Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

Time passed quietly, the noise outside the delivery room gradually subsided, and the smell of disinfectant mingled with the lingering cries of newborns.

Dajun frowned deeply, finally approaching Lu Yang with his daughter in his arms, and said in a muffled voice, "We've been tricked! Did the ultrasound technician take the bribe to buy fake alcohol? What happened to the promised baby boy? What are we going to do now?"

"Isn't your daughter great?"

Lu Yang glanced at him, his eyes sweeping over the next ward.

Xiaoxiao's pale face was pressed against the pillow, her eyes red-rimmed.

Dajun paused, scratched his head, and awkwardly moved over.

He dared not look at his wife.

He said in a low voice, "I'm just worried that Grandpa will be unhappy if he finds out. The old man won't last many more years."

This time, what they said was the truth.

Lu Yang's second grandfather, who is also Da Jun's grandfather, was a veteran who fought against the Japanese invaders and the United Nations forces.

They dedicated their youth and passion to the revolutionary cause.

He brought his injuries back to his hometown.

At an age when she should have been enjoying her retirement, she was forced to take on the responsibility of raising her young grandchildren due to an accident involving her son and daughter-in-law.

Now, after much effort, I've finally raised my grandson to adulthood.

I'm too old to move around anymore.

Those shrapnel fragments that couldn't be removed in time during the war and are now embedded in the body, which used to only cause trouble on rainy days, are now flaring up one after another.

The old man doesn't respect ghosts or gods and can face death with a smile. Now, the only thing he can't let go of is his grandson, Dajun.

He wasn't worried about his granddaughter.

The girl is obedient and studies hard; she is now a freshman at Guangzhou University.

In ancient times, this would have been considered the top scholar in the imperial examinations.

The old man, after all, came from the old era. He wasn't worried about his granddaughter's future, but his grandson was poorly educated, had a fiery temper, and would explode at the slightest provocation. He was extremely worried about him.

Back when they were sent to the army, they could easily get into fights with their comrades over the slightest disagreement... They never knew how to hold back their strength...

I won't go into the specific reasons, but if it weren't for his old face, his grandson would be facing a military court.

So that road was blocked. After serving his three years of compulsory military service, he told the kid to hurry back, lest he cause trouble again after his old bones were gone and get shot.

This is why Dajun decisively retired from the army back then and did not continue to stay in the military. Of course, there was another reason: the old man's health was deteriorating year by year, and he wanted to witness his grandson getting married and having children before he died, and to give him a big, fat great-grandson.

This brings us back to the previous point. The old man came from the old society and has a feudal patriarchal mindset ingrained in him. His preference for sons over daughters is something that can't be washed away.

So we won't wash here anymore.

Lu Yang glanced at Da Jun and said irritably, "What's the rush? If one pregnancy doesn't work, don't you know to hurry up and have a second one? Your grandfather... my second grandfather isn't going to die that soon."

In my memory, my second grandfather died in the winter of 1998, so there are still 4 years left. But these are the past 4 years. Now, my second grandfather is no longer the poor old man who was trapped in a poor mountain village and could not get effective medical treatment in his previous life. Since moving to Shenzhen, he has had monthly physical examinations, and his underlying diseases have been suppressed and he has been taking medication without interruption.

It is evident that if they had maintained their lives, living to 1998, four years of lifespan would not have been the limit. The older generation of revolutionaries possessed an indomitable will. Their spirit was forged through gunfire and hardship. As long as material conditions and medical resources were adequate, many of them could live beyond their years, even defying death. Many lived to be over 90 or even 100.

Therefore, Lu Yang was not too worried about his second grandfather's health. He felt that his second grandfather should be able to live into the 21st century and hear the 21st century bells ring, which was not a big problem.

With so many years to fulfill the old man's wish, isn't that enough time for Dajun to have children?
Upon hearing this, Dajun's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh, "That's right, how come I didn't think of that?"

Before, I was anxious because my wife couldn't have children. Now that she can, we can have two. As long as we try our best and eat more dog testicles and bull penis, we won't have to worry about not being able to conceive a second child.
Before he could even feel happy, the baby girl in his arms started crying because of his sudden movements. Panicked, Dajun immediately stopped talking nonsense and hurriedly tried to soothe his swaddled daughter in his arms.

Lu Yang shook his head, holding his son in his arms: This silly boy, he's a father now, yet he still acts so recklessly.

"Alright, go check on Xiaoxiao quickly. Women are very vulnerable at this time. Comfort her and don't let her think you're as sexist as your grandfather."

