Chapter 217

How can we achieve something in our future work?

This is the courtyard house.

Given Liu Pangpang's talkative nature, he might not want to publicize his son's important position in a ministry, but the good news of his daughter-in-law giving birth...

He naturally wouldn't let such a prestigious opportunity slip by. So, within two days, everyone in the courtyard knew about Zhao Mengyun's childbirth.

Not only did she give birth smoothly, but she also gave birth to twins.

Both are boys!

For a moment, everyone in the courtyard felt a mix of emotions.

forecourt.

Yan Jiecheng sat on the threshold, unable to contain his envy. He sighed inwardly, thinking that Liu Guangqi was indeed worthy of being called Chief Engineer Liu, even in having children, she was so capable.

He smacked his lips.

A sour feeling welled up from the bottom of my heart.

Chief Engineer Liu...

This reputation was already impressive enough, but now even giving birth is like completing a task—quick and steady.

She had two pregnancies and ended up with four children!

As for myself? It's almost been a year since I married Yu Li, but there's still no sign of a relationship.

It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy.

"Has it taken root on the threshold? It's been sitting there motionless for ages."

At this time.

Yu Li was just coming out of the house carrying a basin of freshly washed clothes.

Water droplets dripped down the edge of the basin.

Yan Jiecheng snapped out of his daze, glanced at his wife, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, and chuckled as he leaned closer.

"Honey, I need to talk to you about something."

"explain."

Yu Li glanced at him and deftly placed the basin next to the washboard.

"What do you think about it? Once we get our houses near the Red Star Factory, let's choose a house with a backyard too?"

Yan Jiecheng rubbed his hands together, smiling somewhat sheepishly.

Yu Li paused in her work of hanging clothes, and she could easily tell what he was thinking.

She couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

Reaching out, I gently tapped Yan Jiecheng's forehead:

"What are you thinking about all day? Guangqi and his wife are healthy enough to have twins; that's their good fortune."

"What does living in the backyard have to do with it?"

"Do you think this is like growing vegetables? You think changing the plot of land will make more plants grow?"

"Besides, what's the use of envying others? Let's live our own lives peacefully, and the children will come naturally when they're meant to be." These words left Yan Jiecheng speechless.

He also felt that his idea was somewhat absurd: "My wife is right."

Beside the stone table in the middle courtyard.

When Yi Zhonghai came home from get off work, he heard Liu Haizhong boasting to some coworkers about having another pair of twin grandsons. Yi felt a pang in his heart.

The weariness from just finishing work, mixed with the surging bitterness in his heart, left him stunned for a long time.

What did he seek in his life?

It's just a continuation of bloodline.

No matter how hard he and his wife worked, no new shoots ever sprouted on that land.

In contrast, in the Liu family compound, not only have the three sons grown up one after another, but the eldest son, Guangqi, has also given birth to twins, a boy and a girl, and now has a pair of sons, as if the Liu family compound has an everlasting lineage buried within its walls.

Of all the trees in the yard, only his tree was lush and verdant.

The contrast was stinging. He gazed at the bustling courtyard, a sigh escaping his throat: "The drought-stricken are parched, the flood-stricken are overflowing..."

His voice drifted away into the wind, leaving him alone with a mouthful of bitter herbs.

"Second Uncle!"

A loud shout broke through my thoughts.

Sha Zhu, carrying an empty aluminum lunchbox, strode out of the Qin family's house and rushed up to Liu Haizhong, his loud voice startling the sparrows under the eaves: "When are you going to bring back those two chubby boys from the Guangqi family so everyone can see them? It's the first time we've seen twins in our neighborhood, and we're all hoping your family can share in the good fortune!"

He grinned, blurting out his nonsense without restraint: "Let me share in this good fortune, so that finding a wife and having children will go smoothly from now on!"

Laughter erupted all around, and even Liu Hai, who usually had a stern face, smiled, raising his hand to pat Sha Zhu's shoulder: "We'll bring you here when it's a full moon, so you can hold it as much as you want!"

"Alright!" Sha Zhu's eyes crinkled into slits with laughter, completely forgetting about the empty lunchbox—in his mind, being able to share even a bit of the Liu family's joy was more important than having a full meal.

