Chapter 107.2

In the delivery room.

Wen Nuan lay on the specially designed delivery bed, feeling the unbearable waves of contractions. Even when Doctor Li instructed her to spread her legs, she couldn’t respond in time.

Gu Qinglan stood by her side, holding her hand tightly. “Sister-in-law, don’t exert yourself just yet. Wait until Doctor Li tells you to push, then you can push, alright?”

Wen Nuan was both embarrassed and cold, gritting her teeth and nodding her head.

She finally understood why painless childbirth was promoted in later times; this pain was truly life-threatening…

Doctor Li noticed Wen Nuan’s tension and gently comforted her, “Xiao Nuan, relax. You’re not fully dilated yet, so don’t push prematurely. Just follow my instructions. Do you believe in me? You can definitely deliver your baby safely.”

When Wen Nuan was in the labor room earlier, she had heard people scolding the women in labor, telling them not to scream and to conserve their energy for the delivery.

But she really couldn’t help it. The pain made it impossible to hold back her cries; it was almost uncontrollable.

Doctor Li had already applied acupuncture needles to her, which had helped dull the pain a little at first. But as time passed, the pain became more intense, and the acupuncture didn’t help much anymore.

So when Wen Nuan heard Doctor Li speaking to her so gently, she felt a little warmth in her heart.

She exhaled a breath and softly murmured, “Mm.”

Seeing that Wen Nuan was using the correct method of pushing, Doctor Li softly reminded her, “Remember, breathe in through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Take it slow, don’t rush. You’re doing great.”

Wen Nuan obediently followed Doctor Li’s instructions, breathing deeply through her nose and exhaling slowly.

But when the next wave of pain hit, Wen Nuan couldn’t help but grip Gu Qinglan’s hand tightly and cry out, “Qinglan, it hurts so much…”

“Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, relax. Don’t push just yet…” Gu Qinglan, although he had assisted other doctors with deliveries before, couldn’t help but feel panicked when he saw his sister-in-law in so much pain.

“Almost there, almost there, Xiao Nuan, you have to keep going. You’ll be able to see your baby soon, and Captain Gu and Lele are waiting for you outside,” Doctor Li encouraged.

At this moment, Gu Qinghan was standing against the wall outside the delivery room, anxiously looking towards it.

For the first time, he truly felt fear, even more so than when he had narrowly escaped death in the plane crash.

Especially when he heard the chaotic screams coming from inside the delivery room, the color drained from his face, leaving him pale. Each cry felt like a thunderclap, striking his heart, both painful and numbing.

In this moment, he wanted to calm himself, but his mind was completely blank, save for thoughts of Wen Nuan.

As he watched the sun rise higher, Gu Qinghan felt as though each passing second lasted a year.

Aunt Chen, holding Lele, anxiously paced back and forth. The child, likely waking up with the others, quickly fell asleep again, resting on Aunt Chen’s shoulder.

Sister Juxiang took the baby from Aunt Chen and, like the others, anxiously glanced toward the delivery room.

Zhang Guihua had returned some time ago, but Gu Qinghan didn’t want to change clothes, fearful of missing the moment of the baby’s birth.

It was unclear how much time had passed.

Just as Gu Qinghan crouched down against the wall, a sudden, painful scream echoed from the delivery room.

Gu Qinghan tried to push himself up, but he couldn’t summon any strength. His hands trembled uncontrollably.

“Wen Nuan…”

Aunt Chen grabbed Gu Qinghan, who was about to rush into the delivery room, and advised, “Qinghan, it’s almost over, don’t rush. Qinglan and Doctor Li are both inside; you need to have faith in them.”

This was inevitable.

But Aunt Chen had been in the family compound for several months and knew how much Gu Qinghan cared for Wen Nuan. She also understood that, at this moment, he probably wouldn’t listen to anything anyone said.

