Chapter 63

Chapter 63

On the first rest day of every month, Pei Yufeng accompanied Ji Yunshu to the military hospital for her prenatal checkup as usual.

The two of them walked into the obstetrics clinic while chatting. The doctor on duty today had a round face. She smiled and greeted Ji Yunshu, asking the usual questions about how she'd been lately—any discomfort, how her appetite was, how she'd been sleeping—then had Ji Yunshu lie down on the examination bed and began taking her pulse. Ji Yunshu was very relaxed, hands folded over her slightly rounded belly, head tilted to watch the coconut palm leaves sway gently in the breeze outside the window.

The doctor's fingers pressed on her wrist for quite a while, and the smile on her face gradually faded. She released her grip, then placed her fingers back on, adjusting to a different angle and pressing for another long moment, her brow furrowing slightly.

Pei Yufeng stood nearby, watching the doctor's expression the entire time. He noticed her frown and immediately stepped forward. "Doctor, is there a problem?"

"Comrade Ji's pulse is very healthy, and the fetus's pulse is strong too, so there's no need to worry." The doctor quickly waved her hand, but her brow remained furrowed. "It's just... I seem to be feeling three pulses. A pregnant woman's pulse and the fetus's pulse should add up to two, but—"

She let go of her wrist, gave a sheepish little smile, and stood up to walk to the door, calling out into the hallway, "Director Jiang, would you mind coming over for a moment? There's a pregnant woman here whose pulse I'm not quite sure about."

Pei Yufeng's face turned visibly pale. He gripped Ji Yunshu's hand, and even his usually composed expression showed clear worry.

Ji Yunshu felt a thin layer of sweat seeping from Pei Yufeng's palm. She looked up at him and noticed his lips were pressed tightly together, his gaze fixed on where the doctor had gone, as if afraid she might say something bad.

"Brother Pei, don't be nervous. Didn't the doctor say my pulse is very healthy? She's probably just not sure and wants the director to double-check." Ji Yunshu squeezed his hand in return, her tone light, but her own heart had started beating a little faster. She remembered that during her last physical exam, the doctor had said she was anemic. Though half a year of care had improved things considerably, she wasn't certain whether it had affected the baby after she became pregnant.

Director Jiang arrived quickly. She looked to be in her fifties, with neatly combed hair and gold-rimmed glasses, holding a medical chart as she walked in. She first flipped through the prenatal notes the doctor had taken, then sat down and took Ji Yunshu's pulse again.

The clinic was so quiet you could hear the rustling of coconut leaves outside the window and the soldiers' chants from the training ground in the distance. Pei Yufeng stood beside Ji Yunshu, his back ramrod straight, his gaze never leaving Director Jiang's face for a single second. He noticed that after finishing the pulse reading, Director Jiang didn't speak immediately. Instead, she gently set Ji Yunshu's hand back down at her side, stood up, walked around to face her, and lightly pressed on her abdomen. She then took out a stethoscope and listened to the fetal heart sounds from both the left and right sides.

"Comrade Ji, how has your appetite been since you became pregnant?" Director Jiang removed the stethoscope from her ears and sat back down, her tone very gentle.

"Excellent, actually." Ji Yunshu answered quickly, a hint of sheepish amusement in her voice. "I feel hungry every day, and my portions are much bigger than before. I gained several pounds when I went home to visit family, and my husband cooks all sorts of things for me every day. Sometimes I can eat two or three bowls of rice in one sitting. My belly has also grown much faster—I figured it was just because I was eating too much."

Director Jiang said, "That explains it. Your pulse shows three distinct beats, and there are two fetal heart sounds. Your abdomen is also slightly larger than average for your stage of pregnancy. You're having twins. Both babies are currently very healthy—their heartbeats are strong, and all your vitals are normal. Congratulations to you both."

The clinic fell silent for a long moment. Ji Yunshu lay on the examination bed, one hand still clutching Pei Yufeng's fingers, the other unconsciously resting on her belly. She thought about how she'd been getting hungry so easily lately, how her appetite had grown so noticeably—she'd assumed she was just being undisciplined about food. She looked down at her rounded belly, never imagining that two tiny lives were growing quietly inside.

"Really?" Ji Yunshu's voice trembled slightly. She was actually carrying twins!

"Really. I just examined carefully—the two fetal heart sounds differ slightly in tone and position. However, although the twins are healthy right now, they need more nutrition and closer monitoring than a single baby. You'll need to pay more attention to rest." Director Jiang added. "Of course, twins don't mean you should eat whatever you want, either. If the babies get too big, delivery gets harder with two. You'll need to keep an eye on that."

