B5SB -Chapter 2 Birth

As soon as Liu Zhaodi saw her, she hurriedly helped her into the house and said, “Sister Cuihua, you’re going into premature labor! I’ll go find Granny Gu to deliver the baby. Hang in there!”

With that, she rushed out to look for Granny Gu. On the way, she ran into Zhang Cuihua’s sister-in-law, Wang Ni, and quickly stopped her.

“Sister Wang, hurry and go to my place to boil some water. Your sister-in-law is at my house and she’s about to give birth early. I’m going to find Granny Gu.”

After saying that, she left in a hurry. When Wang Ni heard this, she also rushed over. Although the two sisters-in-law each had their own schemes, this was a matter of life and death, so she didn’t dare delay.

Meanwhile, Liu Zhaodi reached Granny Gu’s house. Before she even entered, she began shouting, “Granny Gu, hurry up and come out! Zhang Cuihua is in premature labor!”

Without a word, Granny Gu—her bound feet wrapped tightly—hurried toward Liu Zhaodi’s house. When she reached the door, she could already hear Zhang Cuihua’s cries of pain.

Granny Gu rushed inside, took a look, and said, “Your baby’s position isn’t right. I’ll adjust it. It’ll hurt, so bear with it!”

As she spoke, her hands began moving over Zhang Cuihua’s belly.

“Granny Gu, it hurts!” Zhang Cuihua cried.

“It’ll hurt no matter what. You have to endure it!” Granny Gu replied.

“Ah—ah—ah—!”

Even inside Liu Zhaodi’s womb, Gu Yihan felt her scalp tingle from the screams.

Suddenly, Gu Yihan felt her bottom hit something hard. At once, the air became thin, her breathing difficult. Instinctively, she struggled.

Then she heard Liu Zhaodi shout, “Ah! Granny, I’m about to give birth too!”

She was immediately moved into the delivery room as well.

Zhang Cuihua was already having a difficult labor, and things were hectic. When Granny Gu saw that Liu Zhaodi had also gone into labor, she became even busier.

She could only shout, “Wang Ni, boil more water!”

“I know, Granny Gu!” Wang Ni replied, equally flustered.

Gu Yihan was completely confused. Liu Zhaodi had deliberately bumped her belly. What was she trying to do?

Before she could figure it out, she felt a force pushing her outward. Inside the room, the two women’s cries of pain rose and fell one after another.

Suddenly, a baby’s cry rang out.

Seeing that Zhang Cuihua had given birth, Liu Zhaodi hadn’t even waited for Granny Gu to check the baby’s gender when her own wails startled everyone.

Granny Gu hurried over to her. Liu Zhaodi clutched Granny Gu’s hand and kept crying out in pain, leaving Granny Gu no choice but to focus on her.

Inside the womb, Gu Yihan slid little by little with each contraction. Finally, with one strong push, she was born.

Feeling that she had delivered, Liu Zhaodi immediately sat up and grabbed Granny Gu’s hand.

“Granny, I’ll cut the umbilical cord myself. We came in too hastily and didn’t bring anything to wrap the baby. Can you help me fetch it?”

With no other choice, Granny Gu nodded. “All right.”

After Liu Zhaodi told her where the things were, Granny Gu went out.

Once she was gone, Liu Zhaodi looked at her baby and saw that it was another girl. Without hesitation, she cut the umbilical cord and swapped her baby with Zhang Cuihua’s.

She had seen that Zhang Cuihua had given birth to a boy.

She had to have a son. Otherwise, her mother-in-law would never let her off.

Carefully holding the baby, she said happily, “My precious son. Mommy has been waiting so long for you.”

What Liu Zhaodi never imagined was that Gu Yihan had memories—and knew very well that she had been switched.

Granny Gu soon returned with the wrapping cloth, handed it to Liu Zhaodi, and then went to check on Gu Yihan.

“Oh! This little girl is really pretty,” Granny Gu exclaimed as she held her.

Gu Yihan looked at Granny Gu’s toothless smile. Seeing the baby smile back, Granny Gu became even happier. Old people believed that a newborn smiling at them was a good omen.

Liu Zhaodi snorted unhappily. “What’s so great about her? She’s just a money-losing burden.”

At that moment, Zhang Cuihua woke up.

Looking at her, Granny Gu sighed. “This childbirth took a toll on your body. If you want more children, you’ll need to take good care of yourself and wait a few years.”

Seeing her pale face, Granny Gu shook her head helplessly. “You’re only twenty-seven. You’ll still have plenty of chances.”

Zhang Cuihua choked up. “I’m not easy to get pregnant. It took me a year after marriage to conceive. Er Ya was five before I had my second pregnancy. And now it’s another girl…”

Granny Gu didn’t know how to comfort her.

None of them noticed the gloating look in Liu Zhaodi’s eyes.

Soon, the workers returned from the fields. Zhou Jianguo and Grandma Zhou entered together and saw Wang Ni coming out of the kitchen.

“Sister Wang, why are you cooking at my place? Where’s Zhaodi?” Zhou Jianguo asked.

Wang Ni thought, As if I wanted to come here, but smiled and said, “My sister-in-law and your Zhaodi went into labor at the same time. They’ve probably both finished by now.”

They went into the delivery room together and saw each woman holding a baby.

Liu Zhaodi carried her baby to Grandma Zhou. “Mom, look. Your eldest grandson.”

Grandma Zhou and Zhou Jianguo were overjoyed. They hurried over to hold the baby.

“Oh, Grandma’s precious grandson! He’s so adorable!” Grandma Zhou exclaimed.

On the other side, Wang Ni held Zhang Cuihua’s baby and said goodbye, preparing to leave. Grandma Zhou waved her hand absentmindedly. All her attention was on her grandson.

Suddenly, she remembered something and quickly took out ten eggs for Granny Gu.

“Granny Gu, thank you so much!”

Granny Gu accepted them without ceremony and left with her small, bound steps.

Gu Yihan was now being held by Sister-in-law Gu. Because she had been reborn with memories, her eyesight was unusually clear.

She looked up at her “new mother.” Her appearance was ordinary, with a popular long braid of the era. Then she looked at her “fake mother,” who also wore a braid, had fairer skin, and a beauty mark by her ear.

Soon, Gu Yihan was carried back to the Gu family home. When they arrived, everyone was already seated.

Grandma Gu looked at her and asked, “So, was it a boy or a girl?”

Sister-in-law Wang replied happily, “A girl.”

Of course she was happy. In the whole family, only her household had a son. All the good things went to him first. If another boy appeared, half of that would be taken away.

Grandma Gu only responded with a faint, “Mm.”

Then she looked at Zhang Cuihua. “Go back and rest. Later, have your husband kill a chicken for you to eat during your confinement.”

“Thank you, Mother. I’ll go rest now,” Zhang Cuihua said, and left without even looking at the newborn girl.

Grandma Gu could tell—she didn’t like this child.

“Let me see her,” Grandma Gu said, reaching out and taking the baby.

Gu Yihan looked at the energetic old woman in front of her. Even her hair was neatly combed without a strand out of place.

Gu Yihan knew that in this family, Grandma Gu had the final say.

The moment she was held, Gu Yihan gave her a big smile—and even laughed.

Grandma Gu was delighted.

“This child is quite lovable,” she thought.