As luck would have it, when Gu Xiaoxia was wheeled into the delivery room, the other expectant mother from her ward went in right after her.
Li Long and the Corps official waited anxiously outside together.
Liang Yuemei had come over too. When a nurse came out and saw the bundle in her arms, she asked:
"Are those the baby blankets and clothes?"
"Yes, yes..." Liang Yuemei nodded hastily.
The nurse briskly took them, then turned to the Corps official:
"Where are yours?"
"Oh, right, I'll get them now." The Corps official hurried back.
When he returned, the nurse gave him a dirty look before he handed the things over with an apologetic smile.
Turning to Li Long, the man smiled awkwardly:
"Heh, first time. No experience... Comrade, this is your first too, right?"
"Yes." Li Long already knew his name was Qin Liben. He was from inland and had come to Xinjiang several years earlier as one of the young volunteers supporting frontier development. Now his whole family, old and young, had moved over too.
"Is the baby coming? Is it coming?"
Soon, a crowd surged up to the delivery room. Seeing Qin Liben, they surrounded him with endless questions.
With only Li Long and his elder sister-in-law on his side, they seemed a little alone.
Hospital facilities were not yet very advanced, and the waiting area was small. With so many people, it felt crowded. They were loud too, and before long a nurse came out to tell them to quiet down.
They lowered their voices briefly, only to get loud again. The nurse came out and simply drove away the extra people who had no business being there.
Qin Liben grew even more embarrassed.
Childbirth would not be over anytime soon. Growing anxious, Qin Liben searched for