CHAPTER 432: CHAPTER 349: WHY DOES THIS CHILD LOOK LIKE THIS?

When Li Si opened her eyes again, Mrs. Leng and Leng Ning were already there, "You’re awake! Sisi!"

Mrs. Leng had rushed over as soon as she received the news this morning, and Mr. Leng was expected to return tomorrow.

"Mom! Why did you come so early?" Li Si felt in a pretty good mood after a nap.

Mrs. Leng looked at Li Si’s belly kindly, "Are you still feeling uncomfortable?"

She had heard upon arrival that Li Si was up tossing and turning most of the night. Having a baby really wasn’t easy!

"Much better!" Li Si nodded with a smile. She turned her head to look at Leng Ning, who was circling her and inspecting her curiously, "Xiao Ning! What are you looking at?"

Leng Ning smiled at her, "Sister-in-law! Does this mean I’ll get to meet my little nephew soon? I can’t wait!"

"You silly girl! Acting just like a child yourself. Will you even be a proper aunt?" Mrs. Leng teased her with a laugh.

Leng Ning playfully stuck out her tongue and intentionally winked at Li Si.

In the living room, Sister Ding had already brought a feast of breakfast dishes. No one knew when Leng Mochen had freshened up, but he was now sitting on the couch reading a newspaper.

Sister Ding saw her come out and asked with a broad smile, "Madam! Are you feeling okay? Would you like to eat something?"

Li Si nodded, "Much better! Wow! Sister Ding, you made such a lavish spread!" She glanced at the dining table, which held four or five of her favorite dishes.

"These are nutritious and high in energy. You need to eat well to have strength for the delivery!" Sister Ding replied while still moving, arranging Li Si’s hair and escorting her to the restroom for a quick freshen-up.

After washing her face, Li Si felt much more refreshed as she looked at herself in the mirror. As she passed by Leng Mochen, he set down his newspaper and joked with a grin, "Slept well?"

Li Si glared at him in mock anger. This guy! If he hadn’t been rattling on endlessly last night, she would’ve gone to sleep much earlier!

Leng Mochen continued beaming at her before joining her at the dining table for breakfast.

Li Si was genuinely a bit hungry, and coupled with Sister Ding’s perfectly balanced dishes, she ended up eating quite a lot.

Mrs. Leng and Leng Ning had already eaten at home and simply watched them eat, sharing conversation and filling the room with joyful energy.

By the time they finished eating, it was already 9:30 in the morning.

As if perfectly timed, Li Si’s belly began to ache in waves again!

The head doctor completed another examination and found her cervix had dilated to three centimeters. After a thorough evaluation, she concluded that the baby was too large, likely over eight pounds—the chances of a natural delivery weren’t looking good.

So, Li Si and the family had to change their original plan and opt for a C-section.

The surgery was scheduled for 1:00 in the afternoon, and Li Si wasn’t allowed to eat anything beforehand. Following a series of preoperative preparations, as she was about to enter the operating room, her heart was a mix of nervousness and unease. Leng Mochen held her hand tightly to reassure her, "Honey! Don’t be scared! I’ll be right outside waiting for you and the baby!"

"Okay!" Li Si stroked the skin on the back of his hand, feeling an unexpected surge of strength.

Mrs. Leng also chimed in, "Sisi, don’t worry! We’re all here for you!"

"Sister-in-law! I’ll be right outside waiting for you too!" Leng Ning smiled encouragingly at her.

Li Si took a deep breath, then followed the nurse into the operating room. Originally, Leng Mochen had wanted to witness the delivery, but she firmly declined!

Thinking back to when she donated bone marrow, she allowed him to be by her side then, but childbirth was a whole different story. While his presence would provide her comfort, the bloody scene was something she instinctively didn’t want him to witness.

Following the midwife’s soothing instructions, Li Si lay on her side on the operating bed. Her contractions had become noticeably more frequent.

The anesthesiologist administered the epidural, and though it initially hurt a lot, Li Si gritted her teeth and endured it. Within moments, her lower body completely lost sensation.

The lead surgeon entered next, calm and composed from performing such operations daily, and the atmosphere was far less tense than Li Si had imagined.

