The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 85 - 84: I Have No Obligation

Xue Yue took the baby from the nurse. The moment the baby latched on, it began to suckle fiercely.

The doctor said to Xue Yue, "Could you help take care of this baby for a bit? We’re trying to find its parents."

Xue Yue thought for a moment but shook her head.

"I’m sorry, Doctor. We’re new parents ourselves, and we can barely manage our own baby. Besides, my husband has to go to work. I can’t take care of two children by myself."

"I saw your mother-in-law here yesterday. She can help you. Besides, you only have one child, so what’s the big deal with one more? It’s just as easy to raise two as it is one," one of the nurses said.

Hearing this, Xue Yue’s expression turned cold. She handed the baby back to them.

"We have no obligation to do this, and I have no intention of raising someone else’s child."

The doctor glared at the nurse and took the baby back, her expression sour.

In reality, no one was a fool. The baby’s parents had run off. Nowadays, people didn’t have to register their identity or address when giving birth, so finding the parents would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Besides, if Xue Yue took the baby, she would be blamed later if she decided she couldn’t care for it anymore. It would be just as that nurse had said: ’It’s just as easy to raise two as it is one.’ It would be as if she’d become the baby’s parent, and everything was expected of her.

Although Xue Yue pitied the child, she wasn’t that kind-hearted. She only wanted to raise the child she had given birth to.

The doctor carried the baby out of the hospital room, looking helpless. As soon as she was outside, she said to the nurse behind her, "You shouldn’t have said that. She was willing to help nurse the baby, but now you’ve offended her. If this baby starts crying again, I’d like to see who you’ll find to feed it."

The nurse sounded aggrieved. "Was I wrong? The baby is so pitiful, and they only have one child. What’s the big deal about raising one more? Besides, you can tell that family is well-off. They can definitely afford to raise another one."

"She already said she has no obligation to raise this child. Why don’t you adopt it? You don’t have any children, after all," the doctor said mockingly.

The nurse’s face paled in alarm. "Why should I raise her? I didn’t give birth to her!"

The doctor snorted softly and carried the baby back to the doctor’s office.

Another nurse patted her on the back.

"See? You’re not willing to do it yourself, so how can you expect someone else to? It’s not their baby."

The nurse’s expression faltered, and she looked ashamed.

Xue Yue didn’t take the matter to heart at all. She only mentioned it to Xue Hangzhou when he came to visit.

Xue Hangzhou was a little surprised, but he said, "I’ll go ask the doctor. If they really can’t find the family, our police department can help contact a welfare center or an orphanage."

When the doctor saw Xue Hangzhou in his police uniform and heard he was Xue Yue’s brother, she was surprised and grateful.

"I’ve already reported it to my superiors, and they had the same idea. We’ll have to trouble you then, Officer."

Xue Hangzhou nodded. "It’s no trouble."

After staying in the hospital for two days, Xue Yue was discharged.

They didn’t take a bicycle on the way back. He Lang had hired an ox-cart and wrapped her and the baby in blankets.

The weather was still cold.

Mrs. He had gotten up early to heat the kang bed and the stove in He Lang’s room.

When Xue Yue carried the baby into the room, she instantly felt how warm it was inside.

"Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home," He Lang sighed.

Mrs. He chuckled. "If your place is a dog kennel, then what does that make our home?"

He Lang was at a loss for words, and Xue Yue laughed.

A moment later, Mrs. He brought Xue Yue a bowl of chicken soup.

"I came over first thing this morning to simmer this. Drink up, it’ll help with your milk production."

Xue Yue was a little hungry, too. The soup had a few pieces of chicken in it, stewed until they were very tender.

But before Xue Yue could even put down her bowl, she saw He Nan rush over.

"Ma, have you seen my wife?"

Mrs. He paused for a moment. "How would I know? I came straight here first thing in the morning."

He Lang asked He Nan, "Big Brother, what’s wrong?"

He Nan said furiously, "Your sister-in-law is gone, I don’t know where! The money I hid in the crack in the wall is missing. That was Ziqing’s tuition money."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. He said, "Don’t tell me your wife secretly took the money and went to her parents’ house again, did she?"

He Nan fell silent. That was exactly what he suspected.

He Lang said, "Big Brother, don’t panic. Go back home now and see if Sister-in-law is back yet."

Hearing this, He Nan ran back home.

In the afternoon, Guo Jinfeng returned.

As soon as she entered, she saw He Nan sitting on the kang bed, smoking.

He Nan never smoked. This was the first time Guo Jinfeng had ever seen him do so.

Guo Jinfeng met He Nan’s icy gaze and lowered her head.

"Where have you been?" He Nan’s voice was unusually cold and hard.

Guo Jinfeng shook her head. "Nowhere."

"Did you take the money?"

Guo Jinfeng trembled but didn’t speak.

He Nan looked at her, his eyes devoid of patience.

"That was Ziqing’s tuition. Do you even call yourself a mother?"

Guo Jinfeng looked up at He Nan. "I am a mother, but I’m also someone’s daughter! You want me to cut ties with my family—how can you be so cruel? Those are the parents who gave birth to me and raised me! How can I not care about them? My dad is sick and has no money for a doctor. We can worry about Ziqing’s tuition later. If it really comes down to it, she can just stop going to school for now. What’s the point of a girl studying so much anyway?"

He Ziqing stood at the door, holding Tuanzi’s hand. They heard every word of the conversation inside.

He Ziqing bit her lip tightly, her eyes filled with tears.

He Nan got off the kang bed. "Why am I forcing you? If you hadn’t taken all our family’s money for your parents, without any regard for whether we lived or died, would I have asked you to cut ties with them? Since you can’t let them go, then let’s get a divorce."

Guo Jinfeng stared at He Nan in disbelief. "What’s the point of you saying that? You bring up divorce at the drop of a hat. I just took a little money to show some filial piety to my parents. Why are you acting like I’ve committed some unforgivable crime?"

He Nan couldn’t help but nod. "You’re right. I shouldn’t stop you from being a filial daughter to your parents. It’s our fault. After we divorce, you can go back and devote yourself wholeheartedly to them. Oh, right, and your brothers, too."

Guo Jinfeng snorted coldly. "He Nan, let me tell you, I’m not afraid of you. Do you think you can keep threatening me with divorce just because you think I’m scared of it? Fine, let’s get a divorce! It’s not like either of us will die without the other."

’Guo Jinfeng thought her father was right. Men’s bad habits were just a result of being spoiled. He threatened her with divorce all day long. How could she not take care of her own parents? Would she even be human if she didn’t?’

He Nan nodded and said in a heavy voice, "Fine. A divorce."

Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open, and He Ziqing ran in with Tuanzi.

"Dad, Mom, please don’t get a divorce! I won’t go to school anymore," He Ziqing said, crying.

Guo Jinfeng and He Nan were both stunned to see the two children.

He Nan stroked He Ziqing’s head. "Ziqing, you’re a big girl now. Dad knows you understand everything. Your mom and I can’t live together anymore. It has nothing to do with whether you go to school or not."