Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Giving Birth?
Xiaojuan got off the car first. She had been so happy these days, immersed in the warmth and joy of her Qingmei family.
As she walked up the stairs to the dormitory, her expression became intriguing.
There was a comrade in the corridor holding a basin and a clothespin, ready to dry clothes. Summer is not like winter, it is rare to see good sunshine, but you can't just find a place to dry clothes. He found 301 at the end of the corridor where Qingmei used to live. He breathed a sigh of relief, put the basin at his feet, grabbed a shirt, shook it a few times, and hung it on the wire.
"Oh, you're finally back."
Wang Cuijiang borrowed two spoonfuls of soy sauce from someone else's house, grabbed a spatula, and returned. He looked at Xiaojuan standing at the gate and said, "Shizhong said he wanted to celebrate for you. It just so happens that the cafeteria has your favorite twice-cooked pork today, so he'll go get it."
Xiaojuan looked at her with a fake smile on her wrinkled face and said, "Why don't you ask me if I passed the exam?"
Wang Cuijiang was stunned for a moment, then said with a forced smile, "You've already registered, so how could you fail the exam? You're so smart, you'll definitely pass."
Wu Yongchu shouted from inside the room, "Who the hell is she? My father couldn't pass the exam, how could she pass?"
Xiaojuan pushed open the door and saw him scribbling at the table with the pen and scrap paper she had lost for no apparent reason. Miraculously, she felt calm. "Who do you think you are? Some people your age are already in junior high school, and you still can't read a single word. Give me back my pen."
Wu Yongchu clutched the pen tightly and said, "You dare to say I'm illiterate? I won't give it to you! I found it in the closet myself. Whatever I found is mine. I won't give it to you."
Wardrobe?
Xiaojuan had clearly locked it in a drawer before the exam, but she didn't see it when she opened the drawer that morning. If Qingmei hadn't had the foresight to tell her to put her admission ticket there, she might not have been able to take the college entrance exam.
Xiaojuan no longer had any interest in knowing who had broken the lock and hidden her pen in the closet. Or rather, she had no interest in this home at all.
If she hadn't been with Qingmei and discovered that family could be so warm, she might have gritted her teeth and continued living. Knowing warmth, how could she stay in the cold quagmire with peace of mind?
Wu Shizhong thought Xiaojuan would quarrel with him when she came back.
He put a double portion of twice-cooked pork on the table. The family of four looked at each other with mixed feelings, and the atmosphere during the meal was awkward and subtle.
"Eat more meat. You've worked hard during this period." Wu Shizhong showed his signature silly smile and gave her the last two pieces of twice-cooked pork on the porcelain plate.
Wu Yongchu was about to make a fuss, but his father glared at him. He immediately dared not say a word, shrank his neck, finished his meal, slammed his chopsticks on the table and ran away.
Xiaojuan ate the last two pieces of twice-cooked pork generously, which made her laugh. Wu Shizhong must have thought that she would give him all the good food and drinks at home as she did before, right?
Wu Shizhong saw something was wrong and looked at Wang Cuijiang.
Wang Cuijiang felt wronged. She knew her daughter-in-law was coming back, and she even cooked cauliflower for her.
After dinner, Xiaojuan didn’t need to wash the dishes, so Wang Cuijiang took them out.
Wu Shizhong dragged a stool over to sit across from Xiaojuan and asked her with a smile, "How did you do on the exam? Are you sure you'll get into college?"
Xiaojuan said: "The results haven't come out yet, so I have no idea."
Wu Shizhong felt relieved that she was willing to speak.
He reached out and took Xiaojuan's hand, saying, "Whether you make it to university or not, you're the best in my heart. You're so passionate about progress and learning that I'm truly ashamed of myself compared to you. I've signed up for the army's advancement class and plan to study alongside my fellow comrades, striving to keep up with your progress."
