Hard work after winning the lottery

Li Guifen repeated the doctor's words, each one like a stone hitting everyone's heart.

"The doctor also said that it would be best to hospitalize her for observation now, but Yunyun..."

She turned to look at her daughter, her eyes filled with pleading.

Hua Yun sat back in the armchair with thick cushions, her face somewhat pale, but her eyes remained clear.

"Mom, I know my own body."

She patted her mother's hand reassuringly.

"Now that I'm in the hospital, facing white walls every day makes me even more anxious. At home, seeing you all makes me feel at ease."

"But……"

"Listen to me, wait a little longer." Hua Yun's tone left no room for argument. "We'll go to the hospital once the contractions become regular."

She knew her insistence was somewhat willful, but she knew all too well the psychological pressure that the cold environment of a hospital could put on a pregnant woman.

She needed the warmth of family, and the strength that this familiar land gave her.

No one objected anymore.

But from that day on, the entire Hua family entered a state of "level one combat readiness".

The maternity bag, which had been prepared long ago and was packed full, was solemnly taken out of the room and placed on the most conspicuous table in the living room.

Inside, there were not only baby clothes, diapers, and bottles, but also Hua Yun's ID, a change of clothes, and even plenty of brown sugar and chocolate.

It's as if they could just grab their bags and head out at any moment, given a single command.

Hua Yun's actions have become increasingly difficult.

Getting up from the sofa has become a huge undertaking.

She first had to use both hands to support her heavy belly, and then slowly shift her center of gravity forward.

Hua An and Li Guifen, standing to the side, had to act like well-trained partners, one on each side, one supporting her arms and the other applying force to her lower back.

"One, two, three, go!"

With Hua An's shouts, it took the combined efforts of the three of them to "pull" her massive body out of the soft sofa.

Every time Hua Yun stood up, she would be sweating profusely and take a long breath.

Braxton Hicks contractions also began unexpectedly.

Without warning, her lower abdomen would suddenly tighten, and her belly would instantly become as hard as a tightly twisted stone.

When she first appeared, she was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she gripped Li Guifen's wrist so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Mom! My tummy! My tummy's hard!"

Her scream startled the whole family, and Hua Shu almost rushed out to start the car on the spot.

Grandma Hua, being more experienced, touched her belly and asked if it hurt, before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, these are Braxton Hicks contractions. The baby is getting ready to come out."

After a few times, Hua Yun gradually got used to it.

Whenever that familiar feeling of tension came, she no longer panicked, but closed her eyes, stroked her hard belly with one hand, and regulated her breathing.

One breath in, one breath out.

She silently prayed to herself, "Babies, don't rush, come out when you're ready."

The tightness in her chest made her both nervous and expectant.

Like the prelude to a grand performance, the drumbeats grew increasingly intense, reminding her that the day she would meet the children was truly drawing near.

Despite her limited mobility, the doctor repeatedly advised her to rest more.

But Hua Yun's inherent tenacity wouldn't allow her to completely give up and become a "useless person".

In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, and she said to her mother, who was supporting her.

"My goodness, Yunyun, your belly... how are you going to walk?" Li Guifen asked with a worried expression.

"Just move slowly in the yard."

"Didn't the doctor say that natural childbirth is good for the baby? I'm saving up my strength now so I'll have more energy when the time comes."

She had heard too many stories of exhaustion during childbirth.

She was willing to make any effort for the three little ones in her belly.

Li Guifen couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she and Grandma Hua stood on either side of her, like bodyguards, carefully supporting her as they took her for their daily "walk" in their tidy courtyard without fail.

That can no longer be called "walking".

It's more like "moving".

With each step she took, she had to stop and catch her breath; her huge pregnant belly made her back ache.

But she persisted.

It takes her more than ten minutes to walk a mere twenty meters.

The nursery had long been decorated perfectly by Li Guifen and Grandma Hua.

The room faces the sun and is painted with a warm beige wall paint.

Against the wall, three exquisite cherry wood beds were placed side by side.

The bed was covered with pure cotton quilts sewn by Grandma Hua herself: one was light blue, one was pale yellow, and the other was a refreshing bean green.

Different styles of hand-cranked wind chimes hang above the bed, and cute cartoon animal stickers adorn the wall.

The air was filled with the clean and warm scent of sunshine mixed with baby laundry detergent.

Everything was like three warm nests waiting for their little master, quietly radiating love and anticipation.

Two more weeks passed.

Time, amidst anticipation and agonizing wait, has quietly stepped into the threshold of the thirty-sixth week.

This was the day of my routine prenatal checkup.

The air in the obstetrics clinic of the Municipal Women and Children's Hospital was so quiet it was almost oppressive.

The moment the ultrasound probe left Hua Yun's cold abdomen, the attending physician, Director Liu, looked more serious than ever before.

She took off her glasses and wiped them repeatedly with a velvet cloth, remaining silent for a long time.

This silence, like an invisible hand, gripped the hearts of the Hua family tightly.

Li Guifen gripped the hem of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and she even forgot to breathe.

"Director Liu, is...is there a problem?"

Her trembling voice broke the suffocating silence.

Director Liu put his glasses back on, his gaze calm yet sharp as he looked at Hua Yun's face.

"Hua Yun"

Her voice was soft, "You must complete the hospital admission procedures immediately."

"What?" Hua Yun's heart sank.

"Triple pregnancies are already considered extremely high-risk, and you are quite far along in your pregnancy."

Director Liu pointed to the several densely packed data charts on the screen.

"The latest data shows that your uterus has been overstretched, and the uterine wall is as thin as a sheet of paper, which could lead to rupture or placental abruption at any time."

"Any one of these would be fatal for you and your three children."

The word "fatal" was like two cold steel needles, piercing the ears of everyone present.

Hua Yun subconsciously covered her belly with both hands, feeling the three little ones inside moving as strongly as ever.

Her insistence on "staying at home to give birth" crumbled instantly in the face of the doctor's cold and professional words.

She could risk her own life, but she absolutely could not gamble with the lives of her three children. She had finally gotten pregnant and suffered so much; at this crucial moment, nothing could go wrong.

"Multiple pregnancies are very likely to cause premature birth, and you have now entered the high-risk period for premature birth."