On the daу Littlе Niannian wаs born, he lеt оut а sуmbоliс cry аnd then closed his eyеs tо sleеp.
It’s nоrmаl fоr nеwborns tо slеер а lot. Вut when he sleрt, his littlе faсe would scrunсh up. Newbоrns alreаdу tеnd tо lооk likе little monkеуs, and with his fасе all wrinklеd, he lооked evеn lеss aрpealing. Liаng Chengmin glanсеd аt him and suddеnly felt a bit wоrriеd. Shе whispеrеd tо Luаn Мingrui, "Dо yоu think hе’ll grow uр to bе unattraсtive?"
"Nоnsеnsе. Hоw соuld mу son not be gоod-looking?" Luan Mingrui tоok a loоk at Little Niаnnian—hе rеallу was quite homely. He couldn’t help but wonder: What if he grows up to be really ugly? He checked himself in the mirror and didn’t think he had any particularly unattractive features. As for Liang Chengmin, there was no question—she was such a beautiful woman! In his eyes, she was the most beautiful, and no other woman could compare.
Liang Chengmin lay weakly in the hospital bed. Every time she turned her head, she saw Little Niannian’s scrunched-up face, and her mood would sour. Even after returning home from the hospital, that feeling lingered. Little Niannian slept right beside her, his brow furrowed. When he slept, he looked like a little old man, but when it came to nursing, he was relentless—grunting and sucking with all his might.
It was in the dead of night that Liang Chengmin realized their child truly had a bad temper. One night, he was hungry, and Luan Mingrui got up to change his diaper first before feeding him. As a new father, Luan Mingrui wasn’t yet skilled at changing diapers and moved a bit too slowly. The baby started crying, his face turning bright red as he wailed, nearly choking on his own tears, screaming as if he were being slaughtered. Liang Chengmin and Luan Mingrui, two adults, broke into a sweat in the middle of the night from his crying. Even when they tried to soothe him with a pacifier, he spat it out and kept crying. Only when he was exhausted did he finally nurse.
While feeding him, Liang Chengmin said to Luan Mingrui, "It’s over. I’m certain now—this child’s temper really takes after both of us."
Luan Mingrui disagreed. "He’s not even a month old yet. How can you tell he has a bad temper? I was just too slow, and he cried so hard because he was starving." Luan Mingrui began to reflect on himself, even mentally rehearsing how to change diapers faster.
During Liang Chengmin’s postpartum recovery, the elders from both sides would come during the day to lend a hand. But Luan Mingrui was never at ease—he wanted to oversee everything himself, insisting on preparing all her postpartum meals. Back then, it was commonly believed that new mothers should eat eggs with every meal. Luan Mingrui scoffed at the idea. "Wouldn’t you get sick of eating eggs every day? Wouldn’t it make you nauseous?"
He couldn’t stand the thought of eating eggs himself every day—why should Liang Chengmin have to?
So, he went out of his way to prepare varied and delicious meals for her. The elders said that during postpartum recovery, one must protect their teeth and avoid hard foods, so he mashed shrimp into a paste to make shrimp ball soup. He steamed fish after carefully removing any fishy smell. Crucian carp soup was simmered over low heat until the broth turned milky white. Chicken soup was stewed until the meat fell off the bone. He used minimal oil and salt, but the flavors were always rich and satisfying.
The aroma of their meals was so enticing that the neighbors could often tell what they were cooking. During casual chats, people would say, "Dr. Liang really married the right person. Look at what she gets to eat during her postpartum recovery, compared to what others have."
In those days, not many families could afford eggs during the postpartum period, let alone a steady supply of fish, meat, and shrimp like theirs.
Luan Mingrui was well aware of how much this kind of eating cost, but he never minded. When he had asked for her hand in marriage, he had promised her a lifetime without worry about food or luxury. He intended to keep that promise.Not only did Liang Chengmin eat well, but her mood also improved. Throughout her entire pregnancy and even after giving birth, her temper was poor, but Luan Mingrui never argued with her once. Sometimes, when she made him so angry he felt like he was about to pass out, he would put on his clothes and stand in the yard, comforting himself until his anger subsided before going back inside.
He had become a little gentler.
Can marriage truly change a person? Perhaps it can.
Luan Mingrui had once been such a stubborn person, always a tough nut to crack, no matter the situation. Liang Chengmin was the same. Two tough nuts living together initially clashed loudly, each hurting the other.
Slowly, both learned to yield, and life began to sweeten.
After giving birth, Liang Chengmin gradually grew gentler.