Xiaojuan found it incredible. If Wu Shizhong had been able to study, he would have done so long ago. He had plenty of opportunities for advancement in the army, but he hadn't taken them. Why did her taking the college entrance examination this time make him realize his mistake?
Soon Wu Shizhong gave Xiaojuan the answer.
"I've thought about it for a long time. You're still young, and I'm not too old either. We've been married for several years but haven't had any children of our own."
Wu Shizhong held Xiaojuan's hand tightly and said sincerely, "I want a child of our own."
Xiaojuan quickly pulled her hand back. Although the thing she had been looking forward to happened, she suddenly felt extremely nauseous.
She stood up and walked to the window, her back to Wu Shizhong: "I've wanted to have a child with you for a long time, but you didn't want it. Why do you want it now?"
"I'm very grateful that you're willing to marry me. Over the years, I always thought you were just repaying me, not truly loving me. After thinking about it for a while, I see your dedication and your feelings."
Wu Shizhong walked up behind her, put his arm around her waist and said, "I sincerely want to have a child with you. When I get promoted, I can let you live with the army in the red brick house. You can also go to school and take care of the children like Comrade Qingmei. It would be great for you two good friends to keep each other company."
Xiaojuan whispered, "What about your mother? What about your son?"
Wu Shizhong quickly glanced at the door, then turned around and said, "Wu Yongchu is old enough to take care of our mother in your place. If you just nod, I'll buy them boat tickets and send them back home immediately. We just need to welcome our child with peace of mind."
Seeing that Xiaojuan didn't respond, he added, "We'll live with our children from now on."
Xiaojuan pushed his hand away, looked at the person in front of her who was both incredibly familiar and incredibly unfamiliar, and said indifferently, "I don't want children anymore."
Wu Shizhong's heart skipped a beat: "Why?"
Xiaojuan whispered, "No reason."
"I hope you can reconsider this."
"I've thought it through." Xiaojuan walked over to the bed and sat down, facing 301. She smiled faintly and said, "No need to think about it anymore."
Wu Shizhong took two steps back and sat back at the table without saying a word.
Xiaojuan clearly understood the phrase "appearance close but essence distant".
"You've changed." Wu Shizhong said after a moment: "Maybe I was wrong from the beginning. I shouldn't have let you contact them."
Wu Shizhong looked at Xiaojuan. The first time he saw her, she had been lying thin and miserable beside a stinking ditch. All these years had passed, and she was still thin and tired. Only the occasional spark of thirst for knowledge in her eyes gave him the feeling that she was full of life.
The one who ignited the flame of thirst for knowledge was none other than Captain Gu’s good wife, Qingmei.
...
When the results came out, Xiaojuan's performance was no different.
I go to Qingmei's house every day to keep her company, make clothes for the little baby, and store quilts.
However, every time Wu Shizhong saw Xiaojuan every day, he found that she seemed to be moving away from him step by step.
Later, there was a period of time when he carefully calculated that he had not spoken a word for five days.
Wu Shizhong was somewhat clever and gradually sensed something.
For the first time, he felt the timidity that Xiaojuan brought to him. He didn't dare to ask Xiaojuan first, and he was walking on thin ice every day.
After the end of August, to the beginning of September.
The dog days of summer are about to pass, and the autumn heat is ready to hit.
The post office is filled with college entrance examination candidates waiting for their admission notices all day long.
As other people's admission letters came in one after another, Qingmei became restless at home.
Zhao Wuhe saw it and was worried. Qingmei was about to give birth and could not afford to be too emotionally unstable.
What if everyone else's notices arrived, but Qingmei's didn't? She tried every possible way to coax Qingmei, and asked the other little sisters to tease Qingmei more and talk less about the exam.
Now Qingmei was comforted and no longer had an irritation. She chatted and played with her sisters under the camphor tree every day. Instead, Zhao Wuhe developed big blisters on her mouth.
Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan moved in to accompany Qingmei, fearing that she would give birth suddenly and Zhao Wuhe would not be able to handle it alone.
