1952: Walking through Nantongluo Alley

Seeing that the doctor refused to accept the red envelope, Chen Xiao felt bad, but he gave up the idea of ​​forcing it on him. So, he slowly put the thick red envelope back into his pocket, as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

Chen Xiao's face was filled with gratitude. He held the doctor's hand tightly with his hands, which were trembling slightly with excitement, and thanked him sincerely: "Thank you so much! Doctor, you have worked so hard! If it weren't for your dedicated help, I'm afraid all this wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

Hearing Chen Xiao's sincere words, the doctor smiled amiably and waved his hand, saying, "Don't thank me. Saving lives and healing the wounded is the responsibility and obligation of us medical staff. As long as adults and children are safe and healthy, that's more important than anything else!"

After saying this, Chen Xiao nodded repeatedly in agreement. He then turned around and led Qin Huairu's parents and Qin Huaiguo towards the delivery room.

When they entered the delivery room, the first person they saw was Qin Huairu, lying on the bed, her face slightly pale. Beside her lay two newly born babies, their pink, adorable faces. Qin Huairu stretched out her frail little hands, occasionally gently teasing the babies around her, her eyes filled with the tenderness and doting of a mother's love.

"Come here, my darlings. From now on, the elder sister will be called Chen Mo, and the younger sister will be called Chen Qin!" Qin Huairu said softly to the two little ones, with a happy smile on her lips.

At that moment, Qin Huairu, who had been concentrating on her child, suddenly noticed Chen Xiao and the others entering the ward. She was startled at first, and then her face, already slightly haggard from childbirth, instantly wrinkled, like a flower blown to pieces by the wind. Then, her eyes gradually began to redden, and tears welled up in them.

"Chen Xiao... I'm... I'm sorry... I couldn't give you a big, fat boy..." Qin Huairu choked up, looking at Chen Xiao with guilt, her voice intermittent, as if every word made her heart ache a little more. Finally, she couldn't contain her inner sadness anymore and burst into tears.

Obviously, in Qin Huairu's mind, the fact that she failed to give birth to a boy as her husband wished has become a heavy burden that she cannot let go of, making her feel deeply guilty and uneasy.

Chen Xiao's lips curled up slightly, a faint smile forming as he walked briskly towards Qin Huairu. In the blink of an eye, he was standing beside her. He reached out and gently rubbed her cute little head lovingly, as if she were the most precious treasure in the world. Then, without hesitation, he opened his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Silly girl, how could I blame you? It's so great to have a daughter! Haven't you heard of this saying - a daughter is her father's sweet little cotton-padded jacket." Chen Xiao said gently, his eyes full of doting.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xiao lowered his head slightly, put his lips close to Qin Huairu's ear, and whispered softly in a low voice: "If you feel sorry for not being able to give me a son..."

He paused, then continued, "Then let's keep working hard, getting pregnant once a year. One day, we'll get what we want and welcome the son we've been waiting for."

Hearing Chen Xiao's words, Qin Huairu's face flushed red with shame, as tempting as a ripe apple. She snorted coquettishly and pushed Chen Xiao hard with a red face.

"Hmph, who wants to have another baby? You, don't you know how painful it is for a woman to give birth? You almost killed me with pain just now!" Although she complained like this, Qin Huairu was actually very happy in her heart. Not only did she not object to having children for Chen Xiao, she even hoped that she could get pregnant for him every year.

Behind them, Mr. and Mrs. Qin watched the loving banter between their son-in-law and daughter, feeling a little embarrassed, their faces instantly flushed. They slowly walked to the bedside, glanced at their newly born granddaughter with tenderness, and then quietly left the delivery room, as if understanding the situation.

At that moment, Qin Huaiguo, standing nearby, muttered softly, "Oh my! I really can't stay in this room any longer! I'll come visit you when my two little nieces grow up!" As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Huaiguo hurriedly left this sweet place, as if being chased by something. After all, he was still a young man, full of vigor and vitality, and he didn't even have a girlfriend yet. Facing such an intimate and loving scene before him, it was really hard to resist.

