Chapter 83

Chapter 83

When Jin Xiuzhu took Li Yun to the hospital, the doctors and nurses immediately wheeled her into the delivery room due to the urgency of the situation. A nurse came out with some forms for Jin Xiuzhu to fill out. Since Jin Xiuzhu was not family, she hesitated but ultimately filled in Tan Hui's information.

Jin Xiuzhu waited outside the delivery room with two large bags, listening to the screams inside. Her heart felt heavy, wondering what Li Yun must be feeling at that moment. When she had given birth, Jiang Mingchuan had been waiting outside, so she hadn't been too afraid or panicked; she just wanted to get the baby out as quickly as possible to avoid more suffering.

After a long wait, around dusk, the sound of a baby's cry echoed from within. Jin Xiuzhu felt a wave of relief. A little while later, a nurse opened the door and asked Jin Xiuzhu for clothes for the baby. Jin Xiuzhu hurriedly retrieved them from her bag, and the nurse took them before closing the door again.

These clothes were ones Liu Liu had worn as a baby. Jin Xiuzhu had kept them, washing them clean and preserving them like new. She had given them to Li Yun to save her the trouble of preparing everything anew. Li Yun had liked them very much and praised their appearance.

Soon after, a nurse emerged carrying the baby and approached Jin Xiuzhu.

Jin Xiuzhu nervously held the baby. The child was tiny, swaddled in a blanket, revealing only half of its small, red, wrinkled face, with a pouting mouth as if it hadn't cried enough yet. If not for the baby in her arms, Jin Xiuzhu might have forgotten how Liu Liu looked as an infant.

The nurse said, "Born at nineteen forty-three, a boy, six jin one liang."

Jin Xiuzhu's expression softened as she asked, "How is the mother?"

The nurse replied, "She's fine and will be out soon. Remember to pay the hospital fees later."

"Okay."

The nurse returned inside, and shortly after, Li Yun was wheeled out. She managed to open her eyes and saw Jin Xiuzhu holding the baby at the door. Li Yun smiled weakly, and Jin Xiuzhu smiled back, saying, "The baby is doing well."

Li Yun closed her eyes, relieved, and fell asleep. The nurses wheeled her into the ward, which was empty except for them. Jin Xiuzhu pointed to the bed near the window, and the nurses placed Li Yun there.

Jin Xiuzhu laid the baby down beside her and told one of the nurses, "I'll go pay the hospital fees now. Could you please watch over them? Her husband is in the military and can't make it here right away."

The nurse, touched by this, agreed, "Sure."

Jin Xiuzhu went to pay the fees. Earlier, when leaving home, she had left a note on the table, unsure if her children had seen it.

As she was thinking about this, she headed back to the ward and spotted three familiar figures in the corridor. Slightly surprised, she asked, "How did you find your way here?"

The children turned at the sound of her voice, smiling upon seeing their mother. He Yan even called out, "Mom—"

Jin Xiuzhu led them to the ward. He Yan handed her a lunch box, then joined his sister at the bedside to look at the newborn.

Liu Liu tried to reach out and touch the baby but was stopped by Fu Yanyan, who said, "The baby is too small; don't touch him randomly."

"Okay."

Liu Liu didn't get upset and continued watching curiously with wide eyes.

Jin Xiuzhu, fearing the smell would linger, stepped outside to eat. After a while, He Yan also came out and asked, "Mom, what should we do about Aunt Li? Will you stay here all night? Who will take care of her postpartum?"

He knew his mother was kind-hearted, and Aunt Li was pitiful, but he didn't want his mother to be overburdened, as it was someone else's matter.

Jin Xiuzhu sensed her son's concern and explained, "Aunt Li has made arrangements. She already found someone to help with her postpartum care, but today's events were unexpected, and she hasn't informed them yet."

He Yan sighed with relief, "That's good."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled warmly, "Go back and study. I'll stay a bit longer."

He Yan shook his head, "It's okay; I've finished my homework."

He didn't want to leave, knowing his mother was waiting for Aunt Li's husband to arrive. He also knew about their impending divorce, though it hadn't happened yet, and expected him to come tonight.

Sure enough, around eight-thirty, two figures appeared on the stairs, one ahead of the other, with Jiang Mingchuan in front.

He Yan, being a boy, stood guard at the door instead of staying inside. He saw Jiang Mingchuan first and called out, "Dad."

Jiang Mingchuan patted his shoulder and asked, "Where's your mom?"

He Yan nodded towards the room, "Inside."

Jiang Mingchuan acknowledged it with a nod. Behind him, Tan Hui couldn't wait and rushed inside. The lights were on, and he saw his wife sitting on the bed eating slowly, looking pale. Beside her was a small bundle, barely visible.

