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“Dean, is this a child abandoned by your hospital at the entrance? The baby was freezing red, so we brought them inside.”
The doctor in charge of deliveries immediately recognized the child—it was the same baby she had wrapped up after birth.
“Chu Lili, isn’t this your daughter?”
Chu Lili exchanged glances with her mother-in-law. They hadn’t expected the baby to be brought back. Both of them looked guilty.
Now that the doctor had recognized the child, Chu Lili had no choice but to step forward, scoop the baby into her arms, and put on an act of deep motherly affection.
“Sweetheart, Mommy finally found you! I’m so relieved!”
The doctor stepped closer, noticing something off about the child’s face. After a careful examination, she questioned Chu Lili.
“The baby is severely malnourished. Have you not fed her since yesterday? I recall you are capable of nursing, aren’t you?”
Of course, Chu Lili hadn’t fed the baby, but with so many people watching, she wanted to maintain the image of a caring mother.
“Doctor, you’ve misunderstood. It’s not that I didn’t try—this child is just too fussy! I tried feeding her, but she wouldn’t drink!”
The doctor didn’t say whether she believed Chu Lili or not. Instead, she immediately had a nurse prepare a bottle of milk.
A baby this young couldn’t go too long without eating. The moment the bottle was placed in her mouth, instinct took over, and the baby started sucking hungrily.
She drank with such eagerness that the doctor shot Chu Lili a knowing look. Chu Lili paled and tried to explain.
“I… I don’t know why she’s suddenly willing to drink now…”
The bystanders had already figured out what was going on—Chu Lili despised this child.
Gu Nian seized the opportunity.
“Dean, do you believe me now? She deliberately abandoned her own daughter.”
After observing the situation, the dean agreed. He turned to Chu Lili.
“Tell the truth, or our hospital will contact the police to investigate this matter.”
Hearing that the police would be called, Chu Lili panicked. Her mother-in-law, not wanting to get dragged into trouble, quickly spoke up.
“Dean, yes, it was her! She was the one who wanted to abandon my granddaughter!”
Seeing her mother-in-law turn on her, Chu Lili knew there was no escaping. She confessed everything.
It turned out that yesterday, after dinner, her mother-in-law had grown more and more displeased with the baby. She came up with a plan—abandon the child and then extort compensation from the hospital.
With that money, their family of three could live well. After all, they could always have more children later.
Chu Lili had never cared for the child, so when she heard about the potential payout, she immediately agreed.
They even consulted the baby’s father, who also went along with the plan.
So, early in the morning, the old woman and Chu Lili left the baby at the hospital entrance. They felt no guilt whatsoever—all they thought about was money.
Everyone present was shocked. It was one thing for the grandmother to act this way, but how could a mother abandon her own child?
The dean was furious. He called the police, and all three of them were taken away. The baby was left behind.
They couldn’t allow the child to be raised by such people. Seeing that no one was stepping forward to claim the baby, the couple who had brought her in earlier spoke up.
“Dean, can we adopt this child?”
The dean knew the couple well. They frequently visited the hospital because they couldn’t have children of their own. Both were kind-hearted and loved kids.
Since he trusted them, the dean agreed, handing the baby over. The couple left with the child.
With that, the incident came to a close. The crowd dispersed. That afternoon, after a check-up, Gu Nian was also discharged from the hospital.
When leaving, Jiang Huaijing wrapped her up so tightly she looked like a dumpling. Thankfully, it was cold outside—otherwise, she would’ve been roasting.
—-
Upon returning to the residential compound, Gu Nian was met with visitors. Word had spread that she had given birth, and many people came to see her, bringing gifts.
Gu Nian accepted everything, mentally noting that she would return the kindness in the future.
She and Jiang Huaijing then discussed hiring a nanny.
Since she was still in her postpartum confinement, Jiang Huaijing couldn’t possibly manage everything on his own, especially with four children to care for.
Soon, a middle-aged woman came forward, offering to help. Gu Nian found her suitable and hired her.
Her confinement period was mostly peaceful, though staying indoors all day got a little boring.
She passed the time by reading while Jiang Huaijing handled everything else.
Time flew by, and before she knew it, a month had passed.
The babies’ full-month celebration was approaching.
Gu Nian also realized she had gained ten pounds—all thanks to Jiang Huaijing’s insistence on feeding her nutritious meals every day. Fortunately, she could always lose the weight later.
Another pressing matter was naming the four children. Since their full-month milestone was near, Gu Nian and Jiang Huaijing decided on their nicknames first.
After some discussion, they settled on:
Together, their names formed a phrase: “May every year bring another today, and may every year bring another morning.”
Jiang Huaijing liked the meaning behind it.
As for the full-month celebration, they decided not to return to their village. Instead, they invited Jiang Dashan’s family and Gu Nian’s parents to visit them.
Once the decision was made, Jiang Huaijing sent a telegram.
—-
Jiang Dashan and the others received the message, packed their things, and prepared to leave.
Joining them on the journey were Jia Xueli and Zhao Liyan.
Both had been accepted into university, and since classes were starting soon, they needed to report to campus.
Only He Yirou remained behind, watching as one person after another left.
She hadn’t passed the entrance exam. She was now stuck in the village for life.
Tears of regret filled her eyes. Even if she could start over, she wouldn’t have fared any better—perhaps even worse.
Just as she was lost in thought, someone called her name.
Turning around, she was stunned.
“It’s him?!”
—-
On the babies’ full-month day, the entire residential compound celebrated. Even military district officials attended.
The children were thriving—chubby and healthy. They were the stars of the event, receiving an overwhelming number of gifts.
Gu Nian and Jiang Huaijing were busy entertaining guests.
Once the event ended, Gu Nian started packing—she was preparing to leave for university.
She had already decided. She would go to Beijing first, buy a house, and then bring everyone over.
Since school was starting in a few days, she and Li Pandi planned to leave early.
Jiang Huaijing drove them to the city, where they boarded a train.
On the train, they met two young girls—also heading to Beijing University.
The four of them hit it off instantly.
—-
He Yirou looked at the man before her.
She hated him—if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t be in this miserable state.
“What do you want?” she asked coldly.
“He Yirou, do you still want to return to the city?”
“I can help you.”
“How?”
“Why should I trust you?”
Why did you lock chapters 26-30? They were free before.