19
After returning home, Gu Xiao slept alone in the guest room.
Once again, I had a restless night.
He had to go back to work in the morning, and when he left, I was still asleep. He came to my room and gently kissed my forehead.
"I'm leaving. I'll wait for you at home."
Those simple words kept me from falling asleep.
"Mm."
I knew he had left when I heard the sound of his car starting downstairs.
As soon as he left, I started to miss him.
I began to hesitate, thinking that I should have said one more thing: "Drive carefully."
Such a simple phrase, yet I couldn't bring myself to say it.
My pathetic pride.
After procrastinating for a while, I got out of bed and helped my mother clean the house.
With me keeping an eye on Chenyu, my mother took out all the quilts in the house to wash and air out. My father went to the field to pull out the weeds, checked the natural gas and water pipes at home, replaced the dimmer light at the entrance with a brighter one, and installed a stronger lock on the door.
For the sake of food, Chenyu finally agreed to come out of the room slowly.
She still loved catching various insects in the yard and putting them in my hand, saying, "Sister."
"Insects like this won't bite, and these ones that do bite are only painful and not poisonous," I pointed to a few insects and let her identify them.
"Ones like this are poisonous and shouldn't be caught," I pointed to the hornet.
She looked thoughtful, staring at the insects I pointed out.
I thought she understood, but she suddenly grabbed all the insects and put them in my hand, smiling at me.
I wanted to scold her again, but I reached out and ended up stroking her head. "In the future, you can't let anyone touch the parts of your body that are covered by your clothes. If anyone tries to, I'll come back and break their hand."
She seemed to understand again and didn't say anything.
The next second, she went back to playing with the insects.
I sighed and sat quietly beside her.
The next day, my father and I went back to the city.
Life continued as usual.
Every morning, I woke up, rushed to the subway, went to work, ate, went home, and slept.
I felt like a wound-up clock, doing what needed to be done at the right time.
Gu Xiao still hadn't returned.
However, he would call me in the evening or send a message if it was too late, simply asking about my situation.
Because of this small difference, I suddenly felt like there was something to look forward to in my life.
I started learning about pregnancy online, browsing shopping websites, and looking for various baby products.
I made a list of everything I needed.
What to buy this month, what to buy next month... After all, my savings couldn't afford to buy all the equipment at once.
I just didn't know what books to buy yet and was thinking about asking Gu Xiao for his opinion when he came back one day.
One ordinary afternoon, I was on my way to another store to punch in for work on the subway.
Suddenly, I received a call from the hospital.
"Is this Chen Jia?"
"Yes."
"The Down syndrome screening showed a high risk. Please come to the hospital to pick up the report."
(Note: A high risk on the Down syndrome screening indicates a possible congenital genetic disease in the fetus.)
Those simple words were like a bolt of lightning striking me.
I stood in the subway, watching train after train pass by without moving.
The crowd around me pushed and shoved, passing me by, while I remained frozen in place.
I didn't know when the call from the hospital had ended.
When I came to my senses, I realized that the bag in my hand had fallen to the ground.
Like a soulless zombie, I mechanically picked up the scattered items.
My heart had never been so panicked.
I ran out of the subway and took a taxi to the hospital for the first time.
In the car, I constantly wished that the driver would drive faster and faster.
Deep down, I knew that no matter how fast we went, it wouldn't change the fact.
But before I got the report, I still clung to a shred of hope.
Finally, after going through a series of procedures at the hospital, I obtained the report.
As I read the words "High Risk for Down Syndrome Screening," my heart was torn apart.
The name was correct, the result was accurate, and everything was settled.
Sitting on a bench in the hospital, holding the report for a long time, I eventually went to the emergency room to look for Gu Xiao.
"Is Gu Xiao here?" I asked the nurse.
The emergency room was in a state of chaos.
The nurse hurriedly told me, "What do you need with Doctor Gu? He's in the operating room saving a patient's life."
I saw everyone running around, patients being carried in one after another, cries and shouts mingling together.
"It's nothing," I said.
The nurse was too busy to attend to me and went back to her work.
