togophonebook Chapter 570: Hit in the Belly
Chapter 570: Hit in the Belly
The person who collided with Gu Ruinian was the village’s troublemaker, Chun Wang.
Chun Wang was hurriedly heading to the private school, as he always loved being late, and this time was no exception.
Upon hearing the school bell signaling class, he rushed towards the school in a panic and accidentally bumped into Gu Ruinian’s shoulder.
"Looking for trouble? Apologize!"
Gu Ruinian was already agitated after being provoked by Tong Huaqiong’s Weaving Workshop and mocked by Xu Xinghua, and with Chun Wang running into him, he couldn’t let it go.
He grasped Chun Wang’s arm and wouldn’t let go.
Initially, Chun Wang flinched upon being scolded, but upon realizing it was Gu Ruinian, all fear left his face.
Just a lame person, and he still wants to teach him a lesson?
"So what if I ran into you?" Chun Wang raised an eyebrow.
Gu Ruinian was almost furious to death.
Starting his day with such annoyance, and now even a young village boy dared to bully him.
Gu Ruinian gripped Chun Wang’s hand tightly and pointed to Chen Sufen, who was returning home alone from the Weaving Workshop, saying, "It’s not a big deal if you bump into me, but what if you bumped into my cousin-in-law? She’s pregnant, and if I hadn’t been in your way, you’d have knocked the child out of her belly with your reckless walking."
"You better be careful, my cousin-in-law is about to give birth, don’t bump into her, or it could cost two lives."
After harshly scolding Chun Wang, Gu Ruinian released his hand, picked up a water bucket, and hobbled towards home.
Chun Wang’s eyes darted around.
The Widow Tong was the enemy of his family, confining his mother and Chun Ni to work in the pigsty, with Chun Ni holding all the wages, and if his mother saved up some mantou from lunch to bring home, the Widow Tong would scold her upon finding out.
His grandmother said that if it weren’t for the Widow Tong, Chun Ni would have been sent to a wealthy household as a child bride, and they would’ve been given thirty taels of silver initially.
During the Lantern Festival, Man Er, Xiao Long, and Yaozu were kidnapped, and he and his grandmother were tied up as well, with the Widow Tong beating his grandmother without saying a word.
At school, Xiao Long and Man Er always stood out to teach him a lesson.
Chen Sufen was the Widow Tong’s enemy, the mother of Man Er and Xiao Long. If she died, the Widow Tong’s family would have to hold a funeral, which was not a good omen when opening the Weaving Workshop. Without their mother’s protection, Man Er and Xiao Long wouldn’t dare to act arrogantly.
Thinking this, Chun Wang adjusted the book bag hanging over his backside and quietly hid behind the haystack by the roadside.
Chen Sufen was due to give birth soon, strictly adhering to Tong Huaqiong’s advice, she took a walk around the village every morning and evening, keeping the routine up until her labor.
Backed by Tong Huaqiong’s silver, Ma Wenpo frequently visited to check on Chen Sufen’s condition.
A few days ago, Ma Wenpo mentioned that she was well-conditioned and her delivery would certainly be smooth. Chen Sufen’s labor was due soon, and Ma Wenpo planned to stay at Qinghe Bay to accompany Chen Sufen for the birth.
Having already had one child, Chen Sufen wasn’t worried at all after hearing Ma Wenpo’s words.
After her morning walk, she went to the Weaving Workshop to join the hustle, feeling a bit tired, so Tong Huaqiong sent her home to rest.
She originally had two maids with her, but unused to being waited upon, Chen Sufen left them at home to help with household chores alongside the two old women.
Supporting her waist, she walked steadily toward home, just about to pass the spot where Gu Ruinian had stood earlier, where there was a puddle that could easily cause a slip.
If Chun Wang hadn’t run into Gu Ruinian, he would have slipped there himself.
Hiding behind the haystack, Chun Wang waited for Chen Sufen to reach the puddle before he grabbed his bag and charged ahead, making it obvious his hurry was due to being late to class and fearing the teacher’s reprimand.
Chen Sufen couldn’t dodge in time and was hit head-on by Chun Wang.
The sharp pain in her abdomen spread throughout her body, causing Chen Sufen to black out and collapse to the ground.
