Lin Zhen actually managed to get three pounds of chicken feet.
After bringing them back, he followed the recipe Song Wei had provided and even made boneless chicken feet.
They were marinated overnight and ready to eat the next day.
With the first bite, Song Wei was instantly won over by the sour and slightly spicy flavor.
“So delicious!”
Lin Ping’an also loved them.
“Chicken feet can be made into something this tasty? Sister-in-law, you really know a lot!”
Lin Zhen also tried some and had to admit they were indeed delicious.
“Don’t eat too much. These were made for your sister-in-law.”
Lin Ping’an nodded understandingly.
“I know.”
Song Wei said, “If you want to eat, go ahead. We can always make more next time.”
Both Lin Ping’an and Lin Zhen exercised restraint, eating only a little and leaving most of it for Song Wei.
Now, Song Wei had more snacks to pass the time. Lin Zhen would occasionally make her cakes, cookies, or even dried persimmons.
The persimmons were wild ones found in the woods. The ones that hadn’t fully ripened or softened were peeled and dried into persimmons, which were now ready to eat.
However, she couldn’t eat too many of them.
Another two months passed like this.
Shortly after the Minor New Year, Song Wei’s due date arrived.
Lin Zhen was worried and wanted to take her to the hospital for the delivery.
But the snow outside was too thick, and the roads were difficult to traverse.
Song Wei said, “Let’s find a midwife.”
With such heavy snow, not going to the hospital might pose risks during childbirth, but going to the hospital was also a gamble.
Even if they took a tractor, the thick snow could easily cause it to skid or get stuck, making it impossible to move.
If the jolting ride became too much for her before they even reached the hospital, that would be the real danger.
Helpless, Lin Zhen could only come up with alternatives while inviting the best midwife to stay at their home. This way, the midwife would be nearby whenever Song Wei went into labor.
As for going out, even the brigade leader had no solutions.
The snow during this period was too heavy, and their vegetables couldn’t be transported out.
Lin Zhen was so anxious that blisters formed on his lips, and dark circles appeared under his eyes.
Song Wei found it amusing. “Who’s having the baby, you or me? Elder Ji has taken my pulse and said the baby is fine, and there shouldn’t be any risk of difficult labor.”
Lin Zhen said, “I just can’t feel at ease.”
Just as he was speaking, Song Wei suddenly felt a dull pain in her abdomen.
The pain was mild, and she could easily bear it.
The next moment, she felt something flowing out from below.
“Lin Zhen, I… think I’m going into labor.”
Lin Zhen immediately panicked, picked her up, and rushed to the room.
“Lin Ping’an, quickly bring Granny Liu over! Your sister-in-law is going into labor!”
The midwife had been on standby all along and immediately followed them into the room.
“Granny Liu, come quickly and see how my wife is doing.”
“It’s just the beginning. There’s no need to panic. Go boil some hot water. I’ll wash my hands first.”
Granny Liu, experienced and composed, quickly began giving instructions in an orderly manner.
“I’ll go boil the water.”
The one who spoke was Lin Dayou.
Knowing that Song Wei’s due date was around this time, their family members would come to Lin Zhen’s house every day to sit for a while and help out.
And now, their help came in handy.
Lin Zhen refused to leave. Even when the midwife urged him, he stayed put.
He held Song Wei’s hand by the bed.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay right here. Honey, if it hurts, bite me. I’ve got plenty of flesh, so I’m not afraid of being bitten.”
Granny Liu: …………
“Don’t be foolish. Get her a clean towel. Biting your hard arm is nowhere as comfortable as biting a soft towel.”
Song Wei fully agreed with this.
“It doesn’t hurt that much yet. Don’t be so nervous.”
Lin Zhen said, “I’m not nervous.”
But when he went to fetch the towel, he moved his arms and legs in sync like a robot.
Song Wei couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
As she laughed, she felt a pain in her stomach.
“Quick, quick, quick! The cervix is dilated. Get ready to deliver. Song Zhiqing, follow my lead and steady your breathing. Don’t start shouting now, or you’ll have no energy left later.”
Granny Liu directed calmly. Lin Zhen, a grown man, felt his mind go completely blank. Aside from holding Song Wei’s hand, he could do nothing else.
But he didn’t dare leave. He had to stay and make sure she was safe.
Song Wei’s labor lasted two hours.
Let’s be honest, giving birth is really damn painful!
It hurts even more than being slashed by a knife!
Song Wei bit down on the soft cloth, her neatly trimmed nails digging several marks into Lin Zhen’s arm.
Lin Zhen endured it without a word, his heart aching even more for Song Wei.
Why couldn’t men bear this pain instead?
“It’s out, it’s out! The first baby is out! It’s a boy!”
At this moment, Lin Zhen couldn’t care less about the baby. The child was quickly cleaned by Aunt Xinghua and wrapped in a swaddling cloth.
“This baby is so good-looking!”
Aunt Xinghua adored the child.
The first baby was delivered smoothly, and the second followed soon after.
Both were natural births, and Song Wei was somewhat exhausted after delivering.
“This one is also a little boy!”
Twins, both boys.
They were cleaned and wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Aunt Xinghua brought the babies close to her.
“Song Wei, take a look! Both your sons are so handsome!”
Song Wei mustered her strength to glance at them. Uh…
“Why do they look a bit ugly?”
That shouldn’t be the case. Neither she nor Lin Zhen were unattractive.
Aunt Xinghua laughed. “All newborns look like this. They’ve been soaking in amniotic fluid, so their skin is bound to be wrinkled. Wait a while, and once their skin smooths out, they’ll look just fine. Your babies are actually quite fair and clean, not red at all. Many newborns have red, wrinkled skin—they’re not nearly as good-looking as these two.”
Hearing this, Song Wei felt relieved.
“I’m going to sleep.”
With that, she tilted her head and fell asleep against the pillow.
Lin Zhen was startled by this.
He carefully held his finger under her nose to confirm she was merely asleep before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Aunt Xinghua watched him, her eyelids twitching.
“What are you doing? She’s perfectly fine. Isn’t it normal for a woman to be tired and want to sleep after giving birth?”
Lin Zhen nodded dazedly. “I know. Thank you, Aunt Xinghua.”
He was just afraid.
He would never forget the scene of his mother, after giving birth to his younger brother with all her might, weakly telling him to take care of his brother before tilting her head and breathing her last.
So, Lin Zhen wasn’t afraid of getting hurt himself, or even of death.
But he was terrified that his wife would end up like his mother after giving birth.
Thankfully, thankfully, she was fine.
Lin Zhen held Song Wei’s hand and tucked her in properly.
Leave a Reply