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

Time flowed slowly amidst the throes of labor pains. The moonlight outside the window seemed even brighter, and the crackling of burning firewood and the bubbling of boiling water continued to emanate from the kitchen. Father Chen sat silently on the threshold of the main room, smoking his pipe, while Chen Xiaohe kept the anxious Su Xiaoqing company in his own room, whispering words of comfort, his ears perked up, listening intently to any sounds coming from the east wing. The entire Chen family courtyard was enveloped in an atmosphere of sacred yet tense anticipation.

After an unknown amount of time, Grandma Chen's voice suddenly rose, filled with encouragement: "Good! We've reached the end! Madam Chen, give it your all! Hold your breath, go down! One, two, three—push!"

Su Xiaoyin gritted her teeth, gathered all her remaining strength, and struggled violently against the intense, almost tearing feeling of falling!

"Wah—!" A loud and clear baby's cry suddenly broke the tranquility of the autumn night, like heavenly music, instantly dispelling the tension in the room.

"She's given birth! She's given birth!" Chen's mother exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward.

Grandma Chen handled the situation deftly, a smile on her face, but quickly added, "Don't relax, honey! There's another one in your belly! Come on, take a breath, follow me—three, two, one! Push!"

Perhaps inspired by the birth of her first child, or perhaps driven by maternal instinct, Su Xiaoyin exerted herself again almost immediately afterward.

"Wah—!" The second cry followed, slightly weaker than the first, but equally full of life.

"Alright, alright, they're all out! Congratulations, Sister-in-law Chen! Congratulations, Madam Chen, on the birth of twins! The eldest is a boy, and he has such a bright voice! The second is a girl, and she's so pretty!" Grandma Chen announced the good news while efficiently handling the twins.

The moment Su Xiaoyin heard the "twins" and the children's cries, the tension she had been holding in finally eased. Extreme exhaustion overwhelmed her like a tide, and she tilted her head and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

Mrs. Chen and Grandma Chen quickly checked on her and confirmed that she was just exhausted and asleep, and was not seriously injured, before they were completely relieved. Mrs. Chen deftly used a soft old cloth she had prepared to wipe the two tiny bodies, which were covered with vernix caseosa, clean, and wrapped them in warm swaddling clothes. The older brother's cry was loud and strong, while the younger sister whimpered softly, her little face wrinkled, but it was enough to melt anyone's heart.

Holding her two children, Chen's mother walked to the door and gently opened it a crack. In the moonlight, Chen's father and Chen Dashan immediately surrounded her, their faces filled with anxiety and anticipation.

"Mother and babies are both safe and sound." Chen's mother's voice was tired but filled with joy. "They're twins, a boy and a girl. Xiaoyin is asleep from exhaustion, she's doing great."

Through the crack in the door, Chen Dashan looked at the two small bundles in his mother's arms and listened to the faint sounds coming from inside. An indescribable, burning emotion instantly filled his chest, making his throat tighten and his eyes well up with tears. He was a father! He had children, a son and a daughter!

"Go and tell your brother and sister-in-law so they can rest assured, especially Xiaoqing, so they don't worry unnecessarily," Chen's mother instructed.

Chen Dashan nodded emphatically and walked unsteadily toward the west wing. Chen's father rubbed his hands together, his wrinkled face beaming with joy. He wanted to see his grandson and granddaughter but was afraid of disturbing those inside, so he kept peeking out from outside the door.

Mother Chen carried the baby back into the house and carefully placed her next to Su Xiaoyin. Grandma Chen had already tidied up the new mother and was gently explaining some initial postpartum precautions. Mother Chen noted them down one by one, then took out a bulging red envelope that she had prepared beforehand from her bosom, stuffed it into Grandma Chen's hand, and thanked her repeatedly.

Just as they escorted Grandma Chen to the door of the main room, before they could even open it, Chen Xiaohe's voice suddenly rang out from the west wing: "Mother! Mother! Xiaoqing... Xiaoqing's stomach is hurting terribly too! She's probably going into labor!"

Grandma Chen paused, exchanged a glance with her mother, and a knowing yet helpless smile appeared on her face: "Well, old woman, I knew my eyelids were twitching today. It really is double happiness, no, quadruple happiness! Let's go, Sister-in-law Chen, let's get back to work!"

Mother Chen thought to herself, "Just as I thought, these two sisters even have to give birth together." She immediately said to Chen Dashan, who had come out upon hearing the commotion, "Dashan, go back inside and take care of Xiaoyin and the baby. Your father and I are here. Xiaohe!" She then raised her voice, "Go with your father to boil some more water! Quickly!"

Night deepened, and the crescent moon seemed to brighten, casting its gentle light quietly over the busy yet joyful farmhouse courtyard. The east wing had just quieted down, but the battle in the west wing had only just begun, and it seemed to be shrouded in a different shadow from the very start. Mother Chen steadied herself and, following Grandma Chen, stepped back into the delivery room, silently praying to all the gods and Buddhas for the other child's safety and well-being.