Shang Zhi Taо gаined weight quiсkly during her рrеgnаnсу.
Вy the sеcond trimester, she was nеаrly 140 рounds. Таll аnd сarrуing sо muсh ехtra wеight, she lookеd muсh sturdier thаn before.
During hеr prenаtal chесkuрs, thе dосtоr would scоld hеr: "Arе уоu eаting a lоt? Yоu need tо сontrоl it. If this continues, thе baby will grow tоо big, аnd yоu'll end up neеding а С-seсtiоn! Yоu hаvе tо be rеsрonsiblе!"
Hоrmonal сhangеs during рrеgnanсу аrе significant, and еven a usually strong wоman like her wоuld cry аfter bеing lеcturеd by the doctor. Luan Nian saw her tears and asked, "What's wrong?"
Sniffling, she repeated the doctor's words, her voice tinged with grievance: "You know I don’t eat much, and I eat healthily. I walk every day too. What can I do if the baby grows so fast?"
She didn’t understand why Lin Chun’er, Xiao Mei, Lumi, and He Yun only had big bellies during their pregnancies, while their arms and legs remained slender, looking so pretty. Meanwhile, she felt like a mess.
She had also asked Dr. Liang, who said, "Everyone’s body is different. You look great too. So adorable."
Dr. Liang and Da Zhai weren’t concerned about whether Shang Zhi Tao looked good or not; they cared about her health. After all, Shang Zhi Tao had started her family later, and in a few more years, she would be considered an older mother. So, Dr. Liang specially designed a diet plan for her, instructing Da Zhai and Luan Nian to follow it strictly. This way, she could satisfy her cravings while keeping her blood pressure and blood sugar under control during pregnancy.
Since becoming pregnant, Shang Zhi Tao had turned into a national treasure, with everyone she knew taking care of her. At work, Sunny kept track of her working hours, making sure she took a walk downstairs if she worked for more than an hour. Every young colleague at the company became her walking partner, taking turns accompanying her downstairs for fresh air. At home, everyone gave in to her.
She felt everything was going smoothly, except for her weight gain. Being criticized by the doctor put her in a bad mood, and in her frustration, she blamed Luan Nian: "It’s all your fault!"
…
Luan Nian snorted, pulling out a tissue to wipe her nose. "Aren’t you embarrassed?"
"Embarrassed about what!" Shang Zhi Tao’s tears flowed freely as she wiped them away with the tissue. "I’m fat and ugly now."
"You’re overthinking it," Luan Nian pointed out the flaw in her statement. "You’re just fat, not ugly."
Luan Nian was telling the truth. Shang Zhi Tao looked wonderful now, with her rounded belly and a fresh, short haircut, giving her a clean and refreshing appearance, like an adorable penguin. But his honesty only infuriated Shang Zhi Tao even more. Her quiet sobs suddenly turned into loud wails. People came and went in the hospital, many turning to look at the cute pregnant woman crying in front of her husband.
It took Luan Nian a long time to calm her down. When they returned home, Shang Zhi Tao slumped onto the sofa, feeling gloomy.
"Do you want something to eat?"
"No, I don’t deserve it."
"You might not eat, but my daughter still needs to!"
Hearing this made Shang Zhi Tao even angrier. She sat up and started scolding him: "Now I know why I’m gaining weight so fast! It’s because of you! You’re home four days a week, constantly asking me if I want to eat something! It’s like feeding a pig!"
"When you’re not around, I eat very healthily. But when you’re here, I end up eating way too often…"
"And why do you have to cook so well? Can’t you just make something average? If your food tasted bad, wouldn’t I eat less?""Then just how much did you actually eat!" Luan Nian finally couldn't help asking her. Shang Zhi Tao paused, pretended not to hear, and continued scolding him.
She went on for a long time.
Luan Nian was in a good mood and let her scold, occasionally unable to resist saying, "I can cook, but you can choose not to eat."
Shang Zhi Tao glared at him angrily, and he pinched her cheek hard.
