Chapter 1677: Chapter 1678: Grand Finale 621
Listening to the sounds coming from inside, An Ning shivered outside.
Giving birth is really terrifying, especially in an era with underdeveloped medical care.
No wonder people say that women giving birth is like passing through the gates of hell.
Won’t it take half a life in the process?
Sikong Wuyou quietly comforted her beside him, "Don’t be scared. At worst, we won’t have children in the future..."
After all, he has three older brothers, so he doesn’t bear the responsibility of continuing the family line, and he only wishes to live peacefully for the rest of his life. He doesn’t plan to return to the Royal Residence often.
The identity is there, even though it has been talked about, meeting face-to-face inevitably carries awkwardness, especially when dealing with Sikong Mo.
An Ning flushed and said, "I just feel sorry for Aunt. Being pregnant and giving birth is such a hardship. She needed companionship all this time, but my father wasn’t around, and I don’t even know... when he will actually come back!"
He wasn’t around for the pregnancy and childbirth, and hopefully not until the child can call him papa, and he’s still not back!
Just as An Ning finished speaking, someone outside suddenly shouted, "Wife, I’m back..."
An Dafu was wearing a thick cotton coat, a hat on his head, looking all dusty and hurriedly ran inside, making a comical sight.
An Ning immediately showed a surprised expression, "Dad, Aunt is inside giving birth for you..."
"Got it, got it, quickly help me hold my bundle, I need to go in and see..." An Dafu had just entered the village when he heard from villagers about his wife’s childbirth and felt as if struck by lightning.
Before leaving, he had sincerely hoped for a child, but Qiu never conceived. Though he was open-minded and felt a child wasn’t absolutely necessary.
Unexpectedly, he left on a business trip, missing Qiu’s pregnancy and now catching the childbirth moment.
An Dafu wanted to open the door and go inside, when suddenly the sound of a baby’s cry came from inside, followed by the midwife’s voice, "It’s born, it’s a boy, Qinghe’s mother, you’ve truly reached the end of hardship..."
An Dafu was stunned on the spot until the midwife placed the baby into his arms. Looking at the little bundle in his arms, he was reminded of the scene when An Ning was born.
Back then, An Ning was also so small, red, with a wrinkled face, but in his heart, she was the most beautiful in the world.
Those times he was poor, and An Ning’s mother had a hard pregnancy, resulting in the baby being skinny. Moreover, they couldn’t afford hospital fees and ended up with a severe hemorrhage when she gave birth at home, losing her life.
He cherished An Ning dearly and never brought outsiders home despite having affairs, feeling guilty towards An Ning’s mother.
If he had been more ambitious then, gritting his teeth and going to the hospital for childbirth, perhaps she wouldn’t have lost her life at such a young age.
Now, An Dafu, holding the baby, walked into the birthing room despite the midwife’s attempts to stop him. Seeing the woman lying weakly on the bed made him momentarily overlap her image with the woman from years ago lying on the small wooden bed.
In reality, so much time had passed that he almost forgot An Ning’s mother’s face, but he never forgot her sacrificing her life to give him a child.
Yan stood at the door, watching An Dafu’s heartbroken gaze towards Qiu, smiling quietly.
Actually, Qiu was more fortunate than her. She hoped she could be happier...
To love and not be able to have is the most painful thing in the world, and Qiu, ultimately, had reached the end of her hardship.
On the hill outside the village, today’s sunshine was unusually brilliant, warming the entire earth.
An Ning leaned her head against Sikong Wuyou’s arm, smiling like a silly child.
Sikong Wuyou asked her, "Ningning, when your birthday comes in two years, shall I come to marry you?"
If it weren’t for her age, Sikong Wuyou wouldn’t want to wait any longer.
An Ning calculated in her heart, two years later would make her sixteen, the age of adulthood in this era.
"Okay." An Ning nodded.
Sikong Wuyou lowered his head, his eyes reflecting her image, lips curling into a gentle smile.
She gave him her life, and he would give her everlasting tenderness.
...
Two years later, Sikong Wuyou fulfilled his promise and married An Ning, who, amidst her family’s blessings, carried a grand bridal procession along the road to marry for love.
Apart from her own wealth, An Dafu had amassed a considerable fortune over these two years, giving half of it to her without allowing any refusals.
An Yu also personally came to send formal gifts, even bringing a substantial dowry.
The grand wedding in Long’an County drew the biggest attention in the entire county.
The new top scholar along with the Prime Minister Residence sent gifts, the War Prince Residence welcomed the bride, and for many years no one surpassed it, leaving people to relish in talking about it.
It was also at this wedding that Sikong Wuyou’s true identity was revealed, letting everyone know that though he was merely a small County Magistrate, he had the backing of the entire War Prince Residence.
〈Epilogue〉
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