I Became the Mother of His Child

Xu Xiuxiu carefully sat on the train and immediately pressed her entire weight onto Song Yuanhuan, wrapped up tightly. Even though she was covered with an old-fashioned, army-green, loose overcoat, one could still vaguely see her frighteningly large belly.

Clearly, Xu Xiuxiu was uneasy about the journey back to her hometown. Being nearly nine months pregnant with twins, premature birth was highly likely. She truly feared that the jostling of the train might bounce the babies out, her heart filled with anxiety. Gently rubbing her belly with her hand, Xu Xiuxiu thought to herself, "Little Baby, you must hold on until we get home!" She mentally negotiated with her baby.

She didn't know if the little child in her belly could hear her plea, but comparatively speaking, Xu Xiuxiu was already quite bold. Nevertheless, the swaying on the trip was enough to make anyone hold their breath and feel on the verge of a breakdown.

From the moment he boarded the train, Song Yuanhuan cradled Xu Xiuxiu into his arms and never let go. His deep eyes remained fixed on her, never straying even slightly, always fearful he might miss the slightest sign she had bumped into something or was uncomfortable. This worry, coupled with the sensation that the babies could come tumbling out at any time, was terrifying. Song Yuanhuan felt a tension akin to gambling with his life after boarding the train, even his breathing he dared not make too forceful.

Song Chengguang seemed to sense his parents' nervousness too. The little fellow would lean against Xu Xiuxiu, drifting in and out of sleep, then occasionally raise his chubby hand over the green military coat to touch Xu Xiuxiu's large belly, "Mom, is the little brother behaving?" asked Song Yuanhuan, looking up at Xu Xiuxiu.

Unlike Song Yuanhuan who was constantly hoping for a daughter, Song Chengguang wished for a little brother to play with. Song Yuanhuan subtly threatened the youngster, saying the baby in mom's belly was a sister. In front of Song Yuanhuan, the child agreed and nodded, saying it was a sister, but he would turn to Xu Xiuxiu and defiantly call it a brother.

Every now and then, Xu Xiuxiu would watch Song Yuanhuan and Song Chengguang's father-and-son battle of wits, which often lightened her mood.

"Behaving," answered Xu Xiuxiu, gently patting the little guy's head. Ever since getting pregnant and as her belly grew bigger, her interactions with Song Chengguang were almost entirely about the child in her belly. She knew she had somewhat neglected the little one but felt helpless to change the current circumstances. She only hoped the two children inside her would be well-behaved when they were born, so she could then devote some attention to Song Chengguang.

"That's good!" Song Chengguang responded with a mature smile, the dimple at the corner of his mouth becoming more pronounced as he grew.

Xu Xiuxiu chuckled as she glanced at the worried Song Chengguang and leaned on Song Yuanhuan, raising her hand to gently stroke her round, bulging belly.

The train was quite crowded, yet still somewhat icy cold. Xu Xiuxiu's limbs had already begun to stiffen and numb. It seemed Song Yuanhuan knew her condition, his large palms busily kneading her small hands one moment and the next pulling off Xu Xiuxiu's cotton shoes to warm her feet with his fiery palms.

They had finally made their way smoothly from Z city to the family's hometown in the county, only to discover the once bright sky had turned to a dismal grey. Even looking out the window, one could see snowflakes like goose feathers floating in the sky, and a thin layer of snow blanketing the ground. The air was several degrees colder than in Z city, but fortunately, Song Yuanhuan had prepared well and wrapped his wife up tightly.

Ever since they learned Xu Xiuxiu was pregnant again, Mrs. Song had wanted to go to Z city to take care of her daughter-in-law. It's quite normal for a mother-in-law to tend to her pregnant daughter-in-law, but there were too many matters at home, and the eldest daughter-in-law, Wang Qinghua, was a bit scatterbrained and unreliable. Mrs. Song really couldn't feel at ease leaving such a big household in her hands, so she reluctantly held back her apologies and did not go to Z city.

Today, knowing that her daughter-in-law was close to giving birth, both Father Song and Mrs. Song were so anxious! Father Song began smoking early in the morning, sitting in the main room with hardly any appetite for lunch, his face stern with worry, clearly fretting over the pregnant Xu Xiuxiu.

Although Mrs. Song was not at ease, she still forced herself to prepare a lunch. The family hastily ate and began waiting for news. Meanwhile, Mrs. Song had also stewed chicken soup early, even adding a small segment of ginseng to it, and when the time seemed right, sent her youngest son and daughter, who had benefited greatly from their sister-in-law over the past two years, to go to the county to pick up the family. The young brother and sister had no objections and rushed to the county train station after lunch to wait.

The train whistled into the station, with many people getting on and off. Worried about Xu Xiuxiu, Song Yuanhuan carefully helped her off the train first. He then had his son accompany his wife while he stood on the ground below, and he himself went back to the station to carry down two large suitcases.

"Brother Yuanhuan, Sister-in-law, over here!" Song Yuan Yao and Song Yuanming both stood outside the train station waiting. Once they knew a train had arrived, they kept a close watch on the exit. Then, spotting their brother Song Yuanhuan cradle a round ball wrapped in a military coat that only showed a pair of eyes, and the other strong hand dragging two large suitcases, all the while protecting Song Chengguang who was toddling along, pulling at the corner of Song Yuanhuan's clothes, the siblings immediately shed tears of sympathy for their elder brother and quickly approached. "Sister-in-law, you must be exhausted from the trip back! Here, I've just filled this hot water bottle from the station next door. Hold it and warm your hands," Song Yuan Yao said warmly, handing a leather hot water bottle to Xu Xiuxiu, the young girl's smile bright and lovely.

As soon as Xu Xiuxiu felt the warmth in her hands, she intended to be polite, but the cold from the train journey had already taken its toll, and she couldn't resist the warmth of the source, so she didn't bother with formality. "Thank you, Yuanyao," Xu Xiuxiu said with a squint, hiding the hot water bottle in her embrace, warming her chilly fingers and round belly.

"Brother, you just take care of my sister-in-law, don't worry about anything else! I'll help with the luggage. Sister, watch over little Cheng Guang. Let's hurry home before it gets completely dark! Mom and Dad are anxiously waiting at home! Plus, I think the snowflakes outside have gotten much bigger since the afternoon. Who knows how much more it will snow tonight!" Song Yuanming, who had shot up in height over the past year, looked tall and strong, almost reaching six feet. The young man said this as he reached for the two suitcases Song Yuanhuan was holding in his right hand: "Dad was worried about sister-in-law being pregnant and asked Uncle Song, Song Jiabao, who drives the three-wheeled cart, for help. He's already outside waiting for us now!"