Director Jiang took off her reading glasses and set them on the chart, looking at the young couple in front of her, both looking shocked and thrilled. She added a little more: "Twins are a blessing, but they're also harder than a single pregnancy. As the months go on, the strain on the mother's body gets worse. From now on, there are more things to watch out for than before. Let me go over a few key points—make sure you remember them."

Director Jiang's voice was warm and patient, like she was talking to her own kids or grandkids.

"Go ahead. I'm listening." Pei Yufeng nodded.

Director Jiang said, "As the months go on, your belly will grow faster than with a single baby, and moving around will get harder and harder. When you take a bath, make sure there's a non-slip mat on the floor, and ideally someone should be right outside—don't lock the door. Wear flat, non-slip cloth shoes, not anything with heels—those get really slippery when wet. In the last two months, turning over in bed will be really hard, and leg pain and backaches are normal. A gentle massage is fine, but don't press too hard. Massage from the ankle up toward the knee, never the other way, and don't press hard on acupressure points, because some can trigger contractions."

Pei Yufeng silently repeated the instructions to himself, then nodded.

"Leg cramps are also common, especially at night. When a pregnant woman gets a cramp, don't panic—have her straighten her leg and point her toes up, and it'll ease up gradually. When she's sitting, prop her feet up a bit and don't let her stand for too long. If you notice bad swelling in her ankles or lower legs, press on the skin—if the dent stays for a while without bouncing back, have her put her feet up and rest, and cut back on salt. But if it's still swollen after resting, you have to come to the hospital."

"You also need to watch her sleeping position. Once the belly gets big, try to sleep on your side—left side is best. Don't lie flat on your back, because that presses on blood vessels and affects circulation, which isn't good for either of you. When she lies on her side, you can put a pillow between her legs and another behind her back—that makes her waist and legs more comfortable. As the months go on, she won't be able to turn over by herself, and she'll need help—don't push on her belly. Support her waist and shoulders and help her turn slowly, always gently."

"One last thing, and the most important." Director Jiang's tone turned slightly more serious here. "Twins often come earlier than single babies. Thirty-seven weeks counts as full term. So when you get to the last month, if she has regular belly pain, her water breaks, or she has bloody show—whether it's day or night—come to the hospital right away. Don't hesitate. Especially if her water breaks: have her lie flat right away, don't let her walk over on her own, and come by car. You absolutely can't let too much amniotic fluid leak out. This is essential to remember."

Ji Yunshu listened, smiled, and nodded. "Thank you, Director Jiang. I've remembered everything."

"Good. Your overall health is much better than before, and the baby's position is correct right now. As long as you take good care of yourself, the delivery should go smoothly. Keep coming at least once a month for checkups, and as the months go on, come in anytime if anything feels off. Wait outside for a minute—I'll have the nurse get the paperwork ready for your next visit and give you a copy of the late-pregnancy guidelines. Comrade Pei, did you get all that? Especially the method for turning over and what to do after the water breaks."

"Got it." Pei Yufeng repeated the key points Director Jiang had just gone over, almost word for word.

Director Jiang couldn't help but smile, waving her hand. "Alright, alright. Your memory rivals our head obstetrics nurse. Take your wife home now—walk slowly on the way, no need to march like you're on the training ground."

"I understand." Pei Yufeng kept his arm supporting Ji Yunshu the entire time, carefully watching the path ahead of her, afraid she might bump into anything.

"Brother Pei, I can't believe there are twins in my belly! Do you think they'll be two boys, two girls, or one of each?" Ji Yunshu said as they left the hospital, still finding the whole thing unbelievable. The odds of twins were small, and the odds of boy-girl twins even smaller. Liu Aimin had once said that if she had boy-girl twins, both names they'd picked out could be used. But if she was having two boys or two girls, wouldn't she need to come up with another name?

"Either way is fine." Pei Yufeng looked at Ji Yunshu, his eyes full of tenderness. "It's just that you'll have to work harder."

Pei Yufeng had just heard Director Jiang list all the physical difficulties that could come with twins, and he felt that Ji Yunshu's late pregnancy would be quite taxing. Two babies seemed even harder to deliver, and childbirth was already a dangerous affair for women, with all sorts of complications possible. Pei Yufeng didn't dare imagine what he would do if something really happened to Ji Yunshu...

