Challenges and Growth
Late in the evening of August 2, 2017, "Wenqing!" Xiaofeng's voice cracked, and a dark stain quickly spread across the hem of her light-colored nightgown. Wenqing lifted the silk quilt and looked at Xiaofeng's suddenly raised knees. Her Adam's apple rolled violently twice before she regained her voice. "Don't worry, I'll call Uncle Zhou right away."
As the ambulance sirens approached, Wen Qing was kneeling on one knee beside the bed, his left hand gripped by Xiaofeng's hand until his knuckles turned white, and his right hand held a cell phone on speakerphone. Zhou Yong's steady voice came from the receiver: "Yes, take a deep breath. The ambulance stretcher can be used directly..."
On August 3, 2017, Xiaofeng's abdomen was calm as usual, as if the labor pain last night was just a false alarm.
In the early morning of August 4th, Nurse Li on duty gently pushed open the ward door. Her deliberately low voice was particularly clear in the quiet of the night: "Mrs. Jiang, the fetal heart rate monitoring is not good. We need to do a color Doppler ultrasound to check again."
Xiaofeng woke up from her chaotic sleep and touched her abdomen in panic: "Are you okay?" The fetal heart monitor continued to make regular "beeping" sounds, as if knocking on everyone's nerves.
In the ultrasound room, Dr. Zhang pressed the probe against Xiaofeng's swollen abdomen. The cool gel made her shiver. "The umbilical cord is wrapped around her neck, and the amniotic fluid is second-degree contaminated." She pointed at the distorted shadow on the screen, her tone grave. "The contractions are starving the baby of oxygen. Surgery is necessary immediately."
As the red words "Anesthesia Underway..." lit up on the operating room monitor, a series of creaking sounds echoed from the corridor benches—the Jiang family members fidgeting uncomfortably. Wenqing stared at the closed door, muttering to herself, "Last week's prenatal checkup said everything was normal..."
When the screen status switched to "In Surgery", Wen Qing almost pressed his face against the crack of the door, trying to capture any movement inside.
The moment Zhou Yong pushed open the airtight door, Wenqing practically pounced on him. "Mother and child are safe," Zhou Yong said, his eyes smiling as he took off his surgical cap. "Here's a funny thing: when the midwife held the newborn's buttocks and asked Xiaofeng to identify the gender, she stubbornly turned her head away."
He imitated Xiaofeng's turning of her head perfectly, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense: "Guess what she said?"
"If it's a son, put it back." Before Zhou Yong finished speaking, a loud baby cry suddenly broke out in the operating room. The cry was full of energy and instantly dispelled all anxiety.
On September 4, 2017, the day when Liou was one month old, the family specially hired a barber, and the shiny razor gleamed under the light.
Oscar stood on tiptoe and peeked over. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Wow...Wow..." His little hands tugged at the corner of Xiaofeng's clothes and shook her. "Mommy, mommy, will it hurt so much that he'll cry when my brother gets his hair cut?"
Xiao Feng smiled and ruffled Oscar's soft hair: "Liou is a brave little man."
The barber carefully wiped the edge of the razor with an alcohol pad and said softly, "Let's give it a lucky haircut, leaving a small tuft of hair to put in the purse for good luck." As the shiny silver razor gently fell, he recited auspicious words: "First shave of gold, the baby will be blessed with good fortune and longevity; second shave of silver, the baby will be smart and clever; third shave of a treasure pot, prosperity and wealth will fill the family."
Lucas jumped up excitedly, clapped his hands, and shouted crisply, "We want to be brave men too!"
On September 15, 2017, when the doctor announced that all indicators of the postpartum checkup were qualified, Xiaofeng was like a bird that had regained its freedom. She opened her arms and stretched vigorously, her eyes and eyebrows showing joy: "Finally, I'm free!"
Zhou Yong sat at the other end of the office, a kind smile in his eyes: "Tell me, where do you want to go first when you regain your freedom?"
Xiaofeng counted on her fingers, "I want to check on the progress of the Jiangjiawan project, go back to the team for training, and also..." She paused, blinked, and added, "To find a job."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yong raised his eyebrows at Wenqing, his eyes full of teasing, "Did you hear that?"
Wenqing calmly adjusted his shirt cuffs: "I'll arrange the itinerary."
Xiao Feng, however, grabbed his arm and interrupted him with a smile: "Stop! I'll do it myself this time. You just stay at home and take care of the kids."
Zhou Yong suddenly laughed out loud, revealing his eight standard white teeth: "How much do you charge as a gold medal male confinement nanny?"
Wen Qing slowly helped Xiaofeng straighten his collar. He glanced at Zhou Yong and deliberately drew out his tone, "You'll have to ask my boss. After all, this wealthy woman is the head of the family now."
That night, looking over Wenqing's meticulously planned itinerary—first attending the Ninghai Chamber of Commerce, inspecting the Jiangjiawan project in early October, and then traveling to Florence for Christmas with the family in December—Xiaofeng rolled excitedly on the bed, hugging her pillow, her cheers nearly blowing the roof off. "You're great! Every single one of your plans hits the spot!"
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