Chapter 285: Report The Good News To My Family!
Sheng Wanze’s face darkened, and he shot his son a warning glare the moment he saw the boy’s lower lip begin to quiver.
Little Huzi was so intimidated by his father’s stern expression that he immediately choked back his tears. Why is this man being so fierce?!
The little boy felt incredibly aggrieved, but he didn’t dare challenge the authority of the towering figure before him. Deep down, his infant instincts recognized that this intimidating man was indeed his biological father, whom he hadn’t seen in months. He knew that if he threw a tantrum now, it might very well lead to a spanking.
Sheng Wanze amusedly noted the boy’s sudden compliance. The little brat is quite sharp, he thought.
Cradling his son gently, Sheng Wanze stepped closer to check on his sleeping sister, while Grandpa and Grandma Sheng kept their eyes locked affectionately on the tiny newborn.
“Tingxiao,” Grandma Sheng murmured softly, gesturing toward his soiled uniform. “Why don’t you head back home first to wash up and get some proper rest?” Gu Tingxiao was still heavily encrusted with dried field mud, his face drawn with profound exhaustion and mapped with raw scratches.
“No, Grandma. I’ll wait until Wanyan wakes up first,” he replied without hesitation. If his wife opened her eyes and didn’t see him by her side, she would be heartbroken.
Hearing his quiet resolve, Grandma Sheng desisted from pushing the matter. She could see exactly how deeply her grandson-in-law cherished her granddaughter.
Initially, she had harbored a lingering anxiety that Wanyan giving birth to a daughter might spark undercurrents of disappointment within the prominent Gu family, potentially straining the young couple’s relationship. But witnessing how tenderly and fiercely Tingxiao protected the little girl, the old woman’s heart finally found peace.
It was incredibly difficult for a woman to secure her own happiness and status in this rigid era; a single misstep or a bad match could easily pull her into a lifetime of misery. Thank goodness her granddaughter had chosen the right man.
Grandma Sheng couldn’t help but marvel at the late Mother Sheng’s exceptional foresight. If her late daughter-in-law hadn’t adamantly arranged this matchmaking opportunity for Wanyan, there was no telling what kind of household the girl would have ended up marrying into today. Even if she had secured a wealthy family, it was highly unlikely any other man would have loved her with the same unyielding devotion Tingxiao displayed.
Furthermore, their firstborn was a girl, and in this traditional society, what family didn’t desperately pray for a son first? Thanks to Mother Sheng’s sharp eye and keen judgment, the family’s fortune was growing brighter by the day.
“Alright, then at least eat a little something to keep your strength up. Your grandmother brought over a few fresh buns,” Grandma Sheng urged.
Gu Tingxiao nodded gratefully. Having survived on meager field rations and zero sleep throughout the grueling deployment, his body was running on pure adrenaline. The moment he crossed the base gates, he had sprinted straight to the maternity ward without a single fraction of a rest. Now that his family was safe, the sheer exhaustion and hunger finally hit him.
He was absolutely ravenous, wolfing down five large buns in rapid succession just to fill the hollow ache in his stomach.
Grandma Sheng watched him eat with a heavy wave of sympathy. It was glaringly obvious that her grandson-in-law had endured a terrifyingly difficult time on the front lines.
Meanwhile, back at the compound, Mother Gu was busy preparing a specialized, delicate recovery meal for Sheng Wanyan. Once the broth was simmering, she walked over to Political Commissar Xie’s office to place a long-distance priority call to Father Gu in the capital.
“Old Gu! The third child’s wife just delivered!” she announced the moment the line connected.
On the other end of the wire, Father Gu practically bolted out of his office chair. “Good heavens!” he boomed, his face lighting up. His third son finally had a child, making him a grandfather once more. “Is it true? A boy or a girl?”
“A beautiful little girl, Old Gu. She’s absolutely stunning.”
Hearing it was a daughter, Father Gu burst into a booming, hearty laugh. “A girl is fantastic! Brilliant! Daughters are always the most loving and considerate!”
Father Gu was a straightforward, rugged military man who harbored absolutely zero traditional bias against granddaughters. In his eyes, as long as a child was raised with proper values and discipline, every single one of them was a credit to the family name. Furthermore, it wasn’t as if the young couple couldn’t choose to have a second or third child down the road, so there was no need to stress over the first.
“Let the rest of the household know,” Mother Gu instructed. “I have to get right back to the ward.”
“Alright, alright! How is our third daughter-in-law holding up?”
“Everything is flawless. Mother and daughter are both safe and healthy.”
Father Gu let out a profound sigh of relief. Hearing that the labor had concluded without major complications was the best possible news. “As long as everyone is safe, that’s what matters. I’m going to head straight home to break the news to the elders.” He was practically itching to share the immense joy with his parents.
The moment Mother Gu hung up the receiver, Father Gu immediately signaled his personal guard, ordering the vehicle brought around to drive him back to the family residence. He couldn’t focus on his administrative duties for another minute.
Grandpa and Grandma Gu were absolutely ecstatic when he delivered the news. Their third boy finally had a child of his own.
“Are mother and daughter completely safe?” Grandma Gu verified, her eyes bright.
“Everything is perfect, Mom.”
The elderly couple breathed a long, contented sigh. With Wang Chunmei having delivered her baby three months prior, the extended Gu lineage had successfully welcomed two new members into the family fold within a short window.