Just as Gu Qinghan was about to knock on the door, Lele woke up and ran over, hugging him. “Dad—”

Zhang Guihua and Deng Juxiang also came over and pulled him along. “Gu Qinghan, don’t make things worse now. Xiao Nuan will definitely get through this, you have to believe in her.”

Gu Qinghan wiped his face. In front of others, Wen Nuan appeared to be a capable and hardworking comrade, managing the Kitchen Unit and factory with great success.

But only he knew the truth: Wen Nuan would act spoiled when she burned her hand, always coming to him for comfort. Sometimes, when she was hurt, she’d demand a hug.

The thought of Wen Nuan enduring such immense pain made his heart race with anxiety, but he still calmly said, “I know.”

As soon as he spoke, the door to the delivery room opened, and when Gu Qinglan saw Gu Qinghan standing at the doorway, he said, “Eldest Brother, don’t worry. The first baby is about to come out.”

“Aunt Chen, pass me the things for the baby and sister-in-law, quickly.”

Gu Qinghan stepped forward, urgently asking, “How is sister-in-law?”

“She’s very brave, Eldest Brother. Don’t worry, she’s in good hands with me and Doctor Li,” Gu Qinglan replied. He had been worried himself earlier, but in front of Gu Qinghan, he had to appear calm.

After speaking, Gu Qinglan took the items Aunt Chen had prepared and went back into the delivery room.

Then, Wen Nuan’s intermittent cries came again from inside, making Gu Qinghan feel like his head was going to explode. His limbs were weak, and his back was drenched in sweat, his palms clammy.

As time passed second by second, Gu Qinghan strained his ears, afraid he might miss a single sound.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like he heard the sound of a baby’s cry—a single “wah” that felt like a melody from heaven, easing the tension in his nerves just a little.

“It’s out! The first one is finally here! Xiao Nuan, you’re amazing, I knew you could do it!” Doctor Li’s excited voice came through the thin wooden door.

Gu Qinghan let out a long sigh of relief.

About ten minutes later, the sharp cry of a second baby filled the air.

Inside the delivery room, Wen Nuan had finally shed the weight of her pregnancy, feeling as though a piece of her soul had been taken away. Her mind was clear, but her body was completely drained.

As she listened to the alternating cries of her two children, she found them both irritating and comforting at the same time.

It had been so painful.

The pain was so intense she swore she never wanted to experience it again.

Let Gu Qinghan wear a condom for the rest of his life if necessary—she certainly didn’t want to have another child.

But fortunately, she had made it through, and her two children were safely brought into the world.

Li Yunhua and Gu Qinglan each carried a baby and walked over to Wen Nuan’s side, smiling. “Xiao Nuan, you’re really amazing, both babies are safe and sound.”

Li Yunhua placed one of the babies on Wen Nuan’s chest, then gently tidied up her messy hair and wiped the sweat from her face. “You can stimulate the babies more later to help your milk come in faster.”

After saying that, she returned to her work.

Gu Qinglan, grinning, looked at Wen Nuan and asked, “Sister-in-law, can you guess whether you had a daughter or a son?”

Wen Nuan laughed at Gu Qinglan. Actually, when the babies were born, she had already overheard Doctor Li mention their genders.

But she still smiled and replied, “I can’t guess, you tell me.”

“It’s two sons!” Gu Qinglan said, placing one of the babies on Wen Nuan’s side so that it could bond with her, getting familiar with her scent and touch.

He continued, “This one’s the older brother, born at exactly twelve o’clock. The younger brother came ten minutes later. Congratulations to you and Eldest Brother, you now have a son and a daughter!”

Li Yunhua timely chimed in, “These two will definitely be handsome boys, they’ll charm countless female comrades.”

Wen Nuan looked at the two tiny, wrinkled newborns in her arms. They were so small, she couldn’t feel much weight. Their red, wrinkled skin made it hard to imagine how handsome they would grow up to be.

She smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter if they’re sons or daughters, as long as they’re safe and healthy.”