The ideas of our elders are formed over a lifetime, and our generation cannot change them. However, we cannot simply follow the ideas of our elders when it comes to our own generation.

Yes, favoring sons over daughters is a terrible thing and must be condemned.

Holding his son in his arms, Lu Yang continued to warn Da Jun: "You must never be sexist, kid. If you are, Xiao Xiao will be under a lot of pressure... Especially at times like this, you have to care about her more... Keep a calm mind, you must keep a calm mind. Even if you get pregnant again next time, you can't keep saying things like 'this baby is definitely a son,' understand?"

Dajun scratched his head, glanced at his crying daughter in his arms, and then at the boy in Lu Yang's arms who was talking big across from him.

He was so frustrated he couldn't utter a single word.

He turned and left.

Oh! A well-fed man doesn't know the hunger of a starving man. So this is the kind of person Yangzi is.

Feeling dejected, he cautiously pushed open the ward door. Remembering Lu Yang's words, a smile instantly spread across his face as he approached, saying ingratiatingly, "Honey, hehe, you've worked hard. It's alright. Our daughter is adorable, I love her. Look, she has a nose and eyes, just like you. She'll definitely grow up to be a great beauty..."

Lu Yang also carried his son back to his wife's postpartum ward.

Yin Mingyue didn't look as tired as I had imagined. After all, this was her second pregnancy, not her first, although her face was still a little pale.

But when she saw her husband come in carrying the child, she immediately perked up.

"husband……"

Lu Yang walked over and placed the child next to her pillow.

"Thanks for your hard work."

He bent down, brushed aside his wife's bangs, and kissed her forehead.

Yin Mingyue immediately blushed and whispered, "It's dirty, my head is covered in sweat."

Lu Yang chuckled: "It's not dirty, it smells nice, I want to kiss it..."

Seeing her husband's careless remarks, Yin Mingyue glanced around guiltily. Only when she saw that there was no one else in the ward did she breathe a sigh of relief.

She whispered, "Honey, don't be like this. This is a hospital. By the way, have you decided on a name for our son?" She was trying to change the subject.

Of course, she was also curious about what name her brother Lu Yang would give his son.

Lu Yang chuckled again: "That's easy, just name him Lu Fan, the 'Fan' in 'ordinary.' His father is already so successful, if he were to succeed as well, wouldn't ordinary people be left out? Hehe, just ordinary, as long as he can grow up healthy and without illness, there's nothing wrong with that..."

Yin Mingyue pouted, somewhat concerned for her son, and said, "Wouldn't that make the name too childish? How about Fanfan as a nickname, and you can think of another name for him, honey?"

After all, it was her son whom she had carried for ten months before giving birth to, so she felt she should be more careful and sensed that her husband seemed to have been too casual in choosing the name.

Lu Yang chuckled, "Ah, honey, you haven't forgotten your father now that you have a son, have you? Isn't the name Lu Fan nice? You never used to question me like that. I think you've changed..."

"No, no, I didn't."

Yin Mingyue hurriedly explained, "Honey, listen to me, I... I was just giving a suggestion... No... I'll listen to you, honey... whatever you think is good is fine."

She lowered her head almost to her chest.

Or perhaps I'm too timid, too easily swayed, and too indecisive...

Is he too much of a lover of Lu Yang?
Lu Yang was overjoyed and couldn't help but lean down again, this time kissing her directly on the lips. "Wife, you're so cute, I love you to death. Don't worry, I was just teasing you. The name Fan is not simple, and your husband didn't just pick it randomly. Back then, there was a man named Fan who rode a coffin pulled by nine dragons on Mount Tai, walking through the sky. As time passed, when he returned, he was the strongest man in the world. Hmph... He could cover the sky with one hand, how awesome."

Yin Mingyue could understand every single word in this passage, but when put together, she couldn't comprehend it. She felt that her husband's words had a hidden meaning, and that he seemed overly excited.

She whispered, "Honey, our son is just a mortal. Why are you talking about dragons, traversing the heavens, and covering the sky? Can't you be serious for once?"

Feudal superstition is unacceptable. This is a new society now, and she has some taboos about it. She feels that the words "treading on the sky" and "covering the sky" are not good, as they would be disrespectful to God.

What, you're saying she doesn't believe in this?

It's not that she doesn't believe; she's just been swept up by the current social environment. As a rural girl, she grew up in feudal superstition. There are gods three feet above your head, especially the most powerful god, God. If you offend God, who wouldn't mutter a few curses in their heart?
Lu Yang chuckled, "Okay, okay, I won't say anything, I'll listen to you, my wife."

