The elders and Yan Aohan had departed. Zhu Yanyi returned to stay at the Xie residence. A few days later, news arrived that Xie Xinlian was going into labor. The day happened to be the eighth day of the eighth lunar month.
Zhu Yanyi followed Qi Qiao’er to the hospital. Xie Xinlian had already been pushed into the operating room. According to Zhu Yanyi’s estimated due date, Xie Xinlian had been admitted on the fifth day of the month, so all preparations for the birth were well in place.
“Dad, Mama is very healthy. I checked her pulse yesterday, so please don’t worry,” Zhu Yanyi comforted Zhu Shunyao, who was pacing back and forth in front of the operating room door.
Zhu Shunyao nodded. Although this was not her first time waiting for a birth—the previous two had been at home—she was still anxious. Fortunately, Xie Xinlian’s labor went smoothly. Her body had been well-nourished by Zhu Yanyi’s Spirit Spring water during pregnancy, making the delivery particularly easy. Half an hour after entering the room, the baby was born. It was 10:08 AM. A boy, weighing six jin and seven liang.
“I have a little brother!” Zhu Yanyi’s face lit up with joy, her smile wide. “My brother was born on the eighth day of the eighth month. My sister was born on the seventh day of the seventh month. I was born on the third day of the third month. Our three birthdays are so interesting.”
“Ah, it’s true,” Xie Zhong nodded from the side. “It seems you three siblings really know how to pick dates.”
The newborn baby did not look pretty. To Zhu Yanyi, she looked like a red-skinned mouse. That was her honest thought. However, she was still very happy. Their family was finally different. They finally had a little brother. While looking at the baby, she quietly used her ability to smooth out her energy, ensuring she would be healthy and free from illness or disaster.
“Have you thought of a name for the child?” Xie Zhong asked Zhu Shunyao, who was so happy he was almost dancing with joy.
Zhu Shunyao couldn’t stop smiling. He shook his head. “I only have a primary school education. Let Grandpa help choose a name. According to our Zhu family’s generation order, the next character should be ‘Zhi’.”
“It seems your Zhu family follows the line ‘Zhi xian ren zhi li tian xia ye’ (Knowing the benefit of wise men to the world) for the generation names,” Xie Zhong said after a moment of thought. “Wen wu cheng bin (Civil and military make ‘Bin’). Looking at his face, he has potential in both civil and martial paths. So, let’s call him Bin.”
“Zhu Zhibin,” Zhu Shunyao repeated it twice. “It’s a nice name. Let’s call her Zhu Zhibin.” she thought for a moment and added, “My wife and I already thought of a nickname. If it were a girl, we’d call her A-Niu. Since it’s a boy, we’ll call her Doumiao.”
Rural people still held the custom that humble names were easier to raise, so children usually had a formal name and a nickname. Zhu Yanyi thought the nickname Doumiao (Bean Sprout) sounded much nicer than other common nicknames like Gouzi (Doggy) or Goudan (Dog Egg).
“Doumiao, our little Doumiao,” Zhu Yanyi laughed. “Brother will be called Doumiao from now on.”
Since Xie Xinlian gave birth to a boy, Zhu Shunyao told some people on his way home. Soon, most of the villagers in Gǎn’ēn Village knew that Zhu Shunyao had a son.
Aunt Lian mentioned this at home. “I thought Shunyao clashed with the Fourth Branch when he was part of it. Look at him now, after leaving the Fourth Branch. He built a house, and now he has a son. His life is clearly getting more and more prosperous.”
Aunt Lian’s husband, Wang Laofu, nodded. “Exactly. You really can’t deny it. When Shunyao was in the Fourth Branch, their life was so comfortable. Now that Shunyao has left, their life isn’t as easy as before.”