“Look here, there are two gestational sacs and two amniotic sacs, which means you’re carrying twins.”
Ling Yao pointed to the images on the monitor for Cen Bai, indicating the positions of the two sacs one by one, then smiled and congratulated Su Xuezhen.
At seven weeks pregnant, the faint shapes of two tiny little figures could be seen curled up, facing each other in the dark shadows.
Cen Bai seemed to be struck by an enormous surprise. Coming back to his senses, wanting to hug her but hindered by the ongoing examination, he did something unusual—he kissed her forehead outside the exam room.
He usually acted serious and calm, but this time he was genuinely overjoyed.
Su Xuezhen couldn’t help but marvel at the magic of genetics. She knew that Cen Bai’s father, Cen Jianjun, and his brother Cen Jianmin were twins. Because they were older and had different professions, they looked quite different when standing together. At first, she didn’t even recognize they were twins. Later, Cen Bai told her, and she only then understood. Who would have thought this generation would also have twins—hers!
“Dichorionic diamniotic fetuses each have their own placenta and amniotic sac. Their blood vessels don’t mix, and their development usually doesn’t affect each other. This is generally considered one of the better types of twins, with fewer complications. However, since it is twins after all, compared to a singleton, the risks and challenges for the mother are still quite significant.”
Ling Yao earnestly advised, “Take good care of your wife.”
Cen Bai nodded repeatedly and promised, “Definitely!”
After the check-up, the two left the obstetrics department. Cen Bai was still in a daze from the surprise. As they walked out, his mind was muddled, like he was walking on clouds, grinning like a fool. Following behind her, Su Xuezhen was much calmer.
“This Sunday, we both have a day off. Let’s tell our families and have a get-together dinner at our place.”
Even though she was a pediatrician, this was her first time becoming a parent. She wasn’t very confident—one baby was manageable, but two was truly overwhelming. It would be good to hear some advice from family.
Cen Bai came back to his senses quickly and said, “I’ll tell them.”
“You tell your mom’s side, I’ll tell my parents.”
Su Xuezhen wanted to inform her own parents first about the pregnancy. Cen Bai had no objections and replied with a “Okay.” The two quickly walked down to the pediatric building’s entrance. Su Xuezhen planned to go back upstairs and continue working. Turning around, she noticed he still seemed nervous, and she thought this guy had suddenly become so overly anxious. So she said, “Being too nervous isn’t good either. We’ll just do what we’re supposed to do. So far, you’re doing pretty well.”
Suddenly praised by his wife, Cen Bai scratched his head and felt undeserving.
“No, I’m usually so busy with work. Sometimes I don’t come home all night, and I often leave you alone at home.”
“That’s your job. Without you, I probably wouldn’t be able to rest so peacefully at home.”
Even though she was the one pregnant, Su Xuezhen felt like Cen Bai had taken on all the pregnancy anxiety. After coaxing him a bit, she got tired of it and, thinking that he still had eight months to adjust, just sent him off: “You go back to work first. I’m going back upstairs to work.”
“I’ll wait for you at home.”
Cen Bai knew she couldn’t afford to let her work be interrupted. Pregnancy was already hard enough, and he didn’t want to make things worse for her. Su Xuezhen waved to him and went upstairs to work. There were two postoperative patients in the ward that still needed her attention.
At three in the afternoon, the hottest time of day, Cen Bai was full of energy and strength. Like a gust of wind, he quickly rode his bicycle to the main gate of the large lighting factory in the northern part of the city. The wind blew, making the camphor tree leaves rustle.
This was the residential area the factory provided for its workers. Cen Bai had grown up here since childhood.
The security room didn’t even have a fan and felt stuffy. Dai Bin had gone to cool off under a tree. When he saw someone approaching, he hurried over, shouting while running, “Who’s there?”
Cen Bai pushed his bicycle and smiled as he greeted, “Uncle Dai, it’s me, Cen Bai.”
Dai Bin immediately smiled when he saw him and quickly opened the gate. He leaned out the window and asked, “Why are you back today?”
Cen Bai explained, “Some family matters, so I came back for a bit.”
“Come in quickly.”
Dai Bin waved him in.
“Thanks.”
Cen Bai took a long stride, got back on his bicycle, and headed straight for his home. Soon, he saw his house and walked up to unlock the door.
The house was quiet except for the ticking of the clock. Cen Bai called out, “Mom?”
He had eaten a bit too much noodles for lunch and felt a little full. Lou Guilan had been sewing clothes on the sewing machine and had just gone to bed when she was woken up by his voice. Hearing the sound, she thought it was her eldest son, quickly got out of bed, and went to the door. Sure enough, it was him.
Lou Guilan’s sleep instantly vanished, and her tone lifted with joy, “Why are you back?”
“Do you have time this Sunday? Xuezhen and I have something to announce.”
Cen Bai placed the watermelon he’d bought on the table. “Is Xiaofeng off this week? Let him come too.”
