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

By the time Mr. Chen practically begged him to get the old doctor surnamed Li from the county town onto the oxcart, it was already broad daylight. The old doctor had white hair and beard, but was still quite spry. He carried an old medicine box on his back and had a quick-witted young apprentice with him. After listening to Mr. Chen's incoherent explanation of how his two daughters-in-law had given birth at the same time, and one of them had experienced a difficult labor, the old doctor didn't ask any further questions, only urging them to hurry up and leave.

The oxcart bumped along, finally arriving back at Nanshan Village just before noon. Chen's mother, who had been anxiously waiting, immediately came out to greet them upon hearing the commotion. Without bothering with formalities, she led the old doctor directly to the west wing, where the situation was more critical.

Su Xiaoqing remained unconscious, her face deathly pale, her breathing weak. The two newborns lay side by side; the older one ate and slept well, with a loud voice, while the younger one appeared unusually quiet and thin, barely managing to nurse.

The old doctor first washed his hands, then sat down and carefully took Su Xiaoqing's pulse. He then examined her tongue and eyelids, and inquired about the specific circumstances of her childbirth. After a long while, he withdrew his hands, stroked his beard, and looked grave.

"Sister-in-law Chen, your second daughter-in-law is suffering from postpartum blood deficiency and qi collapse, along with internal blood stasis. The difficult labor damaged the uterus's vital energy, and she lost a lot of blood. Fortunately, she was given ginseng slices, which kept her alive, otherwise..." The old doctor shook his head. "I'll prescribe two doses of medicine. One dose will invigorate qi, consolidate the body, and promote blood circulation and regeneration. She should take it for three days. The other dose will nourish qi and blood and regulate the uterus. She should continue taking it during her postpartum period. During this month, she must rest in bed and avoid strenuous activity and exposure to wind. Her diet should be refined and nourishing, but not too oily or greasy. With careful recuperation for a few months, her physical condition may recover significantly, but in the future, having children... will likely be quite difficult. Even if she does conceive again, she will need to be extremely cautious."

Chen's mother nodded repeatedly, taking every word to heart. "Then... what about the baby? Was the second one alright after holding it in for so long during labor?"

The senior doctor examined the two children again, paying particular attention to the smaller, thinner one. He felt the baby's hands and feet and listened to its heart and lungs. "The older one is strong and healthy, nothing to worry about. The younger one, however, is somewhat deficient from birth, and the long labor has left him a bit weak. He needs careful care. During the postpartum period, keep him warm and let the mother breastfeed as much as possible. If the milk supply is insufficient, you can gradually supplement with rice water. After the baby is a month old, if the weather is fine, you can take him out to see some sunlight, but only for a short time. Babies are very resilient; with proper care, he will gradually catch up."

After hearing the old doctor's words, Chen's mother finally felt much relieved. As long as the person was still alive and the child could be raised, she could take care of him gradually in the future. She thanked the old doctor profusely and led him to the east wing.

The atmosphere in the east wing was much more peaceful. Su Xiaoyin was already awake, leaning against the quilts that Chen Dashan had raised, sipping warm brown sugar water. Although her face was tired, it radiated the gentle glow unique to postpartum women. One of the twins was being held and gently patted by Chen Dashan, who was somewhat clumsy but careful, to help the baby burp, while the other was sound asleep nestled beside his mother.

The old doctor took Su Xiaoyin's pulse and examined her complexion, a smile appearing on his face: "This lady has a good constitution, and the delivery went smoothly. However, twin pregnancies are more taxing than single pregnancies, so she needs to take good care of herself during her postpartum period and not be careless. I'll leave you a nourishing medicinal diet recipe, with plenty of crucian carp, black beans, red dates, and longan in the soup. This will help restore your energy and promote lactation. Just keep a cheerful mood and get plenty of rest."

This was undoubtedly the best news of the day. The last bit of gloom in Chen's mother's heart dissipated, and a genuine, relieved smile appeared on her face.

Mr. Chen respectfully presented the consultation fee and then carefully escorted the old doctor and his young apprentice back to the county town. By the time they returned, the sun was already setting.

In the kitchen, the chicken soup in the clay pot had long since simmered until it turned a golden broth, rich in aroma, with a layer of glistening oil floating on top. Mother Chen carefully skimmed off some of the oil, ladled out a bowl of clear soup, and then scooped out a few pieces of tenderly stewed chicken, which Chen Xiaohe took in to feed little by little to Su Xiaoqing, who had just woken up and was still extremely weak. In the east wing, thick millet porridge, soft-boiled eggs, and skimmed chicken soup were served alternately.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe seemed to have matured overnight. Besides caring for Su Xiaoyin, Chen Dashan took on the task of changing diapers and burping the twins. Although he was initially overwhelmed, he gradually got the hang of it under his mother's guidance. Chen Xiaohe stayed by Su Xiaoqing's side almost constantly, feeding her medicine, feeding her, wiping her body, and watching over the two children. His eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion, but he never complained. When he looked at his wife and children, his eyes were filled with an overwhelming tenderness and deep respect.

Like a tireless spinning top, Mrs. Chen was constantly simmering medicinal soup and tonics on the stove, washing diapers and blood-stained clothes that seemed endless, and regularly checking on her two daughters-in-law and four newborns, instructing her sons on what to do. Mr. Chen silently took on all the chores outside the yard: feeding the chickens, ducks, and geese, cleaning the yard, preparing firewood, and doing his best to share the burden with his wife.

Three days later, Su Xiaoqing finished the first dose of medicine prescribed by the old doctor. A faint trace of color finally returned to her face, and her spirits improved somewhat. Although she still felt dizzy and lightheaded when she got up, she could at least sit up against the quilt for a while. Looking at her two sleeping sons beside her, a faint light appeared in her eyes. Su Xiaoyin recovered even faster and was already able to move slowly on the kang (a heated brick bed). Her milk supply was also plentiful, and she was feeding her twins until their faces became increasingly round.

Of the four little ones, the older twin was the loudest, crying loudly when hungry or sleepy, while the younger twin was quieter, often looking around curiously with her big, dark eyes. Su Xiaoqing's two sons were quite different; the older one inherited his mother's "feat" during childbirth, crying with great force and eating a lot; the younger one was so quiet it was heartbreaking, only whimpering a few times when nursing or changing diapers, spending most of his time sleeping, diligently accumulating the energy to grow.

The small Chen family home was suddenly filled with the cries of a newborn, soft whimpers, gentle coaxing from adults, and the rich aromas of medicine, milk, and chicken soup. Although busy and exhausted, the vibrant hope brought by the new life and the stronger family bonds forged through the hardships together filled this farmhouse with unprecedented warmth and vitality.

At night, Chen's mother was finally able to sleep a little more soundly. Lying on the kang (heated brick bed) in the old house, listening to the faint sounds of a baby moving next door, she thought to herself: She needed to save the eggs for her daughters-in-law to nourish their bodies, and that rooster would need to be stewed in a couple of days… Tomorrow, she'd ask her husband to go to the market to see if there were any fresh crucian carp… Xiaoyin's breast milk was good; perhaps some could be given to the second child to help them recover… After her confinement period, she needed to properly thank Grandma Chen and Doctor Li… And, she needed to start thinking about names for the children…