Rebirth of Siheyuan: Starting from escaping famine in 42

On the night of New Year’s Eve, no one stayed up all night. Everyone ate and went to bed early.

Early in the morning of the first day of the new year.

Li Qingfeng and Wu Lirong got up early and made dumplings.

After breakfast, the master took the food and went back home.

Li Qingfeng went out to pay New Year's greetings with his younger brother Li Qingshan.

Wu Lirong and Qin Huairu looked after the children at home and also greeted relatives and friends who came to visit during the New Year.

The two brothers first went to Liu Chuanzhi's home to pay New Year's greetings together, and then they went to their respective friends' and colleagues' homes to pay New Year's greetings separately.

We came back to eat at noon and stayed at home to play cards in the afternoon. If Qin Huairu hadn't been pregnant and couldn't sit for a long time, the four of us would have played until dinner time.

The first day of the new year passed like this.

Finished breakfast early on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

Li Qingfeng waited for Qin Dajun and Qin's mother to arrive.

Then he took his four children on a cart and went back to his parents' home with Wu Lirong to visit his father-in-law and his wife.

Work resumed on the third day of the Lunar New Year. Those who were supposed to go to work went to work, and the rest of the people stayed at home to take care of the children and pregnant women.

It was not until early March 1954, one week before Qin Huairu's due date.

Li Qingshan took Qin Huairu to the hospital on a cart.

Five days later, not long after Qin Huairu had finished breakfast, she felt pain in her stomach. She knew she was about to give birth, so she shouted to Li Qingshan and Qin's mother who were accompanying her, "Mom, Qingshan, I'm about to give birth."

"Ah! Mom, you take care of Huairu first. I'll go call the doctor."

Li Qingshan didn't care about anything else and ran out of the ward in a hurry.

From inside the room, Li Qingshan could be heard shouting from the corridor: "Doctor, doctor, my wife is about to give birth."

Mother Qin grabbed Qin Huairu's hand and said softly, "My daughter! The doctor will be here soon."

Qin Huairu nodded with sweat all over her forehead: "Yes."

After a while, the doctor and two nurses followed Li Qingshan into the ward.

The doctor examined her and said to the nurse, "Push the woman into the delivery room."

Li Qingshan and Qin's mother reached out to help the nurse lift Qin Huairu onto another trolley, and then left the ward and pushed her into the delivery room.

Li Qingshan and Qin's mother were waiting outside the delivery room.

After a while, Qin Huairu's painful cry was heard in the delivery room: "Ah! Ah!"

Li Qingshan walked back and forth anxiously, muttering softly: "Huai Ru, come on, hold on."

Mother Qin's head hurt from being beaten by Li Qingshan, and she whispered, "Qingshan, can you please stop walking around and sit down? This is not the first time Huairu has given birth, don't worry."

Li Qingshan sat on the chair and said anxiously: "Mom, I know this is the case, but I still can't help but worry about Huairu."

After hearing this, Mother Qin didn't know how to persuade him, so she had to change the subject and said, "Qingshan, Huairu can't come out for a while, why don't you go and cook a pot of chicken soup."

"You're a fast runner. Huairu will have some chicken soup to replenish herself when you come back."

Before Li Qingshan could finish his words, he was interrupted by the crying of a baby in the delivery room.

Li Qingshan and Qin's mother hurried to the door of the delivery room. Li Qingshan wanted to lie down and look inside through the crack in the door, but he could not see anything.

I had to take two steps back and wait anxiously.

After a while, a nurse came out with a tightly wrapped baby in her arms.

He said to Li Qingshan and Qin's mother, "It's a boy, weighing 15.6 pounds. Both mother and child are safe. The mother will be out soon."

Li Qingshan nodded stupidly and said twice: "Oh! Oh!"

Seeing her son-in-law standing there stupidly, Qin's mother couldn't bear to watch the mountain anymore. She took her grandson from the nurse and said to her with a smile, "Thank you, nurse!"

"fine."

The nurse responded and then walked back into the delivery room.

Mother Qin held the child in her arms, smiled softly and said, "My dear grandson, it's great that he came out so soon."

He turned around and called out to his son-in-law who was standing stupidly beside him: "Qingshan, Qingshan."

After hearing this, Li Qingshan came to his senses and said, "Ah! What's wrong, mother?"

"What's wrong? Why don't you come and see your son? Really."

Mother Qin spoke in a bad mood, then lowered her head and continued to look at the grandson in her arms.

"oh oh!"

Li Qingshan walked to his mother-in-law with a silly smile and looked at his son carefully.

After a while, two nurses pushed Qin Huairu out of the delivery room, and Li Qingshan hurried forward to help push.

Then I heard the doctor say: "You are the man of the woman who gave birth!"

Li Qingshan nodded: "Yes!"

The doctor went on to say, "The mother is in good condition, and the delivery went smoothly. She will be discharged from the hospital and go home after one more day of observation tomorrow."

Li Qingshan nodded and replied: "Oh! Oh! Thank you, doctor."

"You are welcome."

The doctor gave the mother some common sense about confinement and then turned and left.

Qin Huairu was pushed into the ward and she woke up.

Li Qingshan leaned over and said with a smile: "Huai Ru, you have worked hard to give birth to a son."

After saying that, she giggled twice.

Mother Qin put the child in Qin Huairu's arms and whispered, "Huairu, look how strong the child is! He will definitely be good when he grows up."

"Ah."

Qin Huairi looked at the baby in her arms lovingly, and then smiled happily.

The baby in her arms might have sensed the granary, and nudged Qin Huairu's chest, crying twice: "Wow! Woo! Woo!"

Qin Huairu quickly unbuttoned her shirt and put the granary next to the baby's mouth. The baby in her arms moved very accurately and grabbed the granary in one bite, starting to eat it in big mouthfuls.

Li Qingshan and Qin's mother watched with smiles on their faces.

Mother Qin asked, "Qingshan! Are you ready to name the child?"

Li Qingshan looked at the baby, nodded without raising his head and replied: "Mom, it's called Li Weiqiang. My dad gave it to you."

Then he said to Qin Huairu: "Huairu, Wei Qiang doesn't have a nickname yet, you can give him one!"

After hearing this, Qin Huairu thought for a long time but couldn't think of a good nickname, so she said, "I can't think of one, why not just call him Qiangqiang!"

Hearing this, Li Qingshan and Qin's mother didn't think it was wrong to call him Qiangqiang. They nodded and whispered to Li Weiqiang who was breastfeeding, "Qiangqiang, Qiangqiang."

Mother Qin looked out the window and found it was getting late, so she said to Li Qingshan, "Qingshan, I'll take care of this place. Go back and get the food! And bring back a pot of chicken soup."

"Okay! Huairu, I'll be back soon."

When Li Qingshan saw Qin Huairu nodded, he left the ward and started running outside the hospital.

Wu Lirong had just finished cooking when she saw Li Qingshan running back, sweating profusely. She couldn't help but ask, "Qingshan, why are you back so quickly? Did something happen?"

"Sister-in-law, nothing happened. Huairu gave birth. I came back to make chicken soup and get rice."

Li Qingshan took a deep breath, went to the sink and washed his hands and face with cold water, and immediately felt much more energetic.

Hearing this, Wu Lirong smiled and said, "So fast! I have already cooked the chicken soup and it is warming on the stove."

"Thank you, sister-in-law."

Li Qingshan thanked him and went into the kitchen to eat.