10 New Leaf, New Life

One hour passed, then another, and then another. Hours after hours passed in a blink of an eye and everyone was still hanging by a thread outside the delivery chambers.

Everything was silent as no one dared to even breathe loudly. All, whether it be the maids, or the servants wore grave expressions. Occasionally, the sound of heart-wrenching screams and cries of pain could be heard coming from the delivery chambers.

Wang Fang and Old Huo were sitting grievously as they had been tired out by pacing back and forth in the hallway for hours. Even Lady Wang was starting to fear the worst. Having such awful thoughts, she was starting to get nervous about her pregnancy as well.

As the sun had drifted to the other side of the sky, bringing forth the dawn of twilight, birds were returning to their nests while the children, to the embrace of their mothers. The moon was beginning to emerge luminously, casting a calm and relaxed atmosphere over the earth.

Li Yan looked miserable as she struggled on the bed, trying to cope with the pain of her body ripping apart as she pushed with all her might. She had beads of sweat dripping down her face, and then over to the bedsheets, making them wet. Her hand was messy and her lower body was covered in blood.

Li Yan felt like she was in the purgatory of hell. Even during her previous childbirth, she hadn't suffered so much physical pain. Slowly, she was losing her energy and hope alike. Her vision was darkening and she could only hear the muffled yells of the maidservants and midwives trying to urge her to not fall unconscious.

Unknowingly, Li Yan clenched her fists, her nails digging into her skin, but it was inconsequential to what was at stake. smiling bitterly, Li Yan who was on the verge of a breakdown, decided to give her all for the last time to not have any regrets even if she were to die.

Although it was true that Li Yan was a strong-willed, resilient woman, the pain of losing an infant on multiple occasions would be enough to break any mother, and Li Yan was no exception.

Suddenly, Li Yan screamed at the top of her lungs, her sound louder than ever before, as she gave one final push.

At this critical moment, the physician's eyes shined as he could see an opening. Skillfully, he moved the infant in such a way that the one last knot in the umbilical cord released.

Silence, absolute silence.

As if the world itself had stopped, no one spoke. The birds outside seemed to have sensed the tension inside as they too did not utter a squeak. Man and animal, everyone seemed to be on the edge, waiting for that special moment while fearing that it might never happen.

"Waaaaah!"

"Waaaaaah!"

"Gaaaaaaa!"

The noise of lively crying abruptly erupted,

leaving the delivery chambers and reaching everyone outside as all drew a long breath of relief while their sunken, distressed expressions softened immediately as the tension was visibly relieved. While hearing the cry of the baby, her baby, Li Yan slumped over the bed in fatigue as she moved her head towards the sound of the infant, reaching her hands out in the air.

As the newborn baby emerged into the world, it drew in its first breath of air, and a cry burst forth from its tiny, pink lips. The sound was a symphony of new life, a pure and raw expression of the baby's arrival in the world.

The baby's cry echoed throughout the delivery room, its intensity filling the space with a sense of urgency and energy. The little one's face was scrunched up in distress, the delicate features contorted in a primal expression of discomfort and uncertainty.

But even in its tears, there was a sense of wonder and awe. The cry was a testament to the power of life, a reminder of the beauty and fragility of the human experience. And as the medical team attended to the newborn, the cry slowly began to fade, replaced by the soft murmurs of comfort and love that would soon envelop the little one in Li Yan's warm embrace.

The head nurse took the infant from the physician and cleaned the blood from it with a clean cotton cloth. Then she wrapped the little one in a soft, warm blanket made with fine fabric.

The head nurse then smiled as she looked at the infant who was sucking on its thumb. Moving closer to Li Yan who yearned to hold her baby, she said merrily, "Lady Li, congratulations! You birthed a son! He has your eyes."

Li Yan was exhausted and couldn't even get up on the bed, she raised her body slightly while looking at her son in the nurse's arms with tender, motherly love.

The nurse carefully handed the child into Li Yan's arms and Li Yan treated the baby with utmost care as if he was the greatest treasure on earth.

As she looked at her boy's face, she could see Li Junwei's resemblance to the boy as he had his father's face and his mother's eyes. A tear escaped Li Yan's eye as she gently held the baby to her bosom and muttered, "My boy… My son…."

As if responding to her plea, the infant laughed and giggled merrily as he threw his arms around. Suddenly, the boy's small arm reached Li Yan's eye as he swooped her falling tear with his thumb and then sucked on it joyfully.

Seeing this, everyone's heart warmed. Especially Li Yan was delighted to no end as she shared her warmth with the child, holding him in her arms, and putting her cheeks to his.

Basking in such soft comfort, the little fellow actually closed his eyes in leisure and fell asleep with his thumb still inside his mouth. Sensing that everything was fine, Li Yan also relaxed her mind and body, and she too immediately fell asleep.

The physician also smiled looking at the scene as he tipped the sweat off of his face. The delivery had been extremely close and complicated, without Li Yan's extra effort, both mother and child wouldn't have survived. And surely, he wouldn't have survived following that either.

The physician left the delivery chamber and emerged in front of everyone outside who was waiting for the news. Although they had heard the cry of an infant, they didn't know if Li Yan was fine or not.

With a smile, the physician announced happily, "A son is born, and both the child and mother are safe. Congratulations."

Hearing this, everyone finally released their tensed muscles and stiff faces. Wang Fang showed a gentle smile, he seemed to be satisfied that nothing unruly happened on his watch. On the other hand, Lady Wang's face bloomed with pure delight. She immediately rushed inside to see the baby.

People like Old Huo, Yao Wuhan, and Fan Weijin felt a heavy rock lift from their chests as they silently heaved sighs of relief, giving each other looks of congratulations—they now had a Young Lord to serve as well.

After congratulations and greetings, everyone dispersed, going back to their respective stations although in a merry mood. In fact, the whole estate was rejuvenated with a lively, happy spirit as everyone welcomed and celebrated the autumn season and the new life that it brought along.

However, this was but the mere beginning of happiness and festivities as two days later, Lady Wang also went into labor and gave birth to a healthy, plump baby girl without any complications or issues.