Blossom in Adversity

C63. Entering the Delivery Room.

Chapter 63: Entering the Delivery Room

As they walked out of the courtyard and onto the long corridor, Hua Zhi asked softly, "Tell me."

Shao Yao tugged at her braid and didn't hide anything, "Grandmother is simply getting old. As people age, their three souls and seven spirits become unsettled, making it easy for them to be startled. That's why she was so taken aback by the thunder. But I could sense that she has let go a bit, and with proper care, her condition might improve."

This was definitely unexpected news, and Hua Zhi's eyes lit up, "Really?"

"When I checked her pulse just now, I had that feeling. I'll go see her again tomorrow. If her mental state improves, everything else will follow suit."

"It's good if she can come to terms with it."

Passing through the Moon Gate, they arrived in a noticeably bustling area.

The other three daughters-in-law of the Hua family were gathered in Fourth Madam's chamber. Zhu Shi was cheering her on, saying loudly, "Save some energy. You've already given birth once, and the second one will come quickly. I've sent someone to get the things ready. Once you finish eating, push hard, and the baby will come out in no time."

Hua Zhi rarely saw her mother-in-law displaying such grace as a senior daughter-in-law. The sequence of events gradually loosened the tension in her heart.

Second Madam Qi was the first to spot her and exclaimed, "Zhi'er is here."

Zhu Shi and Xia Shi looked over as well.

Hua Zhi approached and paid her respects to the three women. Zhu Shi, feeling sorry for her daughter, pulled her close before she could bow, saying, "Weren't you supposed to be studying in the front? A young unmarried girl like you can't be of any help here."

Though unintentional, Second Madam Qi and Xia Shi didn't look pleased, feeling as if their older sister-in-law was showing off her daughter's capabilities in front of them.

"How is Fourth Aunt doing?"

"This is her second child, and she's only about twenty days early. The baby is healthy, so everything should be fine."

Hua Zhi nodded slightly and then grabbed Shao Yao's hand, saying, "Let's go in and check on Fourth Aunt."

"No, you can't," Zhu Shi stopped her, "Unmarried girls can't enter the delivery room. What about your marriage prospects?"

"Mother, I have to go," Shao Yao, also unmarried, saw no reason why she should stay outside while Shao Yao went in.

"It's okay, Hua Hua. I'll go on my own." Shao Yao gently squeezed her hand, thinking that she was unwanted anyway.

Hua Zhi didn't respond with words, but she firmly broke free from her mother's grasp. "Mother, I need to go."

Zhu Shi bit her lip, still disapproving but no longer trying to stop her. She remembered what her own mother had said last time she visited – she couldn't stand in her daughter's way. Her daughter was more capable than her, and she couldn't hold her back. Even if she didn't understand, it didn't matter. She would support her daughter in whatever she wanted to do.

Seeing this, Qi Shi and Xia Shi nudged their elder sister-in-law. Xia Shi urgently said, "How can we let a young girl enter such a dirty place as the delivery room? What will people think if they hear that a girl from the Hua family entered? Even if Hua Zhi doesn't marry, we still have daughters!"

Zhu Shi's ears perked up, and she was about to respond when Hua Zhi halted her with a turn. "If he can't even bear this, how can you possibly agree to your daughter marrying him? Don't put ideas into my mother's head. In the end, she'll still listen to me."