Family Bonds: Welcoming a New Member

The four young boys raced forward, their eyes blazing with defiance as they confronted the gossiping villagers. "That's right! Stop talking about our sister!"

"We love having a little sister! What's wrong with you? Go away!"

Witnessing the unexpected solidarity of the Li family, the villagers left, silenced and disgruntled.

Mrs. Li escorted the midwife out, then promptly abandoned her hoe and led her four grandsons inside to meet their newborn sister. Upon entering, they found Li Chengyuan cradling the swaddled baby, his face beaming with joy surpassing that of his previous excitement over his four sons.

"Chengyuan, be careful! You men are too rough; what if you drop the baby?" Mrs. Li chided, eager to hold her granddaughter.

"Mom! This is my daughter! How many times have you been held as a Mom? Don't snatch her from me!" Li Chengyuan protested, reluctant to relinquish his hold.

"You? A father? It wasn't easy raising you! Let me hold her," Mrs. Li insisted, finally reclaiming her granddaughter. "Give her to me, I'll give her back after a while."

Li Chengyuan reluctantly complied, eyeing his mother warily, as if she might devour the baby.

"Move aside! Oh, be careful, Xiaonan... Let Grandma have a look!" Mrs. Li cradled the baby, her eyes sparkling with uncontainable joy, smoothing away the creases of worry on her face.

To Fu Bao's surprise, her father's affection for his daughter was matched by her grandmother's adoration. Perhaps this life wouldn't be as perilous as she had feared; she wouldn't be abandoned or killed after all.

"Isn't she beautiful? Our baby is fair and plump, unlike other newborns who look like wrinkled old men. Our baby is truly exquisite!" Mrs. Li cooed, reluctant to part with the child.

"Of course she's beautiful! Could my wife produce anything less? She's as beautiful as her mother!" Li Chengyuan proclaimed proudly, unable to contain his delight. Fu Bao couldn't help but find her father's pride amusing.

"Come, Yanfen, have a look at the baby," Mrs. Li beckoned Lin Yanfen, handling the baby with utmost care as if she were handling a precious jewel. "Yanfen, you've done so well, adding this beautiful girl to our family. You're a true heroine!"

Although weak from her ordeal, Lin Yanfen smiled at the compliment. "Mom, I'm fine. Having a safe delivery makes it all worth it..." The four boys, unable to contain their excitement, clamored for a glimpse of their sister. Li Xiaojun, the eldest at eight years old, reached out to tug at Mrs. Li's sleeve.

"Grandma! I want to see my sister too!"

Six-year-old Li Xiaoli flushed with eagerness. "Grandma, I want to hold my sister too!" The five-year-old twins, Li Xiaoyi and Li Xiaolei, also stretched to catch a glimpse of their sister.

"Not yet! I'll show her to your grandpa first, then you," Mrs. Li declared, cradling the baby as she moved to the next room.