A newborns cry pierced the air.
"Wow, our little treasure has such a loud cry, shell definitely have a great voice in the future!" Mei Ranran said with a smile to the babys mother, looking at the tiny bundle in swaddling clothes.
The baby was beautiful, with a rosy face and big eyes. She would likely grow up to be as delicate as Wan Ling.
Wan Ling, who had just given birth to her second child, struggled to sit up and looked at Mei Ranran gratefully, "Thank you, Sister Mei, for coming so early. Ill have to trouble you to pick up Xiao Lingjiao today."
"No need to be polite! Youve just given birth, lie down! Xiao Mei Dou and Xiao Lingjiao are classmates in kindergarten, so its on my way. If youre too busy these days, let Xiao Lingjiao stay at my house." Mei Ranran spoke and efficiently, adjusting the headrest of Wan Lings bed in the maternity ward.
Mei Ranran and Wan Ling lived in the same neighborhood, and their children, Xiao Mei Dou and Xiao Lingjiao, were classmates in the kindergarten senior class. They became acquainted through the parent-teacher association and often helped each other with picking up their children.
Wan Ling thought that with the recent hustle of having a second child, she indeed couldnt take care of her eldest, Xiao Lingjiao. Staying at Mei Ranrans house and being with Xiao Mei Dou would be a good idea. Moreover, Mei Ranran was warm-hearted and efficient, so Wan Ling felt at ease leaving her child with her.
Wan Ling looked up at her husband, Zhang Juncheng, with a questioning look in her eyes.
Zhang Juncheng handed Wan Ling a cup of hot water and hurriedly said to Mei Ranran, "Thank you, Sister Mei, but thats not necessary. Its too much trouble. Xiao Lingjiaos grandparents will be here soon."
As he spoke, the door to the ward creaked open, and an elderly couple entered. The first one in was a rural woman in her fifties, dressed plainly, carrying a basket of eggs woven from willow branches, common in the countryside.
She saw Wan Ling on the hospital bed and walked straight in, her face full of hope as she asked Wan Ling, "A boy or a girl?"
Hearing this, Wan Lings smiling face fell, and she lowered her head without saying a word.
Zhang Juncheng stood up and said to the woman, "Mom, its a girl."
"What? Another girl?" The womans face, full of hope, turned to indignation in an instant, and she seemed to collapse, her hand holding the basket relaxing suddenly.
"Snap," the bamboo basket fell to the ground, followed by the sound of eggs breaking everywhere.
"Oh, mom! Look what youve done..." Zhang Juncheng hurried forward to catch it, but it was too late.
A basket of free-range eggs was smashed, with bright yellow yolks spreading all over the floor.
Other patients and their families in the ward also looked over.
Zhang Juncheng had to grab a mop and start cleaning up in a panic.
Mei Ranran couldnt bear to watch and said to the old lady with a smile, "Auntie, girls are great too. They say girls are little down jackets, arent they? My family also has a girl, the same age as Xiao Lingjiao!"
The old lady looked at the strange woman, dressed fashionably, who was about the same age as her daughter-in-law, and forced a smile, "Then you havent had a second child yet, right? This is our second child, and its another girl..."
The old man who followed the old lady hadnt spoken, but at this moment, he pulled his wifes sleeve, "Old lady, dont say that. After half a year, just have a third child!"
A third child?
We have just opened up for a second child, and Wan Ling was among the first batch to have one. The child has just been born, and her father-in-law is already planning for a third child? His words were easy, but as a public servant, if she had more than two children, she would be fired. How could she afford to raise more children?
Wan Ling wanted to speak, but Mei Ranran held her back and said to the old man with a smile, "Uncle, dont say that there are already two. Can they take care of another one? Besides, its against the policy. We have just opened up for a second child and have not approved a third child yet. Having another one would get Wan Ling fired from her unit, right? Thats not appropriate, is it?"
The old lady was helping her son clean up the broken eggs while complaining, her face full of heartache. "Why didnt you say it earlier? Wasnt it said that it looked like a boy? Look, this basket of good eggs that your father and I raised one chick at a time, just to serve our grandson, and now this bolt from the blue, all smashed!"
Wan Ling pretended to be tired, lying on the pillow and pretending not to hear.
Can a child just born eat eggs? The old couple only asked about the gender since they came in, without any care or warmth for her, which was chilling.
Moreover, smashed? Who smashed it?
Is it all because she gave birth to a girl?
After cleaning up, the old lady said to Mei Ranran, "Her aunt, Im not saying that the daughter-in-laws salary is that important. Whether she has a job or not, she can just stay at home and have grandsons! As the old saying goes, a woman without talent is virtue. The greatest of unfilial acts is to have no offspring! Zhang Junchengs father is the only one in three generations, and when it comes to Juncheng, he is an only child. The family has been looking forward to having a grandson since the two got married, but after five years, all they got were two girls."
Mei Ranran looked at the old lady and then at Wan Ling, whose face was as cold as frost, and sighed in her heart, every family has its own difficult scriptures!
As an outsider, saying too much or too little is not good for Wan Ling.
Mei Ranran stood up, took out a red envelope from her pocket, and put it on Wan Lings bedside. After thinking about it, she directly put it into the large pocket of Wan Lings patient gown, and said with a gentle smile, "This is a gift for the child, Ling. Ill go first. Its time to pick up Lingjiao and Mei Dou."
Wan Ling wanted to refuse, but Mei Ranran held her back and had to forget her familys embarrassment and sincerely said, "Thank you, Sister Mei. I wont get out of bed to see you off."
"Ill see Sister Mei off." Zhang Juncheng put down the mop and hurriedly followed, and before leaving, he also gave his mother a meaningful look and whispered, "Mom, dont say anymore."
Zhang Juncheng saw Mei Ranran out, and the ward became quiet.
Wan Ling closed her eyes and didnt speak.
The old lady was at a loss, not knowing whether to stand or sit on the bed where Mei Ranran had just sat.
The old man coughed, "Was it a natural birth? Was it smooth?"
"Mm. Dad, it was very good, the child weighed seven pounds, and the doctor said it was very healthy." Wan Ling said softly, her gaze falling into the cradle beside her, and her eyes immediately became gentle.
"Natural birth is good, can be discharged early, save spending extra money!" The old lady picked up the topic.
Wan Ling nodded, "The doctor said we can be discharged tomorrow. Juncheng has to go on a business trip tomorrow night, and he said he will pick us up and then leave."
Zhang Juncheng came back after seeing Mei Ranran off, answering the phone while entering the door, "Hello? Mr. Wang? Today? Didnt we agree on tomorrow? Oh... Okay, Ill go right away."
Zhang Juncheng hung up the phone and looked at Wan Ling with some difficulty, "Wife, there has been a change in the companys case, the plane tonight, tomorrow..."