Chapter 122 : Finale

“Qingqing, I know you’re in a lot of pain,” Fan Yajun said, leaning in close to Liang Qingqing. Seeing her pale face, she frowned with concern and gently advised, “But try to hold on a bit longer. We need to save our strength for later.”

Liang Qingqing gasped in pain but nodded after the intense wave of pain passed, managing to stop her tears.

“I’ll go downstairs and call for the car to come early to take us to the hospital. Yanxing, stay with Qingqing. Aunt, please get everything ready quickly,” Fan Yajun said decisively, given her experience with emergencies.

Fan Yanxing stayed by Liang Qingqing’s side. When Fan Yajun returned and said the car was ready, he hurriedly picked her up and carefully carried her downstairs.

The hospital was not crowded, and they moved quickly.

“Fan Yanxing,” Liang Qingqing said, lying on the hospital bed and unwilling to let go of his hand. Her eyes were filled with confusion and fear. Fan Yanxing, with tears in his eyes, squeezed her hand and said choked up, “Qingqing, I’m right outside.”

Though his words were of little practical use, they eased her pain a bit. She even managed a small smile and said, “I want to see you as soon as I come out.”

“Okay.” Despite his reluctance, Fan Yanxing had to be firm at this critical moment. He reluctantly let go of her hand as the doctors and nurses quickly closed the door to the operating room, shutting out the outside.

Fan Yanxing stood anxiously by the door, his eyes fixed on the closed door, glancing occasionally at his watch, and ignoring any attempts to persuade him to sit down.

“I’ll go with Aunt to send the message. Are you okay staying here alone?” Fan Yajun asked with concern. Upon hearing this, Fan Yanxing nodded slightly and said, “You go ahead. I’ll stay here.”

“Alright.” The hospital’s phone station was nearby, so the two of them notified the necessary people and then returned to wait by the door.

Time seemed to crawl by. Eventually, the red light above the operating room door went out. The three of them stepped forward almost simultaneously, nearly colliding with the nurse coming out.

“Mother and baby are safe. Please sign here,” the nurse said, startled by their sudden approach. Understanding their anxiety, she handed them a sheet of paper and a pen with a reassuring smile.

Hearing this, Fan Yanxing’s tense expression relaxed slightly. After signing the papers, he impatiently asked, “When can I see my wife?”

“You can see her in a moment. Just make sure to keep her warm and avoid any drafts…” the nurse offered some additional instructions. Shortly after, the bed with Liang Qingqing was wheeled out by two nurses.

“Qingqing!”

Upon calling her name, Fan Yanxing realized that Liang Qingqing had fallen into an exhausted sleep. Her bangs were damp with sweat, and she looked as though she had just been pulled from the water. Beside her pillow was a swaddled baby, waving tiny hands and feet, cooing and making sounds.

Seeing this scene, Fan Yanxing felt a warm rush through his heart, leaving an indelible mark on his life. He took a quick glance at the baby and then focused his attention back on Liang Qingqing. Seeing her safe and sound, the heavy weight on his chest was finally lifted.

Since new mothers cannot tolerate the cold, the group quickly moved the bed to the prearranged ward.

As night fell, Liang Qingqing, who had been sleeping deeply, gradually began to wake up.

She fluttered her eyelashes and, upon opening her eyes, met a pair of concerned and familiar eyes. The person immediately came to her side, speaking softly, “Qingqing.”

Having just come through a near-death experience, seeing a familiar face made her eyes well up with tears. She weakly called out, “Yanxing…”

“I’m here. I’ve always been here. Are you feeling any discomfort?” Fan Yanxing took her hand, his brows furrowed with concern.

Hearing his voice, Liang Qingqing then felt the pain below. She dared not move, fearing it might worsen her injury. Remembering something, she instinctively reached to feel her belly, but it was empty, and there was nothing there.

“Where’s the baby?” The habitual action made her face go pale, her breathing quickened, and she felt faint, as if her body were being torn apart. Large beads of sweat kept falling down.

“Don’t worry, he’s fine. They took him for further checks,” Fan Yanxing reassured her. “The baby is healthy and it won’t affect breastfeeding.”

After saying this, he helped her with eating and took care of her needs.

“Qingqing, you’ve worked so hard. Thank you.” Fan Yanxing looked at her with intense, tender eyes filled with endless affection. His fingertips gently brushed her face before he lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Their gazes met in mid-air, both seeing the tears welling up in each other’s eyes.

At that moment, Ma Xiuzhi returned holding the baby, allowing Liang Qingqing, the mother, to see her child for herself.

Liang Qingqing had briefly seen the baby immediately after the delivery in the operating room, but she had been too exhausted to fully take in the sight, only managing a quick glance before falling asleep. Now, she wanted to take a good look.

