The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 84 - 83: Ruanruan

Xue Yue was only now realizing that breastfeeding for the first time was no easier than giving birth.

Once the baby was full, Xue Yue let out a sigh of relief.

The baby ate and then fell asleep again.

When Xue Xingzhou returned with food, he asked about the baby’s name.

"Have you thought of a name yet?"

He Lang looked at his daughter on the bed and shook his head. "Not yet."

"Let’s call her Ruanruan for her nickname," Xue Yue said softly.

He Lang thought it was a fitting name for his tiny, soft little daughter.

"That’s a lovely nickname. Ruanruan. Yes, let’s go with that."

"Mom, did Dad say anything about naming the baby?" Xue Yue looked at Mrs. He.

Mrs. He shook her head. "He hasn’t picked one yet. It doesn’t matter who names her. Our family isn’t particular about that sort of thing."

He Lang looked at Xue Xingzhou. "Big Brother, why don’t you pick one?"

Xue Xingzhou thought for a moment. "How about He Ziluo?"

"He Ziluo," He Lang repeated.

"He Ziluo, that’s nice. Let’s make that her formal name." As Xue Yue spoke, she glanced at Ruanruan, who was sleeping soundly.

And so, little baby Ruanruan’s formal name and nickname were both decided.

Xue Xingzhou had to work, so he left that evening, taking Mrs. He home with him.

He Lang had taken leave from work and stayed at the hospital to accompany Xue Yue.

Originally, Xue Yue’s family were the only ones in the hospital room.

That evening, another family moved in. The woman had a large belly and was already having contractions. It looked like she was about to give birth.

As soon as they came in, the family’s man and an old woman kept sizing up Xue Yue and He Lang.

When they learned that Xue Yue had given birth to a girl, the look in their eyes changed completely.

"No way, we have to change rooms! Having a boy or a girl is contagious! The last time we had a girl, it was because the person in our room also had a girl. We’re not staying here!" the family’s mother-in-law shouted, demanding to find a nurse and switch rooms.

He Lang held their baby, glaring at them with a hostile expression.

Lying in her bed, Xue Yue treated it like a joke and didn’t say a word.

It was unclear what the nurse told them, but in the end, they shuffled back in dejectedly.

The old woman started complaining again with a "tsk tsk." "What bad luck. Listen, daughter-in-law, you better make me proud. This time, we have to have a boy."

The woman nodded. "Mom, don’t worry. Everyone says this one is definitely a boy."

"Hmph, that’s good. I don’t want another one of those little girls. Girls are just raised for other families anyway. They’re a total waste of money." As the old woman spoke, she glanced at the baby in He Lang’s arms.

This time, Xue Yue couldn’t hold back. How could the precious baby she had worked so hard to deliver be called a waste of money?

"Excuse me, ma’am," Xue Yue said nonchalantly. "You’re a woman too. If you think women are such a waste of money, then you might as well not be alive. Living, you waste food; dead, you’ll waste land."

When the old woman saw that Xue Yue dared to curse her, her drooping eyelids shot up.

"You little tramp! How dare you jinx me! You look decent enough, so why don’t you speak like a human being?"

Xue Yue snorted. "Hah. I speak like a human to humans. When I run into something that isn’t human, I speak nonsense."

"You little bitch! I’ll tear that mouth of yours apart!" The old woman was just about to lunge at Xue Yue when she saw He Lang hand the baby to her, roll up his sleeves, and take a step forward, his frosty eyes fixed on her.

Seeing this, the old woman gulped and didn’t dare to advance. Instead, she turned and kicked her son, who was sitting on the bed.

"Eldest, you go! Teach her a lesson for that filthy mouth of hers!"

Her son glanced at He Lang, his eyes wavering, and tugged on his mother’s arm.

"Mom, stop making a scene. My wife’s about to give birth any minute. Just wait for your grandson."

The old woman glanced at He Lang and decided to quit while she was ahead.

"Hmph. What’s there to be so proud of? She just popped out a girl."

Xue Yue ignored her, turning away with the baby to go to sleep.

A little after ten, the woman’s water broke, and she was taken to the delivery room.

The room finally fell completely silent.

He Lang leaned back in his chair, watching Xue Yue sleep while holding his daughter, his face full of tender affection.

In the early morning hours, the other family returned from the delivery.

Xue Yue was awakened by the commotion.

"Didn’t they say it was a boy? How could it be a girl? Did you swap my baby in the delivery room?" the old woman’s voice was hysterical.

A nurse said helplessly, "Ma’am, there were only two mothers in the delivery room, and the other one hasn’t even given birth yet. How could there be a mix-up?"

"Impossible! Mine was a boy!"

The nurse was exasperated. She ignored the old woman and left.

It wasn’t just the old woman who was disgusted; the couple was too. They all wore expressions of contempt. The baby was placed in the bassinet, and no one went to look at her.

After a while, the baby started to fuss and cry. It was hard to tell if she was wet or hungry.

Not one of the three paid her any mind. They all went to their own beds to sleep.

Xue Yue was too disturbed to sleep, and Ruanruan, who had been sleeping in her arms, was also woken up and began to cry.

Xue Yue had no choice but to turn on her side and breastfeed her.

Seeing this, He Lang walked over and kicked their bed.

"Get up and take care of your child. Make her stop crying."

The man opened his eyes, saw it was He Lang, and sat up.

He Lang said coldly, "Control your kid. If she keeps making noise, I’ll throw you out."

Only then did the man walk over to the bassinet and pick up the baby.

"Wife, wake up. The baby’s hungry. You should feed her."

The man passed the baby into the woman’s arms.

Hearing the baby’s cries, the woman cursed under her breath but lifted her clothes.

The next morning, Xue Yue was once again awakened by the sound of a baby crying.

She looked down at her own arms. Ruanruan was asleep. It was the other baby crying again.

Xue Yue turned to say something, only to see that the neighboring bed was empty. Only the baby in the bassinet was there, crying.

Xue Yue furrowed her brow, wondering where the family had gone so early in the morning. ’How could they just leave their baby unattended?’ Just then, He Lang returned.

He Lang came in and frowned when he saw the baby still crying.

"He Lang, where did that family go? Why aren’t they looking after their baby?"

He Lang’s hand, holding the food container, twitched. He suddenly remembered seeing the family leaving in a hurry at the hospital entrance when he was coming back with breakfast.

He Lang put the food container down and said to Xue Yue, "They ran off. I saw them at the entrance just now. I think they’ve abandoned the baby."

Xue Yue was shocked. "How could they do that? That’s their own child, after all! Can they just abandon her like that? What will happen to the baby?"

He Lang said, "I’ll go tell a nurse."

A short while later, a doctor arrived with two nurses.

A nurse picked up the baby. "Last night, this family was insisting we swapped their baby, swearing they’d had a boy. Now they’ve gone and abandoned their own child. How can there be such cruel parents in this world?"

The doctor looked at Xue Yue and He Lang, thought for a moment, and said, "The baby is crying nonstop from hunger. Would you be able to feed her? The hospital doesn’t have any formula."

Xue Yue glanced at Ruanruan, who had just finished eating and was asleep again.

She looked at the crying baby in the nurse’s arms, and, unable to bear it, nodded her head.