Chapter 337: The long awaited first cry (2)
As the cry of the baby resounded in the room, Nana cried in joy. It felt music to her ears. Her heart felt a strange sense of contentment.
âThe baby.â¦?â
Nana weakly mumbled. She was panting a lot after the arduous torture she went through.
Liu Chunhua and Grandma Liu felt ecstatic.
âAh, I am a great grandmother now!â
Shinâs eyes also glistened a bit as he heard its cries. Somehow he imagined what it would have felt likeâ¦
Huian held the baby in her arms, and a whirl of emotions passed through her gaze. The baby who she detested eight months back was now in her arms.
But now she didnât feel any hatred or resentment. In fact, the sight of it made her so emotional. She had never imagined that she would first hold their baby and with absolutely no ill feelings at all.
The baby frowned itâs little brows and cried.
âWaaahhhâ¦â
Jinhai saw the baby, and he was still in a daze that their baby was finally born. The long-awaited moment was finally here.
Jinhaiâs eyes got misty, and he didnât stop to wipe the tears rolling down from his cheeks.
He bent and kissed her forehead. âNana⦠itâs our babyâ¦itâs finally hereâ¦â
Nana began to sob in joy and bliss. âI-is it safeâ¦? Is it hurt?â
Jinhai shook his head. âNo. Our child is fine.â
He wanted to hold his child but only after Nana was also able to hold him all fine and healthy. He wanted to stay by her side until she fully recovered.
Huian smiled through her tears as she held the little bundle of joy. âCongratulations. Itâs a boy.â
Everybody at Liu family celebrated and started to dance around. They couldnât contain their excitement of becoming grandparents.
Liu Chunhua wiped her tears. âNana. You did so well. I am so proud of you.â
Shin said, âHuian, place him in the tub and gently wipe his body with the warm water and clean off the blood and other fluids. After the placenta comes out, wait for a minute and then cut the umbilical cord when it stops pulsating.â
âY-yes.â
She was still overwhelmed by everything. She couldnât seem to tear her gaze away from him.
Huian gave him a quick bath and wiped his body with a clean towel.
Nana saw her baby boy, and her heart was filled with immeasurable joy and happiness.
My babyâ¦Thank God you are safeâ¦
Jinhai pressed his forehead on hers and hugged her. He softly whispered. âNana thank youâ¦Iâ¦no matter how much I thank you, itâs still not enough.â
For a moment, Nana forgot all the bitterness between them and just relished this happiness with him of becoming parents.
She pressed his hand in return.
But then she frowned when once again, as she felt an ache in her stomach. She knitted her brows, and Jinhai immediately sensed something wrong.
âNana? What happened? Are you okay?â
âUghâ¦itâs paining againâ¦â
âHuh?â
Shin widened his eyes.
Liu Hai, at the other end, froze. He gulped hard.
Huian was also just as confused.
âAaahhhhâ¦.â
Nana clutched her tummy.
Jinhai asked Shin, âWhat is happening? Why is she still in pain?â
Shin had no idea as well. âI donât know.â
Liu Hai steeled himself. âIâ¦I might knowâ¦â
Jinhai frowned. âWhat do you know?â
âWellâ¦â
Grandma Liu was impatient and snapped at him. âOh, come on, Hai! Why are you standing like a mute? Say something!â
Liu Chunhua narrowed her eyes. âHaiâ¦are you hiding something from us?â
Liu Hai looked guiltily at her.
âTell me, Hai, or I am really going to beat you.â
âDadâ¦â
Jinhai said with a warning clearly evident in his tone. âTell. Me. Now.â
âAaahâ¦.â Nana gave another shrill of a cry.
âSay it already!â
Liu Hai jolted. He sheepishly smiled, scratching his head. âWellâ¦I thought it would be a nice surprise for you twoâ¦â
Jinhai got a sense of foreboding. âWhat nice surpriseâ¦Dad?â
âT-that Nana i-is ca-carry-â
âStop muttering like a broken record and say it, Hai!â Grandma Liu roared.
âNana is carrying twins!â
Silence.
Jinhai â ââ¦â
Nana â ââ¦â
Huian â ââ¦â
Shin â ââ¦â
Liu Chunhua and Grandma Liu too â ââ¦â
âWHAT!!!â
Liu Hai gulped again and looked away from everybodyâs boring gazes into him.
Jinhai stuttered. âW-what did you say?â
âNana is carrying twins.â
âT-twins?â
âHow is it possible? We have gone for check-ups every month, but the doctor never said that I had twins.â
Everybody narrowed their eyes at him, and he wished just to disappear right now.
