Klaus was unfamiliar with Zhou Yi.

He was bewildered by her accusation.

Qi Wei pulled Zhou Yi away:

“Let the couple talk, why are you butting in?”

Wen Manni endured her contraction pains, “She’s Zhou’s sister, she’s been comforting me.”

“Thank you, I’m very grateful that you brought Connie to the hospital. Connie, how are you feeling now? Are you still insisting on natural birth? I don’t agree, I think a C-section might be better… Dear, don’t worry, I’m here, follow my rhythm to breathe, yes, yes, just like that, you’re doing great!”

Klaus encouraged Wen Manni. Her sweaty face wasn’t pretty at all – she wasn’t young anymore, and pregnancy had given her spots.

But when Klaus kissed her forehead, his love and care were overflowing.

Zhou Yi watched in amazement.

When it came to wives giving birth, this American man’s involvement was incredibly high.

Comparing it to when she gave birth, Yuan Han didn’t even know when to sign documents. Zhou Yi laughed at her foolishness.

Back then, how did she think Yuan Han truly loved her?

Love expressed only in words was weightless, unlike this middle-aged couple married for many years.

Klaus wanted to accompany her into the delivery room, but Wen Manni refused.

Eventually, for safety considerations, they chose a C-section and delivered an 8-pound boy.

When Wen Manni was wheeled out of the operating room, Klaus first asked about his wife’s vital signs, then about the baby.

Seeing Zhou Yi lost in thought, Qi Wei shrugged:

“This is common in America. During childbirth, they don’t forget about the mother and focus solely on the baby.”

Is the child more important than the wife?

Men who did that would likely receive divorce papers after their wives were discharged.

Zhou Yi smiled too:

“It’s good that both mother and child are safe.”

When Professor Wen and Hu Ying rushed from Ithaca, Wen Manni had already given birth.

Being able to see their grandson at their age naturally made the elderly couple very happy.

Zhou Yi made an international call to share the good news with Xia Xiaolan, first calling the Pengcheng Company where they said Chairman Xia would arrive tomorrow, then calling the courtyard house in Beijing’s Shichahai, where Xia Xiaolan answered:

“Sister Zhou Yi, you’re at the hospital too?”

“Qi Wei said she was taking Connie to the hospital for a check-up, and since I didn’t have class, I came along…”

Who knew that upon arriving at the hospital there would be signs of labor, and she ended up waiting until Wen Manni safely delivered her child.

Is Zhou Yi taking the initiative to help?

People do grow up when they’re taught how to behave.

Xia Xiaolan felt slightly gratified, “Sister Zhou Yi, thank you. I can’t be there for Connie’s delivery, it’s good that you’re there.”

Xia Xiaolan asked Zhou Yi to help select some gifts, nothing too expensive, just suitable for children. Zhou Yi readily agreed.

After hanging up, Zhou Yi rubbed her face.

Somehow, she could tell Qi Wei about her plans to apply to law school, but couldn’t say it in front of Xia Xiaolan.

It wasn’t fear of mockery, but rather wanting to achieve something before speaking… not afraid of ridicule, but afraid of disappointing the other person?

Good heavens, what kind of psychology was this?

Zhou Yi slapped herself a few times, what was wrong with her?

—Xia Xiaolan was her future sister-in-law, not her mother!

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t gone to Pengcheng yet.

Because she knew the paternity test results would come out today.

Just before receiving Zhou Yi’s call, she had taken Xu Changle’s call, confirming that Tina was indeed Xu Zhongyi’s biological daughter.

Grandmother Yu was also present. Upon hearing this news, the old lady didn’t show excessive joy, but Xia Xiaolan could see her expression was relaxed, presumably having lifted a weight from her heart—if the test had shown Tina wasn’t a Xu child, the old lady wouldn’t have been sad but would have worried about Xu Zhongyi and Xu Changle’s feelings.

On the same day, hearing that Wen Manni had safely given birth, Xia Xiaolan smiled at Grandmother Yu after hanging up:

“This is double happiness, all good news!”

Grandmother Yu was even happier about the second piece of news, “The Wen family are good people, Wen Manni helped a lot when we went to San Francisco to search for relatives.”

She then went to her room and rummaged through her belongings, finding a white jade-carved rabbit.

“It’s beautiful!”

Xia Xiaolan wasn’t joking – the rabbit’s carving was exquisite, about the size of a walnut, with every hair visible and pure white throughout.

Even more remarkable were the rabbit’s eyes, not inlaid red stones but naturally red parts of the jade skillfully highlighted by the carver. With good material and excellent craftsmanship, this little piece was adorably cute.

“I was going to have Zhongyi take it to America, but he left directly from Shangdu, so I’ll have to trouble you to send it to America, as a gift for the Wen family’s newborn.”

Wen Manni’s son, according to Chinese tradition, was born in the Year of the Rabbit.

Had the old lady prepared this in advance, or did she just happen to have such an item?

Xia Xiaolan was curious, “I didn’t know you had such nice things?”

Grandmother Yu gave her a side-eye, “At my age, can’t I have a few treasured items? Don’t worry, you won’t miss out. When you get married, I naturally have good things for you.”

Xia Xiaolan quickly waved her hands, “I’m not asking for things, your treasures should naturally be saved for your grandchildren… I was just curious, I thought besides what Uncle Xu took to America, everything else would have been lost during the Cultural Revolution.”

The old lady had hidden things very deeply – giving away such a fine jade rabbit, and suggesting she had even better things saved for her?

Xia Xiaolan didn’t covet Grandmother Yu’s possessions, she was just puzzled.

Grandmother Yu had such a hard time when she was a street sweeper, with such a small monthly salary, how could she resist using valuable items if she had them?

Grandmother Yu pushed the jade rabbit into her hands:

“Having money means you should enjoy it – that’s young people’s thinking. Some people even borrow money to enjoy themselves! When you have money and can resist touching it, you’ll have reached the next level… Of course, I hope you never need to reach that next level.”

How could she dare to use them?

The house was returned by the state, it was ancestral property. As long as she was strong enough, with so many eyes watching, who could tear down her house and take it away?

But other valuable things were different. If people knew she still had things hidden away, and outsiders harbored ill intentions, it would surely harm her.

Compared to one’s life, what was enjoyment? She had enjoyed a life of luxury in her youth!

Xia Xiaolan didn’t understand because she was young and hadn’t experienced war. During the Cultural Revolution, how old was Xia Xiaolan? Living in the poor countryside, she hadn’t encountered violence and struggle sessions!

Xu Zhongyi didn’t understand when he was young either – with his scholarly pride, he was targeted as soon as he went abroad.

Of course, it was more because of Cui Yiru. Wealth shouldn’t be flaunted – who knew the person sharing your pillow would be impossible to guard against?

Without enough self-protection, even letting out a hint was a death warrant.

After giving the jade rabbit, Grandmother Yu went to pack her things. Whether Tina was a Xu family child determined the old lady’s attitude toward her. She told Xia Xiaolan she would go to Pengcheng this time—the old lady wanted to meet the mystifying Mrs. Wilson!

The old lady’s exact words to Xia Xiaolan were:

“Why is she pretending to care about the Xu family’s child? Even if our family members beat each other’s brains out, we don’t need an old American woman meddling!”