WRS – Chapter 83

When Jin Xiuzhu got Li Yun to the hospital, the doctors and nurses immediately pushed her into the delivery room. The situation was quite urgent. A nurse came out holding a form, looking for Jin Xiuzhu. Since Jin Xiuzhu wasn’t a family member, she hesitated for a moment but still filled in Tan Hui’s information.

She waited outside the delivery room with two big bags in her hands. Hearing the screams coming from inside, her heart tightened—she had no idea what Li Yun must be feeling right now. When she herself gave birth, because Jiang Mingchuan had been waiting outside, she hadn’t felt too much fear or panic; she only thought about delivering the baby quickly to suffer less.

After waiting a long time—almost until dusk—the sound of a baby’s cry finally rang from inside. Jin Xiuzhu exhaled in relief. A moment later, a nurse came out asking for the baby’s clothes. Jin Xiuzhu hurriedly took them out of the bag and handed them over. The nurse took them and closed the door again.

These were the clothes Liuliu wore as a newborn. She had kept them all this time, unable to throw them away. They were washed pristinely and looked almost new. She brought them out for Li Yun earlier so she wouldn’t need to prepare these things herself. Li Yun really liked them, praising how lovely they were.

Soon after, the nurse came out holding the baby.

Jin Xiuzhu nervously reached out to take the child. The baby was tiny, wrapped in a small quilt, only half a palm-sized face showing—red, wrinkly, with little puckered lips, as if still not done crying. If not for this little one in her arms, Jin Xiuzhu could hardly recall what Liuliu looked like as a newborn.

The nurse said, “Born at 19:43. A boy. Six jin and one liang.”

Jin Xiuzhu’s expression softened. “How’s the mother?”

“She’s fine. She’ll be out soon. Remember to pay the hospitalization fee later.”

“Alright.”

The nurse returned, and soon Li Yun was pushed out. She forced her eyes open, saw Jin Xiuzhu holding the baby at the door, and managed a small smile. Jin Xiuzhu smiled back, “The baby’s fine.”

Relieved, Li Yun closed her eyes and fell asleep. Two nurses pushed her into the ward. There were no other patients inside. Jin Xiuzhu pointed to the bed near the window, and the nurses placed Li Yun there.

Jin Xiuzhu put the baby beside her to sleep, then said to one of the nurses, “I’ll go pay the hospitalization fee now. Please help keep an eye on the mother and child. Her husband is a soldier and can’t rush back right away.”

Hearing that, the nurse softened and agreed. “Alright.”

Jin Xiuzhu went out to pay the bill. Before leaving home earlier, she had left a note on the table—she wondered if the three children had seen it.

Thinking about this, she headed back toward the ward, only to see three familiar little figures in the hallway. Slightly startled, she asked, “How did you find your way here?”

The three children turned at her voice. When they saw their mother, smiles bloomed across their faces. He Yan even called out, “Mom——”

Jin Xiuzhu brought them into the ward. He Yan handed her a lunchbox, then he and his sister leaned over the bedside to look at the newborn.

Liuliu even tried to reach out to touch him but was stopped by Fu Yanyan. “He’s too little. You can’t touch him.”

“Oh.”

Liuliu didn’t get upset. She blinked her big eyes curiously.

Afraid the smell of food wouldn’t disperse easily, Jin Xiuzhu went to the doorway to eat. After watching for a while, He Yan came out too and asked, “Mom, what about Auntie Li? Do you have to stay with her all the time? Who’s going to take care of her during her postpartum month?”

He knew his mother was kind and that Auntie Li was pitiful, but he didn’t want her to tire herself out—after all, it wasn’t their family’s responsibility.

Hearing the worry hidden in his tone, Jin Xiuzhu explained, “Your Auntie Li has her own plans. She already found someone before—arranged for them to come take care of her. Everything happened suddenly today, so she didn’t have time to tell them.”

He Yan sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled warmly. “Go home and study for a bit. I’ll stay here a while longer.”

He Yan shook his head. “It’s alright. I finished my homework.”

He didn’t want to leave. He knew Mom was waiting for Auntie Li’s husband to come. He also knew about the divorce—they hadn’t divorced yet, so he figured the man would come tonight.

Sure enough, around 8:30, two figures appeared at the top of the stairs. The one in front was Jiang Mingchuan.

Since He Yan was a boy, it wasn’t convenient for him to stay inside the ward too long, so he stood at the door. He saw Jiang Mingchuan first and stepped forward. “Dad.”

Jiang Mingchuan patted his shoulder. “Where’s your mom?”

He Yan tilted his head. “Inside.”

Jiang Mingchuan nodded. Tan Hui, who had been walking behind him, couldn’t wait any longer and quickly strode into the ward.

The lights were on. As soon as he entered, he saw his pale-faced wife sitting on the bed, slowly eating. Beside her sat a tiny bundled shape—round and plump, though he couldn’t see the baby’s face.

