When Zhao Zhilan learned about Bei Yao's pregnancy, she was overjoyed and took the initiative to come care for her.
Upon discovering Bei Yao had experienced bleeding, Zhao Zhilan grew deeply concerned. As someone who had been through pregnancy herself, she insisted that Bei Yao and Pei Chuan sleep separately until the pregnancy stabilized, fearing the young couple might struggle with self-restraint.
Pei Chuan agreed, but Bei Yao appeared somewhat displeased.
Her emotions had become more volatile recently, a common effect of pregnancy. Still, for the baby's sake, she wouldn't act willfully about such matters.
The Pei residence was spacious, allowing Zhao Zhilan to have her own room during her stay.
Knowing Bei Yao's habit of drinking water at night, Zhao Zhilan advised against chilled sour plum juice, insisting, "Plain water will suffice for her."
When her mother wasn't looking, Bei Yao secretly tugged at Pei Chuan's sleeve and gave it a slight shake.
Pei Chuan pressed his lips together without speaking, gently stroking her head instead.
Feeling that Pei Chuan and Zhao Zhilan were ganging up on her, Bei Yao sighed and curled up to sleep, appearing rather pitiful.
That evening, however, she discovered a glass of green apple juice by her bedside.
Having just started her internship, Bei Yao naturally couldn't continue hospital work after unexpectedly becoming pregnant. Meanwhile, Pei Chuan's research had reached a critical stage, though his multiple requests for leave to care for his wife were denied.
The research represented generations of effort. Frowning, Pei Chuan grew somber.
Zhao Zhilan comforted him: "Focus on your work. I'll take care of Yaoyao. I have experience—don't worry."
Understanding that Pei Chuan was engaged in important work, Bei Yao encouraged him to continue his research.
Despite this, Pei Chuan insisted on returning home daily. No matter how late, he would always come back to be with Bei Yao.
One day, Zhao Zhilan opened the door to check on Bei Yao and found the bed empty. Alarmed, she soon spotted her daughter sleeping securely in Pei Chuan's embrace, the two nestled together quietly with Pei Chuan holding her protectively.
Zhao Zhilan sighed inwardly and never again mentioned separate sleeping arrangements.
During Bei Yao's first progesterone check, concerning news emerged.
Pei Chuan knew the physician. With a slight frown, he shook his head imperceptibly.
The doctor swallowed their initial words and instead smiled at Bei Yao: "The baby is very healthy."
That night, Pei Chuan lay awake, holding his wife while battling insomnia. She had been exceptionally gentle since becoming pregnant, experiencing only mild morning sickness, though occasionally suffering nighttime leg cramps that would prompt Pei Chuan to massage them.
However, Bei Yao's low progesterone levels posed risks to fetal development.
Gently brushing stray hairs from her cheek, Pei Chuan felt a pang of sorrow.
Her abdomen hadn't yet swelled, and her sleeping face remained serene and beautiful.
Though Pei Chuan had never believed in karma, from that day forward he began donating under various guises while nursing Bei Yao's health.
Multiple "Wish" primary schools were established, sponsoring education for countless book-deprived children, while children's medical institutions and orphanages also received donations.
Noticing something amiss, Zhao Zhilan confronted Pei Chuan, who confessed the potential health risks to the baby.
Worried and distressed, Zhao Zhilan finally said: "We should keep this from her. Poor mood during pregnancy would only worsen the situation."
Pei Chuan agreed, calmly managing all arrangements.
He coordinated with hospitals while studying emergency care and health restoration knowledge.
As Bei Yao's belly gradually expanded, she grew increasingly unhappy about her changing body.
Her slender waist had vanished, and her legs showed signs of swelling.She wrapped herself in the blanket, refusing to drink the fish soup: "I've had it so many times today, I don't want any more. I'm almost sick of it."
Zhao Zhilan glared at her: "You're a grown woman now, carrying a child in your belly. What's all this fuss about?"
Bei Yao thought the baby in her belly probably didn't like fish soup either.
It was late spring turning into early summer of 2015. Pei Chuan had just returned home when he saw Zhao Zhilan trying to pull the blanket off Bei Yao.
He set down his materials, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"Mom, let me persuade her to drink it."
Zhao Zhilan said: "Alright then."
After Zhao Zhilan left, Pei Chuan closed the door. He gently touched the bundled figure under the blanket as she cautiously peeked out her face. She had indeed gained some weight, but looked even more adorable.
"Is my mom gone?"