The same courtyard, yet two completely different scenes.

Inside the Jia family's house, Qin Huairu was scooping leftover food from her lunchbox into a bowl, waiting for her son to come home from school. The sounds of laughter and chatter drifting from the courtyard assaulted her ears, and holding the bowl of oily food, she suddenly felt no taste at all.

She has given birth to three children in the more than ten years since she married into this family.

And Liu Guangqi's wife has only been married for a few years? Her first pregnancy resulted in a boy and a girl, and her second pregnancy brought forth twins, easily giving her four children. Furthermore, it's said that this delivery took place in a private hospital that doesn't open its doors to the public, with a long maternity leave and comprehensive care.

They're both women, yet she spends her days fussing over cooking and firewood, while the other woman can comfortably recuperate in a warm room—this thought is like a fine needle, pricking her heart and causing a pang of bitterness.

Jia Zhangshi, who was sewing shoe soles nearby, perked up her ears.

This old woman, who usually cursed and scorned everyone in the alley, was unusually kind to Liu Guangqi's family. Hearing that the Liu family had another child, her needlework quickened as she muttered to herself, calculating the days: "I need to finish two pairs of tiger-head shoes... I'll send them to Guangqi when he gets back."

The smile squeezed out from his wrinkles was almost obsequious.

In her view, the Liu family's happy event was a stroke of good fortune; if she could hold onto it, she would receive some support in the future.

In the backyard, even the deaf old lady who usually dozed off on the kang (a heated brick bed) moved to the doorway, leaning on her cane.

She squinted, listening to the sounds outside, and her withered lips pursed slightly: "Guangqi... he's been blessed with good fortune since he was little."

Just then, Xu Damao rode his clanging old bicycle into the backyard, a projector box strapped to the frame, covered in dust and looking exhausted.

But the gossip in the courtyard tugged at his ears like hooks—

"Guangqi's wife gave birth again? Twins?"

He shuddered, his weariness instantly igniting into a raging fire within him. He abandoned his bicycle and rushed toward the figure in the bangs, his voice urgent and loud:

"Second Uncle! Congratulations!"

"I just rushed back from the countryside after showing a movie, and then I heard about this wonderful news!"

Xu Damao leaned closer, his voice low, his eyes gleaming with eagerness: "When will my brother Guangqi come back to visit?"

Liu Haizhong just smiled and didn't reply.

Having lived in the backyard together for so many years, he knew very well that Xu Damao had been married to Lou Xiao'e for so many years, but his wife's belly had never shown any signs of pregnancy. Everyone in the yard knew that he was secretly worried about this.

"He's been busy lately, so he probably won't be back for a while."

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao was no longer in a hurry.

He rubbed his hands together, leaned forward slightly, almost bending over, and said, "Second Uncle, please tell me the truth."

The voice lowered further, as if exchanging a secret message: "Brother Guangqi... having two sets of twins in a row, is there some special reason behind it? Or... some secret formula?"

In his opinion, this was definitely not just a coincidence.

One time might be considered lucky, but if it happens again, there must be a trick to it!

Even if he only learns a little bit, let alone twins, as long as he can have a son, Xu Damao's voice will be three times louder in this courtyard house.

***

Liu Guangqi was naturally unaware of the commotion inside the courtyard.

For him, the trivial gossip in the courtyard was nothing more than fragmented topics of conversation to pass the time when he occasionally returned home.

His time and energy had long been devoted to the massive industrial construction in China.

After Zhao Mengyun was discharged from the hospital, it was time for her parents to return to their military unit.

But before leaving, the elderly couple's gaze would involuntarily drift to the two tiny figures sleeping soundly in the crib, and a sense of reluctance to part quietly crept onto their brows.

Just as the atmosphere was about to become tense, Zhao Mengsheng suddenly spoke:

"Sister, brother-in-law, you haven't named the two children yet, have you? You can't keep calling them the third and youngest."

These words immediately drew the attention of the entire family to Liu Guangqi.

When he named Ruixue and Fengnian last time, the blessing and expectation hidden in the phrase "Auspicious snow foretells a bumper harvest" made the whole family praise his naming skills.

