Chapter Sixty-Two: Xiao Lian

Chapter 62: Xiao Lian

It was the Lantern Festival, and the restaurant was still open. But all the birthing supplies were at home. Outside, the long street buzzed with people, while inside, the main hall was alive with the warmth of human activity. Lin Qiuran stood still, her back hunched over from the pain in her belly.

Xiao Xun’s face paled. "I'll take you home first," he said.

Lin Qiuran shook her head, afraid to move. Her belly ached, and her limbs felt weak. Wan Niang had once mentioned that childbirth involved waiting for the water to break, and then for the cervix to dilate. But at this moment, Lin Qiuran couldn't recall any of it.

She sniffed, her voice trembling with tears. "Where's Mother? Go get Mother quickly."

Seeing this, Shopkeeper Shi stopped taking orders and rushed to the kitchen to fetch Sun Shi. Lu Fan was so flustered he moved awkwardly, unsure what to do.

Soon, Sun Shi hurried from the kitchen. She had been expecting the birth around this time, so for the past few days, Lin Dong had been cooking, keeping Lin Qiuran from any strenuous activity. But with the restaurant still open, leaving Lin Qiuran alone at home wasn't an option, so they had all come to the restaurant together.

Sun Shi first checked Lin Qiuran’s feet—her water hadn't broken yet. "It's alright, it's alright," she reassured her.

Although her water hadn't broken, it was full term. They still needed to go home and send for the midwife and doctor to prepare for the birth.

Sun Shi's words were calming. Lin Qiuran nodded at her. "Mother, what should we do...?"

Sun Shi composed herself, gripping Lin Qiuran’s hand. "Let's not panic. Xiao Xun, take Qiuran home. Father, go back with them, then take the donkey cart to fetch a midwife—bring one over first. Lin Xia, go get the doctor and bring him home, not to the restaurant."

Sun Shi handed each of them some money, just in case someone claimed it was only stomach pain and didn't need immediate attention. Regardless, she wanted them there.

Sun Shi was also anxious, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Hurry, all of you. I'll be back soon."

Xiao Xun picked up Lin Qiuran, his hands steady, and strode quickly to the donkey cart, driving off with Xiao Dashi.

Lin Xia darted out. Sun Shi had said to fetch the doctor—if their usual one wasn't available, they should find another. The cold wind whipped at Lin Xia’s face, but all he could think was to go faster, even faster.

After the others had left, Sun Shi took a deep breath. There were still customers at the restaurant, and despite Lin Qiuran's situation, they still needed to eat. "Shopkeeper Shi..."

"Go back quickly," Shopkeeper Shi said. "We've got this here."

Wan Niang also wanted to help, having experience, but she couldn't leave her post. "Auntie, just let me know if you need me."

Sun Shi nodded and hurried home.

Once home, she went to the kitchen to boil water in several large pots—water would be needed for the birth, and they also needed to cook some wontons and tangyuan for Lin Qiuran to eat. If she truly was going into labor, she would need energy, and going without food would leave her too weak to give birth.

Sun Shi had other tasks as well—she needed to prepare the childbirth supplies. Fortunately, these had been packed earlier and stored in a box. She just needed to give them a quick check.

Hot water, scissors, cloths, basins... She mentally reviewed each item, then prepared them one by one, taking them to Lin Qiuran’s room.

She also needed to change the bedsheets in Lin Qiuran’s room, replacing them with ones that had been washed and boiled. A layer of sturdy cloth underneath, and a layer of cotton on top.

While handling these, Sun Shi washed her hands to avoid contaminating anything. After spreading the sheets, she suddenly remembered that they hadn't hired a wet nurse yet. That could wait—they could send Xiao Dashi to fetch one once the baby was born.

Sun Shi said, "Qiuran, everything's ready. How are you feeling?"

Lin Qiuran watched as Sun Shi finished changing the sheets but didn’t dare sit on the bed. If she wasn’t going into labor, they would have to put everything away again. "It still hurts, coming in waves."

Lin Qiuran was still gripping Xiao Xun’s hand tightly, her lower lip pale from being bitten.

Xiao Xun said, "The midwife and doctor will be here soon. Don't be afraid."