I later learned that there had been a series of car accidents on Xinqiao Road.
He would probably be busy for a few more days.
Dragging my feet, I took the bus home alone.
20
After returning home and changing my shoes, I sat there in a daze.
When my dad came back and saw me crouched on the floor with my head in my hands, he quickly helped me up and asked what was wrong.
"Did you have a fight?"
I shook my head.
"Did you lose your job?"
I shook my head again.
"What's wrong? Don't scare me," my dad said, hugging me tightly while he didn't even have time to change his clothes.
"Dad, the Down Syndrome screening for the baby came back high-risk," I told him through tears.
"What does that mean?"
"The baby might be mentally disabled, like... like Chenyu."
My dad stiffened, and for the first time, he sat down with a defeated look.
He sat beside me, lost in thought, for a long time.
Finally, he took off his safety helmet and placed it aside.
"Dad..." I called out to him.
He didn't respond.
I saw him wiping away tears, and when he looked up, his face was already streaked with tears.
I was shocked.
In my memory, from childhood to adulthood, my dad had never shown more than a furrowed brow. I had never seen him cry before.
When my mom wanted a divorce because of Chenyu's illness, he didn't cry.
Even when the doctor said that Chenyu would never recover and would never be able to care for herself, my dad didn't cry.
He was like an unwavering mountain, standing tall through the years.
But now, he was crying for my child, crying like a child.
I felt so sad.
But there was nothing I could do. I didn't even know how to comfort him.
We sat there silently for a while.
After crying for a bit, my dad wiped away his tears and stood up.
"Get up," he said, helping me to my feet.
I refused.
So he bent down and picked me up.
"Jiajia, there's no obstacle in life that can't be overcome," he said.
I didn't respond.
"Medical technology is very advanced nowadays. If it doesn't work out, you're still young. You can have many more children."
I still didn't say anything.
My dad led me to the sofa and sat me down while he busied himself in the kitchen.
I don't know how much time passed, but he eventually brought me to the table for dinner.
"I can't eat," I said, tears streaming down my face as I looked at the full table of food.
My dad sighed and got up to make a phone call on the balcony.
I didn't know who he was calling or what he was saying.
After the phone call, he returned to his seat and looked at me.
"Jiajia," he called my name.
"You've been through what your mom and I have been through."
"When your mom and I were doing renovation work, neither of us had any education. How many rural pregnancies back then got checked?"
"We just watched your mom's belly grow day by day, thinking that as long as she ate well, the baby would grow well too."
He paused for a moment and continued.
"Then your younger sister was born, white and chubby. Who didn't like seeing her?"
"But when she was less than half a year old, she would suddenly fall asleep, like a phone suddenly crashing. It only lasted a few tens of seconds, and then she was back to normal."
"Dad didn't pay attention to it and didn't take her to the hospital for a check-up. Until one day, everyone noticed that the 'crashes' were getting longer and longer. When we took her to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor said it was epilepsy and that it couldn't be cured in this lifetime..."
My dad covered his face with his hands, and I couldn't see his expression.
"Do you regret it?" I asked him calmly.
It was during my third year of high school when my parents went out to work, leaving me behind with my grandparents.
My grandparents told me that my parents were out earning money to support my college education.
But the neighbors all said that my mom had gone to have a second child.
I didn't believe them at first, but on the day of my college entrance exam, when I returned home, I saw my mom lying in bed with my newborn sister beside her.
At that moment, I felt betrayed.
I hated them for a long time.
"Yes, I regret it," my dad said firmly.
I was surprised by his candor.
"I later heard that this condition can be detected during pregnancy, and the child can be aborted. I also heard that if it's caught early and treated at a major hospital like in Beijing, the cure rate is high.
"Jiajia, I don't regret taking care of your sister for the rest of my life. No matter what she looks like, she's still my child. What I regret is missing several opportunities that could have allowed her to grow up healthy. I didn't have much education, and I didn't know. So I caused my daughter pain and also caused pain to the family. It was my fault."
The words "it was my fault" made me feel terrible.
I had been waiting for this sentence for a long time.
