1952: Walking through Nantongluo Alley

Just now, the coffin symbolizing the eternal separation of life and death had finally been firmly nailed shut. At this moment, it was as if the entire world had frozen, and a heavy, oppressive atmosphere enveloped everyone present.

The first thing that broke the suffocating silence was the grief-stricken sobbing of Jia Zhang and Tingting. Their tears poured out like a flood, instantly drowning everything around them.

Jia Zhang was now in tears, her face covered in tears, snot, and sorrow. She was practically unconscious from the excessive grief, her body swaying and nearly fainting. She pounded the ground with trembling hands, crying out at the top of her lungs: "Dongxu, my Dongxu! How could you die so miserably? Why is God so unfair? Do you know how much pain I am in? Why did I have to endure this heartbreaking pain of losing my son?"

Tingting, standing by, was no less heartbroken. Her cries were equally heartbreaking, heartbreaking to hear. She clutched the corner of her clothes tightly, her body twitching constantly from crying. "Dongxu! My husband, how could you just abandon me and the child like this? You promised me that you would always be by our side! But now, you've broken your promise... Didn't you say you really wanted to see our child one last time? Why can't you even fulfill this little wish? Why didn't you wait until I took the child to the hospital before leaving? Why! Why!"

In the living room, the tearful scene was incredibly moving. Tingting buried her face in her hands, tears streaming down her face like a broken dam. Her frail body trembled slightly, like a flower swaying in the wind, ready to wither at any moment. Liu Haizhong and several others, watching this scene nearby, felt an indescribable surge of sorrow and bitterness.

Liu Haizhong sighed heavily, his voice full of helplessness and regret: "Oh... let's go out and don't disturb others here." As he said that, he gently patted Yan Bugui's shoulder, indicating that they should leave this heartbreaking scene together.

Yan Bugui nodded silently in agreement, and the two of them turned around slowly, their steps seeming a little heavy. However, just as they were about to step out of the living room, Sha Zhu's eyes remained on the grief-stricken Tingting.

Sha Zhu stared at Tingting silently, a wave of emotion welling up in his heart. He had never seen Tingting so vulnerable and helpless before. The usually strong and independent woman had now become so vulnerable. An inexplicable feeling of sympathy welled up in him, even making him feel a little sad.

Sha Zhu instinctively wanted to go over and comfort Tingting, fearing she might faint from grief. After all, if Tingting collapsed, how would her three hungry children survive? But just as he was about to take a step, a sudden thought struck him: he was just an outsider, a bachelor from the next door; Tingting, on the other hand, was a poor widow who had lost her husband. If he rashly went over to comfort her, he might just be scolded and rebuked by Jia Zhangshi.

Thinking of this, Sha Zhu hesitated for a moment, and finally stopped. He could only stand there, gazing at Tingting from afar, his eyes full of concern and worry.

Sha Zhu just returned home and was preparing to cook.

Yi Zhonghai calmly pushed open the slightly worn door and strode into the house without hesitation. He deftly reached into his pocket, fumbling for a moment before pulling out a crumpled five-yuan bill. He then walked directly to Sha Zhu and, smiling, handed him the bill.

"Shazhu, come here, keep these five dollars first. When Dongxu is buried in a few days, you have to show your cooking skills and be responsible for cooking the meals. This money will be counted as everyone's food expenses." Yi Zhonghai warned earnestly.

"Remember, the meal must be plentiful. Big fish and meat are a must. Don't make it too shabby." Yi Zhonghai said as he patted Sha Zhu's shoulder, seeming to be full of trust and expectations for him.

However, when Sha Zhu's eyes fell on the five-yuan bill, he froze in disbelief. He couldn't help but wonder: Just five yuan? How could I possibly spend it? And yet, he still wanted a feast? He probably couldn't even afford a simple four-course meal and a soup. After all, flour wasn't cheap these days, costing several cents per pound.

Sha Zhu didn't reach out to take the five yuan immediately. Instead, he hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Uncle, look, if you want to have a feast with fish and meat, these five yuan may not be enough..."

Hearing Sha Zhu's words, Yi Zhonghai's brows, which had been relaxed, suddenly furrowed tightly, and the smile on his face disappeared. He stared at Sha Zhu with a hint of dissatisfaction and asked, "What? Five dollars is not enough? Then tell me, how much do you think is enough?"

Seeing this, Sha Zhu was a little scared, but he still stretched out a finger and whispered, "It has to be at least ten dollars." After that, he watched Yi Zhonghai's reaction nervously, not knowing what would happen next.

"Ten dollars? Silly Zhu, you said you wanted ten dollars?"

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai's usually kind face suddenly became gloomy. He widened his eyes, looked angry, and yelled at Sha Zhu in a loud voice.

"I'm telling you, Silly Zhu! This is the only five dollars, don't even think about more! Take it or leave it! Also, in a couple of days, when Dongxu is buried, you must put delicious food and fish on the table for me, not a single thing less!"

Yi Zhonghai glared at Sha Zhu fiercely, lashing out at him fiercely, "If you don't do what I say, well, you know the consequences!" With a flick of his right hand, he slammed the five yuan he was clutching onto the table in front of him. With a crisp "pa" sound, the five yuan landed firmly on the table. Then, without even looking back, Yi Zhonghai turned around and hurriedly left.

Sha Zhu stared blankly at the five dollars lying quietly on the table. He stood there in a daze for a while and didn't say a word for a long time.

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye it was already evening.

Chen Xiao decided to cook dinner himself today. You know, Qin Huairu had been in the hospital nursing her baby, leaving Chen Xiao alone at home. Even so, Chen Xiao was very particular about food. Even when dining alone, he would never compromise. So, tonight's table still had a hearty and delicious dish: pork stewed with vermicelli noodles.