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps between coconut leaves, casting dappled shadows across Ji Yunshu's face. Her belly curved in a gentle arc, two tiny lives growing quietly within. Pei Yufeng reached out and tucked the windblown strands of hair behind her ear, his fingertips pausing briefly at her temple.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy?" Ji Yunshu felt that Pei Yufeng wasn't as overjoyed as he'd been when they first learned about the twins.

"Happy, and also nervous." He said this with a very serious expression, the faint blush at the tips of his ears especially visible in the sunlight.

Ji Yunshu laughed out loud, gently patting his chest. "What are you nervous about? I'm not nervous—and it's two babies! Come on, hurry up and let's go home. I need to write to Mom and Grandma! And if it's two boys or two girls, we'll need to pick a name for the other baby!"

He Qiuxia called long-distance the very day she received the letter. Ji Yunshu had barely picked up the receiver and said "Mom, I'm doing well" when He Qiuxia's voice came blasting through like rapid fire.

"What do you mean 'doing well'! Why didn't you tell me earlier that you're having twins! How could you tell me something this big by letter—you should have called me directly! The letter took over ten days to arrive, and I just finished reading it. I'm frantic! You child, really... How are you feeling now? Are the two babies healthy? Are you eating properly? Where's Xiao Pei? Is Xiao Pei there with you?"

"Mom, let me answer one question at a time. The babies are very healthy, and I'm very healthy too. My appetite is excellent—I eat even more than before. Brother Pei cooks all sorts of things for me, and the cafeteria food is good too. I've followed all the precautions you wrote in your letter, and the doctor says all my indicators are normal." Ji Yunshu switched the receiver to her other hand, her smile impossible to hide even as He Qiuxia scolded her in a torrent of words.

He Qiuxia's tone finally slowed down a bit. "Good, good. Mom needs to come over and stay with you. Twins are no joke—you can't possibly take care of two newborns by yourself. No matter how capable Xiao Pei is, he's still just a man; he can't handle the postpartum period like I can. Your own mother has to take care of Yuanyuan and won't have time to come. Mom will come take care of you, make sure you deliver smoothly, and help raise the babies."

"Mom, don't rush. You need to wait for Brother Pei to submit a request first, and the Political Department has to approve it before you can come to the island. Don't buy tickets yet—wait until the application is approved." Ji Yunshu said quickly.

"Fine, fine, Mom understands. These next few days I'll make you some clothes and buy some things to send over. We need to prepare for both adults and children—this time we'll need double everything. And don't get too carried away with excitement. With twins, you need even more rest. Don't spend all day sewing—rest when you're tired. Mom will make enough for you." He Qiuxia went on and on with endless reminders, and Ji Yunshu's ears were practically ringing by the time she finally hung up.

Leaving the post office, Ji Yunshu could still hear He Qiuxia's voice echoing in her ears—telling her to eat more meat and nourishing food; drink more fish soup so she'd have enough milk after delivery; don't bend over too often; be careful playing with the cat so it doesn't scratch her belly...

Ji Yunshu's head was spinning!

After Ji Yunshu hung up and got home, once she'd finally recovered, she first wrote a letter to Wang Wanru.

In the letter, Ji Yunshu explained that since Wang Wanru had to take care of Yuanyuan, she wouldn't ask her to come for the delivery this time. Once Yuanyuan was a bit older, she and Pei Yufeng would invite both her and Meng Guangze to come visit for a holiday.

Wang Wanru replied quickly, saying that while she was a bit disappointed not to be there for the delivery, the fact that Ji Yunshu had thought of her made it less disappointing—and besides, she could always be there for Ji Yunshu's children's children in the future. She said Yuanyuan was slowly learning to walk now, able to pull herself up against the wall and take a few wobbly steps, and every time she reached the two award certificates hanging on the parlor wall, she'd look up and smile. She said once Yuanyuan could walk properly, if it was convenient, she'd bring her to the island to visit her aunt.

He Qiuxia's application was approved quickly. Once Pei Yufeng had handled all the paperwork, He Qiuxia immediately bought a boat ticket and set out from the capital. She took a train from the capital to Yuecheng, then a ferry from Yuecheng to the island.

Ji Yunshu had wanted to go to the dock to pick her up, but Pei Yufeng made her sit on the sofa and wait, saying the dock would be crowded and it wasn't safe for her with her big belly. He went to the dock alone, leaving around noon and returning with He Qiuxia in the early evening.

When the courtyard gate opened, Ji Yunshu stood up from the sofa and walked to the door. He Qiuxia followed Pei Yufeng into the yard, looking more haggard than when they'd last met in the capital—her face sallow, hair mussed by the sea wind, clothes carrying the faint smell of engine oil from the ferry.