Pei Chuan smiled: "Yes, it's stuffy under there. Don't cover yourself up."
Bei Yao sat up and hugged his neck gloomily: "I'm so sick of fish soup, I really don't want to drink it."
He held her in his arms naturally. While he tended to indulge her in many things, when it came to her health, Pei Chuan wouldn't give in. However, unlike Zhao Zhilan, he wouldn't force her to drink. Pei Chuan knew she was bothered by how much weight she had gained.
Yet her jade-like legs remained fair and lovely, and the young woman felt soft all over, even more comfortable to hold.
He smiled: "You're not fat."
Her dress hung loosely. Pei Chuan looked down and chuckled softly at where she had truly "filled out": "Yao Yao has become even more fragrant, so fair and adorable."
She carried a faint milky scent that Bei Yao could sometimes smell herself. His praise made her shy, her eyes glistening with moisture.
Pei Chuan said: "Let me feed you, okay?"
In the end, Bei Yao still drank the bowl of soup.
Zhao Zhilan sometimes found it both irritating and amusing, yet also somewhat touching. Though she considered herself a loving mother, she knew she lacked Pei Chuan's enduring patience.
Zhao Zhilan knew Pei Chuan was under considerable pressure. About the baby's condition, he hadn't told Bei Yao anything even as summer arrived.
The doctor had advised earlier that she might not be able to carry the pregnancy to term, as several check-ups showed the baby's development was significantly delayed. Yet Pei Chuan remained silent, watching Bei Yao's joyful anticipation every day as he exhausted all means to care for and comfort her.
Pei Chuan had made numerous efforts, and the baby proved resilient, staying peacefully in its mother's womb until May.
However, the frail child ultimately arrived one month later than the expected due date.
On the day Bei Yao gave birth, the whole family waited anxiously outside the delivery room.
Bei Jun had come too, already showing the outlines of adolescence.
Bei Licai paced back and forth while Zhao Zhilan, understanding the situation, stamped her feet in worry.
Bei Jun looked toward Pei Chuan.
He stood by the window, watching countless lights glitter under the dark night sky. His entire being was silent and still, as if merging with the night. No one could tell what he was thinking.
For some reason, Bei Jun felt that Pei Chuan's heart held the deepest anxiety and worry.
Bei Jun said: "Brother-in-law, don't worry. Sister and the baby will definitely be fine."
Pei Chuan turned to look at him and responded with a low murmur.
At three in the morning, the doctor finally emerged from the delivery room.
Pei Chuan walked over. The doctor removed his mask, unsure how to deliver the unfavorable news: "The baby is too small, just over four pounds, with respiratory complications. Probably..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
But everyone understood. Zhao Zhilan's eyes instantly welled with tears. The child might not survive.
In the quiet night, Pei Chuan asked hoarsely: "Is my wife alright?""She's doing well, just resting because she's very tired."
Pei Chuan went to check on Bei Yao, who had already fallen asleep. The air carried a faint metallic scent. He gently kissed her forehead and whispered, "You've worked hard, my love."
Her eyes were closed, her features softened with a sweet tenderness.
A young nurse asked, "Would you like to see the baby?"
Pei Chuan paused briefly before responding, "Yes."
It was a boy.
So incredibly tiny—Pei Chuan felt the infant was smaller than his own palm.
Zhao Zhilan couldn't bear to visit; everyone believed the child wouldn't survive.
The baby lay in an incubator, each labored breath causing his tiny chest to rise and fall with visible difficulty. How fragile the force of life could be.
As Pei Chuan watched, his eyes reddened.
He gently stroked the baby's back, trying to ease his breathing.
The attending physician watched with pity but didn't interrupt this futile gesture.
The child was too small, too vulnerable. The doctor sighed and left the room.
During the city's quietest hours, listening to his son's struggling breaths, Pei Chuan lightly touched the baby's small, reddened hand.
"When I was four years old," Pei Chuan murmured softly, "I also thought I wouldn't make it. But remember, son, life is tenacious. You must be strong."
The pink little fist brushed lightly against the man's finger.
Suddenly, Pei Chuan's eyes welled with tears.
Pei Chuan stayed by Pei Ling's incubator for three days and four nights.
The infant everyone thought would never survive grew into the little terror of his kindergarten by age four.
Though the mischievous Pei Ling feared nothing, he was uniquely intimidated by his father's stern expression.
When Pei Ling's father grew angry, he never showed it overtly, but the four-year-old would inevitably face serious consequences within days.
