1994: Starting with unpaid leave

Chapter 150 Mother and Daughter Safe, Family Uneasy (Part Two)

I don't know when, but along with the baby's cries, snowflakes began to fall outside the window.

"Oh dear, the crying is so loud, it must be a boy!"

The eldest brother, Dong Baoguo, was the first to come over and pat Dong Jianguo on the shoulder.

"Hey bro, congratulations on becoming a dad!"

He had a falling out with his younger brother and had been looking for an opportunity to mend their relationship.

Actually, he didn't care much about promotions and raises.

If it weren't for the constant pressure from his father and wife, Dong Baoguo would even think that being a section chief would be pretty good.

Dong Jianguo grinned: "Brother, there are several women in labor inside. We don't even know if Xiuyun has given birth yet—"

Dong Baoguo then realized he had been a bit too hasty, and a hint of embarrassment crossed his face: "But it's alright, I heard that babies are born in long lines in the delivery room, and if the first one is a boy, there's a high probability that all the babies born that day will be boys —"

Sister-in-law Liang Qiuyue rolled her eyes and interjected, "That's not necessarily true. Who can say for sure whether a child will be a boy or a girl?!"

""

"That's all predetermined from the beginning! Some people are born to have sons, while others are destined to have daughters! You can't force it~"

She speaks in an affected tone, and deliberately drags out the last syllable as if afraid that others might not have heard her clearly.

As soon as he said this, Dong Jianguo's father-in-law, mother-in-law, and eldest daughter Zhou Xiulan stared at him with wide eyes!

Zhou Yuejin stood directly in front of Liang Qiuyue, trembling with anger: "Who are you talking about?! What do you mean?!"

Liang Qiuyue blinked, then realized she had said the wrong thing.

She knew about Xiuyun's parents' situation; they had worked hard all their lives and only had three daughters, not a single son.

If my words were to fall into someone else's ears, they would definitely hear a different meaning.

But she opened her mouth and then closed it again, unable to think of a way to explain.

"Uncle, my wife didn't mean anything by it, please don't overthink it—"

Dong Baoguo hurriedly stepped forward to explain, and then pulled his wife aside.

Zhou Yuejin snorted, walked to the side and sat down again, no longer bothering to argue with Liang Qiuyue.

Pulled aside, Liang Qiuyue couldn't help but shake off Dong Baoguo's arm: "Why are you pulling me?! I didn't say anything wrong!"

"Hey, shut up! What are you talking about while someone's having a baby?! Can't you wish my brother well?!"

Dong Baoguo's eyes widened.

Liang Qiuyue raised her hand and poked Dong Baoguo's chest: "Why should I wish him well?! Do I benefit from his good fortune or do you?! Just mentioning him makes me angry. Last night I specifically asked Junjun who taught him to blow up poop in the toilet, and Junjun said it was his uncle who taught him! Even those firecrackers were bought by Jianguo!"

"Isn't this just disgusting?!"

"With all this, you think he'd be doing well?! Don't even think about it!"

Dong Baoguo's face fell.

He asked me about it yesterday when I took Junjun to the bathhouse. I clearly told him not to tell his mother when we got home.

The kid agreed verbally, but then turned around and betrayed him.

With this level of competence, if Japan came, they'd all confess without even needing to be threatened!

Knowing his wife's personality, Dong Baoguo knew she wouldn't let this go easily, so he tried to calm her down: "Oh, alright, it's not a big deal! What boy hasn't done this when he was little?! Back when there weren't any other games, some even jumped into stinky puddlees!"

"How can that be the same?! What were the conditions before, and what are they now?! That Jianguo kid is clearly messing with us!"

As the couple were talking, the delivery room door opened, and a new mother and baby were wheeled out.

However, the doctor did not call out the name of the woman in labor as Zhou Xiuyun.

The woman who was wheeled out of the hospital was pale but had a smile on her face, as if everything she had experienced during her pregnancy had been worth it.

The baby in the swaddling clothes cried loudly, like a little tiger just released from its cage.

As if in response to him, several loud cries rang out in the delivery room one after another.

I wonder whose child it is, arriving in this world amidst the snowflakes outside the window.

"Congratulations, it's a boy!" The nurse smiled and handed the baby to the family, who were overjoyed and gathered around the boy to examine him closely.

Seeing this, Dong Baoguo rubbed his hands together, his face crinkling with a smile: "See, I told you, childbirth is like a bustling market; once the first one's done, everything else goes smoothly. Xiuyun's baby is definitely going to be a boy too!"

Liang Qiuyue leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, her face full of disdain: "Which child she has isn't up to you to decide; it depends on whether she's destined to have one!"

