Chapter 225: Chapter 134: Do Not Give Up
“Husband, do you really want me to feel guilty for a lifetime, never finding peace? Let’s save this child together, shall we?” Su Wenyue, with strength she didn’t know she had, clutched Han Yu’s hand. Her gaze held a firmness never seen before, which made everyone present once again marvel at the greatness of motherhood. Before this, who could have imagined that such a delicate girl could come so far, now sharing Su Wenyue’s determination to save the child?
Even though Han Yu was deeply worried, he couldn’t help but be moved by Su Wenyue’s words, especially the line “guilty for a lifetime, never finding peace,” which shook him. Han Yu was very attentive; although his wife seemed carefree, he could always sense when she was troubled, keeping her worries hidden deep down. If they truly gave up on the child now, it wouldn’t just be his wife who would feel guilt, but he would as well.
“Okay, we will save our child together, but you have to promise me that you will be alright,” Han Yu said as he touched Su Wenyue’s slightly damp cheeks.
Seeing that Han Yu finally agreed, Su Wenyue revealed a surprisingly happy smile and nodded, “I will do my utmost.”
“Not your utmost, but you must,” Han Yu retorted. “Otherwise, if something happens to you, I won’t just stand by with the child. I’ll marry another woman, one even more beautiful and better than you. If you’re heartless enough to let the children suffer under a stepmother, then go ahead and ignore them. Otherwise, take care of yourself properly!”
Han Yu’s words were full of veiled threats, and Su Wenyue knew all too well that her husband’s word was final. At this moment, she was uncertain if he was serious or bluffing. She felt a mix of anger and sadness, knowing that Han Yu only wanted her to persist and not give up, her nose feeling somewhat sour.
“Don’t even dream of it. Our family is finally starting to live a good life; I won’t let another woman take my place. I’m waiting for you to climb the ranks and earn that imperial edict for me, to become a formidable Official’s Wife. If you dare to get involved with another woman, see if I’ll let you off the hook!” Su Wenyue said as she tried to reach for Han Yu’s ear, but her strength gave out halfway, her hand dropping limply, only to be caught by Han Yu.
“As long as you are fine, I won’t get involved with another woman. Otherwise, you won’t be able to do anything about it, and if your son gets kicked out and ends up begging on the street, I won’t care either,” said Han Yu, seemingly wanting to provoke Su Wenyue further.
Fully aware that Han Yu was doing this on purpose, Su Wenyue glared back, fuming, “Just you wait, don’t you even think about it!”
Strangely enough, this altercation didn’t deplete her energy; it seemed to revitalize her instead. Humans are such wondrous creatures with seemingly infinite potential. She had previously felt like she had used up all her strength.
“Good, I’ll wait. If you can hold on, I’ll allow you to have your way at home,” Han Yu finally smiled faintly, pleased to see Su Wenyue in such a state. With this, hopefully, she could safely give birth to the child.
Time was of the essence; the longer the child stayed in the womb, the more dangerous it was. The midwife was ready, and Doctor Lin was also on standby. Han Yu had to step aside and watch as the midwife’s hands moved to his wife’s stomach. His wife’s expression instantly twisted with unbearable pain, yet she clenched her teeth to endure it.
Fearing that Su Wenyue would bite her tongue, the midwife stuffed a towel into her mouth. Su Wenyue cooperated, and although no screams were heard, her forehead dripped with sweat as large as peas, rolling down like pearls. Her hands clenched the sheets tightly, as if this could somehow distribute some of the pain. If not for the child in her stomach, she would have wished for death.
The endless pain seemed to have no end in sight, and she had no idea when it would stop. Su Wenyue kept on persevering. Never in her previous life or this one had she been so determined and desperate. But with everything going dark before her eyes and despite her efforts, she was still overpowered by waves of drowsiness from within her body, making her unconsciously want to close her eyes, as if she had forgotten what she was doing. She even seemed to forget about the pain in her body—it was so intense that she became numb to it.
Han Yu noticed Su Wenyue’s worsening condition and felt a tightening in his heart, “Lady Yue, hold on. Don’t forget what you said. If you fall asleep, both you and the child in your stomach will be in danger. Didn’t you exert every effort to save the child? How can you give up now? What about the two children who were just born? Don’t you want them either?”
“The child, I must save the child.” Su Wenyue, jolted by Han Yu’s shout, regained some lucidity. Right, she must save the child, she had to persist and not drift off.
Han Yu, seeing Su Wenyue’s condition yet still worried, wondered how much longer she could hold on. He had never regretted anything he had done, but at that moment, he felt some regret. Had he known, he wouldn’t have been merciful. Even if he harbored guilt, it would eventually fade with time. If she were gone, then everything would be lost.
Su Wenyue only managed to hold on for a short while before her mind began to drift again. Even Han Yu’s encouraging side was not very effective; her physical endurance had reached its limit. Doctor Lin, seeing this, took a silver needle and inserted it into several acupoints on Su Wenyue’s face to keep her awake.
“It’s in position, it’s in position, the baby is in the correct position.” After what seemed like an eternity, when she almost couldn’t hold on any longer, the midwife joyfully announced. Her face was covered in sweat but showed relief. The odds had never been certain with such a massage, they could only give it their all. With the baby now properly positioned, there was a higher hope for a successful birth.
Hearing the midwife’s words, a hint of joy appeared on everyone’s faces in the room. But now was not the time to relax; the baby had been in the womb too long, and the amniotic fluid was nearly gone. If it did not come out soon, it would be in danger.
Su Wenyue had started her labor in the afternoon, and nearly five hours had passed since. Master Su and his sons were anxiously pacing outside, having lost even the joy they had felt at seeing their two new grandsons and nephews. They only hoped Su Wenyue would be safe. If this last child couldn’t be saved, it wouldn’t matter; two boys had already been born, which secured the Han Family’s lineage. He couldn’t understand why Han Yu had agreed to let Lady Yue undertake such a risky task. Now, there was nothing they could do but wait.
“Madam, push, that’s right, push hard,” the midwife directed Su Wenyue, who could no longer afford to think about anything but following the commands. She used every last bit of her remaining strength, and just as she exerted her final bit of force, she felt something slide out from within her.