xiaoshi Village to pick up your brother."
Han Shuo nodded vigorously, but just as he was about to relax, he brought it up again, "And Tingting! Tingting and my brother both have to come!"
Meng's mother patted Han Shuo's hand, "Xiao Shuo, don't say anything. You can trust your father. You should rest now and save your energy."
Xiqiao Village was the closest village to Baishan Town, so the tractor only took ten minutes to reach the town's health center. Han Shuo didn't feel anything while on the tractor; he even wondered if he was really going to give birth today.
But after getting off the tractor, he felt a slight pain in his stomach.
Meng's father went to call the doctor, and when the doctor heard that the water had broken, he quickly told Meng Yuxiu to carry Han Shuo into the ward for observation.
When Han Shuo was held in Meng Yuxiu's arms, he turned his head and shouted to Meng's father, "Dad! Go and call my brother! And Tingting too!"
Mencius' mother quickly nudged Mencius' father's arm, urging, "Go quickly, go quickly."
"Yes, yes," Meng's father hurriedly said, "Dad will go right now!"
Meng's father hurriedly pulled Mr. Wang, the tractor driver, away.
The town's health center was unusually quiet at night, with Han Shuo lying alone in the six-bed ward.
The doctor who examined Han Shuo was an elderly man. He lifted the blanket, peeked at the patient, and then probed with his finger.
Han Shuo's vision went black instantly.
Damn! He never imagined in his life that one day, besides Meng Yuxiu, a second person would touch his butt.
But at this point, he could only grit his teeth, close his eyes, and pretend that he had hemorrhoids.
After the doctor finished the examination, he told Meng's mother that he would come to check on Han Shuo every now and then, and asked the family to get him some food to replenish his strength.
Mencius' mother nodded repeatedly, then followed the doctor out.
She secretly took a red envelope out of her pocket and slipped it into the doctor's pocket, saying, "Doctor, thank you for your hard work."
She pointed to the ward, "My son Xiaoshuo is still young, he doesn't quite understand, could you please explain to him how to give birth..."
Doctor: "Don't worry."
"Thank you."
Han Shuo's contractions became more and more frequent. He was in so much pain that his head kept bobbing back and forth on the pillow. For a moment, he felt as if his intestines were being twisted by the commotion in his stomach.
"Holy crap..."
"Does it hurt a lot?" Meng Yuxiu looked at the large beads of sweat rolling down Han Shuo's forehead, but was powerless to help.
He could only follow the doctor's instructions, frantically rubbing Han Shuo's legs and gently massaging his stomach to try and distract him from the pain.
Han Shuo's eyes were tightly shut, tears welling up in the corners. The pain was unbearable; he gripped Meng Yuxiu's arm, which was rubbing his stomach, and cried out, "Damn it! It hurts so much!!!"
Meng Yuxiu's skin was wrinkled from Han Shuo's pinching, but he could only grit his teeth and endure it, saying, "Just hold on a little longer, I'll be able to give birth soon."
Upon hearing the word "life," Han Shuo strained to open his eyes again, panting heavily as he asked Meng Yuxiu, "What time is it? Why isn't my brother here yet?"
Meng Yuxiu quickly glanced at his watch. "It's three o'clock, almost there."
Upon hearing this, Han Shuo collapsed onto his pillow in despair, wailing, "Hurry my ass! Dad's still on his way! Ah... I'm in so much pain..."
Hearing Han Shuo's painful howls, Meng Yuxiu's hands were practically scorching from rubbing Han Shuo's legs. "Let me rub it for you, I'll be there soon..."
"Ugh—" Han Shuo was devastated. He had lived for over twenty years and never imagined that he, who was full of energy, would one day be twisted into a maggot on a hospital bed because of childbirth.
Meng Yuxiu felt both distressed and anxious. When his wife was about to give birth and her stomach started to hurt, it seemed that no man, whether he was eighteen or twenty-eight, would turn to his elderly mother for help.
"Mom!" Meng Yuxiu was no exception. He turned around and called out to his mother, who was talking to the doctor in the corridor outside the door.
Mencius' mother hurriedly entered the ward.
"Mom, Han Shuo is in so much pain, what should we do?"
Meng's mother went to the bedside and wiped Han Shuo's sweat. She said with heartache, "Little Shuo, Mom knows you've suffered."
However, apart from helping her son massage Han Shuo's legs, she was helpless.
