Chapter 151: You Are a Blessing

A-Xiang placed her hand on her abdomen and looked up at Dr. Xie Qingtang. "Dr. Xie, A-Ben and I are just mountain folk; we don't understand these things. When I was pregnant, I was still doing farm work for the family, never realizing I was jeopardizing my child's life."

"It isn't quite as dire as you think," Xie Qingtang comforted her, noticing the fear on A-Xiang's face. "You are carrying twins, and because your own nutritional intake is insufficient to support the growth of two babies, your body’s natural response was to sacrifice one. However, now that I am aware of this, I will never let that happen."

Xie Qingtang led her to the backyard and informed the others that A-Xiang would be staying there. The backyard only had three rooms: one for Xie Qingtang, one for Zhao Xianglan, and one for Grandpa Xie. Zhou Jinfan had been sleeping in the front hall.

Zhao Xianglan volunteered, "I will look after this young woman. She can share my room, and I will take care of her."

"Auntie Lan, thank you for the trouble," Xie Qingtang said with a nod. Zhao Xianglan led A-Xiang to show her the room.

By evening, A-Ben hurried back to Cunshan Hall from the mountains, bringing blankets and daily necessities for A-Xiang.

"A-Ben, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Dr. Xie saved some dinner for you," A-Xiang said with a smile, heading to the kitchen to fetch the meal Xie Qingtang had left.

The journey from the mountains to the city took a long time, and Xie Qingtang, anticipating that A-Ben would arrive late, had thoughtfully set aside food for him. Touched by this kindness, A-Ben said while eating, "Dr. Xie is truly a wonderful person."

"Indeed, she is the savior of the two children in my womb," A-Xiang said with deep emotion. A-Ben, not fully grasping the deeper meaning of her words, planned to return to the mountains after his meal.

Seeing the late hour, Xie Qingtang feared for his safety and insisted he stay in the front hall with Zhou Jinfan, leaving for the city the next morning. Unable to refuse, A-Ben agreed. The next morning, he left Cunshan Hall early, before Xie Qingtang had even woken up.

"Boss, that mountain man is quite honest. He felt that since his wife is staying here, it must cost money, so he went home to scrape some together," Zhou Jinfan explained after Xie Qingtang awoke and discovered A-Ben was gone.

Xie Qingtang nodded. Although A-Ben’s family was impoverished, he was a man of pride; he would never let A-Xiang live at Cunshan Hall for free.

Returning to the backyard, she found Zhao Xianglan had finished breakfast, with A-Xiang helping her. Xie Qingtang hurried over and said, "You don't need to do any chores here. You are here to rest and recuperate, otherwise, your body will only grow weaker."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Xie. I'm just not used to sitting idle. I'll remember next time," A-Xiang replied, nodding quickly.

Grandpa Xie, sitting in his wheelchair, watched A-Xiang’s rounded belly with a look of nostalgia. He muttered, "Your mother was the same way when she was pregnant. She couldn't sit still either, always sneaking out for a stroll or to play."

Hearing this, Xie Qingtang paused. She instinctively walked over to her grandfather and asked curiously, "Grandpa, you rarely talk about Mother. Why don't you take this chance to tell me more about her?"

"What's there to say? Just eat your breakfast!" Grandpa Xie replied evasively, seemingly unwilling to discuss the past.

Xie Qingtang sat down to eat, feeling a bit disheartened. Her mother had passed away when she was very young, and she had been sent to a mountain village by her father, Shao Siming. She was deeply interested in her mother, but her grandfather remained closed off.

While preparing medicine for A-Xiang that morning, seeing the smile on her face, Xie Qingtang asked after a moment of hesitation, "Every child must be their mother's treasure, right?"

"Of course. There isn't a mother who doesn't love her child," A-Xiang replied immediately. A glimmer of envy crossed Xie Qingtang's eyes.

Unbeknownst to her, Grandpa Xie, sitting in his wheelchair nearby, had overheard this. His expression shifted, and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Sir, you really should tell the young lady. After all, she lost her mother at such a young age," Zhao Xianglan, who was pushing his wheelchair, whispered as she witnessed the scene.

Grandpa Xie nodded and called out to Xie Qingtang, who had her back turned to him. "Tangtang, come here."

Xie Qingtang paused, turned around, and walked over. "What is it, Grandpa?"

"Tangtang, although I dislike that scoundrel of a father of yours, you are a gift my daughter left for me. You are the treasure in my heart. Never doubt my love for you. Your mother loved you dearly, that is beyond question."

"Even if Shao Siming doesn't care for you, everyone in the Xie family holds you close. You will always be the treasure of the Xie family."

Grandpa Xie’s slightly withered hand slowly touched her cheek. He looked into her reddening eyes and spoke with profound sincerity.

At these words, Xie Qingtang’s eyes welled up. She bit her lip and nodded. Lately, whenever Grandpa Xie avoided talking about the past, she had feared he blamed her. After all, she was Shao Siming's daughter, and it was because of him that the Xie family had fallen on such hard times.

Sensing her distress, Grandpa Xie had pulled her close to speak those words, lifting the weight that had been pressing down on her heart.

"So, never underestimate your place in my heart," Grandpa Xie said tenderly. "You were never someone I despised, do you understand?"