Young Pei Ling was immensely popular in kindergarten. With his adorable features—even more delicate than Pei Chuan's had been in childhood—and always dressed in tiny shirts, he possessed explosive energy. One moment he'd damage the family sofa, the next he'd punch a hole in the kindergarten slide.
On the last day before winter break, Pei Chuan received a call from the kindergarten teacher. Carrying his daughter, he went to collect the little troublemaker.
The unrepentant tyrant was still offering childish excuses: "It broke by itself when it fell! It wasn't me!"
The moment Pei Chuan entered carrying his little princess, the four-year-old immediately fell silent.
Pei Nian blinked her large eyes, giggling at her brother's disheveled appearance.
Pei Ling eventually apologized sheepishly.
Two-year-old Niannian was sucking on a lollipop as Pei Chuan carried his little princess with one arm and grasped his son's collar with the other, marching them toward the car.
Pei Ling looked up at his sister: "Silly Nian, walk on your own."
Niannian, who adored her brother, obediently climbed down to walk with him.
Pei Ling quickly grabbed her chubby little hand, chattering cheerfully about how cool he'd been in kindergarten that day.
While the little princess didn't understand his stories, Pei Chuan shot a warning glance.
Oblivious to his father's deadly stare, the two children clambered into the car together. When they got out, Niannian's hair was stuck to her lollipop, her expression completely innocent.
Pei Ling twisted his mouth into a playful grimace.
Pei Chuan's eyebrow twitched slightly as he took a hair tie from his pocket to bundle his daughter's soft hair, then wiped her mouth. Niannian, who resembled Bei Yao more, gazed at her father with clear almond-shaped eyes.
Pei Ling had already scampered away.
Bei Yao was preparing dinner.
They were returning to B City for New Year's celebrations tomorrow when Pei Ling suddenly wrapped his arms around his mother's leg.
Bei Yao affectionately tapped his forehead: "Wash your hands first when we get home, you little rascal. You should be ashamed—the teacher complained about you again."I don't know why our son is so energetic—he practically wants to tear the whole house down.
Pei Chuan had lost count of how much money he had compensated for the little troublemaker. Little Pei Ling was so mischievous that no one could tell he had been born with health issues.
The night before returning home, both children went to sleep in their own rooms.
Bei Yao wondered, "Does Ling have ADHD? He's constantly active every day."
Pei Chuan said, "He's very smart, with a high IQ."
Bei Yao exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"
Pei Chuan paused briefly. "Yes, I was somewhat precocious as a child too. He understands many things, like not letting me hold Nian Nian."
"Isn't he just jealous?"
Pei Chuan said quietly, "He knows I don't have lower legs." Although their little princess wasn't heavy, holding her for long was still a burden for Pei Chuan. Their troublemaker had never allowed his father to carry him since he was little, and later he wouldn't let Nian Nian cling to their father's embrace either.
Bei Yao's eyes widened. Pei Chuan had already lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
Bei Yao kissed the corner of his mouth. "Don't overthink it. In our son's eyes, you're a great hero."
Pei Chuan smiled but said nothing.
When their family returned to C City this year, the winter snow was light.
They hadn't sold their old apartment in the neighborhood, as one's hometown often represents lifelong, unforgettable roots.
Many things had happened this year. Fang Minjun had married Chen Yingqi the year before last and became pregnant early this year. Bei Yao happily bought many gifts for Minmin. Then there was Bai Yutong—reportedly always wanting to marry a rich man, but she ended up losing both her dignity and benefits. The man who had been keeping her as a mistress kicked her out right after the New Year.
Cao Li had gotten together with an older man with a decent pension, but he smoked, drank, and gambled, making their life chaotic.
Cao Li had no energy to take care of Pei Jiadong either, so she sent the child back to Pei Haobin.
Pei Haobin had aged. Though only fifty this year, his hair had turned completely white. He rarely smiled anymore, preferring to dwell on the past.
When Bei Yao saw Pei Jiadong again, the boy was skinny, his clothes dirty, his dark eyes silent.
He looked quite pitiful. Seeing him, one could tell Pei Haobin wasn't doing well either.
Pei Jiadong opened his mouth, unsure what to call her, then glanced at Pei Chuan.
Pei Chuan was looking at him too. Bei Yao gave Pei Jiadong a red envelope. "Happy New Year. It's cold outside—go on home."
Pei Jiadong wiped his reddened eyes and ran home gritting his teeth.
