Chapter 3: A Mistake
Chapter 3: A Mistake
Having received the divorce agreement—does that mean the divorce is finalized? Anran isn't sure if there is a different process for military marriages compared to regular divorces. Are there any additional procedures?
She didn't think much about it at the time. She only feels that there has never been a strong emotional foundation between them, and her ex-husband is a soldier who is rarely home throughout the year. To someone like Anran, who has longed for a stable home since childhood, this marriage is a complete mistake!
She is thrilled to be single again!
But just one day after her "freedom," she finds out she is pregnant. In a panic, she calls Zhan Lian’s unit, but it is his teammate who answers. Before Anran can mention her pregnancy, his teammate tells her that Zhan Lian has gone overseas for a peacekeeping mission. Anran quickly hangs up the phone, and from that day on, she never contacts Zhan Lian again.
Of course, Zhan Lian never calls her either. He probably doesn’t want to have any further ties with her.
She has always wanted a child, and without much thought, after all the harsh words she has already said, Anran decides to keep the baby. She endures the entire pregnancy quietly on her own. The baby is born full-term, naturally, and she makes it through the most excruciating, life-and-death pain of a natural birth. Now, what could Zhan Lian do for her if she were to seek him out?
Forget it. This child is her flesh and blood. She has already been divorced from Zhan Lian for over half a year. He has likely moved on and found another woman, perhaps a "flower of the military." Appearing in his life with a baby now is probably not what he wants.
She doesn’t want to reappear in his world and ruin his happiness.
With that thought, Anran puts her phone back on the nightstand, turns over with difficulty, and feels a gush of lochia flow out. She sighs and looks at the maternity bag piled at the foot of her bed, feeling utterly exhausted.
Outside the curtain, the TV hanging on the wall broadcasts the news. The male anchor urges citizens not to go out alone, as there are reports of violent unrest, and the situation seems unstable.
Anran yawns, turns her head slightly, and looks at the empty crib by her bedside. Her heart feels hollow.
She doesn’t know if the hospital is trying to make money or if the flu virus has just gotten out of control recently, but almost all the babies in the maternity ward have symptoms of colds and fevers. Many of the mothers are dizzy with fever too, and the anxious grandmothers and mothers-in-law are constantly chasing after the doctors, asking if it is still safe to breastfeed.
The doctors are swamped and have no time to deal with the families. Outside the neonatal department, crowds of people gather, anxious to see the babies, though the newborns inside are out of sight. At least standing there brings some comfort to the grandparents and fathers.
Anran doesn’t have such a good life. She has no family to worry about and run around for her and the baby. Sometimes, she envies the other two mothers in the ward. Anran has grown up eating meals from various households, with no reliable family member to rely on. After divorcing Zhan Lian, she has cut ties with her few remaining relatives as well.
Her friends all have their own lives, so it isn’t possible for them to stay in the hospital long and help her.
So, everything has to be handled by Anran alone. She has already made plans for herself and the baby.
After she graduated from college, she worked for two years and saved about ten thousand yuan. Then, she met Zhan Lian through a matchmaker and married him. He bought the house and car, and with a few phone calls, everything was settled. Anran, completely clueless, simply packed her bags and moved in.