They agreed to leave the address of 014 on the admission letter, but no one could have imagined that the first one to arrive would be Zhao Xiaoxing's wedding!
Zhao Xiaoxing read it over and over again, then danced around the yard with the notice in hand, shouting excitedly, "Just made it! Just made it by one point! Hahahaha, Uncle Guo was right! 60 points is a long live!"
"Shanghai Fashion and Textile College?! This fashion college is pretty good, one of the best among colleges."
Qingmei clutched her belly and couldn't help but feel happy for Zhao Xiaoxing: "Xing'er, congratulations! That's great, really great!"
Xiaoyan squatted beside Qingmei, put her hand on her belly and said, "Breathe, relax, don't get excited."
Qingmei took a few deep and shallow breaths, then leaned back in her chair with a wide grin on her face: "Xing'er, that's pretty good!"
She spoke a little louder, and the baby in her belly moved, and she gasped.
Zhao Wuhe held a cup beside her and said, "Drink some water and calm down. My ancestors, if they had known this would happen, they wouldn't have let you take the college entrance examination this year. You're in labor just as the admission notice is coming out. I haven't been able to sleep well all day."
Xiaoyan whispered to Zhao Wuhe, "Auntie, don't worry too much. Even if none of us pass the exam, my sister will definitely pass. I believe in her."
Qingmei smiled foolishly and said, "Xiaoyan is still the most pleasant person to talk to. You applied to West China Normal University, right?"
Xiaoyan shook her head and made a shushing gesture: "Keep it a secret, you'll know when you get there."
Qingmei smiled and said, "You're still keeping me in suspense."
Xiaoyan fanned her with a palm-leaf fan, but refused to respond.
They waited at home for about another week, and Xiaoyan's good news finally came.
Qingmei couldn't believe her eyes. Seeing the letter "Beihe Business School" written on the envelope, she was really shocked. Xiaoyan's grades were definitely good enough to get into West China Normal University!
Qingmei had discussed this with Xiaoyan and decided that campus life was more suitable for her. If she were assigned to a teaching position after graduation, she would have a stable job for life. Unlike working outside, where layoffs could cause her to struggle to find food, she wouldn't be able to afford it.
Xiaoyan stroked the hard-earned admission letter, fearing that Qingmei would blame her.
Qingmei knew she couldn't interfere too much with her decision, so she calmed down and asked, holding her stomach, "Why do you want to go to business school? It's a shame with your grades. It's a good thing you're an undergraduate, otherwise I would really teach you a lesson."
Zhao Xiaoxing also exclaimed beside him, "Oh my god, why are you so desperate? If you give me your extra money, I can go to college, right?"
"I don't think it's a pity." Xiaoyan said, "Uncle Guo said I can still take the postgraduate entrance examination in the future."
Qingmei pulled her to sit next to her and said, "Then can you tell me why you want to go to business school?"
She knew that Beihe Business School would later become the renowned Yellow River Business School, second to none in the nation. Many business leaders and social elites would attend it to gild their reputations and expand their network.
But Xiaoyan didn't feel there was a suitable place for her. Where would she be assigned a job after graduation? A factory clerk? A salesperson? An office worker in a state-owned enterprise? A shopping mall?
Xiaoyan smiled happily and explained, "You asked why you wanted to buy the port."
Qingmei remembered that at that time she said she wanted to win without any effort... Qingmei felt a little ashamed to say that.
Xiaoyan whispered, "You also said that you were worried about not having the right person to help you manage the port company."
Qingmei sat up suddenly, holding her stomach and said, "Did you really take the exam for me?"
Xiaoyan said embarrassedly, "I don't have much experience or skills. You gave me a new life. With the eighty yuan betrothal gift, you can buy me to be your company manager. I'll earn your trust and let you win without any effort. Okay? I swear, I will do my best to learn management knowledge, try to interact more with my classmates, and manage the port company well in the future."
