Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 116

The baby in Li Mujin’s belly was not coming as easily as Qianjin came. Li Mujin was in pain since the afternoon and evening, yet he still didn’t give birth. By this time, the small room was crowded with people, all of them anxious and worried about him.

Only Midwife wen remained calm, wiped Li Mujin’s sweat, helped him walk around, and even ordered someone to fetch something for him to eat.

Zhang Shu was frantic. He went to the kitchen, cooked a large pot of noodles, and added a dozen eggs to it. He scooped a bowl and rushed to the door, knocking loudly. After Midwife Wen took the eggs, Zhang Shu suddenly realized he forgot his two guests.

Young Master Chu and Liu Zimo weren’t particularly hungry since they already ate peanuts, melon seeds, sweet potato chips, and drank a pot of tea that Yu Xiaoliu prepared to entertain guests.

The sweet potato chips, especially, were bright in color, sweet, and chewy. No wonder the little kid ignored the cakes they offered.

However, when they heard that there was food, they still decided to eat. After all, they didn’t know when the next meal would be, and thinking about it made them feel a bit unexpectedly melancholic.

The two of them approached the stove and stared at the noodles in the pot, unsure how to eat them. Did they just eat with chopsticks?

At home, they often ate noodles, but they were served in large bowls by the maids. They never had to serve themselves.

Young Master Chu, who was used to being out more often, rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a pair of chopsticks and a large bowl, and enthusiastically rushed to the pot. He bent down to pick up a strand of noodles.

Zhang Shu added lard to the pot, and the noodles simmered for a while. They were soft and slippery, hanging from his chopsticks before falling back into the pot with a “slurp.”

He reached down again, and again the noodles slid back. Finally, he managed to catch a strand. He sighed in relief, but then realized he was sweating. “Damn, I didn’t expect picking up noodles to be this hard!”

Seeing Young Master Chu struggling, Liu Zimo didn’t bother with the chopsticks. Instead, he grabbed a large spoon, scooped a helping, and found that the noodles in the spoon slid off as soon as he lifted it. He separated the noodles at the edge of the pot, scooped them into the bowl, and quickly got a large helping.

Young Master Chu followed his lead and sat down at the table with his bowl of noodles and two eggs.

There were several small jars on the table. Without any instructions, he opened each one, picking out some vegetables and placing them into several empty bowls.

There were pickled radishes, boiled bamboo shoots, pickled buckwheat heads from the previous winter, young ginger mixed with chili peppers, and tender bracken picked from the mountains.

The two tasted a bite of the noodles, and their taste buds immediately woke up. The noodles, simple yet fragrant, were made by Zhang Shu without any fancy broth or chicken soup, and he didn’t load them with expensive ingredients. It was just a bowl of plain white noodles, sprinkled with chopped green onions, with a touch of oil in the broth. The side dishes made this simple meal perfect.

While they ate, Li Mujin was still struggling in the other room.

His veins bulged as he bit down on a piece of cloth, his body trembling with the effort. He pushed with all his might at Midwife Wen’s instructions, but the baby seemed stubborn, refusing to come out, as if clinging to him, afraid of the world outside.

As the amniotic fluid nearly ran out, Li Mujin still didn’t give birth, and everyone inside began to panic. Midwife Wen originally thought that the fetus was healthy, but now the baby’s stubbornness put them both in danger.

Zhang Shu stood leaning against the door, listening to the changing tone of the voices from inside. His heart sank.

Wu Liniang struggled with a difficult delivery when she gave birth to Zhang Qin, and now, was Li Mujin facing the same fate? Would Jin’er also resent Zhang Qin in the future?

Unable to wait any longer, Zhang Shu kicked open the door and walked straight into the room, surprising everyone. He lifted Li Mujin’s sweaty hair and kissed his forehead. Then he gently placed his hand on his belly, stroking it softly as he murmured under his breath:

“Qin’er, I’m your father. Come out. Don’t be afraid of what’s happening outside. Father will take care of everything. I’ve been reborn, and I’ll never let you down in this life.”

“Come out now. Your father, your brother, your great-grandparents, and your grandparents, everyone is waiting for you. You are no longer a child born in disdain!”

As Zhang Shu finished his quiet words, Li Mujin suddenly felt the baby inside him stir. Midwife Wen, seeing the change, renewed his efforts and guided Li Mujin to push.

“Waaaa!”

A clear, loud cry echoed through the room, and a bloodstained child was born. The baby cried loudly with his eyes tightly shut and was quickly placed into warm water by Midwife Wen to be washed. Afterward, the baby was wrapped in the soft swaddling clothes that Qianjin used before and handed to his father.

Zhang Shu was trembling, filled with anticipation. He took the child into his arms and carefully lifted the corner of the swaddling clothes. Seeing the familiar little face, peaceful and now fast asleep, his heart swelled with excitement.

It was him! It was Qin’er!

Zhang Shu couldn’t control his emotions. Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed, holding the child close.

The others, seeing Zhang Shu’s tears, assumed he was overwhelmed by the relief of Li Mujin finally delivering the baby. Now, they were allowed to exhale, knowing that the birth was complete.

Zhang Shu gently placed the child next to the sleeping Li Mujin and kissed his pale lips softly. “Jin’er, I hope you don’t hate him. After all, he is merely afraid of this cold, unkind world.”

Li Mujin woke slowly the next morning. The first thing he did was glance at the child beside him. When he saw the baby’s little face, now white and rosy, and realized the baby was sleeping next to him, his heart softened. He poked the baby’s forehead gently. “Little naughty, you really made your Aba suffer. You better be filial to me in the future, alright?”

Zhang Shu, who was watching, sighed in relief. It was good to see that Jin’er didn’t hate the baby.