Pei Chuan didn't comment, but after the New Year, he sent a small sum of money to the father and son, at least ensuring Pei Jiadong wouldn't suffer from the cold like this in winter.
The memory of that "brother" from years ago seemed to echo in his ears. As Pei Chuan watched their little troublemaker grow day by day, he felt his heart wasn't as hardened as it used to be.
When spring arrived, it brought a rainfall.
Before leaving, Pei Chuan asked Bei Yao, "Do you want to visit our old kindergarten?"
"Sure, is that place still there?"
"Yes, I didn't let anyone change it." He had later bought the land. Over the years, he had people maintain it, and it still vaguely retained its original appearance.
The sign for "Evergreen Kindergarten" was too faded to read clearly. The camphor trees at the entrance had aged but grown taller. The plum blossoms in the kindergarten yard still bloomed every year. The facilities were simple—none of the modern equipment found in today's kindergartens remained.The two wooden seesaws gradually decayed from exposure to wind, frost, and rain, yet their original forms were still discernible in the courtyard.
Bei Yao pushed open the door, and the spring sunlight streamed into the kindergarten.
Vaguely, she could still picture the scene from back then—among the group of innocent children, a silent and difficult little boy sat alone in his wheelchair, his eyes desolate and cold.
Bei Yao felt a wave of nostalgia.
"I remember giving you a very beautiful lotus flower back then. Do you still remember?"
Pei Chuan chuckled softly, "Yeah, at the time, I thought, 'What a silly fool. Who even likes lotus flowers?'"
The afternoon sun slanted in, and he said, "But looking back now, the lotus flowers, paper airplanes, and cartoon drawings from that little fool actually gave me a childhood."
Bei Yao beamed with delight and asked, "Of course they did." She blinked, looking as if she were seeking praise.
Pei Chuan couldn't help but laugh, then murmured softly, "Meeting you was truly wonderful."
Pei Chuan said their little troublemaker was clever and precocious, but Bei Yao didn’t take it seriously at first.
After all, little Pei Ling was quite a handful—he was like a walking excavator, wanting to dig a hole wherever he went.
When little Nian Nian was in kindergarten and Pei Ling was in first grade, the six-year-old troublemaker came home with injuries on his face for the first time.
Nian Nian said, "Brother got into a fight."
Not only that, but after the fight, he fiercely threatened Nian Nian not to tell anyone and was now sulking in his room.
Bei Yao asked, "Why did your brother get into a fight?"
Nian Nian replied, "Brother said I can't tell."
Bei Yao gently pinched her rosy little cheek and said, "Not even Mommy?"
Nian Nian hesitated, then said, "Mommy is okay."
Nian Nian was actually quite curious herself. She explained, "Someone in brother’s class said Daddy is disabled, so brother fought with him. Mommy, what does 'disabled' mean?"
Pei Chuan pursed his lips and turned his head away.
Bei Yao’s eyes grew teary as she looked into her daughter’s innocent eyes. "They’re talking nonsense, sweetheart. When people are born, they’re given gifts and blessings by the gods to make them whole and happy. But the gods are so busy that some people don’t receive those gifts and blessings, so they have to work harder than others."
"Daddy didn’t get any blessings or gifts?"
"That’s right."
Nian Nian said sadly but earnestly, "Nian Nian will share her gifts with Daddy."
Pei Chuan ruffled her little head and smiled faintly.
At night, the little troublemaker often kicked off his blankets, and Pei Chuan would get up several times to cover him again.
But tonight, when he went to check, the little moon nightlight in Pei Ling’s room was still on.
Under the dim glow, two little figures were whispering to each other.
The troublemaker angrily pinched his sister’s cheek and said, "You big mouth! I told you not to say anything."
Four-year-old Nian Nian whined, "But I wanted to know what 'disabled' means."
The room fell silent for a moment.
In that instant, Pei Chuan felt as if he had returned to his youth, to the night when Pei Haobin and Jiang Wenjuan were arguing. He had stood outside their door, listening to words that would remain etched in his memory for years.
Tonight, the entire city was quiet, with a bright moon hanging outside.
Inside the room, the two small children huddled together.
Pei Chuan heard their choice.
The troublemaker told his sister seriously, his words firm and resolute, "Nian Nian, Daddy was just injured. He will always be the greatest and strongest hero in the world."
The night breeze in June was exceptionally warm.
Pei Chuan closed the door softly and, for the first time, understood that all the beauty in the world was already cradled in his hands.
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