During pregnancy, Shang Zhi Tao resembled a ripe peach, and Luan Nian felt as if he had a different wife. Sometimes, seeing her round, rosy cheeks, he couldn't resist pinching them. But despite her large belly, she only lounged around at home. Once she stepped out, she returned to her usual posture, standing and sitting upright.
Luan Nian thought women truly had a strange sense of self-discipline.
When he was around, he took care of her himself; when he wasn't, Da Zhai and Old Shang took over. Even while pregnant, Shang Zhi Tao didn't slack off at work. Apart from leaving a bit earlier than before—because she needed to go home to sleep, as she was extremely drowsy—everything else remained the same as before.
Luan Nian felt sorry for her exhaustion, but she was happy. Working with her colleagues brought her joy.
As the months progressed, Shang Zhi Tao dragged Luan Nian to take maternity photos. Luan Nian was unwilling to cooperate, showing his usual disdain. Shang Zhi Tao glared at him, and he finally knelt on one knee, kissing her belly.
On the day Little Nian Tao was born, Shang Zhi Tao was meeting with a client.
She was five days past her due date with no signs of labor, so Shang Zhi Tao went with her junior colleague to meet a major client. The meeting went smoothly, and after sending the electronic contract, the client prepared to process the payment. As Shang Zhi Tao stood up to shake hands with the client, she suddenly felt a warm flow beneath her.
Her water had broken.
She found a place to half-recline and called 120.
Luan Nian had just gotten off the plane. After picking up the hospital bag from home, he rushed to the hospital. For the first time in his life, he realized his hands were trembling.
On the way to the hospital, his hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Da Zhai reassured him, "She's fine, don't worry. She's already dilated."
"Okay, thank you."
When Luan Nian arrived at the hospital, pandemic restrictions prevented him from accompanying her during delivery, so he couldn't see Shang Zhi Tao. He could only call her. When the call connected, he heard Shang Zhi Tao's strained voice saying, "Hello." Luan Nian asked if she was in pain, and this iron-willed man suddenly burst into tears. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he said to Shang Zhi Tao, "I'm right outside, I'm with you."
Hearing Luan Nian's choked voice, Shang Zhi Tao's eyes reddened. "Then say you love me."
"I love you."
"Then call me 'wife.'"
"Wife."
"Then say 'wife, I love you.'" Shang Zhi Tao began having contractions again and couldn't continue. Before hanging up, she heard Luan Nian say, "Wife, I love you."
This time, Luan Nian didn't find it corny. He wished he could say everything Shang Zhi Tao loved to hear, if only it could ease her discomfort a little.
Luan Nian stood there the entire time, making the elders nervous. They took turns urging him to sit down, but he remained unmoved. He stood for as long as Shang Zhi Tao was in labor. When he saw her weakened state, his eyes reddened again.
Having a baby was truly a wondrous thing.Shang Zhi Tao didn't want to rest and asked Luan Nian to bring Little Nian Tao over for her to see. Luan Nian had never held a baby before, so he held Little Nian Tao stiffly. She was so tiny, sleeping with her eyes closed, and his heart melted. His fingertips gently touched her face—the baby's skin was incredibly soft and delicate, like touching cotton. Luan Nian felt his heart had never been so tender before.
"I think Little Nian Tao looks a bit like you," Luan Nian said, squatting beside Shang Zhi Tao's bed and placing Little Nian Tao next to her hand. The two of them gazed at Little Nian Tao, even reluctant to blink.
Shang Zhi Tao looked at Little Nian Tao, then at Luan Nian, and suddenly felt that Luan Nian had just been talking nonsense. Little Nian Tao was clearly his spitting image. Shang Zhi Tao wasn't satisfied—after carrying her for ten months and going through so much effort to give birth, she doesn't look like me at all and is exactly like her father?
"You just said she looks a bit like me. How so?" Shang Zhi Tao asked Luan Nian.
Luan Nian thought carefully, a hint of pride on his face, his answer clearly perfunctory: "Look at her... ears, they're so much like yours. And her hair is quite similar too."
