Chapter 280: Approaching Due Date
Sheng Wanyan nodded. There was no time to squeeze in a nap today, so she decided to stay up and chat with Pan Yue instead.
“Sister-in-law, is there any news?”
Pan Yue knew exactly what she was asking about, so she quickly leaned in closer to whisper the latest update. She had gone to pry information out of her father, and it seemed that Gu Tingxiao and his team had finally completed their mission and crossed back over the border.
“I don’t know the exact details yet, but the objective has been accomplished.”
Since the mission was over, Father Pan saw no reason to keep them completely in the dark about the team’s whereabouts. Sharing this much would at least allow the women to breathe a sigh of relief while they waited for his return.
Sheng Wanyan nodded, her hand resting gently on her belly.
“This little one hasn’t been making a fuss lately,” Pan Yue smiled, observing her. “It’s almost as if the baby knows to wait for his father to get back before making an entrance.”
Sheng Wanyan realized her sister-in-law was right. The moment she checked into the hospital, the restless kicking had settled down. The baby wasn’t in as much of a hurry as before, turning remarkably quiet and only shifting gently from time to time.
“I just hope Tingxiao makes it back in time to see the birth,” Sheng Wanyan murmured. “As long as he returns safely, nothing else matters.”
Her quiet words left Pan Yue feeling a sharp pang of sympathy. The burdens a military wife had to shoulder were truly immense. When she had given birth to Huzi, Sheng Wanze was fortunately home recuperating from an injury, meaning he could remain by her side. But her sister-in-law had been left completely alone during the most physically taxing months of her pregnancy, enduring Gu Tingxiao’s four-month absence.
Sheng Wanyan had proven to be incredibly resilient, managing to take flawless care of both herself and the child. Pan Yue secretly wondered if she would have possessed the same courage and mental fortitude if their positions were reversed.
“Sister-in-law, I’d like some water, please,” Sheng Wanyan said.
Pan Yue quickly poured her a glass of warm water. A few hours later, the curtain next door rustled as the laboring woman was finally wheeled off to the delivery room. Overcome by a sudden wave of drowsiness, Sheng Wanyan drifted off to sleep, not waking up until Mother Gu arrived with dinner.
After finishing her meal, Sheng Wanyan needed to use the restroom and wash up, so Mother Gu gently helped her out of bed. While proper showers were difficult to manage in the hospital—most patients simply wiped themselves down with basins of hot water—Sheng Wanyan had her secret weapon. Whenever she went into the private restroom stall, she would quietly slip into her spatial domain to enjoy a proper, refreshing shower before stepping back out.
Mother Gu stayed behind to keep her company through the night. The military hospital had provided a standard folding camp cot for her use; as an officer’s mother, the staff naturally ensured she was accommodated. This made looking after Sheng Wanyan during the night infinitely easier. Otherwise, Mother Gu would have been forced to sleep sitting up on a rigid wooden stool every day.
When Sheng Wanyan woke up the next morning, her neighbor had already been wheeled back into the ward, a tiny bundle resting beside her. She had given birth to a healthy boy, sending her husband’s family into an absolute frenzy of delight. The relatives crowded around the bed, ecstatically calling her their star daughter-in-law.
Watching the joyous celebration from across the room, the other pregnant woman—the one sharing Sheng Wanyan’s timeline—looked on with deep envy, her hand instinctively flattening against her own large bump.
“What are you staring at?” her mother-in-law snapped, rolling her eyes as she noticed the glance. “If you ask me, that belly of yours is probably hiding another money-losing mouth to feed.”
The bitter old woman had zero interest in welcoming a third granddaughter, considering the family already had two girls at home. She wanted a grandson to carry the lineage, not another girl who would eventually marry out and drain their resources. In her eyes, daughters were a financial loss, and the family simply couldn’t afford another one.
“If you fail to deliver a son this time, you can pack your bags and march right back to your parents’ house!”
The berated woman’s eyes welled with tears. She bit her lower lip sharply, not daring to utter a single syllable of defense out of fear that any response would further enrage her mother-in-law.
Later that morning, Mother Gu went down to the hospital cafeteria to purchase breakfast, while Grandpa and Grandma Sheng arrived just before noon to deliver a fresh lunch. To ensure they weren’t taking advantage of the Sheng family’s kindness, Mother Gu had taken to supplying the household with ingredients and cash from her own pocket to offset the cooking expenses.