Seeing Tan Hui, Li Yun remained composed and continued eating.

Tan Hui approached, and Jin Xiuzhu lifted the baby to show him, "It's a boy, six jin one liang."

Tan Hui bent down to look at the sleeping baby, feeling a softness in his heart. He wanted to hold the baby but hesitated, afraid he might hurt it.

Jin Xiuzhu reassured him, "Regardless of your past, the baby shares half your blood. You should hold him."

She handed the baby to him.

Tan Hui carefully took the baby, feeling the light weight in his arms, his whole body stiffening.

Li Yun turned to Jin Xiuzhu, "Sister-in-law, you should go home now. Thank you for today."

Jin Xiuzhu glanced at the couple and agreed, then left with her daughters.

At the door, she saw Jiang Mingchuan and smiled, "Why did you come too?"

"I saw Tan Hui on the way and knew his wife had given birth. I guessed you'd be here, so I came along."

Jin Xiuzhu nodded. Jiang Mingchuan looked at the couple inside and asked, "Ready to go?"

"Let's go; there's nothing more for us here."

The family of five descended the stairs and left the hospital. Once outside, Jin Xiuzhu recounted the afternoon's events, "It was quite a scare. Halfway through, her water broke. I didn't know what to do, so I just kept comforting her. Luckily, we were in the city."

Jiang Mingchuan knew about their marital issues and wasn't sure how to comment, "It's best they don't divorce. The baby just lost its father, and Li Yun doesn't have a job. Even if she loves medicine, she can't earn money right now."

Jin Xiuzhu shook her head, "It's hard to persuade her. Staying together means getting stuck in a mess, with that woman always around and the man unable to decide. It's not worth it. Divorce might be harder, but at least she has a plan and hope for the future."

Her perspective differed. She preferred swift action, knowing that if something was wrong, it was better to cut ties quickly to avoid endless troubles.

Break and then stand. Only through breaking can there be rebirth.

Especially in her view, such indecisive men were not worth wasting time on.

Jiang Mingchuan wanted to say something more, but Jin Xiuzhu turned to look at him, sizing him up with a glance, and threatened, "If you dare to keep a mistress outside, I won't be as good-tempered as Li Yun and just divorce you. Divorce is certain, but I won't let you off easily."

He Yan, hearing this, quickly chimed in, "Dad, if you dare to treat Mom like that, I definitely won't talk to you anymore. I'll go with Mom."

Liu Liu also said, "I'll go with Mom too."

Fu Yanyan didn't speak but nodded in agreement.

Jiang Mingchuan, seeing the united front of his wife and children, said irritably, "How could I do such a thing? Keep a mistress? Which day have I not come home when I had free time?"

That was true.

Jin Xiuzhu nodded satisfactorily, "My judgment is still pretty good."

Jiang Mingchuan laughed in frustration but continued, "The leadership has heard about Tan Hui's situation and talked to him several times. When you have time, talk to Li Yun properly. Divorce isn't beneficial for either of them."

Jin Xiuzhu knew that family was most important to Jiang Mingchuan. She was different; for her, children and herself came first, with men being secondary.

Still, she responded with an affirmative, "Okay."

The next day, Jin Xiuzhu went to the hospital again. When she arrived, a middle-aged woman was sitting by Li Yun's bedside, holding and soothing the baby to sleep.

Seeing Jin Xiuzhu, Li Yun explained, "This is Sister Huang, someone I hired to help me during my confinement period."

Sister Huang smiled at Jin Xiuzhu, "Hello, you two can chat. I'll go wash the bowls."

She handed the baby to Li Yun and left with the used dishes.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled back and sat on the stool where Sister Huang had been sitting.

Li Yun looked much better today and told Jin Xiuzhu, "Last night, he brought over three hundred yuan, saying it was for temporary use. I didn't hesitate and took it right away. I also told him that I'm learning traditional Chinese medicine and want to find a master. He said he would contact someone from the Chinese Medical Hospital. I've thought it through clearly: if he offers, I'll take it. Why refuse what's rightfully mine?"

"That's right. Don't let yourself be taken advantage of."

"Exactly, as you said, the child is half his responsibility. He should take on that responsibility. I lost my job partly due to pressure from his family. I can't just suffer silently. He will have a new family someday, so while he's willing to take responsibility now, I need to secure something for the child."

"You're thinking clearly, which is great."

Li Yun smiled, "Thank you for your trouble yesterday."

Jin Xiuzhu replied, "What trouble? Have you decided on a name for the child?"

