Chapter 66

Chapter 66

The next afternoon, Pei Yufeng was peeling a star fruit for Ji Yunshu in the ward. Ji Yunshu leaned against the pillow, taking small sips of the chicken soup from the thermos, her eyes half-closed like a cat basking in the sun. She was already much more spirited than yesterday—her lips had regained color, her voice had strength—though she still occasionally furrowed her brow and shifted her body, still aching faintly.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded from outside, followed by two light knocks on the ward door. Pei Yufeng set down the fruit knife and went to open it. The nurse said a young boy outside the military base was looking for him.

Pei Yufeng guessed it was probably the boatman who had helped buy the canned grapes yesterday. He briefed He Qiuxia and Ji Yunshu and immediately headed out to the base gate.

As soon as he stepped out of the main gate, there stood a boy of fourteen or fifteen, skin tanned dark, wearing a faded tank top and shorts, with straw sandals on his feet. In his arms he clutched a mesh bag tied several times over with hemp rope, containing two glass jars of canned grapes. The boy was drenched in sweat, his bangs plastered wetly to his forehead. The moment he saw Pei Yufeng, he grinned wide, revealing a row of neat white teeth.

"Comrade soldier! You're Commander Pei, right? My grandpa sent me to deliver this! He lined up before dawn and snagged the last two jars of canned grapes! Grandpa said the change and ration coupons are in the envelope, and he told me to give them back to you in person." The boy shoved the mesh bag into Pei Yufeng's hands, then pulled a kraft paper envelope from his trouser pocket, containing the money and ration coupons Pei Yufeng had given the old boatman yesterday. Pei Yufeng took the envelope and found the money untouched, not a single coupon missing.

"Where's your grandpa?" Pei Yufeng knew exactly what canned grapes cost. He immediately pulled out a ten-yuan bill and two ration coupons and pressed them into the boy's hands. "Take these. I asked you to buy things for me, so it has to come out of my money."

The boy waved his hands in refusal: "No, no! Grandpa said the PLA protects us folks on the island, and they've never once asked anything of us. This little favor is nothing—we can't take your money. Grandpa also said, next time your wife craves anything, just come straight to the dock and find him. He runs to Yuecheng every day, so it's easy for him to buy whatever you need."

Pei Yufeng immediately put on a stern face: "That won't do. A PLA cadre cannot take a single needle or thread from the people. I know you and your grandpa mean well, but I'd get in trouble for this. You have to take it."

"Then... then..." the boy mumbled, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Take it back, it's the right thing. Thank your grandpa for me." Pei Yufeng pressed the ten-yuan bill and ration coupons into the boy's hand, thanked him again, and turned back. Before heading to the hospital, he stopped by the co-op store and bought a jar of canned yellow peaches.

Pei Yufeng walked into the ward carrying the two jars of canned grapes and one jar of canned yellow peaches.

Ji Yunshu was just finishing the last sip of chicken soup from her bowl. He Qiuxia's cooking was indeed far better than the mess hall cook's. For the same lightly salted chicken noodle soup, He Qiuxia had simmered the hen overnight, skimmed the fat off, kept just the clearest broth, and cooked the noodles until they were fine and tender, each noodle soaked up the savory broth. She had also added a soft-boiled egg to the noodles—the yolk cooked perfectly, not too runny, not too hard—and sprinkled some chili flakes on the egg white so Ji Yunshu wouldn't find the flavor too bland. The fragrance of chili and the umami of the chicken broth mingled together so good that Ji Yunshu slurped down several bites the moment she got her chopsticks.

Ji Yunshu spotted the mesh bag in Pei Yufeng's arms, her chopsticks froze mid-air, her eyes went wide. She forgot all about the noodles. She finished the noodles in a few quick bites, set the bowl on the bedside table, pushed herself up with both hands on the mattress, and looked back and forth between Pei Yufeng's face and the jars several times before finally landing on the two jars of deep-purple canned grapes in the mesh bag. Her lips moved, and she burst out: "How did you get these? Didn't you say yesterday the stores were all sold out? The provincial capital was out, and Yuecheng was too far away—"

"I didn't buy them myself. Yesterday I found the boatman and crew at the dock. They caught the first ferry to Yuecheng this morning, lined up as soon as the store opened, and snagged the last two jars. The old boatman even had his grandson deliver them specially, and the change and coupons were all returned." Pei Yufeng set the mesh bag on the bedside table, twisted open the lid of one jar of canned grapes, and got a clean spoon from the drawer to hand to her. "And Dad already mailed the raisins—express, they'll get here in a few days. Have these for now."