“Xiaofeng’s off this week, he’ll definitely have time.”
Lou Guilan was curious, “But what’s the matter?”
“Xuezhen is pregnant.”
Since he was now the father of two kids, Cen Bai tried to suppress his overly joyful expression and kept calm as he continued, “And it’s twins.”
“Rea…really?”
Lou Guilan was so surprised she stammered, “Have you had all the tests?”
“Yes, I saw it myself. Though they’re still very small.”
Cen Bai thought of the two tiny figures facing each other on the screen, his eyes shining with the pride and satisfaction of a new father.
“How is Xuezhen?”
“Is she feeling alright?”
“Is her morning sickness severe?”
Since the young couple didn’t live with them after marriage, Lou Guilan had no idea what was going on with them lately. Seeing they were still so young, she felt particularly uneasy. “No, I’ll have to go check on her at your place tonight. You’re so clueless, you won’t know how to take care of her.”
“It’s fine, everything’s good.”
Cen Bai feared her usual fussiness. Lou Guilan spoiled kids to the extreme—she still kept all the toys and clothes from when the three siblings were little. He hurriedly stopped his mom, “We agreed to meet Sunday, you might scare her if you come over now.”
Lou Guilan bustled off to the kitchen to get something. “Your dad just brought back a rack of beef ribs last night. You can stew it for Xuezhen. Also, here are some walnuts Xiaofeng bought recently, good for the brain. Take these back too.”
While talking, she had already packed a small bag. Cen Bai, just coming inside, saw her still rummaging through the cupboards and quickly stopped her, “No need, we have everything at home. If we’re short on anything, we’ll just buy it ourselves.”
“Are you crazy? Your wife asked you to come notify us, and you’d come back empty-handed?”
Lou Guilan was exasperated with her headstrong son. He was here to announce the pregnancy, and if Cen Bai went back empty-handed, their family’s hospitality would be seriously lacking. “Even if you’re embarrassed, we’re not.”
“As for meat and vegetables, forget it. If I bring them home, I won’t know how to cook. You know my cooking skills—I can only guarantee the food is cooked enough to eat.”
Cen Bai wasn’t very skilled in social niceties, but he did think about this. Mainly, their home never lacked food. He also planned to buy some meat dishes to celebrate.
“Won’t you learn then?”
Lou Guilan punched him lightly, “You should be more diligent now that you’re married.”
Once she started nagging, there was no end. Cen Bai glanced up—it was almost five o’clock. Thinking that the message had been delivered and it was time to leave, he quickly changed the subject, “Mom, Xuezhen’s about to finish work. I’ll head back for today.”
“Don’t forget to come over for dinner Sunday. I’ll prepare more fruit and dishes.”
Lou Guilan wasn’t fully convinced and still made him carry a bag of walnuts back, reminding him again, “Keep your wits about you. Don’t be so dull.”
Cen Bai nodded repeatedly. On the way home, he bought four dishes, mostly Xuezhen’s favorites.
——
Meanwhile, Su Xuezhen also had an extremely busy afternoon. The patients from two consecutive surgeries had finished anesthesia, but were still yelling in pain in the ward, each one louder than the last, filling the entire department with high-pitched cries.
Painkillers for children can’t be given in large doses, as it risks side effects. Su Xuezhen had to ask parents to distract their kids and play with them. Eventually, maybe from exhaustion, after more than an hour, the two kids finally quieted down.
Before finishing work, Su Xuezhen called her father, Su Xianguo. The call rang a few times before being answered.
“Hello, who’s this?”
“Dad, it’s Xuezhen.”
Su Xianguo’s voice brightened, “Xuezhen, what’s up?”
Su Xuezhen spoke softly, “Are you free this Sunday? Come over with Mom. We’ll have a family dinner.”
“What time? There’s a seminar at the hospital that day. It might not end until five in the afternoon.”
“As long as you can come, even if it’s a bit late, it’s no big deal.”
There was something odd about how she was dancing around the subject. Su Xianguo asked again, “What’s going on?”
Su Xuezhen hesitated, feeling a little shy to say it out loud. Actually, when she saw the ultrasound images, the initial excitement didn’t last long. Instead, a strange feeling of loss and wistfulness crept in—a feeling hard to put into words, new and unfamiliar. She felt some resistance but also some anticipation.
Her silence made Su Xianguo sense something was off. “What’s wrong?”
Su Xuezhen smiled, “Nothing. Just wanted to tell you that you’re going to be a grandfather—twins, seven weeks along.”
As soon as she said that, her father’s breathing on the other end grew noticeably rapid. He was extremely excited, “Really?”
Su Xuezhen confirmed, “Really. I even have the report here.”
“How can that not be a big deal?”
Su Xianguo sighed emotionally, “My baby’s about to be a mom.”
At that moment, Su Xuezhen clearly realized she had truly grown up. Unconsciously, she had taken on a new identity. Soon, two little children would be calling her “Mom” and running after her, laughing.