Chen Xiao skillfully scooped the steaming, fragrant pork and vermicelli stew from the pot and filled a large bowl. When everything was ready, he picked up his chopsticks and was about to enjoy his dinner.

Suddenly, without warning, there was a rapid and loud knock on the door. The sound was like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of everyone in the room again and again. Chen Xiao's heart tightened, and he hurried forward to open the door.

As soon as the door opened a crack, a figure rushed in impatiently. It was Qin Huaihe. He looked anxious, with a few beads of sweat on his forehead. He gasped and shouted, "Brother-in-law, it's bad! My sister is about to give birth. You need to go to the hospital right now!"

Chen Xiao was stunned at first, then his face quickly broke into an ecstatic smile. At that moment, he finally realized that he was about to usher in an important moment in his life - becoming a father.

"Huaiguo, don't lie to me about this. Is your sister really going to give birth?" Chen Xiaoqiang suppressed his inner excitement, grabbed Qin Huaihe's shoulders tightly with both hands, opened his eyes wide, and asked anxiously.

Qin Huaiguo nodded vigorously and answered loudly: "Brother-in-law, it's absolutely true! My sister is really about to give birth. Everyone in the family has gone there first. Let's go quickly!"

After receiving a positive response, Chen Xiao nearly jumped for joy. He had no time to think about eating. Without a second thought, he turned and headed for the door. He deftly pushed the battered bicycle out, jumped on it, and pedaled hard, sending the bike hurtling out like an arrow. Seeing this, Qin Huaiguo didn't dare delay and followed closely behind him. The two of them raced towards the hospital, one in front and one behind.

Soon, they arrived at the hospital. From a distance, the ward was already crowded with people. Chen Xiao spotted Qin Huairu's parents anxiously waiting outside the delivery room.

Qin Tieniu was sitting on a bench nearby, with a pipe in his mouth, puffing on it non-stop. In the smoke, he frowned, his eyes fixed on the door of the delivery room, as if he wanted to see through the closed door to see what was going on inside.

Zhang Cuilan was even more anxious. She paced back and forth in the corridor with her hands clenched tightly together. Her knuckles were turned white due to excessive nervousness.

Chen Xiao took a deep breath, calmed himself, and then strode forward with a smile, politely and modestly greeting everyone around him. After greeting them, he slowly sat down on the slightly worn wooden chair and began a long journey of waiting that seemed to stretch endlessly.

In truth, Chen Xiao had already learned through that magical system that his soon-to-be-born children would be adorable twin girls. Yet, even with this initial anticipation, the moment finally arrived, his previously tranquil heart felt like a huge rock had been dropped, ripples surging and difficult to calm. The joy of becoming a father surged through him like a tide, completely immersing him. This feeling was so wondrous and beautiful that even the most elaborate words pale in comparison, unable to capture even a fraction of its power.

Time slipped by, minute by minute, Chen Xiao's gaze fixed on the ancient round clock on the wall. The hands ticked slowly, each tick seeming to mock his inner anxiety and restlessness. From 7 p.m., when the lights first came on, to 11 p.m., when all was still, these few hours felt like years to Chen Xiao.

Just when Chen Xiao felt like she was about to go mad from the endless waiting, suddenly, the clear, melodious cry of a baby rang out from the delivery room. Like the sound of nature, the voice instantly penetrated the tightly closed door and reached Chen Xiao's ears. Then, a soft "creak" was heard, and the doctor, looking exhausted yet unconcealedly excited, pushed open the door and emerged.

"Mother and daughter are safe, it's twins, congratulations!" The doctor's words were like the first ray of sunshine in spring, warm and bright, instantly dispelling the haze that shrouded Chen Xiao's heart.

However, Zhang Cuilan, standing nearby, was taken aback upon hearing the news, a look of bewilderment and confusion on her face. How could mother and daughter be safe? Could it be that the twins were all girls? You have to remember that in their time, the older generation held relatively traditional values, and most families hoped to have a child, especially a plump, fair-skinned boy, to bring honor to the family and ensure a continuous succession. So, when Zhang Cuilan learned the result, she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss and melancholy.

She frowned slightly, her lips moved slightly, and she muttered softly, "Doctor, are you sure these twins are both girls? Isn't there a fat boy?"

the doctor replied.

"Yes, they are twin girls. Twins are rare, especially twin girls."

Zhang Cuilan frowned slightly, her pretty brows furrowed as she stared intently at Chen Xiao, wondering what he was feeling at the moment. After all, Qin Huairu had just given birth to a pair of adorable twin girls, and she wasn't sure how Chen Xiao would react. Would he be upset?

However, Zhang Cuilan's worries proved completely unnecessary. At that moment, Chen Xiao showed no sign of anger. On the contrary, his already sunny and handsome face blossomed into a smile as bright as a spring flower. He swiftly reached into his pocket, fumbled for a moment, and pulled out a bulging red envelope!

Chen Xiao walked up to the doctor happily, handed over the red envelope with both hands, and said sincerely: "Doctor, you have worked so hard! This is just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it no matter what." While speaking, he kept looking at the doctor with expectant eyes, as if he was afraid that the other party would refuse.

Faced with Chen Xiao's enthusiastic gesture, the doctor seemed a little uneasy. He waved his hands repeatedly to refuse, and responded anxiously, "Oh, no, this is impossible! We have a clear rule in our hospital that medical staff are absolutely not allowed to privately accept red envelopes from patients' families. By doing this, aren't you deliberately making me violate discipline and make a mistake?"