Sun Shi said, "I'll make something for you to eat. Have a bite first."

Lin Qiuran nodded. She had calmed down a bit by now and knew she needed to distract herself—the more she thought about it, the more scared she would become. She shook Xiao Xun’s hand. "Talk to me more."

Lin Qiuran’s face was pale, and beads of sweat dotted her forehead. Xiao Xun’s heart ached. He said, "Let me tell you about the military camp. When I first left home to join the army, there were thousands of soldiers in the camp. At that time, the army hadn't reached the northwest yet, and there was no fighting. But even during the march, the camp was tense."

Lin Qiuran was puzzled. "Why was that?"

If there was no fighting, shouldn't the march have been smooth?

Xiao Xun said, "The General and the Deputy General in the camp disagreed, which split the camp into three factions."

Lin Qiuran asked curiously, "Besides the General and Deputy General, who made up the third faction?"

Seeing that her attention had been diverted, Xiao Xun continued, "There were those who only followed orders from the tiger tally. When I first arrived, I didn't understand anything, but I knew that whoever held the tally was the one to obey."

Lin Qiuran said, "But isn't the tally always held by the General?"

Xiao Xun nodded. "Yes, but the tally is split into two parts. Holding only the general’s tally isn't enough to command the troops—the court also has an imperial envoy who holds the emperor’s tally."

Only when the two halves were combined could the army be commanded.

Lin Qiuran had indeed seen armies named after generals’ surnames in plays, like the Chu Family Army or the Yang Family Army. Over time, they became their own factions, with people on both sides protecting their interests. "So the third faction must have had a hard time?"

Xiao Xun smiled. "Exactly. They were often made an example of—to warn others by punishing one."

Lin Qiuran said, "But facing the enemy, why were they still scheming like this?"

Xiao Xun saw that she looked more relaxed now, her curiosity piqued and her mind fully engaged. He felt slightly relieved. "At that time, we hadn't reached the northwest yet, and the two armies hadn't engaged. With morale low, disputes in the camp were constant."

It was during that time that Xiao Xun was caught up in trouble. He was new to the camp and didn't understand anything. To those in power, common soldiers’ lives were disposable. But since he had joined the army, he wanted to achieve something—dying there would have been a waste. So, Xiao Xun made his way back.

Lin Qiuran calculated the timing—the march would have taken some days, and that period aligned with when the news of Xiao Xun’s reported death had reached home.

So that was what happened.

Xiao Xun saw Sun Shi coming in and said, "I'll tell you the rest another time. Have something to eat first."

Lin Qiuran, no longer listening, felt another contraction in her belly. Sun Shi had cooked tangyuan and wontons and asked Lin Qiuran which she wanted.

Lin Qiuran said, "Lunch and dinner were both savory, so I'll have tangyuan."

The sweet, rich treat would give her energy. After talking with Xiao Xun, she felt less tense. She wasn't really hungry, but she knew she had to eat something.

If she were to give birth today, lacking energy would put both the baby and herself in danger. She had carried the baby for so long—they were just one step away. Lin Qiuran wanted both herself and the baby to be safe.

As she ate, Lin Qiuran massaged her lower back, until Xiao Xun ended up supporting her.

She scooped up a few tangyuan. The black sesame filling was sweet and oozed out when bitten. The skin was soft, and the filling fragrant. Lin Qiuran was even able to joke. "You know, if the baby is born today, it'll arrive on the Lantern Festival. I had tangyuan in the morning and now again at night. Why don't we name the baby Tangyuan as a nickname?"

Xiao Xun had never heard of a child named after food, but since it was Lin Qiuran’s idea, it sounded unique and charming.

He said, "Alright. Tangyuan has a filling—I wonder what kind of filling this child will have inside."

Lin Qiuran took another bite of the filling. She knew Xiao Xun was referring to the child’s temperament, but whatever temperament the child had would depend on how they were raised in the future.

Since they were having this child, they had to raise them properly—they couldn't just bring them into the world without guidance. She finished the last tangyuan and felt something unusual below.