It wasn’t an overnight change but a gradual one, something she didn’t even notice herself. She still bickered with Luan Mingrui, but it wasn’t real bickering. Sometimes, in the middle of an argument, she couldn’t help but laugh. She had always had a bright, cheerful face, and when she smiled, she looked gentle. Sometimes, Luan Mingrui would stare at her in awe, secretly telling his friends, “Why do I feel like I’ve gotten a new wife?”
“Don’t you like it?” his friends teased him. They still remembered how tormented he had been by Liang Chengmin back in the day.
“No, I’ve hit the jackpot.” Luan Mingrui felt that life was going too smoothly, with not a single thing to complain about. When life goes smoothly, a person tends to exude a sense of contentment and pride. This contentment illuminated his entire life in the 2000s and remained with him throughout his years.
By the time the baby was over three months old, they could finally sleep for a few uninterrupted hours at night. Liang Chengmin nestled into Luan Mingrui’s arms, her face pressed against his chest, feeling as though life had finally taken a turn for the better.
Luan Mingrui looked at her under the dim light of a small lamp, noticing that her face had filled out a little compared to during her pregnancy. His daily efforts to feed her hadn’t been in vain—he had finally brought her back to her former self. Filled with affection, he gently kissed her, once and then again.
Liang Chengmin lifted her head to kiss his chin, cupping his face in her hands and gazing at him endlessly.
“What’s wrong?” Luan Mingrui asked, his attention slightly distracted by her open collar.
Liang Chengmin didn’t answer. Instead, her tongue lightly traced his jawline, settling on his Adam’s apple, where she gently bit down with her teeth. His Adam’s apple moved beneath her tongue.
Liang Chengmin paused for a moment before suddenly pushing him down.
She lay on top of him, looking into his eyes.
Liang Chengmin knew from a medical perspective that after giving birth, the body undergoes changes and needs time to recover. Though she appeared indifferent, she had secretly done some exercises—deep breaths, tightening, relaxing. She believed in science, but for the first time, she felt a hint of hesitation.
Luan Mingrui held her close. They studied each other in the darkness for a long time, gradually building up a storm of passion.
But both felt uneasy because the baby was sleeping right beside them.
Luan Mingrui kissed her gently, their tongues meeting, each finding the other delicious.
“Not in this room,” Liang Chengmin said. She remembered a story a colleague had shared about an embarrassing incident: when their child was three years old, the couple was in the middle of intimacy when they suddenly heard the child call out “Mommy.” The child sat up and stared at their intertwined parents. Liang Chengmin had been left with a psychological shadow from that story."Alright." Luan Mingrui led her to another room, usually unoccupied, where the bedding was cold. As Liang Chengmin pressed her body against it, the chill made her curl up. Luan Mingrui pressed down upon her, pushing her deeper into the mattress. She heard herself let out a soft moan before he covered her lips with his own. "Don't wake Niannian," he whispered.
It had been too long for both of them, and they struggled to hold back. Liang Chengmin's attention was entirely focused there—she wanted to know how much she had changed, how much she had recovered, but she couldn't sense it. Instead, she felt all her emotions overflowing.
Luan Mingrui, like a child vying for a meal, found it sweet and delicious, unwilling to let go. Liang Chengmin was overwhelmed with shame yet loved the experience. When their tongues met again, she tasted her own flavor.
Luan Mingrui was exceptionally gentle.
He had done his homework. After his cousin's wife gave birth to Luan Siyuan, the couple's first attempt at intimacy had not gone smoothly, leading to nearly half a year of resistance from his sister-in-law. His cousin had complained to him: "Why is it so difficult now?" Luan Mingrui took it to heart and was especially careful.
Even when he was desperate, he dared not be too rough, always asking her, "Is this okay? How about this?"
"Does it hurt?"
"Do you need me to stop?"
Liang Chengmin was on the verge of tears. Luan Mingrui being so cautious was unlike him at all. So, she pushed him down.
A storm of passion swept over them, leaving them utterly exhilarated.
Luan Mingrui felt he had passed a test.
The next day, he was especially gentle with their child. After a hundred days, the baby no longer looked like a little old man or a tiny monkey—there was even a hint of cuteness now.
The two sat side by side, watching their child gnaw on his hand with great effort, fussing and grumbling. They exchanged a glance and sighed.
"Mom, was Luan Mingrui like this as a child?" Liang Chengmin asked her mother-in-law. She had seen her colleagues' children, and they weren't like Niannian. Other hundred-day-old babies giggled when teased, unlike Niannian, who would give a perfunctory chuckle before withdrawing his smile, as if everyone else were foolish. And now, here he was, gnawing on his hand until he grew frustrated, with no one bothering him.
"Every child is different. Mingrui didn't seem as easily agitated as Niannian when he was little."
"Then he takes after you," Luan Mingrui finally seized the opportunity to blame the child's peculiar temperament on Liang Chengmin.