He Qiuxia, overhearing this from the side, was just as surprised. Pei Yufeng wasn't just attentive to Ji Yunshu—he practically gave her everything she wanted!

Ji Yunshu took the spoon and looked down at the jar of canned grapes in her hand. The glass jar still had the label from the state-run food factory, that said "Sugar Water Grapes," dated a few days ago—clearly fresh. The grapes inside were plump, gently floating in the syrup. She scooped one out and ate it. The grape was cool and crisp, the sweet syrup sliding from her tongue down her throat. She chewed for a while, swallowed, then looked up with eyes red-rimmed but a smile tugging at her lips: "So sweet. So, so sweet."

Ji Yunshu scooped up another grape, but instead of eating it herself, she held the spoon to his lips, eyes sparkling as she looked at him. Pei Yufeng lowered his head and ate the grape, the corner of his mouth curving up. "It is sweet."

He Qiuxia sat in the chair by the ward window, knitting a little hat for the baby, the ball of yarn resting on her knee, needles clicking back and forth. She didn't interject, just quietly watched the two of them across the room.

Ji Yunshu leaned against the pillow, scooping grapes from the jar one by one—eating one herself, then offering one to Pei Yufeng's lips. Pei Yufeng sat on the edge of the bed, eating each grape from her hand. Neither of them said anything mushy; they simply shared a jar of sugar water grapes.

The afternoon sunlight streaming through the window bathed the entire ward in warm light. The woman in the neighboring bed had already been discharged, leaving only their family in the room. He Qiuxia lowered her head and continued knitting the hat, the smile at the corners of her mouth impossible to suppress. She thought to herself, her son-in-law didn't say much ordinarily, but when it came to doting on his wife, no one was more genuine.

Ji Yunshu and Pei Yufeng finished the jar of canned grapes together. She leaned back against the pillow and suddenly felt a tight, full sensation in her chest. Looking down, she saw a small damp patch spreading on the front of her clothes. She froze for a moment, then quickly pulled the blanket up higher, a thin flush creeping across her face.

"Brother Pei." Ji Yunshu didn't know whether Pei Yufeng had noticed, and she was truly embarrassed.

"Hm?"

"Could you... step out for a moment and call the nurse over?" Ji Yunshu's voice grew smaller and smaller.

Pei Yufeng saw her pulling the blanket up to cover her chest, her ears already bright red. He stood up immediately. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, nothing's wrong. Just don't come back in for a bit." Ji Yunshu's voice faded to a whisper. "Oh, just—don't come in, go call the nurse for me!"

He Qiuxia saw Ji Yunshu's flushed face and guessed the reason. She was about to help push Pei Yufeng out when Pei Yufeng's gaze shifted to the side. He said, "I'll go get the nurse," turned, and strode out of the ward, gently closing the door behind him.

The nurse arrived quickly—the same round-faced young nurse who had checked Ji Yunshu's fetal position before. When she pushed the door open, Ji Yunshu was still blushing, blanket pulled up to her chest, fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of the sheet.

"Comrade Ji, being a first-time mother is a little nerve-wracking—that's completely normal. Don't worry, we'll take it slow, and I'll teach you." The nurse sat down by the bed, lifted Nian Nian from the small crib, and gently placed her in Ji Yunshu's arms. "Breastfeeding isn't hard. Once you get the hang of it, the baby will latch on quickly."

Nian Nian, eyes closed, instinctively nuzzled toward her chest, little mouth opening but unable to find the right spot. Her tiny face scrunched up in frustration, and she let out thin little whimpers. Ji Yunshu cradled her little head, frantically adjusting her position several times—too high, then too low—and Nian Nian's whimpering grew louder.