I had always believed that my miserable life was caused by my parents having a second child.
So I had always harbored a grudge.
I thought that hearing those words would make me feel better.
But it didn't. Instead, I felt ashamed of myself.
My dad has always been a good father. It was me who was being selfish.
I sat silently, unable to speak.
I felt like I should comfort my dad. He had worked so hard his whole life, yet fate had played tricks on him, making his life so difficult.
But I couldn't say anything.
"When you got married, Gu Xiao's parents might have suspected you of having ulterior motives and treated you unfairly. But dad understands. I believe in you. Our Chen family are upright people. No matter how difficult it is, we must live with integrity.
"It was what hurt me the most that none of them came to take care of you or show you any concern. No matter how hard or tired dad is, I will take care of you."
...
"Dad, don't say anymore," I sobbed.
This was the first time my dad had talked to me about his feelings since I grew up.
"Alright, dad won't say anything more. Just one last thing."
"Dad can take care of you for another ten or twenty years, but who will take care of you after I'm gone? You're smart, but you're being foolish about this. Xiao Gu is a good person. In a marriage, both parties need to support each other. Only when you exchange sincerity with sincerity can you walk a long way together. The person who will spend the rest of your life with you is him, not dad."
I listened quietly, starting to seriously consider my relationship with Gu Xiao for the first time.
21
Just as I was about to continue thinking, I heard the sound of the door unlocking.
I turned my head to see what was happening, feeling a bit perplexed.
"I called Xiao Gu," said my dad as he stood up to open the door.
Gu Xiao rushed in without even changing his shoes.
"What's wrong?" he asked, stopping in his tracks when he saw me crying.
My dad patted his shoulder and carried the meal into the kitchen.
Gu Xiao led me into the room, closed the door, and hugged me, standing next to the door without saying anything.
"It's okay, it's okay, don't cry. I'm here now," he said.
I thought I had cried all afternoon and had run out of tears, but when he said, "I'm here now," I couldn't hold it in anymore and buried my face in his chest, sobbing and sniffling, wiping my tears and snot all over him.
No matter how much he tried to comfort me, my tears wouldn't stop.
Then he lowered his head to kiss me.
The kiss made my head spin and I lost all my strength. He carried me to the bed.
"Don't cry anymore, it hurts here," he said, taking my hand and pointing to his chest.
He helped me wipe away my tears.
"Now, tell me what happened," he said.
"Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you with my life," he added.
I pursed my lips and said, "The baby... has a high risk of Down's syndrome."
He paused for a moment, probably processing the information, and then reached out to stroke my hair.
In a low voice, he soothed me, "Wait a moment, I'll call Liu Qian."
"Okay," I nodded.
He took out his phone, intending to go to the balcony, but looked at me and decided to stay with me instead. "Shh, I'll call her like this," he said.
"Okay," I nodded obediently again.
The phone was answered quickly.
"Dr. Liu, it's Gu Xiao. I have a question to consult you about," he said.
"Dr. Gu, what is it?" asked the doctor.
"Is a high-risk result for Down's syndrome screening very dangerous?" he asked.
"It can be dangerous," said the doctor.
Upon hearing this, my heart sank again.
"Who is it? One of your patients or a relative?" asked the doctor.
Gu Xiao hesitated for a moment and then said in a low voice, "My wife."
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.
"Dr. Gu, you're married? When? How come we didn't know?" asked the doctor.
"Yes," Gu Xiao said after a moment of silence. "Please tell me more about this condition..."
"Actually, it's just a preliminary screening and it's not very accurate. A high-risk result doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem. Most high-risk results are actually fine. The accurate result can only be determined through DNA testing or amniocentesis," explained the doctor.
"Dr. Gu, I didn't know it was... your wife. Don't worry too much. Just have your wife come to the hospital for a DNA test or wait a few weeks for an amniocentesis, and it will be fine," said the doctor reassuringly.
"There are many factors to consider in the screening now, such as a family history of genetic diseases, which can lead to a high-risk indication. In fact, with the increasing age of childbirth nowadays, many factors are taken into account, and most pregnant women end up with high-risk results during the screening. However, after further testing, most of them are actually fine," the doctor continued to explain.