"Nonsense. My mom said I was very well-behaved as a child—when I was taken out, people would pinch my cheeks or kiss me, and I never got upset. Not like Niannian, who won't let anyone touch him."
Niannian wouldn't allow any neighbors to touch him.
It wasn't fear—he simply refused. If you tried, his little face would turn red with anger. What kind of personality was this!
Maybe he'd grow out of it.
Liang Chengmin devoted herself entirely to medicine and their child, placing Luan Mingrui third in her priorities.
Gradually, Luan Mingrui grew dissatisfied. He began to feel jealous of the child.
"That's not right."
"What's not right?"
"You're supposed to spend your life with me," Luan Mingrui reasoned with Liang Chengmin. "You should think I'm the most important."
"Do you need someone to watch you when you pee or poop? Do you need someone to feed you?"
"I don't need watching for that, but feeding... well, that could work too."
Liang Chengmin flushed bright red. "Go away!"
Though she told him to go away, Liang Chengmin realized Luan Mingrui was jealous and often comforted him at night. Both of them enjoyed it, taking it seriously each time. When their bodies were content, their moods improved even more.Liang Chengmin was nurtured by Luan Mingrui into a blossoming flower.
In the past, she was the most formidable woman in the small town—a young surgeon. When people thought of her, they remembered her diligently seeing patients in the clinic, overlooking the fact that she was also a woman. Now, when she walked through the town, others would wonder: Who is this beautiful woman? Oh, isn’t that Dr. Liang from the hospital? Dr. Liang is married—she married Luan Mingrui from the Luan family. Look at Dr. Liang, she’s even more beautiful now that she married the right man!
Whenever Liang Chengmin overheard such remarks, she pretended not to hear them and blushed as she passed by.
By the time their child was nearly one year old, he could already take a few steps. Liang Chengmin noticed that whenever he walked outside and fell, he wouldn’t get up immediately but would instead try to brush the dust off his clothes. Of course, he didn’t know how to do it properly, so he’d grow frustrated. He refused to walk through muddy areas, insisted on washing his hands immediately if they got dirty, tugged at his clothes if they were even slightly soiled, demanding a change, and disliked toys that were damaged.
Liang Chengmin realized her child might not be like other adorable children—he was a little different. After discussing it at length with Luan Mingrui, they decided never to criticize him for his strict habits. Instead, they would guide him appropriately without forcing him.
Their efforts yielded only minimal results.
Nian Nian’s first real fight happened when he was just over three years old. While playing with other children, someone tried to snatch his toy, and he suddenly lashed out. Children’s fights are usually symbolic—a scratch here, a push there—rarely causing real harm. But Nian Nian climbed on top of another child and scratched his face, terrifying Liang Chengmin. She rushed over, forcibly picked up her angry son, and said to the other parent, “Teach your child not to snatch toys. My child fights fiercely.”
Liang Chengmin was frightened. That night, after the child fell asleep, she told Luan Mingrui about the incident. Luan Mingrui’s lips twitched, but he said nothing. He didn’t dare speak—this trait truly came from him. He had loved fighting since childhood, and people in the small town warned their children: “Stay away from Luan Mingrui, don’t provoke him.” Luan Mingrui thought it was normal for boys to be combative. Liang Chengmin disagreed—fighting too fiercely seemed like showing off aggression.
She began studying child psychology and behavioral books in her spare time, systematically researching her child’s behavior. She knew her child had a slight tendency toward violence and exhibited obsessive-compulsive traits.
How much effort did it take to nurture such a child? Liang Chengmin knew, and so did Luan Mingrui. Both of them poured their hearts into it.
By the late 1980s, Luan Mingrui wanted to go to the United States. Many distant relatives of the Luan family had moved there years earlier. Though they hadn’t seen each other for decades, they had gradually reconnected. He discussed it with Liang Chengmin, saying if she didn’t want to go, he wouldn’t either. Liang Chengmin didn’t object—she wanted to continue her studies in the U.S. and pursue medical research. So, the two of them began studying day and night—language, customs, habits—and brought Luan Nian along to learn as well.
On the day they left their homeland, Liang Chengmin said to Luan Mingrui, “I will come back. I want to focus on medical research and contribute to our country and humanity.”
“Then I’ll just have to work hard to earn money and support your medical research.”They began a new life, but never gave up on each other. The early days were difficult, but every night they lay together, reviewing the day and encouraging one another. Gradually, life became easier. Liang Chengmin continued his studies and eventually joined a research team, formally embarking on medical research.
Luan Mingrui faced a world full of temptations, but he never wavered.
They only fell in love once in their lifetime, loved only one person, and grew old together with that one person.
Neither of them felt any regret.
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