Chapter 574: Mother and Child are Safe

Over the next half month, He Yuzhu led six hundred people from the Farm to begin the rush-planting of spring wheat.

But as soon as the machinery started, all the problems were exposed: the seeders were dropping seeds inconsistently, sometimes too many, sometimes too few, and at uneven depths, leaving large swaths of land requiring manual replanting.

He Yuzhu adjusted the machines incessantly, but as one man, he could not look after over a hundred pieces of equipment. With large areas missing seedlings and having broken rows, and his current crew lacking much farming experience, they simply could not keep up with the replanting.

He Yuzhu made a prompt decision and had Erkui go to the county immediately to find veteran farmers.

With the wages paid well and the news spreading, over a thousand skilled farmhands swarmed over that very day, and the gaps left by mechanical seeding were finally, forcefully filled.

After half a month of fighting day and night, all fifty thousand mu of land were finally planted.

He Yuzhu gave a wave of his hand and gave everyone three days off.

He had just wanted to catch his breath when County Magistrate Guo came to find him in person.

He Yuzhu poured hot tea: "The County Magistrate has come in person; is there something the matter?"

County Magistrate Guo smiled with some helplessness: "Little Factory Director He, another batch of disaster victims has arrived in the county. Could you see... if you can help settle them?"

He Yuzhu gave a bitter laugh: "How I wish they had come half a month earlier. For the past half month, I've been so short-handed I was nearly going crazy. Now that I've just caught a break, the people have arrived instead. Why didn't you go find Lv Hong?"

"I already called her, and she told me to come ask you first. Last time she transferred all your people to work on construction, she felt bad about it. This time, she's letting you pick first."

He Yuzhu waved his hand dismissively: "They are all projects under my management; why distinguish between you and me? How many have come this time?"

County Magistrate Guo sighed: "I don't know who spread the word that our county can provide a way to survive for disaster victims. They are all swarming here, while other counties have become quiet instead."

"How many people exactly?" He Yuzhu's voice deepened a little.

"Over five thousand."

He Yuzhu frowned: "Why so many?"

"I asked; the people who came last year sent word back to their hometowns, and relatives brought relatives, all coming here in one go."

He Yuzhu pondered: "I cannot arrange for so many people all at once."

County Magistrate Guo asked directly: "How many can you take on?"

"If you approve all the land in the county that can be reclaimed for me, I can take on three thousand people."

County Magistrate Guo nodded immediately: "I will give you all the land. You help me resolve four thousand, and I will send the remaining one thousand to Lv Hong."

He Yuzhu gritted his teeth: "Fine, I agree."

Accompanied by County Magistrate Guo, He Yuzhu went to look at three plots of land.

One was a river island surrounded by water on all four sides, and the other two were meadows that had been barren for hundreds of years, with trees, shrubs, and weeds tangled together, making them extremely difficult to reclaim.

These two meadows were very hard to open up; three thousand people might not even finish them in a year. But He Yuzhu understood in his heart that once these three plots of land were all reclaimed, they would be one hundred thousand mu of fertile fields, and the future returns would be immeasurable.

He Yuzhu nodded: "I promise you!"

County Magistrate Guo was overjoyed.

Over the next few months, settling four thousand refugees, building houses, digging canals, and reclaiming land kept He Yuzhu so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

Just as he had everything straightened out, an urgent telegram from Beijing was delivered: Chen Xueru was going into labor.

He Yuzhu handed his work over to Erkui on the spot and, taking Man Yatou, rushed all the way to Si Jiu Cheng.

He called home from the train station and learned that Chen Xueru had already entered the delivery ward.

He hurried to the hospital, and as soon as Chen Xueru saw him, her tears fell instantly, and she gripped his hand tightly: "Zhuzi, I'm scared... will I die in childbirth?"

He Yuzhu held her sweat-dampened hand and asked: "What does Jiang Mei say?"

"She said the fetal position is fine."

"Then that's that." He Yuzhu used a hot towel to gently wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, "It's just the heat; you're suffering a bit."

As they were speaking, Shen Guizhi brought He Yulu in, carrying a lunch box.

He Yuzhu picked up the little girl: "Did you miss your brother?"

He Yulu just giggled, her short legs kicking wildly.

He Yuzhu teased her a few times, then turned to look at Chen Xueru: "With something as big as a pregnancy, you didn't tell me sooner."

