“Alright, then I’ll go ahead and leave early.”
Perhaps it was the deep bond between mother and daughter, but as Gu Jianing’s due date approached, Yao Chunhua grew increasingly restless.
She was terrified that Ningning might go into labor early while she was stuck in their hometown, unable to help.
She knew Sheng Zexi would be there, and so would Grandma Sang.
But no matter who was around, how could she feel at ease unless she was there herself?
So, these past few days, she had indeed been on edge.
Unexpectedly, Yang Manman and the others had noticed and even made this suggestion.
Yao Chunhua wasn’t one to be overly sentimental either. Seeing that Yang Manman was doing well, she agreed.
“Then, Mom, you go pack your things. I’ll take you to the train tomorrow,” Gu Yunting said.
“Ah, don’t we need to buy the tickets first?” Yao Chunhua asked.
Gu Yunting and Yang Manman exchanged a glance and smiled. “Mom, I already booked your train ticket today. It’s a sleeper berth for tomorrow morning.”
Yao Chunhua suddenly understood—this couple had already made the decision, confident she would agree.
“You two,” Yao Chunhua chided them with a laugh.
That night, as Yao Chunhua packed her luggage, Old Man Gu helped out too. But as he packed, his eyes grew red.
“Old man, why are you crying?” Yao Chunhua was startled.
“I’m not crying,” Old Man Gu wiped the corner of his eye, though his voice carried a hint of grievance. “I’m just envious that you get to go to the Northwest Military District to see our daughter.”
Old Man Gu: I want to see our daughter too.
Yao Chunhua sighed, understanding his longing.
She patted her husband’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll see her for the both of us.”
Old Man Gu: It’s not the same!
Whether it was the same or not, Old Man Gu couldn’t go with her.
For one, as the village head of Huaihua Village, his presence was needed here. And secondly, Gu Jianing’s home in the Northwest Military District couldn’t accommodate so many people anyway.
Besides, while it was appropriate for a mother to help her daughter during childbirth and postpartum, a father going along? That just felt… odd.
“When you get there, tell our daughter I miss her.”
“Alright, I will.”
“Tell her to take good care of herself. Even after having the baby, her own health comes first…”
Though Old Man Gu adored his future grandchild, in his heart, nothing compared to his daughter, Gu Jianing.
To the old couple, their daughter was the apple of their eye.
“Ah, we shouldn’t have let her marry so far away, let alone move to the Northwest as a military wife. It’s too hard on her.”
“What else could we have done? She’s already been married for a year, and now the baby’s about to arrive.”
Old Man Gu: “…”
“Besides, Zexi is a good man. His grandparents treat our Ningning well too. I think she’s doing just fine now. You have no idea how many people envy our Ningning.”
“Sigh, I just feel that if Ningning had married someone closer, we and her three brothers could’ve looked out for her. If she ever got bullied, we could’ve stormed right over to demand justice.”
Yao Chunhua folded clothes as she replied with a smile, “We still can. If Ningning ever gets wronged, it doesn’t matter if it’s the Northwest or even across the country—we’ll march right over and stand up for her.”
Old Man Gu suddenly realized, “You’re right.”
And indeed, that was exactly what they had done.
In their past life, after Gu Jianing was falsely reported as missing by Wen Zhuqing, hadn’t they searched for her across the entire country?
Later, when they finally heard news of her, hadn’t they traveled over mountains and rivers to reach her?
Wen Zhuqing had also counted on the old couple’s deep love and concern for Gu Jianing, knowing they would surely go if there was news of her. That was why he arranged the car accident for them.
Yao Chunhua and Old Man Gu truly, wholeheartedly adored their daughter.
That night, as Old Man Gu watched his wife pack, he rambled on with endless reminders.
Of course, he also packed plenty of Gu Jianing’s favorite things.
By the next day, Yao Chunhua, loaded with bags big and small, boarded the train bound for the Northwest Military District…
…
Meanwhile, Gu Jianing had no idea her mother was already on her way.
These past few days, she had been feeling a little off.
Specifically, her appetite wasn’t great—until she tasted the pickled vegetables her mother had mailed her earlier. Only then did she realize she had been missing the flavors of her mother’s cooking.
Gu Jianing suddenly understood: though she hadn’t said it or even consciously noticed it, her body had reacted first.
In these final days before giving birth, she missed her mother. She missed her family.
“Ningning, don’t worry. Your mother promised she’d come, and she will,” Sheng Zexi held Gu Jianing, gently patting her back to comfort her.
Gu Jianing nestled against him and let out a muffled “Mm.”
Perhaps it was because she missed her family too much, but that night, she struggled to fall asleep.
It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that she finally drifted off.
But she didn’t sleep for long.
Just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Gu Jianing was jolted awake by waves of pain in her abdomen.
She couldn’t hold back a groan, immediately startling Sheng Zexi, who had just opened his eyes and was about to get up.
“Ningning, what’s wrong?”
“I—I think I’m going into labor.” The moment she woke up, the system’s voice in her mind reminded her—she was about to give birth.
“Labor?!” Sheng Zexi’s voice cracked.
His shout also alarmed Grandma Sang, who had just gotten up to prepare breakfast.
She hurried to their door. “What’s going on?”
Sheng Zexi quickly opened the door. “Grandma, Ningning might be going into labor.”
“Labor? Then we should head to the hospital now?”
Since they had prepared for this beforehand, Grandma Sang was far calmer than Sheng Zexi, the soon-to-be father.
The two of them were about to take Gu Jianing to the hospital—after all, the delivery supplies had been packed long ago.
But Gu Jianing stopped them. “No rush yet. I think it’ll still be a while. Maybe I should eat something first?”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll go make Ningning a bowl of noodles. She’ll need strength for the delivery,” Grandma Sang said, heading to the kitchen.
As she left, she instructed Sheng Zexi to help Gu Jianing walk around the room a bit to ease the labor later.
Just then, a knock suddenly came from the courtyard gate.
“Oh dear, who could that be at this hour?” Grandma Sang, on her way to the kitchen, quickened her steps to answer the door.
When she opened it and saw the figure standing there, laden with bags, she froze for a moment.
But the visitor’s cheerful “In-law!” snapped her back to reality.
“Oh! It’s you, In-law!” Grandma Sang’s face lit up with joy. “Come in, come in—hurry inside!”
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