Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Don't touch my parents!

The car had traveled more than a mile without slowing down at all.

The car was so stable it looked like it was nailed to the road.

Even the medicine box she placed on her lap didn't make the slightest sound.

What made her heart tremble even more was...

The child deliberately chose to walk through back alleys and winding streets, never venturing onto a main road.

He thoroughly bypassed the Japanese soldiers' patrol routes.

He knew this area so well that it was as if he were in his own home.

Deep within Nanluoguxiang, there stands a courtyard house with blue tiles and gray walls.

Inside the main room, there was an overwhelming, pungent smell of blood.

He Chenshi's screams had long since become hoarse and distorted.

Like a dilapidated bellows, it is barely clinging to life.

One sound after another gripped the hearts of everyone in the room.

Yi Lishi kept rubbing her hands together in front of her body.

She paced anxiously in the center of the main room.

Several women were gathered at the gate of the courtyard, and they were all flustered when they saw the commotion.

Everyone here is a long-time resident of the compound, but none of us have ever witnessed such a dangerous production scene.

A thin midwife stood beside the bed.

She was Granny Wang, who often helped deliver babies for her neighbors.

She worked for almost half an hour, her hands soaked in blood.

Only then did he straighten up and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

"The baby is breech." Her voice was very low, like a heavy stone hitting the ground.

"There's only one option left—save the mother or the child?"

The room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, so quiet you could count each other's heartbeats.

Even He Chenshi's screams suddenly stopped.

All that remained was the heavy, labored breathing, like a broken bellows, pounding against my eardrums.

"Where is the head of his family?" Granny Wang asked again.

"I was called away just as dawn broke," Yi Li quickly replied.

"Wait a little longer, Zhuzi went to call his father, he should be back soon."

"We can't wait any longer," Granny Wang shook her head repeatedly.

Her thin fingers tapped the edge of the bed.

"With her constitution, she can only hold on for another half an hour at most."

"If this time passes, I'm afraid neither the adults nor the children... will survive."

He Chenshi, lying on the bed, was biting the corner of the blanket tightly.

Her lips were bitten white by her teeth, and tiny beads of blood oozed out.

After a long while...

She managed to squeeze out three words, her voice trembling and out of tune.

"Save...save the baby."

Yi Li's eyes reddened, and she took a step forward to try to persuade him, but then swallowed her words back.

"Sister Chen, you still have Zhuzi, this child... sigh!"

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I hesitated and didn't say them.

To persuade someone to abandon their unborn child? That's a living, breathing life too.

Can she persuade someone to abandon themselves? She simply couldn't bring herself to say it.

She turned around and walked towards the door.

I want to see if He Daqing has come back or not.

Jia Zhangshi, who was boiling water by the stove, suddenly spat out a "pui" sound.

"If you ask me, we should save the mother!"

"This unborn child, not even born yet, is already going to take its mother's life. What good could it possibly be? What a tragedy!"

She had barely finished speaking.

A cane struck her hard on the back with a "smack".

"Zhang Ruhua!" The deaf old lady sat in the armchair, her voice like it was filled with ice.

"If you can't speak human language, then shut your stinking mouth!"

"You're spewing nonsense! Don't you even know where you are?"

"Then I'll leave!" Jia Zhangshi said stubbornly, about to get up.

"You dare!" The deaf old lady stood up, leaning on her cane.

Her gaze was sharp as a knife, sending chills down one's spine.

"Stand here obediently and boil water!"

"If you dare utter another word, I'll break your legs right here and now!"

Jia Zhangshi's face was full of resentment as she sullenly squatted back down in front of the stove.

He was still muttering to himself, cursing under his breath.

Now let's talk about Xu Zhao's side.

She went to the steel rolling mill early in the morning.

Finally, I met Xu Wangcai, Yi Zhonghai, and Jia Laonian, who often did odd jobs at the factory.

But none of these three dared to go to Fengzeyuan to call He Daqing.

Yi Zhonghai knew exactly what was going on.

Today, He Daqing is serving the Japanese city defense commander.

Going to invite trouble at this critical juncture is practically suicide, isn't it?

Xu Zhaoshi had no choice but to return to the courtyard house empty-handed.

After listening to her story, the deaf old woman remained silent for a long time.

These days, one's own life is more precious than anything else.

She simply leaned on her cane, her gaze fixed intently on the direction of the gate.

My heart felt like it was being tightly bound by a thin rope—Zhu Zi has been gone for half a day, I hope nothing goes wrong.

Time moved forward little by little amidst the anxiety.

Granny Wang went to the bedside again.

Her voice was heavier than before, and tinged with impatience.

"Should we save the mother or the child? We can't afford to drag this out any longer!"

The room fell into a deathly silence once again.

At this suffocating moment.

"We must protect both!"

A clear, urgent child's voice rang out like a pebble suddenly thrown into the still water.

They burst in from outside the door.

Followed by.

The curtain was suddenly flung open with a "whoosh".

He Yuzhu rushed into the house with his short hair still dripping wet.

It brought in a chilly air filled with snowflakes.

"You child!" Granny Wang shouted sternly.

"Is this a place for you to trespass? Get out of here!"

She quickly reached out and pulled the blanket over He Chenshi's exposed legs.

He Yuzhu also realized that he had been too rash just now.

He hurriedly turned around and respectfully said to the figure behind him, "Dr. Lin, thank you for your trouble."

Lin Jingyi raised her hand and shook the snow off her shoulder.

As I stepped into the house, my shoes left shallow water marks on the blue bricks.

Her movements were as fast as magic.

"How about eggs? And brown sugar too." She turned around, a fawning smile plastered on her face.

"Can."

"Cook a bowl of poached eggs in brown sugar water, and crack a few extra eggs into it," Lin Jingyi ordered without turning her head.

"Should we do a few more?" Jia Zhangshi muttered in a low voice.

"Eggs are so precious... why don't you just eat her to death...?"

"What are you muttering about?!" The deaf old lady's cane slammed into her lower back with a "thud".

"If you can't handle it, then get out of here! You from Zhonghai, come and do it!"

Madam Jia's face fell immediately, and she retreated to the side in a huff.

But when he touched the two eggs hidden in his sleeve, he secretly rejoiced.

Dongxu is in for a treat tonight.

He Daqing's family is so wealthy that they never starve their skilled cook, no matter the year.

Yi Li stepped forward in response.

Quickly and efficiently, they lit a fire to boil water, cracked eggs, and found brown sugar.

Outside.

He Yuzhu listened to the sounds inside.

My nerves, which had been stretched to the limit, finally relaxed a little.

He leaned against the cold door frame and slowly closed his eyes.

The danger and fear I felt along the way only belatedly surged up now.