He was overjoyed and spoke without restraint, recounting the most memorable plots from novels he had read to pass the time in his previous life.

Yin Mingyue turned to the side, looking at her child so close to her, and her eyes immediately welled up with maternal love. She couldn't help but whisper, "Fanfan, Lu Fan, it sounds quite nice. Son, Mom has finally welcomed you into this world..."

It seemed as if they truly sensed something.

Lu Fan, who had been quiet and still since Lu Yang brought him into the ward, and hadn't made a sound even when placed on the bed, suddenly burst into loud sobs.

It was as if they had also decided on their own name.

Yin Mingyue suddenly became a little nervous. She reached out and gently patted the swaddled baby twice. Seeing that the child was still crying, she thought of something else.

With a slightly flushed face, she said, "He might be a little hungry. Honey, could you go out for a moment and close the door behind you? I... I'll give him some breast milk."

Ideally, a newborn baby should be breastfed within an hour. This helps build their immune system, and this first sip of breast milk is known as colostrum.

Although Yin Mingyue didn't understand these grand principles, her maternal instincts awakened after giving birth. As soon as the baby started crying, she naturally thought of breastfeeding the baby.

This time, Lu Yang didn't refute or say anything witty.

His wife is shy, and since the bedroom door is still open, he doesn't want to run into any male patients' family members or any clumsy male doctors or nurses.

So he immediately ran off to close the door, and even stood outside to keep watch.

This possessiveness is truly something else.

Considering that his wife couldn't possibly take care of the baby all night, and that he, being a rough and uneducated man, certainly wouldn't be able to take good care of a newborn, he decided to take better care of him.

I thought about it.

Lu Yang still made a phone call home: "Mom, Mingyue gave birth...yes, yes, it's a boy...no, please don't come over, it's so late, and Xin'er is still at home. If she kicks off her blankets at night, without your help to keep an eye on her, she might catch a cold, that would be terrible...yes, yes, please trouble Mom, let Aunt Liu come over. I'll have Xiao Jiu drive to pick her up. Aunt Liu is experienced; she's the postpartum nanny I hired for Mingyue...Mom, you should go to sleep early, and bring Xin'er over tomorrow."

With my mother-in-law appeased, I now have the task of taking care of the child tonight.

I hung up the mobile phone in my hand.

Lu Yang pondered for a moment, but ultimately did not put it in his pocket. Instead, he reopened the cover and dialed a familiar number.

Although it was late at night, it wouldn't be right not to share this good news with my mother back home as soon as possible.

"Who is it? It's so late, disturbing my sleep."

Ye Qiuyu rubbed her sleepy eyes, got out of bed to answer the phone, and was sleeping soundly next to Meng Wenxian, who was only in his forties and not yet fifty, but whose hair was already half white.

Sigh, it seems that even as a school principal, there are always endless worries.

Ye Qiuyu initially had a nonchalant yet sleepy expression, but when she saw the phone number displayed on the home landline, she became more alert.

She immediately covered her mouth.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she asked with a look of surprise, "Son, is there something you need from your mother?"

Because her son didn't grow up around her, he wasn't very close to her. Although their long-standing grievances had been resolved, by the time of the reconciliation, her son had already started his own family and had his own little family to manage. He was respectful to his mother, but there was no affection in his eyes. Moreover, her son's business was growing bigger and bigger, which made her proud as a mother, but he could only come back to his hometown a few times a year. So when she received a call from her son, even in the middle of the night, she was incredibly excited.

"Mom, your wife gave birth and gave you a big, healthy grandson."

"Really? That's great! Mom will wake up Uncle Meng right away and help me pack my luggage..."

"No need, Mom. I just wanted to call and tell you the good news..."

"What do you mean 'no need'? Don't worry about it. Nobody can stop me from seeing my grandson..."

"But Mom, don't you still have to teach?"

“I’m not teaching anymore. I haven’t wanted to teach for a long time. Your sister has already graduated from elementary school and is going to the city’s No. 1 Middle School for junior high. There’s no point in me teaching this elementary school anymore. When you gave birth to Xin’er, I asked you to let me take care of her, but you two wouldn’t agree. Now that my grandson is born, no one can stop me…”

"Well... okay, Mom, you can come and play with Uncle Meng for a few days. We can talk about the rest later."

They've talked about this much.

Lu Yang couldn't very well refuse his mother again, lest she get angry with him on the phone. (End of Chapter)