Gu Yunyun was frantic with worry too. She wanted to help, but the cart needed people on both sides, and she couldn’t get off.
Gu Yunyun anxiously grabbed Yao Hongyan’s hand, but Yao Hongyan squeezed back, her fingernails digging deep into Gu Yunyun’s flesh. It hurt so much she wanted to pull away, when she suddenly spotted an oxcart ambling slowly toward them from not far away.
“Hongyan-jie, big brother, it’s Old Man Sun—our village’s oxcart!”
“You brought her in too late.”
At the town clinic, the sky had gone completely dark, and the doctor walked out with a grave expression.
“Doctor, how’s the child?”
Gu Niancheng was beside himself with worry. The moment he finally saw the doctor emerge, he rushed forward and grabbed the doctor’s arm.
“Your son is fine, but because too much time was lost, and he was premature to begin with, our preliminary assessment is that the child has a heart condition.”
“What?”
The siblings were stunned speechless.
Heart condition? What did that mean?
“Raise him well and bring him in for regular check-ups, and the child can still grow up healthy.”
The doctor offered reassurance as the operating room doors opened again, and a nurse came out carrying the baby.
It was also Gu Niancheng’s first time seeing the child.
The face was wrinkled, the skin sallow, but the lips were faintly tinged with black.
“Th-this… this child…”
Gu Niancheng was startled. He’d seen newborns before, and other people’s babies looked just fine, but this one…
“Also, the mother had severe hemorrhaging. It’s likely she’ll have great difficulty conceiving again in the future…”
Boom… Gu Niancheng’s lips trembled, his face turning deathly pale.
Gu Yunyun had long since been scared senseless. It wasn’t until Yao Hongyan was wheeled out that she finally snapped back to her senses:
“Big brother, what did the doctor mean? Is the child sick? We don’t have any money at home either—how are we supposed to raise him?”
“It’s all Lin Qingyue’s fault. If she hadn’t taken the oxcart, how could the child have ended up like this?”
Gu Niancheng’s gaze suddenly sharpened. “Lin Qingyue!! Right, it’s all her fault!”
“She’s at the hospital too. That woman is truly vicious. If she hadn’t maliciously taken the oxcart, how could the child have a heart condition? I’m going to settle this with her right now!”
“Nurse, has Lin Qingyue given birth? Which ward is she in?”
The moment she saw the clothes the old lady was wearing, Lin Qingyue guessed the old lady was well-off. When it came time to eat, Lin Qingyue was even more certain.
They’d chosen to eat at a state-run restaurant.
Here, even a modest meal for five people cost over ten yuan—this wasn’t something just anyone could afford.
“Comrade Lin, this is from our regiment commander.” Babyface handed over a bag, but Lin Qingyue quickly shook her head:
“No need.”
It was clothes—bought from Baihuo Dalou, no less.
“A thank-you gift.”
The man’s voice was calm, yet carried a commanding tone that brooked no refusal.
“Oh my, granddaughter-in-law, look at how worn your clothes are. Just take it and go change into the new ones.”
“You rascal, you’ve finally learned to take care of your own wife.”
The old lady snatched the bag without argument and firmly pressed it into Lin Qingyue’s hands.
Lin Qingyue…
“Granny, I—”
“What ‘Granny’? Just call me Nainai. Calling me Granny puts us at the wrong generational distance.”
The old lady gazed at Lin Qingyue’s belly with kind, affectionate eyes. “Once that little one in your belly is born, that’s when they should call me old granny.”
Lin Qingyue had no idea how to explain herself. No matter what she said, the old lady refused to believe her. Fortunately, the waitress arrived with the dishes—braised pork, sauce-braised pork hock, and chicken stewed with mushrooms…
Six dishes, and every single one was meat.
This meal probably cost close to twenty yuan.
Thinking about the pitiful twenty-some yuan she had on her, Lin Qingyue suddenly felt incredibly poor.
She was almost too embarrassed to eat. What should she do?
“Comrade Lin, go ahead and eat! You’re carrying a child in your belly, you must be hungry.”