Chen Xiao looked at Qin Huaiguo's figure walking away, and couldn't help but murmured softly: "Huaiguo is not young anymore. It's really time for him to start a family, get married and have children..." There was a trace of concern and expectation in her eyes, as if she had begun to imagine Qin Huaiguo's happy future marriage life.

After some time, it’s time to find a suitable girlfriend for Huaiguo! Look at Huaiguo now, his konjac business is booming and has already embarked on the right track. The total assets under his name are ranked among the best even in the city of Sijiu, where there are many talented people and wealthy people! Although there is still a big gap compared to giants like Lou Bancheng, if he continues to develop at this rate, his wealth will definitely surpass Lou Bancheng in time! After all, as a wealthy and well-known man in Sijiu City, it is a piece of cake for him to find a beautiful bride for his brother-in-law! As long as he puts the three major items that symbolize his status and the bicycle at the door, I guess those matchmakers will rush to the door, wishing they could break down the threshold!

At this moment, another thought quietly brewed in Chen Xiao's mind: How about a trip to Hong Kong? With his vast 21st-century knowledge and unique perspective, if he truly aspired to become the richest man, perhaps only Hong Kong, a land of both opportunity and challenge, could fulfill his grand vision.

The night passed quietly, and the whole night was so quiet that there was not a sound.

Chen Xiao quietly spent a long night in the hospital with Qin Huairu. The lights in the ward were dim, illuminating Chen Xiao's slightly tired face. He sat in a chair beside the bed, his head nodding from time to time. He was obviously extremely sleepy, but he always forced himself not to fall asleep.

When the first rays of sunlight streamed into the room through the window, Chen Xiao finally couldn't help but yawn loudly, then slowly stood up. He glanced at his watch and realized that it was almost time to go to work, so he hurriedly tidied his clothes and prepared to leave the hospital for work.

Just as he was about to leave, the door of the ward was gently pushed open and Zhang Cuilan walked in. She was holding a plastic bag filled with steaming meat buns and fragrant mutton soup.

"Chen Xiao, you must be starving this early in the morning, right? Don't leave just yet. Eat these two buns before going to work." Zhang Cuilan said as she walked to the small table beside the bed, put down the bag in her hand, took out two plump meat buns, and placed them on the table. Then, she turned around, opened a bowl of mutton soup for Qin Huairu, picked up the spoon, and carefully began to feed her.

Chen Xiao looked at Zhang Cuilan gratefully and said, "Thank you, auntie, but it's really too late for work now, so I'd better not eat here." After that, he quickly reached out and took the two meat buns on the table, put them in his mouth, took a bite, and then strode out the door.

Meanwhile, the scene in the courtyard was quite different. Today was the day of Jia Dongxu's funeral, and the entire courtyard was filled with a sad and solemn atmosphere. Yi Zhonghai was standing in the center of the courtyard, anxiously looking around, searching for suitable people to help. After some searching, he finally found a few strong and young men. However, there was a clear look of reluctance on the faces of these men, and one of them even muttered in a low voice: "Huh, that idiot Zhu usually eats so much, is so tall and strong, and has the strength of an ox, why don't you let him carry it?"

Yi Zhonghai said bluntly: Humph! Sha Zhu can cook, and he is the real chef of our steel rolling mill! Can you cook if I ask you to? As soon as Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, the young man's face turned red, and he immediately lowered his head in shame, not daring to say another word.

At this moment, Sha Zhu, who was busy in the kitchen, saw this scene and couldn't help laughing in his heart. He muttered, "Hey, our courtyard, let's put other things aside, when it comes to cooking, who can compare to me, Sha Zhu!" As he spoke, he chopped the cabbage with the kitchen knife in his hand, making a crisp sound.