Ji Yunshu hurried over and found He Qiuxia's lips cracked and her eyes slightly sunken, as if she'd been through an ordeal.

"Mom!" Ji Yunshu stepped forward to support He Qiuxia's arm and guide her inside, her voice full of concern. "What happened? Did something go wrong on the way?"

"Oh, that ferry—it swayed so much! I threw up the whole way!" He Qiuxia's legs were still unsteady. She gripped the handrail and sat down on the sofa, accepting the warm water Pei Yufeng handed her and taking a few sips, still feeling like the world was spinning. "Xiaoshu, you've suffered so much. How is this sea so wide—I've ridden dozens of kilometers in a car without feeling sick, but this boat made me so dizzy..."

"Mom, why don't you lie down for a bit? The upstairs room is ready—you'll be staying right next to me and Brother Pei. Drink some water first. I'll go make you some congee—your stomach must be unsettled after throwing up the whole way." Ji Yunshu turned to head to the kitchen, but He Qiuxia grabbed her hand.

"With that belly of yours, what are you going to the kitchen for? Let Xiao Pei do it. You sit here and let Mom get a good look at you." She pressed Ji Yunshu into the chair beside her, holding both her hands, looking from her face to her belly, from her belly to her ankles. As she looked, her eyes reddened.

"How is this island so hot? What month is it—how is it hotter than the dog days of summer in the capital? Hot and humid. You've been here so long, and in your letters you said everything was fine, but you never told me it was like this. You've always hated the heat most of all, and there's not even an electric fan here. How have you managed?" He Qiuxia dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, then squeezed Ji Yunshu's arm, her voice carrying a suppressed ache that had been building for a long time. "And when you first arrived, you got seasick—you wrote about it so casually in your letter. Now Mom's felt it herself, and it's awful. When I read that letter, my heart ached for days, but I couldn't say so in my reply because I was afraid you'd end up comforting me instead."

"Mom, I got used to it long ago. Look at me now—I'm doing great. My health is good, my spirits are good, and I've even gained all this weight." Ji Yunshu took He Qiuxia's hand in return, her voice soft and gentle, like when she'd been a child coaxing her mother. "The sea breeze is hot, but you get used to it after a while. And we've installed screens and herb sachets at home now, so there are far fewer mosquitoes. Once you've rested a bit, I'll take you to the cafeteria—the food there is delicious, just as good as the cafeteria in our compound back home. I'm in better shape now than I ever was in the capital."

Pei Yufeng had already put the congee on to cook and was carrying He Qiuxia's luggage inside. Once He Qiuxia had recovered a bit of strength, she cupped Ji Yunshu's face in her hands and looked at her from every angle, then felt her belly, asking whether she slept well at night, whether her back ached, and whether the babies kicked her.

Ji Yunshu answered each question one by one, then placed her hands on either side of her belly, so her mother could feel where each of the two babies was kicking.

"The doctor said the babies are lying one on the left and one on the right. The one kicking on the left must be the active one—he kicks me several times a day, especially in the morning and before bed at night. The one on the right is quieter; he only moves when the other one kicks, and usually doesn't even budge." Ji Yunshu's voice carried a gentle certainty. "Mom, can you feel it? The left one just moved."

"Well, I'll be—there really are two." He Qiuxia gently pressed her hand against her daughter's swollen belly, feeling two faint movements beneath her palm—one on the left, one on the right, as if the two little ones were greeting her.

He Qiuxia looked at her daughter, who two years ago still needed endless reminders before she'd drink a bowl of brown sugar ginger tea, now sitting in the sweltering courtyard of the island pregnant with twins, her eyes shining like they had two stars in them, her voice full of the joy and certainty of a soon-to-be mom. She felt all her worries, her heartache, those sleepless nights tossing and turning in the capital—all of it melted away in that moment with those two little kicks.

Once He Qiuxia had fully settled in, the first thing she did wasn't to wash up or change, and it wasn't to drink the congee Pei Yufeng had prepared either—it was to haul the large bundle she'd carried all the way from the capital onto the living room table. The bundle was tied with several loops of hemp rope, with waterproof oilcloth wrapped around the corners, a sign of how carefully she'd looked after it the whole way.

"Mom, drink your congee first. We can sort through the things later." Ji Yunshu tugged at her sleeve with concern, looking at her hair tangled by the sea breeze and her face pale from seasickness.

"No, I won't feel at ease until the things are out. With the train and ferry ride, I was scared the damp would get in and ruin the clothes." He Qiuxia untied the hemp rope and opened the bundle, and out came this wave of dry, fresh scent—sun-dried cotton.

