After Xie Changning returned to the factory, life there became anything but peaceful.

First, she selected various factories to produce parts, then found ones with superior technology to manufacture electronic components, and finally, she began handling the affairs of the branch factories.

It wasn’t until Xie Changning was about to go into labor that things finally settled down for a while.

As her due date drew closer, the ever-busy Yue Yihan finally took an extended leave of absence to be by Xie Changning’s side.

He was terrified when he saw her enormous belly.

"I... I’ve seen other pregnant women’s bellies, and none of them were as big as yours. What should we do... I’m going to find a doctor and ask what’s going on." Yue Yihan was incredibly anxious, terrified that something would happen to Xie Changning.

He was terrified of any possible complications during labor.

As the days passed, Yue Yihan looked more and more haggard. He spent entire nights unable to sleep. Often, when Xie Changning woke in the middle of the night, she would find Yue Yihan sitting on a small stool in the corner.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom? I’ll help you."

Xie Changning found his behavior a bit odd. She didn’t know why he was acting this way, but... she didn’t mind it.

She nodded. "Mm."

The toilet was in the courtyard, and Yue Yihan never left her side, terrified she might trip, fall, or have an emergency where he’d be too late to help.

He was even more nervous than Xie Changning, the one who was actually about to give birth.

As she came out of the toilet, Xie Changning felt a discomfort in her belly. She let out a soft groan, which instantly sent Yue Yihan into high alert.

"We’re going to the hospital!" He scooped Xie Changning up in his arms, ready to dash off.

Xie Changning quickly tapped him on the head. "What’s the rush? We haven’t even grabbed the hospital bag yet. I asked Aunt Xu; giving birth doesn’t happen that fast. Go get the bag and the other things I’ll need."

Yue Yihan had prepared the hospital bag himself.

He had asked every parent he knew for advice on what to pack, preparing each item meticulously in advance.

"Right, right. You... you wait here for me."

Yue Yihan gently set Xie Changning down on a chair in the courtyard, then hurried into the room to get the hospital bag.

The bag was kept right by the door, precisely for a sudden onset of contractions.

Yue Yihan moved quickly. Carrying the hospital bag, he went to unlock the small car he had rented. Before leaving, he made sure to grab their next-door neighbor, Aunt Xu.

He was so nervous and scared that it took him two tries to open the car door, earning a teasing laugh from Xie Changning. "Commander Yue, this really isn’t like you at all."

"In front of you, I’m just an ordinary husband worried about his wife."

His eyes were fixed on the road as he drove.

But his tone was solemn, and his voice held a slight tremor. He was afraid.

Xie Changning sensed it then. ’This man before me... seems to have developed extraordinary feelings for me.’

She turned to look at Yue Yihan, and she started to understand why he had suddenly knelt the day she got off the train. ’So that’s...’

’...why he was so nervous?’

In an instant, Xie Changning understood why Yue Yihan had been acting so strangely around her lately.

She blinked a few times but didn’t dwell on the thought.

’Matters of the heart aren’t something a woman about to go into labor should be considering.’

Xie Changning leaned back against the seat, feeling the pains in her abdomen coming faster now. "Yihan, we need to go to the county hospital. I think... I’m about to give birth."

’Any longer, and I might give birth right here in the car.’

Startled, Yue Yihan sped toward the county hospital. Fortunately, they arrived just in time. Less than half an hour after entering the delivery room, Xie Changning had given birth to both babies.

"Congratulations, you have a boy and a girl."

Yue Yihan barely glanced at the two newborns. He anxiously looked toward the delivery room. "Where’s my wife? Why isn’t she out yet?"

Aunt Xu, standing nearby, saw that Yue Yihan only had eyes for Xie Changning, so she quickly took charge of watching the two children. ’The hospital is so crowded and chaotic,’ she thought. ’What if the babies get switched?’

When Xie Changning was wheeled out, Yue Yihan was waiting for her, his eyes red-rimmed.

The moment he saw her, tears streamed down his face. "You’re okay. Thank God, you’re okay."

"Help me get back to the room first. I’m a little tired."

Yue Yihan wiped away his tears and helped the doctor take Xie Changning back to her room to rest.

On the way, the doctor and nurses praised Xie Changning for her quick delivery. They said both children were perfectly healthy, each weighing over five pounds.

Xie Changning’s eyes were half-closed, and she didn’t respond.

’I know the reason I gave birth so quickly,’ she thought. ’It must be thanks to the Spiritual Spring in my space. The spiritual spring water made my body stronger, and the two children healthier as well.’

Xie Changning slept soundly.

「When she awoke, it was daytime.」

The two babies were beside her, while Yue Yihan and Aunt Xu were asleep in nearby chairs.

Xie Changning turned her head to look at the babies. Seeing the two fair, clean little ones, a strange feeling bloomed in her heart. ’Is this what it feels like to be a mother?’

Yue Yihan had always had sharp hearing. The moment Xie Changning stirred, he woke up and quickly got to his feet.

"Ningning, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" he asked, standing awkwardly beside her, unsure of what to do.

Xie Changning raised a hand. "Help me up. I need to go to the bathroom."

Yue Yihan helped Xie Changning sit up, carried her to the bathroom, and then carried her back. By then, Aunt Xu was awake and feeding the two babies formula.

"These two little ones have quite the appetite," Aunt Xu said. "They seem so full of energy."

Once she was back in her hospital bed, Xie Changning finally got a good look at her children. A smile touched her lips. "Thank you for all your help last night, Aunt Xu."

"We’re neighbors! Don’t mention it."

As Aunt Xu spoke, however, a shadow of worry crossed her face. "It would be one thing with a single child, but with two, how are you going to manage?" she asked. "Especially since Yue Yihan is a soldier."

He’ll have to return to his unit soon enough.

Xie Changning lowered her gaze, admitting to herself that the situation was indeed difficult.

Because of the era’s strict social controls, she couldn’t hire a nanny or a postnatal caregiver. ’Otherwise... I’d be branded a capitalist.’

Xie Changning’s brow furrowed at the thought.

"Don’t worry, Aunt Xu," Yue Yihan said. "I applied for assistance through the military’s support channels two months ago. I explained that I’m a soldier who is often away on missions and can’t care for my family, and that my wife just had twins and also has a job..."

Hearing this, Xie Changning realized for the first time that you could apply for assistance from the local neighborhood committee and one’s work unit.

"Normally, the higher-ups would have held up the application for review, but... didn’t Ningning distinguish herself at the Autumn Trade Fair?" Yue Yihan scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. ’At the critical moment, I still had to rely on my wife.’

"Once the leadership learned about that, they fast-tracked the request and directly assigned two members from the families of fallen heroes to come and help us."