Now, everyone is naturally curious about what names he will give to the newborn twins.

The father-in-law's eyes, weathered by countless battles, held a questioning look. Even the usually decisive and straightforward mother-in-law, Wu Shuang, stopped tidying the corner of the quilt and looked over with a smile.

They wanted to remember their grandson's name before they left.

Liu Guangqi was taken aback.

These past few days, he's either been rushing to write technical reports at the Institute of Computing Technology or overseeing the progress of the integrated telephone workshop at the Ministry. He's been working non-stop, his mind filled with data and blueprints, and he's really put the naming thing out of his mind.

Zhao Mengyun noticed her husband's embarrassment, but simply smiled slightly, her gaze remaining gentle as she looked at him.

She also wanted to know what names her husband would give to the two children, and what kind of sentiments he would place in them—

Is it to continue the beautiful vision of "a timely snow promises a bumper harvest," or...?

Fortunately, although Liu Guangqi often jokes that he loves his daughter more, he is not casual about naming his son.

He walked to the cradle, his gaze slowly moving between his two sons' almost identical sleeping faces, and a slight smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke:

"Let's name the third one Si Nian. As for the youngest... let's call him Qinian."

May this year bring a bountiful harvest.

After the name was uttered, the room fell silent for a moment.

My father-in-law was, after all, a rough man who excelled at military campaigns; he was adept at charging into battle, but he struggled with the nuances of language. He pondered the two words repeatedly, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

"Sinian... Liu Sinian... ** year?"

Suddenly, as if he had just figured something out, his eyes widened: "You brat, what kind of name is this? ** Year—what, you think my grandson was born at the wrong time?"

Although the old man's voice was stern, everyone could hear the anger in it. It was clearly 1963, yet his son-in-law had named his grandson "**Year"—what kind of meaning was that?

Wu Shuang quickly tugged at his sleeve and glared at him: "How could Guangqi mean that?"

Just then, Zhao Mengsheng, who was standing next to him, burst out laughing.

"Dad, what are you thinking?"

He stopped beside the small cradle, his fingertips lightly touching the back of the baby's hand, and said softly:

"The character '斯' means 'this' or 'here.' The two characters '斯年' (sī nián) embody the hope for a long and prosperous future, and also contain the profound meaning of a prosperous nation and a thriving family and generations."

"My brother-in-law chose this name because he hoped that the child would live in the best of times and witness the most prosperous period of this land."

"As for 'praying for a good harvest,' it's even more straightforward."

"What we pray for is peace and prosperity every year, timely winds and rains, and abundant granaries throughout the land."

As Zhao Mengsheng listened, his eyes gradually lit up, and his tone was filled with barely suppressed admiration:

"What a wonderful phrase, 'A timely snow promises a bumper harvest,' followed by 'May this year bring another year of good fortune!' My brother-in-law's two names not only carry on the auspicious omens but also encapsulate his hopes for the children, our family, and even the nation's destiny—the more I think about it, the more meaningful it becomes!"

After he finished speaking, his father stood there stunned.

A look of astonishment flashed across his face, etched with the marks of time, before slowly relaxing into a look of realization, and finally settling into a look of approval. Only a slight twitch at the corner of his eye betrayed a hint of embarrassment he hadn't anticipated.

"Cough... um!"

The old man cleared his throat forcefully, as if to erase his earlier lapse in composure. When he spoke again, his tone had completely changed, and he nodded repeatedly to Liu Guangqi:

"With this explanation, the name is indeed well-chosen! It carries a lot of weight!"

He put his hands behind his back and paced back and forth a couple of steps, as if the person who had been glaring and slamming his fist on the table earlier was not him at all.

"I told you long ago... you're a learned child, how could you choose bad names? These two names are perfect, absolutely perfect!"

Zhao Mengsheng quietly turned his face away, thinking to himself: Dad, you weren't talking like this just now.

Mother-in-law Wu Shuang was already beaming with joy, gently stroking the baby's delicate cheek: "Si Nian, Qin Nian... it sounds pleasant to say."

A soft smile spread across Zhao Mengyun's eyes as she said softly:

"I think it sounds nice too. From now on, our two children will be named Liu Sinian and Liu Qinian."