For lunch today, Grandma Sheng had prepared plump, homemade meat buns alongside a few crisp side dishes. Sheng Wanyan managed to finish one large bun before feeling completely full. Grandma Sheng was always incredibly generous with her fillings, packing in so much rich meat that it actually tasted a bit heavy, prompting Sheng Wanyan to eat several portions of the refreshing pickled vegetables to cut the grease.
Across the room, the distressed pregnant woman stared at them, her mouth watering. She hadn’t tasted a proper meat bun in months. Though they were both entering labor at the exact same time, the difference in their treatment was like night and day.
Every single day, she was forced to watch Sheng Wanyan, who occupied the innermost bed, dine on the finest refined grains. Sheng Wanyan ate fresh eggs for breakfast, hand-pulled noodles or meat buns for lunch, and rich chicken soup with white rice for dinner. She was given a warm mug of malted milk every morning, supplemented by sweet pastries and fresh fruit during her afternoon breaks. Unless she actively chose to skip a meal, her diet consisted entirely of premium, expensive food.
In contrast, the woman had only been allowed a single meat bun during the entire ten months of her pregnancy, offered strictly as a token gesture for her condition. Even securing a basic bun made of standard white flour required navigating her mother-in-law’s volatile moods. Yet, Sheng Wanyan’s mother-in-law practically begged her to eat, constantly trying to coax more fine grains into her mouth.
They were both women, both heavily pregnant, yet the chasm between their lives was agonizingly vast. The more she dwelled on it, the more miserable she became, her gaze locking onto Sheng Wanyan with a deeply aggrieved, resentful stare.
Sheng Wanyan felt the heavy eyes on her and paused. Mother Gu, who was highly perceptive of the ward’s underlying tension, immediately stepped forward and pulled the privacy curtains shut, completely severing the line of sight.
Mother Gu was thoroughly displeased. If you’re unhappy with your life, go take it up with your own family, she thought crossly. Why are you glaring at my daughter-in-law as if we owe you something? The Gu family wasn’t responsible for her poverty. Every single time Wanyan tried to enjoy a snack, this woman would lie on her cot and throw her a look of pure victimization, as if Sheng Wanyan were committing a crime by feeding herself.
Just because your circumstances are difficult, are we expected to survive on charity or stop eating fine grains altogether to spare your feelings? Mother Gu found the entitlement deeply irritating. She could emphasize with a person’s hardships, but she drew the line at being made to feel guilty for her own family’s comfort.
“Wanyan, take another bite,” Mother Gu urged softly.
Sheng Wanyan nodded, deliberately finishing the rest of her meal without paying any further attention to the room. She turned to her grandparents. “Grandpa, Grandma, you should eat some too.”
Grandma Sheng had packed five large meat buns in total, but after she and Mother Gu finished one each, the rest remained untouched.
“We won’t eat, sweetheart. Your grandfather and I already had our meal before walking over, and there are plenty left in the kitchen,” Grandma Sheng smiled, waving her off. “Keep the rest for when you get hungry later this afternoon or tonight.”
Sheng Wanyan studied their expressions closely. Having grown up around her grandparents, she could tell instantly if they were lying to save food for her. Satisfied that they genuinely had extra buns waiting at home, she accepted the leftovers.
“Your grandfather and I will head back now,” Grandma Sheng said, smoothing her apron. “Make sure to get some proper rest.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded, watching them leave. The walk back to the lane took less than twenty minutes, making it incredibly convenient for them to visit.
Once the table was cleared, Sheng Wanyan slipped out of bed to stretch her legs and aid her digestion. Supported firmly by Mother Gu’s arm, she began pacing slowly around the perimeter of her bedspace.
From behind the closed curtain, the neighboring pregnant woman could hear the soft footsteps, her envy deepening by the second. While she was stuck counting pennies and facing exile by her in-laws, Sheng Wanyan was casually walking off a meal of premium meat buns.
Moments later, the ward door opened as the attending doctor stepped inside to conduct his afternoon rounds. Sheng Wanyan stopped her pacing, looking exceptionally radiant, healthy, and full of life as she stepped forward to greet him.
