Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

He let out a long, heavy sigh, feeling a great weight lift from his shoulders. Now that the baby was born, he could finally put his skills to good use. He would use Juhua’s postpartum confinement to treat her both externally and internally, nursing her back to full health.

Zheng Changhe and the other three were overjoyed. They could clearly tell that Doctor Qin’s words were very different from his usual cautious statements; he wouldn’t have spoken this way unless he was completely confident.

Yang Family and He finally couldn’t hold back their tears and began to weep softly.

Zhang Dashuan and Zheng Changhe paid them no mind—women were always weepy, after all. The two men busily and cheerfully urged Doctor Qin to eat, eagerly placing food onto his plate.

Zheng Changhe said, "I’ll have some food, too. I’m feeling a bit peckish." With that, he got up to fill his bowl with rice, making Zhang Dashuan laugh. But then Zhang Dashuan himself kept picking at the dishes nonstop. Qin Feng smiled at the sight.

He wiped her eyes and asked, "Doctor Qin, is Juhua’s body severely weakened? Is that why she’ll need several years to recover?"

Qin Feng shook his head. "That’s not quite right. Juhua is young, so the incision will heal strong quite easily. All things considered, her recovery will be much easier than Aunt Liu’s. However, just to be cautious, it’s better to wait a few years before having a second child. After all, she was cut open. Letting her body recover for a few more years will ensure there’s no danger during future childbirths."

Everyone nodded, agreeing that this made sense.

In the main hall, Zhang Huai changed into a set of clothes that had been prepared for him beforehand. He then entered the delivery room to find Yun Ying sitting by the bed, whispering something to Juhua.

He quietly approached, his eyes falling on Juhua’s pale face. Her dark hair was splayed across the pillow, making her look exceptionally haggard and fragile. His eyes instantly welled with tears. Only four hours had passed, but to him, it felt like a lifetime had gone by. He stared at her for a long moment before forcing a smile and asking, "Does it hurt?"

He regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. ’Of course it hurts! What a stupid question!’

So he quickly added, "Just focus on resting. Everything at home is fine, and the babies are doing well. Aunt Liu is nursing them, so you don’t need to worry."

Juhua watched him stand stiffly by the bed, dryly rattling off facts as if he were giving a work report. His hat was on crooked, making him look utterly ridiculous. She couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. She wanted to say something but didn’t know what, so she simply gazed at him with a tearful smile.

She lay there, unable to nod and afraid to move. Her wound was throbbing with pain, but her expression was one of relief and contentment. ’I really made it through,’ she thought.

Huai Zi hurriedly bent over to wipe her tears away, coaxing her in a hoarse voice, "Don’t cry, don’t cry! I’m right here with you. You’ll be better in a few days..."

Seeing him use his bare hand to wipe away Juhua’s tears, Yun Ying quickly passed him a cotton cloth and said, "Brother Huai Zi, you should head out after checking on her. She needs peace and quiet right now and shouldn’t get too emotional. I’m about to use acupuncture to help her sleep. You can come back and talk to her tonight; she should have more energy by then. Please go out and explain to Auntie and Uncle, and tell them to visit her later."

Juhua didn’t want him to worry, so she whispered, "I’m doing fine. You can go for now. Come back and keep me company tomorrow. And tell Mother and the others not to worry."

Huai Zi nodded helplessly. He said a few more comforting words to her before reluctantly leaving the room.

Seeing him come out, Qingmu hurried over and asked in a low voice, "How is she? Is Juhua alright?"

Huai Zi closed the door and nodded. "She’s alright. It’s just... it’s just that it must be incredibly painful. Her color isn’t good." Though he knew Juhua was out of danger, he couldn’t stop thinking about the incision she’d endured. ’How much must that hurt?’ He couldn’t shake the thought. His hand remained on the doorknob as he stared blankly at the door, unable to pull away.

Qingmu’s heart ached for her as well. After a moment, he tried to console him, "She’ll be fine in a few days. The pain is unavoidable. Think about it—even if Juhua had given birth naturally, wouldn’t it still have hurt? Some women are in labor for a whole day and night and still can’t deliver. It’s not often you see someone like your sister-in-law, who finished in just four hours."

Huai Zi nodded, forcing himself to rally. "You’re right. Now that Juhua’s safe, we should be happy. That’s what she’d want to see."

Qingmu smiled and nodded. "That’s the spirit. You go eat first. You can come back to watch over her after your meal."

Huai Zi shook his head. "You go. Just bring a bowl back for me."

Unable to change his mind, Qingmu had no choice but to head to the kitchen.

When Yun Ying came out of the room to eat, Liu Yunlan took her place watching over Juhua. Yang Family and the others crowded around Yun Ying, asking once more for confirmation that Juhua was fine. Only after her reassurance did they finally feel completely at ease.

Thus, except for mealtimes, Yun Ying remained on guard in the delivery room. Qin Feng also popped in periodically to check Juhua’s pulse. Seeing all this, He and the others grew even more reassured. Adding to their relief was the fact that the two babies had successfully nursed from Aunt Liu. The family finally shed their terror and grief, and the first hints of joy appeared on their faces.

By the afternoon, all the neighbors had heard that the Zhang family had been blessed with fraternal twins. Meizi, Shi Tou’s mother, and others came by to offer their congratulations and pay a visit. They were led into the west room, where they were only able to see the two babies. He explained that Juhua had a very difficult time during childbirth and was now resting, so they couldn’t disturb her.

With more and more visitors arriving, Yang Family and He busied themselves boiling red eggs and making celebratory pastries, while Heiya helped tend the fire. Liu Yunlan, for her part, was in a constant flurry of washing, carefully scalding every utensil and piece of clothing with boiling water.

The family was in a flurry of activity, so Aunt Liu told young Heipi to get to work cleaning the courtyard, carrying firewood and water, and running errands. Later, Liu Heizi came over as well. When he heard that the Young Madam had given birth to twins, he offered hearty congratulations to Zhang Dashuan and Zheng Changhe. Then, he shouldered a hoe and headed to the fields to help dig up the Shanyu.

Seeing this, Zhang Dashuan wanted to go with him, but he couldn’t bear to leave, wanting to stay home and look at his grandson.

Liu Heizi laughed. "Master, Heipi and I can handle it. It won’t take me more than a few days to finish that plot. You’ve just been blessed with a grandson—you should take a day off and stay home!"

Zhang Dashuan was delighted to hear this and didn’t argue, choosing to stay behind.

The Liu Family didn’t really understand the proper etiquette for a prominent household, and even the Zhang family didn’t know much better. Their forms of address were a jumble of "Master," "Lady," and "Young Madam." Zhang Dashuan, in turn, called him "Brother Heizi." There was no rhyme or reason to any of it, and no one bothered to correct them.