MGASC -Chapter 174 Don’t Panic, I’m Here

Jin Quan held the receiver, listened to the few sentences on the other end, explained to them that Zhang Qiao was about to give birth, and then hung up.

Zhang Ling sensed something was wrong. “Did my brother-in-law pick up? What did he say?”

Jin Quan’s black eyes, sharp like a leopard’s, suddenly locked onto her, making Zhang Ling’s heart tighten again.

“The guesthouse said Tianyue is already on his way to Jiangcheng.”

Zhang Ling let out a sigh of relief. “That’s great…”

“He’s driving a truck with Gu Yu. It’ll probably take two or three days at least to get here.”

“What?”

Zhang Ling was so scared she almost hit him—two or three days! By the time Lin Tianyue returned, Zhang Qiao would probably be discharged already.

“You… why didn’t you tell me everything at once? It’ll take so long for him to get here, and the doctor still needs the family to sign. What should I do? Qiao Qiao may not show it on the surface, but she must be panicking. I shouldn’t have let my brother-in-law go out in the first place.”

Her face flushed red with worry.

Jin Quan frowned, interrupting her. “Look at you, getting all worked up. What’s the point? If the man doesn’t come back, does that mean the woman won’t give birth?”

“Listen… are you even speaking human language?”

Not wanting to argue, Jin Quan made a quick decision. “Here’s what we’ll do. You stay at the hospital, I’ll go home to get some things. Don’t panic—I’ll be back in at most three hours. If a signature is really needed, you’re her sister, so you sign!”

Zhang Ling was very anxious. Could she really sign for her?

But under Jin Quan’s steady gaze, she gritted her teeth and nodded.

Her hand unconsciously grabbed his arm, as if he were her only anchor. “Then go quickly and come back quickly.”

“Don’t worry.”

Once Jin Quan left, Zhang Ling felt a hollow ache in her chest.

But she knew she couldn’t panic. Right now, Zhang Qiao could only rely on her.

Fortunately, Jin Quan was there.

It wouldn’t be a complete disaster.

Back in the ward, Zhang Qiao leaned against the bed, drowsy. Each time her eyelids were about to close, she was disturbed by the family in the next bed.

They seemed to have never seen a boy before. Having given birth to a baby boy, they were ecstatic.

The baby’s mother was still asleep, but because the baby was crying, the grandmother said the baby was hungry. Ignoring the fact that there were others in the room, she undid the mother’s clothes and placed the baby on her chest.

Awakened by the commotion, the new mother had to endure the pain and hold the baby. But having just given birth and lacking proper nutrition, she had no milk, and the baby cried even harder. The mother-in-law and husband complained about the daughter-in-law being useless and eventually decided to give the baby some rice water first.

When Zhang Ling came in, she saw Zhang Qiao frowning, clearly annoyed. Seeing the other family making a ruckus, she warned them, “Keep your voices down. This ward isn’t just for your family.”

Unexpectedly, that family’s mother-in-law haughtily said, “Giving birth makes you high and mighty! Don’t like the noise? Go stay in a VIP room!”

“What high and mighty? And yet you think being so loud makes you right?”

“Right or wrong, none of your business! Try shouting again!”

The man from that family bellowed threats. They were numerous, and on Zhang Qiao’s side, it was just her and her sister. Zhang Ling didn’t want to upset Zhang Qiao, so she chose to keep silent.

“Qiao Qiao, since you’re awake, come, have something to eat first.”

Zhang Ling suppressed her anger and opened the lunch box she brought.

Zhang Qiao sat up and sniffed. “Smells so good.”

Her sister had bought her a portion of steamed egg custard, two dishes—braised pork with green beans and stir-fried garlic scapes—and red bean porridge as the staple. Each item was neatly presented and looked very appetizing.

Although anxious inside, Zhang Qiao appeared calm. She gave her sister a pair of chopsticks so they could eat together.

Zhang Ling was worried and had no appetite.

“Sister, did you call him?”

“Mm.”

Seeing her sister still anxious, Zhang Qiao added, “Tianyue’s coming from far away. Even if he starts now, it’ll take two or three days. Don’t worry, it’s enough that he knows. When he arrives, if the baby’s already born, consider it a surprise for him.”

Zhang Ling had been fretting about how to tell her sister, but Zhang Qiao had already guessed.

Feeling a bit relieved, Zhang Ling picked up a piece of meat for her sister: “You have a big heart. Don’t worry, I’m here. Quan went home to get your things and the baby. He said he’ll be back soon.”

Zhang Qiao nodded in response.

Still, if her heart wasn’t big, what could she do? Jin Quan was away, and she could only hope for the best.

Oh well, childbirth was an emergency. What comes, comes.

Meanwhile, the other family continued to be loud and boisterous.

Zhang Ling was frustrated but didn’t dare to provoke them, and she certainly didn’t want her sister to get upset.

“Qiao Qiao, sorry you have to stay here. I asked the doctor—besides the regular ward, only the cadre ward has better conditions, but it requires approval. Should we ask Su Yin?”

Zhang Qiao sipped her porridge and smiled. “Forget it. We’ve already borrowed enough favors when renting a place. It’s fine; I’m not that fussy.”

Though claiming not to be fussy, she still worried a bit—now that the baby was born, with all this noise, could the baby rest properly?

Perhaps motherhood makes one tough. She wasn’t worried about herself, only the baby. Being immobile, she couldn’t do anything, but she would have wanted to find a better room otherwise.

Zhang Ling had bought too much food. Even for two people, a lot was left over.

While Zhang Qiao rested, Zhang Ling busied herself fetching water, washing her face, and wiping her down. Around nine at night, the doctor checked the ward again. Zhang Qiao’s cervix was dilating slowly, so the doctor said, given the current situation, delivery would probably be tomorrow.

The unfinished food remained on the table.

Next door, the grandparents had gone home, leaving only the husband and eldest sister-in-law of the new mother.

“The baby hasn’t even been born, but the food looks pretty good. Such a waste if it’s a girl.”

The eldest sister-in-law from that family sneered at Zhang Qiao’s side, where there were only two women.

She had only eaten a pancake while watching over the child. She kept glancing at the food on Zhang Qiao’s table, eyes never leaving it.

Zhang Ling felt protective of her sister. Besides dinner, she had bought some fruits—bananas, tangerines, and a can of food—which made the siblings across from them envious.

The man chimed in: “It’s been a while, and her man still hasn’t come. Could it be an illegitimate child?”

Zhang Qiao had already fallen asleep. Zhang Ling hadn’t wanted to argue, but hearing that, she snapped: “What are you talking about?”

“Why are you shouting? Don’t disturb my son. How rude to shout so loudly!”

“Exactly! During the day, we can’t speak loudly, but now you shout? If you wake my nephew tonight, don’t expect to sleep either!”

Seeing Zhang Qiao shift uncomfortably, Zhang Ling realized she was about to wake.

She trembled with anger. “Crazy! Being in the same ward as you is like having eight generations of bad luck. So what if you have a son…”