The midwife kept talking to her gently while Li Si only felt a cooling sensation on her abdomen—likely from the scalpel.

Staring at the surgical lights overhead, her mind blanked out. Surrounding her were the sounds of various surgical tools. Before long, a loud cry pierced through the air, and Li Si let out a relieved smile. This little one had quite the voice!

After the nurse cut the umbilical cord and cleaned the baby up, they wrapped him snugly and pressed him against her cheek. "Look at this! A little boy! Eight pounds and five ounces!"

Li Si took one look and couldn’t help but wonder, "Is this really my son?"

His entire body was red, and he looked like a tiny, wrinkled old man.

His eyes were closed, he opened his mouth wide, revealing toothless gums, and let out faint cries.

"Why does the baby look like this?"

The nurse smiled knowingly. It seemed like every new mother asked the same question. "Newborns all look like this. Just wait a day, and you’ll already see a change!"

After the baby was taken out for further care, Li Si remained lying there for stitching up. The anesthesia still numbed the pain, but she felt some discomfort in her stomach area.

Luckily, the doctor worked swiftly, and with others chatting with her during the process, the surgery felt relatively quick.

When Li Si was wheeled out of the operating room, she found that Leng Mochen was already waiting for her in the same spot. The moment he noticed her coming out, he immediately stepped forward and gripped her hand tightly. "Honey! You’re amazing! You did great! Don’t be scared—I’m here!"

It was impossible not to feel touched. She had heard stories of countless mothers, no matter if they delivered naturally or underwent C-sections, walking out only to find nobody waiting for them—not even their husbands. The only exception seemed to be one’s own mother.

As for mothers-in-law, they would generally rush to see the grandchild instead, leaving the daughter-in-law unattended. Li Si understood that her own mom wouldn’t be there, but somewhere deep down, she trusted completely that Leng Mochen would be standing here waiting for her. And there he was!

"Honey! I’m fine! They said I’d have to be monitored for six hours!" Li Si smiled at him. With the anesthetic still working, she didn’t feel much yet except for a dull numbness below.

"I’ll stay with you! Don’t worry!" Leng Mochen followed along as she was brought to the observation area.

"Honey! Where’s the baby?" Li Si asked while watching the overhead lights flash by in the hallway.

"In the observation room. They’re attending to him now!" Leng Mochen couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling in that moment. Earlier, waiting outside had been nerve-wracking—like torturous panic. Seeing his son for the very first time made his heart leap with excitement, but unlike Mrs. Leng and the others, he didn’t immediately follow the nurse carrying the baby away.

He knew, deep down, the most important person to him was still inside the operating room. She needed him.

"Thank you for waiting for me!"

At last, they arrived at the observation area. Leng Mochen lent a hand, along with a couple of nurses, to transfer Li Si onto the observation bed. The nurses hooked her up to oxygen and monitored her blood pressure.

A sandbag was placed over the incision site—it was said to help expel postpartum discharge.

"How do you feel now?" Leng Mochen gently stroked her damp hair, "Does it hurt?"

As Li Si lay there, she thought six hours sounded truly exhausting.

"It doesn’t hurt! It’s just a bit numb. You saw our son, didn’t you? Why does he look so... not cute?"

Leng Mochen couldn’t help but laugh, "I took a glance at the baby brought out of the neighboring operating room. Honestly, I think our boy’s cuter! Just think about it—he was squeezed in such a little space in your belly. How good-looking can he be right now?

Give it a few days, once he’s had time to grow and stretch, he’ll look great!"

Li Si thought about it and realized he had a point!

"I just worry whether or not I’ll be able to nurse him." Breastfeeding is definitely better than powdered formula. Even the imported kind has additives, after all.

"Don’t worry! I’ve asked about it; you can start breastfeeding the day after a C-section. Your health is quite good, so you’ll certainly be able to!"

"Honey! Do I look super ugly right now?" Li Si felt as though she must look incredibly disheveled.

Leng Mochen spoke tenderly, "To me, you’re always beautiful!"

Li Si replied with a playful, "Smooth talker!" but her heart felt sweet and warm inside. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this story, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)