In 1961, during the third month of the lunar calendar.

Hospitals are places that see all the different sides of life, regardless of the era.

Li Qiurong and Bai Zhu sat in the corridor outside the delivery room, both frowning and worrying about their daughter inside, but despite their anxiety, they were still mindful that they were in a hospital.

They lowered their voices to avoid disturbing others.

On the opposite side, Old Lin and Old Lin’s wife were different types of people.

Old Lin’s weathered face was filled with impatience, and he had already spat out a few thick phlegms.

From time to time, Old Lin’s wife cast a guilty glance at Li Qiurong and Bai Zhu, but even in her guilt, she never stopped complaining about her daughter-in-law being too delicate. “It’s just having a baby! What’s with all the fuss? Why bring her to the hospital and waste money?”

Two completely different kinds of people—if it weren’t for the fact that their children were getting married, they’d never have crossed paths.

After a few minutes, the delivery room door opened, and everyone quickly stood up.

Li Qiurong and Bai Zhu hurried over. “Doctor, how is our daughter?”

Old Lin and Old Lin’s wife asked at the same time, “Doctor, is it a boy?”

The doctor glanced at them. It was clear that the question about the mother came from her family, and the question about the baby came from the in-laws.

“Both mother and daughter are safe.”

Old Lin’s face fell, disappointed that it was a girl—another burden, wasting months of nutritional supplements.

Old Lin’s wife’s guilt disappeared instantly.

It wasn’t a grandson; what was the rush to bring her to the hospital and spend that extra money?

Anyway, she wouldn’t be paying for any of it.

Li Qiurong adored her daughter, so let her pay!

The elderly couple hadn’t even seen the newborn granddaughter yet and were already complaining.

Li Qiurong couldn’t relax. Her daughter had fallen and had a difficult labor, giving birth prematurely at seven months.

How could she be sure her daughter and granddaughter were truly fine?

She glanced at the delivery room door and asked in a low voice, “Doctor, when will my daughter come out?”

“She’ll come out once everything is cleaned up,” the doctor replied, glancing at her and then continuing, “The baby is a preemie, weighing less than four pounds. You need to pay special attention to her nutrition, feed her carefully. The mother also needs to recover well, or she’ll suffer from long-term health problems. Additionally…”

The doctor paused before adding, “Her difficult labor has affected her health. It’s unlikely that she will be able to conceive again.”

The word “unlikely” was just a euphemism to comfort the family. It essentially meant she wouldn’t be able to have more children.

Li Qiurong and Bai Zhu exchanged a look and both sighed in relief.

Compared to life and death, not being able to have more children was a small matter.

Recovering her health wasn’t an issue. Once they left the hospital, they would take good care of their daughter and granddaughter.

“What? My daughter-in-law can’t have children anymore?” Old Lin was extremely sensitive to that last remark, his face immediately filled with urgency. “Doctor, we brought her to the hospital, and you must treat her properly. Don’t let my son have no heirs!”

Old Lin’s third son had already had a daughter, and now this baby was another girl. If she couldn’t bear more children, wouldn’t the family line end?

Old Lin and his wife couldn’t accept it.

To them, grandsons were everything; granddaughters didn’t count as descendants.

“Doctor, please think of a way. My son must have heirs!” Old Lin’s wife began crying, bending her knees and attempting to kneel. “I beg you, please cure my daughter-in-law. My son can’t be left without descendants!”

Li Qiurong and Bai Zhu watched coldly, unwilling to respond.

Their daughter had fallen in the Lin family’s yard, and they had seen Old Lin’s wife’s guilty expression at the time—clearly something was amiss.

But the Lin family refused to admit it, and on the way to the hospital, their daughter was in so much pain she was delirious, so they kept their composure.

Once their daughter woke up, they would settle the score.

That fall could not be in vain!

“Aunt, what are you doing? Get up quickly!” The doctor helped Old Lin’s wife up and, having seen many stubborn elderly people, used a common reassuring phrase: “It’s not impossible, but it’s not a certainty either. First, focus on her health. Whether she can conceive again depends on fate.”

But how could Old Lin’s wife accept this?

Tears streamed down her face as she pointed at the delivery room and scolded, “When I had six children, there was no problem, and two of them were born in the fields! This is only her second, and she had to be sent to the hospital—what use is she?”

“Mother-in-law!” Bai Zhu suddenly grew angry.

“How can you still be blaming my daughter when the cause of her fall hasn’t even been investigated? Do you think there’s no one in her family?”

Bai Zhu, who usually appeared polite and gentle, suddenly became dark-faced. His cold eyes held a certain authority.

But who was Old Lin’s wife?

She was already upset because her daughter-in-law had fallen, but now, having had a granddaughter and potentially losing her son’s future heirs, she couldn’t swallow this bitterness.

Regardless of how her daughter-in-law fell, she blamed everything on her.

“Did I say anything wrong? She’s useless and now she’s causing my third son’s bloodline to end…” Old Lin’s wife yelled, and the thought of her son’s family line being cut off filled her with despair.

At that moment, Old Lin grabbed her arm. “Shut up!”

Old Lin’s wife reluctantly fell silent as he pulled her away.

“We’ll leave now. The child has been born, and you can take care of the daughter-in-law for now. Tomorrow, I’ll have the second daughter-in-law come.”

The couple left without a word.

Old Lin had promised that the second daughter-in-law would come to take care of things, but by the next day, there was no sign of her.

What was worse, after Old Lin and his wife left, no one from the Lin family ever came back to the hospital.

Of course, Li Qiurong and Bai Zhu had never expected the Lin family to come back.