Lin Qiuran glanced down, took a deep breath, pushed the bowl and chopsticks aside, and said to Xiao Xun, "The water broke. Have the midwives been brought? They wouldn't have gone to see the lanterns, would they?"

Xiao Xun said, "They know your due date is near—they definitely wouldn't go out."

Sun Shi came in to collect the bowls, her heart racing with anxiety, but she couldn't show it. "Exactly. We hired two midwives—everything will be fine. I'll go check; they should be here soon."

A few fireworks were set off outside, and Sun Shi went to the door to welcome her.

The commotion came from the side door; Xiao Dashi brought a midwife over. Sun Shi said, "You’re finally here! This way, this way!"

She pulled the midwife toward the east room. The midwife said, "Oh, slow down, no need to rush."

Knowing this family was expecting a baby any day now, the midwife had skipped the lantern festival tonight. This was more important, and she’d been paid and didn’t want to tarnish her reputation.

Sun Shi’s heart was pounding. "It is urgent!"

The midwife was nearly dragged along. "How is it? Has her water broken?"

Sun Shi nodded. "Yes, yes."

The midwife exclaimed again, and this time, without Sun Shi pulling her, she quickened her pace on her own.

Xiao Dashi didn’t rest either and went to fetch the other midwife.

The midwife entered the room and told Lin Qiuran to get on the bed, while Xiao Xun should step out first. Even though the water had broken, they still had to wait for the cervix to dilate fully.

She washed her hands and examined Lin Qiuran. She was already three centimeters dilated, which was quite fast. The midwife said in a loud, clear voice, "Mrs. Lin, don’t worry. Your baby is in a good position, and your cervix is dilating quickly. Just listen to me when the time comes—push when I say so."

Lin Qiuran’s face was pale from the pain, but she didn’t make a noise. She knew even greater pain was yet to come.

The midwife told Sun Shi to fetch supplies. "We’ll need plenty of hot water."

She checked periodically. Honestly, Lin Qiuran’s labor was progressing quickly. Though she was in pain, her face pale and forehead drenched in sweat, she endured without crying out.

The midwife wiped her sweat. "That’s right, hold back now to save your strength. Later, do whatever feels comfortable—go ahead and yell if you must. Just push when I tell you."

It wasn't good to forbid yelling entirely; some women couldn't push effectively without making noise.

Lin Qiuran nodded. As the pain subsided for a moment, she grabbed the midwife’s hand. "Granny, both the child and I must be safe."

The midwife nodded. "Don’t worry, I’ve delivered at least eighty babies, maybe a hundred, and both mother and child have always been fine. If you know anyone else who needs a midwife in the future, be sure to recommend me. I, Granny Wang, am skilled—mothers and babies have it easy with me."

Lin Qiuran couldn’t help but laugh. She’d heard before that if doctors crack jokes during an operation, it means everything is under control, whereas a serious face means trouble.

She felt slightly reassured, but her laughter didn’t last long before another contraction hit. She gripped the sheets beneath her and endured this round of agony.

Her water broke after the You hour (5–7 PM), and by the second mark of the Xu hour (around 7:30 PM), Lin Qiuran was ready to give birth. A doctor was waiting outside, and Xiao Dashi had brought the other midwife. Everyone was in the room—Sun Shi was also there, standing by to help.

The pain was intense. Lin Qiuran lay on the bed, staring at the canopy above, the scent of blood in the air. She could hear the two midwives’ voices but nothing else.

Her groans of pain mingled with the midwives’ instructions. Granny Wang’s voice boomed as she held Lin Qiuran’s hand. "The head is out! Oh, very soon, very soon! You’re doing wonderfully, Mrs. Lin."

"That’s alright, one more time," the midwife said, wiping Lin Qiuran’s sweat with a smile. "One more time, and it’ll be done soon."

"Mrs. Lin, push again!"

"It’s out, it’s out!"

Along with the midwives’ voices came a loud, clear cry.

Lin Qiuran looked like she’d been drenched. One midwife tended to her while the other cleaned the blood off the baby. Sun Shi didn’t stop to look at the child but instead asked anxiously, "How is the mother?"

The midwife replied, "She’s fine. The delivery was very quick—less than half an hour. Some labors last for days."