Dong Jianguo leaned against the window, a cigarette dangling from his hand, his gaze fixed on the closed door of the delivery room.

He heard his sister-in-law's sarcastic remarks clearly, but he was too lazy to pay attention.

In her past life, it was also the first day of the Lunar New Year that Xiuyun gave birth to her daughter, Xiaojuzi, in this very hospital.

He was still at the mahjong table back then.

Even when he found out he was going to be a father, he didn't take it to heart.

No, to be precise, because his father didn't get to hold his grandson, he was later summoned to his elder brother's house and given a severe scolding by his father, Dong Xuewen.

After returning home, she took her anger out on Xiuyun, not even letting her have a proper postpartum period.

After being officially laid off, he attributed all his misfortunes to being "born childless," and became utterly despondent.

But now that I have a family and a career, do I still care whether my child is a boy or a girl?!

Looking at his sister-in-law's sarcastic manner, Dong Jianguo felt that she was being noisy and boring.

Cao Wenli, the mother-in-law, couldn't sit still any longer and walked up to Jianguo.

The crackdown on having more children than allowed is very strict now; what if Xiuyun really gives birth to a girl?

As someone who has been through it all, she knows all too well what giving birth to a girl means to a woman.

"Jianguo—Let me make this clear first, if Xiuyun gives birth to a daughter, you can't—"

"Mom, don't worry."

Dong Jianguo snapped out of his reverie, his voice surprisingly calm for someone in their early twenties, "Whether Xiuyun gives birth to a son or a daughter, they are all my precious children. Anyone who dares to give Xiuyun a hard time is going against me, Dong Jianguo."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.

Hearing this, Zhang Guifen, the mother who hadn't left, came over to comfort her in-laws: "Xiuyun's mother, Jianguo is right. Things are different now, not like they were back then. It doesn't matter whether it's a boy or a girl. If Jianguo dares to pick on Xiuyun, I'll be the first to object!"

"Sigh, now that you say that, I feel relieved—"

Cao Wenli nodded, almost moved to tears.

However, Liang Qiuyue, the eldest sister-in-law, couldn't help but walk to the corner and sneer.

She knew the temperaments of the elderly in her family all too well.

Although the mother-in-law seems to be able to handle things, in the end, it is the father-in-law, Dong Xuewen, who can make the decisions when it comes to important matters.

The old man valued two things most in his life.

First, there's the job within the system; second, there's the matter of grandsons.

If Xiuyun really gave birth to a daughter, she wouldn't even have to do anything; her father-in-law, Dong Xuewen, would be able to deal with Dong Jianguo!

She was secretly smiling when the delivery room door creaked open again.

This time, it was the head nurse who came out.

She held a small baby in her arms, a professional smile on her face, and her gaze swept around the corridor before finally landing on Dong Jianguo.

"Zhou Xiuyun's family?"

Dong Jianguo's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stepped forward: "I am! I am her husband!"

"Mother and daughter are safe."

The head nurse handed the swaddled baby to Dong Jianguo, saying, "It's a girl, weighing six pounds and two ounces, and she's quite healthy."

"The mother will be out in a moment."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, a suppressed sigh came from Dong Baoguo's side.

Dong Baoguo rubbed his face, his eyes full of helplessness.

I just told my younger brother that Xiuyun could give him a boy, but I didn't expect to be proven wrong so quickly!

The second brother, Dong Weiguo, stepped forward, looked at the daughter in Dong Jianguo's arms, and patted him on the shoulder: "Great! Yangyang has always said she wanted a little sister to play with, and now she finally has one!"

"Oh my! What a girl!" Liang Qiuyue's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible schadenfreude. She leaned closer, craning her neck for a peek. "Jianguo, you see, I told you, what's destined to be yours will be yours, and what's not, you can't force. You—"

"Thank you, nurse! You've worked so hard!" Dong Jianguo completely ignored Liang Qiuyue, looking down at the little one in his arms.

Her little face was wrinkled and red, her eyes were tightly closed, and her little mouth opened and closed, like a newborn shrimp.

This is Little Orange.

The daughter from his past life who was ignored and hurt by him, and who in the end refused to even look at him.

Dong Jianguo's eyes instantly reddened.

He gently touched his daughter's face with his fingertips, his voice choked with emotion but firm: "She looks like her mother, that's wonderful."

"Huh?" Liang Qiuyue thought she had misheard.

"What's wrong with me?" Dong Jianguo looked up, tears welling in his eyes, but a smile on his lips. "My daughter is my little cotton-padded jacket, so sweet. My little cotton-padded jacket is better than anything else."

Zhou Xiuyun's parents and her sister Zhou Xiulan also gathered around.

