After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

The north wind grew stronger that day, rustling the branches of the old locust tree in the courtyard. The crescent moon hung coldly in the sky, casting a hazy light. In the Chen family courtyard, the busyness and joy of the harvest had faded, replaced by a hidden, subtle anticipation and unease. Su Xiaoyin's due date was just around the corner, and Su Xiaoqing's was soon to follow. The two sisters, with their large bellies, were becoming increasingly immobile and had become the focus of the entire family's meticulous care.

That night, Su Xiaoyin and her younger sister Su Xiaoqing were being helped by the brothers Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe as they slowly paced around the house. Suddenly, she felt waves of sharp, pulling pain in her abdomen, unlike the usual fetal movements. She stopped, took a deep breath, and held onto the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Sis? What's wrong?" Su Xiaoqing immediately noticed and her voice was filled with anxiety.

"...I think it's time to give birth." Fine beads of sweat instantly appeared on Su Xiaoyin's forehead, but she tried her best to remain calm. The first contractions came, not very intense, but they clearly indicated that the moment had arrived.

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqing's heart leaped into her throat. She quickly told Chen Dashan to help her sister sit down, then turned and walked out, her voice trembling with urgency: "Sister, please sit still. I'll go call Mother right now!"

In the main room, Chen's mother was mending a small garment by the light of an oil lamp. Hearing Xiaoqing's slightly flustered footsteps and words, she stopped sewing and immediately stood up. "Is she going into labor? Xiaoyin?" Her face didn't show much panic; after all, she was a woman who had been through it all. But the concern and seriousness in her eyes were undiminished. "Xiaohe!" she called out into the room, "Go back quickly and help your wife back to rest! Tell her not to be afraid, everything will be alright! Call me immediately if anything happens!" She then turned to Chen's father, who had just returned from checking the firewood in the backyard, "Old man, quickly boil several large pots of water! Make sure it's boiling! Where's Dashan? Tell him not to stand there, go to the henhouse and get some eggs to boil for Xiaoyin, quick!"

As Mrs. Chen gave her instructions methodically, she strode quickly toward the east wing, her steps steady and her voice calm, like a reassuring balm. Upon hearing this, Chen Dashan, without a word, turned and rushed into the kitchen, starting a fire and adding firewood. Soon, the water in the iron pot began to hiss softly. Hearing the commotion, Mr. Chen immediately dropped what he was doing, and by the moonlight, skillfully made his way into the chicken coop, picked out a few still-warm eggs, and followed him into the kitchen.

In the east wing, the oil lamp was dimmed. Su Xiaoyin lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) covered with a clean, old mattress. The intervals between contractions allowed her to catch her breath, but the uncertainty of her first childbirth and the tension in her body still made her pale. Chen's mother sat on the edge of the kang, holding one of her hands and gently stroking her belly with the other, feeling the rhythm of the contractions.

"Don't be afraid, Mom's here." Mother Chen's voice was gentle yet strong. "It's your first child, so it has to be a bit slower. The midwife will be here soon. She's experienced, so we'll listen to her. Save your energy now. Don't scream when you're in pain, so you can conserve your strength. You still need to eat. Your father went to boil some eggs. You'll need to eat to have the strength to give birth."

Before long, Chen Xiaohe hurriedly invited Grandma Chen, the most experienced midwife in the village, to the hospital. The midwife was over sixty years old, with a kind face and nimble hands and feet. She entered the house, washed her hands, and carefully examined Su Xiaoyin's condition, then felt the baby's position.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Chen, the baby is in the right position." Grandma Chen nodded to Mrs. Chen, then leaned down and said softly to Su Xiaoyin, "Girl, don't be nervous. I see you're only two centimeters dilated, there's still some time before you give birth. Save your energy, follow what I'm teaching you, we'll take it slowly. Come on, inhale... yes, inhale slowly... good, exhale... exhale completely..."

Su Xiaoyin tried her best to breathe in accordance with Grandma Chen's instructions, and the pain seemed to become more bearable with the rhythmic guidance. Chen's mother kept wiping her sweat with a warm cloth and whispering words of encouragement.

Just then, Chen Dashan came in carrying a bowl containing freshly peeled, white, and tender boiled eggs, still steaming. "Mom, the eggs are ready."

"Come on, Xiaoyin, while it doesn't hurt anymore, let me feed you a couple of bites. You have to eat, otherwise you won't have any strength later." Mother Chen took the bowl, carefully blew on it, picked up a little egg white with chopsticks, and brought it to Su Xiaoyin's lips.

Su Xiaoyin knew her mother-in-law was right, so even though she had no appetite, she forced herself to swallow. The warmth of the egg slid into her stomach, providing a slight sense of support. She had only eaten a small portion when another, more intense contraction struck, causing her to groan softly and clutch the mattress beneath her.

Grandma Chen placed her hand on her protruding belly at the opportune moment, gently massaging it in one direction. "Yes, follow this force, don't resist it... press down... yes, just like that, good girl..."