"Take it easy. Relax first, put a pillow behind your back. There you go. Now support the baby's head and neck with your left hand, and with your right hand, turn her little body toward you so she's facing you. Yes, just like that. When the baby opens her mouth wide, bring her forward gently—there!"

Nian Nian finally latched on, her little mouth beginning to suck instinctively, tiny swallowing sounds coming from her throat. Ji Yunshu looked down at the wrinkled little creature in her arms. Her tiny hands were clenched into fists against Ji Yunshu's chest, fingernails the size of rice grains, tinged a faint pink.

"She's so small." Ji Yunshu gently touched Nian Nian's little fist with her finger, and Nian Nian immediately grabbed hold of it.

"Newborns are all like this. Let her nurse as much as she wants—colostrum is the most nutritious, don't waste it. After one side, switch to the other. After each feeding, hold the baby upright and pat her back until she burps. If your breasts feel engorged, massage them with your hands. It'll hurt a little at first, but bear with it. If it's really uncomfortable, let me know."

"Okay." Ji Yunshu looked down at Nian Nian and suddenly felt that this child had come at just the right time. She had gained another family member.

Nian Nian fell asleep after a few sucks, her little mouth slowly releasing, head lolling to the side, a ring of milk residue around her lips like a kitten that had drunk its fill. Ji Yunshu gently laid her in the small crib. The nurse picked up Sheng Sheng and placed him against her other side. Sheng Sheng was quieter than his sister—he nursed without fussing, just gazing quietly at her with eyes not yet fully open.

After feeding, she laid the two babies side by side beside her and leaned against the pillow to watch them. Nian Nian was still waving her little fists in her sleep, her tiny feet kicking open a corner of the patchwork quilt, while Sheng Sheng lay snugly wrapped in his blanket, sleeping as neatly as his father.

Ji Yunshu couldn't resist reaching out to gently poke Nian Nian's little fist. Nian Nian immediately grabbed her finger, holding on quite tightly. She remembered how during pregnancy, the kicks on the left side had always been more frequent than the right. Even then she'd thought the one on the left must be the lively one and the one on the right the quiet one. Now it seemed her judgment had been exactly right—the one on the left was the sister, the one on the right the brother.

After feeding the babies, Ji Yunshu finally felt a bit more comfortable, though she still wasn't quite used to her postpartum state.

When Pei Yufeng learned that Ji Yunshu's embarrassment had been due to breast engorgement, he quietly went to ask the nurse what he could do. The nurse on duty happened to be the same round-faced nurse who had taught Ji Yunshu to breastfeed. She was bent over a chart, making notes, and looked up when Pei Yufeng approached.

"Comrade, I'd like to ask something." Pei Yufeng spoke with more care than usual. "My wife is still uncomfortable after feeding—she says she's painfully engorged. Is there any way to help relieve it? What can I do?"

The nurse looked up and saw the young officer in uniform standing at attention with a serious expression, but the faint flush creeping up to his ears and the brim of his military cap, crushed slightly in his grip, betrayed his nervousness. She had worked in obstetrics for years and had seen plenty of first-time fathers pacing helplessly in the corridor, but of those who came to ask "What can I do?"—fewer than three in ten. She capped her pen and set it beside the chart, a note of approval in her smile.

"Comrade Pei, you're asking just the right thing. Engorgement is genuinely miserable for a new mother, and if not cared for properly, it can even lead to fever. There are several things you can do to help. First, apply a warm towel—slightly warmer than body temperature. After that, use your fingertips to gently massage in an upward direction, from the base upward. Don't use too much pressure, and keep it in one direction to gradually work out the pooled milk. Her milk has just come in, and the baby is still small with weak suction—feeding alone won't empty her, so you'll need to help."

"Second, after each feeding, if the baby hasn't finished, help her express a little by hand. Don't empty completely—just until the fullness subsides. Expressing too much will actually stimulate more production. You can also apply a warm compress before feeding to help the milk flow. Third, watch for fever. Severe engorgement can cause a temperature spike. If it goes above thirty-eight degrees, call the nurse immediately—otherwise she could develop a fever, and a postpartum woman is fragile. She can't afford to get sick."