Sha Zhu casually glanced around the kitchen and found no other meat besides the pound of pork on the chopping board. Yi Zhonghai had only given him a few yuan, a sum far from enough to prepare a sumptuous meal of fish and meat! So, of course, he couldn't be so foolish as to pay for it out of his own pocket.

Suddenly, the scene of the banquet held when Jia Dongxu got married appeared in Sha Zhu's mind, and he thought that he might as well make an exact replica.

Just then, a loud noise echoed from the courtyard. Then, several strong young men appeared, slowly carrying Jia Dongxu's coffin out. At the back of the procession, Jia Zhang, dressed in white, wept bitterly, and Tingting, beside her, also weeping breathlessly, followed. The whole scene looked utterly tragic.

Jia Zhang covered her face tightly with her hands, tears pouring out like a flood. She cried out in grief: "Dongxu! My son! Why did you leave like this? How can your mother survive alone? Woo woo... Her cry was heartbreaking and sad.

"Dongxu, my dear son, are you going to abandon your mother like this? What should I do in the future?" Jia Zhang called her son's name over and over again, as if this could bring the deceased Jia Dongxu back to her side.

Yi Zhonghai, who was standing aside, sighed helplessly and shook his head and said: "The person is already dead. What's the use of saying these things now? Let's just accept our condolences." He looked at the heartbroken Jia Zhang, and a trace of pity welled up in his heart.

At this moment, a large group slowly arrived at a barren patch of land and stopped. Amidst this clearing, a massive, deep pit, already dug, lay quietly awaiting its mission. Working together, they lifted Jia Dongxu's coffin and carefully lowered it into the pit. Then, shovel after shovel of dirt was added to the pit until it was completely buried.

After all this was done, everyone quietly turned around and began to walk back. Someone in the crowd couldn't help but complain, "Oh my god, we've been going on for so long, and I'm starving! I really don't know what we'll have for lunch today." Another person chimed in, "Who cares? Maybe it'll be another cabbage feast, like the one Jia Dongxu had at his wedding." However, someone immediately retorted, "You never know! I heard the old man has made special arrangements this time, and the feast will include not only fish but also meat!" Hearing this, the tired and frustrated people suddenly perked up and quickened their pace, eager to return home and enjoy their hearty lunch.

As everyone, dragging their exhausted bodies as if weighed down by lead, slowly and with immense difficulty entered the courtyard, a faint, almost faint, yet intense aroma of everyday life wafted towards them like a gentle spring breeze. At that moment, Sha Zhu, a burly, naive man, stood steadily at the doorway of his home, a slightly shabby but vibrant place. His broad, dark face beamed with a warm smile as blazing and brilliant as the summer sun. At the top of his voice, booming loudly enough to echo through every corner of the courtyard, he excitedly called out to everyone, "Come and sit down! Dear neighbors! The delicious lunch I've carefully prepared is already ready!"

Sha Zhu's voice was like a magical force. The people who had been moving slowly were instantly injected with stimulants. They unconsciously quickened their pace and hurried towards the wooden table in the center of the courtyard. Although it was a little old and mottled with the vicissitudes of time, it still carried countless warm memories. They quickly gathered around it. Some people in the crowd walked anxiously, but they couldn't suppress their curiosity and desire. They asked impatiently, "Sha Zhu, I heard that we can all have a delicious meal of fish and meat at noon tonight! Is this true?" Before the words were out, another voice rang out, "That's right! That's right, but why can't I smell even the slightest aroma of meat? Could it be that the news is wrong?"

Facing the pairs of eyes full of expectation and a little doubt, Sha Zhu hurriedly smiled and waved his hands, as if to dispel the doubts and uneasiness in everyone's hearts, and comforted: "Hehe, look at how anxious you all are! Just put your hearts at ease! When have I ever lied to you? You will definitely get your share of big fish and meat! Don't worry, just be patient, I will turn around and go back to the house to bring out the fragrant and hot meals to you one by one!" After that, he turned around without hesitation, and with the wind under his feet, he took light and cheerful steps, and ran straight towards the kitchen like a nimble deer.