Qingmei reached out and stroked Xiaoyan's cheek, saying with a mixture of laughter and tears, "Why do I make you worry? I never took the betrothal gift seriously. You are worth far more than that."
Zhao Xiaoxing also chimed in, "Yeah, she looks like a child bride."
"You are the child bride." Xiaoyan was about to hit her, but Zhao Xiaoxing pointed at Qingmei's belly, and Xiaoyan immediately stopped.
Zhao Wuhe was on the side, helping Xiaoyan out. "She's already been accepted. She can study for the exam first. If she's not suitable, it's the same whether she chooses another one."
Qingmei wanted Xiaoyan to live her own life and didn't want her to live to repay a favor. But seeing Xiaoyan's bright smile as she held the admission letter, Qingmei felt that this might be a spiritual comfort and direction for Xiaoyan.
When she enters society and sees a wider world, Qingmei will not do anything to stop her.
"Then congratulations." Qingmei held out her hand, and Xiaoyan leaned over and obediently let Qingmei pinch her cheeks. "You can always make other choices."
"Yeah!" Xiaoyan answered crisply.
In the evening, Gu Qingzhou went to the commercial building and bought egg cakes to celebrate with them.
Qingmei was stared at by Zhao Wuhe and ate half a bowl of rice and a bowl of chicken soup before she was allowed to eat half a piece of egg cake.
After eating and taking a rest, Gu Qingzhou took a walk in the courtyard with his young wife.
If you can endure the pain and walk a little more before giving birth, it will not be so painful when you get to the delivery room.
After their walk, Qingmei reclined on the sofa while Gu Qingzhou sat on a small chair and massaged her calves. Her legs had been a little swollen recently, and Gu Qingzhou felt the pain in his heart. He diligently fulfilled his duties as a husband.
He kneaded and glared at his wife's belly, sincerely hoping for a baby girl. When he could kiss, hug, and lift her up high, he couldn't imagine what a happy father he would become.
It would be best if he looks a bit like his young wife, so that it would be like watching her when she was a child, protecting her step by step as she grows up.
While rubbing his legs, Gu Qingzhou was thinking wildly and had begun to consider how to choose his future son-in-law.
After thinking about it, I feel that no one is worthy of my daughter. Besides, I can support her. Even if she doesn't get married, she can just stay at home with her mother. What's the big deal!
According to his future development, he would undoubtedly be assigned to a military district commander somewhere. Who would dare to interfere with the commander's daughter?
Gu Qingzhou thought again, what if someone deliberately tried to establish a relationship with him, deceive his precious daughter, and play with her feelings?
...
Oops.
All of them.
Qingmei didn't know that Gu Qingzhou had made himself so angry that he was secretly grinding his teeth.
She happily told Xiaoyan some interesting things that happened at school.
Zhao Xiaoxing carefully examined his major and said, holding his face in his hands, "You say my school is good, but my major is textiles and cotton. What can I do after graduating? I won't grow cotton, will I?"
Qingmei teased her deliberately and said, "That's very possible."
Zhao Xiaoxing immediately sat up straight and said, "I took the college entrance exam because I didn't want to farm. Even if it's a junior college, it's still valuable. If I had to go back to farming, I'd rather not go to college. I'll take the exam again, and going to business school with Xiaoyan is better than farming cotton."
After she finished speaking indignantly, Qingmei and Xiaoyan both laughed together.
Qingmei said, "We don't need you to grow cotton anymore. Our village has new tractor drivers who can combine farming, planting, and harvesting. You'll be laid off once you graduate."
Zhao Xiaoxing cried out, about to cry. She slammed the table and stood up, saying, "Can't I even grow cotton? At worst, I'll grow it and Xiaoyan will sell it. It will be worth our college education. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have agreed to let Captain Jin go back for the graduation banquet. I can't afford to lose face. Growing cotton is even worse than fluffing it."
Qingmei was laughing so hard that she almost kicked Gu Qingzhou. Gu Qingzhou grabbed her ankle and gently put her back on the sofa.