“Qinglan, take the babies out and let Qinghan and the others see them.”

Gu Qinglan, expertly picking up one baby with one arm, said, “Oh, right. Eldest Brother almost broke down the door earlier. Luckily, Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang stopped him. I’ll take them out now. Sister-in-law, wait for me, I’ll be back soon.”

Once Gu Qinglan left, Wen Nuan looked over at Doctor Li and said, “Doctor Li, thank you.”

Li Yunhua walked over and gently held her hand, smiling at her. “You should thank yourself. You were amazing. It went much smoother than I expected.”

Wen Nuan squeezed her hand in return, “And thank you for coming all the way from Beijing.”

Li Yunhua certainly didn’t have to make the trip to the North; there were personal reasons involved, and so the gratitude was well-deserved.

Li Yunhua patted Wen Nuan’s hand and smiled. “It’s no big deal. You should rest for a bit. I’ll have Zhao Qinyuan call Grandpa later to give him the good news.”

After thinking for a moment, she added, “Actually, maybe it’s better to wait. This good news is better coming from Xiao Gu.”

Wen Nuan smiled. “Alright, thank you.”

“Your Xiao Gu is a good man, he deserves it,” Li Yunhua said with a smile, her words seeming to carry an extra layer of meaning.

Just as Wen Nuan was about to ask something, Li Yunhua went back to help clean up the aftermath.

On the other side, Gu Qinglan carried the two babies outside, and the first thing Gu Qinghan said when he approached was, “Qinglan, where’s sister-in-law?”

“Sister-in-law is still inside. Wait another ten minutes. Eldest Brother, come over and see the babies!” Gu Qinglan noticed that his older brother didn’t seem to have much of a fatherly instinct yet, so he reminded him, “The two kids are right here. Sister-in-law specifically asked me to bring them out for you to see!”

Although Gu Qinghan was worried about Wen Nuan, when he saw that the babies had been born, he took the baby from Gu Qinglan’s arms.

His face was expressionless as he looked at the two wrinkled babies, barely feeling their weight in his arms.

Gu Qinglan gave him a knowing look and grinned. “Congratulations, Eldest Brother. Mother and children are safe. You and sister-in-law now have a son and a daughter. Lele has a little brother!”

“The older brother is five jin and three liang, and the younger brother is five jin and two liang. For twins, they’re pretty strong!”

The two babies really were tiny, their skin still red and wrinkled, but they appeared healthy in every way.

Everyone had expected Gu Qinghan to be more excited, but instead, he looked at Gu Qinglan and asked, “Is sister-in-law okay? Is she feeling unwell?”

Gu Qinglan nodded, understanding that Gu Qinghan was worried. He said, “Sister-in-law’s spirit is good, but the labor process was really long. Doctor Li is inside now stitching her up. She’s very tired, so don’t disturb her later. Let her rest properly.”

Gu Qinghan pursed his lips and nodded, “Mm, I understand.”

Zhang Guihua and Deng Juxiang also came over to see the babies, smiling and softly talking about them as they surrounded the little ones.

Seeing that Lele seemed a bit off, Gu Qinglan waved her over. “Lele, come here, our little baby is here!”

As soon as Lele heard this, she hurried over, letting Gu Qinglan pick her up so she could see the baby.

However, Lele’s memory of babies was stuck on the chubby, round little ones from when she was half a year old.

Now, when she suddenly saw the wrinkled newborn wrapped in a swaddle, looking like a little old man, Lele wrinkled her nose and asked, “Auntie, is this really our little baby?”

“Yes, this is the baby your mom just worked so hard to bring into the world,” Gu Qinglan replied, patting the baby’s head with a smile. “Both of them are little brothers, and now your little brothers can protect you.”

Lele looked at the two little brothers wrapped in their swaddles and suddenly furrowed her brows. “They’re so ugly.”

At that, everyone burst into laughter.