We finally arrived at the town's health center.
Fang Shugen parked the cart at the entrance of the emergency room. "Mom, hold the cart while I help Hua Mei down."
Fang Shugen's mother held the handlebars to keep the cart still. Fang Shugen bent over and picked up Hua Mei, saying, "Hold me up, I'll move slowly." He spoke in a low voice, afraid of touching Hua Mei's sore spots. The cart swayed slightly, and he quickly braced the wheels with his feet.
Hua Mei gritted her teeth and, with the help of the two men, slowly straightened up. Her legs buckled as soon as they touched the ground, and Fang Shugen quickly squatted down to let her lean more on him. "Doctor, doctor, my wife is about to give birth!"
Watching the doctor in the white coat take Hua Mei and walk her into the delivery room, the two men finally felt a little relieved. Fang Shugen wiped the sweat from his forehead and found that his palms were already clenched so tightly they were wet.
The wooden sign for the delivery room outside the entrance, outlined in red paint, cast a dim, almost gloomy light. Two long, peeling wooden benches stood by the door, their surfaces worn smooth and shiny.
Fang Shugen's mother rubbed her hands together and paced back and forth at the entrance of the delivery room. The soles of her shoes scraped against the cement floor, making a soft "rustling" sound, as if she were carrying a flustered rabbit.
Fang Shugen pulled Huahua closer to him. "Don't be afraid," he said, patting his daughter's head. "Mommy will give birth, and then your stomach won't hurt anymore."
On the wall was a yellowed sheet of "Instructions for Postpartum Women" and "Childcare Knowledge," its edges curled up and rustling in the wind. Fang Huahua looked up at the pictures on it.
The delivery room door creaked open a crack, and the doctor poked her head out and shouted, "It's a boy!"
Fang Shugen hurriedly pulled Hua Hua over, "Doctor, what about Hua..." Just as he was about to ask about Hua Mei's condition, the door slammed shut again, silencing his words.
Fang Shugen's mother suddenly closed her eyes, clasped her hands together in front of her nose, and even her breathing became shallow. "Thank God, thank you..." she repeated repeatedly, her shoulders swaying slightly, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, as if a stone hanging in her heart had finally been lifted. Even her clasped hands loosened a little. She patted Fang Huahua's shoulder, "Huahua, you have a little brother now."
Seeing her grandmother's joy, Fang Huahua's cheeks puffed out, and she couldn't help but smile too, "Where's my little brother?"
"The doctor will bring it out in a bit," Fang Shugen's mother said, looking at the delivery room door.
When the nurse came out carrying the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, Fang Shugen's mother quickly took the baby and rubbed her hands on the hem of her clothes before gently touching the baby's little face.
The doll hummed with her eyes closed, then immediately beamed, her wrinkles crinkling at the corners of her eyes: "Oh, Tree Root, look! Your eyebrows and eyes are just like yours when you were little!"
The next day, after being discharged from the hospital and returning home, Fang Shugen's mother carried her child along the cart the whole way, smiling and greeting everyone she saw in the village.
"Hua Mei gave birth?" someone asked when they met her.
"Yes, she gave birth, she had a son." Fang Shugen's mother responded happily, pulling the baby closer to her chest, her smile beaming from ear to ear.
"That would be great. A daughter and a son would be perfect."
“Yes, yes!” she replied, her steps becoming lighter.
After getting home and settling Hua Mei and her son into bed, he urged Shu Gen, "Kill a chicken for Hua Mei to nourish her and make sure she has enough breast milk."
Everything was going as planned, and life seemed to be getting better, but Ren Lutong's arrival was like a stone thrown into calm water.
For the past few years, Ren Lutong has been waiting for Fang Shugen's mother. Back then, Fang Shugen's mother said that once Hua Mei had another child, she would leave them behind and come to the mountain with him.
He calculated the time and realized that Hua Mei had probably already given birth. He made a special trip to Fang Shugen's house this time after coming down the mountain.
Fang Shugen's mother was in the room holding her son, Fang Shugen, and teasing him, "Little brother, are you full? Eat well and grow up quickly."
Hua Hua squatted alone at the doorway, holding a blade of grass in her hand, attracting ants to crawl around.
"Hua Hua," Ren Lutong called out.
"Hoo!" Hua Hua grabbed a blade of grass, looked up at him, stood up, tilted her head, took a few steps back, and looked him up and down.
"It really is Huahua, she's grown so much!" Ren Lutong smiled at her. "Huahua, don't you recognize me?"
Hua Hua rushed into the house in a panic, "Grandma, Mom!"
Ren Lutong followed him in. Fang Shugen's mother turned around and saw him, then froze. "Lutong, what brings you here?"
Hua Mei was leaning against the headboard when she saw Ren Lutong. It seemed like she remembered something. This person, this person… Hua Mei’s body trembled slightly, her lips were pursed tightly, and her fingers gripped the corner of the blanket until her knuckles turned white.
