Chapter 220: Sheng Family Adds a New Baby
Sheng Wanze was crouching outside the delivery room door, his eyes completely bloodshot as if he were on the verge of tears.
Wanyan walked over and gently patted his shoulder. “Brother, are you holding up okay?”
Sheng Wanze blinked, slowly snapping out of his daze, and shook his head. His mind was entirely consumed by the memory of Pan Yue’s deathly pale face and the sheer chaos of the labor room. “I’m fine,” he muttered hoarsely.
Knowing he was in no state to process anyone’s comfort right now, Wanyan didn’t press further. She simply let him remain crouched by the door to wait it out.
Gu Tingxiao guided her over to a row of chairs. Wanyan had just cleared her first trimester, making her roughly three months pregnant. “Sit down and rest while we wait, honey,” he murmured.
Wanyan nodded, settling in to wait for news. Before long, Pan Yue’s piercing cries began echoing from behind the closed doors.
“Ahhh!!!!” “It hurts so much!!”
Startled by the screams, Sheng Wanze leapt to his feet and began frantically pounding on the door. “Yue’er! How are you doing in there?”
“Sheng Wanze! You absolute bastard!” Pan Yue shrieked from within.
Hearing her curse him, Sheng Wanze instantly accepted the blame without a second thought. “Yes! I’m a bastard! I’m an asshole! Just please be safe, Yue’er! Don’t let anything happen to you!”
“Aaahhh—”
Another agonizing cry cut him off. Sheng Wanze pressed his face against the narrow gap in the doorframe, but the privacy screens blocked his view completely. He began pacing the corridor like a caged animal, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white as he tried to keep his composure.
Nearby, Grandma Sheng clasped her hands together, closing her eyes as she muttered fervently under her breath, “God bless our Xiaoyue and the baby. Please keep them both safe…”
Hearing her grandmother’s prayer, Wanyan’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly whipped her head around to scan the hallway, letting out a breath of relief when she confirmed there were no strangers in sight. She shot a meaningful look at Gu Tingxiao, who instantly caught her drift. He turned on his heel and marched down the corridor to stand guard a hundred meters away.
In this strict era, engaging in old feudal superstitions was an absolute taboo. If an informant caught wind of Grandma Sheng’s prayers, the political consequences for the family would be disastrous.
It took three grueling hours before Pan Yue finally delivered the baby.
Mother Pan was the first to emerge from the room, carefully cradling a bundled blanket. Sheng Wanze sprinted over to her the second the doors swung open.
“How is Yue’er?” he blurted out.
Hearing that his very first question was about his wife rather than the child, Mother Pan felt a deep wave of happiness for her daughter. Even though Pan Yue had just endured a brutal ordeal, she had clearly chosen a husband who treasured her above all else. Her girl had truly married the right man.
“Mother and child are perfectly safe,” Mother Pan beamed, tilting the blanket forward. “The little guy weighs six kilograms. He’s a big, healthy boy.”
Sheng Wanze let out a massive, shuddering sigh of relief, his knees buckling slightly as the tension drained from his body.
Hearing that they had been blessed with a robust six-kilogram boy, the rest of the family swarmed forward to catch their first glimpse.
“My precious grandson! I’m your grandma,” Mother Sheng cooed, her face melting into pure adoration.
“And I’m your grandpa,” Father Sheng chimed in.
The moment his eyes fell upon the tiny infant, an overwhelming sense of fulfillment flooded his chest. He was officially a grandfather now. The reality of it felt incredibly surreal.
Grandpa and Grandma Sheng bustled over to investigate, gently taking the baby’s minuscule hand and teasing him with soft nonsense words.
“Oh, look at you~ What a perfect little darling,” Grandma Sheng wept tears of joy. Bearing witness to four generations living under one roof was a blessing she had never dared dream of achieving in her lifetime. “I’m a great-grandmother now… let me see my great-grandson.”
Grandpa Sheng was stuck at the very back of the huddle, his face tight with pure envy. Seeing that no one was making a move to clear a path for him, he finally had to speak up. “Let me through to have a look!”
Father Sheng quickly stepped aside to grant him access. As Grandpa Sheng approached the bundle and peered down at the newborn, his hands trembled. He never could have imagined he would live long enough to hold his own great-grandson; the moment felt exactly like a beautiful dream.
Standing at the periphery of the joyful crowd, Sheng Wanyan looked over at her newborn nephew. The baby’s skin was still incredibly red and wrinkled, but he was undeniably plump and healthy.
“Wanze, take him for a moment,” Mother Pan instructed, shifting the bundle. “I need to carry him back inside for a quick assessment, and then I’ll help wheel Xiaoyue out to the recovery ward.”
Staring at the tiny, fragile bundle in his mother-in-law’s arms, Sheng Wanze panicked. “I… I don’t dare hold him yet.” He didn’t even dare speak at a normal volume, terrified his deep voice might startle the infant.
