After hearing the full story of the deaths of Tian Daxue and Tian Xiaoxue, Wang Huan had only one word: "Deserved!"
Wang Huan was well aware of the Tian family's greed and lack of boundaries, which was why she had risked everything, even death, to seize that opportunity to meet Captain Tian. Otherwise, she and her two younger sisters would surely be living a life of suffering, worse than death.
Tian Jing glanced at Wang Huan, then at Wang Xi, and asked Wang Huan, "Are you just going to live like this forever?"
Wang Huan nodded. "I think this peaceful life is very happy. Little sister likes it too."
The ten-year term had passed, and she had signed for a second ten-year period.
Tian Jing nodded. "Life is ultimately lived for oneself, and the feelings are one's own. As long as you feel happy, that's what matters."
Wang Huan brought up another matter. "We have a new girl in our mess hall. She seems to be from Kushan."
Tian Jing looked around. "Where is she?"
"She went to the restroom."
"She's been gone that long?"
"She's always like this."
"Who does she live with?"
"She lives with one of the cleaning aunties."
"What's her job?"
"She's also doing general cleaning."
Tian Jing warned Wang Huan. "Don't let her know about your situation. Her heart hasn't settled down yet. Be careful she doesn't blurt it out for you."
Wang Huan nodded. "Captain Zeng also told us to keep our distance from her."
The two women stopped talking and silently picked vegetables.
Someone walked in through the door. Upon seeing Tian Jing, the person paused and then walked over. "Captain Tian."
Tian Jing didn't look up. "Lin Duo'er, I've been in the mess hall for half an hour. This compound is large, but everything everyone does is being quietly observed, and it's all recorded in their performance reviews. It's not like you can slack off in the nursery."
Lin Duo'er's face turned red. "I, my stomach hurt. I went to borrow a sanitary pad."
Tian Jing finally looked up, staring into Lin Duo'er's eyes. "There's a shop, a mess hall, an ATM, and a team member trading store here."
Lin Duo'er lowered her head and said nothing.
Tian Jing stood up and addressed Lin Duo'er, speaking towards the top of her head. "My guilt has been eased because of your actions. And because of your actions, I'm also glad I changed my mind."
"Some people have the foresight to change their minds in time and have no regrets in life. Others don't change their minds in time and live with regret their whole lives."
"This is not Kushan. Any one of the team rules can end your short life. You'd best be careful."
Tian Jing walked out of the mess hall, took out her phone, and sent a text to Zeng Jingrong before returning to Kushan.
...
At the end of the month, the atmosphere in the Li family was a little tense. This tension was all brought about by Han Lushi. Li Weili's due date was still a week away, and he wanted Li Weili to go to the clinic to stay.
Mother Li and Tian Jing found it both amusing and exasperating. Lili's belly had only slightly dropped, and she had just entered her pelvis. Why would she need to stay at the clinic? Besides, there were doctors in Kushan.
Li Weili was annoyed by Han Lushi's anxiety and pinched his waist, telling him to stop making a fuss.
Han Lushi's expression was pained, but his eyes held a smile. "I'll be more at ease if you stay at the clinic."
Li Weili glanced at him. "If you're at ease, my grandmother and mother will have to work harder. If they don't see me, they'll worry, and they'll probably come over three or four times a day!"
Alright, Han Lushi compromised. "Then we'll go when your stomach starts hurting."
They waited for a week. The due date passed, but Li Weili's stomach still didn't hurt.
Han Lushi became even more anxious.
Tian Jing looked at her daughter's belly and comforted her son-in-law. "Tomorrow, after breakfast, go to the clinic."
Han Lushi breathed a sigh of relief.
The next morning at breakfast, Li Weili's stomach began to hurt.
The "master of anxiety" directly picked her up and urged his mother-in-law to quickly grab their bags and go to the clinic.
Li Zhengguo took a bowl of congee in one gulp. "I'll take you to the clinic. You and your mother can finish packing your things and then come."
Li Weili waved the steamed buns in her hand and said to her mother, "Bring me a few steamed buns."
Grandma had specifically made her pickled cabbage buns this morning, and she had only eaten the second one.
Tian Jing shook her head and smiled wryly. If it weren't for Lushi's excessive anxiety, it wouldn't have been too late for their daughter to eat this meal before going to the clinic.
In the afternoon of November 6th, Li Sixuan was born.
Han Lushi only glanced at his daughter before rushing to enter the delivery room to see Li Weili.
The nurse told him to wait outside and that the mother would be pushed out soon.
Han Lushi paced back and forth outside the delivery room. Tian Jing told her mother-in-law to take the little Xuanxuan back to the ward and that she would stay to wait.
Mother Li, holding her great-granddaughter, smiled and returned to the ward. She was very pleased that the first of her great-grandchildren was a girl, and a girl being the eldest was even better, as she could command her brothers.
Ten minutes later, Li Weili was pushed out. Her face was a little pale, but her spirits were good.
Han Lushi walked alongside the gurney, following her into the ward, and then gently lifted Li Weili from the gurney onto the hospital bed.
The nurse pushed the IV stand to the bedside and took the gurney away.
Han Lushi sat by the hospital bed, gazing at Li Weili. As he watched, his eyes welled up with tears. "Lili, we only need Xuanxuan. We won't have any more children."
He had heard Lili's cries of pain from outside the delivery room and had almost rushed in.
Li Weili gestured for him to lean down and raised her hand to wipe away the tears from his eyes. "Xuanxuan will be lonely."
Han Lushi placed Li Weili's hand on his face. "She'll have cousins, and eventually, a spouse. I only have you."
Li Weili could feel the slight tremble in his large hand. At this moment, she didn't want to provoke him. "Okay."
Han Lushi finally relaxed. "You're tired. You should get some sleep."
"Mmm," Li Weili closed her eyes. She was truly exhausted.
The ward fell silent. Tian Jing told her mother-in-law to stay here and that she would go back to make porridge, soup, and dinner.
Han Lushi got up, wanting to escort his mother-in-law.
Tian Jing waved her hand and said softly, "I'll drive back myself. Dad will pick you or Grandma up on his way home from work for dinner."
As soon as Tian Jing opened the door, she saw Ouyang Meihua and Li Min running over.
Li Min's voice arrived before she did. "Sister-in-law, has Lili given birth? Boy or girl?"
Tian Jing pushed the door open and walked in. "She has. It's a girl."
Li Min's eyes crinkled into a smile. "A girl is good, a girl is good."
Ouyang Meihua quickly climbed the steps. "Lili always said it would be a girl."
Li Min followed her up the steps. "I heard ultrasounds can be wrong. Sister-in-law, what's Lushi's attitude? Does he dislike girls?"
Thinking of her son-in-law's worry, Tian Jing smiled and shook her head. "Lushi said he doesn't want Lili to have any more children."
Li Min waved her hand dismissively. "Men are all like that. They get scared by the screams of women giving birth, but after a while, they'll want a second child."
Ouyang Meihua disagreed. "Lushi is different from others. He loves Lili more than anyone in our family. I don't think he'll necessarily want a second child."
Li Min didn't believe her.
Ouyang Meihua made a bet with her.
Li Min agreed and asked about the stakes.
Tian Jing interrupted the two of them. "Li Min, you're wrong. If Lili wants a second child, she needs Lushi's permission."
"Lushi will not agree to a second child. He treats Lili as his everything, and Lili is his home. He is truly frightened."
"Your bet isn't clear enough, and it will definitely lead to arguments and hurt feelings later."
"Besides, time changes people and things. No one can say for sure what the future holds right now."
Ouyang Meihua and Li Min's bet was called off, and they both helped with cooking and making soup.