Qingmei laughed heartily and said to Zhao Xiaoxing, "Don't cry, I was just teasing you. How could you possibly go and plant cotton? Ouch, I'm almost getting a stitch in the side from laughing so hard."
Xiaoyan clutched her belly and said, "Why don't you do some research on your profession? You just believe everything they say."
Zhao Xiaoxing blushed and said, "I definitely believed what you said. I'm so angry! I really thought I was going to grow cotton."
Qingmei and Xiaoyan were laughing together again, their little faces were rosy and beautiful, and their eyes were full of shining stars.
"Why is the sofa wet?" Gu Qingzhou stood up and whispered, then glanced at the teacup on the table and asked his wife, "Did you spill milk on the sofa?"
The smile on the young wife's face had not faded yet, and she said in a daze: "Mom didn't make milk for me."
She turned to look at Zhao Xiaoxing, only to see her standing up and pointing at her crotch, saying, "Why are you still peeing your pants? Hahaha, Xiaoyan, look at your sister, she's actually peeing... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Xiaomei is having a baby!"
Seeing her trembling all over, Xiaoyan kicked her butt without caring about anything else: "Get the medical kit and hospital kit!"
Zhao Wuhe was peeling apples for her daughter-in-law in the kitchen. She rushed out with a knife, her hands shaking with excitement: "My eldest granddaughter, my eldest granddaughter!"
Gu Qingzhou picked up Qingmei and walked out with big strides, saying, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, you will be fine, you will definitely be fine. You two will be safe, huhu... You will be safe——"
Qingmei calmly pinched his mouth, her stomach shrinking in pain. She let out a deep breath, put her arm around Gu Qingzhou's arm and said calmly, "Let me go wash my hair first. Your mother won't let me wash my hair during the confinement period."
"Why are you still washing your hair, ancestor, please don't wash it." Gu Qingzhou was really going crazy. When he walked to the road, he realized that he hadn't called a taxi. Instead, he met a company commander under his command. Seeing that the leader's wife was about to give birth, he hurried to the car team to call for help.
Gu Qingzhou stood by the roadside, looking down at Qingmei, a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.
Qingmei thought, forget it, I'll just listen to my mother-in-law during the confinement period, at least she won't be angry during the confinement period.
Then she saw Gu Qingzhou's eyes again, and felt that this big man was about to break in the next moment. She quickly hugged him tightly, pressed against his chest and said: "I don't think I can give birth for a while, don't worry, I will be fine. I'm not afraid of pain. I didn't feel any pain when I was struck by lightning, I didn't...ah..."
Qingmei was slapped in the face just as she finished speaking. She felt like a pair of scissors were stirring in her stomach. Sweat instantly broke out on her forehead, and she could hardly breathe.
Gu Qingzhou felt that he had to follow Qingmei. After all, his strong body told him that he must not fall. Seeing Qingmei's pain, he wished that all the pain would fall on him tenfold and he could bear it for her.
The car team heard that Comrade Qingmei was going to give birth, and they came very quickly. Qingmei's consciousness had begun to blur at this time. She only felt that she closed her eyes for a while, and when she opened them again, she was in the hospital delivery room.
She just felt that her stomachache was gone. People gathered around her, including doctors and her sisters, while Gu Qingzhou stood at the outside, staring at her deeply, feeling a little helpless.
Qingmei held out her hand without saying anything. The doctor examining her didn't know what this meant, and then a large hand tightly grasped Qingmei's hand.
Gu Qingzhou's eyes were red, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Does it still hurt?"
Qingmei said, "It doesn't hurt anymore."
Gu Qingzhou said, "Why don't we just not have the baby?" Giving birth is like going through the gates of hell for a woman, and Gu Qingzhou couldn't bear the consequences of losing his childhood sweetheart.
"You're so silly." Qingmei wanted to laugh, but her stomach started cramping again.
