Chapter 84

For the construction of Old Li’s family kitchen, having Li Chen to help was enough. Shen Yiyi had no intention of getting involved.

After lunch, she took Xiao Bao to town. Her main purpose was to retrieve the photos she had taken earlier and to stop by the post office to check if there was any letter from her parents.

As expected, there was no letter!

Shen Yiyi no longer had any expectations. She believed her parents were definitely still angry.

This time, she wasn’t in a hurry. Based on her calculations, Zhao Youliang should have already delivered her second letter to her parents.

In this second letter, she had explained some of the background details, and it also included words from Li Chen and the Three Baos.

Knowing her parents, no matter how angry they were, reading that letter should ease their frustration. Most likely, they would write back to her.

In a few days, Zhao Youliang would return. By then, her parents’ reply should be brought back by him.

If there was still no reply… then she and Li Chen would really have to make a trip back home.

At noon, when Xiao Bao learned that he would be going to town with his mother, he was so excited that he couldn’t even take his nap. But once they arrived in town, as they walked, he started nodding off like a little chick pecking at grains.

At that time, Shen Yiyi was at the post office counter inquiring about her letter and didn’t notice Xiao Bao. It wasn’t until she suddenly felt his grip on her hand loosen that she instinctively grabbed him, preventing him from falling to the ground.

Xiao Bao woke up with a start. He scratched his chin and looked up at his mother with sleepy, innocent eyes.

Shen Yiyi asked: “Xiao Bao, are you sleepy?”

The little boy shook his head. Even though he was clearly exhausted, he stubbornly insisted: “Mother, I’m not sleepy!”

But the result was that not long after they left the post office, he was already dozing off while walking.

Shen Yiyi found it both amusing and exasperating. She sat down under a tree for a while, and before long, Xiao Bao leaned against her and fell asleep.

Shen Yiyi picked him up and let him sleep in her arms.  

Then, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative and the meat processing factory. She pretended to browse casually, but by the time she came out, her basket was already filled with items she had secretly retrieved from her personal space.  

When Xiao Bao woke up, he was surprised to find himself already on the ox cart heading home. He pouted his lips and sulked for a long time.  

Only when Shen Yiyi took out a piece of egg cake from her basket did he finally cheer up.  

By the time they arrived home, it was nearly five o’clock.  

After resting for a while, Shen Yiyi began preparing dinner. Once the meal was ready, Li Chen and the others returned from next door. Just as the family was about to eat, there was a sudden knock on the door.  

Chen Qiang’s anxious voice came from outside. “Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!”  

Li Chen opened the door, and Chen Qiang rushed in. “Sister-in-law, Daniu is going into labor!”  

“She’s giving birth?” Shen Yiyi was startled and quickly stood up. “Have you called the midwife?”  

“Yes! It’s been two hours already, and she’s in terrible pain.” Chen Qiang said, his face tense and his hands shaking. Clearly, this was his first time experiencing such a situation. With trembling hands, he pleaded: “Sister-in-law, can you come with me to see Daniu? She wants you to be there with her!”  

Of course, she could.  

Shen Yiyi told Li Chen to stay home and eat with the Three Baos, then hurriedly followed Chen Qiang to the Chen family’s house.  

Inside the room, Lin Daniu and the midwife were already present, and the door was closed. Even from outside, Daniu’s cries of pain were heart-wrenching.  

Outside the room, little Wangcai stood there, his face streaked with tears. His thin, small shoulders trembled as he sobbed.

Mother Chen also came out. She was placed on a large reclining chair, with a cotton quilt beneath her. Leaning weakly against the rattan chair, her eyes were filled with anxiety.  

Shen Yiyi felt sorry for Wangcai and walked over to wipe his tears.  

The moment she did, Wangcai completely broke down. Sobbing, he asked: “Auntie, my mother will be okay, right?”  

“She will.” Shen Yiyi said gently. “Your mother will definitely be fine.”  

In the book, Lin Daniu was nothing more than a minor background character, with barely any description. But in her past life, Shen Yiyi knew that Lin Daniu had survived and indeed given birth to a daughter.  

Beyond that, she didn’t know much. In her previous life, she had followed the plot, hated Li Chen, and disliked Chen Qiang, so she naturally never paid much attention to Chen Qiang’s wife.  

“Bang!”  

Just as she finished speaking, the door to the room swung open. The midwife rushed out, sweat beading on her forehead, clearly distressed.  

“The baby is too big! She can’t push it out! I have to ask you now—if something happens, you need to decide…”  

The midwife hesitated, struggling to say the words, but in the end, she forced them out. “Do we save the mother or the child?”  

Mother Chen shook her head violently in disbelief. She tried to sit up, but her weakened spine wouldn’t support her. All she could do was lie on the chair, pleading desperately: “Auntie, please! You must save my daughter-in-law and the baby. Neither of them can be harmed. I beg you!”  

Chen Qiang clenched his fists, his expression dazed, as if he had lost all sense of direction. He opened his mouth, then shut it again, unable to make a sound.  

The midwife looked at him, waiting for him to make a decision.

Shen Yiyi also looked at him, wanting to see if Lin Daniu was truly worth it for this man.  

After all, they were a couple who had come together halfway through life. Just as Lin Daniu had no deep feelings for Chen Qiang, he, too, felt the same. They were merely two people coming together out of necessity, making do with life.  

On one side was a wife he didn’t have strong feelings for, and on the other was a child carrying his bloodline.  

Choosing between them was indeed a difficult decision.  

Though Wangcai was still young, he understood enough to grasp the situation. He burst into tears, clinging to Shen Yiyi’s hand so tightly that it hurt. “Auntie, I want my mother! Save my mother!”  

Chen Qiang glanced at him, took a deep breath, and finally spoke with firm resolve: “Granny Wang, save the mother!”  

Shen Yiyi sighed in relief and comforted Wangcai: “It’s okay, it’s okay. Auntie will go in and check on your mother. She will be fine, alright?”  

After that, she turned to the midwife. “Granny Wang, can I go in and have a look?”  

Granny Wang was in a hurry. She glanced at Shen Yiyi and gave a quick nod before turning back to Chen Qiang. “The mother is running out of strength! Go and get some brown sugar water to help her regain her energy!”  

Without waiting for a response, she rushed back into the room.  

Shen Yiyi followed her inside. As soon as she entered, she was hit by the strong scent of blood.  

On the heated brick bed, Lin Daniu was completely drained. Her face was pale, drenched in sweat. When she saw the midwife return, she weakly shook her head and murmured: “Save the baby… I want to save the baby…”  

She had already repeated this request to Granny Wang countless times. No matter how the midwife tried to reason with her, she refused to listen. In the end, Granny Wang simply ignored her words. “Save your strength! Stop talking! Drink some brown sugar water later and keep pushing. As long as you have the strength, the baby will be born safely, and you will be fine too, alright?”  

But Lin Daniu clearly believed she wouldn’t make it. Her gaze shifted past the midwife and landed on Shen Yiyi.  

“Yiyi, save the baby… Save the baby!”