Li Yun looked down at the baby in her arms, her voice softening, "I decided earlier. His name will be Nanxing."

Jin Xiuzhu tilted her head, "Nanxing? That's nice. It can be used as medicine and symbolizes smooth sailing and brilliance."

Li Yun smiled, "I hope he has a peaceful and prosperous life."

Jin Xiuzhu affirmed seriously, "He will."

Over the next two days, Jin Xiuzhu visited Li Yun at the hospital every day, bringing some nourishing soup. Li Yun stayed in the hospital for three days and was discharged on the fourth day, with Sister Huang moving in next door to care for her.

Sister Huang was introduced to Li Yun by an aunt selling vegetables at the market who learned about her pregnancy and need for postpartum care. Li Yun, being shy, met her and found her to be a good person, so they agreed that she would come after the birth.

Li Yun understood that some expenses were necessary. In fact, she wasn't as poor as others thought. Before marriage, she had saved hundreds of yuan from her years as a teacher. The dowry and gifts from Tan Hui's family were also in her possession, amounting to a considerable sum.

Even without money from Tan Hui, she could raise the child until school age.

Hiring someone for postpartum care was also to avoid burdening Jin Xiuzhu, as she disliked troubling others.

Sister Huang took excellent care of Li Yun, keeping the house clean and preparing light meals suitable for her recovery.

On the last day of her confinement, Li Yun couldn't bear to let Sister Huang go and extended her stay for another month.

The day after Li Yun finished her confinement, Tan Hui came again, and they finalized their divorce.

On the day of the divorce, Tan Hui gave her a sum of money, not as much as expected but still substantial. He explained that his mother held most of the money and, knowing her nature, hadn't mentioned the divorce. She only gave him half.

Tan Hui promised to give her the rest during the New Year and introduced her to a job as an intern under an old doctor at the Chinese Medical Hospital. After passing the exam, she would become a full-time employee.

As an intern, she earned twenty yuan a month, and Tan Hui would contribute half of that monthly.

How he managed to find such a good job was unclear, but Li Yun wisely didn't ask.

With this opportunity, Li Yun decided to extend Sister Huang's stay.

After resting at home for ten more days, Li Yun started her internship at the Chinese Medical Hospital.

Returning home in the evening, she came over with the baby, excitedly telling Jin Xiuzhu, "Today, when I went to work, my teacher probably thought I knew nothing. At first, he taught me some basic knowledge, but later realized I already knew it all. He tested me on the spot, and I answered everything correctly. He was very satisfied and had me assist him in consultations. Today, he even let me feel a patient's pulse."

Li Yun's eyes sparkled as she spoke, showing how much she enjoyed her new job.

The baby in her arms was well-behaved, looking at Jin Xiuzhu with big, curious eyes.

Jin Xiuzhu took the baby and comforted her, encouraging Li Yun to learn diligently from the old doctor.

Li Yun nodded earnestly, "Yes, Master. In my heart, you are my Master, and he is my teacher. I know the difference."

Both were her seniors, but Jin Xiuzhu held a higher status because she had introduced Li Yun to the field and imparted much knowledge.

Especially during today's test, Li Yun felt her foundation was much stronger than the other interns.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, "What matters most is improving your medical skills. Everything else is secondary. Now that you have a job you enjoy, work hard and strive to achieve something significant."

"Hmm."

Li Yun smiled and nodded, then after a few more words, she left with the child in her arms, her steps light and visibly more cheerful and confident.

Fu Yanyan paused her pen and looked at the departing figure, momentarily stunned.

Jin Xiuzhu asked with a smile, "What are you looking at? So absorbed?"

Fu Yanyan withdrew her gaze and shook her head, "Nothing, just reflecting on how fortunate Aunt Li is to have found a job she enjoys, living for herself and her child."

In the previous life, "Jin Xiuzhu" divorced and brought herself to the south, probably wanting to achieve something of her own like Li Yun did, to prove to Father Jiang that leaving him was the best choice. Unfortunately, "Jin Xiuzhu" lost her way, abandoning her daughter and her career, being toyed with by her lover.

I hope this time, Aunt Li has a different outcome.

On the other side, Bai Jingzhi's letter to Jin Xiuzhu arrived, saying she had arranged for the person to stay next door. The little girl is very diligent but initially hesitated to use salt and oil when cooking. However, she corrected it after being told once.

She bought clothes and shoes for the girl and had her read books beside her while working at home. The girl is very studious and diligent, and she likes her very much.

Jin Xiuzhu wrote a thank-you letter to Qian Yufeng, sending a large package of local specialties along with it.

In the summer of 1979, He Yan took part in the college entrance examination.