"I came down to pick up some things, so I came over to check on things." Ren Lutong's gaze swept over Hua Mei, then fell on the child in Fang Shugen's mother's arms. "Hua Mei gave birth?"
"It's a boy!" Fang Shugen's mother took the baby and wanted to show him.
"I figured the time should be..."
Before Ren Lu could finish his call, Hua Mei rushed over, snatched the child from Fang Shugen's mother's arms, and cried out, "My daughter, my daughter!"
"Hua Mei, what nonsense are you talking about? This is your son." Fang Shugen's mother hurriedly pulled her away.
"My daughter, where's my daughter?" Hua Mei looked around, then stared blankly at her son in her arms. She pulled back the swaddling clothes, looked at the boy's genitals, and muttered, "Not my daughter, where's my daughter?"
Seeing Hua Mei like this, Fang Shugen's mother echoed her words, "Yes, yes, it's your daughter. Come on, wrap her up so she doesn't get cold." Fang Shugen's mother slowly covered and wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes.
Hua Mei was still muttering to herself.
"Alright, Hua Mei, hold me, I'll go make you something delicious." Fang Shugen's mother walked out of the room, and Ren Lutong quickly followed her out.
"Are you hungry? I'll go make you something to eat." Fang Shugen's mother was about to walk towards the kitchen when Ren Lutong grabbed her wrist.
"I want to eat you." Ren Lutong moved closer to her, his breath hitting her ear.
Fang Shugen's mother pushed him away, saying, "You old lecher, don't let the neighbors see you." She glanced around and walked towards her own room.
Ren Lutong followed closely behind, bolting the door as soon as he entered. The two men eagerly tore at each other's clothes, making the air in the room feel hot and stuffy.
Just as the two were enjoying themselves, a sudden knocking sound rang out on the door, accompanied by Hua Hua's urgent shouts, "Grandma, Grandma, Mom has the scissors!"
"Huahua, what's wrong?" Fang Shugen's mother, who was under Ren Lutong, turned her face toward the door.
"The scissors are for cutting the younger brother."
"Huh?" Fang Shugen's mother shoved Ren Lutong aside, grabbed her pants haphazardly and pulled them on, running towards the door as she did so.
"Hua Mei, Hua Mei!" Fang Shugen's mother ran tremblingly into her room.
The swaddling clothes were unfolded and laid out on the bed, the son lying naked on top of them. Hua Mei stood beside her, trembling, holding a pair of scissors, saying, "It's not a baby girl, this isn't a baby girl."
"Hua Mei, what are you doing?" Fang Shugen's mother's voice trembled. She rushed over and picked up the child, her body still shaking. "Are you out of your mind! You should take a good look at yourself!"
Fang Shugen's mother, carrying the child, walked to the door and called out to Huahua, "You come out with me too."
Hua Hua pointed at Hua Mei and exclaimed, "Mom, my mom!"
Fang Shugen's mother freed one hand and pulled Huahua out as well, saying, "Letting her act up here by herself is making her more and more out of control."
Ren Lutong walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Come to the kitchen," Fang Shugen's mother said, and Ren Lutong followed her.
"Hua Mei is getting crazier and crazier!" Fang Shugen's mother's chest was still heaving. "She was holding scissors just now, oh my god," Fang Shugen's mother held the child in front of her. "Luckily, Grandma made it in time, otherwise, otherwise..." Fang Shugen's mother shuddered, not daring to think about it.
Ren Lutong knew he shouldn't bring up the matter of asking Fang Shugen's mother to go up the mountain with him at this moment, so he sat to the side without saying a word.
Gradually, Fang Shugen's mother recovered from her surprise. "Lutong, are you hungry? I'll cook you a bowl of noodles."
"No need, I need to go back as soon as possible, I still need to go up the mountain." Ren Lutong lowered his head, paused and said, "You stay home and take care of the children for now."
With tears welling up in her eyes, Fang Shugen's mother said, "I wanted to go with you too. I thought that since Hua Mei had given birth to a son, we could just let them live their own lives. But now, this crazy woman doesn't even know how to take care of her own child. How can I go with peace of mind?"
Ren Lutong touched his nose, rubbed his eyes, and forced a smile. "Then let's wait a little longer. Let's wait until the child is a bit older so we can let go."
"Yes! I can't leave given the current situation at home."
Ren Lutong left, and Fang Shugen's mother, holding the child, called Huahua over to sit beside her. "Huahua, you are the older sister, you have to take care of your younger brother and be good to him. Your mother can't take care of him, so you have to take care of him when you grow up."
Hua Hua has had the responsibility of taking good care of her younger brother since she was little.
Fang Shugen's mother no longer dared to let Hua Mei take care of her son alone. She would only send him over when he needed to be breastfed, watch her feed him, and then bring him back after he was finished.
This child was raised by Fang Shugen's mother herself, and the child she raised herself received even more love and affection.
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