“Don’t be silly. Newborns aren’t nearly as fragile as you think,” Mother Pan chided gently. “As his father, you need to bond with him.”
Without giving him room to argue, Mother Pan carefully transferred the baby into his arms, manually adjusting his rigid posture. Sheng Wanze froze, going entirely stiff like a wooden statue, his eyes wide as he stared unblinkingly at the tiny life resting against his chest.
Amused by his sheer terror, Mother Pan let him endure the pressure for two full minutes before gracefully taking the baby back, sparing him further torment.
The exact second the child was lifted from his arms, Sheng Wanze let out a massive breath. Despite the freezing winter weather outside, he had completely broken out into a cold sweat. To him, holding that tiny baby was infinitely more terrifying than hauling a heavy artillery cannon into a live combat zone.
A short while later, the nurses wheeled Pan Yue out of the delivery room, guiding the bassinet alongside her stretcher toward the recovery ward. She was thoroughly exhausted from the labor and had already drifted into a deep sleep. Seeing that his wife was resting peacefully and out of danger, Sheng Wanze finally let go of his lingering anxiety.
“Xiaoyue won’t be waking up anytime soon,” Mother Sheng noted, turning to her daughter. “Wanyan, why don’t you take your grandparents back to the quarters? Your father and I will stay behind to keep watch with Wanze.”
Wanyan nodded. She was beginning to feel a wave of pregnancy fatigue herself, and she needed to head back to start cooking a nourishing post-labor meal so Gu Tingxiao could deliver it to the hospital later. “Alright, Mom.”
Wanyan escorted Grandpa and Grandma Sheng back to the lane. The moment they crossed the threshold, Grandma Sheng set to work, whipping up a massive spread of hearty dishes. Once Gu Tingxiao finished his own dinner, Wanyan packed the fresh meals into insulated containers, and he drove back to the hospital to feed his in-laws and Sheng Wanze.
When Wanyan woke up the following morning, she immediately prepared to visit the hospital, but a massive blizzard had moved in overnight. Staring at the heavy drifts, Grandpa and Grandma Sheng flatly refused to let her step foot outside. Besides, Pan Yue was recovering flawlessly and would be cleared to return to the compound in a matter of days.
Conceding to their wishes, Wanyan stayed cozy inside and began putting together the arrival gifts she had prepared for her new nephew.
In this strict era, gifting traditional gold or silver longevity jewelry was entirely forbidden; if a political inspector discovered such luxury items, it would spark an official investigation. Instead, she prepared a crisp red envelope containing ten yuan, two plush, ultra-soft baby blankets from her spatial stash, and a generous supply of brown sugar and malted milk powder for Pan Yue’s recovery.
During the bitter northern winter, ensuring a newborn had sufficiently insulated, warm bedding was a matter of life and death, as a sudden chill could easily turn fatal for an infant.
Sure enough, a few days later, the hospital cleared Pan Yue for discharge. Gu Tingxiao took the initiative to borrow a military vehicle from Father Pan’s office, personally driving out to transport Pan Yue, the baby, and his parent-in-laws back to the compound. To protect her from the biting winter drafts, Mother Sheng had bundled Pan Yue tightly from head to toe before letting her cross the threshold.
The moment they settled in, Sheng Wanyan walked across the lane clutching her bundle of gifts. In the few days that had passed since the birth, the baby’s red complexion had already faded into a beautiful, milky white skin, making him look incredibly adorable.
“Ah, Wanyan is here,” Sheng Wanze smiled as she entered the room.
“Brother, Sister-in-law, I came over to see how you’re recovering and to visit my new nephew,” Wanyan greeted warmly.
Hearing her voice, Pan Yue gestured for her to come closer. “Come sit by the bed, Wanyan. Take a proper look at him.”
Wanyan slid onto the edge of the mattress, carefully slipping the crisp red envelope right next to the baby’s pillow.
“Wanyan, what is this? You don’t need to give us money,” Pan Yue protested gently.
“Sister-in-law, this is a formal welcoming token from me as his aunt,” Wanyan insisted with a smile. “Oh, and you must keep these plush blankets, the brown sugar, and the malted milk. Make sure you consume them regularly to rebuild your strength.”
As she accepted the thoughtful provisions, a wave of profound emotion washed over Pan Yue. She hadn’t anticipated that her sister-in-law would display such deep, meticulous care for her well-being. “You really shouldn’t have brought so much…”
“Don’t say that. You’ve just brought a beautiful new life into our family line; you deserve to be thoroughly pampered and taken care of,” Wanyan countered softly.
She knew exactly what was running through Pan Yue’s mind. In this traditional era, aside from a woman’s own biological parents, very few people genuinely prioritized the comfort and physical recovery of a mother over the arrival of the child.
“By the way, what name did you finally decide on for my nephew?” Wanyan asked, looking down at the sleeping infant.
Pan Yue’s face lit up with a tender smile. “His nickname is Huzi—your brother and I picked it out together. As for his formal name, Grandpa chose ‘Sheng Jieyu.'”