âHehe, ~~~ I thought that it would be a nice surprise, so I asked the doctor not to tell anything to you two and keep it a secret. Surprise!â
Liu Chunhua folded her arms and looked at him as if she would kill him at any moment.
Jinhai shut his eyes, and it took him all his strength not to flip out at him. Naturally, he was happy that there was twice the joy, but it just came as a huge shock.
Shin had similar feelings as well. He was even got mad at the doctor for actually listening to Liu Hai.
âAhhhhâ¦â
Nana winced in pain again, and everybody snapped out.
Shin said, âNow is not the time to think of that. Nana has to push again.â
Nana could already see stars in front of her.
âI⦠cannot do it anymoreâ¦I am tiredâ¦â
Huian said, âNana, Please try. Just a little more, and your second baby will be out too.â
She shook her head. âNo, I â¦â
Jinhai patted her head and said, âI will help you. Donât worry. Okay? Please try love.â
Nana pushed again harder. It was draining her of all the strength, and she was close to passing out.
Huian had already wiped the elder one clean and wrapped him in a blanket.
Jinhai also gave it a push from outside.
âUghhhhhhhh!!â
Huian once again saw the head of the second baby coming outside.
âI can see the head! Keep going, Nana!â
But no matter how much she tried, this time, Nana wasnât able to push it completely out of her.
She was drenched I sweat, and the world blurred.
âE-enoughâ¦â
Shin got alert. âWhat happened? Why isnât it out yet? It should have been.â
Huian also didnât understand. âI-I donât knowâ¦â
But then she finally saw something. âShinâ¦I can see the cord on his head.â
Shin widened his eyes. âWhat!? That means the umbilical cord is entangled around its neck.â
Nana got afraid. âEntangled? What does it mean? Is it in danger?â
She tearfully looked at Jinhai. âJinhaiâ¦â
âNana, calm down.â
He looked at him and asked. âWhat do you mean?â
Shin hesitated. âWhen Nanaâs belly hit the table, it might have internally caused the umbilical cord to wrap around the second baby somehow. The sudden hit and movement could have shifted the baby such that it coiled around it.â
Liu Chunhua was horrified. âWhat now?â
âHuian. Insert your finger in between the cord and the babyâs skin. Does it feel loose or tight?â
Huian did as told and said, âit isnât so tight. I can pretty much move my finger in and out.â
Shin sighed in relief.
Jinhai asked, worried sick, âSo is it okay?â
Shin nodded. âThankfully, itâs not tight, but we will need to be sure. Nana push harder. Pleaseâ¦once the head is out, Huian can untangle the cord.â
Nana let out a deep sigh. She was dead tired by now. She didnât have the strength to lift even a finger.
But she once again collected every ounce of her strength and pushed hard.
The babyâs head was finally out.
Huianâs hands were shaking. She was a nervous wreck. The sight of so much blood made her dizzy, and now she looked petrified, seeing the cord wound around the babyâs neck.
âHuian, now keep you finger in between his neck and the cord to give him the space to breathe.â
âIâ¦Iâ¦â
Suddenly she felt unsure.
Jinhai said, âDo it, Huian.â
Shin understood her fear. It was already so great that Huian was handling Nanaâs delivery with no experience at all. It was a daunting task, and she was doing it so well. With the painful screams and blood, it was easy to get overwhelmed and even faint. But Huian was doing a good job. Not just good, but an excellent job.
The umbilical cord wrapped around the neck could really look scary.
âHuian. Look at me.â
She bit her lip and stared at Shin. âIâ¦â
âYou can do this, Huian. I trust you.â Shin gazed at her with utter seriousness.
She froze.
Trustâ¦He trusts meâ¦
Nana also weakly nodded. âPleaseâ¦â
She sniffled as tears trickled down.
âI am sure you wonât mess up. You did a marvelous job until now. I know you can do this too.â
Huain slowly nodded and wiped her tears.
Shin smiled. âNow, just do as I said.â
Huian held the babyâs head in her left hand and inserted her right index finger between the cord, and itâs neck. Jinhai helped Nana push, and the baby was finally coming out.
Shin observed the babyâs condition. âSlowly untangle the cord now.â
Huian slowly lifted the cord and freed the baby. She laughed amidst her tears.
âI-itâs done. Congratulations. Itâs a boy again.â
Everybody jumped in joy.
But Shin panicked after a minute. âWhy isnât he crying?â