Childbirth is always painful—after all, the baby is quite large. She added, "The baby is fine too. It’s a boy."

Sun Shi’s eyes reddened slightly, and she murmured toward the door, "May Guanyin and Buddha bless us."

Outside, the moon hung high in a starry sky. The moment the child was born, the fireworks and firecrackers were drowned out. The baby’s cry pierced the long night, letting everyone outside exhale in relief.

Lin Xia jumped up and down with joy. "It’s born, it’s born!"

Lin Xia had lived with the Xiao family for nearly three months. She didn’t remember much from before, but Lin Qiuran had been kind to her, like an older sister or a mother. Now that there was a new child in the family, she was naturally overjoyed.

Xiao Xun walked to the door, resting his hand against it. Though he couldn’t see inside clearly, he could hear the voices.

Lin Qiuran was safe, and the child was born. A weight lifted off Xiao Xun’s chest.

He had so much to say, but looking around, only the doctor and Lin Xia were there. Xiao Dashi hadn’t returned yet—he had gone to fetch the wet nurse.

The doctor had come but hadn’t had to do anything. Still, that was a good thing. Xiao Xun asked about postpartum care—mainly no hard foods or cold touches, and especially staying out of the wind in this weather.

Lin Qiuran was young; with proper rest, she would recover well.

The room took a while to clean up. Sun Shi planned to find a place to bury the placenta. Some villagers said eating it was healthy, but who could stomach that?

The baby was too tiny to put on a scale, but based on experience, the midwife estimated he was over five pounds—not small at all.

He had cried loudly right after birth, seemed feisty, but stayed quiet during cleaning and even fell asleep.

The midwife went over postpartum care again: eat and drink well, and avoid stress. As for raising the child, that was up to them—that was beyond the midwives’ duties.

The midwife also asked Lin Qiuran, "Has your milk come in? Should I help you express it?"

Sun Shi quickly said, "We’ve hired a wet nurse. Are there foods that dry up milk?"

"Avoid lactation-promoting soups. Eating some chives would be better."

Being able to hire two midwives meant the family was well-off, and hiring a wet nurse made things easier. Chives weren’t common this season, but they could be found if one really wanted them.

Sun Shi nodded. After the bedsheets were changed and Lin Qiuran was back in bed resting, the midwife placed the baby beside Lin Qiuran.

Sun Shi paid the two midwives and saw them out. Each received one tael of silver—the agreed-upon two taels, with half paid in advance as a deposit.

The doctor was given one tael. Even though he hadn’t done anything, he had come, so he shouldn’t leave empty-handed.

This was called spending money for peace of mind. After seeing them off, Xiao Dashi returned with the wet nurse. He asked, "Has the baby been born?"

Sun Shi nodded absently. "Yes."

She ushered the wet nurse inside.

Xiao Dashi watched as Sun Shi disappeared in the blink of an eye. He still had questions—was it a boy or a girl? He went to ask Xiao Xun, who said, "I heard it’s a boy. Qiuran is also doing well."

Inside the room, Lin Qiuran looked at the child—now to be called Tangyuan. Fireworks were still going off outside, but he was fast asleep.

She reached out, her fingers hovering near Tangyuan’s nose. Even as his mother, she couldn’t in good conscience say he was handsome yet. He was small and reddish, especially his hands, which seemed almost translucent. Lin Qiuran was afraid she might accidentally hurt him.

Her belly was flat now; the child was out.

She pressed the back of her hand against Tangyuan’s cheek. His hair was still slightly damp. As if sensing her presence, he turned his face toward her.

Lin Qiuran felt a sense of wonder. He was so small—how could he know who she was? Yet blood ran thicker than water, and instinctively, he drew closer to her.

This was her child.

She'd actually had the baby.

It was such a strange feeling. Just then, Sun Shi came in with the wet nurse.

The wet nurse was slightly plump, around thirty years old. She took a look and said, "Since he's asleep now, there's no need to wake him up to feed."

Lin Qiuran said, "Then you can go rest first. There's a young girl at the door who will show you the way."

The room prepared for the wet nurse was already ready, right next to Lin Dong and the others.