The doctor explained a lot more after that, and my heart finally settled down like a roller coaster that had successfully landed.
Gu Xiao listened carefully and asked more detailed questions. Finally, after expressing his gratitude, he politely hung up the phone.
After hanging up the phone, I realized that I could have easily looked it up online myself.
But because I was so panicked and worried, I ended up making a fuss out of nothing. I cried for the whole afternoon, and even my dad was crying along with me.
And now I had dragged Gu Xiao back from the hospital too.
He's so busy.
I felt really guilty about it.
Gu Xiao put me down and said, "I'll go talk to Dad to ease his worries."
"Okay," I said.
After a few minutes, he came back in.
Instead of coming over, he leaned against the door and looked at me.
And as we looked at each other, we both started laughing.
Yeah, I was laughing at myself.
"Do you still have to go back to the hospital?" I asked him.
"No, I'm not going back," he said with a smile as he walked over to me.
"Oh..." I felt even more guilty. "I heard there was a car accident today and your emergency room is super busy. Are you sure it's okay for you to stay here? Won't they need you there?"
He came over and stroked my hair, then hugged me tightly.
"The emergency room is always busy," he said with a bitter sigh. "If I leave, there will be other doctors to take my place, but you only have me."
I didn't say anything.
"When Dad called me, I was so scared," he said, kissing my hair. "If I didn't come back tonight, my heart wouldn't have been able to calm down."
"I'm sorry," I said. I had overreacted and caused everyone to worry about me.
"Why are you apologizing?" He paused for a moment and then stood up. "Come here, let me wash your hair for you."
"Why do I need to wash my hair?" I asked, pulling my hair up to sniff it. "Does it smell?"
"No, it smells good," he said, pulling me up. "I just want to wash it for you."
So, he really did wash my hair for me.
He used a few chairs to make a makeshift lie-down chair for me to lie on while he carefully washed my hair.
"Is it comfortable?" he asked me.
"No, it's not comfortable," I said.
I thought he was washing too slowly, and I didn't like lying down to wash my hair. Usually, when I'm busy with work, I just hunch over and wash my hair in a few minutes.
I don't have time to wash it slowly and make a fuss about it.
"You'll have to get used to it," he said, gently massaging my scalp with his fingers. "Later on, when your belly gets bigger, it won't be comfortable for you to hunch over to wash your hair, and what about the baby?"
He was thinking so far ahead for me.
"Doctor Gu, washing hair is not like suturing a surgical wound. You don't have to be so meticulous about it, do you?" I said helplessly. It had been half an hour and he still hadn't finished.
"Sorry, it's a habit from my profession," he smiled. "I always want to tie a knot."
"Alright, please make it a bowknot," I said, closing my eyes. Since I couldn't resist, I decided to enjoy it.
22
In the evening, Gu Xiao and I moved into the master bedroom.
He complained that the other room was too cramped for him to move around freely.
Don't get the wrong idea, we were just chatting.
We talked about our childhood, our school days, and our future plans.
"I've decided on a name for the baby," he suddenly turned over and looked at me.
"Oh? It's too early for that," I said.
"We don't even know if it's a boy or a girl."
"The name can be used for both genders," he smiled.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Gu Jia."
"That's a girl's name, you're biased. What if it's a boy?" I was speechless.
"It's the 'jia' for family. As in 'thousands of families,' 'well-known to every household,' 'a scholarly family'..." he muttered.
Listening to him explain, I started to think that the name was actually quite nice and could be used for either gender.
"What about a nickname?" I asked him.
"Jiajia," he said.
"Jiajia?" I repeated. "Jiajia sounds like Jiajia, doesn't it?"
I felt like something was wrong.
"Gu Xiao, are you taking advantage of me? It sounds like I'm your child now," I said as I raised my hand to hit him.
But he caught my hand.
The atmosphere suddenly became very intimate. I tried to pull my hand back, but he wouldn't let go. Finally, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.