Upon hearing that it was his granddaughter, Zhou Yuejin's already tense face tightened even more.

Upon hearing her son-in-law's words, her brows immediately relaxed.

This son-in-law is presentable!

Cao Wenli was originally conflicted about whether she should have a daughter or a daughter.

But when she saw the child in Dong Jianguo's arms, she burst into tears of joy. At that moment, it seemed that whether the child was a boy or a girl didn't matter so much.

She reached out and touched the child's hand: "Good, good, this child has inherited all the good qualities of Jianguo and Xiuyun, that's wonderful!"

"That's right," Zhou Xiulan chimed in, "What era are we living in? Still favoring sons over daughters? Jianguo, your ideological awareness is much better than some people's."

Liang Qiuyue was speechless with anger at these words and was about to lash out when a series of hurried footsteps came from the end of the corridor.

"Where is she? Has she given birth? Is it a grandson or a granddaughter?"

Accompanied by the sound, Dong Jianguo's father, Dong Xuewen, walked straight over.

Dong Jianguo's expression changed. He had just sent his father away, hoping to avoid running into his daughter.

I never expected that my dad would come back so suddenly!

Liang Qiuyue quickly went to greet him: "Dad, where's Junjun?"

"He's in the hospital convenience store! Don't worry, that store is owned by one of my former coworkers, the child won't get lost!"

After saying that, Dong Xuewen turned to look at the child in Dong Jianguo's arms: "Is it a boy or a girl?!"

The corridor fell silent instantly; everyone held their breath, waiting to witness this family storm.

Dong Jianguo took a deep breath, pulled the child closer to his chest, and met his father's gaze, saying calmly and confidently, "Dad, it's a daughter. Mother and daughter are safe."

"oops!!"

Dong Xuewen stomped his foot, his face full of disappointment and frustration: "What did I tell you back then?! I told you to investigate beforehand! I told you to investigate beforehand! If you had listened to me, would things be like this now?!"

"What's the situation now?! Isn't our daughter doing just fine?!"

The head nurse, who was standing nearby, quickly interjected, "Grandma, you can't say things like that anymore. Times have changed. Men and women are equal. If everyone were like you, the boys wouldn't be able to get married when they grow up!"

"I told you! Go ahead and drag me out and shoot me if you dare!"

Dong Xuewen suddenly shouted, startling the head nurse!

Not only her, but also Little Orange, who was sleeping, was startled awake by the shout and burst into tears.

Dong Jianguo was heartbroken. He took his child and stepped aside, wanting to take his daughter away from this unreasonable grandfather.

Seeing this, the brothers Dong Baoguo and Dong Weiguo quickly came over and pulled their father away: "Dad, this is a hospital. Let's talk about this at home. Don't argue here and disturb others!"

"Yes, Dad, besides, it's not a big deal. Jianguo hasn't said anything yet, so don't make things worse—"

Zhang Guifen also stepped forward in front of Jianguo, looking at her husband with a stern face: "Quiet down, stop shouting!"

"You—you all—" Dong Xuewen gasped, his chest heaving violently.

Now he regrets it so much.

The ribs that Dong Jianguo brought to the family back then were almost exactly the same as they are now.

The difference is that if these children had listened to me back then, none of this would have happened!

But now, they don't even feel the slightest bit of regret; instead, they're blaming themselves!

This brat is not worth discussing anything with! He's not worth discussing anything with!

Dong Xuewen snorted coldly, turned and left, leaving everyone with only an angry back view.

Seeing this, Liang Qiuyue was secretly pleased, but she knew she couldn't be too blatant at this moment. She just smiled smugly and then left without a word.

At this moment, the delivery room door opened again, and Xiuyun was wheeled out.

Her face was as pale as paper, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat, but when she saw Dong Jianguo and the child, she still managed to force a smile.

"Jianguo—I'm sorry—I didn't give you a son—"

Xiuyun's voice was so weak it sounded like a mosquito's hum.

Dong Jianguo strode over, took her cold hand, pressed it tightly against his face, and his eyes welled up with tears. "Xiuyun, listen to me." Dong Jianguo looked into her eyes and said, word by word, "You gave me the best gift in the world. I don't care about having a son. I only care about you, and our little orange."

"Little Orange?" Xiuyun was taken aback, because she had also thought of giving her child this nickname.

"Yes, Little Orange." Dong Jianguo smiled through his tears, looking at his daughter's wrinkled little face, "I owe you and the children so much. From now on, I want to make you both the happiest women in the world!"

Although Xiuyun didn't understand anything about past or present lives, seeing the sincerity and love in her husband's eyes, her heart finally felt at ease.

The snow outside the window was falling heavier and heavier, completely covering the entire city of Hecheng.