The wet nurse went out, and Sun Shi sat down to look at her newborn grandson. She smiled at Lin Qiuran and said, "He looks like you. He's got Xiao Xun's nose, but his mouth and everything else are exactly like yours."

To Lin Qiuran, Tangyuan looked like a red, wrinkled little monkey—how could anyone tell who he resembled? But hearing Sun Shi say that made her happy. After all, she had worked hard to give birth to him, so of course, it was better if he looked more like her.

Sun Shi said gently, "Did you pick a name?"

Lin Qiuran said, "Yes, his pet name is Tangyuan."

Sun Shi smiled and said, "Perfect for the Lantern Festival today. The name suits well."

Pet names are mostly used by family elders. As the child grows up, they will gradually start using his proper name.

Sun Shi leaned over to look at the child. "Little Tangyuan, you must grow up quickly."

With a new child in the family, so tiny, both Sun Shi and Lin Qiuran found it fascinating. Even while the baby was sleeping, they could watch him for a long time.

After a while, Lin Qiuran said, "By the way, where are Dad and Xiao Xun?"

Sun Shi slapped her forehead. "Oh, I forgot! They’re outside."

With all the busyness of childbirth and the cold weather making it unsuitable to take the newborn outside just to show him off, Sun Shi had completely forgotten about them.

Lin Qiuran chuckled. Sun Shi said, "I’ll go call them. Are you hungry? Should I get you something to eat?"

Lin Qiuran shook her head. She had just eaten dinner and had some tangyuan earlier—she really wasn’t hungry.

Sun Shi went out to call them, and Xiao Dashi and Xiao Xun came in to see the baby.

Xiao Dashi glanced a couple of times, chuckled, and then went out. Lin Qiuran had just given birth and needed more rest.

Xiao Xun stayed in the room to keep watch.

Xiao Xun held up his hand to compare sizes. "Why is he so small? His face isn’t even as big as my hand."

Lin Qiuran said, "Of course. If he were any bigger, how could I have given birth to him?"

Xiao Xun looked away from the baby. "You did great."

Lin Qiuran said, "It was hard, but seeing him born safely makes all that hardship feel worth it."

Initially, she had decided to keep the child because Xiao Xun's parents had been good to her, and remarrying would have been difficult too. It was better to raise her own child than someone else’s. After carrying him for months and finally giving birth, in this world, Tangyuan was someone connected to her by blood.

Lin Qiuran watched for a while longer and said, "Do you know how to hold him? Otherwise, should we take him to the wet nurse’s room?"

For now, he was sleeping peacefully, like an angelic baby, but she was afraid he might start crying later. Lin Qiuran wanted to rest, and if the baby cried, she would surely wake up.

Xiao Xun said, "I'll learn. I’ll go call someone."

Xiao Xun didn’t know how, and even Sun Shi was nervous about holding such a small child. Fortunately, the wet nurse was experienced and took him away directly, with Lin Xia following to help.

Both Lin Dong and Lin Xia had experience taking care of younger siblings, which now came in very handy.

Lin Qiuran was feeling sleepy. She planned to eat a little something and then go to bed, but she still had many things on her mind.

The restaurant was still operating today. She had been in pain, so they had left Lin Dong and Shopkeeper Shi in charge. She wasn’t sure if they could manage.

"We need to send word to the restaurant. Tell them to continue working tomorrow, but the second floor will still be closed."

She was starting her confinement period, her month of rest after childbirth. For the first few days, Lin Dong would likely be the main cook, with Shopkeeper Shi overseeing things. Depending on how busy the household was, Sun Shi and Lin Xia could take turns helping out if needed.

Lin Qiuran added, "Also, we need to let my mother know."

Xiao Xun nodded. "I’ll go first thing tomorrow morning. By the way, have you thought of a proper name?"

Lin Qiuran looked at the child, thought for a moment, and said, "Let’s call him Xiao Lian."

The character "Lian" implies restraint and steadiness, and it can also mean accumulating wealth.

Lin Qiuran had always felt that this child was born lucky. Choosing the name "Lian" expressed her hope that he would be able to hold onto that luck in the future.