Grandpa and Grandma Gu were genuinely thrilled by the births, though the mere thought of Wang Chunmei’s recent toxic antics caused Grandma Gu’s expression to sour with intense irritation.
Wang Chunmei had given birth to a boy. Naturally, Grandpa and Grandma Gu had walked over to visit their new great-grandson, only to be met by a barrage of passive-aggressive, sarcastic remarks from the bitter mother. Wang Chunmei’s disrespect had enraged Grandpa Gu so thoroughly that he had coldly forbidden anyone from bringing the infant into his presence again, snapping that they shouldn’t bother coming over to get in his way.
He had zero desire to see a great-grandson raised by such an ungrateful woman. Although the Gu family prized their lineage, they were hardly desperate for male heirs, and he refused to let anyone assume they could lord over the household simply because they had produced a boy.
Wang Chunmei truly believed she had secured an untouchable status within the family hierarchy, assuming no one would dare discipline her now that she had borne a grandson. She spent her days loudly lamenting that Mother Gu had utterly abandoned her during her postpartum confinement, spitefully whispering that her son would grow up harboring a deep, bitter grudge against the Gu elders for the neglect.
She constantly complained that the family refused to finance her expensive recovery supplements, whining that they offered her neither physical labor nor financial compensation. In her mind, the Gu family was monstrously biased against her branch.
In reality, because Mother Gu was stationed in the north, Wang Chunmei had begged her own biological mother to come look after her during her confinement. However, Mrs. Wang had flatly refused, claiming she was entirely too occupied with her own household chores to waste time on her daughter.
Ultimately, Gu Tinghao was left to shoulder the domestic labor entirely on his own. Because he had to maintain his regular work schedule, he could only manage to guarantee her three hot meals a day, lacking the time or energy to assist with any additional chores.
Suffocating in her own resentment, Wang Chunmei continuously attacked the Gu elders for their perceived favoritism, screaming that they were deliberately marginalizing her son. Her non-stop vitriol had driven Gu Tinghao past his breaking point, culminating in a massive, explosive screaming match between the couple before she finally fell into a sullen silence.
While Gu Tinghao was naturally proud to have a son, the memory of his wife’s past manipulative actions remained like a sharp, festering thorn buried deep inside his heart. It was a wound that could never be truly healed or forgotten, no matter how much time passed. The domestic tension was a ticking time bomb; it was only a matter of time before the marriage fractured completely, held back for now only by the fragile presence of the newborn.
Mother Gu was fully aware of the drama surrounding the fourth branch, having received a detailed breakdown in a recent letter from the capital. But she couldn’t care less about Wang Chunmei’s tantrums, deliberately choosing not to mail a single congratulatory gift back home.
Since the branches had formally separated, she saw zero reason to involve herself in their domestic affairs, regardless of whether they produced a son or a daughter. Furthermore, she had three sons in total, and with the exception of her youngest, her elder boys had each welcomed only a single child into the world. She intended to distribute her maternal support equitably among the three stable households, refusing to treat Wang Chunmei like a worshipped deity just because she had given birth to a boy.
As for her new grandson, her heart naturally held a deep, grandmotherly affection for the baby, but she viewed the fact that the boy was saddled with a mother like Wang Chunmei as an absolute failure. Mother Gu maintained a very clear boundary in her mind: she would cherish her grandchild from a distance, but she refused to allow her toxic daughter-in-law back into her good graces.
By the time Mother Gu returned to the maternity ward, Sheng Wanyan had finally woken from her deep slumber. Mother Gu immediately set up the light, easily digestible recovery meal she had prepared, setting out a bowl of warm white rice porridge and a cup of pure brown sugar water. At this early stage of postpartum recovery, a woman’s digestive system was too delicate to process heavy meats or rich fish broths; she needed to slowly rebuild her strength with simple staples.
Once the attending physician concluded his morning evaluation, Gu Tingxiao took the bowl and gently began coaxing the warm porridge into Sheng Wanyan’s mouth. Having expended an immense amount of physical energy during the delivery, she was genuinely starving and happily consumed every drop.
But while Sheng Wanyan’s hunger was satisfied, her tiny new ancestor’s was not.
Suddenly, a sharp, reedy wail erupted from the wooden crib. Mother Gu immediately bustled over to check on her granddaughter. Noting that the baby’s diaper was completely clean, she knew the little one was simply demanding a feeding.
“Wanyan, the little thing is clearly hungry,” Mother Gu said, turning to her.
Sheng Wanyan felt a distinct, heavy tightness in her chest, realizing her milk supply had officially dropped. “Mom, pass her over to me. Let me try to nurse her.”
“Wonderful, wonderful,” Mother Gu beamed. She quickly scooped up the bundle, completely bypassing Gu Tingxiao. “If the little one has trouble latching at first, just have your husband help you nudge her into position,” she added offhandedly.
Leaving no room for argument, Mother Gu smoothly turned and stepped out into the corridor to grant them privacy.
Hearing her mother-in-law’s incredibly blunt, practical advice left Sheng Wanyan’s cheeks flushing a bright, embarrassed crimson. Her mother-in-law really was… remarkably unreserved when it came to maternal logistics.
Gu Tingxiao’s eyes, however, lit up with intense devotion at his mother’s suggestion. He leaned over the mattress, watching with absolute fascination as their daughter latched onto her very first meal.