Chun Wang dashed away instantly.
Sitting on the ground groaning, Chen Sufen felt her water break.
Her labor was imminent, and the collision instigated premature labor.
Hit so hard, she trembled in pain unable to make a sound and couldn’t get up, alone with no one around her.
"Mom."
"Mom, what’s wrong?"
As Chen Sufen was weakly calling for help, Man Er, Xiao Long, and Yaozu, on their way to school, found her, pale-faced, sitting on the ground.
Man Er burst into tears from panic.
"Yaozu, go call for help at the Weaving Workshop." Xiao Long patted the shell-shocked Gu Yaozu on the back.
Yaozu quickened his pace towards the Weaving Workshop, yelling for help as he ran.
Gu Honglian, idly gossiping outside, saw Chen Sufen on the ground and hurried to the nearest aunt’s house for assistance.
Auntie arrived at the scene first, with Tong Huaqiong and others following shortly.
In terms of childbirth, Tong Huaqiong had only once accompanied Tong Pandi, so she remained relatively calm.
Tong Huaqiong instructed Auntie to organize people to carry Chen Sufen home while sending Su Chengmin to call Ma Wenpo.
Gu Taohua rolled up her sleeves, not waiting for assistance, and carried Chen Sufen home herself.
The young wives and mothers-in-law gathered at the Weaving Workshop ran over to Tong Huaqiong’s house to help.
Under Mrs. Hong’s direction, some boiled water while others prepared ginseng soup.
Tong Huaqiong retrieved the childbirth kit she had prepared beforehand and sent Man Er to get anti-inflammatory medicine as a precaution.
Chen Sufen’s anguished cries echoed throughout the courtyard, while Gu Dahuan anxiously pulled at his hair.
Su Chengmin soon returned with Ma Wenpo and brought back Doctor Zhang, a gynecology expert from Pingchuan, who was in town for other patients. With Ma Wenpo’s arrival, Tong Huaqiong felt reassured.
Gu Dahuan, attempting to rush in upon hearing Chen Sufen’s cries, was restrained by Mrs. Zhao.
"What are you going in there for, you’ll just make things chaotic."
"Don’t worry, this isn’t Sufen’s first child, this time will go smoothly."
All the elderly women tugged at Gu Dahuan trying to calm him.
The daughters-in-law, observing Gu Dahuan’s anxious demeanor and Tong Huaqiong diligently preparing ginseng soup while insisting that the midwife prioritize the mother’s safety, sighed deeply. Comparing Chen Sufen’s husband and mother-in-law, they couldn’t help but think of their own in contrast, dull-facedly realizing the disparity.
This situation wasn’t just about money; every household expected the midwife to prioritize the child’s safety, yet it was rare to see a mother-in-law like Tong Huaqiong prioritize her daughter-in-law over the child.
Seated in the delivery room, Ma Wenpo was puzzled; she had monitored this pregnancy, and all seemed well, expecting delivery in five days.
Why was the baby coming today?
She wondered if something had happened to disturb Chen Sufen’s pregnancy, though given Tong Huaqiong’s family’s attitude towards her, it seemed unlikely.
Watching the laboring Chen Sufen groaning in pain, Ma Wenpo quickly refocused and instructed Chen Sufen to exert her effort.
"Sufen, hold on. Your husband is so good to you, your daughter is clever, your mother-in-law treats you like her own daughter, and the household is thriving. If this baby is a boy, everything will be perfect." Ma Wenpo wiped Chen Sufen’s forehead gently.
Just then, Tong Huaqiong, who’d entered to check on the situation, overheard.
Afraid Chen Sufen might take it to heart, Tong Huaqiong said to Ma Wenpo, "In our family, there’s no difference between having a boy or a girl."
Ma Wenpo thought, people often say that, but when the baby is born, it’s often a different story.
She knew Tong Huaqiong’s fondness for daughters was well-known in Qinghe Bay, although that was after her stepson Gu Family already had three sons, so doting on a little girl wasn’t surprising.
But she feared it might be a different story for the daughter-in-law.
Ma Wenpo had seen such situations often enough, where families that adored daughters treated daughter-in-laws who bore girls with disdain for having consecutive daughters.