He Qiuxia first took out a package wrapped in several layers of old cotton cloth and laid it on the table—inside were two stacks of tiny baby clothes: one stack of small yellow fine-cotton shirts, one stack of blue fine-cotton shirts. Each piece was folded neatly, the edges ironed smooth and flat, the stitching around collars and cuffs fine and even—fancier than anything you'd find at the supply store.

"I didn't know if they'd be boys or girls, so I made a few sets of each. Yellow and blue work for either. Twins will need more than this, so I'll make a few more sets in the coming days. Now that your belly's big and getting dressed is a hassle, I'll take care of all the children's clothes—you don't need to worry about a single piece." He Qiuxia said as she neatly arranged the two stacks of clothes on the sofa. She then pulled out a larger old cotton cloth bundle from the luggage, opening it to reveal a thick stack of cut diaper cloths. Each piece was cut from the softest fine cotton, with hemmed edges, folded into neat squares.

"These are diapers. I went to the state department store just to buy this cotton. I looked at the cloth at the supply store—it wasn't soft enough. Babies have delicate skin, and new cloth can't be used directly, so I ran it through hot water a bunch of times at home and scrubbed it on the washboard till my hands hurt. Feel it—it's soft as cotton now, comfortable for the babies." He Qiuxia took Ji Yunshu's hand and made her feel it too.

The moment Ji Yunshu's fingers touched that soft cloth, her eyes welled up. She could picture her mom back home in the capital, alone, running the newly bought cloth through hot water again and again, scrubbing, drying, folding, and packing it into the bundle—all so she wouldn't have to worry about a thing on this island.

"Mom, you've made so much. I feel bad." Ji Yunshu said, moved.

"What's there to feel bad about between a mother and her daughter? This is what a mother should do. Your grandmother prepared the same for me back then, though times were tougher back then—we only had two diapers to switch between. Now it's my turn to prepare for you, and now I know what that feeling is—it's wanting you to not have to worry about a thing, and just have those babies safe and sound." He Qiuxia continued pulling things out of the luggage as she spoke, then brought out two small bundles wrapped neatly in clean white cloth from the very bottom. The bundles weren't large, but He Qiuxia handled them extra carefully.

"Your grandmother asked me to bring these." He Qiuxia placed the two bundles on the table and opened the first one. Inside was a little patchwork quilt, just big enough to wrap around one baby—made from dozens of small cloth scraps sewn together. Each scrap was a different color: dark blue, gray-blue, army green, date-red... Some edges were worn almost white, and others had faint stains that never washed out. But the stitching was fine and even—every stitch sewn with love.

"This is the patchwork quilt Xiao Pei was wrapped in as a baby. When Xiao Pei's grandma heard you were having twins, she dug out this quilt, washed it, aired it in the sun for days, and had me bring it to you. She even sewed a few new patches on. She'd already prepared a new quilt for the children, but worried the other one wouldn't be ready in time, so she found Xiao Pei's—one quilt for each child." He Qiuxia opened the other bundle, revealing a brand-new patchwork quilt. The fabric was also pieced together from dozens of different colored scraps, but the colors were brighter: light yellow, water blue, pale pink, rice white... Each scrap had a different texture—some cotton, some fine linen, some velvet—you could tell the grandma had put so much thought into it.

"Grandma also said she'd been collecting the fabric for this quilt for years, each piece she'd asked for from families blessed with good luck. The blue cloth on top was cut from clothes you wore as a little girl; this floral piece is from a skirt I made; and this army-green one was given by Political Commissar Qiu's wife... Grandma said a patchwork quilt brings the most blessings to kids, but it's the piecing together that makes it warm." He Qiuxia folded the quilt gently and placed it back in the bundle.

Ji Yunshu looked down at the two patchwork quilts, remembering what she'd heard before—that every piece of cloth you collect is a blessing you collect. Now Grandma had sent both Pei Yufeng's quilt and the new one to her kids, so her kids would have double the blessings.

"Grandma said that even though one's old and one's new, one for each baby, the old one's better than the new—more babies have been wrapped in it, so it's got more blessings." He Qiuxia said.

Ji Yunshu held the quilt to her chest and took a deep breath. The quilt smelled of sunshine and dry air. Across thousands of miles of sea breeze and tide, Grandma had sewn a lifetime of blessings into these two quilts.

Ji Yunshu thought—her babies weren't even born yet, but they were already loved with all the heart and effort of so many people.