A little while later, the doctor came in to examine him again. After the examination, he smiled and said to Han Shuoshuo, "I didn't expect you to drive so fast. You're a really healthy young man."
He then said to Meng Yuxiu and his mother, "It's almost time. We need to take her to the delivery room."
One second Han Shuo was in excruciating pain and rolling his eyes, but the next second, upon hearing the doctor's words, his aching cerebral cortex jolted, and he regained consciousness.
"Now? Do we have to go to the delivery room now?"
Doctor: Yes.
"No!" Han Shuo said anxiously, "I haven't waited for my brother yet! I can't have a baby now! I have to wait for my brother and nephew to come!"
Meng's mother comforted him, "Xiao Shuo, it's alright. Your brother and the others are definitely on their way. They might arrive right after you give birth."
Han Shuo gripped Meng Yuxiu's arm tightly, looking at him, "I have to wait for my brother, you know that."
Meng Yuxiu frowned and nodded, saying, "I know, but..."
Doctor: "How can we just wait like this? Your buttocks are already dilated, the baby can't wait any longer."
Han Shuo was so anxious that he lost his mind. He pleaded with the doctor, "Can't you just hold it in a little longer, like you're constipated?"
The doctor was speechless: "Wouldn't the child suffocate? Okay."
He said to Meng Yuxiu, "Quickly take him to the delivery room."
Meng Yuxiu was helpless; having children was indeed beyond his and Han Shuo's control.
Han Shuo was helpless, but he was truly unwilling! He was unwilling to leave so suddenly and unexpectedly!
"Alright, the family can wait outside." The doctor instructed a nurse to help Han Shuo into the delivery room.
Han Shuo's stomach was in excruciating pain, and his mind was filled with thoughts of Han Hong and Han Ting. After being helped a few steps, he saw the words "Delivery Room" on the door frame, and a more urgent matter suddenly popped into his chaotic mind.
He reached out and grabbed Meng Yuxiu's clothes, then forced himself to say to the doctor, "Let him stay with me!"
This was Meng Yuxiu's first time experiencing his wife's childbirth, and coupled with the pain Han Shuo had been screaming in, he was still somewhat dazed. The doctor told the family to wait outside, so he could only stand outside and wait, unsure of what he, as a husband, could do at this moment...
It seemed that, apart from waiting outside the delivery room, he really didn't know what else he could do.
Han Shuo was in so much pain that he couldn't even stand up straight, but now that there was something more urgent, he broke free from the nurse as if he had been injected with chicken blood and walked straight to Meng Yuxiu.
He leaned closer and whispered quickly, "You have to come with me to give birth!"
Meng Yuxiu stared blankly but intently, then nodded quickly, "Okay, I'll go in with you to give birth."
Han Shuo felt that this kid hadn't understood him, and his stomach throbbed with pain again. He could only grit his teeth and explain, "Damn it! Did you forget? I'm going back after I give birth! The baby has to go back with me! What if I suddenly go back... I mean..."
Han Shuo grabbed Meng Yuxiu by the collar and pulled him close, their noses almost touching.
"I mean, who will catch the baby after it's born?"
Meng Yuxiu frowned slightly.
Han Shuo heard him say, "Doctor, please continue."
Han Shuo almost fainted from anger on the spot.
"Are you stupid? What if we suddenly go back? There won't be any doctors left! The baby will definitely be born... ouch!" Han Shuo was in pain, anxious, and flustered. He couldn't explain it to him anymore.
Fortunately, Meng Yuxiu immediately understood after hearing this. "I understand! You mean if we go back, this world might disappear, leaving only you, me, and the child. There won't be any doctors to deliver the baby, so I have to go in with you to give birth. As soon as the baby is born, I have to catch him and not let him fall to the ground."
Han Shuo excitedly gave a thumbs up and nodded repeatedly: "As expected of my husband! That's exactly what I meant!"
The mother, doctors, and nurses standing nearby were all astonished to see the young couple, who were about to give birth, still babbling in a bunch of incomprehensible words.
The nurse asked the male doctor, "Director Jiang, what do you mean? What do you mean by 'the baby will fall to the ground after birth'?"
The elderly male doctor shook his head and said seriously to the young couple, "Although this is just a town clinic, I've been a doctor for decades and have delivered hundreds, if not thousands, of babies. How could I let a baby fall to the ground?"
"Don't worry, even if your kid has superhuman abilities and jumps out, I can still bring him back!"
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