Seeing this, Zhao Wuhe clenched her fist and punched Gu Qingzhou on the back a few times, angrily saying, "Why are you teasing her? Let her eat something!"
Xiaoyan fed the stewed chicken soup to Qingmei's mouth and said like a child, "Ah, open your mouth."
Qingmei felt a little pain just now, but now she feels better, but her hands and feet are weak. She was about to drink the chicken soup with Xiaoyan's hand when Gu Qingzhou took the spoon away.
Seeing this, Xiaoyan made way and handed the chicken soup with the meat removed to Gu Qingzhou, asking him to feed him.
The last time Zhao Xiaoxing went to the hospital by herself, she heard that some people often become exhausted mid-birth. She stuffed the chocolate she had brought into Qingmei's pocket and told her to eat it when the time came.
After Zhao Wuhe finished talking to the doctor, she came over and said, "It's 8:20 now. The doctor said you're not fully dilated yet, only four fingers. It'll be late at night at the earliest."
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Qingmei drank the chicken soup obediently, lay in bed for a while, and was then arranged by the doctor to walk in the corridor.
There are also pregnant women waiting to give birth in the corridor. Few of them have their husbands personally supporting them as they walk back and forth. Most of them walk slowly by themselves, holding on to the handrails along the wall.
Gu Qingzhou didn't mind being embarrassed and helped Qingmei walk back and forth. He was meticulous and patient, handsome and handsome, with an extraordinary temperament. Soon, family members came over to talk to them.
"Are you using a private room? Are there any vacancies? The maternity department here is so crowded, and we don't know anyone... Who are you looking for?"
Gu Qingzhou whispered, "The nurse assigned it directly to me. I didn't look for anyone I know."
The middle-aged man who spoke was called Zhu Xinghua. He was not young, probably around 60. He was about 1.7 meters tall, with thick black eyebrows, single eyelids, a flat nose, thin limbs, and a large belly. His belt was pulled up above his belly button.
Hearing that it was the nurse who assigned them, he put his hands behind his back and quickly glanced at Gu Qingzhou and Qingmei.
Gu Qingzhou wasn't in uniform, so he couldn't recognize her. Qingmei looked familiar, but even though she was pregnant, he couldn't recognize her.
A middle-aged woman emerged from the six-person room next door and said to Zhu Xinghua, "Dad, you said small cities have poor conditions. They can't even provide a single room. Why don't we go back to the provincial capital? We've already made arrangements with the provincial women's and children's hospital."
Zhu Xinghua walked to the door of the ward with his hands behind his back, looking at the ward full of people, and said angrily: "Even if I'm not a soldier, I'm still a cadre. Why can't the nurses here say anything nice? They clearly have space in the single room over there, but they won't let my daughter-in-law stay there."
"That's right, are you bullying us because we're from outside the city? Otherwise, go talk to the hospital leaders, maybe they can help."
Zhu Xinghua's wife was also angry. Her husband was a director in the provincial capital. Even if he was not a military dependent, he would have some dignity if he moved to a second-tier city, right?
They spoke loudly, afraid that others would not know that they were doing well in the provincial capital.
At the nurses' station in the middle of the corridor, there were doctors and nurses doing handovers. They should have heard it, and maybe it was said specifically for them, but still no one came.
In the corridor, Gu Qingzhou supported Qingmei and walked slowly past Zhu Xinghua, listening to everything they said.
Gu Qingzhou pinched Qingmei's arm expressionlessly, and Qingmei winked at him quickly. The young couple prepared to eat melon.
This is a PLA hospital, and the doctors treating them are all serious military doctors. Do you still want to act like a local leader? Just wait and see.
Qingmei feels that her future boring hospital life has been spiced up, hehe.
Zhao Wuhe hadn't seen the young couple in the ward for a long time, so she understood everything when she came out.
My goodness, these two people walked slowly back and forth in the corridor for more than twenty times, just to listen to the fun.
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