Shen Guizhi complained from the side: "It was because she was afraid of delaying your important work. Your father said you were reclaiming land and managing the Oilfield in Beidahuang, so busy your feet never touched the ground; how could Xueru dare to disturb you?"

"No matter how far away, I would have come back for a single telegram."

At this moment, Jiang Mei pushed the door open to check on her, and her eyes lit up when she saw He Yuzhu: "The day before yesterday, Sister-in-law was still fretting that you wouldn't make it back, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."

"Giving birth is a major event; how could I not come back?"

Not long after, Chen Xueru's contractions grew tighter and tighter.

Jiang Mei felt her abdomen and said decisively: "She can go into the delivery room."

He Yuzhu watched his wife being pushed into the delivery room, his heart inexplicably hanging in the air.

He sat on the bench in the hallway, his gaze fixed on that door, his palms slightly tense.

Shen Guizhi sat beside him and comforted him softly: "Don't worry, Xueru is young and has a sturdy constitution; everything will surely go smoothly."

He Yulu tilted her little face and asked vaguely: "Brother, am I going to have a little nephew?"

He Yuzhu smiled: "I think, it's your little niece."

Shen Guizhi glared at him immediately: "I would much rather have a big, fat grandson!"

"You already have two grandsons, isn't that enough? I just want a daughter; look at how good Yushui and Yulu are."

He Yulu immediately puffed out her little chest: "Yulu is very well-behaved."

Shen Guizhi laughed and scolded: "Who praises themselves like that? This girl has more tricks up her sleeve than Yushui; she's a little smiling tiger."

He Yulu was unconvinced and kept making faces at her mother.

Just then, a clear and powerful cry of "Wah—" came from the delivery room.

He Yuzhu stood up with a start and rushed to the door in long strides.

The door opened a crack, and a nurse wrapped a red, tiny infant in a white cotton cloth sterilized by the hospital, revealing only a wrinkled little face.

"A boy, mother and child are both safe!"

After saying this, the nurse turned around and carried the baby back.

He Yuzhu stood where he was, sighing silently in his heart: the wish to have a daughter had been shattered once again.

Seeing him like that, Shen Guizhi was both annoyed and amused: "You silly boy, aren't you happy to have a big, chubby son?"

He Yuzhu came back to his senses and grinned: "It's the same regardless of what is born, I like them all."

Not long after, Chen Xueru was steadily wheeled back to the ward.

He Yuzhu leaned over and gently touched her pale but smiling face: "You've worked hard."

Chen Xueru blinked wearily: "Have you thought of a name?"

He Yuzhu teased her on purpose: "How about He Shen?"

Chen Xueru was amused to the point of anger on the spot, glaring at him: "Get yourself back to Beidahuang!"

He Yuzhu raised his hands in surrender: "Alright, alright, you name him, whatever you name him sounds good."

Chen Xueru said softly: "Let's call him He Zheng."

He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood what she meant.

This was to fight for a breath of air against his two older brothers.

He nodded and did not refute it again.

Three days later, Chen Xueru was discharged and returned to the Siheyuan.

Just as they entered the door, the living room was already packed with people.

He Yushui crowded over to stare at the baby, reaching out to hold him, but was stopped by Shen Guizhi: "He is still too small, you can't hold him."

Only then did He Yushui make a face to tease the child.

The baby was not shy and kept blowing bubbles at her.

Xiaomi, Dahua, and Xiaoqi were also squeezing forward with all their might.

Ding Li was more steady; she greeted He Yuzhu first: "Brother Zhuzi, I heard you all found an Oilfield?"

He Yuzhu shook his head: "It was a group of us who found it. By the way, how are you doing at university? If you need anything, just tell Xueru."

"I'm doing quite well, I don't lack money!" Ding Li smiled.

A group of girls gathered around the small bed, finding the baby incredibly precious.

He Yushui smiled and leaned in: "Brother, today is the three-day celebration, where are we eating at noon?"

He Yuzhu laughed: "Are you greedy again?"

He Yushui chuckled: "Everything requires coupons now; even with money, it's hard to eat out."

"Why not go to He Ji Restaurant? They shouldn't ask you for Grain Coupons, right?"

He Yushui shook her head, her tone dejected: "Their business is terrible, they can barely hold on, how could I have the nerve to go eat there?"

He Yuzhu's eyes darkened slightly: "In the next day or two, I will go see Siqiang."

"Oh right, brother," He Yushui suddenly remembered, "Sister Daya also gave birth to a son last month."

He Yuzhu nodded: "I know, I should go see them too."