Chapter 509 - 510: Exhausted

Chapter 509: Chapter 510: Exhausted

Xie Ruyi returned to Ledi Courtyard, supported by Li Xiaohua and Wang Caiyue.

Listening to the muffled groans coming from the delivery room, Xie Ruyi clasped her hands together and incessantly chanted Buddhist scriptures.

Li Xiaohua and Wang Caiyue quickly asked Gu Le Di, who was waiting by the door, "How is it going in there?"

Gu Le Di looked anxious. "I don’t know yet. The doctor just went in to check on her. All we can do now is wait for news."

Li Xiaohua asked, "Did they say whether they need us to go in and help?"

"The midwife and Aunt Liu are in there, along with my grandma. They probably don’t need anyone else." When Gu Le Di had first arrived, he tried to rush in but was stopped by Doctor Huang.

The doctor said going in at this point would only get in the way, and it was better to wait outside.

Even when Liu Liu had just tried to deliver some eggs, she had to hand them over at the doorway.

After all the commotion, by the time the moon was high in the sky, the entire Gu family had gathered. At long last, a sound came from within the delivery room.

With the sound of a baby’s cry, the weight on everyone’s shoulders was finally lifted.

The baby was finally born.

Gu Dashishi immediately shot to his feet. "It’s a great-grandson, right?"

No one there paid him any mind.

After an agonizing wait, the midwife finally emerged carrying the baby. Everyone swarmed forward, startling her so much that she nearly retreated back inside with the infant.

The sudden crowd in the courtyard was a stark contrast to how empty it had been the first time she had stepped out.

"Mother and child are safe and sound. Who’s the father? Come have a look!" The midwife carefully shielded the baby. "Is the doctor still here? The young lady inside asked for him to give her a check-up."

Gu Le Di was pushed to the front. He stood on his tiptoes, gazing at the wrinkled little baby before him, able to do nothing but grin foolishly.

"What about my wife? How is she? Is she all right?"

The midwife glanced up at him. ’I’ve delivered so many babies, and this father isn’t half-bad,’ she thought. ’He knows to ask about his wife first.’

"It was a close call, but she made it through. She’ll need to recuperate properly for the next few years, though."

The only thing Le Di’s mind could process was that she’d made it through. "That’s good. That’s good."

Gu Yuanjin slapped him on the back of the head. "Stop standing there grinning like an idiot. You’re in the way. Move, let Doctor Huang through."

The midwife carried the baby into the next room, where Huang Zhong’an examined him carefully. "He’s fine," he announced. "He was well-nourished in the womb. Just take good care of him from now on."

Hearing this, all the members of the Gu family beamed. The child’s arrival meant they had all moved up a generation.

Gu Dashishi also broke into a foolish grin. "I’m a great-grandfather! Quick, bring the baby over here. Let me hold him."

...

Inside the delivery room, Xie Yuewei had slipped into unconsciousness again. The moment the child left her body, the last of her tightly-held tension dissipated.

Li Cuicui grew anxious. "What’s happened to her?"

Mrs. Tian leaned in for a look. "You’re just worried sick. She’s just exhausted. Let her rest for a bit."

"However, after an ordeal like this, she’ll have to wait a few years before she can get pregnant again. We’ll need to make sure she recuperates well."

Li Cuicui nodded quickly. "We will, we will. Today was certainly dangerous. We’re lucky we had you both."

The fact that they had managed to save both mother and child was proof enough that the two women had done their absolute best.

After seeing the midwife and doctor off, Li Cuicui looked at the family members filling the courtyard. "It’s been a long day for everyone. Go home and get some rest. We’ll have the eldest brother’s wife and Le Di stay and keep watch."

Just as everyone was about to leave, Li Cuicui suddenly asked, "And where is Mrs. Song?"

’Aside from the fifth brother’s wife—the one who’s heavily pregnant—who couldn’t make it, why haven’t I seen Song Xiuyang?’

Gu Lejia stammered, "...She’s... not feeling well..."

Under the gazes of so many elders, even Gu Lejia himself felt his excuse sounded flimsy.

"Fine. I hope she can keep up that tough attitude in the future and doesn’t come begging us for help," Li Cuicui said irritably.

’It seems Mrs. Song has no remorse at all,’ she thought. ’The punishment she got for upsetting Xie Yuewei and risking the pregnancy clearly wasn’t enough.’

"...I’ll have a good talk with her when I get back."

Gu Yuanjin cut in, "You use that line to placate us every time. So be it. From now on, tell her to stay away from here unless she has a reason to be."

The hostility in Song Xiuyang’s eyes toward Xie Yuewei was obvious. Many people had seen her staring at Xie Yuewei’s pregnant belly with blatant malice.

Gu Yuanjin was afraid this woman would try to harm his precious grandson, so naturally, he didn’t want her anywhere near.

Gu Lejia asked, "Father, are you trying to stop us brothers from seeing each other?"

Gu Le Di noticed his younger brother looking at him. "Don’t you look at me like that. I haven’t said a word."

Gu Yuanjin exploded. "You fool! Don’t you have any idea what your own wife is thinking?

"I don’t care what’s going on between you two, but if she dares to lay a hand on my precious grandson, I will absolutely not spare her.

"If you want to live your life in peace, you’d better keep her in line. Otherwise, if anything happens in the future, I’m holding you fully responsible."

Gu Dashishi added, "Your father has a point. Just because your wife can’t bear children, does that mean she won’t let anyone else bear them?

"If it were up to me, a wife like that would have been divorced long ago. Only you still treat her like some kind of treasure."

"Grandfather, have you forgotten our family’s rules? I’d like to divorce her, but can I?" Song Xiuyang made her move, but no one has any proof.

Without proof, there were simply no grounds for divorce. Otherwise, he would have done it long ago.

"That’s enough. Everyone go home." Li Cuicui heard their argument growing louder and feared they would disturb Mrs. Xie and the baby if they continued. "Whatever it is, we can discuss it later. For now, everyone just leave."

Walking back, Gu Lejia looked gloomy. "Fourth Uncle, what do you think I should do?"

In his view, aside from Seventh Uncle, Fourth Uncle was the smartest person in the family.

Gu Yuanshui replied, "There’s a saying: ’Discipline your son in public, discipline your wife in private.’ You bear a great deal of the responsibility here.

"Don’t give me any nonsense about how she won’t listen to you. That Mrs. Song followed you all this way by herself. Whatever her original motives were, how have you treated her over these past few years? Don’t you have any self-awareness?

"I’m not trying to take her side, but think about it. Look at your Fourth Aunt’s temper in the old days. As fierce as she could be, she never once faltered in her respect for your grandparents.

"Then look at our family. The wives of us brothers may bicker and argue, but none of them have ever wanted to see another one dead.

"But what has your wife done? Are you telling me you have no idea?

"You let her get away with it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so completely indifferent today."

Gu Lejia argued, "I did talk to her! She promised me to my face that she’d behave, but you saw the result. I just can’t control her."

"No," Gu Yuanshui said, shaking his head. "It’s still your fault. I refuse to believe you were unaware of her personality before you married her.

"To be blunt, you and she are the same kind of person. You both think of yourselves first, and everything else second."