Fu Xingzhou suddenly spoke up, and right on cue, Lin Qingyue’s stomach let out a growl. Pregnant women really couldn’t handle hunger.
“Oh dear, granddaughter-in-law, eat up quickly! You mustn’t starve my precious great-grandchild.”
Chicken, braised pork—the old lady hurriedly piled food onto Lin Qingyue’s plate, and before long, the small bowl in front of her was stacked high.
“Alright, Grandma, I can’t eat this much. You should eat too.”
That meal left Lin Qingyue feeling utterly satisfied.
The rich meats and heavy dishes she used to dislike had now become something precious.
As for the old lady and Fu Xingzhou—once she went back, they probably wouldn’t have any more contact, would they?
The night passed without a word. Early the next morning, Lin Qingyue only wanted to get back as soon as possible.
That young widow Yao Hongyan had gone into labor yesterday. Had she given birth yet?
Would that child, just like in her previous life, be a premature baby with a heart condition?
Lin Qingyue couldn’t wait to go back and see.
With that thought, she tidied herself up a bit, preparing to leave as quickly as she could.
But…
Before she even made it out the door of the guesthouse, she ran straight into the old lady rushing over in a hurry.
“Granddaughter-in-law, look, I brought you breakfast.”
As she spoke, the old lady raised her arm, holding a cloth bag in her hand.
“Millet porridge and meat buns—they’re delicious.”
Seeing the sincerity on the old woman’s face, Lin Qingyue suddenly felt her nose sting with emotion.
She thought of her previous life again. Gu Niancheng rarely ever came home, and she had to take care of the entire family all by herself.
Gu Niancheng’s father was paralyzed, and his mother was in poor health, with half her body not functioning properly.
She had devotedly cared for those two elderly people for over twenty years—but what did she get in return?
She, the daughter-in-law from a rural background, was ultimately no match for Yao Hongyan, that city girl!
But before she married Gu Niancheng, she had also been an educated youth sent down from the city to the countryside.
Especially Mother Ning—after she became paralyzed, her temper turned foul. After a day of exhausting work, Lin Qingyue would come back and cook for her, and if the old lady didn’t like it, she’d throw it right in her face.
Several times, her face and body were scalded and blistered.
It hurt so much she wanted to cry, but with a whole family waiting for her to serve them, as the pillar of the household, how could she afford to cry?
Afterward, Mother Gu would apologize in every way possible, saying she only hated her own uselessness and couldn’t control her temper!
And this old lady before her—she had only bought her a meal, and yet how was she being treated?
Without comparison, she wouldn’t have known. How foolish she had been in the past! If only she could really have a grandmother like this.
Lin Qingyue raised her head, trying her best to keep the tears from falling.
“Granddaughter-in-law, eat up! While it’s still hot.”
From a distance, a figure walked over, took the bag from the old lady’s hand, and pointed to the round table not far away:
“Let’s go eat over there.”
The millet porridge was thick and rich—no doubt it had been simmered for a long time. The buns were delicious too, still piping hot.
The old lady watched Lin Qingyue intently, even thoughtfully handing her the porridge.
Lin Qingyue’s eyes were slightly reddened. This meal left her heart feeling sour and heavy.
When she finally finished eating, the old lady nudged her eldest grandson: “You rascal, hurry up and see your wife off.”
Fu Xingzhou’s thin lips curved slightly as he stood up and picked up Lin Qingyue’s small bag.
She had come out empty-handed; the bag contained the old clothes she had changed out of yesterday.
The old lady watched the two of them leave together, her face beaming with satisfaction.
“Thank you, Brother Fu.” Lin Qingyue was genuinely grateful.
“Going back today?”
As they stepped out of the guesthouse, the man’s cool voice drifted over.
“Mm.”
“Take care on the road, Comrade Lin Qingyue!”
The man’s voice was low, like a gentle breeze brushing past her heart, leaving a faint tickle.
Many people had called her name before, but this was the first time she felt her ears grow slightly warm at the sound.
It must be because of what the old lady had just implied. What was she even thinking? Having been reborn into a new life, who would still yearn for romance? She needed to make money and raise her daughter!