RYEY -Chapter 276 Jiang Meili Has Returned

Cheng Qiao keenly sensed Qin Daqiang’s anger and quickly smiled, trying to smooth things over: “Commander Qin, this is my eldest son, Xuhui. He’s been going to school with Lele since childhood, and they’re very close.”

Cheng Qiao deliberately said “very close” in the sense of family affection, not necessarily good friends—this made clear that their bond was familial, completely different from what Qin Daqiang had in mind.

It was only then that Qin Daqiang realized his misunderstanding. He also recalled that Li Bing had told him Xuhui was the one who had saved his nephew’s life. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he said: “Kid, you look strong. Do you want to join the army?”

Xuhui’s eyes lit up. His father had been a soldier who sacrificed his life for the country, and being a soldier himself had always been his dream.

Cheng Qiao, anxious, quickly pulled Xuhui aside and whispered a few words in his ear. Xuhui’s eyes shone even brighter. Smiling, he looked at Qin Daqiang and said with determination:
“Commander Qin, I want to join the army—but not now, in two years.”

Qin Daqiang furrowed his brow slightly. He didn’t understand why Xuhui wanted to wait two years. Sixteen was the perfect age to enlist; missing it would make training more difficult.

But Xuhui was Li Huan’s eldest son. Even if Qin wanted to bring him into the military immediately, it still depended on whether Li Huan and his wife agreed.

“Alright, if you want to serve, two years it is. But you must agree to serve at my stationed unit.”

Xuhui didn’t reply. His mother had told him that after graduating high school, he could try for a military academy. If accepted, his posting location wouldn’t be up to him.

Qin Guoqing glanced at Xuhui with pride. The boy was only six years younger than him, but once he married Lele, he’d even have to call Qin Guoqing “uncle.”

Since Qin Guoqing and the others had taken leave to collect supplies, they couldn’t stay long and had to leave early the next day.

But this time, Jiang Meili stayed behind. Her due date was in August, so she had returned to give birth. Due to her pregnancy, she had also transferred from the Performing Arts Troupe to the logistics department.

Thanks to some maneuvering by her father, Jiang Hua, her reporting date for the logistics department was postponed until after she gave birth. This gave Jiang Meili some free time.

Originally, Yuan Qin had planned to serve Jiang Meili during her confinement, having prepared everything. But unexpectedly, Jiang Meili announced she wanted to return to Xiangyang Village to give birth.

Yuan Qin was furious. After all the money and effort she had spent preparing for her daughter’s pregnancy…

She had prepared the baby’s clothes, bottles, diapers, cradles, and strollers, all handcrafted by skilled carpenters. She had even prepared food and care for Jiang Meili during her confinement. And yet, at the last moment, Jiang Meili wanted to deliver in the poor, under-equipped mountain village of Xiangyang. What if something went wrong?

Jiang Meili glanced at her mother. She knew exactly what her mother was thinking: taking advantage of the baby’s birth while Li Bing wasn’t around to register the child’s household registration secretly.

Of course, the household registration would go to Yuan Qin, and the child would have the Jiang surname. How did she know? She had overheard it at night while going to the bathroom.

She didn’t dare tell Li Bing. He wasn’t like Li Huan, who spoiled his wife to the extreme—even the youngest, Cheng Li, had the surname Li at Li Huan’s insistence.

If she acted without consulting him, Li Bing would never forgive her. She understood her parents; like Cheng Qiao, she was an only daughter, and they naturally wanted grandchildren. But they didn’t understand Li Bing. If she negotiated with him first, it might have been possible to reach a compromise. After all, the Li family already had Li Ming and Li Xiaonuan.

But if she acted first and reported later, she would gain nothing. Even if a dispute arose, Jiang’s family would be in the wrong. Li Bing had given a generous bride price after all.

She also couldn’t offend her parents too much. Even after marriage, tradition said a daughter should maintain ties with her natal home. She didn’t want to ruin her relationship with her parents over this.

So the only solution was to deliver in Xiangyang Village, then register the household there. Later, when the child started school, the registration could be transferred to the parents’ location.

“Sister-in-law, I leave my wife in your care. I don’t understand why she insists on giving birth here instead of the military hospital, but I believe she has a good reason.”

Cheng Qiao smiled. She guessed that Jiang Meili’s strong-willed mother wanted to escape Yuan Qin’s control. No one wanted to live in someone else’s shadow.

After Li Bing left, Cheng Qiao checked Jiang Meili’s pulse and found the baby was in a breech position. If this continued, childbirth could be dangerous unless a cesarean was performed.

“Meili, your baby is in the wrong position. Do you want a cesarean or to start correcting it now?”

“I don’t want surgery. There will be scars on my belly.”

“Then we’ll correct the baby’s position. You must walk five thousand steps daily, and I’ll have my master prepare some herbal pills for you.”

Hearing that the pills would be prepared by Ye Jun, Jiang Meili was thrilled. Ye Jun was a renowned doctor, who, if not betrayed by villains, would have become a medical luminary.

Even in summer, the wind felt hot on the face. On the hottest day in August, a sudden torrential rain fell, scaring Li Huan.

“Could it be another flood this year?” Li Huan worried. But Cheng Qiao shook her head. Little Redhead (Xiaohongtou) was in the mountains. If anything happened, he, being deathly afraid, would descend immediately.

Yet there was no sign of him. It was just a normal heavy rain. Li Huan relaxed, but his mother rushed in, calling anxiously to Cheng Qiao: “Qiao! Meili’s labor has started!”

Cheng Qiao quickly put on her shoes and ran to Jiang Meili’s room. Sure enough, Jiang Meili’s face was pale, and she was breathing heavily—labor had begun.

She sighed. She had suggested that Jiang Meili go to the hospital days ago, but she refused. Yuan Qin had come, and Cheng Qiao couldn’t leave her sister-in-law’s side.

“Meili, how are you now? Let me check if it’s still possible to go to the hospital.”

Jiang Meili shook her head, looking anxiously at Cheng Qiao. Cheng Qiao quickly turned to Mother Li and Yuan Qin: “Mother, go fetch the midwife. Sister-in-law, heat water in the kitchen.”

Once they left, Jiang Meili pulled Cheng Qiao aside and had her remove a brick from the wall, revealing a small cloth bundle wrapped in kraft paper: “Cheng Qiao, we can’t go to the hospital. Here is our marriage certificate. After I give birth, take the baby immediately to register the household. The name is already chosen, inside the certificate. Remember, the surname must be Li.”