Chapter 101.2

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Yali came over carrying a small basket of triangular zongzi (rice dumplings), saying that they were a specialty from their border region. Inside were glutinous rice, red sugar, red dates, and raisins, making them sweet and surely appealing to the children.

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t refuse. She also gave me a few homemade savory meat zongzi to taste. Yali didn’t take many; she only took two to taste.

The children really liked the sweet zongzi and ate it as a snack on the spot. Even Li Yufeng thought it was delicious and could eat it in a few small bites.

Zhang Hongtu followed Han Cheng and others in their morning exercises every day, looking for opportunities to talk to Zhuzi more and spend time with him. He learned to treat the children as friends, just like Han Cheng and Su Xiaoxiao, and gradually, Zhuzi began to accept this “new father” of his.

Especially after Han Cheng told him a lot about Zhang Hongtu’s glorious deeds on the battlefield.

Zhang Hongtu was portrayed as a great soldier who was trying to be a good father. This positive image started to take root in Zhuzi’s mind.

A week later, Zhuzi finally moved next door.

It wasn’t just Zhuzi who adapted; Xiao Fantuan and Xiao Doubao also started to adjust. As Su Xiaoxiao put it, having an extra place to play was something they were happy about.

They competed to help Zhuzi move his belongings, and after finishing, they kept visiting back and forth.

Yali also took a liking to them. Fantuan would sometimes say that Aunt Yali gave them raisin rice, which was very delicious and sweet. Other times, he would mention that Aunt Yali’s almonds were fragrant. Occasionally, he’d say Aunt Yali made new clothes and shoes for Xiao Zhuzi, and she even included them and took his and Xiao Doubao’s measurements. This went on and on.

The children’s interactions were not much different from before. They exercised together every day, went to school together, came back together, fed the hens together, and even did homework together.

In the beginning, they stayed at Su Xiaoxiao’s house for a lot of time, but later they went back and forth, sharing food they had at their respective homes. Occasionally, they would discuss things and then huddle together to sleep in one room.

Yali even managed to get a gray rabbit from somewhere, and after the children named it Hui Hui, Xiao Fantuan and Xiao Doubao spent even more time at her place. Yali’s small vegetable garden was yet to be planted, so the children brought some old vegetable leaves from their homes every day to feed it.

Xiao Fantuan even asked his father if he could open a door on the wall, which would make it easier for them to go back and forth. Indeed, this clever little mind had no equal.

Of course, this suggestion was strongly opposed by Li Yufeng. According to the custom of Su Village, until the child is born, not even a nail can be hammered into the wall, let alone knocked down.

Nevertheless, except for the wall-chiseling idea, the children were free to come and go as they pleased, and the adults indulged them.

The weather grew hotter with each passing day after the Dragon Boat Festival. The cool mats that Li Yufeng had woven before came in handy, and she even sent two to Zhuzi’s place.

……………..

In the blink of an eye, Su Xiaoxiao’s belly had been over nine months pregnant. The further along she got in her pregnancy, the harder it became for Su Xiaoxiao. Her belly ballooned like an inflated balloon, and even though Han Cheng had managed to get a fan from somewhere, Su Xiaoxiao still sometimes felt suffocated at night. Han Cheng would help her sit up, gently pat her back, and use the fan to cool her down. Sometimes he acted as her human pillow, letting her lean on him while he fanned her to sleep. As Su Xiaoxiao’s face grew thinner once again, Han Cheng, too, was anxious and had lost weight.

Li Yufeng continued to play the role of the steadfast anchor, reassuring them that this was a normal occurrence and that the time was near. They needed to prepare themselves.

Sure enough, in the early morning of the Qixi Festival a few days later, Su Xiaoxiao went into labor. She experienced painful contractions as her belly contracted and sweat poured from her cheeks.

Li Yufeng quickly called the two children and sent them to Yali’s house: “Your mother is giving birth. You two should stay obediently at Aunt Yali’s house and wait for us to come back, okay?” 

Yali said, “Don’t worry; I’ll take care of the kids. May everything go smoothly.”

The two sleepy children rubbed their eyes, still half awake and not fully comprehending what had happened even after their grandmother had left.

Yali held one of them by the hand and said, “Both of you, go back to sleep with Xiao Zhuzi. Aunt Yali will make delicious egg pancakes for you.”

Anyway, both sides were like home, and the two cubs were not on guard. They crawled onto Zhuzi’s bed and fell asleep again.

…..

Li Yufeng had already prepared the things for Su Xiaoxiao’s hospital visit, and she carried the bag while Han Cheng helped Su Xiaoxiao into the car.

Han Cheng’s face turned pale, and his lips clenched as he drove ahead.

Li Yufeng hugged Su Xiaoxiao in the back seat and wiped the sweat off her forehead with a towel: “My daughter, don’t be afraid. Mother and Han Cheng are here with you, so don’t be afraid, everything will be fine.”

The pain was real, and Su Xiaoxiao, who was naturally afraid of pain, tried not to cry, but the tears just welled up uncontrollably. “Mom, it hurts so much…”

Han Cheng pursed his lips and occasionally looked in the rearview mirror, his grip on the steering wheel getting tighter.

Li Yufeng, who had given birth to several children herself, knew how painful it could be, but there was no other option but to endure it. She reassured Su Xiaoxiao, saying, “It’s okay, it’s okay. The more it hurts, the sooner the baby will be born. Maybe when we arrive at the hospital and deliver the baby right away.”

As she spoke, Li Yufeng felt warmth at her feet and calmly told Han Cheng, “Han Cheng, her water just broke. Drive quickly.”