“Jin’er, come and drink some hot soup. You’ve worked hard,” Zhang Shu said softly. He carefully propped Li Mujin up with pillows and fed him soup, spoonful by spoonful.

The room was cleaned the previous day, and there was no lingering odor. However, the short legs that stepped in from the door still frowned in discomfort.

Yesterday afternoon, when his father returned, Qianjin was sent to Grandpa’s house by Uncle Xiaoliu before he could even tell Father how much he missed him. Grandpa, Aunt, and Uncle were all gone, leaving only Grandpa, Uncle, and the two younger cousins at home.

Qianjin sighed. It was so hard to take care of children. Yesterday, his uncle asked him to look after his two younger cousins, and it was so annoying! He really didn’t want any younger brothers…

Suddenly, a cry came from the inner room. Qianjin instantly recognized it. Wasn’t it the two little fools crying again? Did they sneak in here?

Qianjin snorted and strode toward the inner room. He wanted Father to send them back!

But when he entered, he saw Father holding a baby, sitting by the bed and talking to him. The baby wasn’t a twin; he just didn’t come back the night before, and now there was an extra brother in the house.

Qianjin cried out in grievance.

Zhang Shu didn’t anticipate this, and only realized Qianjin entered when he heard his crying. He stuffed the crying baby into Li Mujin’s arms and hurriedly pulled Qianjin into a hug.

“My darling, why are you crying? Did you eat anything this morning?” Zhang Shu asked gently.

Qianjin clung to Zhang Shu’s neck, leaning his little head on his shoulder. With tears in his eyes, he asked softly, “Father… you and Aba… don’t you want me anymore?”

Zhang Shu quickly patted his back. “How could Father and Aba not want you? We love you the most!”

“No… you love… the little brother now,” Qianjin said, looking at his Aba, who was holding his little brother on the bed. His tears welled up again.

Zhang Shu and Li Mujin exchanged helpless glances. “No, Father and Aba love both you and your brother. Your brother will love you too. You’re his big brother.”

Zhang Shu carried Qianjin to the bedside and encouraged him to take a closer look at his new brother. They realized they neglected Qianjin. At just one year old, it was only natural for him to feel that their love might be taken away by someone else.

Qianjin hesitated, then looked at the baby, who stopped crying. The baby’s face was rosy, and his little mouth was moving. Qianjin reached out his pinky finger and gently touched the baby’s cheek.

Zhang Shu and Li Mujin didn’t stop him, knowing that Qianjin was a kind and good child. Even if he didn’t like someone, he would never hurt them. The twins, mischievous as they were, even got scolded by their father, Zhou Nan, for causing trouble. But Qianjin never bullied his cousins.

When Qianjin’s finger brushed the baby’s smooth skin, his mouth opened in awe. His little brother was so soft to the touch! He gently slid his fingers across the baby’s face a few times.

The baby, thinking there was something to eat, moved its mouth toward his finger. Qianjin giggled and looked up at Zhang Shu. “My brother wants to eat my hand!”

“Your brother is hungry. He just came out of Aba’s stomach yesterday and hasn’t eaten anything yet.”

When Qianjin heard this, he realized that Aba’s swollen stomach shrank at some point. “Does my brother live in Aba’s stomach?”

“Yes, Qianjin also lived in Aba’s stomach before. You both came out of Aba’s stomach.”

Qianjin’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly. “Aba is so tired! He has to carry me and my brother every day.”

“Yes,” Zhang Shu replied. “When you grow up, both you and your brother must be filial to your Aba.”

“Yeah!” Qianjin nodded. Then he looked at his brother, who was still searching for food. “Father, give my brother something to eat. I’ll get him some eggs!”

As he spoke, he tried to break free from Zhang Shu’s hold.

Zhang Shu stood up with him in his arms, saying, “Your brother is too small, just like the twins at your uncle’s house. He can only drink milk, so you keep the eggs for yourself.”

Qianjin nodded, though he didn’t fully understand. But he knew that the twins also needed porridge in the morning. When his uncle came back this morning, he fed all three of them and then took Qianjin home.

Li Mujin watched as father and son disappeared through the door. He then looked down at the baby in his arms and whispered, “Rui’er.”

He and Zhang Shu agreed that if the first child was a boy, he would be called Zhang Yao, and the second one would be named Zhang Rui. If it was another ger, they would have called him Zhang Jin. Since it was a boy, he was named Zhang Rui.

Zhang Shu never mentioned the name Zhang Qin. “Qin” meant owing money. He didn’t owe anyone anything, nor did he want to be reminded of relatives who constantly demanded payment. This baby was theirs. He was their precious child, destined to rise above all and succeed in whatever he pursued.

On the third day after the baby was born, Zhang Rui was carried out, washed, and brought back inside.

Young Master Chu and Liu Zimo were still there. Not only that, they also went hunting with Li Yan, and picked brackens and pine mushrooms with the village aunts in the mountains. They didn’t mind getting dirty and didn’t act like the elegant young men they looked like. In fact, their appearances were deceiving.

Young Master Chu hurried to the county town to buy two fine jade pendants, one for Qianjin and one for Zhang Erbao. Zhang Erbao was Zhang Rui’s nickname. They wanted to call him Xiaobao, but since Dabao’s younger brother was already called Xiaobao, they settled on Erbao.

Liu Zimo, who gave Qianjin a string of beads to play with before, now presented a jade Qilin to Zhang Erbao.

He also said, “This originally came in a pair. I have the other one at home. When I get married and have a ger or a daughter, I’ll give it to them. In the future, we can arrange a marriage between our children, which would be a lovely thing.”

Zhang Shu and the others just smiled. The Liu family was a prestigious one, so such words were just a lighthearted joke.