bookbashuk Chapter 377 Is she about to give birth?
Chapter 377 Is she about to give birth?
The days flowed by at a leisurely pace.
Shen Li repeatedly reminded herself every day that nothing was more important than her own health right now.
Perhaps time truly is the best healer, able to smooth out all wrinkles and entanglements.
Under Ming Xiangyang's meticulous care, Lu Sheng's memories are gradually returning, though only in fragments and far from being fully restored. Shen Li is already overjoyed.
At least, he gradually began to resemble an "elder brother," no longer the bewildered stranger who couldn't even remember who he was.
She knew all too well how much untold helplessness lay hidden in the hearts of those who had lost their memories.
Shen Li tried her best to treat Lu Sheng with a normal attitude, after all, in this absurd and heartbreaking entanglement, the most innocent and pitiful one was her eldest brother.
If he hadn't met him, he probably still wouldn't know that there are blood relatives in this world.
Before she knew it, it was November in the Gregorian calendar. Shen Li had long passed her due date, but the little one in her belly remained as steady as Mount Tai, showing no signs of coming out.
When she was pregnant with twins before, the babies were born prematurely. It seems that this time, since it is an only child, the baby is particularly attached to the warmth of the womb and insists on waiting until the full term before it will show itself.
Shen Li didn't care too much about whether the child was a boy or a girl; she was happy with either one, as they were both her precious darlings.
But Ming Xiangyang already knew the answer in his heart—he had secretly taken Shen Li's pulse, and with his superb medical skills, the sex of the fetus was immediately apparent.
However, he never revealed it, always pretending to be completely ignorant in front of Shen Li, not daring to expose his medical skills too much.
On November 11th, the atmosphere in the courtyard grew increasingly tense, with everyone on edge, silently watching Shen Li's every move.
That evening, just after dinner, before she could even clear the dishes, Shen Li suddenly felt a sharp, intermittent pain in her abdomen—this time, her water hadn't broken beforehand, and the contractions had come without warning.
Although she had given birth once before, this time the reaction was completely different. The excruciating pain came suddenly and violently, instantly gripping her entire body.
She felt as if her internal organs were churning, and the pain made her weak all over, almost causing her to fall straight to the ground.
Lu Cheng, who was standing nearby, reacted quickly and reached out to support her. His brows furrowed, and his voice was full of anxiety: "Lili, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Shen Li bit her lower lip, her voice trembling with pain: "My stomach... my stomach hurts..."
Seeing this, Lu Cheng quickly and steadily supported her swaying body, then turned to Lu Sheng, who was not far away, and said urgently, "Big brother, quick! Go and call Ming Xiangyang over!"
"Okay!" Lu Sheng didn't dare to delay and turned to run towards the guest room. But before he had run a few steps, Ming Xiangyang had already followed the sound and walked over quickly. These days, he had been silently guarding the corner of the courtyard, keeping an eye on Shen Li's movements.
This was the first time in a month that Shen Li had looked at him properly.
"Is she about to give birth?" Ming Xiangyang's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible panic. He quickly stepped forward and, without waiting for Shen Li's response, grabbed her wrist, placing his fingertips on her pulse to quickly take her pulse.
"That's right, contractions have started." He withdrew his hand, his tone becoming more serious. "Have you had any other symptoms these past couple of days?"
Shen Li leaned against Lu Cheng's chest and whispered weakly, "My stomach... always feels tight, like I'm carrying a stone."
"That's a sign of impending labor! Don't delay! Get her to the hospital right away!" Ming Xiangyang made a decisive statement, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Lu Cheng nodded immediately and instructed Lu Sheng, "Big brother, you support Lili, I'll go get the maternity bag!"
It was dinnertime rush hour, and although there weren't many cars on the road, the traffic was terrible!
Fortunately, their small courtyard was not far from the best hospital in the city, only a ten-minute drive away.
Zhao Qing had already cleverly run to the door to drive the car, while Feng Ye helped support Shen Li. The group was busy but orderly.
One car couldn't possibly fit six people, so Ming Xiangyang originally planned to take a separate car and follow them.
Lu Sheng stopped him, his tone firm: "Your medical skills are excellent, you must go with Lili. I'll find another car myself, so as not to delay things."
Without the slightest hesitation, Ming Xiangyang nodded emphatically: "Okay!"
Right now, the safety of Shen Li and the child is the most important thing, and he dares not be careless in the slightest.
At this moment, Shen Li was in so much pain that she couldn't straighten up. Her forehead was covered with fine cold sweat, and her face was as pale as paper.
After getting in the car, Ming Xiangyang immediately reached out and precisely pressed several acupoints on her waist and lower abdomen, his strength gentle yet steady: "Lili, just bear with it, we'll be at the hospital soon, don't panic."
Shen Li took a deep breath, her fingers gripping the seat so tightly they turned white, her voice trembling with tears: "I... I feel like the baby is about to come out..." She had heard people say that having a second child is usually faster than having a first, but this was happening way too fast.
Ming Xiangyang's heart tightened, and he increased the pressure on his hand.
With his other hand, he gently patted her back to comfort her: "Don't worry, I'm here, everything will be alright. Take a deep breath and follow my rhythm."
As he spoke, he pressed a few more acupoints to relieve the pain.
Shen Li gritted her teeth and forced herself to stay upright, with only one thought in her mind—she absolutely couldn't be born in a car, that would be too embarrassing.
Zhao Qing drove the car fast and steadily, the wheels kicking up fine dust as they rolled over the road. In just a few minutes, the hospital gates came into view.
Just as Shen Li was wheeled into the delivery room by the doctor, before the medical staff had even fully prepared their tools, a clear and loud cry shattered the silence of the delivery room: "Wah—!"
In the delivery room, a doctor and two nurses looked at each other, all with astonished expressions.
A moment later, the doctor was the first to react, laughing and joking, "This little guy is so considerate of his mother, afraid you'd be wronged, that he came out so quickly!" With that, he deftly picked up the scissors and carefully cut the umbilical cord.
The nurse took the baby, weighed him, and announced with a smile, "Seven pounds and two ounces! It's a healthy baby boy!"
Shen Li lay sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling both angry and amused—it seemed she was destined never to have a daughter.
Seeing her like this, the doctor couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Aren't you happy about having a son?"
Shen Li shook her head, a tired but gentle smile appearing on her lips: "No, I'm quite happy."
The nurse brought the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, to her side so she could see him.
Shen Li looked down and saw that the baby was all red, with its eyes closed and its little face wrinkled, like a ripe little apple—it turns out that newborn babies all look pretty much the same.
Soon, the doctor carried the baby out of the delivery room.
Lu Cheng, Lu Sheng, and Ming Xiangyang had been waiting outside the door for a long time, their hearts pounding in their throats.
Shen Li's last childbirth was a terrifying ordeal, and they are still shaken by it, fearing that something unexpected might happen again this time.