Pei Yufeng silently repeated the three points to himself, then asked: "How much pressure is appropriate? Are there specific requirements for the direction?"

The nurse couldn't help but laugh, tapping the chart against her palm: "Are you drilling new recruits in the army? Use as much pressure as she's comfortable with—if she frowns, go lighter. Direction is from outside in, from the base upward, following the milk ducts. If you're really unsure, I'll come to the ward and demonstrate once more, and you can watch."

"Thank you. Anything else I should watch out for?" Pei Yufeng asked again.

"Other than that, just make sure she rests and keeps her spirits up. When she's in a good mood, the milk quality is better, and the baby will thrive. You're far more attentive than most husbands—she's lucky to have you." The nurse picked up her pen and resumed writing in the chart, the smile still lingering at the corners of her mouth.

Afterward, Pei Yufeng said to Ji Yunshu with complete seriousness: "If you're still uncomfortable, I can help massage it out for you. I'll go wring out a hot towel right now."

Ji Yunshu's movements stopped. She looked up and saw Pei Yufeng sitting on the chair by the bed, his expression as calm and earnest as ever, not a hint of joking. His eyes told her he genuinely regarded this as a task to be carried out with full seriousness. She opened her mouth to say something, then her gaze traveled past his shoulder to He Qiuxia, who was sitting by the window knitting. He Qiuxia's needles had stopped, and the corner of her mouth twitched—clearly holding back laughter.

Ji Yunshu's face flushed visibly from her ears down to her neck. She completely forgot her physical discomfort, her mind filled with nothing but relief that the other postpartum patient in the room had already been discharged! She glared at Pei Yufeng, utterly mortified: "You! Get out!"

Pei Yufeng's expression remained calm: "The nurse said to use light pressure. Call me anytime if you're uncomfortable."

"You're still talking! Mom is right here—go buy food, I want fish!" Ji Yunshu's voice rose half an octave, her face so red it looked ready to steam. She couldn't even bring herself to look in He Qiuxia's direction.

Seeing that Ji Yunshu was genuinely upset, Pei Yufeng stood up flustered: "I... I was just worried about you. If you don't want me to help, Mom can help, or you can do it yourself. I'll go buy fish now."

"I'm not angry." Ji Yunshu, seeing how indulgent Pei Yufeng was being, didn't know what else to say. She let out a soft sigh. "Never mind. Just go buy the fish!"

"Okay." The ward door closed softly behind Pei Yufeng. He Qiuxia finally couldn't hold it in anymore—she lowered her head, pressing the knitting needle against the tip of her nose, and burst out laughing.

Ji Yunshu pulled the blanket up over her head, curling up completely underneath it, and said in a muffled voice: "Mom, stop laughing."

He Qiuxia wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes, saying "Okay, okay, Mom won't laugh," but her needles were trembling even harder. "Xiao Pei is just concerned about you. You're a new mother, everything is a first for you. Isn't it also his first time being a father, a husband? You've been married for two years now—what's there to be shy about!"

"Mom... it's not that simple!!" Ji Yunshu said, face red, huffing indignantly.

"Alright, alright, Mom knows."

As the two were talking, a sudden knock came at the ward door. It was Huang Paimei, Li Shu, and Liu Aimin, coming to visit Ji Yunshu.

Huang Paimei walked in first, carrying a bamboo basket of red date rice cakes covered with a clean piece of gauze. Li Shu followed behind, holding a new rattle. Liu Aimin walked in last, carrying two pairs of small cloth shoes she had made herself—one pair pink with two little cherries embroidered on the toes, the other blue with something crooked stitched on it that was vaguely recognizable as a small fish.

The moment the three walked in, the ward came alive.

Huang Paimei set the rice cakes on the bedside table, bent down to examine the two babies lying side by side in the crib, her eyes bright, her voice still soft and gentle, but pitched a little higher than usual: "These two are so beautiful. Look how high their nose bridges are—just like Xiao Pei. Their eyes are like yours—big and bright. They're going to be gorgeous when they grow up."