Then he pulled me closer and whispered, "Is the baby asleep?"
"It's only as big as a fist. How would I know if it's asleep or not?"
"Even better," he said, and then his kisses came down on me without restraint.
"Gu Xiao..."
"I have my limits," he said.
23
Waking up the next day, I found that Gu Xiao was already gone.
A small note was left on the bedside table.
"I'm going to work. I'll be back at night. Remember to buy me a set of pajamas. Take care of yourself at work and don't overexert yourself."
As I read the note, I couldn't help but scold him for crying crocodile tears.
But even though I was cursing him, my heart felt sweet.
My dad had left breakfast for me and gone to the construction site.
I took a half-day off from work and rested at home.
I went to the supermarket downstairs, bought pajamas for Gu Xiao and my dad.
Then I ran into Gu Xiao's mother.
Without a doubt, Gu Xiao must have called his mother, otherwise she wouldn't have come over suddenly.
"Jiajia, why are you carrying so many things alone? Let me help you," she said as she took the things from me.
I felt a bit embarrassed and had to give them all to her.
We wandered around the supermarket for a while. She bought chicken and fish. When we got back, she started rummaging through the fridge.
"Why haven't you cooked any of the seafood?" she asked me.
"I don't have time to cook," I said. Usually, my dad does the cooking. He doesn't eat seafood much and isn't very good at cooking it.
"Oh, it's okay. I'll cook it for you from now on," she said as she took out the seafood to thaw.
I was a bit shocked and stood there motionless.
She probably sensed my surprise and explained, "I've hired a housekeeper for Gu Xiao's dad. Someone will take care of his meals, so don't worry about it. Besides, the old man says my cooking isn't as good as the hospital cafeteria's, so he wants to eat there."
"So, I'll still come over and cook nutritional meals for you."
After that, she started busying herself again, sorting and washing vegetables and cutting meat with practiced movements.
"Actually, my dad cooks for me every day," I said in a low voice.
I was a bit embarrassed. With my dad here and my mother-in-law also here, wouldn't it be easy for conflicts to arise?
"Ah, Gu Xiao said your dad's work is almost done and he's going back to his hometown, isn't he?"
"I don't know," I said. I hadn't heard my dad mention it.
Could it be that he discussed it with Gu Xiao yesterday?
"Ah, Jiajia, you have to understand your dad. A man is indispensable in the family, and he will eventually have to go back," she said after a pause. "Before, it was my fault for not understanding your situation with Gu Xiao."
"Yesterday, Gu Xiao's dad scolded me when he heard that you cried sadly because of the baby. If I had been here with you, this wouldn't have happened. You're still young, and I've been through this before. Pregnancy for a woman is like going through a series of challenges. As long as the baby is in your belly, these challenges won't stop. When I was pregnant with Gu Xiao, the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck three times, and the doctor said there was a risk of asphyxia. It scared me so much. But after a month of worry, when I went for another check-up, he had unwrapped himself."
"Ah, that's scary," I said. I could imagine that if my baby had that kind of situation, I wouldn't have been any calmer than I was yesterday.
Pregnancy is really a life experience.
"You think Gu Xiao was naughty in my belly? It wasn't just that. In the later stages of my pregnancy, I had constipation and my water broke when he was only 7 months old. It was so stressful for me..."
His mother sighed and then came over to hold my hand.
"Jiajia, as you experience more, you'll come to understand that children's vitality is much stronger than we imagine. They're not as fragile as we think, so don't worry. In the future, if you have any questions, just ask me first. As a mother, I know a bit about these things."
"Okay," I said.
After hearing what she said, perhaps infected by her identity as a mother, some of the doubts in my heart gradually dissipated.
Gu Xiao's mother is an optimistic and cheerful person. While cooking, she chatted with me, and I actually felt incredibly warm.
In the evening, my dad told me that he would go back to our hometown this weekend.
"Although your mother-in-law is a city person, she doesn't have any airs. Her reaction at our house before can be understood. As parents, she was definitely worried about her son. True hearts exchange true hearts. If you treat her well, she will treat you well. People's hearts are made of flesh. Dad is going back now."