However, as she eagerly looked at her baby, a hint of disappointment crossed her mind, and she couldn’t help but mutter, “Why does he look so ugly?”

The quiet of the hospital room made her comment seem unusually loud, and it nearly reached everyone’s ears.

“You’re the mother! How can you say that about your own child? Where is he ugly? Eyes are eyes, nose is nose—he’s perfectly fine!” Ma Xiuzhi said sharply, pointing at Liang Qingqing’s nose from a distance. “He’ll look better once he grows up.”

“…”

Liang Qingqing let out an awkward laugh, feeling guilty. Although what she said wasn’t entirely wrong, it wasn’t very nice. The baby, wrapped in a milk-white blanket, wasn’t exactly handsome, just a small, cute bundle.

But then she remembered that her elder brother and sister-in-law’s second baby had also been wrinkled and bluish when born, and after some time, he became chubby and white, looking like a little fortune doll. The change was so dramatic it was hard to believe.

“Children grow up and look better eventually,” she thought, feeling a bit more reassured.

“Have you decided on a name for the baby?” Qu Qingying suddenly remembered and quickly seized the opportunity to ask. “The nurse asked me earlier about the registration, but since you were asleep, we couldn’t make a decision.”

Fan Yanxing and Liang Qingqing exchanged a glance, and Fan Yanxing spoke up, “Fan Jiayu, meaning ‘beautiful happiness, radiant and splendid.’”

The two of them flipped through dictionaries, coming up with several names but couldn’t decide on one, so they just ranked the names in order. The baby was born in the afternoon, which matched perfectly with the name Fan Jiayu, so they decided to go with it without further hesitation.

“It sounds nice, but we haven’t read many books. How do we write it?” Ma Xiuzhi and Liang Xueyong scratched their heads, showing rare embarrassment.

Qu Qingying smiled and said, “There are many homophones, so I can’t guess which character it is.”

This eased their discomfort a bit. Ma Xiuzhi let out a sigh of relief and asked Fan Yanxing to write it down. Fan Yanxing handed the baby to Xiao Jinhua and wrote the name on a piece of paper.

With the addition of the little bundle, the atmosphere in the hospital room became lively, everyone eagerly trying to entertain the adorable baby. Although the baby slept most of the time and would fall asleep again shortly after waking, everyone continued to enjoy the moment.

Liang Qingqing stayed in the hospital for over a week before being discharged. The winter winds made it daunting for someone in confinement, so she didn’t dare step outside and remained at home. After a long time, she felt almost like she was going to mold, but having the mothers from both families around to chat and help with the baby kept her from going crazy.

Given that Liang Qingqing had just finished her confinement, the baby’s one-month celebration was kept simple. The two families gathered for a meal, marking the occasion. It was on this day that Fan Fangming, the grandfather, finally saw his grandson in person for the first time.

Fan Jiayu, who had always been shy, wasn’t at all afraid of Fan Fangming. In fact, he even reached out his arms to be held, which made the usually stern and serious man break into a big smile. He immediately gifted a valuable gold lock and promised to personally teach the child to read and write in the future.

Liang Qingqing couldn’t help but laugh, thinking that her son’s knack for making connections was something he must have learned from her.

With the arrival of the new baby, they decided not to travel back to Beijing for the Spring Festival this year. Instead, Ma Xiuzhi suggested that both families stay in Changbei Province for the New Year. Liang Qingqing agreed and, after checking with Qu Qingying and the others, brought the whole family back to Daping Village. With a larger crowd, there was naturally more preparation for the New Year’s goods.

As soon as the children entered the supply and marketing cooperative, they headed straight for the fireworks, firecrackers, and pastries counters, and they were impossible to stop.

The adults, understanding that this was a special time of year, let them choose what they wanted. Fortunately, the kids were sensible and didn’t empty the shelves.

After buying the New Year’s goods, they quickly returned to the village to start decorating their homes, putting up festive red couplets and hanging red lanterns. Everyone worked together efficiently, tackling their tasks with coordination.

On New Year’s Eve, the kitchen was bustling from early in the morning, preparing a feast with a mix of Northern and Southern dishes that dazzled the eyes.

The family gathered around the table to toast, wishing for a prosperous year ahead and good health.

Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing sat side by side, chatting with everyone while occasionally checking on the baby in the crib. They felt a deep sense of contentment and happiness, enjoying the peaceful and sweet moment.

When their eyes met, Liang Qingqing smiled suddenly. From their initial deliberate approach to now being in sync, she was incredibly grateful for choosing the right person.

The future is long, but I believe that the people I love and those who love me will always be by my side.