Little Nian Tao's hair was jet black and very thick, as if while other babies in their mothers' wombs were trying to look pretty, she was busy growing hair—her priorities were all wrong. And her ears hadn't even fully developed yet! What kind of person says that!
Both of them stared at the baby, and Shang Zhi Tao said, "How can someone be so ugly yet so adorable..."
"Who are you calling ugly?" Luan Nian was a bit unhappy. "Where is she ugly?"
The nurse came to shoo him away twice, but Luan Nian stubbornly refused to leave. The last time, the nurse threatened him: "If you don't leave now, you won't be allowed to come tomorrow!" Only then did he leave. He was still worried, so before leaving, he went to confirm the arrangements for the caregiver staying overnight. He was also concerned that Shang Zhi Tao's episiotomy might be too painful, so he reminded the caregiver to take good care of her.
After leaving the hospital, he sat in his car for a long, long time without starting the engine. The day felt like a dream.
Luan Nian felt a bit excited, eager to share something with others, so he posted in their friends' group chat: "I'm a father now. I have a daughter too."
Tan Mian was quick and immediately started a video call. Everyone joined one by one. Luan Nian was the last to connect, his eyes still red.
Everyone was taken aback for a moment. Song Qiu Han asked him, "Have you been crying?"
Luan Nian didn't say anything. After a while, he nodded. "Yes."
"A tough guy shedding tears?" Tan Mian examined his eyes closely. "Am I seeing things?"
"It's not embarrassing, not embarrassing at all. Which of us guys didn't cry when we became fathers? Oh wait, Tan Mian hasn't been a father yet." Even at a time like this, Chen Kuan Nian couldn't resist teasing others.
"Get lost," Tan Mian told him. "Where are the photos? Photos of Little Nian Tao."
Luan Nian sent them the photos and said, "My genes are just too strong." With Shang Zhi Tao not around, Luan Nian finally openly admitted that Little Nian Tao really looked just like him in every way.
Everyone examined the photos carefully, and it was true—she was the spitting image of Luan Nian.
"Tell us how you feel," Song Qiu Han interviewed him.
"How I feel is... life is just too damn good. Marrying the person you love, and if you both want it, having a child. This feeling is incredible. Better than anything I've ever experienced before."
"Alright, brother. We've heard your heartfelt words," Chen Kuan Nian teased, then asked him, "How is Ms. Shang Zhi Tao doing?"
"She's a bit tired."
"We'll be there tomorrow," Tan Mian said."No need, wait until she's discharged. Otherwise, you'd only get a brief glimpse of her and Nian Tao."
"Then we'll arrive in five days."
"Alright."
Luan Nian didn't dare go home, afraid that if anything happened, they wouldn't be able to find him. So he sat in the car listening to music. Worried that Shang Zhi Tao might feel lonely, he sent her a message: "I'm right here in the hospital parking lot. Don't be afraid. If anything happens, I'll be there quickly."
"What could possibly happen? Go back and sleep."
"No." Luan Nian replied. After a while, he added, "Shang Zhi Tao, you've worked hard. Thank you."
"It wasn't hard, Luan Nian. Taking care of the child from now on is all on you."
"Alright."
"You know what? I'm really happy today. Heartbroken yet happy—I never knew people could be so contradictory." Luan Nian said.
"I'm very satisfied with today, except that Nian Tao doesn't look like me."
"It's fine. When she grows up, her expressions might resemble yours."
"? Are those even human words?"
Luan Nian laughed out loud, flipping through a family photo of the three of them. Shang Zhi Tao's face was slightly swollen, his lips pressed against her forehead, while Little Nian Tao slept peacefully. There was also a photo of their three hands, fists pressed together. These were the kinds of photos Luan Nian used to be too lazy or unwilling to take, but today, it felt so natural. He didn't feel awkward at all—in fact, he liked it, really liked it.
Life unfolded before him like a new scroll, and this time, Luan Nian looked closely.
The scroll was beautiful, encompassing almost all his beautiful imaginings of life.
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