"Okay," I nodded.
On the weekend, Gu Xiao drove back to our hometown with us.
Gu Xiao's mother also came along.
In my mother's vegetable garden, Gu Xiao's mother couldn't contain her happiness.
"This vegetable is good, natural and pollution-free. It's good for pregnant women to eat."
As she spoke, she insisted on picking the vegetables herself, getting mud all over her clothes but still smiling happily.
"The countryside is great. The pace of life in the city is too fast. Thanks to you, I can come to the countryside occasionally to relax."
"You can relax, but don't pluck out the whole vegetable garden," Gu Xiao frowned as he looked at the ransacked garden.
"Oh, it's okay. We have plenty of vegetables in the countryside. We have several plots of land on the mountain that are all planted with vegetables. Do you want some more?"
My mother is a very honest person.
"Really?" His mother's eyes lit up when she heard that.
Gu Xiao gave his mother a look.
"Next time, in-laws. I'll come again next time."
"Okay, you're always welcome. Just tell me what vegetables you like, and I'll plant them for you. You can just drive back and pick them up."
The family talked and laughed together.
Later, every time I and Gu Xiao came back, his mother would come along too. She would unload all the snacks, meat, and daily necessities from Gu Xiao's trunk and bring them to my house, filling up my mother's fridge. Then she would take a cartload of vegetables back.
He also got into the habit of bringing a box of Wangzai milk for my younger sister every time he came back, as well as looking for various insect specimens for her.
24
As I looked at the fridge stuffed full in my hometown and the trunk loaded with vegetables, I teased, "Dr. Gu, your vegetables are quite pricey, aren't they?"
"Expensive? Nothing compares to the joy of seeing someone smile," he replied, smiling as he took me for a walk on the village road.
"You're so nice to me, what's your ulterior motive? Spill it!"
"An ulterior motive?" He laughed and pinched my cheek. "It's you who has an ulterior motive, hooking me in like this and being so ungrateful."
"Who's ungrateful? Did I make you sleep on the sofa or in the kids' room?"
He sighed helplessly, "Where you sleep matters little. It's how you sleep that counts."
"How we sleep?" I teased, amused by his cheekiness.
"Do your colleagues know you're like this?" I asked, genuinely baffled. Who knew that the usually aloof and proud Dr. Gu would have such a different side after work?
"They're not you, how would they know?" He kissed me and said, "I only show you my other face. More for the same price. Be nicer to me, hmm?"
"Who cares..." I scolded him for being unserious.
"I've been transferred to the internal medicine outpatient department next week," he announced.
"What? When?" I asked, surprised.
"Next week," he replied. "The outpatient department is less stressful, and I'll have more time for myself. You're about to give birth. How can you do it without me?"
As he spoke, he crouched down to listen to the baby's movements.
"I can take care of myself, and your mother is here too," I assured him.
I never imagined that Gu Xiao would change departments for me, considering his passion for emergency medicine.
"It kicked me," he suddenly frowned seriously.
"Little brat, you can kick me, but not your mom. Behave yourself," he said, pretending to pat his stomach.
"What are you doing?" I took his hand away. "How do you know it's a boy?"
I couldn't bear the thought of favoring boys over girls.
"If it's a girl... I wouldn't dare scold her. I'd be too afraid to hurt her," he said, looking at me with a pout.
This Gu Xiao, how did he become more childish with age?
"Actually, I have something for you to keep," he said, handing me a bank card.
"What's this about, Dr. Gu?" I asked with a smile. "Trying to bribe me? Let me tell you, my heart is sealed and my love is locked. Unless..."
Unless you bribe me with your eight-pack abs, I thought.
"Then take a look and see if it's enough," he said.
I took out my phone and logged into the bank app. When I saw the balance, my eyes lit up.
"How... how did you get so much money?" I stammered.
"Scholarship money from when I was studying, hospital salary, bonuses... I never used them, had no time to use them, and no one to spend them on... so I saved them all," he explained with a hint of bragging.