Li Yun saw Tan Hui and showed no reaction, continuing to eat.

Tan Hui walked forward. Jin Xiuzhu picked up the baby and showed him. “It’s a boy. Six jin and one liang.”

Tan Hui lowered his head to look at the sleeping little bundle. His heart melted. He wanted to reach out but froze halfway, afraid of hurting the fragile little thing.

Considerate as always, Jin Xiuzhu told him, “No matter what’s between the two of you, half this child’s blood comes from you. You should hold him.”

With that, she handed the baby to him.

Tan Hui quickly reached out and took him. Feeling the warm, soft weight in his arms, his whole body stiffened.

Li Yun said to Jin Xiuzhu, “Sister-in-law, you can head back now. Thank you for today.”

Jin Xiuzhu glanced at the couple, gave an acknowledging “alright,” and left with her two daughters.

At the door, she saw Jiang Mingchuan. She smiled. “Why did you come too?”

“I saw Tan Hui on the way here. Knew his wife was giving birth. I figured you’d be here, so I came along.”

She nodded. Jiang Mingchuan glanced into the room and asked, “Shall we go?”

“Let’s. Nothing else for us to do here.”

The family of five headed downstairs. Once outside the hospital, Jin Xiuzhu began recounting the events of the afternoon. “It was really dangerous earlier. Halfway here, her water broke. I didn’t know what to do except talk her through it as we rushed here. Thankfully, we were already in the city.”

Jiang Mingchuan knew some of the issues between the couple and didn’t know how to comment. “It’d be best if they didn’t divorce. A child losing his father the moment he’s born… and Li Yun has no job. Even if she loves medicine, she can’t earn money right now.”

Jin Xiuzhu shook her head. “It’s not something easy to advise on. If she doesn’t divorce, she’ll be stuck in a mess forever. That woman simply won’t go away, and the man can’t see clearly. Dragging this on isn’t worth it. Divorce will be hard, yes, but once she has hope and plans, her future won’t be bad.”

Her thinking was different. She preferred to cut through problems quickly—once she knew something was wrong, she believed she should push the person far, far away. She wouldn’t let anything disrupt her life, otherwise endless troubles would follow.

Break before you can rebuild. Only after breaking can there be new life.

Especially in her eyes, a man who hesitated and wavered like that wasn’t worth wasting time on at all.

Jiang Mingchuan wanted to say something more, but Jin Xiuzhu turned her head and looked at him, sizing him up before warning, “If you ever dare keep a mistress outside, I absolutely won’t be as mild-tempered as Li Yun, only opting for divorce. Divorce is certain, but I definitely won’t let you off easy.”

He Yan jumped in immediately, “Dad, if you ever treat Mom like that, I definitely won’t talk to you. I’ll stay with Mom.”

Liuliu added, “I’ll stay with Mom too.”

Fu Yanyan didn’t speak, but also nodded.

Looking at his wife and three kids all united, Jiang Mingchuan snapped, “How could I possibly do something like that? Keep what mistress? When do I ever have time that I don’t go straight home?”

That part was indeed true.

Jin Xiuzhu nodded in satisfaction. “My judgment is still pretty good.”

Jiang Mingchuan couldn’t help but laugh angrily, but he still said, “Word about Tan Hui has reached leadership too. They’ve talked to him several times. When you have time, talk to Li Yun properly. Divorce won’t be any good for either of them.”

Jin Xiuzhu knew that in Jiang Mingchuan’s heart, family was the most important thing. She wasn’t like him—her children and herself came first, men came second.

Still, she responded with a simple “Got it.”

The next day, she went to the hospital again. When she arrived, a middle-aged woman was sitting by Li Yun’s bed, holding the baby and coaxing him to sleep.

Seeing her, Li Yun explained, “This is Sister Huang. I asked around and got her to help me during confinement.”

Sister Huang nodded with a smile when she saw Jin Xiuzhu. “Hello, I’ll let you two chat. I’ll go wash the dishes.”

She gently handed the baby to Li Yun, then took the empty bowls and left.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled back and sat on the small wooden stool where Sister Huang had been sitting.

Li Yun looked much more energetic today. She told her, “He brought three hundred yuan last night, said it was for me to use temporarily. I didn’t bother being polite—I took it right then and told him I’m learning traditional medicine and want to find a master. He said he’d contact someone at the TCM hospital for me. I’m thinking very clearly now. If he’s offering something on his own, I should take it. No reason to turn it down.”

“That’s right. Otherwise, you’re only letting yourself suffer.”

“Exactly. Like you said—the baby carries half his blood. He’s responsible. And I only came here and lost my job because of the pressure from his family. I can’t be the only one losing out. He’ll have a new family in the future. While he’s still willing to take responsibility now, I need to secure something for the child.”

“It’s good that you’ve figured this out.”

