Chapter 712 - 259: Production
Chapter 712: Chapter 259: Production
The group had no time to say anything. They hurried to help their unconscious, immobilized companions onto the camels. Then, doubling or tripling up on the animals’ backs, they fled madly in the direction pointed out by the guide.
The camels seemed to sense the threat of death as well, breaking into a wild gallop.
Desperate to escape, the men had their eyes fixed only on the path ahead. Only Zhao Jing, right before leaving, turned to glance back at their campsite.
There was nothing there, yet he had clearly heard his sister’s voice earlier.
"Dad, I heard my sister calling me earlier..."
In front of him, Chen Song tugged at the reins and gave a slight nod.
The sandstorm was so fierce that opening one’s mouth meant swallowing a mouthful of grit. Still, Chen Song couldn’t help but speak. "I heard Qing’er calling me too... She must have known we were in danger and deliberately wounded the camel to save us..."
Meanwhile, inside the Xu Mansion.
"Qing’er, Qing’er, wake up. Oh, you child, you’re in the middle of giving birth. How could you fall asleep?"
"It’s good that she fell asleep; it won’t hurt as much. There’s no rush, she’s only eight fingers dilated."
When Chen Wanqing was shaken awake, she was completely disoriented. The moment she regained consciousness, the pain returned right on schedule. A wave of agony instantly washed over her.
She clutched her mother’s hand. "Mom, I just had a dream."
Xu Su Ying didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "You might be the first person ever to have a dream while giving birth... What did you dream about?"
Chen Wanqing shook her head. "I can’t remember clearly... I think I saw Dad, and maybe Jing too..."
Assuming she was just missing Zhao Jing too much, Xu Su Ying patted her arm. "Focus on delivering this baby safely. If you really miss Jing, once spring arrives next year and he has settled down in the Western Regions, I’ll arrange for someone to escort you to see him."
The hourglass behind the door trickled steadily, and the entire Xu Mansion remained brightly lit. The heavy rain had stopped at some unknown point, leaving behind nothing but the wind-battered ruins of broken flowers and scattered leaves across the grounds.
The morning star slowly rose into the sky. The veil of night gradually retreated, and the sky began to brighten.
Day had broken. Inside the room, the midwife called out repeatedly. "Nine fingers dilated! The baby is coming any minute now. Bear with it, gather your strength, and push when I give the signal. One, two, three...
"Good, take a rest. We’ll catch our breath and try again..."
The thick clouds on the horizon slowly scattered, revealing brilliant, radiant halos of light behind them. The whole process felt agonizingly slow, but when the final moment arrived, the sun burst from behind the clouds like a blazing fireball. Ten thousand rays of rosy dawn light pierced the sky, rendering the world in ultimate, dazzling splendor.
At that exact moment, the powerful, piercing cry of a newborn baby erupted inside the room.
"WAAAH—"
The midwife raised her voice, brimming with joy as she announced the good news to the family. "Congratulations, Young Miss! It’s a big, healthy boy!"
While everyone else in the room scrambled to get a look at the newborn, Xu Su Ying and Mrs. Zhao remained by Chen Wanqing’s side.
"Thank goodness he’s born. Thank goodness."
"Mother and child are both safe. You’ve suffered so much, Qing’er. You must be exhausted. Be a good girl and get some rest now."
The room was a chorus of chaotic chatter as Mrs. Guo carried the infant, now wrapped in a red swaddle, out to the outer parlor.
De’an staggered inside. He looked so weak he could barely lift his legs.
Mrs. Guo wanted to scold him. "The delivery room is a bloody place. What is a man like you doing in here?" But since he was already inside, he clearly wouldn’t leave even if she tried to chase him out. She simply held the small red swaddle out toward him. "Quick, take a look at your nephew. With these thick eyebrows and big eyes, he is the spitting image of his father."
De’an kept his hands behind his back, too afraid to take the newborn baby, but his eyes were glued to the infant’s little cheeks.
He was sound asleep, his hands raised by his head as if in surrender. De’an couldn’t tell if he resembled Jing or his sister, but right now, the baby was genuinely ugly. Just to give birth to him, his sister had gone through hell.
Fighting back the urge to burst into tears, De’an turned his head away and sniffled. "What’s so good about looking like Jing? From now on, every time my sister sees this child, it’ll just break her heart all over again."
Mrs. Guo chided him. "Child, what nonsense are you spouting?"
De’an ignored Mrs. Guo, peering through the folding screen into the inner room instead. "Where is my sister? Why hasn’t she made a sound? Is she okay?"
"She’s perfectly fine, don’t worry. Sigh, step aside for now. I need to ask the Imperial Physician to come in and check on Qing’er and the baby."
The Imperial Physician soon arrived. After checking the baby’s pulse, he went inside to examine Chen Wanqing. The baby’s pulse was clear and strong—he was a healthy little fellow. Chen Wanqing was also free of major issues, though the delivery had drained her vitality. She would need to rest and recuperate for a few months.