Goodness, listen to him! Why didn't he show me this earlier? I had to scrape and save to buy baby supplies. I thought he didn't have much money.
This... it excited me so much...
"Gu Xiao, I think... I think I've wet myself," I said, feeling something unusual.
He quickly crouched down to check and saw some moisture on my pants.
"Your amniotic fluid has broken," he said, scooping me up in his arms and running to the car.
"Hey, don't run so fast," I panicked.
So, with urgency, Gu Xiao drove me to the hospital and straight to the inpatient department.
After being admitted to the inpatient department, his mother and mine stayed with me while he took the examination reports to discuss the treatment plan with his colleagues.
In the end, he decided that a cesarean section would be the best option.
"The fetus is in an abnormal position, the head is too large, the birth canal is narrow, and the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck..." he calmly explained to me. "I don't want to put your life and the baby's at risk with unknowns. I trust the scalpel. Cesarean delivery is less risky. You have to trust me."
"Mm-hmm," I nodded.
Of course, I trusted him.
More than ever before.
He's a doctor. I was at ease knowing my life was in his hands.
The cesarean section was scheduled for 10 pm, and I was given a semi-anesthetic.
During the surgery, the anesthetist kept chatting with me to keep me relaxed.
"Your husband really tricked us," he joked. "We had an agreement to stay single forever, but he snuck away and had a baby."
"Ah, well..." I couldn't blame him for that.
"Do you think you're worse off than me?" the surgeon interjected.
"That darn Gu Xiao. After being a doctor for years, he still asks me to make the incision look pretty, threatens to break my leg if it's off by a millimeter, and wonders if I can tie a bowknot?"
"Are you serious? A bowknot?"
The doctors and nurses in the operating room were amused.
"He's really something, a doting husband to the extreme."
"Sister-in-law, only you can tame that Gu Xiao. Go home and teach him a lesson. He's been so obnoxious that we can't even do our jobs."
"Ah... okay," I nodded silently.
After about half an hour, a baby's cry pierced the silence of the operating room.
My heart immediately settled.
"This kid is really fair-skinned. Gu Xiao hit the jackpot," the doctor commented.
"Watch your language!" someone reminded.
"Sister-in-law, I meant the baby is healthy and it's a boy," the doctor clarified, holding him up for me to see.
"Mm-hmm," I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes as the baby was pressed against my cheek.
Gu Jia, Jia Jia, my baby.
The surgery was uneventful, and I was wheeled out of the operating room. My mother, Gu Xiao, and his mother were all standing at the door waiting for me.
"Look at your baby, such a chubby boy. He's so adorable," my mother-in-law said, holding him up for me to see.
"Does it hurt?" Gu Xiao asked, taking my hand.
"No, the anesthetic makes it feel numb," I replied.
"That's good," he said, turning away to wipe away a tear.
"Look at him, he's such a softie. Before you came out, he was pacing around like a madman. It was so annoying," his mother complained to me.
I didn't say anything, just reached out to hold his hand.
He turned back, took my hand, and we walked to my hospital room together.
Throughout the night, he stayed by my bedside.
The baby was crying, and it was time to change his diaper. My mother-in-law took care of it while Gu Xiao watched and learned, fetching tea and water, moving quickly. After a busy spell, the two elders couldn't hold out any longer and went to the hotel to rest, leaving Gu Xiao to accompany me and the baby.
"Are you tired? Should you take a nap?" he asked, hovering beside the bed.
I was still groggy from the anesthesia. "A little bit, how about you?"
"I'm not tired," he smiled. "After so many nights of staying up, I've finally done it for myself."
"Mm-hmm," I mumbled, lost in my own thoughts, listening to him speak.
"Jiajia, thank you."
"Mm-hmm."
"I have a home now, with you and Shun Jia."
"Mm-hmm."
My heart was moved. Wasn't I the same? Because of him, I also had my own little family. I saw hope in our days ahead. Every day in the future would only be better than the last.
"I love you," he whispered, kissing my forehead gently.
I didn't speak, but tears streamed down the corners of my eyes.
"Mm-hmm, I love you too."
Jiajia also has a home now.