Li Yun smiled. “I really troubled you yesterday.”

Jin Xiuzhu replied, “What trouble? Have you decided on a name for the baby?”

Looking down at the child, Li Yun’s voice softened. “I thought of one before—Nanxing.”

Jin Xiuzhu tilted her head. “Nanxing? That’s nice. It’s also the name of a medicinal herb. It carries an auspicious meaning—smooth sailing, bright and radiant.”

“I just hope he can grow up safe and smooth his whole life.”

“He will,” Jin Xiuzhu said seriously.

Over the next two days, Jin Xiuzhu visited daily, bringing nourishing soups. After three days in the hospital, Li Yun was discharged. Sister Huang moved into the unit next door to continue helping.

Sister Huang had been introduced by a vegetable seller after chatting with Li Yun during pregnancy. Li Yun had a soft personality and didn’t refuse after seeing that the woman seemed reliable.

She knew certain expenses couldn’t be avoided. She wasn’t actually as poor as outsiders imagined—she had saved several hundred yuan during her years as a teacher before marriage. The bride price and her dowry were also still with her. Altogether, it was a considerable amount.

Even if Tan Hui gave her nothing, she could raise the child until school age.

She hired help partly so she wouldn’t trouble Jin Xiuzhu—she disliked burdening others.

Sister Huang took very good care of her—kept the house spotless, cooked light meals that suited her stomach. When the confinement month ended, Li Yun still couldn’t bring herself to send her away and hired her for another month.

The day after confinement ended, Tan Hui came again, and they finalized the divorce.

He gave her a sum—not as much as she’d hoped, but still quite a lot. He said all the money had been kept by his mother. Knowing her temperament, he didn’t mention the divorce, only said he needed money, so she only gave him half.

He said he would give her the remaining amount when he returned for the New Year. He also introduced her to a job—following an experienced TCM doctor as an intern at the hospital. If she passed the exams later, she would become a full-time employee.

Even an intern earned wages, though only twenty yuan a month. Tan Hui would also give her half his salary every month.

She didn’t know how he found such a good opportunity, but wisely didn’t ask.

Because of this, she planned to keep Sister Huang longer.

After resting another ten days or so, she began her internship at the hospital.

That evening, she came over hugging her child, unable to hide her excitement. “This morning, when I started work, Teacher probably thought I knew nothing, so he taught me basics. Then he realized I knew all of it and tested me on the spot—I answered everything correctly. He was very satisfied and let me follow him during consultations. He even let me check patients’ pulses today.”

Her eyes sparkled—she clearly loved the job.

The baby in her arms was quiet, looking wide-eyed at Jin Xiuzhu.

Taking him, Jin Xiuzhu soothed him and told her to learn diligently from the elder doctor.

Li Yun nodded earnestly. “Yes, Master. In my heart, you’re my master. He’s my teacher. I distinguish clearly.”

Both were her seniors, but Jin Xiuzhu held a higher place—she had led her into this path and taught her much.

Especially during today’s assessment, she could tell her foundation was much more solid than the other interns’.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled. “What matters is your medical skills improving. Everything else is secondary. You have a job now, and you like it. Work hard and build a future for yourself.”

“Mhm.”

After chatting a bit more, Li Yun left with her child, her steps light and her whole demeanor brighter, confident.

Fu Yanyan paused her writing, staring at Li Yun’s departing figure, momentarily dazed.

Jin Xiuzhu teased gently, “What are you staring at so intently?”

Fu Yanyan shook her head. “Nothing… I just think Auntie Li Yun is doing so well now. She found something she loves and is living for herself and her child.”

In the previous life, the “Jin Xiuzhu” who divorced and came south with her had probably wanted to do the same—build a career of her own and show Jiang Dad that leaving him was the right choice. Unfortunately, she later lost herself—abandoned her daughter, abandoned her career, and was played around by her lover.

She hoped that this time, Auntie Li Yun would have a different ending.

Meanwhile, Bai Jingzhi’s letter arrived. She said she’d arranged the girl next door, and that the little one was very diligent—she just used too little salt and oil when cooking, but improved after being told once.

She bought the girl clothes and shoes. When she worked from home, she let the girl read beside her. The girl was serious and hardworking; she liked her very much.

Jin Xiuzhu wrote a thank-you letter to Qian Yufeng and sent over a large package of local specialties.

In the summer of 1979, He Yan took the college entrance exam.

Jin Xiuzhu: Son, do your best. Mom wants to go travel in the neighboring provincial capital.

Jiang Mingchuan: Don’t be nervous. Just perform as usual.

Fu Yanyan: Hurry and get admitted somewhere far. Then I’ll be the oldest at home.

Liuliu: Then I’ll be the second oldest!

He Yan: You two are heartless—without me, who’s going to cook for you?

Fu Yanyan: …

Liuliu: Oh no… I celebrated too early.