Li Shu also leaned in for a good look, then straightened up and delivered her verdict in that signature loud voice: "These two kids really know how to pick their features—they only got the best of both of you. Look at that chin—it's like it was carved from the same mold as Deputy Regiment Commander Pei. And those ears, just like Xiao Ji. I've seen plenty of newborns, but yours are the cutest by far."

With that, Li Shu handed the rattle she'd brought to Ji Yunshu: "Kids love these. If they get fussy and won't let you sleep, just use this to calm them down—it works like a charm."

"Thank you, Sister Li." Ji Yunshu took it with a smile. "They're still so little—you can't really tell yet."

"How could that be? With parents as good-looking as you two, the kids are bound to be beautiful too." After giving Ji Yunshu the little shoes she'd made, Liu Aimin couldn't help but join in the praise: "These two have such delicate little noses and mouths—they're going to be gorgeous when they grow up. I think the little girl takes after Comrade Ji more, and the little boy takes after Deputy Regiment Commander Pei. Look at the little girl's eyebrows—the curve is exactly like Comrade Ji's."

The three of them chatted happily in the ward, until He Qiuxia said she'd leave them to keep Ji Yunshu company while she ran to the post office to pick up a letter.

After He Qiuxia left, Huang Paimei asked Ji Yunshu with concern about how things had gone the day before: "I was so worried when I heard your water broke yesterday. Thank goodness everything went smoothly."

"It was pretty fast—she was born in just three hours." Ji Yunshu smiled at the memory of yesterday's excitement. "Huajuan just gave me a little step and out she came. When we get home and she sees the two little ones, she'll probably be pretty surprised too."

Li Shu chimed in from the side: "Once you're done with your confinement month, you need to have Deputy Regiment Commander Pei really build you up. You can't let your health slip—you need to drink plenty of chicken soup. I remember you can apply for a subsidy after giving birth—you get two chickens. Make sure you have Xiao Pei go pick them up."

"Okay." Ji Yunshu made a mental note.

Liu Aimin sat nearby, flipping through a copy of *Childcare Basics* borrowed from the hospital. She pointed at a line and read it aloud seriously: "Comrade Ji, look—this book says babies are most prone to gas in the first three months. You have to burp them after every feeding. If they won't burp, hold them upright and gently rub their backs. You need to make Deputy Regiment Commander Pei study this carefully. With two children, you can't manage alone—he needs to take on his fatherly responsibilities."

Li Shu smiled slightly: "Are you worried about Deputy Regiment Commander Pei? He treasures Xiaoshu more than anything. How could he bear to let her suffer?"

The three chatted for quite a while before getting up to leave. Before going, Li Shu turned back specifically to remind her to rest well and not worry about things at home—Deputy Regiment Commander Pei and her mother had it covered.

By the time He Qiuxia returned, Huang Paimei and the others had already left. Ji Yunshu could tell at once that He Qiuxia's expression was off, and quickly asked what had happened.

"Lizi sent a letter. She wants me to come back."

Ji Yunshu looked up and took the letter paper He Qiuxia handed her. In the letter, Meng Li asked when He Qiuxia would return, saying that Ji Haiguo and He Jianjun had gotten into a fight—it started because her father saw her getting her arm twisted by He's mother in the courtyard and immediately argued with her. He Jianjun came home and was outwardly respectful to Ji Haiguo, but at night he still gave her cold looks. She couldn't take it anymore and went back to her own home. When Ji Haiguo found out, he was so angry he slammed the table, saying that if He Jianjun dared to bully his daughter again, he would report him to the Political Department. When He's mother heard about this, she now cries in the courtyard every day, claiming Ji Haiguo is abusing his authority to oppress others.

Meng Li said she was afraid to go back to either place now—afraid of He's mother's harassment if she returned to the He household, and afraid of upsetting her father if she went back to the Ji household. She asked if He Qiuxia could come back sooner, because she was so scared.

Author's note:

Thank you for reading. Sorry for the late update—this chapter includes a bonus.